That night, the sky was full of stars.
The two people under the peach tree seemed to have settled down.
Using their spirituality as the guiding principle, they sketched a chessboard with twenty-two lines above it, and used Buddhist teachings and Taoist arts as chess pieces to compete on the board.
A normal chessboard has nineteen lines, but these two are cultivators after all, and their mental capacity for calculation is astonishing. In reality, their movements are based on the past and future, and they place their pieces over time.
"I will pass that Taoist technique on to you."
Qin Shou pulled Luo Shen'an's consciousness into a spiritual world and demonstrated the first half of the Heaven and Earth Venerable Cloud Technique to her.
"Only the first half?"
Luo Shen'an asked.
"yes. "
Qin Shou replied, "My master only possessed the first half of this technique, but it's already enough for you to cultivate to the realm of immortality."
"Um. "
Luo Shen'an nodded. He wanted to express his gratitude, but when he thought of the man's thieving appearance and the suffering he had endured in terms of dignity over the years, he felt a little awkward. In the end, he just nodded again and went to the side to comprehend the killing technique that was born to meet the calamity.
Seeing this, Luo Xihe chuckled awkwardly at Qin Shou, "Brother Qin, now that I've brought this monk here, your immortal technique... hehe..."
"Thank you, senior."
Qin Shou sincerely bowed and expressed his gratitude.
"That's it?" Luo Xihe asked.
"Haha, don't worry, senior. I'll pass it on to you after this is all over."
Qin Shou laughed.
Three days later.
With the sound of a Buddhist chant, their discussion came to an end.
"Mr. Song's chess skills are unparalleled; this humble monk has lost."
Samantabhadra Buddha clasped his hands together, saying with some regret, "Given Benefactor Song's state of mind and cultivation, the Dao he discussed was magnificent and should have blossomed brilliantly in that extremely splendid era ten thousand years ago. Yet now it has withered in loneliness, which is truly a pity."
In the past, Buddhist disciples and Taoist disciples stood side by side, while the Empress was far ahead of the rest. Among these people, the most amazing one was this white-robed prodigy from the Guanyin Taoist Temple.
Unfortunately, he, who had the potential to ascend to the immortal path, ultimately perished under the lightning tribulation of the Tribulation Transcending Realm.
"Why was you in such a hurry to ascend to heaven, Benefactor Song? With your talent, you would still be the one most likely to become an immortal ten thousand years from now."
Samantabhadra Buddha once again expressed his regret.
I was once just a novice monk with mediocre talent. I had stood beside a Buddhist disciple and witnessed the rise and fall of many outstanding talents. I was also favored by this benefactor Song and received seven days of instruction, which gave me the opportunity to understand my true nature and realize my own enlightenment.
"Heh, the glory of yesteryear has faded with time, and no matter how much we discuss it, it will ultimately be in vain. We should cherish the present."
Song Ningsheng chuckled leisurely, then said with a radiant expression, "Besides, the heavens are vast, and the Great Dao resides in one's heart; there may very well be a day when one can return."
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk does not understand."
Obsession is just that—obsession. It's like a rootless cloud that will dissipate in the wind. How can it ever be reborn?
"Hehehe, the breadth of the Great Way lies not in a body or a soul, but in the word 'nothingness.' From having nothing, one gains; from having nothing, one understands; from having nothing, one... gains."
Song Ningsheng's words caused the Holy Buddha Samantabhadra to fall into deep thought once again.
Three more days passed in this state of contemplation.
Seeing this, Qin Shou wanted to beat Song Ningsheng up, but said, "Let's take care of business first, shall we?"
Samantabhadra Buddha opened and closed his eyes, and seven days passed.
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk has learned much."
A radiant light emanated from the body of Samantabhadra Buddha, which then slowly faded away.
"Master, may I now summon my disciple's soul?"
Qin Shou inquired, fearing that if these people chatted for a few more minutes, several more days would pass.
"Amitabha Buddha, Benefactor Qin, please summon your beloved disciple. This humble monk will now summon his soul."
Samantabhadra Buddha gave the signal.
Qin Shou reached out a large hand and grabbed Yi Cheng, who was sitting in the Golden Palace playing the emperor.
"Yi Cheng, take the wooden bucket off your head."
"Master, this is the crown. The geese haven't finished their morning courting yet; you can't take it off."
Yi Cheng blinked her little eyes and urged, "Master, hurry up and take the goose back. If you have something to say, we can talk after the goose finishes its court session."
Qin Beast: ... Believe it or not, I'll slap you to death.
"Alright, then hurry up and perform. Come back when you're done; I need your help."
Qin Shou gave a word of advice, then tossed Yi Cheng back to him.
The people standing by: ...........
