Enlightenment: Beginning as a Disposable Warrior

Chapter 406: Chapter 238: Arhat Relics, Reaching the Upper Third Realm! (Part 2)

This kind of sacred object is probably something that even few within the Vajra Temple are qualified to come into contact with, so naturally, outsiders are even less allowed to interfere with it.

At the same time, Su Mu keenly noticed the term ’Arhat Relics’ mentioned by Zen Jing.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. I still intend to try entering the Relic Tower," I said.

"Amitabha Buddha, Junior Brother Zen Heart once said that you have a connection with our Buddha. Very well then."

Seeing Su Mu’s determination, the three of Zen Jing did not say much more, but at this moment, Su Mu spoke again.

"Before that, I still have doubts in my heart. Could I ask the Master to enlighten me?"

"You may speak freely, and if this old one can resolve your doubts, I will speak without reservation."

"I am of limited knowledge and wish to ask what ’Arhat Relics’ means?"

"I dare not disturb the Ancestor’s Relics. Would you and I move aside for a talk?"

"Okay."

The four moved to a secluded courtyard.

"In our Buddhist Sect, masters must burn their own spirit and flesh with Karmic Fire, allowing them to undergo Nirvana before entering the Upper Three Grades, which is the Vajra Guardian Realm; at this level, all evils are repelled, and the body becomes as immovable as a vajra. If one further condenses relics, it becomes the Arhat Realm, from which the term ’Arhat Relics’ originates."

Upper Three Grades of Buddhist cultivation is the Vajra Guardian Realm, and further condensing relics reaches the Arhat Realm!

"The foundation of Longfu Temple is indeed profound—the founding ancestor of the Vajra Temple who came from Longfu Temple was an Upper Three Grades Arhat Realm Buddhist cultivator who condensed relics."

Su Mu’s eyes slightly narrowed, and he was somewhat astonished in his heart.

"I wonder if Master Zen Jing knows of the Upper Three Grades realm in other cultivation methods, could you enlighten me?"

"I know a little."

Su Mu posed a listening posture, humbly asking.

"In that case, let us start with the Taoist Sect. The Taoist Sect emphasizes the natural Dao, breathing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, approaching the Dao, needing to break through the Life and Death Mysterious Gate and understand the Divine Profound to enter the Upper Three Grades, which is the Profound Realm of the Taoist Sect."

"The Confucian Family enters the world to aid the world, nurturing Literary Qi to uphold the world as their duty, with slow cultivation. When Literary Qi fills the skies and one knows their destiny to condense the Life Character, a Life Character whose words are followed by the law, the formation of such a character leads to the Upper Three Grades, which is the Knowledge of Destiny Realm of the Confucian Family."

"Martial Artists cultivate their own bodies, pursuing the sanctity of the flesh, breaking all methods with force; they need to unify the three flowers of spirit, qi and blood, and martial momentum, refining the body as a furnace to forge a Golden Body, achieving the Martial Arts Golden Body to enter the Upper Three Grades, which is the Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm."

"As for the Gu Cultivator, this path is quite mysterious, with few practitioners. I know little, only that Gu Cultivators throughout their lives pursue the refining of Gu that captures the creation of Heaven and Earth; the Upper Three Grades is the Profound Blessing Realm."

Buddhist Cultivators are the Vajra Arhat, Taoist Sect is the Profound Realm, Confucian Family is the Knowledge of Destiny, Martial Artists are Martial Arts Grandmaster, Gu Cultivators are Profound Blessing!

Su Mu’s eyes grew ever more fervent. The words of Zen Jing opened one new door after another for Su Mu in the path of cultivation, and as Su Mu got the first peek into the Upper Three Grades realm of the five great Dharma Gates, his heart was filled with delighted fervor.

It was like a moth seeing a flame, infatuated and entranced, and the heart beneath his chest that craved power grew ever stronger.

After taking a deep breath to calm his heart that craved strength, Su Mu’s eyes flickered.

"Liu Zhengyuan’s ’Zheng’ character is most likely a Life Character!"

Previously, Su Mu had guessed that this character was probably a fourth-grade Confucian cultivator’s mystery. However, now upon hearing this, he suddenly realized that he underestimated the mystery of this character—it turned out to be a Life Character left by an upper three-grade Knowledge of Destiny Confucian cultivator.

For a moment, Su Mu’s heart thumped, and he suddenly looked forward much more to going to the Qingzhou Academy. Furthermore, there was also a sense of relief at having survived a near-fatal disaster.

"To be able to exhaust most of the power of a Life Character, even if the Tao Family Ancestor isn’t an upper three-grade cultivator, he is extremely close, likely at the Taoist Sect’s Profound Realm?"

Fortunately, on that day, he didn’t hesitate and directly used the entry-level Vast Qi to activate the Life Character to resist the Tao Family Ancestor’s one finger. After entering the Qifeng Mountain Range, he also acted cautiously, always sealing that crimson mark with the Fire Sparrow Gang Force, not relaxing even when grinding away the mark using the White Tiger Martial Momentum.

