The head master has a new female apprentice

Chapter 401 The Mysterious Buddhist Disciple (6k)

Zhou Qing never expected that the little novice who followed Master Jueming back then would grow up to be such a handsome and upright man.

What surprised him even more was that in less than two hundred years, Kong Chan had already cultivated to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm, only one step away from the Divine Transformation Realm.

No wonder the man next to him was so respectful to him, even though they were both monks, not to mention he had a master who was at the Spirit Severing Realm.

"I just arrived too, and you've changed so much I almost didn't recognize you!" Zhou Qing said with a smile.

Utsusemi scratched his smooth head sheepishly, a gesture that still vaguely resembled the little novice monk he once was.

Only then did he notice the two people behind Zhou Qing, and he quickly composed himself, putting his hands together to restore his solemn appearance.

But he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes: "Who are these two?"

“My two friends,” Zhou Qing introduced with a smile, then lowered his voice, “I just heard about Li Niang’s matter.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of sadness flashed in Kong Chan's eyes.

But she quickly smiled again: "She passed away peacefully, that's her blessing, and the other person was also very accepting of it. But you..."

He looked Zhou Qing up and down. "So many years have passed, and you still look the same. You haven't changed at all."

As soon as she spoke, Kōsō suddenly froze.

With his Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivation, he couldn't see through Zhou Qing's true strength at all, and even felt a sense of pressure when facing his master at one point.

Zhou Qing smiled without saying a word, then turned her gaze to the depths of the main entrance: "Is he there?"

Kong Chan understood and nodded, saying, "Yes. On the day Benefactor Li passed away, he observed three days of mourning before severing his last lingering attachment and officially entered the Spirit Severing Realm a year ago."

"Spirit Severing Realm?" Zhou Qing's pupils shrank, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yes." Kong Chan's eyes were full of respect. "Not only that, he is also the second person besides you to have mastered the 'Demon-Subduing Golden Bone' while still in the Nascent Soul Realm."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing was filled with shock and disbelief.

This Buddhist disciple, who was born looking like a five or six-year-old child, condensed his nascent soul in less than two hundred years, comprehended the essence of the realm, severed his obsessions, and stepped into the realm of spiritual severance.

This speed of cultivation is comparable to his extraordinary life.

No wonder it alarmed several Venerable Spirit Slayers who personally searched for it back then.

"What is his current Buddhist name?"

“Returning to the source. Master said that after a thousand years of gestation, like the earth returning to its source, it finally attains perfection.”

“Guicang,” Zhou Qing murmured softly.

Cao Aman and Sun Shi looked at each other, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt as they looked at Zhou Qing.

To be able to meet a monk of such high status and discuss the legendary power of slaying spirits, just who is this Brother Zhou?
Just then, a golden crack suddenly appeared in the sky.

Venerable Jueming, dressed in a moon-white kasaya, stepped out of the air, his body radiating a waterfall of Buddhist light, with golden lotuses blooming with each step he took.

His face was serene, with a blood-red dot of vermilion between his brows, and seven golden wheels of merit floating behind his head.

The overwhelming pressure caused all the monks to kneel and bow in reverence: "Greetings, Venerable One!"

Those lay disciples waiting in line were even more trembling with fear, and involuntarily knelt down on the ground.

Cao Aman and Madam Sun were also intimidated by this oppressive aura, and their knees buckled as they knelt down.

Only Zhou Qing stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at Jueming.

Jueming smiled slightly and walked gracefully to Zhou Qing.

Kong Chan quickly bowed and said, "Disciple greets Master."

Jueming nodded slightly, his gaze carefully examining Zhou Qing.

Then, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "Long time no see. I never imagined that in just over a hundred years, you would have already reached the realm of Spirit Severing."

"What?!" Kong Chan suddenly looked up at Zhou Qing, her eyes filled with shock.

No wonder he couldn't sense Zhou Qing's cultivation level at all; it turns out the other party was already a powerful cultivator at the Spirit Severing stage!

Cao Aman and Sun Shi, who were kneeling on the ground, also looked up at Zhou Qing's back in disbelief.

"Spirit Severing Realm? Brother Zhou is actually a Spirit Severing Realm expert?" Cao Aman felt her throat go dry and her voice trembled.

Sun's eyes widened, and the thought that she had been calling him "Little Zhou" all these days sent a chill down her spine.

Zhou Qing felt the pressure emanating from Jueming and said calmly, "I didn't expect that the top three Venerables of Jiyuan Temple have already reached the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm."

Jueming smiled and said, "Let's go. He should have sensed your arrival by now."

