Chapter 123 How could there be a cremation ceremony inside the Burning Buddha Flame Pagoda?
"What nonsense are you thinking about?" The Death Umbrella interrupted Zhou Yaren's heartfelt words before his death, completely ruining the mood. There was no need for him to say it aloud; Bai Yuan could sense his bitter and sorrowful feelings through shared perception. "That old ghost isn't even dead yet, and you're already giving your last words?"
At the same moment, the chill passed through Zhou Yaren's hand, which was tightly gripping the Death-Reporting Umbrella, and condensed into thin frost, which adhered to his bulging, about-to-burst meridians and spread into his sleeves.
A thin layer of frost traveled along the veins throughout Zhou Yaren's body, gently caressing every acupoint and wound, stabilizing the surging and throbbing meridians and acupoints.
Bai Yuan said, "I will protect your meridians first."
Zhou Yaren never let go of the Death-Reporting Umbrella. The burning and tearing pain lessened considerably as the frost spread throughout his body. He had just swallowed the blood that filled his throat when he heard Bai Yuan say, "If you die today, the Death-Reporting Umbrella will fall into his hands the next moment. How am I supposed to come to you for it?"
Zhou Yaren was suddenly startled.
Yes, if he dies, the Death Umbrella will inevitably fall into the enemy's hands, and then there will only be one outcome: its destruction. What stupid thing did I do just now?!
He is an immortal being, capable of dying and being resurrected time and time again, but what about the Death Umbrella?
Wasn't he going to all this trouble just to protect this umbrella?
"So now, our fates are intertwined, and we will only live and die together," Bai Yuan said. "As for the wine or the person you want to promise me, as long as I live to the end, I will accept it all."
In an instant, Zhou Yaren was covered in frost. His meridians and acupoints, which were on the verge of collapse, were all massaged and covered with a thin layer of ice, pulling him back from the brink of death.
This method was learned by Bai Yuan while relieving his fever. Having had those two experiences, Bai Yuan was already familiar with Zhou Yaren's body, and the frost could easily travel all over his body.
Zhou Yaren was able to escape with her life.
However, the ragged, smiling man emerged from the swirling snow. He straightened his slightly crooked mask, tidied his disheveled hair, and looked at Zhou Yaren, who was lying on the ground barely alive: "She's still alive? She's really lucky."
The smiling man, wielding the Autumn Execution Blade, pressed the tip against the bronze bell diagonally embedded in the yellow earth. He circled the bell step by step, the blade scraping against it with a sharp, piercing sound: "Actually, I haven't killed anyone for a long time; I've been accumulating good deeds. As for you, I had no intention of exterminating you..."
However, Zhou Yaren knew too much and would definitely harbor deep hatred for him from now on. The smiling man didn't continue, but sighed softly: "What a pity."
What's so regrettable about it?
It's a pity that Zhou Yaren is indeed a promising talent, but it's a pity that Yin Shiru's emphasis on and expectations of Tingfengzhi is actually for one more important reason: Zhou Yaren is probably the only immortal in this world who can open the secret realm...
He originally intended to spare his life, unwilling to kill him outright, as a way to leave him a "key" to unlock the secret realm, which might come in handy in the future.
But never mind, one shouldn't be too greedy, otherwise one wrong step can lead to eternal regret.
However, killing Zhou Yaren today won't cause any problems. In fact, it would be easier to deal with her. After all, she can come back to life after she dies, and she will live in complete ignorance and confusion.
In fact, his main purpose was nothing more than to destroy the Death Umbrella. He killed Zhou Yaren only because he was too much of a hindrance and too unreasonable. If he had just obediently handed over the Death Umbrella, things would not have come to this.
The autumn-slaying blade, which had been scraping against the bronze bell, stopped abruptly, the ear-piercing sound abruptly ceasing, followed by an overwhelmingly powerful killing intent.
No, he must not die, he must not be allowed to be slaughtered!
Zhou Yaren suddenly rose up with her fan, and the wind blade she unleashed transformed into an ice blade over ten feet long, forcefully blocking the Autumn Decision Blade hanging above her head, creating a series of sharp blade lights and ice shards.
As they passed each other, the gleaming blades reflected the features of the two people: one with a smiling mask, and the other with cold, frost-covered brows and eyelashes.
The frost protected Zhou Yaren's meridians and acupoints, while a continuous stream of yin-cold energy filled his lungs, giving him the strength to fight.
The smiling man was surprised for a moment, but he quickly understood, because the move that Tingfengzhi used was extremely Yin and chilling, and this power obviously did not belong to him.
The autumn blade swiftly turned and slashed downwards, circling across Zhou Yaren's abdomen. The blade was extremely sharp, almost tearing open his belly.
Zhou Yaren spun around to dodge, but his seemingly smooth exchanges of blows shattered the frost protecting his meridians with the force of his energy, only to be repaired and condensed again in time by the next wisp of frost.
