From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 318 All sins fall upon my body

It was past noon, and the sky was cloudless.

Those watching the battle were astonished to see that Monk Jinhai's powerful attack had failed to produce a victor.

The monk Jin Hai unleashed supreme Buddhist power with his demonic body, coupled with raging karmic fire. Not to mention a sixth-rank martial artist of the same level, even a fifth-rank martial artist would probably have to temporarily avoid his sharp edge. However, Meng Yuan not only withstood it, but also seemed to have some strength left.

Lin Yan craned his neck, his face initially showing disbelief, then wiped the sweat from his brow and muttered, "Master Nie really didn't choose the wrong son-in-law..."

Zhou Ying, standing nearby, was also dumbfounded. Seeing that the situation had taken a turn for the better, she breathed a sigh of relief, but she couldn't help but think of how Lin Yan had tried to match her with Meng Yuan, but she had refused because she was not qualified to be a leader.

Today, Zhou Ying knows that if Meng Yuan survives and is defeated, he will surely make further progress in his cultivation, becoming equal to Wang Er, or even suppressing the world.

Lin Yan didn't notice Zhou Ying's resentful gaze. Instead, he looked at Wang Er beside him and saw that Wang Er's eyes were even more solemn.

Only then did Lin Yan realize that the monk Jin Hai had not yet exhausted his methods, and Meng Yuan's tribulation was not yet over.

Dugu Ying's petite figure was hidden in the red cloak, and her innocent face was no longer expressionless, but rather showed a bit of solemnity.

Standing next to Mingyue, she seemed more like the younger sister.

Mingyue gripped her sword tightly, staring intently at Meng Yuan. She had already sensed that although Meng Yuan appeared unharmed, something had changed inside him.

"How does it compare to Li Weizhen back then?" Abbess Liaoxian asked Cangshan Jun.

This Lord Cangshan once fought against Li Weizhen with magic, but suffered a crushing defeat.

"Does the nun mean Jin Hai or Meng Feiyuan?" Cangshan Jun asked.

“Naturally, it is my friend Jin Hai,” Liao Xian said.

Cangshan Jun was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I don't know. Li Weizhen isn't that flashy."

Having seen much, and observing the scene, he continued, "Jin Hai seems to have a foolproof plan, but he lacks the determination to forge ahead. Moreover, he is feeding the demon with his own body, so he will inevitably suffer a backlash."

Master Liaoxian nodded slightly and said, "This is only a temporary problem. Meng Feiyuan did his best to block the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor and escaped with the help of a wisp of wildfire. But Jin Hai still has a backup plan, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to stop him."

“I think Jin Hai is about to lose his composure and become even more frenzied. When he makes another move, his power will surely be even greater than before.” Elder Miaoyin said this, but then looked at Daoist Xuanjizi beside her and asked, “What do you think, Daoist?”

“Jin Hai possesses a demonic body and practices Buddhist supernatural powers; the combination of the two amplifies his power even further.” Xuanjizi sighed slightly. “Isn’t this also Qing Guangzi?”

Upon hearing this, no one around him objected. Qing Guangzi created a Buddhist kingdom on earth to attain enlightenment, while Jin Hai, possessing a demonic body, unleashed Buddhist supernatural powers. Both were acting recklessly, almost to the point of being either Buddhist or demonic.

"Back then, Daoist Master was unable to stop Qingguangzi from attaining enlightenment in Songhe Prefecture. How do you know that Meng Feiyuan can't do the same today?" Elder Miaoyin smiled and looked at Xuanjizi, saying, "Let's make a bet. If Meng Feiyuan wins, Daoist Master, please lend Li Weizhen to us."

"His departure from the mountain is to vanquish demons, and he will soon come to Lanruo Temple to settle old scores. Besides, although Jingxu is an obedient child, this old Taoist cannot control him." Xuanjizi shook his head slightly, then suddenly asked, "What trouble has occurred in the demon kingdom that necessitates the extermination of the Dao by martial artists?"

Master Liaoxian also looked at Elder Miaoyin, clearly curious about Miaoyin's purpose.

Elder Miaoyin smiled and said without answering, "You only need to mention it to him, and we'll see if it works out. As for what it is, we'll find out in the future."

"What if you lose, fellow Daoist?" Xuanjizi asked.

Elder Miaoyin smiled broadly and said, "I am going to Chongxu Temple to guard it for a hundred years. Speaking of which, boating on the Canglang River would be a wonderful thing."

“Agreed!” Xuanjizi immediately agreed.

While the betting took place on one side, Abbot Zhiguan and Master Jiujie watched the two in the arena, each with their own thoughts.

