Chapter 290: Something big happened

Li Qi's brows had been furrowed ever since he arrived at this Buddhist temple.

This place was really baffling.

It was called a Buddhist temple, but its décor was very much in the Tang Nation style, meaning it didn't look like a temple at all.

Outside, stone Qilin crouched, and on the eaves, turtle, Dragon, Phoenix, and tiger were coiled, arranged according to the four directions.

There was even a Bagua in the courtyard, with twelve earthly branches outside the Bagua, and corresponding animal portraits; beyond the animals, there were twenty-four characters arranged in a circular outline, the script resembling clerical script, with complete strokes, but it wasn't any character Li Qi knew.

It wasn't quite a Buddhist temple, nor did it seem to be a Daoist temple.

Li Qi could even detect some divine Dao and Shaman Dao arrangements, such as the shrine beside the building and the well-organized sacrificial grounds, and there was even Demon Qi and Demonic Qi swirling around the Buddhist statues, making Li Qi's scalp tingle.

This reminded him of Chan Zhi Monk's Buddha-Demon unity, triggering a slight psychological shadow.

The only things that indicated this was a temple were probably the Buddhist statues enshrined inside and the bald Monks walking around.

In fact, not all the Monks were bald; there were quite a few wearing Monk robes but with hair.

What... what on earth was this?

Li Qi was puzzled, so he employed his specialty.

Ask.

There's nothing wrong with asking if you don't understand.

So he stopped an elderly-looking Monk: "Great Master, may I ask where this place is? It looks a bit strange."

The old Monk was somewhat surprised and said: "Hmm? Donor, you came here without knowing what this place is?"

"I came to Chang'an for an exam, and the second examination venue is here, so I came. I just found the arrangements here a bit strange, which is why I stopped you, Great Master. I apologize for the intrusion, and I hope you can forgive me," Li Qi replied politely.

"Oh, so that's it. Since it's your first time here, this old Monk will explain a thing or two to you."

"This temple is called Three Lives Temple—"

The old Monk began to recount.

This Three Lives Temple was originally on a desolate mountain. The previous Human Emperor took the three lives ancient mirror from Luoyang and placed it in Chang'an, and then officials chose this location to build this temple to house it.

The Monks here were not all true Monks.

In fact... most of these Monks were just a job. Only a few were true Buddhist practitioners; the rest were like those staff in the snowy regions who handed out hadas. When they were on duty, they wore specific characteristic attire, performed ritualistic work, and reenacted ancient Buddhist history and culture for other tourists, while also serving as scenic guides and psychological counselors.

That's why there were so many Monks with hair here; they were just part-timers and didn't need to shave their heads.

As for Li Qi, he was quite lucky; the old Monk he stopped happened to be one of the few true Buddhist practitioners.

Their task was to guard the three lives ancient mirror. It was said to be an ancient Spiritual Artifact with the ability to glimpse through three lives, so people would occasionally come to borrow it.

As for the strange arrangements here, they were all due to the three lives ancient mirror.

For some reason, every time the three lives ancient mirror was used, a strange object would appear and then be placed in this temple.

These objects were mostly related to the user's Dao.

That's why there were things from other Dao everywhere here.

As they chatted, the old Monk suddenly asked Li Qi a question.

"Donor said it's an exam, so you must also be here to borrow the three lives ancient mirror, right?" the old Monk asked kindly.

"I don't know, I was just notified to come here and wait for the exam. By my calculations, there's still a quarter of an hour, so a notification should come down soon," Li Qi said honestly.

"Since that's the case, please come inside the inner hall to wait, Donor. I see you mentioned an exam, so you must be a Imperial Academy student. It's not the first time Imperial Academy has used the three lives ancient mirror for an exam; only the most top-tier students are assigned to use this item, so I imagine it's the same this time," the old Monk smiled.

Hearing this, Li Qi's heart settled.

So, taking exams in such a place was a common occurrence; then there was no problem.

Thus, he thanked him again and followed the old Monk into the back courtyard.

In the back courtyard, there was a locked room.

Li Qi's True Knowledge Dao Resonance could sense... a peculiar existence.

The other party hadn't concealed itself, so Li Qi could see it clearly, but he couldn't sense any life force from this object.

It was like...

He couldn't describe it.

Similar to some kind of dead object, or rather, a natural phenomenon.

But it wasn't entirely like that, because there were still some reactions, but these reactions were very mechanical, extremely stiff.

Oh, right!

A computer!

Li Qi suddenly thought, a computer felt exactly like this!

It would react to the outside world, but its reactions were extremely mechanical, capable of highly complex calculations, but without any living consciousness.

The aura he sensed was just like a computer.

