Immortality starts from the liver proficiency

Chapter 481 All the Right Path!

Hearing the voice behind him, Xu Yunfan's eyes twitched slightly. He restrained his magic power and instantly scanned behind him with his divine sense.

He silently turned around and looked at the source of the sound.

The visitor was a monk.

He wore a faded, coarse hemp robe, the stains of which were clearly visible, yet it was spotless. His face was ancient and not young; the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were as if carved by a knife, yet his brows exuded an indescribable clarity and tranquility, like crystal formed over millennia by melting snow from the mountains.

His brow bones are prominent, forming a natural curve of compassion. Beneath his lowered eyelids, his gaze is gentle and peaceful, like two bottomless pools of water that can reflect people's hearts and cleanse them of worldly dust.

Even standing there silently, a detached Zen-like compassion for all living beings and a profound understanding of the world naturally emanates from him, making people subconsciously calm their restless minds.

Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.

"I've seen you."

A smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

"Oh, it seems that you and I are indeed destined to meet."

Xu Yunfan raised an eyebrow: "When I was inspecting Hanya Pass a while ago, I clearly saw you setting up a stall on the street corner, selling counterfeit magical artifacts to cheat passersby."

The monk's smile faltered slightly, and he put his palms together, saying, "Amitabha. Benefactor, you are mistaken. All things arise and cease according to their causes and conditions, and everything is predestined. If someone takes an item from this humble monk, it is because of the karma sown in a previous life, and this is the karmic connection being resolved in this life. Those items may seem ordinary, but they actually contain Buddha-nature, and they will manifest their wondrous uses when they meet a person with affinity."

Damn, those bald monks from the Pure Land of Bodhi and Chan really said such things. They are utterly shameless and have no sense of embarrassment whatsoever.

The bald monk of Bodhidharma Pure Land.

Xu Yunfan felt a sense of unease; the arrival of the bald monk from the Pure Land of Bodhi was certainly not a good thing.

He was immediately alarmed, and the True Martial Power within his body flowed quietly. The True Martial Sword was drawn but not released, and the intent to vanquish demons and eliminate evil was faintly waiting to be unleashed at his fingertips.

He never had any deep connection with the people of the Western Continent's Pure Land of Bodhi and Zen. His only entanglement was with the Arhat Fulong who "outlived" him outside the Cold Crow Pass. That was a matter of chance, not something he deliberately did to kill him.

To be honest, he only drove the other party away; whether the other party lived or died outside Hanya Pass was none of his business.

This monk's aura was as calm as the sea, making it impossible for him to discern its depths; he was certainly no ordinary person.

Why did they come to me?
Could it be that he's seeking revenge for the matter of the Arhat Subduing Dragon?
But that Arhat clearly exhausted his lifespan and passed away peacefully, thus being reincarnated...

It will absolutely not be because of this matter.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Yunfan remained expressionless, cupping his hands in a calm manner and saying, "Master, you have summoned me. What guidance do you have for me?"

The monk who called himself Tripitaka clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his voice still deep and peaceful, yet carrying an irresistible penetrating power: "Amitabha. Excellent, excellent. I dare not presume to offer guidance. This humble monk is Tripitaka. I observe that you possess an inner radiance, your bones and muscles are like jade, a sword lies hidden between your brows, and your heart is capable of subduing demons. You have a great affinity with our Buddhist sect. This humble monk cannot bear to see a bright pearl obscured, so I have come to guide you on your path."

"Sanzang?"

Xu Yunfan said, "It's a good name, but I don't know if you can handle it."

Tripitaka smiled and said, "This is a gift from the Bodhisattva, so it should be so."

Xu Yunfan chuckled and said, "Fate? I practice the True Martial Subduing Magic of Taoism, follow the path of vanquishing demons and monsters, and walk the righteous path of humanity. I'm afraid our paths are different from the Zen methods of your esteemed temple."

He returned to the righteous path.

Sanzang almost couldn't breathe.

This demon lord of the Yuan Demon Sect is truly shameless to the extreme, boasting about himself as if it were perfectly justified. The curses in my heart, of course, wouldn't show on my face.

