Chapter 358: Chapter 208: Karma Fire Red Lotus, Offering Flowers to Buddha
Xiuxin heard this and said incredulously:
"A two-year-old child? How is that possible?!"
Xiuxin hesitated for a moment and asked, "Was the child threatened by someone, or guided by someone?"
Chen Kuang shook his head, "No."
"After the incident, I naturally investigated and learned the whole situation. No one directed the child; he said it all himself."
"Just because he once saw me give herbs to the sick person, that’s all."
Because he knew that these high monks basically should have the Telepathy divine power, what Chen Kuang was saying now was mostly true.
With the passive skill "Steadfast as a Rock," he could prevent anyone from spying on his thoughts.
But firstly, you can’t guarantee whether they could tell if Chen Kuang was lying, and secondly, there was no need to tell falsehoods.
What Chen Kuang said was based on the Lion Heart experience he’d learned from Huo Hengxuan, absolutely true without any embellishment.
In fact, he himself suspected how, given Lion Heart’s abilities, he could be so easily harmed by a few mortals.
Cultivators’ transformation into mortals means losing memories and cultivation, but the body remains, always stronger than ordinary mortals, definitely able to protect himself.
Especially as Lion Heart practiced the "Mud Golden Sculpting Technique."
Chen Kuang himself practiced this cultivation technique and knew how powerful it really was.
At the peak, the physical body, even without using Spiritual Qi, couldn’t be broken by mortals.
Therefore, the reason Lion Heart died could only be one thing: his heart died.
He intended to cross worlds, proving the ’goodness’ Dao through humanity, but unexpectedly, he was finally betrayed by the one who should have been the purest, kindest person in the world—a two-year-old child.
The villagers couldn’t kill him; only he could kill himself.
At that moment, Lion Heart realized his Dao was wrong, fundamentally impossible to walk.
The world’s kindness is never innate.
If he merely wanted to prove "individual goodness," there’d be no problem; Lion Heart definitely had such a broad, resolute kind heart.
But the problem was, he wanted to prove "universal goodness."
Before becoming mortal, he grew up in a Pure Land where he saw only high monks and great virtues, all disciples of the Zhengzhu adhering to precepts, naturally thinking the world had similar pure goodness.
Who would have known his Dao Heart would be directly shattered by a two-year-old child in a small mountain village?
At birth, humans are neithhttp://pastebin.com/g9yjs5ZGer evil nor good, just a mass of chaos.
So, his Dao Heart collapsed. Voluntarily, he scattered his physical cultivation and died at the hands of those ignorant villagers he’d healed.
Although Huo Hengxuan didn’t say, Chen Kuang believed this was the true reason for Lion Heart’s death.
Chen Kuang thought of this, and suddenly his heart stirred.
He felt a burning sensation in his palm, quickly turning into a warm, burgeoning life force.
Chen Kuang raised his hand in surprise and found a gorgeous red lotus slowly blooming in his palm!
The petals of this red lotus were formed of flame. Its red was like being soaked in fresh blood, bewitching and irresistible, filling the air with a strong allure.
Beside him, Xiuxin was stunned, then realized something, looking at Chen Kuang with eyes full of suspicion:
"Karma Fire Red Lotus! Lion Heart Senior Brother’s divine power!"
Many monks below also recognized Lion Heart’s iconic red lotus, and in surprise, they clasped their hands and bowed to Chen Kuang.
As one did, others followed, and soon a large area below was bowing.
Upon hearing this, Chen Kuang’s pupils shrank, looking at the red lotus in his palm.
That bewitching red lotus seemed to notice his gaze, gently shaking its petals.
Lion Heart!
In the story told by Huo Hengxuan, the pond in the village bloomed red lotuses overnight, attracting countless people’s greed and fighting, ultimately leading to the entire village becoming a Ghostly Land.
Chen Kuang had thought this was Huo Hengxuan fooling him with exaggeration.
But unexpectedly, this red lotus was actually Lion Heart’s divine power!
But why... does it appear in his palm now?
The red lotus in Chen Kuang’s hand slightly drooped its petals, two of its petals touched each other, as if saluting him.
Chen Kuang strangely felt that this red lotus seemed to be expressing... gratitude.
For a moment, he was in a daze.
Though Lion Heart died, perhaps at the moment of death, he did indeed achieve "I will not enter Hell, then who will?" Sacrificing himself for the Dao, preferring death to killing anyone, he proved his individual goodness.
Lion Heart was also one of the people.
Thus, he proved half of his Dao, achieved sainthood, and then fell.
And once Saints completely perish, though they can no longer reincarnate, the returned Dao to the world carries a trace of their mark.
Chen Kuang practiced the "Mud Golden Sculpting Technique" left by Lion Heart, thus staining himself with his karma.
At this moment, returning to the Pure Land with his karma, recounting his deeds to everyone... was in fact equivalent to transmitting the Dao!
In other words, though Chen Kuang had never even met Lion Heart, he indeed became Lion Heart’s true heir.
So, that trace of Lion Heart’s Dao in the mysterious realms was returned to Chen Kuang.
By coincidence... instead, it verified Chen Kuang’s current fake identity!
And within that Karma Fire, Chen Kuang could even vaguely see fragments of Lion Heart’s past memories.
With the Karma Fire Red Lotus cradled in hand, Chen Kuang looked at the monks in front of the grand hall.
He smiled slightly:
"Recalling past events, touched for a moment, returning to the Pure Land brings joy. I hope to prove the great Dao anew and encourage everyone."
Chen Kuang gently squeezed, and the Karma Fire Red Lotus instantly fully bloomed, revealing countless boundless multicolored brilliance, then tossed it forward, rising to mid-air, passing over the monks’ heads.
The red lotus petals fell, gently swaying to the monks’ heads, instantly dissolving.
Originally suspicious people, upon seeing the brilliance on the petals, immediately changed their expressions, quickly closed their eyes, and devoutly began to meditate.
That brilliance was indeed Dao Rhyme!
Chen Kuang tossed it casually, but it turned out to be a Saint’s Dao Rhyme!
This belonged to the Dao Rhyme remaining of Lion Heart’s proven half-good Dao.
Even Xiuxin, after several changes of expression, closed his eyes to understand deeply.
When everyone reopened their eyes, they were in complete awe, looking at Chen Kuang with grateful eyes.
Many people’s cultivation had even significantly improved.
An elderly monk said excitedly and loudly, "Welcome Buddha’s Son back, Pure Land celebrates seven days by right!"
Others echoed.
A Saint’s Dao Rhyme is rarely shown to others, such a selfless act, even the Martial Saint who set up the Dao Transmission Stele would sigh in admiration... oh, I heard the Martial Saint, it seemed he was defeated by Chen Kuang too.
Reasonable!
Lion Heart Senior Brother had such a magnanimous spirit, how could that hypocritical Martial Saint not be defeated, if not him, who else?
Although Xiuxin still had some doubts and unease, he had to step back and say solemnly:
"Lion Heart Senior Brother."
Chen Kuang stepped forward and patted his shoulder, squinting with a grin. He indeed borrowed the flower to present to Buddha this time.
He sized up Buddha’s Son Xiuxin.
This man dared to question those three demons, steadfast in mind, surely a mortal enemy of the demons, and in such a public situation raised doubts, most likely already suspicious of those three demons...
The enemy of the enemy is the friend, Xiuxin can be secretly drawn in.
After this incident, those three demons will probably trust him more, and he must protect Xiuxin.