From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 317 Asking for Fire
It was midday, and the spring sun was blazing.

The meditation platform was silent, and everyone looked at Monk Jinhai.

Jin Hai held the image of ten thousand Buddhas paying homage in his left hand and the intention of feeding the demon with his body in his right hand, with the surging red lotus fire behind him.

The three elements are in harmony, mutually supportive and mutually reinforcing, giving a sense of the unity of the great Dao.

In an instant, the onlookers, witnessing this extraordinary celestial phenomenon, experienced a shift in their state of mind. Some, seeing ten thousand Buddhas paying homage, felt a desire to prostrate themselves in worship; others, seeing themselves being fed to demons, were filled with chaotic and delusional thoughts. However, under the illumination of the red lotus karmic fire, they involuntarily recalled their past sins, which aroused resentment in their hearts, leading them to want to escape this place and never appear before others again.

Regardless, the onlookers, though they had not yet seen Monk Jin Hai make a move, were already awestruck by his strength.

The differences between people are enormous, even among martial artists of the same level.

But now it seems that the gap is not just huge, it's like heaven and earth!
Those watching the battle felt a pang of unease. The lower-ranking disciples were bewildered and confused, while those who managed to remain calm wondered just how powerful the Golden Sea Monk's attack truly was.

Hidden in the red cloak, Dugu Ying's innocent face was no longer expressionless; instead, she frowned and stared intently at Jin Hai.

Dugu Mingyue was also deeply surprised. She had only recently advanced to the fifth rank of martial artist and considered herself a genius. However, she thought that if she were to block the attack from Monk Jinhai, she would probably have to temporarily avoid his sharp edge.

The reason is simple: the combined power of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Converging is even more domineering than the Floating Light Cave Heaven, making it impossible to escape. Feeding the demon with one's body means abandoning purity, light, and compassion in one's heart, leaving no good thoughts behind, in order to transform oneself into a demon and thereby strengthen oneself. This method is even more powerful than the power-accumulating method of the mayfly world, but it will inevitably lead to backlash, just like the Nine Revolutions Rejuvenation Technique. Using it too much will inevitably harm oneself.

The monk Jin Hai used his body to feed the demons to enhance his own power, thereby further increasing the power of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage, which multiplied his power many times over.

However, Monk Jinhai also possessed a body scorched by the karmic fire of the Red Lotus. Although he suffered the pain of being burned by the karmic fire, he no longer had the intention to feed the demon with his body.

“With these three methods operating in parallel, the fifth-rank individuals from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism would probably have already been killed,” Dugu Ying finally spoke.

Mingyue gripped the hilt of her sword, but remained silent.

The two sisters each had their own thoughts, while Abbot Zhiguan and Master Jiujie stopped discussing the Dao and instead turned their gaze to Jin Hai and Meng Yuan in the arena.

"Brother Dao is too cunning," Abbot Zhiguan sighed.

"What makes you say that?" Master Jiujie was wearing a black kasaya adorned with sun, moon and stars.

Abbot Zhiguan pointed at Monk Jinhai in the arena and said, "That virtuous friend Jinhai clearly has the ability to break through to the fifth rank, but he is holding back. Meng Feiyuan has only recently entered the sixth rank, how can he be a match for him?"

“Senior brother, martial artists have always had the tradition of killing enemies beyond their level. You and I must not judge each other based on our cultivation levels.” Monk Jiujie smiled warmly and said, “Besides, this was not my idea. It was because Jin Hai’s mental state was not yet ready that he dared not seek a breakthrough.”

“Amitabha.” Abbot Zhiguan shook his head slightly and said, “The Red Lotus Karmic Fire not only burns oneself, but also brings harm to others. If one seeks advancement through this, even if one achieves a certain state of mind, is that still the state of mind that seeks Buddha’s compassion?”

"Your temple has the lineage of Bodhi and the cessation of the path. Does this teaching emphasize Bodhi or the cessation of the path?" Master Jiujie asked.

The first two characters of Bodhi (菩提) actually have the meaning of compassion, but the extinction of the path is ultimately the extinction of the path.

Abbot Zhiguan replied, "Only with compassion can one prevent the destruction of the Dao; otherwise, it would be like Qingguangzi's destruction of the world."