Zhou Qing was about to take a step when he suddenly stopped: "This is Cao Aman, my brother. He has long admired Jiyuan Temple. I wonder..."

Jueming turned his gaze to Cao Aman, and after a moment's thought, said, "Kongchan, how about we have him become your disciple?"

Kong Chan clasped her hands together and respectfully replied, "Disciple will obey Master's command."

He turned to Cao Aman, a gentle smile in his eyes: "Aman, please come with me."

Cao Aman stood there dumbfounded, only recovering after a long while. Excitedly, she stammered, "I...I really can...Senior Brother Kongchan, Master?"

Sun was already in tears, repeatedly kowtowing to Jueming and Zhou Qing: "Thank you, Venerable Ones, thank you, Seniors."

Jueming nodded with a smile, then turned to Zhou Qing and gestured for him to enter the temple: "Benefactor Zhou, please come with me into the temple for a chat."

Zhou Qing nodded slightly and followed Jueming through the vermilion mountain gate.

The moment he stepped across the threshold, he felt a cool Buddhist power wash over his entire body, as if even his soul had been cleansed.

"Interesting!" Zhou Qing thought to himself in surprise.

……

As one of the two top Buddhist temples in Nanhuang Prefecture, Jiyuan Temple's profound cultural heritage and revered status are self-evident.

The entire temple system is divided into eight levels:
Abbot.

Venerable One (Late Stage of Spirit Severing Realm).

Bodhisattva (early to mid-stage of the Spirit Severing Realm).

Arhat (Great Perfection of the Divine Transformation Realm).

Vajra (early to late stages of the Divine Transformation Realm).

Bhikkhu (Nascent Soul Realm).

Novice monk (Golden Core Realm).

Miscellaneous monk (Qi Condensation, Foundation Building).

After learning all this, Zhou Qing couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

Although there are male and female bodhisattvas in the temple, Jueming had invited him to the temple when he was still in the Nascent Soul stage.

He even suggested that the Bodhisattva "serve" him so he could enjoy his leisure, euphemistically calling it "a form of spiritual practice."

Looking back now, it still seems utterly absurd.

“By the way,” Zhou Qing said as he walked, “I have a good friend named Zhao Muye, who I heard also practiced here.”

Jueming looked surprised: "Zhao Muye of the Zhao family, ranked second among the eight great families?"

Seeing Zhou Qing nod, Jueming smiled wryly: "This guy is indeed a genius. Because of his simple and honest nature, he doesn't have many tricks up his sleeve. When he came here, he said directly that he wanted to come to the temple to specialize in the Vajra Indestructible Body."

"But the talent he displayed afterward was so great that even the abbot wanted to take him as a disciple. Who knew that when he heard that he was to become a monk for life, he fled back to the Zhao family overnight."

Zhou Qing chuckled upon hearing this.

He had personally witnessed Zhao Muyi's body-refining abilities, which were as strong as a cockroach.

Now that he has reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Severing realm, if he stays in the temple and receives guidance from the abbot, his achievements will probably be no less than Jueming's.

Speaking of the abbot, his Dharma name should be Ku'e.

Master Kudi, who obtained the "Demon-Subduing Golden Bone" through the "Corpse-Touching Scroll" in the Sixth Forbidden Zone back then, was his junior brother.

Before his disappearance, Kudi had already reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm, so the current abbot must be at least at the Supreme Realm.

However, Jueming had hinted that Abbot Ku'e was the previous Buddhist disciple.

Buddhist disciples are traditionally born only after one generation has passed away.
So, has this abbot, who suffered so much hardship, passed away?

While Zhou Qing was deep in thought, Jueming had already led him to a quiet Zen temple.

The courtyard wall is covered with green vines, a Bodhi tree stands tall and spreading out in front of the gate, and an ancient well ripples beneath the tree.

The faint sounds of wooden fish drums and chanting of Buddhist scriptures could be heard from inside the courtyard.

"Amitabha." Jueming put his palms together in a gesture of respect. "Please make yourself at home, Benefactor Zhou. This humble monk will not go in."

Zhou Qing bowed respectfully, and only after Jueming left did he slowly step into the Zen temple, the bluestone path under his feet making a soft rustling sound.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door of the main hall, a scent of sandalwood wafts out.

Inside the hall, wisps of incense smoke curled and swayed like gauze in the sunlight filtering through the window lattices.

The golden Buddha statue in the very center has lowered its eyebrows and eyes, with a solemn and dignified appearance.

On the prayer mat beneath the Buddha statue, a figure sits with his back to the statue, his white robe spotless.

Upon hearing footsteps, the person slowly rose to their feet, and the moment they turned around, the entire hall seemed to light up.

