Chapter 732: Meeting Xin Ming again

In the Western Paradise Buddhist Kingdom, within the country of Taxila.

The country of Taxila spans over two thousand li, with its capital city measuring over ten li in circumference.

The royal family of this country has no heirs, and local chieftains vie for power. In the past, it was a vassal of the Kapisa Kingdom, and more recently, it became a dependency of the Kashmir Kingdom. The land is fertile, crops are abundant, springs are numerous, and flowers and fruits flourish.

The climate is mild and pleasant, the customs are light and brave, and the Three Jewels are highly revered. Although there are many monasteries, most are in ruins, and the number of monks is small; they all study Mahayana Buddha-Dharma.

Li Qi and Shen Shuibi were taking a short rest here.

Actually, Li Qi had come here guided by his sixth sense; he didn't know why he landed here, but that's how a Shaman operates.

Shamanes always act this way.

This is a relatively wild country, with only one Rank Eight monk, but there are many Rank Eight Martial Artists, and even some primitive Shamanes, or shamans. Internal conflicts and battles are constant within the country, completely devoid of Buddhist nature.

As mentioned before: 'the customs are light and brave, although there are many monasteries, most are in ruins, and the number of monks is small.'

But since it is within the Buddhist Kingdom, monks often pass through to preach the Buddha-Dharma. Therefore, what is practiced here is not Dual Cultivation of Buddha and Demon, but Mahayana Buddha-Dharma.

Shen Shuibi and Li Qi were currently resting briefly in this Mahayana Buddhist temple.

Mainly, Shen Shuibi had just woken up from her deduction process, falling into the same state as Li Qi used to be—that kind of occasional dazing and intermittent deep thought.

How to put it…

They truly are a couple.

Birds of a feather flock together; the omens before their Breakthroughs are so similar.

“Then, benefactors, please rest here. This humble monk will take his leave.” An old monk with kind eyes put his palms together and said this to Li Qi.

Li Qi immediately stood up, left Shen Shuibi's side, and came to the door, saying, “Thank you, Great Master, for your hospitality.”

“Benefactor, there is no need for such courtesy. It is merely a temporary stay, and there is no reason to refuse. By the way, there is a bell that rings once each morning and noon. At the sound of the bell, you may go to the main hall for vegetarian meals. Monks in the temple do not eat after noon, but there is no such rule for pilgrims, so if you are hungry in the evening, you may still go.” The old monk said to Li Qi.

“Then I will trouble Great Master.” Li Qi performed a Buddhist salute.

The old monk returned the salute and said, “However, since the benefactor has a female companion, it is best to stay away from the backyard. There are many young Disciples there who are impetuous, so it is better to be careful.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Shuibi.

What a beautiful female benefactor. If those young monks saw her, their Dao Hearts would inevitably be stirred… So it's best to keep those boys from seeing her. Better safe than sorry.

Thinking this, he closed the door for Li Qi.

Li Qi also turned back and looked at Shen Shuibi.

The rabbit was still dazed, in energy-saving mode.

“Yu'er.” Li Qi patted her head.

The rabbit barely managed to clear her head: “Hmm… What is it? Oh, we've already left Dakini Heaven, right?”

“Yes, I found a secluded place where we can rest for a while. We're still in the Buddhist Kingdom, so it's relatively peaceful,” Li Qi said.

“That's good… By the way, Dakini Heaven, she told you to find Sariputra, right?” the rabbit asked.

“Yes,” Li Qi nodded.

“Then this journey should be just the two of us, but in my current state… I might need to wait for some time. I need to at least find a thread of thought to calm down…” Shen Shuibi said.

“Take your time, don't rush,” Li Qi stroked her hair. “We have plenty of time. We'll rest here for a few days; just consider it like being at home. Nothing will happen.”

In this situation, it is indeed necessary to find a thread of thought. It's not necessarily about finding the answer, but at least having a direction.

Otherwise, probably no cultivator could maintain their composure.

This is an Opportunity for Breakthrough.

Shen Shuibi still couldn't find a direction. She was trying to find her own thread from the endless tangle.

This still requires some time or inspiration.

Some cultivators get stuck at this step, becoming mad and confused, and not a few end up wandering the Mortal World.

Of course, in some legends and stories, they might also be enlightened by a young person's unintentional words, then experience an Epiphany, ascend again, and their cultivation advance by leaps and bounds, with their Rank also increasing.

Naturally, both types of people are certainly in the minority.

Most common are those like Shen Shuibi, who seriously contemplate, transforming all their past accumulated knowledge and thoughts into the driving force for their current progress, ultimately finding their own answers.

If they can't find it, then naturally, this Opportunity is wasted, and the young hero will have to try again next time.