"And what's different?" Master Jiujie asked.

"Amitabha Buddha," Abbot Zhiguan uttered the Buddha's name, and asked no further questions.

The two eminent monks stopped looking at the scene and instead closed their eyes.

The high monk was naturally in no hurry, but Lin Yan was so anxious that he scratched his head and stretched his neck, trying his best to find Wang Er's figure.

Lin Yan was very knowledgeable. As soon as he saw the three extraordinary phenomena of Monk Jin Hai, he knew that he was no match for him, and even if Xi Yisheng came, he would not be able to defeat him.

While my junior brother can kill Xi Yisheng, he may not be able to break through this person's complete technique.

Lin Yan wanted to find someone to help him, but he couldn't find Wang Er anywhere.

"Behind you." Zhou Ying saw that Lin Yan was confused by his concern and offered some guidance.

Sure enough, as soon as Lin Yan turned around, he saw Wang Er and Daoist Ren together, while Xiao Taotao stared wide-eyed to the side.

"Old Xiao!" Lin Yan quickly grabbed Xiao Taotao's hand and said anxiously, "We're just sparring, not risking our lives! My junior brother is a master of the inner chambers, but he's not very good at battle formations."

"Hey Lin, you're just getting carried away. Why can't you see things clearly?" Xiao Taotao shook off Lin Yan's hand and said irritably, "Even I can't withstand Monk Jin Hai's attack right now!"

Lin Yan's opinion of Monk Jin Hai's abilities rose even higher. Ignoring Wang Er and Daoist Ren's whispers, he immediately tugged at Wang Er's sleeve.

Wang Er remained silent, simply watching the scene unfold.

"Say something, Master!" Lin Yan urged.

"Saving him in the face of battle may save his life, but how is that any different from Xi Yisheng borrowing the Nine Revolutions to restore his spirit? How is that any different from Dugu Sheng, who is timid and only dares to strike from behind?"

Wang Er shook his head slightly, pointed to Meng Yuan in the arena, and said, "Martial artists are not incapable of retreating, but since they have already taken their place, they cannot retreat at this moment."

“A matchmaker once taught me that it’s better to live a miserable life than to die a good death…” Lin Yan muttered to himself. Seeing Wang Er frown, he dared not say anything more and then hurried off to find Xuanjizi.

"Young friend, keep calm in the face of trouble." Xuanjizi saw that Lin Yan was acting rashly and came to persuade him.

"This is no longer the time for your disciples to be humiliated by Lord Cangshan!" Lin Yan said irritably.

Cangshan Jun was standing behind Elder Miaoyin, watching the scene with great interest from Monk Jinhai. Suddenly hearing someone trying to shift the blame, he immediately said, "I was just sparring with Brother Jingxu's fellow disciples. How could I have meant to humiliate you? Fellow Daoist Lin, don't talk nonsense!"

After saying this, he moved closer to Elder Miaoyin and kept staring at Xuanjizi's expression.

Xuanjizi, as expected, didn't stoop to Cangshanjun's level. He simply looked at Lin Yan and said, "The outcome is still undecided. How can you be so sure your junior brother will lose?"

“Even Lao Xiao couldn’t stop him, and the Grand Supervisor frowned. They’ve all lost confidence.” Lin Yan sighed and said, “My master only left behind one daughter. If my junior brother is gone, won’t she kill me?”

At this point, Lin Yan sighed again and muttered, "It seems there's some truth to the story of Qingqing being a jinx to her husbands!"

"Take it one step at a time and see how things go. Don't rush," Xuanjizi gently reassured him.

"Junior Brother is the Third Miss's man, so please look after him later, Daoist!" Lin Yan grabbed Xuanjizi's sleeve and wouldn't let go. "He lent your disciples quite a bit of money!"

"Don't rush." ​​Xuanjizi was at his wit's end. "Jin Hai is fire, and Meng Feiyuan is also fire. There might be a chance of victory."

Hearing this, Elder Miaoyin turned her head slightly and asked curiously, "Young monk Jin Hai has already mastered the wonders of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and can break through realms without actually breaking through. I wonder what kind of fire Meng Feiyuan seeks?"

