Chapter 758: Shariputra pauses

In the Void Realm, Li Qi and Sariputra met the legendary Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Li Qi stepped forward first. He had many questions he wanted to ask Ksitigarbha. Now that he had the chance to meet him, even if it meant incurring another Karma, he wanted to ask them.

But at this moment, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva spoke up before Li Qi could, interrupting his words.

He said, “Young Master Li Qi, since you possess wisdom comparable to Sariputra’s, able to penetrate Karma and understand the whole picture from a single part, even though your knowledge is still insufficient, no one knows more about your cultivation than you. How could I, who have not yet attained Buddhahood and still harbor unreleased worries in my heart, know something that even you do not know?”

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva clasped his hands, blocking Li Qi’s words before he could speak.

Li Qi regretfully stepped back, understanding the other party’s meaning.

Although wisdom and knowledge are somewhat related, they are not absolute.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva might have richer knowledge and deeper experience, but he still couldn’t resolve Li Qi’s doubts, because Li Qi’s doubts might involve some more advanced secrets.

Even he himself hadn’t broken through the final layer to attain Buddhahood, so how could he tell Li Qi?

Everyone knew that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had made a great vow: “Hell will not be emptied; I vow not to attain Buddhahood.” This grand vow helped him solidify his Dao Heart, but in the end, it became his only obstacle.

His only attachment was to become a Buddha, but it was this attachment that hindered his final realization, causing him to remain a Great Bodhisattva to this day.

If you want to become a Buddha, you will never become one.

Only by truly not wanting to become a Buddha, by letting go of the final attachment, can one truly achieve mental clarity.

It was ironic, perhaps.

Even if Hell were emptied, if he couldn’t let go, he just couldn’t let go.

With this obsession in his heart, even a Second Grade could not transcend.

After a sigh, Li Qi chose to retreat.

After bowing to Sariputra and Li Qi, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva used green lotuses to guide away the spirits he had transcended, disappearing from before the two.

This was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s daily routine: constantly guiding, constantly delivering, and constantly bearing the Karma of sentient beings.

As for the reason… he called it ‘compassion’.

Li Qi didn’t believe it, but he couldn’t come up with another reason, so he let it be.

Watching the other party leave, Li Qi and Sariputra exchanged glances.

Then, Li Qi said, “Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s appearance…”

Sariputra smiled, “Don’t mind it. The answer is merely different. Perhaps it indicates that the answer you seek, Benefactor, involves a higher essence. He cannot give you the answer, for if he did, you might score zero on your assignments.”

The term “assignments” was something Buddhist Cultivators encountered from a young age. Young monks basically did assignments daily and were tested, though they would still get their palms slapped.

Li Qi nodded, understanding Sariputra’s meaning.

It was like an answer sheet that had to be completely filled.

Getting a 0 on a test that must be filled with answers, and getting a perfect score, were actually of similar difficulty.

But with the same difficulty, the results obtained were different.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva knew this well, so he wouldn’t tell Li Qi these things, even if Li Qi only wanted them as material.

“I know, but… never mind. Since the Purification Method has been explained, then Sariputra, what do you plan to do next?” Li Qi asked, looking at the now Breakthrough Sariputra.

“Hmm… I think I will try to go into the midst of the Human-Shaman War,” Sariputra said.

“You’re going to participate?” Li Qi frowned.

If Sariputra participated, did that mean Buddhism was going to get involved? But… it seemed Buddhism had always been involved; was it just not pretending anymore this time?

“Not to participate in the war, but to protect the innocent. In the Human-Shaman War, neither humans nor Shamanes show any mercy to the weak. Too many innocents are dying, and there are also methods like the human Dao’s world extraction and Shaman Dao’s blood sacrifices. I may not be able to save everyone, but I can save many,” Sariputra said. “Now that I am Fourth Grade, I have the ability, and I should do so.”

“What’s the point? If you want to spread the teachings, there are many other worlds in turmoil outside this realm, not just the Human-Shaman War. What’s the difference between saving them and saving the worlds within the Human-Shaman War?” Li Qi asked.

Yes, what was the difference? Were the people who died in the Human-Shaman War somehow superior or inferior to those who died elsewhere?

“Precisely, because there is no difference, are you trying to create one, Benefactor?” Sariputra countered.

Li Qi was speechless.

Yes, since there was no difference, then it was natural to go anywhere; there was no need to care about the specific location.

“This is Mahayana Buddha-Dharma,” Li Qi exclaimed. “It is indeed much stronger than the Dual Cultivation of Buddha and Demon.”

The Mahayana School emphasizes the equality of all sentient beings, universal compassion and salvation, hoping that all beings become Buddhas, and stressing “self-benefit, benefiting others, and benefiting all sentient beings.”

The world is like an endless sea of suffering, and “Mahayana” refers to “carrying,” meaning it can carry sentient beings across the sea of suffering.

Similarly, Hinayana refers to ‘carrying oneself,’ saving only oneself, while Mahayana is about universal salvation for all beings.

“Then, Benefactor, farewell. I hope this good Karma today will lead to a good cause and ultimately bear good fruit.” Sariputra bowed slightly, then his form transformed into Buddha-light and vanished.

Li Qi watched him leave.

How to put it, after personally seeing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and Sariputra, Li Qi also seemed to once again feel a certain advantage of youth.

Just regarding the matter of becoming a Buddha, young people probably had a huge advantage in this regard, because young people didn’t have the entrenched mental barriers, because they didn’t have as much experience yet.

The simpler one was, the easier it was to become a Buddha.

Someone like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, whose progress was constrained by himself, might not even achieve Buddhahood as quickly as Sariputra.