Of course, there are also some who are like Li Qi; they are too smart, so a large number of answers emerge, all laid out before them for selection.

In such cases, the problem is actually quite significant. This is the most difficult thing Geniuses encounter.

So many diverging paths? Which one is the right one?

If they choose the wrong one, severing their Dao path is no joke. At that point, they can only resolve it by risking a complete loss and reincarnating to cultivate anew.

Sariputra was like this this time; the Demonic Prince defeated him through debate, making him realize the problems in his cultivation, and he then directly reincarnated.

But fortunately, Li Qi hasn't encountered these things yet.

Shen Shuibi did not reply, but continued to think seriously.

Li Qi, meanwhile, rested in the Buddhist temple, donating some incense money, as he couldn't just eat, drink, and stay for free.

After that, he wandered around the area, but still kept an eye on Shen Shuibi at all times.

However, as he walked, Li Qi suddenly saw an old monk.

To say 'saw' isn't entirely accurate; in reality, the other party was seated in the mountains about two hundred li away, and Li Qi detected him through his Qi perception.

That was truly an… old monk.

He was hunched over, emaciated, and the dust on his body had almost solidified into stone, with some plants even growing on it.

It was evident that this old monk had been sitting here for at least a hundred years.

Li Qi lightly leaped and arrived beside the old monk.

Li Qi knew this old monk; he was someone he had seen before.

Once, in Baiyue, a young monk claimed he was going to the Western Paradise Buddhist Kingdom, but he passed through a place where demons and the Human Race were fighting and performed rites for the deceased.

Li Qi didn't know his name, but his monastic name was 'Xin Ming' (details can be found in Chapter 354).

That young monk from back then has now truly reached the Buddhist Kingdom and is immersed in contemplation here.

And it seems, he is in the same situation as Shen Shuibi.

The other party is already Rank Seven, and it appears he is stuck at the limit of Breakthrough to Rank Six. This contemplation has lasted for a hundred years, until dust accumulated on his body, the dust formed stone, soil piled on the stone, flowers grew from the soil, and vines sprouted, almost completely covering him.

“Monk Xin Ming, I didn't expect to meet you again after more than a thousand years,” Li Qi said, standing beside the stone and smiling at the old monk before him.

The old monk's body slowly shifted, but there was no other movement. He simply slowly opened his eyes and looked at Li Qi, clearly in a state of confusion.

But he thought for a moment and quickly rummaged through the junk pile of his memories, pulling out a long-forgotten impression.

So, the old monk said, “It turns out to be Senior… It truly is fate. After a thousand years, I can still foresee an old acquaintance.”

“Your progress is quite fast. I heard there are only Rank Eight cultivators here, but I didn't expect to find a hidden Great Power like you,” Li Qi said with a smile.

“Compared to Senior, I am no Great Power. In the past, seeing Senior felt like gazing up at a towering mountain, or facing a vast river and sea. Now, seeing you again is like dust floating in the starlight, already indistinguishable in size,” the old monk sighed.

At the same time, Li Qi could also see that the other party's eyeballs changed from cloudy to bright.

Celestial Eye. This is the true Celestial Eye.

A thousand years have passed, and he has evolved from a nascent form to truly mastering the 'Celestial Eye.' Therefore… even Li Qi was seen through by him. He could even perceive Li Qi's cultivation.

After all, it is one of the Six Divine Abilities, capable of seeing the life, death, suffering, and joy of all sentient beings in the six realms, and seeing all forms and colors in the world without obstruction.

Subtle, wonderful, clear, and bright, it can see all forms, colors, and lights, whether coarse or fine, near or far, in the immeasurable and boundless Buddha worlds in all ten directions. The Celestial Eye can see all of them.

It illuminates, discriminates, skillfully understands, and skillfully sees, and also sees all sentient beings born in various realms, excluding the formless heavens, their karmic actions, and the continuous cycle of life and death. It knows all their karmic consequences and the distinct roots without omission.

Forms, colors, the continuous cycle of life and death, karmic consequences, subtle roots, all Karma are within its gaze.

“No wonder you had to close your eyes and live in seclusion in the mountains. Everything seen by the Celestial Eye must be very painful, isn't it?” Li Qi saw the other's eyes, feeling the faint gaze on himself, and sighed.

The power brought by the Celestial Eye would normally only be felt by Rank Four or even Rank Three cultivators, but Monk Xin Ming, due to a fortunate Opportunity, gained this power now…

This is not a good thing. When you open your eyes, you can see the immeasurable and boundless worlds in all ten directions, and a massive amount of scenery from Boundless Outer Domain rushes into your eyes all at once…

This is even more terrifying than True Knowledge Dao Resonance. True Knowledge Dao Resonance, after all, has a range limit, and Li Qi can actively control the size of the range. Generally speaking, he usually only looks at the immediate surroundings and has already grown accustomed to the feeling of this information stream flooding his mind.