The chaotic swordplay was so fast it was almost erratic, slashing in from all sorts of tricky angles, creating sharp clashes with the wind-blown blades and frost-covered swords. Zhou Yaren dodged a heavy punch while trying to defend himself, then tilted his head back as the Autumn Decree Blade grazed his jaw from below. Even so, he was still a beat too slow and took a heavy kick, sending him flying and crashing heavily into an ancient pine tree.
The entire sequence of movements was executed flawlessly, and Qiu Jue Dao pursued and attacked!
Zhou Yaren knew he was doomed to die today. Even if Bai Yuan temporarily protected his meridians and acupoints, it was nothing more than a death struggle.
He only needed to manage to hide the Death-Reporting Umbrella while he still had a breath left, or entrust it to Liu Yun so that the young men of Taihang Road could take it out. The Zhongtiao Mountains connect to the Taihang Mountains; he believed that with Liu Yun there, the majestic Taihang Mountains might become a safe haven for the Death-Reporting Umbrella, as long as he desperately held off the Smiling Man…
“We haven’t reached a dead end yet.” Bai Yuan, who had established a rapport with him, clearly understood his plan. “Why involve those little brats?”
"A wrongful accusation..."
"Fate is in your own hands, fortune and misfortune are your own doing." Before Bai Yuan could finish speaking, he continued, "It's just life and death; I don't need the protection of those irrelevant people."
Zhou Yaren staggered to avoid Qiu Jue Dao's pursuit, then rode the wind towards the pagoda: "Taihang Dao is the state religion of Da Duan, and it is guarded by the Celestial Master. Xu Zhangfang would never dare to offend it lightly..."
“Listen,” Bai Yuan interrupted him. “It’s sunrise now. The wind has swept away the fog and gloom. Here are some things that He Yan left behind…” She paused before adding, “Buddha’s Flame.”
"What Buddha Flame?"
The morning mist and frost that shrouded the cloud-capped peaks were swept away by the storm, and the first ray of sunlight shone into the stupa. The beam of light shone through the gaps and fell on the statue of Shakyamuni in Nirvana, reflecting a neat and orderly inscription that resembled light and shadow.
Li Liuyun looked back and walked towards the statue.
Lian Zhao, who was standing nearby, also noticed: "There are words on it."
“Huh?” Lin Mu leaned closer, “It’s actually projected with light.”
Sunlight filtering through the eaves casts shadows that reveal large, neat characters on the Nirvana Platform, like a sudden divine intervention.
I never imagined that the construction of this pagoda was so exquisite.
Yu Heqi looked up and examined the eaves of the Xuyu Pagoda: "What's carved on it?"
Wen Yi browsed the light and shadow on the Nirvana Platform: "Buddhist scriptures."
As the storm swept away the mountain mists, the sun broke through the clouds, and beams of light pierced through the windows, doorways, niches, and even the finials of the tower, illuminating the pages of scriptures throughout the room, on the stone walls, the floor, and even onto the bodies of the boys.
Lian Zhao stared at the words in the light and shadow on the wall: "Buddha's Crown Victory Dharani Sutra".
Due to the light, Li Liuyun also discovered dense Dharani scriptures in the niche where the Immortal Stone Box was placed.
In the blink of an eye, a word appeared in Lin Mu's dark pupils: "What is the purpose of this?"
Although Li Liuyun practiced cultivation in the Taihang Mountains, he also studied some Buddhist scriptures to understand the differences between other sects: "It is said that those who recite this scripture or write the Dharani sutra can eliminate evil karma, cleanse sins and obstacles, break through all the suffering of evil paths, and be freed from the suffering of evil reincarnation."
Yu Heqi: "So it was all to atone for the sins?"
Li Liuyun pointed to the shadows of the words on his body: "Like this, the light and shadow of the scriptures reflecting on the body, or the dust of the pagoda falling on the body, is also to eliminate all sins, which is called 'dust covering the shadow'."
Wen Yi: "So, this can be considered 'shadowing' us, which can absolve us of our sins?"
Lin Mu thought for a moment and, believing he hadn't done anything heinous, said, "We haven't committed any sins, have we?"
Lian Zhao said, "Without sins, one can also be freed from the suffering of reincarnation in evil realms."
Yu Heqi said, "That's not right. How come we Taoists have come to believe in Buddhism?"
While the group was talking, the gloom and fog in the mountains were swept away by the strong wind, and in an instant the sky became clear and the sun was dazzling.
Li Liuyun raised his hand to shield himself from the blinding beam of light, when suddenly a gentle breeze carried his voice: "Liuyun, open the tower door."
As the tower gates opened from the inside, the blazing sun suddenly shone into the Nirvana Platform.
The light was like a spark, and Li Liuyun then saw that a sundial was actually embedded under the reclining Buddha statue!
The sun is used to obtain fire, and thus real fire is obtained.
As the flames beneath the Nirvana statue ignited, the surrounding light and shadows rippled.
The boys were all stunned, and Lin Mu was extremely surprised: "What's going on?"
Li Liuyun finally saw through the clue: "Criminalization."
Lian Zhao: "What?"
Why would there be a cremation ceremony inside a Buddhist stupa?
Isn't this for cremating the bodies of monks after they die?