“I don’t know about that.” Xuanjizi shook his head slightly and said, “My junior sister once taught him the method of Heavenly Fire Spreading Across the Plains, which is meant to be endless and has some similarity with Meng Feiyuan, but they cannot be combined.” Xuanjizi stroked his beard and continued, “In my opinion, Meng Feiyuan has not yet found his own path. Today may be the opportunity.”

"The Red Lotus Karmic Fire burns away one's own sins; as long as the sins are exhausted, the karmic fire will not extinguish. But feeding the demon with one's own body is actually turning oneself into a demon, and sins will arise on their own. Therefore, the karmic fire will not be extinguished, and one will not be disturbed by demonic thoughts. One will be unstoppable even if one is of the same level as the Golden Sea, and killing enemies of higher levels will be as easy as taking candy from a baby," Elder Miaoyin said with a smile.

"Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Can he truly sweep away all the dust in his heart? I doubt it." Abbess Liaoxian suddenly spoke up, "However, if one can withstand the burning of karmic fire, no matter how many sins one has committed in the past, they can all be wiped clean and one can be reborn. Karmic fire burns away sins, and as long as one's mind can withstand it, one can be reborn. Besides this, Jin Hai probably has other trump cards up his sleeve."

Seeing that the three experts had said this, Lin Yan said nothing more. He noticed that Zhou Ying was also quite confused, so he said, "I let you spend the whole night with your junior brother last night, but you didn't comply. You won't have another chance!"

Zhou Ying couldn't help but frown; she simply couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to Lin Yan.

At this moment, the onlookers saw Monk Jinhai slowly step forward, his confidence overflowing, and they all eagerly awaited the moment when Jinhai would make his move.

"Brother Feiyuan, I wonder how you will stop this?" Ning Qufei stood ramrod straight, his eyes filled with obvious worry.

"Senior brother, you truly care about the worries of others!" Mo Tingyu glanced at the scene, then looked at Ning Qufei, before turning her head to grab the sleeve of the old Taoist beside her and saying, "Ancestor, Meng Feiyuan saved the lives of Senior Brother and me. You must help him out!"

Mo Wenshan shook his head upon hearing this, saying, "You can fight alongside a martial artist and save him from dire straits, but you cannot interfere when the battle is still undecided."

“Our patriarch was right.” Ning Qufei gripped his sword hilt and said, “If Brother Feiyuan is harmed today, we will avenge him in the future!”

"Senior Brother, you're so kind!" Mo Tingyu said immediately.

At this moment, everyone's eyes are on the field.

The monk Jin Hai approached step by step, while Meng Yuan simply gripped the hilt of his knife and stared at Jin Hai without moving.

Meng Yuan was not disturbed by the various thoughts and images of heavenly secrets; at this moment, his mind was exceptionally clear. But precisely because of this, he felt all the more keenly that his own methods, whether offensive or defensive, were no match for the combined attack of the three—Golden Sea Monk, the monk, and himself.

The Bodhi Extinction Path, which was used to repel the enemy, was not less powerful than the opponent's Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage. Rather, the opponent's Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage had the assistance of feeding the demon with their own bodies, which increased its power by several times.

Moreover, when this person unleashes the combined power of these three elements, it will inevitably cause ten thousand red lotuses to bloom. When the karmic fire touches his body, it will be far more than just ordinary physical pain.

Since that's the case, Meng Yuan didn't bother with any methods to save or prolong his life; he only wanted to defeat the enemy by force.

"This humble monk uses these three methods to save people. Does Benefactor Meng have any last words?" Monk Jinhai was covered in flames, his eyes were bloodshot, as if they contained embers of fire.

"There's no need for a last will and testament. It's just that I'm afraid your karmic fire is hard to extinguish today." Meng Yuan held a knife in his hand, walked forward step by step, and said, "You want to become a demon, yet you still maintain your Buddhist body; you want to become a Buddha, yet you can't let go of the vast world after becoming a demon. You are truly incongruous and only make yourself a laughing stock."

Suddenly, a streak of light shot out from in front of Meng Yuan and arrived in front of Monk Jin Hai in an instant.

But when the flying rainbow encountered the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, it was instantly burned to ashes.