Seeing that Jin Hai had no immediate success, Master Jiu Jie was not in a hurry. Instead, he smiled and pointed to Meng Yuan in the arena, saying, "This young friend Meng is truly a genius. He has two dantians operating in parallel, and his jade liquid is thick and tough, far surpassing others of the same grade. Even Jin Hai's three dantians are inferior to his. That's not all. Without relying on heavenly secrets and supernatural powers, his physical strength alone is comparable to Jin Hai's demonic body."

“One is a martial artist who has colluded with Qing Guangzi’s beloved disciple, and the other is a lamp-bearer under the Buddha Zizai. For a moment, this humble monk cannot distinguish who is righteous and who is evil,” said Abbot Zhiguan.

“The one who wins is righteous, and the one who loses is evil,” said Master Jiujie.

“That old Master Ying’s knowledge is probably heretical and unorthodox,” said Abbot Zhiguan.

"Senior brother's wit is sharper than mine, junior brother's is not." Master Jiujie stopped arguing.

The crowd watching the battle from the Zen Platform was large, and they were all whispering and discussing among themselves.

Those who had interacted with Meng Yuan, or even those who had heard of his deeds, all came forward to mention it. Some even vehemently denounced Jin Hai for having fallen into demonic ways and was no longer a disciple of Buddhism.

However, with more people, all sorts of miscellaneous things came up, and some people even secretly started betting operations.

At this moment, the scene returned to tranquility. There was no dazzling Buddha light, no deafening demonic noise, no fleeting light, and no comet's brilliance.

Meng Yuan and Jin Hai stood facing each other, neither of them speaking, only gazing at each other.

"Amitabha." Monk Jinhai clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and said, "Benefactor Meng has refused the homage of ten thousand Buddhas, yet the fire of karma still burns. I wonder how to deal with this?"

The monk Jin Hai was quite polite, but the ferocity on his face could no longer be concealed. His eyes were sometimes bloodshot and sometimes dark, as if he was trying to suppress his madness.

Meng Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, remaining silent, but his heart was already churning with turmoil.

During their desperate attack, Meng Yuan had already realized that the monk Jin Hai's three methods were all-encompassing and integrated into one, rendering his own various techniques largely ineffective. Whether it was his former life-or-death technique, Floating Light Cave Heaven, the Bodhi Extinction Path he relied on to kill enemies, or Comet Strikes the Moon passed down by Dugu Ying, none of them could break through his defenses against the demonic body and Buddhist heart.

Despite exerting all his strength and undergoing several body temperings, he could only manage to block the Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage.

His body was indeed unharmed, and his mind remained untainted. However, his brief escape through the Heavenly Fire had not been enough to break free from the burning of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

At this moment, Meng Yuan felt it firsthand. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire was indeed powerful, impossible to extinguish or dissipate, and it went wherever he pleased. Even his indestructible golden body could not withstand its power, and his stealthy movements could not hide his tracks. All sorts of killing moves could not even slightly stop its flames.

Meng Yuan saw it clearly: this Red Lotus Karmic Fire was born from the Golden Sea; as long as the person dies, the fire will not be extinguished, and it cannot be eliminated or stopped at all.

However, Meng Yuan has tempered his body several times, each time more difficult and each time more painful than the last. Now, his body and mind are suffering from the burning pain of karmic fire, as if he has fallen into the Avici Hell. Although it is very difficult to endure, he can still bear it.

Moreover, this Red Lotus Karmic Fire was strange. Meng Yuan felt a burning pain in his muscles, bones, and flesh. He even felt that only if he himself was burned into spring mud to help the spring scenery in the future, and the fire would subside after his sins were completely eliminated.

Those with weak wills and unwavering resolve would likely find it difficult to persevere for long. However, Meng Yuan had recently tempered his body, which was essentially a mental exercise. Although the thought of self-immolation to atone for his sins still lingered, it was no longer a significant one.

Meng Yuan slowly let out a sigh of relief and glanced at the people around him. Some looked worried, some remained silent, some seemed a little jealous, and some even seemed to be gloating.

Regardless, at least her usually carefree senior brother was concerned about her, her newly acquainted junior master Suwen also looked worried, and the Dugu sisters also had heavy expressions.

Moreover, upon vaguely seeing the red cloak, Meng Yuan had the idea of ​​lifting it to find out what was inside.

Thinking this, Meng Yuan felt his mind in turmoil, his anger rising to the heavens, and the pain and suffering he endured in his body and mind intensified.

