“Since it’s a calamity, there’s no escaping it. Why don’t you just hand over the scriptures?” Bai Tiance stepped forward.
“Buddhism emphasizes cause and effect.” The old lady slowly shook her head: “Your destruction of the Su family in Qingxianju is the cause, and your coming here today to try to kill me is also the cause.”
"Every cause has its effect; you reap what you sow."
"Then tell me, what kind of result will we get from Qingxianju?" Bai Tiance laughed.
"The consequences are dire," the old woman said. "The sea of sin is boundless, but turning back is the shore."
“You’re just an old woman who can’t even kill a chicken, don’t even think about resisting.” Bai Tiance was already standing in front of the old woman: “Hand over the scriptures, find a rope and kill yourself, and I’ll give you a proper burial.”
"I'm just an old woman who can't even kill a chicken, but it's worth it if I can reduce some of Ruochu's burden." The old lady smiled slightly, picked up a glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment she drank the wine, her entire aura changed abruptly, and an invisible pressure suddenly came over her.
Before Bai Tiance could react, she had already downed her second glass of wine and picked up her third.
"This is..." Bai Tiance looked at the old woman who was originally frail and helpless but suddenly became imposing, and he instantly realized: "Buddhist three prohibitions against drinking alcohol?"
“Not bad.” The old lady finished her last cup of wine: “Buddha has five precepts: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no drinking alcohol. Today, I have broken three precepts with three cups of wine: the precept against drinking alcohol, the precept against lying, and the precept against killing.”
“I have spent my whole life practicing Buddhism, but I only understand the principles, not the practice. However, these three cups of wine can transform the principles I have learned into practice.” The old woman put down her wine cup: “Do you think I can kill you?”
After three cups of wine, the old lady's kind and gentle demeanor vanished; her eyes sharpened, revealing a murderous intent deep within them.
“You will die. While Sanjie is transforming Buddhist principles into practice, he will exhaust your life force.” Bai Tiance’s expression changed drastically.
Breaking the three precepts to attain Buddhahood is a suicidal tactic. This old woman only cultivates Buddhist principles, not Buddhist practices, but this action can transform the Buddhist principles she has cultivated throughout her life into Buddhist practices.
"Yes, but didn't you come here today to kill me?" The old lady smiled calmly, and with a wave of her right hand, a guzheng appeared in her hand.
She gently stroked the guzheng, and it was none other than the famous piece "Lotus Emerging from Water".
The tone is simple and the style is elegant, but the murderous intent is hard to hide in the melody.
Bai Tiance's pupils contracted, and with a flick of his right hand, a clear whistle rang out, and the sword appeared in his hand.
Despite losing an arm, Bai Tiance's swordsmanship remained undiminished. The tip of his sword trembled as he moved swiftly, unleashing more than ten sword strikes in an instant.
The old woman stroked the zither with both hands, immersed in the music, but the invisible melodies were able to dissolve most of the murderous intent that Bai Tiance had gathered.
Bai Tiance was furious. He had already lost an arm, and he wouldn't allow himself to be defeated by an old woman.
With a clear whistle, the sword in her hand emitted a faint dragon's roar, followed by several sword energies like swimming dragons, striking the old woman with all her might.
The old lady raised her hand, grasped the string, and gently plucked it.
With a loud hum, several streaks of light rushed in and clashed with Bai Tiance's sword.
The two auras clashed, emitting bursts of sparks that were extremely dazzling in the night.
"I refuse to believe I can't handle an old woman like you." Unable to break through after a long attack, Bai Tiance was greatly provoked. He roared, and several sword energies merged into one, forming a transparent giant sword. He raised his hand and brought the giant sword down in mid-air to slash at the old woman.
The old lady raised her right hand, palm facing outward and upward, fingers naturally extended, while slowly raising her head.
The Buddhist abhāṣā mudra (gesture of fearlessness) signifies upholding a compassionate heart to relieve the suffering of all beings.
As she formed the Abhaya Mudra in her hands, a ray of Buddhist light rose from behind her, forming a protective aura in front of her.
Boom... Bai Tiance's powerful sword strike landed on the Buddha's light.
After all, it was a forced breakthrough, reaching the half-step Celestial Phenomenon realm. The power of this sword strike was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
The Buddha's light flickered and then disappeared, leaving the old woman sitting there, unmoved.
Bai Tiance took several steps back, feeling a surge of energy throughout his body, and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"If only I had known, I should have cultivated my body instead of my mind when I was practicing cultivation back then." The old lady shook her head with some regret.
By forcibly using the precept of drinking alcohol to transform her Buddhist beliefs into spiritual practice, and breaking the three precepts to become a Buddha, she ultimately made a wrong move; she had already done her best.
"An old woman who only knows how to chant scriptures actually forced me to break through my cultivation level. That's quite something." Bai Tiance's hand holding the sword trembled slightly.
That last sword strike was his full-force strike; an ordinary person would have been instantly obliterated.
This old woman did not practice martial arts; apart from her Buddhist beliefs, she was just an ordinary person.
However, the realm she had attained was already the Buddha's face and heart. Even an ordinary Buddhist could force Bai Tiance to advance to the half-step Celestial Phenomenon.
Although he won, his cultivation level will drop from now on, and his strength will probably stop at the half-step Celestial Phenomenon realm.
The old lady smiled slightly, shook her head gently, and said nothing.
"You took this sword strike with your bare body, and your meridians are already shattered. Do you have anything else to say?" Bai Tiance sneered.
"The Buddha taught all the Dharma to liberate all minds." The old lady smiled slightly: "The minds of sentient beings are different, their natures are different, and their karmic conditions are also different."
"Although I lost today, I was able to force you to reach the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm and exhaust your true energy, so I can already consider it a victory," the old lady said.
"Even on his deathbed, he's still being stubborn," Bai Tiance sneered.
The old lady smiled slightly, stroked the guzheng in her hands, and murmured to herself, "Old man, this guzheng is the only memento you left me."
"My time is up, it's time to come find you."
After the old lady finished speaking, a ray of Buddhist light slowly rose from her body, and her body was gradually enveloped in the light.
"Grandma..." Just then, Su Ruochu leaped over and looked at the old woman whose body was gradually disappearing in the Buddha's light. She was struck dumb.
She stumbled over and tried to grab the old lady, but she missed.
The old lady had passed away peacefully, and countless beams of Buddha's light, like fireflies, gathered in the sky and coalesced into the shape of the old lady.
That kind, serene smile, and an invisible voice came from all directions: "Girl, I won't be able to stay with you anymore. Take good care of yourself. I'm going to reunite with them."
"Grandma, come back! It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left you here alone. It's all my fault." Su Ruochu burst into tears, kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
A beam of light shot into the sky and entered Su Ruochu's body. A faint Buddhist light flashed on her body, and then a circle of Buddhist light disappeared into her body.
Before her death, Old Madam Li bestowed all the good fortune she had gained from her lifelong Buddhist practice upon Su Ruochu, instantly boosting her strength once again.
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