Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 258 I'm sorry, it's because I, the monk, am incompetent.
Zhang Yuanzhu waved his hand, stepped forward, and stroked the white bones beside him.

"Without the support of the demonic cultivators of Painted Skin Peak, you would be annihilated immediately. No need for thanks."

"That's enough."

The old monk sat cross-legged, gazing at the wisps of demonic energy, and pointed to the open space in front of him.

"I wonder if you would be willing to listen to a dying man like me ramble on for a few minutes?"

Zhang Yuanzhu stopped what he was doing, calmly looked at the old monk, and sat down cross-legged.

What is the Ancient Demon Graveyard?

Being in this place, he was willing to listen to the monk's words.

"Ancient Demon Graveyard? I prefer to call it Ancient Demon Battlefield."

Kong Ding clasped his hands together, his expression solemn.

"The battlefield remains left behind after countless powerful warriors clashed in a distant past."

"Spread throughout this region, resentment, hatred, and the unwillingness to die, under the erosion of time, coupled with various coincidences, will form special spaces in some battlefields."

"This is the so-called Ancient Demon Graveyard!"

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes flickered as he listened to the old monk's explanation, a hint of seriousness appearing on his face, his arms resting flat on his knees.

"Can I leave?"

He has no interest in this space and has no intention of exploring it; he only wants to kill the old woman and leave.

"Of course. The Ancient Demon Battlefield was formed by a series of coincidences. Ultimately, it was not created by a Golden Core True Monarch, so it is relatively fragile."

"Once you set foot here, you can leave within a month at most."

The old monk explained, his face kind.

"It won't delay your business."

"Monk, do you know I have other matters to attend to?"

Zhang Yuanzhu chuckled softly, stroking the hilt of the sword at his waist, feeling the coldness emanating from his fingertips.

“If it weren’t for something I had to do, how could you have come to this demonic land, and how could I have come from Nansha?”

Kong Ding sighed softly, but his eyes were unusually gentle.

As if recalling something pleasant, a smile spread across his face.

Before the boy could ask, she had already begun to recount her own experiences.

“Nansha is located in the far south of the world. It is a vast desert with only a few oases dotting it, which contain vitality and spiritual energy. Temples are located in the oases, which enlighten people and persuade people to do good.”

"I am one of the monks. I heard my senior brothers and uncles talking about the affairs of the world and learned about the suffering of all living beings. So I came to this demonic land to save all living beings."

"pity."

The old monk rambled on, recounting the past and the roads he had traveled.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, listening attentively without uttering a word, until the old monk stopped speaking, at which point he slowly began to speak:
"Do you regret it?"

Kong Ding's head drooped.

After a long, long time, he finally raised his head again, revealing a face full of sorrow. He wanted to cry, but his body was too frail to shed tears.

Each word was uttered as if answering the boy's question, or perhaps questioning one's own heart.

"This old monk regrets it!"

"I regret that I couldn't save the people who are crying out day and night, I regret that I overestimated my abilities and fell into the clutches of evil, killing is worse than saving people."

"I am incompetent!"

After an unknown amount of time, the old monk Kongding finally composed himself, looked at the young man, and spoke with sincerity.

"No matter how important your business is, please go back. We can discuss it another time."

"Old monk, you underestimate me."

The boy laughed heartily, his laughter both frank and gentle.

"You regret this and that, but you never regret entering this demonic land."

“I am not strong enough to save people, nor do I have any intention of doing this, but since I have seen it, I should still do my best to help them and seek a way to clear their minds.”

"Moreover, since I stepped into the Fallen Demon Mountain, for me, it's either death or crossing the Demon Land; there is absolutely no other choice."

Zhang Yuanzhu stood up, his long sword trembling slightly, emitting a series of sword cries.

With a resolute determination to cut through everything.

As Kong Ding experienced that unwavering will and sensed its supreme brilliance, a smile appeared on his face.