“The karmic fire of the Red Lotus burns fiercely; as long as the sins are not extinguished, the karmic fire will not be put out.” Monk Jinhai slowly spoke, “Benefactor Meng, this karmic fire has already entered your heart. As long as you die, the karma will not be extinguished, and the fire will not be put out.”

As the monk Jin Hai spoke, those watching from the sidelines saw Meng Yuan's eyes turn bloodshot, with dark red flames seemingly emanating from his seven orifices. Then, countless tiny fire lines appeared on his body, as if circulating along his meridians, or as if each line formed its own world.

The flames did not damage the clothes or harm the skin, yet they seemed to burn everything to ashes from the inside out.

Those watching the battle were moved by the crimson lotus flames and wanted to atone for all their sins.

Meng Yuan immediately cleared his mind of all distractions. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire seemed to be restrained, weakening considerably before disappearing entirely into his body, leaving no trace. Focusing his mind and body on oneness, Meng Yuan urgently sought a way to extinguish the fire.

As soon as a thought arises, the essence fire within the body surges, instantly engulfing the red lotus karmic fire within.

The two were locked in a fierce struggle, with Meng Yuan's body and mind as their battlefield. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire fed on sins; as long as the sins were eradicated, the fire would not be extinguished.

The essence fire is first nourished by the nutrients absorbed by Meng Yuan, and then by the bodies of others. It seems to feed on flesh and blood, but in reality, it depends on the cultivation level of the things and people it takes in.

Moreover, the essence of fire has the ability to nourish itself, complementing Meng Yuan.

At this moment, the essence fire and the karmic fire clashed, seemingly rising and falling, neither gaining the upper hand. However, the red lotus karmic fire seemed to be only one, while the essence fire was two, three, or even ten thousand.

However, after a few breaths, Meng Yuan felt that the Red Lotus Karmic Fire planted in his body had completely disappeared, while his essence fire remained unchanged, as if the Red Lotus Karmic Fire had not caused him any injury.

Opening his eyes, Meng Yuan looked at Jin Hai. The monk Jin Hai still had a ferocious appearance, and his eyes showed both madness and confusion.

“With all your sins absolved, if you have no other means, you may admit defeat,” Meng Yuan said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Impossible!" Monk Jinhai stopped clasping his hands together. "The Red Lotus Karmic Fire arose because of me. Since you are being burned by my karmic fire, then we shall both suffer from the karmic fire. Only when our sins are completely eradicated will the karmic fire disappear! The karmic fire in your body has been extinguished. What is the reason for this?"

"I have committed no sins, so why am I being burned by the karmic fire of the red lotus?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Who in this world is without sin?" Monk Jinhai waved his hand and roared, "Even a Buddhist disciple, an ancient Buddha, must bow down and bear the weight of countless sins!"

Meng Yuan ignored him and offered no further explanation, waiting for the monk Jin Hai to go mad.

"Elder, why is Meng Feiyuan unharmed?" Cangshan Jun couldn't help but ask Elder Miaoyin.

Elder Miaoyin smiled and said, "I don't know either. After today's matter is over, I will go and check on his health. You should prepare some beautiful clansmen and ask him to bestow his favor on us in the future."

The demon race has always admired strength and believed that offspring born to strong individuals will inherit the bloodline of those strong individuals and achieve far greater success than those born to ordinary parents.

Cangshan Jun naturally understood this principle, but being highly knowledgeable, he disagreed with it in his heart, yet he still quickly agreed.

"Amitabha Buddha." Abbess Liaoxian sighed helplessly.

Master Jiujie leaned forward slightly, gazing at Meng Yuan in the distance, and asked, "Senior Brother, is this because the Ying family has some other ingenious method?"

Abbot Zhiguan said, "When karmic fire burns the body, it burns oneself. Jin Hai was wrong to begin with, so why do you insist on finding a reason?"

Master Jiujie smiled and said, "Let's see what Jin Hai can do."

As he spoke, Monk Jinhai seemed to have calmed down. Although there was still madness in his eyes, the reddish-black color was gradually fading.

“Benefactor Meng’s methods are admirable. Today, I have seen the vastness of the sky and the expanse of the earth.” Monk Jinhai put his hands together again. “As the ancients said, ‘If one hears the Way in the morning, one can die content in the evening.’ I believe that the Way you seek is similar to mine. Perhaps your fire has overshadowed mine.”

Without waiting for Meng Yuan's reply, he simply sat down cross-legged.

Suddenly, a gust of wind arose in the arena, causing the monk Jin Hai's robe to flutter.

The robe fluttered in the wind, broke free from the monk Jin Hai's body, and then burst into flames in the air.

The wind swirled the robe higher and higher until all that could be seen was a ball of fire.