This was a boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a handsome face that seemed otherworldly.

A single vermilion dot between her brows, as red as blood, and her eyes, clear as an ancient well, without a ripple.

He stood there, without the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy around him, yet he possessed an aura that captivated people.

As Zhou Qing looked at him, the turbulent thoughts in her heart miraculously calmed down.

“Amitabha, Benefactor Zhou, it’s been a long time.”

Buddhist disciple Guicang clasped his hands together, a compassionate smile on his lips, his voice clear and melodious, carrying an ethereal quality that transcends the mundane world.

He flicked his wide sleeves and pointed to the prayer mat beside him: "Dependent origination and emptiness, please sit."

Zhou Qing stared blankly at the person in front of him, unable to find any trace of the child he once was.

He had thought the other party would happily call him "Big Daddy," but he was surprised by their distant attitude and couldn't help but feel disappointed.

Then he chuckled to himself—he was being far too presumptuous.

It should be noted that he had only met this Buddhist monk once before being taken to Jiyuan Temple by Jueming.

If it weren't for Li Niang, how could this Buddhist disciple have recognized him as her father?

"What, does Benefactor Zhou find this humble monk unfamiliar?" Guicang seemed to see through his thoughts.

He then said gently, “All sentient beings possess Buddha-nature; it’s just that they are deluded or enlightened. The one encounter we had back then was also due to karma from a previous life.”

At this moment, the old hen poked her head out from Zhou Qing's arms, her beady green eyes scrutinizing Gui Cang.

Guicang smiled upon seeing this: "Excellent. I originally intended to bring it to the temple to seek some fortune, but it got lost while I was waiting for the ancient teleportation to open in Tianlan City."

"I didn't realize our earthly ties weren't yet severed; to meet today is fate."

Zhou Qing nodded and said, "Yes, I also ran into it by chance."

With a wave of his hand, Guicang released a thousand wood-attribute spirit stones: "Every drink and every bite is preordained. The wood spirits given to me by the benefactor years ago helped this humble monk descend to the mortal world."

"I will repay this debt a thousandfold, and I hope that you will grant me this blessing."

Looking at so many wood-attribute spirit stones containing pure energy, it would be a lie to say Zhou Qing wasn't tempted.

Moreover, the amount of wood-attribute spirit stones he needs to condense the spirit seal is enormous.

but--

"That wood-attribute spirit stone was a gift from Shen Yunzhou, and it was given to your mother by Li Shitao and Xiao Cancan. In fact, it has nothing to do with me," Zhou Qing said frankly.

“Such is the way of fate.” Gui Cang’s eyes were clear. “If there were no benefactor as the cause, how could there be the result of Benefactor Shen’s donation?” Zhou Qing pondered for a moment, then finally put the spirit stone into his storage bag, and then looked at his calm eyes and said, “Is this considered even?”

Gui Zang lowered his eyes and said, “All dharmas originate from their original state and are always in a state of tranquility. This cause and effect has been resolved, and this humble monk should concentrate on meditation.”

Zhou Qing looked at him and couldn't help but sigh.

Guicang then said, "The temple is currently holding a Dharma assembly for those seeking blessings; why not stay for a few days, benefactor?"

Zhou Qing was about to refuse when Guicang changed the subject: "However, this humble monk needs to go into seclusion to meditate recently, so it may be inconvenient to entertain you."

These contradictory words left Zhou Qing bewildered, so he could only say, "I also have important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

"The gathering and scattering of fate are as you see fit, benefactor." Guicang clasped his hands in prayer and remained silent.

Zhou Qing turned and left, but as he stepped out of the temple, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Looking back, the vermilion gate was closing silently, and the figure of Gui Cang standing quietly could be vaguely seen.

Watching this scene, Zhou Qing felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Is it over?" Jueming was still waiting outside the courtyard. When he saw Zhou Qing come out, he went to greet him.

Zhou Qing nodded.

"Why don't you stay at the temple for a few days?" Jueming advised. "With your understanding of Buddhism and your relationship with Buddhist disciples, you might encounter some opportunities."

"No, I have other things to do," Zhou Qing refused directly.

He knew nothing about Buddhism; he only learned the "Subduing Demons Golden Bone" technique from the "Corpse Touching Manual."

Seeing Zhou Qing's resolute attitude, Jueming did not try to persuade him to stay any longer, and instead said, "Do you still remember Master Kudi that I told you about?"

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong?"

“Someone found him in the desolate wilderness, but he’s already a dried-up corpse. A few of us Venerables are planning to go and take a look together in a few days,” Jueming said.

