The Buddha's light swayed slightly, and the monk Jingshi, who was shocked, quickly calmed his mind, put his hands together, and silently recited scriptures to soothe the turbulent lake of his heart.
"Amitabha……"
The monk Jingshi had already realized that although the phosphorus lamp was on an evil path and its methods were extreme, and that collecting souls with the soul lamp might have created many sins, deep in its heart, it might really harbor a twisted obsession with witnessing and remembering the suffering of the world.
This obsession stems from the profound pain and overwhelming indignation felt towards the many injustices and sufferings in this world.
Use evil to fight evil, use violence to control violence.
Obsession is like fire; it burns others and burns oneself.
“Benefactor, you are mistaken.” The monk Jingshi’s voice was no longer merely an admonition, but carried a serene power that penetrated the soul, like a morning bell tolling in the sea of the soul:
"The Buddha's light does not only shine on the Pure Land, but also wishes to illuminate the entire world!"
"Transformation is not about erasing pain and memories, but about giving liberation and peace, freeing the soul from the shackles of resentment and hatred, and granting it great freedom."
Just as the tide of destructive butterflies, which contained everything from the phosphorescent lamp and the last lingering resentments of countless wronged souls, was about to completely engulf him, Monk Jingshi made an unexpected move.
He did not choose to destroy all violence with stronger Buddhist light, nor did he dodge or even use his staff to suppress the ghosts.
Instead, it actively dispersed the indestructible protective aura around its body, and all the vast energy suddenly converged inward, returning to its own body, returning to its original simplicity.
Then, the monk Jingshi put his hands together in prayer position, lowered his eyelids slightly, and had a solemn and dignified appearance.
He abandoned all resistance and defense, choosing instead to confront the resentment and rage of these countless wronged souls with his own flesh and blood and his pure soul.
"World Honored One, Ksitigarbha, Prajnaparamita... If I do not go to hell, who will?" The solemn and magnificent Buddhist verses resounded throughout the path of light.
The aura surrounding Monk Jingshi suddenly changed, and a huge, blurry, and exceptionally solemn Bodhisattva phantom appeared behind him!
The illusory image of the Bodhisattva holds a staff, with lowered eyebrows and compassionate eyes, radiating endless peace and acceptance, as if to deliver all suffering beings from suffering.
Without the obstruction of the Buddha's light, the tidal wave of fire butterflies seemed to have found an outlet, and they all frantically pounced on Monk Jingshi, burning fiercely!
"Namo Amitabha Night..."
Experiencing the extreme pain that was burning his soul, the monk Jingshi's face showed an ultimate tranquility that transcended the pain.
He continued chanting the mantra for rebirth, his voice not loud, yet it resonated directly in the deepest recesses of the consciousness of every wronged soul, carrying supreme compassion and purifying power, gently showering upon every frenzied fire butterfly around him.
A truly breathtaking scene unfolded!
The swarm of azure fire butterflies, which originally carried an aura of destruction and madness, began to slowly fade and subside, as if being soothed by a gentle spring breeze.
Master Jingshi used himself as a 'bridge,' enduring the intense pain of the soul being burned by the fire of the spirit, and personally guiding these confused and suffering souls toward peace and liberation.
At this moment, the path of light, which should have been a battle of life and death, transformed into a grand ceremony for the salvation of souls!
"They are being prayed for! Is what this monk said true?... " Phosphorus Lamp, whose form was already extremely illusory, looked at the scene before him that overturned his lifelong beliefs, his eyes filled with endless bewilderment and shock.
The phosphorescent lamp could clearly sense that the lingering anxieties and resentments of the souls within the firefly, connected to his soul and filled with pain and resentment, were rapidly dissipating in a way he couldn't comprehend, ultimately returning to tranquility.
It was a kind of true peace that he had never given to these souls in his entire life, nor had he ever felt himself.
The Venerable Jingshi's gaze pierced through the dwindling swarm of butterflies, landing on the dying phosphorescent lamp. His voice was calm yet firm as he addressed the assembly:
"Benefactor, do you see it?"
"The fire in your heart is burning in the wrong direction."
As soon as he finished speaking, the last blue fire butterfly beside Monk Jingshi transformed into pure white light, like rising starlight, carrying the lightness of liberation, and slowly dissipated into the deep sea.
At the same time, the enormous lantern eel sea beast behind them, having completely exhausted its energy, lost all its luster and drifted with the waves like a stubborn rock, utterly lifeless.
The phosphorescent lamp stood motionless, the eerie blue light that had been forcibly ignited on its chest to sustain it finally extinguished.
He gazed at the empty sea, the soul lamp and the fire butterfly all vanishing, turning into points of light representing liberation.
Sensing the gratitude emanating from the countless fireflies, the frenzied expression on Phosphorus Lamp's face gradually faded, leaving only an endless emptiness and a barely perceptible sense of relief and comfort hidden deep within its eyes.
"It's truly... wonderful that you all have such an ending."
The phosphorescent lamp slowly closed its eyes, and the illusory figure, like a candle flickering in the wind, swayed slightly before disappearing completely along with the light, leaving no trace.
The monk Jingshi gazed at the spot where the phosphorescent lamp had disappeared, then once again clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.
"Amitabha Buddha, may the benefactor encounter a guiding light in the next life, so that he may see his true nature and be free from suffering and attain happiness."
As the phosphorescent lamp dissipated, the third light path began to slowly disintegrate.
Venerable Jingshi is victorious.
The fourth light path allowed Wang Tianzhao to completely enter the light elemental state, like a miniature sun falling into the deep sea, shining brightly like the midday sun.
This intense light not only dispelled the darkness but also carried an inexplicable, scorching heat that reached everywhere.
The fourth-ranked "String Crab's" proud defensive shell, as well as the hard carapace of the sea beast Giant Crab, began to faintly glow dark red from the inside under Wang Tianzhao's all-pervasive and continuous irradiation.
The surrounding seawater was also constantly heating up, as if they were being slowly cooked on an invisible fire by Wang Tianzhao!
The man and the crab appeared so clumsy and powerless under the pure and domineering suppression of the light energy.
Hey! You red-shelled guy!
"Yes, yes, it's you! Can you cooperate and turn over?" Wang Tianzhao floated in the seawater, pointing at the other person with his finger, his tone relaxed:
"Those claws of yours look like they have a lot of meat on them. Steaming them would definitely make them sweet and delicious!" He turned his gaze to the massive carapace of the giant crab and licked his lips.
"And this big lid of yours, if it doesn't contain at least two ounces of yellow wine, I'll be furious with you!"
The crab was so angry that its whole body was buzzing, and it let out a deep, furious roar: "Arrogant land scum! I'll crush you in two!"
His pincers opened and closed wildly, unleashing dozens of sharp water blades that rapidly sliced through the seawater and slashed towards Wang Tianzhao.
The giant, armored crab also let out a deep roar, leaping up like a chariot and charging forward, its massive claws clamping down on Wang Tianzhao with immense force.
"Tsk, don't get so angry, or the meat will turn sour." Wang Tianzhao pursed his lips, and with his fingers spread, a highly compressed but fist-sized ray of light instantly condensed.
Faced with the combined attack, he neither dodged nor evaded, but simply raised his hand and snapped his fingers:
"Light blast!"
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