He slowly rose, clasped his hands together, and bowed again. "That's enough. If one person can live, that's one person."

Once the spine was straightened, the old monk spoke:
“Benefactor, I wish to lend you a hand and impart to you all the methods of cultivation you have practiced in this life.”

"I wonder if you would be willing to enter my Shengjue Temple and become a lay disciple."

After a pause, the old monk explained, worried that the boy might misunderstand.

"The old monk is about to die and does not care about sectarian differences, but the method of inheritance is restricted and cannot be passed on to outsiders, so this is the only option I can take."

“I appreciate the monk’s kindness, but I already have a lineage and do not wish to change my allegiance.”

Zhang Yuanzhu chuckled and shook his head.

Kong Ding sighed softly, filled with regret.

With his keen eyesight and the exchange within the formation just now, he naturally recognized the young man's talent.

Especially the opponent's physical body, it can be described as: the spine is like a snow-capped mountain, a white elephant standing tall, and the qi and blood are like eight dragons surrounding Mount Sumeru.

Such a precious body is a natural-born prodigy destined to cultivate the Buddhist path, qualified to become a Buddhist disciple and protect all living beings.

It's a pity we weren't meant to be; we had to miss each other.

"Since you are unwilling, this old monk will not force you."

"Benefactor, do you have any blank jade slips?"

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly as he stared at the monk Kongding. At this moment, cracks had appeared on the monk's body, revealing a hollow interior.

With a flick of his sleeve, several streaks of light flew out and hovered in front of the monk.

Kong Ding reached out and picked up a jade slip, placing it between his eyebrows. He repeated this several times until all five jade slips were returned.

"These are all things that this old monk obtained unexpectedly, including Buddhist techniques, scriptures, and spells. I hope you will accept them."

A hint of curiosity appeared in Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes. He had indeed never been exposed to Buddhist teachings before, however...
"Is there a way to deliver wronged souls?"

"This is it."

Kong Ding pointed to the jade slip on the far right and waved it gently.

The jade slip floated to the boy's face.

Then, the old monk pointed to the remaining jade slips and began to explain:
"This is the Mantra for Extinguishing the Fire of Karmic Impermanence."

"enough."

Zhang Yuanzhu took the jade slip in front of him, interrupting the old monk's voice.

"I will help you regain half a moment of self-realization and obtain a method to dispel wronged souls. I do not want any other Buddhist scriptures or practices."

Kong Ding remained silent, staring blankly at the four jade slips floating in front of him, his mind filled with complex emotions.

For ordinary cultivators, the rare Buddhist scriptures and cultivation methods were simply given up.

You should know that after the old woman attacked and killed him, she tortured him relentlessly, yet she didn't let his soul perish, all for the sake of these scriptures.

A mindset that knows how to make choices is perfectly suited to Buddhism.

Call ~
With a single breath, the four jade slips shattered and turned into powder.

"Monk, I've learned a lot!"

Kong Ding first bowed to the boy.

Facing south, he bowed to bid farewell to the sect and its traditions.

Finally, facing west, kneel on both knees, place your left hand on your right hand for support, and bow down.

"I'm sorry, my Buddhist teachings are not proficient enough to save you and help you escape from suffering."

Click!Click!
Cracks appeared and spread all over his body.

Bang!
The monk Kongding's body radiated rays of Buddhist light, destroying skin, extinguishing souls, and dissipating the surrounding demonic energy.

After a long while, the Buddha's light dissipated, and the monk was nowhere to be seen.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, gazing at the empty land and scanning the various negative auras rising around him.

"Ha, the demonic mist has returned!"

He put away the jade slip in his hand, took out the blood he had taken from the old woman, and directly activated the [Tracking] trait.

In an instant, he confirmed his location, strode forward, and disappeared into the horizon.

Demonic energy rose from the earth, permeating the surroundings, yet everything remained as usual.

(End of this chapter)