Zhou Qing was secretly surprised and felt even more confused.

This is a secret of your Jiyuan Temple, why are you telling me this?

But then again, back when they encountered the Bitter Truth in the Wasteland in a simulated state with Number Six.

Although the mummified corpse was completely unconscious and unable to move, it was repelled by its own inscription-level divine power, "Hundred Tribulations Blood Curtain".

But he kept muttering strange words like "Buddhist beads. They must not leave the temple."

"Then I wish you all the best," Zhou Qing said casually.

“I will take good care of the Cao family mother and son.” Jueming suddenly laughed. “It’s really interesting. Every time I see you, you bring a mother and son to the temple.”

Zhou Qing laughed heartily: "But the people I send have never disappointed you! I'm leaving!"

After saying that, he summoned the flying boat, leaped into the air, waved to Jueming, and then sailed away.

The flying boat pierced through the clouds and mist, and in the blink of an eye, it had flown dozens of miles.

Zhou Qing stood at the bow of the boat and couldn't help but look back.

Through the surging sea of ​​clouds, the golden roof of Jiyuan Temple can be faintly seen shining brightly in the setting sun.

He frowned slightly, his doubts deepening—Guicang's words and actions just now seemed to be deliberately trying to get him away.

"Never mind." Zhou Qing shook his head, unable to understand the reason, and simply stopped dwelling on it.

He changed the direction of the flying boat, activated his spiritual power, and sped towards the central part of Nanhuang Prefecture.

The vast sea of ​​clouds quickly left the magnificent temple far behind.

……

A year later, Zhou Qing had lost count of how many teleportation arrays, large and small, he had used in various places.

With the aid of traveling by airship and overcoming fear to tear through space, they finally arrived at Fengxi City in the central part of Nanhuang Prefecture.

Like Tianlan City, this city has seven four-color teleportation arrays leading to other continents.

After confirming that the teleportation array leading to Tianlan City had been functioning normally for over 150 years, Zhou Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

It seems that it was indeed repaired back then.

He readily handed over a dozen top-grade spirit stones and followed the others onto the teleportation array heading to Tianlan City.

……

Three months later, a flash of light appeared on the teleportation platform in Tianlan City, and Zhou Qing's figure appeared on the platform.

Looking at the familiar scenery around him, he immediately took out the three-colored communication jade slip to contact Lu Yaoyao.

When he decided to bring her to the Heavenly Fortune Holy Dynasty, he specially crafted a communication jade slip for her, just like the ones for his eldest brother and second sister, so that they could stay in touch.

But after waiting for a long time without receiving a reply, it means she is not nearby.

"Please, whatever you do, don't let anything happen!" Zhou Qing quickly put away the jade slip and headed straight for the city lord's mansion.

At this moment, inside the city lord's mansion, city lord Li Changhong was meditating and cultivating.

Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, vanished from the room, and reappeared overhead.

"Now that you're here, why don't you come out and greet me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the space opposite him suddenly cracked open, and Zhou Qing walked out from it.

Li Changhong looked at the unfamiliar face, yet inexplicably felt that it looked somewhat familiar.

"What brings you here so suddenly?" Li Changhong asked.

Zhou Qing bowed respectfully, after all, the person in front of him was a genuine Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

He took out a mask and put it on: "Lord Li, do you still recognize me?"

Upon seeing the mask, Li Changhong was first taken aback, then his face filled with shock: "Master Zhou?"

Zhou Qing slowly removed his mask and nodded.

When they were repairing the teleportation array, he and Lu Yaoyao always wore masks.

Later, when the Void Beast wrapped its tongue around him in the spatial passage, the mask fell off during the struggle.

"You're still alive? How is that possible!" After confirming it was Zhou Qing, Li Changhong could hardly believe his eyes and excitedly took a step forward.

"I survived by sheer luck." Zhou Qing dared not say more, for fear of causing trouble like Li Wusheng had.

He quickly asked, "Lord Li, what about the silver-haired girl who was waiting for me outside when I was repairing the teleportation array?"

Li Changhong seemed to still be in shock, and only reacted when he heard the question: "You mean Lu Yaoyao?"

Zhou Qing nodded; it seemed he already knew Junior Sister Lu's name.

Li Changhong sighed: "Ever since you were dragged into the void, Master Ji and I have been desperately trying to maintain the entrance, hoping to help you escape, but..."

"Later, Lu Yaoyao waited for you outside for several months."

"Until one day, a woman with silver hair appeared in the teleportation array from Nanhuang Prefecture."

"Lu Yaoyao calls her 'Sister Shen,' and this woman, like me, is at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm."