"This room is where the three lives ancient mirror is located. Donor might as well go in and wait, and you can familiarize yourself with it beforehand. Once the notification comes down, you can directly activate it," the old Monk suggested.

"Wouldn't that break the rules? What if I'm a trickster?" Li Qi was a little surprised.

This Monk was too trusting of him, wasn't he?

However, he heard the old Monk say: "It's just entering a room, what rules would that break? As for the three lives ancient mirror, ordinary people cannot activate it. Even if one truly wanted to tamper with it, since they have already arrived here, what can one door stop?"

"Besides, this is Chang'an. If someone harbors ill intentions, under the Supreme heavenly might, where would they find a place to hide?"

Li Qi's expression was strange after hearing that.

What the old Monk said made sense.

But weren't you from the Buddhist sect? Why are your words full of the taste of Human Dao?

Forget it... he probably adapted to local customs.

Since everyone thought it was fine, Li Qi didn't act coy and opened the door to enter.

Inside the room, he saw a dim mirror displayed.

Li Qi had previously thought it would be a full-length mirror, but upon entering, he realized it was just an ordinary round mirror.

The mirror was eight inches in diameter, without decoration, and very simple.

Li Qi walked around the object, but found nothing special about it.

True Knowledge Dao Resonance told him that some great Dao was flowing nearby, but he just couldn't find any trace of it.

However, not long after he walked around, his terminal reminded him that the second exam had begun.

Then, an examiner pushed open the door.

It was the Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor himself.

He smiled at Li Qi: "I am the one responsible for activating the three lives ancient mirror this time. Please, examinee Li Qi, sit in front of the mirror. This exam will last seven days. Within seven days, if you can glimpse through the three lives ancient mirror, you will receive full marks. If you cannot, then we will examine the mirror's reaction and grade you based on that reaction, divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D."

"Are you familiar with the rules, examinee Li Qi?"

Li Qi had no doubts. He simply composed himself and nodded.

He knew in his heart that if his enemies in Tang Nation wanted to make a move, now was the best opportunity.

So he didn't dare to relax. Although he didn't casually suspect others, he was prepared. He even held a Divine Talisman of Retrospection in his sleeve. If anything happened, he would prioritize saving his life, even if it meant abandoning the exam.

He couldn't suspect others, but he had to be prepared. If he were an enemy, he would definitely not miss this legitimate opportunity to strike at him.

Seeing Li Qi prepared, Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor secretly smiled.

Even if your knowledge reached the heavens, you wouldn't escape this time.

Your Master beheaded two third-rank officials, so it's only natural for you, his disciple, to pay some interest first.

He had Li Qi look directly into the mirror, then he swaggered to the back and used his authority to activate the three lives ancient mirror.

Li Qi, staring at the mirror, felt a blur before his eyes.

All things inverted, like a maze.

Pure enlightenment, forever severing ignorance.

Immeasurable Sakyamuni, surrounded by the precious Vairocana Buddha, saw the mirror emitting a great light, obscuring all human, heavenly, eight divisions, Sravakas, Bodhisattvas, sun, moon, stars, and all light in the earth, water, fire, and wind Realms, which no longer appeared.

Heaven and earth were dark, only the Buddha's light was seen.

Immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable.

Ineffable, without any other color.

Only the Void Realm was seen, with light shining.

Li Qi only felt that the myriad affairs of the world did not see themselves, nor did they see others.

All forms and colors were completely extinguished, and he could not see his own form or appearance.

And in what he touched, there was no 'that' or 'this', nor anything in between, and in every direction he looked, it was the same. He also could not see the sun, moon, stars, earth Realm, water Realm, fire Realm, or wind Realm; there was nothing that could be perceived by the eye.

Aside from the Buddha's light before his eyes, Li Qi could see nothing else. At the same time, all five senses were lost, and only his inner thoughts continued to function.

Ears heard no sound, nose smelled no fragrance.

Tongue tasted no flavor, body felt no touch.

All mental factors had no object of perception. There was no longer any notion of 'I' or 'mine', nor any thought of the six entrances of discrimination. He could not perceive the great multitudes of beings.

It was as if the entire Universe had disappeared.

Only the Buddha's light in the mirror was seen, emanating all pure True Knowledge.

Soon, a Buddhist chant suddenly echoed in Li Qi's ears; someone was speaking beside him.

Waves of Buddhist chants vibrated, sending forth wonderful sounds:

"World Honored One Tathagata, may you for this assembly of Bodhisattvas, and for all sentient beings in the last age who cultivate the Mahayana, hear this perfect enlightenment, the pure Realm, how to cultivate."