"Hehehe, this mountain peak of yours, Benefactor Qin, is very fine, very fine indeed."
As the divine consciousness of Samantabhadra Buddha observed the group of little spirits playing and laughing in the palace in the canyon, he couldn't help but nod and smile.
"My ministers, I have matters to attend to today, so I will adjourn the court!"
As soon as Yi Cheng sat on the dragon throne, he announced the end of the court session, and then hurriedly ran up the mountain carrying a domesticated Emerald Pig.
"Master, I've finished court. What do you want with me?"
Yi Cheng blinked her two little eyes and asked.
"Yicheng, come here."
Qin Shou beckoned and brought Yi Cheng to the front of Samantabhadra Buddha.
Amitabha Buddha.
Samantabhadra Buddha clasped his hands together, his body radiating a divine light, and golden lotuses bloomed out of thin air, filling the mountaintop.
"rise. "
With a gentle flick of his finger, two larger lotus flowers bloomed amidst the myriad Buddha flowers. Yi Cheng's figure slowly floated up and sat on one of the lotus flowers, while Samantabhadra Buddha sat on the other lotus flower.
"Master."
Yi Cheng called out in a daze.
"Yi Cheng, don't move, just sit quietly."
Qin Shou spoke softly.
"Okay, Master."
Yi Cheng nodded obediently, then imitated the big monk opposite her, putting her palms together and chanting "Amitabha, Amitabha".
The old monk smiled kindly at this scene.
"Playing by the Hunyuan River, with Vajra formations lining both sides..."
Then, Samantabhadra Buddha formed a mudra with his palms, and as the chanting of Buddhist mantras rang out, golden lotuses floating in the void quietly bloomed.
Each of these lotus flowers is occupied by a Buddha, each with a different posture and movement. Their bodies are surrounded by surging Buddha light, and each of them forms a mudra, drawing a huge "卍" that appears out of thin air and slowly descends.
Rumble!
The mountain trembled, as if a golden array was slowly emerging, solemn and dignified, with countless golden swastikas revolving around an orange figure within the array.
Amitabha Buddha.
Samantabhadra Buddha chanted the Buddha's name once more.
A majestic Buddha suddenly appeared, standing behind him. The Buddha statue was solemn, as if it were cast in gold, and radiated a surging golden light.
"With a free spirit and unburdened body, the three souls and seven spirits are perfectly at peace, protected by the righteous gods of the ten directions, dispelling all evil influences..."
As ancient Buddhist chants rang out, the entire golden array began to operate. Invisibly, a strange rhythm seemed to permeate the mountaintop and spread out along the void.
"This is the Buddha's Soul Summoning Array. Only a holy Buddha-level being who has cultivated their Buddha-heart to the state of 'non-salvation' can activate this array."
Song Ningsheng explained in Qin Shou's ear.
"Um. "
Qin Shou nodded absentmindedly.
At this moment, his mind was completely focused on Yi Cheng.
This "Buddha's Summoning of Souls Sutra" is already considered the strongest technique for summoning souls on this continent, so if it still fails this time, even Qin Beast doesn't know what to do.
Why...?
After searching for a long time, Yi Cheng's soul seemed to have no reaction. Samantabhadra opened his eyes, a hint of doubt appearing in them.
However, this scene gave Qin Shou a bad feeling.
Could it be that even the Buddha's Summoning Sutra cannot bring back the incomplete soul of Yi Cheng?
"That shouldn't be the case!"
Song Ningsheng also frowned slightly.
After more than a hundred years of nurturing by the Enlightenment Lotus, his lingering obsession has now begun to exert some power.
At this moment, he summoned the Heaven and Earth Mirror from the Qin Beast and activated the secret technique to reflect the scene within the Buddha's Soul Summoning Array with the power of the mirror. He also saw all the scenes of this world that had been searched by the array.
"Hiss~, what's going on with Brother Qin's disciple? Could it be that even the Buddhist sutra for summoning back his fragmented soul is unable to do so???"
Many questions arose in Luo Xihe's mind.
Logically, the higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the more difficult it is to summon their soul. However, Brother Qin's disciple is only at the Nascent Soul stage, while the one summoning her soul is a holy Buddha from Mount Foshan...
Amitabha Buddha.
At this moment, Samantabhadra Buddha chanted another Buddhist mantra.
Just as he was about to speak, Yi Cheng, who was sitting on a lotus flower opposite him, saw the old monk chanting Buddhist prayers again and followed suit, chanting, "Goose, please take the Buddha's name."
Samantabhadra Buddha:............
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk will activate the second level of the Buddha's Soul Summoning Array to search the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, but I still need your support."
Samantabhadra Buddha said something to the group.