"She refused to reveal her name, but she stayed here with Lu Yaoyao for ten whole years, waiting for you. In the end, she took her on a teleportation array back to Nanhuang Prefecture."

Zhou Qing was stunned.

Was she taken away by Shen Hanyi?
It seems that I have saved Shen Hanyi again by some unforeseen circumstances.

If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have made this wasted trip.

To be honest, during the 150 years he was trapped in the void, he had tried many times to open the Divine Ruins Heavenly Palace and ask Number Four, Number Five, or Number Six for advice on how to escape.

Strangely, he couldn't activate the token in the void, which frustrated him greatly.

"Thank you for informing me," Zhou Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting. He then changed the subject, "I remember you said there would be a generous reward for those who participated in repairing the magic array."

He was trapped for over a hundred years for nothing because of this trip.

Although it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, shouldn't the mental anguish caused by almost being driven insane be compensated?
Li Changhong was taken aback at first, then smiled and said, "Of course I remember. However, the compensation has already been tripled for Lu Yaoyao."

Zhou Qing was speechless, not expecting that the two of them would take it away, and she didn't know how much.

"Fine," Zhou Qing shook his head helplessly.

Li Changhong laughed heartily: "You have preserved the seven great formations of Tianlan City that have been passed down for tens of thousands of years. This favor is hard to repay. Please wait a moment, I will prepare another generous gift."

Seeing that he was about to enter the warehouse, Zhou Qing quickly waved his hand: "No need."

Now that Lu Yaoyao has already received triple compensation, how could he be so greedy?

"Give me a dozen or so top-grade spirit stones, and I'll be sent back to Nanhuang Prefecture," Zhou Qing had no choice but to say.

Upon hearing this, Li Changhong said seriously, "What do you need spirit stones for? From now on, you can use the teleportation array in my Tianlan City for free, no matter where you go!"

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "That's kind of you, thank you very much."

"I should be thanking you," Li Changhong said sincerely.

Soon, Li Changhong personally escorted Zhou Qing to the teleportation array, repeatedly expressing his guilt and gratitude.

As they parted, something suddenly occurred to him: "By the way, Master Ji also went to Nanhuang Prefecture 130 years ago. She has always held a grudge about your matter."

He paused, carefully choosing his words: "She once had someone she admired, who also fell into the void and was devoured by a void beast. This became a knot in her heart."

"If you happen to meet her in Nanhuang Prefecture, I hope you can see her and give her some hope. She has suffered a lot over the past few hundred years."

Zhou Qing nodded silently.

Ji Yunluo, a level four array master in the late stage of the Spirit Severing Realm, has condensed 30,000 spirit seals.

If it weren't for that Void Beast causing trouble back then, they would have joined forces to repair the spatial rift long ago.

"I will," Zhou Qing solemnly promised.

As the teleportation array shone brightly, Zhou Qing's figure gradually blurred.

When the light faded, the platform was deserted.

Looking at the empty teleportation array, Li Changhong let out a long sigh of relief, his heartstrings, which had been taut for many years, finally relaxing: "It's good that you're alive, it's good that you're alive."

……

Three months later, Zhou Qing reappeared in Fengxi City and purchased a detailed map of the Eighth Family.

The entire terrain of Nanhuang Prefecture resembles a phoenix spreading its wings and flying south, hence the name.

At the tail of this "phoenix", there are eight mountain ranges resembling tail feathers, each belonging to one of the eight families: Su, Zhao, Yan, Han, Shen, Liu, Lu, and Zhou.

Their profound heritage passed down through generations has made them an important part of the "one palace, two temples, three sects, four clans, and eight families".

The Shen family's position, just like its ranking, is on the fifth "tail feather".

Although the distance between each tail feather is only equivalent to the interval between two adjacent prefectures of the Holy Martial Dynasty.

However, even using all means of transportation, it would take at least two years to travel from the central part of Nanhuang Prefecture to the Shen family.

"We still have to go, but we can't do it openly!" Zhou Qing pondered for a moment while looking at the map.

The current situation in the Shen family is complicated, and even Shen Hanyi, a fourth-level array master who has reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Realm, is walking on thin ice.

Furthermore, the third branch of the Shen family spared no expense in hiring the Silver Rank 47 assassin from the Blood Pact Pavilion, a master of the Great Perfection of the Spirit Severing Realm.

Since our last parting, I wonder if Shen Hanyi has managed to resolve the crisis.

What's more troublesome is the Yan family. Although they can't find the bodies of Yan Sen and his nephew, they will definitely point the finger of suspicion at Shen Hanyi.

"This is really troublesome!" Zhou Qing rubbed his temples.

(End of this chapter)