"World Honored One Tathagata, if those sentient beings know that it is like an illusion, and the body and mind are also illusory, how can they cultivate the illusory with the illusory? If all illusory natures are completely extinguished, then there is no mind, who then cultivates? And how can it be said that cultivation is like an illusion? If all sentient beings fundamentally do not cultivate, and constantly dwell in illusion in life and death, never understanding the illusory Realm, how can their deluded minds be liberated? May you, for all sentient beings in the last age, provide what convenient methods for gradual cultivation, so that all sentient beings may forever depart from all illusions."

Then, a more distant voice was heard.

That voice seemed to come from an infinitely distant place, piercing through the echoes of the entire Universe.

The voice said:

"Excellent, excellent, good man! You are able to, for all Bodhisattvas and sentient beings in the last age, cultivate the Bodhisattva-like illusory Samadhi, with convenient gradual methods, enabling all sentient beings to depart from all illusions. Now listen carefully, I shall speak to you."

Li Qi understood all these words.

It seemed... a Bodhisattva was praying to the World Honored One Tathagata.

Who was the World Honored One Tathagata?

Of course, there could be no one else; the World Honored One Tathagata, Vairocana Buddha!

The content of the prayer was that this Bodhisattva wanted to spread the Dao to the world, to free all sentient beings from the present to the last age from illusions, and to make them realize the existence of 'reality'.

So, the World Honored One Tathagata replied to him, 'What you said is good, then go and try.'

However, after this voice ended, the Buddha's light before Li Qi's eyes suddenly vanished.

He regained his perception of the outside world, but... at the same time, he felt another force.

Something was carrying his perception, rapidly Transmigration through the Universe.

It wasn't Transmigration through space, but Transmigration through the 'Universe'!

Both the expanse of the cosmos and the flow of time were being reversed simultaneously!

Li Qi had a wisp of Universal Dao Resonance on him, which he would occasionally take out to contemplate and learn from. Although progress was slow, he had gained something.

Now, this Universal Dao Resonance was directly activated, simply because of the aftershocks of the three lives ancient mirror.

Li Qi could feel that the ancient mirror made a mechanical reaction, seemingly wanting to help him trace back to his previous self.

After all, it wasn't a living Spiritual Artifact, so Li Qi was stiffly swept along, tracing back!

His perception was swept along, Transmigration through infinite space and endless time!

The endless magnificent scenes Li Qi saw were unknown to outsiders.

The examiner behind him, Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor himself, was quietly observing Li Qi's movements.

Very good, the three lives ancient mirror activated normally.

This Young Master of Shaman God Mountain... really had a lot of good things on him; two Dao Resonances were actually activated.

One could expand space, representing the 'great' Universal Dao Resonance.

What was the other one?

Couldn't see clearly, such a hidden Dao Resonance, it seemed like he had never seen anything similar, and he didn't know what kind of great Dao it was a remnant of?

But no matter what, it was just one Dao Resonance, and it didn't seem to have any protective function, so it was useless.

So, Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor just stood there honestly, waiting for the three lives ancient mirror to trace back the past.

According to past experience, the three lives ancient mirror would soon display his past, present, and future lives, in every detail.

Then, all of this would reveal all the flaws in Li Qi's Dao Heart, and he would directly face his own weaknesses.

When the three lives ancient mirror was used for one's own people, it could help them mend these flaws and cover up the imperfections.

When used against enemies, it could naturally allow the person controlling the mirror to exploit these weaknesses and defeat the enemy.

And now, these weaknesses were to be used to implant Demon Qi.

Time passed bit by bit.

After about five minutes, Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor's expression changed somewhat.

What's going on?

Logically, the appearance of the three lives should manifest immediately in about a minute. If the cultivation was too high, it might be delayed by one or two minutes.

But as long as it was a willing participant without resistance, it shouldn't be delayed for too long.

As for this Young Master of Shaman God Mountain, his resistance was useless. A mere eighth-rank, how could he resist the three lives ancient mirror?

So why hadn't it succeeded in tracing back after five minutes?

Imperial Academy Vice-Chancellor stepped forward to check the three lives ancient mirror, to see if he hadn't activated it.

It was better not to check.

Just a quick check, and his heart immediately sank!

The three lives ancient mirror was frantically drawing power!

Originally, this item consumed enough energy that it required a third-rank expert's full support to operate once.

Now it could be activated at will because it was connected to the Dragon Vein beneath Chang'an, drawing power from it.

But now, the three lives ancient mirror! It was drawing more than ten times the energy it usually did!

This section of the Dragon Vein was overloaded!

Due to a family funeral, I barely managed to write these two chapters in my spare time two days ago. Today, I spent twenty hours in the mourning hall, kneeling during the day and keeping vigil at night. I didn't get any sleep and walked a long mountain road. I really can't do anything else, so I have to take a day off tomorrow.

I'll try my best with updates after that, but I really can't guarantee anything.