Qin Shou asked, "May I ask, Master, how should we bestow this blessing?"
With a wave of his hand, Puxian revealed the four array eyes within the great formation.
"All you need to do is channel your power into these four array points."
"good. "
Everyone responded and successively poured their power into the formation.
Rumble!
The golden array began to operate at hundreds of times the speed it had previously, with countless golden swastikas flying everywhere, like fragments of time, attempting to break through the spatial barriers between the past and the future.
"Still a little short."
Samantabhadra Buddha spoke.
The second realm of the Buddha's Soul Summoning Array can search every inch of this ancient world, but the energy required is too enormous. At the very least, it requires a Tribulation Transcending Realm being to activate it. Apart from Qin Shou and the slightly weaker Luo Shen'an, the others here are all at the peak of the Integration Realm.
"Understood."
Qin Shou narrowed his eyes and decisively mobilized the power of the Four Spirits Sacred Array.
Rumble!
In an instant, an immense and unparalleled power poured into the formation.
"This is... power that surpasses the Integration Realm!"
Luo Xihe and Luo Shen'an were both surprised.
Buzz buzz buzz!
With the blessing of the Four Spirits Sacred Array, the golden array seemed to be unleashing a torrent of time, and the Buddhas sitting cross-legged on lotus flowers shone brightly, like the light of the sun and moon, hanging high in the sky and illuminating the four directions.
"The golden sparrow has transformed into a spirit, but where can its soul be found across ten thousand miles? I call upon its true soul with the name of Buddha..."
"open! "
Samantabhadra Buddha suddenly opened his eyes, becoming the Vajra of Wrath, and the light around him seemed to wash away the river of time.
Meanwhile, in a place so far away that its location was unknown, a rift seemed to slowly open, with countless golden rays of light pouring in and gradually expanding it.
"Found it!"
Song Ningsheng's eyes flickered slightly.
Qin Beast's spiritual power also probed in that direction.
"Open the eyes of all Buddhas!"
When the Holy Buddha Samantabhadra shouted, countless fragments on Turtle Mountain surged, as if opening a time tunnel and illuminating an unknown land.
The surrounding area was shrouded in mist, as if an invisible river flowed through it from beginning to end, with no end in sight and no way to reach the other side.
The group probed into the river with their divine senses, searching upstream for a long time, and in the hazy distance, they seemed to see a figure.
He stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from the crowd, standing on the river of time. His whole figure looked blurry, seemingly close yet actually very far away.
Seeing this, Qin Shou continuously strengthened the power of the Four Spirits Sacred Array, and the power surging from the Buddha Soul Ring Array constantly traced the cause and effect, searching for Yi Cheng's original body and drawing her lost soul.
Finally, after a long time, the power within the formation slowly approached the blurry figure, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not make any progress in the last few steps.
Time passed slowly, and no one knew how many days had gone by.
The power of the Buddha's Soul Summoning Array has affected many places, and even many powerful beings seem to have sensed an invisible force searching this world.
With caution and curiosity, many divine thoughts began to deduce cause and effect, extending from the void towards the land of Yunzhou, wanting to find out the truth.
At this moment, Qin Shou, who was under the interference of the array's power, was completely unaware of the outside world. He had lived in this wilderness his whole life and disliked attracting attention. He hoped to stay hidden forever until he became invincible before emerging from the mountains.
Currently, countless powerful divine senses are constantly searching for the source of power, heading in this direction.
However, even if Qin Shou knew this, there was nothing he could do.
The formation has already been activated; it's impossible to deactivate it.
"Amitabha Buddha, unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, the River of Time has been triggered."
"That person is from the past, separated from us by countless years. Our cultivation is limited, and even with the support of an array, it's difficult for us to travel very far in this river."
"But there's no need to cross over..."
With Samantabhadra Buddha presiding over the formation, many golden lotuses bloomed once again, densely packed, and in an instant, thousands of them had blossomed.
Lotus flowers surrounded him, and Buddhas sat cross-legged within them, solemn and dignified, constantly chanting Buddhist mantras. At the same time, all the power gathered in him, drawing back the scattered soul of Yi Cheng.
At this moment, countless divine thoughts swarmed in from the sky not far from Yunzhou.
"That's in the direction of Yunzhou!"
"It's the power of the Buddha's Soul-Summoning Array!"
"Such a commotion, could it be that those bald monks from the Western Heaven are summoning something extraordinary here???"
"I don't know, let's go and take a look."
"good. "
A stream of divine thoughts converged on Yunzhou, flowing like rivers into the sea.
However, just as they reached the barrier of Yunzhou, they were suddenly shaken by a furious roar filled with boundless majesty.
"Who dares to spy on me!"
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