But for Monk Xin Ming, he only needs to open his eyes to see the life, death, suffering, and joy of sentient beings in all the heavens and myriad worlds.

All of this will disturb his Dao Heart.

Sometimes, knowing too much makes it difficult to move forward.

When there is only one choice before a person, they often step forward without hesitation; they appear very resolute.

But when there are millions of choices, that is when true steadfastness of will is tested. They need to truly understand what they desire to steadfastly continue on their path.

And now, the choices the Celestial Eye presents to Monk Xin Ming are simply too many for him.

Therefore, he sealed his senses, closed his eyes, and entered seclusion here, quietly digesting these powers.

“The power Senior possesses is similar to mine, isn't it? I can see your Dao Resonance greedily gathering all nearby information and then indiscriminately throwing it at you. Senior, like me, cannot control it,” the old monk Xin Ming sighed with a sense of shared suffering.

“It's alright, I've pretty much gotten used to it. Do you need me to teach you some methods? Perhaps they can help you control this state.”

Upon hearing this, Monk Xin Ming was first startled, then put his palms together and performed a Buddhist salute: “Is Senior's word true?”

“We share the same plight, what is there to deceive you about? I have also encountered situations like yours. However, if it helps you, I also have a request,” Li Qi said.

This was something Li Qi had just realized.

His sixth sense had come true.

“Senior has always been gracious to me; I naturally must repay it. Whether the matter succeeds or not, Senior just has to speak,” Monk Xin Ming said.

Li Qi nodded, and then, around his body, his Inner World quietly manifested, beginning to demonstrate the Dao.

The method Li Qi demonstrated was a statistical technique.

This statistical method was taught to Li Qi by the Imperial Academy’s Chancellor at Chang'an Imperial Academy. It could integrate various chaotic data within the body and deduce many useful methods.

Now, this algorithm has been greatly modified by Li Qi, specifically for handling the accumulation of large amounts of data.

It's also very simple; it just needs simplification.

For example, countably infinite points cannot form a straight line, but by simplifying points into line segments, the entire number line can be filled with rational numbers without affecting practical application.

These conveniences are not complete for “reality” and will cause information distortion, but they are very valuable, and even necessary.

For example, when calculating pi, 3.14 is enough, or at most 3.1415926; anything more is unnecessary.

Using 7 digits to calculate the Earth's circumference will result in an error of less than 1 meter. Using 42 digits to calculate the lateral area of the Milky Way galaxy will result in an error of less than 1 square meter. Using 62 digits to calculate the circumference of the Observable Universe will result in an error of less than 1 Planck length.

Therefore, by extending this simplification and categorization, smooth deduction can be achieved.

Li Qi demonstrated the Dao, and Monk Xin Ming listened attentively.

He had the Celestial Eye, so he didn't need to worry about whether he could receive the information; he only needed to understand it.

Fortunately, this method was clearly within his comprehension.

As Li Qi continued his demonstration, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. By the end, those eyes gave off a melted metallic texture.

Li Qi even felt a bit uncomfortable, as if he had been seen through.

As expected of one of the Six Divine Abilities of Buddhism…

To be able to control a Divine Ability of this Rank at his current Rank, he could truly be called a 'Buddha Son,' couldn't he?

As the lecture continued, after about half an hour, Monk Xin Ming's aura suddenly changed dramatically!

His foundation was already sufficient, and now, with Li Qi's guidance, he actually achieved a Breakthrough on the spot, becoming a Rank Six cultivator!

The information provided by the Celestial Eye was no longer an oppression, but his aid!

However, he quickly suppressed his aura and did not get up.

“Why don't you get up?” Li Qi stopped demonstrating the Dao and asked curiously.

“There are still living beings on my body. If I were to get up, would that not be taking life?” Monk Xin Ming replied in a very good mood.

“Haha.” Li Qi just laughed, looked at the mud, stones, and plants on his body, and said, “Then you'll probably have to sit until winter.”

“If I could sit for a thousand years, what harm is there in waiting another winter? It doesn't bother me, but it saves lives, so it must be so,” Monk Xin Ming said. “Let's not talk about that. Thank you, Senior, for the grace of your demonstration. May I ask what help Senior requires of me?”

“You have the Celestial Eye. I want you to help me perceive Reincarnation and find someone,” Li Qi said.

What a coincidence, but… it was Li Qi's coincidence.

Now, Li Qi was also a Great Power capable of creating coincidences.