Is it because this is a Nirvana Tower that such a cremation ceremony is preserved?
Before Li Liuyun could figure it out, the words and their reflections were deflected by the flames, illuminating the mountains and rivers!
In an instant, the mountaintop was bathed in a myriad of flowing light, and the words and shadows transformed into blazing flames under the scorching sun, igniting the pine trees.
The smiling man, who was about to slash at Zhou Yaren with his sword, was blinded by the sudden burst of light and shadow, and stepped into the flames...
Zhou Yaren seized the opportunity to fan the flames, and the raging fire, like a wall of fire, rushed towards the smiling man!
Zhou Ya was surprised and puzzled: "Why would He Yan prepare such a position...?"
It was described as a position, yet it wasn't really a position.
If she hadn't been driven to desperation, Bai Yuan would never have wanted to ignite this Buddhist flame, much less recall that distant memory, because she would always feel an overwhelming pity for He Yan: "This is what he prepared for himself."
"What?"
He Yan knew that he was guilty of a grave sin.
Hearing that the Dharani Sutra could eradicate evil deeds and cleanse sins, He Yan spent day and night chanting and carving sutras in this pagoda, destroying his own relics while repenting, repeatedly saying, "I am guilty."
Human punishments are often inappropriate, resulting in wrongful imprisonment. Those who seek justice are often summoned by the underworld, and it is impossible for them to always be watching over He Yan from this mountain peak.
She remembered it was a clear, cloudless day with the sun blazing overhead. Summer had arrived early, and the forest was bustling with birdsong and insect chirps.
Bai Yuan was not usually a restless person, but that day he found the woods unusually noisy.
The clear, bright sky should have been a beautiful sight, but not here, because the thick mountain mist served as a veil to protect the pagoda.
But that day, the illusion unexpectedly dissipated, which was quite strange, and Bai Yuanxin had a bad feeling.
That was also the last time Bai Yuan climbed Zhongtiao Mountain. When she passed through the dense pine forest that resembled pagoda finials and arrived in front of the pagoda, she encountered He Yan standing in a pile of dry firewood and withered grass, using his carefully arranged Nirvana Platform to ignite a Buddhist flame.
Just like his usual meticulous carving on the rock face, in Buddhist scriptures this is called cremation.
It turns out that he spent his days and nights carving scriptures, chiseling Buddha statues, and casting the Nirvana Platform in preparation for self-immolation.
He could have burned his head and body with incense and candles, but Bai Yuan couldn't keep an eye on him. Now he's trying to burn himself to death.
Did he really think that burning himself with Buddhist flames would eradicate all his sins?
As Bai Yuan gazed at the sea of fire, the same thought that flashed through his mind was the same as the question raised by Zhou Yaren: If He Yan burned himself to ashes, would he never be able to come back to life?
Without a second thought, Bai Yuan rushed into the Buddhist flames. Even the extremely cold and yin energy could hardly extinguish the raging fire. When she threw He Yan, who was burned beyond recognition, into the pagoda, the man who was determined to die was still struggling and resisting. He shouted at her with his burned voice, "Why did you save me?!"
Why are you stopping me!
"Don't worry about me!"
Please.
"Let me go."
"My people were burned alive... their names have been unjustly accused..."
"I too should suffer the agony of being burned alive, to be buried with them!"
Bai Yuan's arm, which was wrapped around his, was scalded by the Buddhist flames, causing large, bright red blisters to form. These blisters then broke as He Yan struggled, but she didn't feel any burning pain.
Looking back now, she realized she was almost helpless with He Yan at the time. She didn't know how to comfort this man who was so grief-stricken and desperate that he wanted to die. All she could do was lean down and hug the disfigured He Yan tightly, whispering in his ear, "I was wrong."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yaren, who was watching from the sidelines, suddenly froze.
“It was my mistake,” Bai Yuan said to He Yan. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
The struggling He Yan finally calmed down. He tilted his head back; half of his eyelid was burned, blurring his vision. He stared at Bai Yuan for a long time before finally realizing something, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Did I make you blame yourself?"
At that moment, an indescribable feeling welled up in Bai Yuan's heart, making her so sad that she almost burst into tears.
"Did my actions make you feel guilty?" He suddenly realized how much trouble his actions had caused others.
"I'm sorry, innocent." He Yan choked out, "I didn't want to, it's not your fault, please don't blame yourself, it's my own fault, I won't... I won't do this again, please don't blame yourself, it's not your fault, it's my own fault... innocent, I'm sorry..."
As soon as Zhou Yaren saw this, the memories from the Death Umbrella were dispelled like smoke by Bai Yuan.
"Even though he became like that, almost burning himself alive, and finally calmed down, it was because he was afraid I would blame myself, afraid I would feel guilty..."
He Yan never wanted to live, but he forced himself to live because he was afraid of being wronged and feeling guilty.
Bai Yuan was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and even today he finds it difficult to describe his state of mind at the time. It was precisely because of this that He Yan lived a life of unbearable pain, a life worse than death.
Bai Yuan even thought at the time that perhaps she really shouldn't have stopped him, and should have let him go.
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