Before Meng Yuan could reach Monk Jin Hai, he revealed himself and, without hesitation, unleashed a slash.

The cave suddenly split open, and countless floating lights surged out, instantly obscuring countless karmic fires and Buddhist lights. Even the crimson-black demonic elephant was startled.

In the past, Meng Yuan used the Floating Light Cave to eliminate powerful enemies time and again. Today, he is using it again without leaving any room for maneuver.

Just as the light was shining brightly, the monk Jinhai separated his hands, which were originally clasped together, and pushed them forward.

In an instant, the myriad shimmering lights seemed to be suppressed by the immense power of heaven and earth, causing them to dissolve and disappear.

Only the surging Buddha light, within which seemed to bloom thousands of flowers and manifest countless true Buddhas, all gazing upon the golden sea.

Jin Hai was trapped in the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, his eyes sometimes turning crimson, sometimes as black as an abyss, his expression sometimes ferocious, sometimes compassionate.

The Buddha's light surged forward, within which lay endless red lotus karmic fire, which was about to engulf Meng Yuan.

At this moment, the spectators could no longer see the details on the field. They only saw the Buddha's light soaring into the sky and the karmic fire raging. Jin Hai's figure appeared and disappeared in the Buddha's light and the karmic fire, sometimes like a true Buddha descending to earth, and sometimes like a demon lord descending from heaven.

Just then, a beam of Buddha's light emerged from the surging, endless Buddha's light and karmic fire that seemed capable of destroying all things.

The Buddha's light, contrary to the intention of the ten thousand Buddhas paying homage to the Buddha emanating from Monk Jin Hai, instead conveyed a sense of compassion and unwavering resolve, as if it wanted to annihilate all things, even sweeping away all the Buddhas in the sky.

Bodhi's finger pierced through the image of all Buddhas coming to pay homage, and although it was attacked by countless red lotus karmic fires, it remained unperturbed.

But the Red Lotus Karmic Fire is boundless, and its power can burn away all thoughts, especially all kinds of sins.

The destruction of the path is a sin. The power of Bodhi's destruction of the path, which had just extended to the point where ten thousand Buddhas paid homage, was completely swept away.

Although the Bodhi's intention to extinguish the path had disappeared, amidst the surging Buddha light and karmic fire, an extremely bright light burst forth, like a comet piercing through the Buddha light, and carrying the red lotus karmic fire towards Monk Jinhai.

“Amitabha Buddha, how can the light of a spark compare to tomorrow?” Monk Jinhai shook his head slightly, seemingly regretful. “If Benefactor Meng begs for mercy, this humble monk…”

Monk Jinhai suddenly stopped. He saw that although the light of the comet striking the moon had dissipated, an inextinguishable flame had risen from within the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage and the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. It was similar to his own fire, yet different.

The flames, like threads, were indestructible and suddenly burst forth.

The myriad red lotus flames could not diminish its power, nor could the shattering Buddha's light extinguish its source.

The flames reached his brow, and the monk Jinhai had no choice but to take a step back.

The combined force of the three suddenly dissipated, but the flames on Jin Hai's body remained.

Looking at the area five steps in front of him, Meng Feiyuan was completely unharmed. Not only were his clothes intact, but his face was also as usual, as if a gentle breeze had just brushed against his face.

When Jin Hai saw that his supposedly superb skills had failed to kill the person before him, his eyes blazed with fury again, and a ferocious expression appeared on his face.

“I heard that you have been in seclusion seeking fire but have not succeeded. I suppose the path you seek is related to fire.” Monk Jinhai gazed at Meng Yuan and said, “Coincidentally, my path is also in fire.”

"Red Lotus Karmic Fire?" Meng Yuan asked.

“Indeed.” Monk Jinhai asked, “May I ask, Benefactor Meng, have you found your own path, and what kind of fire is it?”

"I don't know," Meng Yuan said honestly, "but I do know that your fire cannot extinguish my fire."

Upon witnessing the Red Lotus Karmic Fire in this battle, Meng Yuan had already sensed that the Red Lotus Karmic Fire was meant to burn away one's own sins, while the fire Meng Yuan sought was meant to burn away the sins of the world.

(End of this chapter)