"Looking at it now...acting cautiously wasn’t wrong!"

After Zen Jing finished speaking in the Zen Temple, Su Mu digested a bit and then inquired about some matters regarding cultivation, to which Zen Jing answered one by one.

Before long, Su Mu got up and cupped his hands in gratitude, "Thank you, Master Zen Jing, for enlightening this junior."

"You’re too kind, it’s nothing more than a small effort. You would naturally come to know these matters once you leave the Land of Cyan Clouds."

"The night is deep, would you like to join this old one for a vegetarian meal, rest for a night, and enter the tower to comprehend tomorrow?"

"That sounds good."

As the blue lamp flickered, the crescent moon outside the window had climbed to the eaves corner, scattering frost.

After eating a vegetarian meal, the long night passed without words.

That night, Su Mu pondered for a while, ultimately not mentioning the matter of Li Lu in the small town down the mountain. Along the way, he found that the law and order in the town below the mountain was good, and the folk customs were simple.

He didn’t fully trust the people of Vajra Temple, and if he himself got caught up in temple affairs, it would be a minor matter, but he absolutely could not involve Li Lu.

...

The next morning, the sound of bells lingered around Jinmen Mountain.

"Amitabha Buddha, everyone, please open the Relic Tower!"

The group of people arrived early outside the Cyan Pine Ancient Tower. Abbot Zen Jing displayed two Dharma Seals, one given by Zen Heart, and the other slightly different.

A few monks in gray robes emerged from the shadows, took the Dharma Seals to verify their authenticity, then recited a Buddhist Verse and walked towards the Relic Tower.

Not far away, the ancient tower made of cyan bricks had endured hundreds of years of weathering. The original cyan color had faded to a pale gray, and the tower body was whole with no visible door. Yet when the two Lotus Seals met in the void, the tower body suddenly rippled with golden waves.

From the mottled gaps between the bricks, fine threads of Buddhist radiance seeped out, and a golden curtain of light, barely wide enough to pass sideways, draped down from the tower’s peak. The Buddhist light hung like a veil, vaguely revealing the flowing Sanskrit within.

"Please, sir!"

Su Mu’s eyes flickered exceptionally, as he took a step into the curtain, and the Sanskrit radiance burst forth. After a dizzying whirl, he found solid ground under his feet.

The scene before him transformed; the Cyan Pine Ancient Tower and the monks vanished, replaced by a tranquil lake. A few azure lotus leaves pointed the way to a massive azure lotus in the lake’s center, from whose folded lotus heart golden radiance faintly emanated.

Within the Relic Tower was a world of its own, a realm of its own making.

"So this is the technique of the Buddhist Arhats, as mysterious as the Cyan Simurgh Phoenix Transformation Scripture."

Su Mu secretly thought, treading on the lotus leaves, each step causing gentle ripples, reaching the central azure lotus in five steps.

Suddenly, the central lotus bud quivered slightly, and from the seams of its petals, strands of golden Buddhist radiance leaked out, interweaving into a hazy silhouette in midair.

The monk sat cross-legged in the void, barefoot, with paths of Sanskrit flowing between his muscles, his back turned and face unseen.

"Now, it depends on whether I, Su Mu, am connected to this relic."

Last night, Zen Jing had thoroughly explained to Su Mu matters about entering the Relic Tower. This back-facing Formless Arhat was precisely Master Kongshe, the founding ancestor of Vajra Temple. Now, what needed to be done was to activate the phantom, which entirely depended on Su Mu himself.

"Poof!"

At once, Su Mu employed the Molten Fire Golden Body, azure smoke rising nine inches high. The Formless Arhat phantom in the void made a slight movement, but it was merely a flickering ripple before returning to silence.

"It seems it won’t be that easy to obtain the secret technique."

While Su Mu contemplated this, the fish-shaped Jade Pendant near his chest continued to circulate its cooling sensation slowly into his body.

At this moment, Su Mu began trying various means, yet none managed to stir the Formless Arhat phantom.

Outside the Relic Tower.

The three of Zen Jing did not leave, and neither did the two old monks in gray.

"This man not only saved Zen Heart but also shook the Mountain Lord Ancient Bell with his own strength yesterday," Zen Jing’s eyebrows slightly raised. "According to the Ancestor’s instructions, he should be allowed to enter the tower to comprehend."

The gray-robed old monk shook his head: "For a hundred years, only Zen Heart, holding the Dharma Seal, has entered and obtained a superior secret method. It still took half a month to have the Ancestor manifest. This man has no seal, entering only to comprehend for half a month, and will certainly return without success..."

Before he could finish speaking, startled birds flew out of the Cyan Pine Forest, and behind everyone, the stone tower suddenly shone with radiant Buddhist light, capturing their attention with the splendor of a blossoming Lotus Tower!

The sandalwood Buddhist beads in Zen Jing’s hand, which were spotless, suddenly snapped and scattered into the dirt.

"This, this is the manifestation of the Ancestor’s Relics...how could it be so quick? And why is it so intense?!"