“The fact that your fire can overshadow my fire is not because my Red Lotus Karmic Fire is inadequate, but because it is too weak.” Monk Jin Hai sat cross-legged, his eyes no longer filled with the strange, dark color, but instead with a deep red glow.

In an instant, all the onlookers were moved, feeling great sorrow and suffering, as all their sins were forcibly absolved and imposed upon the sitting monk Jin Hai.

The meditation platform is vast, the Lanruo Temple is expansive, and the world is boundless. Whether it is birds, fish, insects, or monks and laypeople, it seems that the sins they bear are all stirred by a wisp of fire, and then leave their bodies, giving them all a sense of purity of body and mind.

Monk Jinhai was engulfed in flames, surrounded by red lotuses, as if he were a true Buddha who had vowed, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty!"

"Watch closely! This is about to break through to a higher realm!" Master Ren suddenly exclaimed.

"Amitabha Buddha." Seeing the turmoil in people's hearts, Abbot Zhiguan uttered the Buddha's name to calm them down.

Meng Yuan never expected Jin Hai to pull this stunt, but since things had come to this point, he was also curious. This monk Jin Hai's path to advancement was similar to his own; both sought fire.

Since Monk Jinhai was going to prove his Dao on the spot, Meng Yuan watched carefully, hoping to gain something from it.

"Your Excellency has requested fire at the last minute. I wonder what kind of Dao this Red Lotus Karmic Fire is?" Meng Yuan asked.

The monk Jin Hai's eyes not only held the compassion and purity of a Buddhist disciple, but also a hint of madness, suggesting he might be an old friend from Songhe Prefecture.

The monk Jin Hai's face was contorted with rage. He slowly raised and opened his hands, saying each word clearly, "All the sins of the world belong to me."

Just past noon, the monk Jin Hai's robe was gone, his head shone brighter, and red lotus fire flowed from his eyes, which then spread throughout his entire body.

The raging flames stirred up the sins of countless spectators at the Zen Platform, amplifying the power of the karmic fire.

At this moment, everyone finally understood that what Monk Jinhai meant by "all sins belong to me" was clearly using the sins of countless people gathered at the Zen Inquiry Platform to ignite endless red lotus karmic fire, and then using this to attain enlightenment.

Sure enough, the red lotus karmic fire poured down like water. Monk Jinhai sat cross-legged, and the pain of being burned in body and mind made him scream wildly, even raising his head with a crazy and sorrowful expression, as if he were really suffering the burning pain of the red lotus karmic fire on behalf of all living beings.

The crimson flames spread like a river, quickly reaching Meng Yuan's feet.

“Pity the people of this world, for they suffer so much.” Monk Jinhai cried out in a frenzy.

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan truly believed that Monk Jin Hai was an old friend from Songhe Prefecture.

"You are the lamp-bearing attendant under the seat of the Buddha of Freedom. May I ask how you address Qingguangzi?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Master has already attained enlightenment and is known as the Holy King of Light." Monk Jinhai finally stopped looking up and looked at Meng Yuan with resentment through the raging karmic fire.

"The Holy King of Light is here, illuminating all directions!" Monk Jinhai's voice trembled, yet it was exceptionally powerful and resolute. "Meng Feiyuan, I did not intend to kill you, but the world is filled with too many sins. I borrow a spark of your light to help me attain enlightenment!"

After speaking, Monk Jinhai ignored Meng Yuan completely, immediately closed his eyes, and his aura suddenly surged, with the Red Lotus Karmic Fire also soaring into the sky.

Those watching from near and far quickly moved away, afraid of getting involved in the slightest.

Meng Yuan, however, ignored the Red Lotus Karmic Fire and allowed himself to be engulfed in it.

With his hand on his sword, Meng Yuan used the Red Lotus Karmic Fire to blind him and shut down his six senses, but his will was unwavering, and he simply took a step forward.

One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, Meng Yuan moved through the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. Soon he saw that Monk Jin Hai was covered with Buddhist light, and many dark lights seeped out from his skin. Then all of them were burned away by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

"All the myriad sins are my own doing? These myriad sins originated from you, so how can you say they are all my own doing?"

Meng Yuan approached and swung his sword. The monk Jin Hai, who was being burned by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, suddenly opened his eyes wide and saw that his head had already left his body. All his sins vanished instantly, and the endless Red Lotus Karmic Fire also disappeared.

With his sixth-rank ability, he attracted the attention of fifth-rank martial artists and even made fourth-rank martial artists marvel at his talent. The monk Jin Hai, who was proving his Dao on the Zen Platform, was easily killed with a single slash, without even a hint of resistance.

(End of this chapter)