Sanzang smiled slightly, a smile that encompassed all things, yet seemed to see through everything: "All things return to the same source; different paths can lead to the same destination."

You possess great courage, wisdom, and opportunity; you are truly the perfect candidate to be a guardian deity of our Buddhist community. Lay down the butcher's knife and instantly attain Buddhahood; your affinity with our Buddhist community lies here.

Xu Yunfan's expression changed upon hearing this, and his anger flared up instantly.

That bald monk is shameless.

This is hardly guidance; it's clearly an attempt to seize him because of his deep foundation and exceptional combat prowess, intending to forcibly abduct him to serve as a protector and thug, thus subjecting him to enslavement.

The claim of having an affinity with Buddhism is nothing more than a pretext for cunning and extortion.

He cultivated the True Martial Subduing Demon Scripture, and his True Martial power was fierce and domineering, specializing in defeating evil spirits. His mid-Foundation Establishment realm was enough to make him stand out among his peers. How could he allow someone to kidnap him like this?

Are these guys from the ditch here trying to freeload?

He suppressed his anger, his voice turning cold: "Master, you are mistaken. My resolve is firm, and I aspire to the path of immortality. I have no intention of serving before the Buddha. Why must you force me to do something I cannot accept?"

The compassion on Sanzang's face deepened, but his words carried an undeniable certainty: "When the karmic connection arrives, how can one easily depart? Do you know that in the four directions of the world, the Southern Continent, the Northern Continent, and the Western Continent are all called 'continents'? Only the East is called 'Eastern Wilderness'?"

Although Xu Yunfan didn't know what this bald monk was up to, he was quite interested in it.

"Oh? Please enlighten me, Master."

With his hands clasped together, Sanzang proclaimed in a loud voice: "The East is the land of sunrise, which should be bright and prosperous. Why then is it named 'Desolate'? It is because it is desolate and chaotic, and the true Dharma is not manifest! This is the will of Heaven, and it also foreshadows that our Buddhist sect should rise in the East, to save all sentient beings and cleanse all evil."

This is the great trend of Buddhism spreading eastward, like the rising sun, irreversible! You have a deep affinity with Buddhism, and you should protect the eastward spread of Buddhism, clear away obstacles, and bring glory to the Buddhist land.

This is a great merit in accordance with the will of Heaven. If the transmission to the East is successful, you will be able to enter the Bodhisattva stage. It is also a predestined fate for you, benefactor. Meeting this humble monk today is a clear sign of Heaven's will.

Benefactor, your path lies here; follow this humble monk.

Despite a thousand unwillingnesses and ten thousand struggles, this fate is sealed; you cannot escape it.

Xu Yunfan listened with a cold laugh. These monks were truly eloquent. With a few words, they had managed to package their abduction as an act of divine mandate, in accordance with the general trend, and a great deed. It was all so grand and shameless.

Every word and sentence used Buddhist principles to pressure people, as if Xu Yunfan's refusal would be defying fate, being ungrateful, and betraying the Buddha's grace.

Xu Yunfan laughed in anger. This guy was obviously here because he cultivated the True Martial Subduing Demon Scripture.

"Hahaha!"

Xu Yunfan's laughter was filled with sarcasm and chilling killing intent. "What a fine way to follow the will of Heaven! What a predestined fate!"
You bald monks, when you're robbing and plundering, you always manage to throw up some grand-sounding but tattered flags.

I, Xu Yunfan, only recognize the sword in my hand. In my heart, I say, whether you are a demon or an evil being, it is all determined by my heart. If I think you are a demon or an evil being, I don't care if you are a Buddha or an immortal, I can kill you with one sword.

My path lies solely in my grasp; how could it be bound by your vague notion of 'fate'?

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yunfan had already made his move!
Upon seeing this, Sanzang couldn't help but sigh and utter a few words.

"Why bother?"

He made a grasping motion in the air with his right hand, and a massive black sword, formed entirely from pure martial arts power, appeared out of thin air.

(End of this chapter)