Sariputra was also very impressive…

In the battle with the Demonic Prince, he unhesitatingly threw himself into Reincarnation, breaking down to build anew. He used the Nascent Heavenly Demon as a crucible to Rebirth from his cocoon, achieving Fourth Grade. He used demonic thoughts as his Buddha-Heart, yet completely separated the Buddha-Heart and demonic thoughts, remaining unaffected by them. This kind of courage was already stronger than Li Qi’s.

If you asked Li Qi to go into the belly of a Nascent Heavenly Demon, Li Qi would definitely refuse.

Nonsense, only an idiot would go.

Of course, this wasn’t to say Sariputra was an idiot; understand the spirit of it.

Shaking his head, Li Qi turned around and instantly appeared beside Shen Shuibi.

The Little rabbit was still floating in the Void Realm, but she wasn’t in a daze; instead, she looked at Li Qi.

The Little rabbit immediately came closer and said, “Resolved?”

“Yes, resolved, and I also saw Senior Yao Wanchi. He also made a move. Did you hear the鸣音 just now?” Li Qi asked the Little rabbit.

“I heard it. It deeply resonated with me. I feel… I’m a big step closer to Fourth Grade. I’ve found some clues to what Bodhisattva Baichen Fox King said earlier, but I don’t know what’s still missing,” Shen Shuibi said.

Her expression looked much more relaxed. It was clear that the ‘reminders’ given by Bodhisattva Baichen Fox King, coupled with the earth-shattering鸣音 from the Myriad Demon Reservoir World earlier, had given her great inspiration.

“Then think about it slowly. We still have plenty of time. This matter is concluded. Oh dear… it should be fine now, right?” Li Qi said.

“It should be fine. Then… shall we go home?” the Little rabbit suggested.

“Of course, home!” Li Qi laughed heartily. Now that the matter was perfectly concluded, both he and the Little rabbit had benefited greatly, and they could finally go back.

Li Qi summoned his magic and returned to the world.

He hoped this time, he could enjoy some peace for a while, peace for this last bit of vacation.

——————————

Li Qi and Shen Shuibi returned to the world.

They finally returned to a daily life where both of them could live leisurely.

Little rabbit Li Shiwei went to the East Sea; he hoped she could make a name for herself out there.

As for Li Qi and his wife…

Back home, Li Qi went to greet Niu Huang. It seemed Niu Huang wanted some novelty and had undertaken a massive renovation outside Mystic Radiance Mountain.

Mountains shifted, rivers changed course, various biological populations underwent significant changes, and even new species, new demon creatures, and new Schools were introduced.

How to put it…

Mystic Radiance Mountain was like a new expansion pack had been released, suddenly gaining many new gameplay elements and new factions.

Li Qi was very confused, so he went to Niu Huang to ask about the situation.

However, while Li Qi needed to ask, Shen Shuibi didn’t.

The Little rabbit knew it was definitely because when Li Qi returned a few hundred years ago, he casually remarked, “It hasn’t changed in all these years.”

Li Qi himself surely said it offhand, just a sigh of relief to be home after so long, but Niu Huang took it to heart. As the Mountain God, he immediately went to make changes.

There were quite a few such incidents, but, let them be; she was going back inside.

On the way back to her Immortal Cave, she began to recall what she had been doing recently.

The Little rabbit had always been quite inconspicuous these past few years, almost a ‘little transparent’.

However, this was precisely her favorite state. She had said countless times before that her presence on Mount Luofu was very low. For thousands of years, some Cultivators on Mount Luofu didn’t even know such a person existed in their School.

The time she spent with Li Qi searching for the Lady, and then going to Shaman God Mountain together, was actually a rare highlight in her life. Before that, she was just a socially anxious homebody Little rabbit, her presence so thin it was almost nonexistent. For thousands of years, she had been immersed in her own world, known to few.

Now married to Li Qi, and after some tumultuous times, she had finally settled down and returned to this daily routine she particularly loved in recent years.

But… now that she was just back, she felt a little…

Hmm, how to put it, was she not quite used to it?

Originally, staying at home and doing her own thing was her favorite rhythm of life. She could do all her favorite things at this relaxed pace, everything at her whim.

But now that she was back, sitting here alone, she felt a little restless.

Was it a mental issue? Shen Shuibi was a bit confused.

Her cultivation had made a slight Breakthrough. Bodhisattva Baichen Fox King’s reminder, coupled with personally listening to the shocking primordial鸣音 emitted by a Second Grade Gui Xu, had given her new progress on the path to finding ‘Celestial Pole’. However, she was currently stuck on some minor issues, but it didn’t matter; she had plenty of time in the future.

Examining her inner self, she found that it wasn’t a problem with her cultivation mindset; she wasn’t in a hurry to Breakthrough to Fourth Grade.

Then why… couldn’t she sit still?

Shen Shuibi suddenly realized that she had started pacing in the room. Let alone others, even she herself, looking at herself, would think, ‘This woman is so agitated, could she be about to give birth?’

Realizing that her behavior was a bit off, she forced herself to find a place to sit down.

This feeling of unease, could it be a sixth sense?

Was something bad going to happen?

But she wasn’t a Shaman, and didn’t have the ability to connect with the great source of heaven and earth. The Daoist School’s cultivation emphasizes a ‘singular self,’ requiring complete transcendence. How could there be a subtle connection with the external heaven and earth?

Then…

It could only be a feeling arising from within herself.

Arising from within?

The Little rabbit closed her eyes and began to examine her thoughts.

A Fifth Grade could indeed do this: examine every single ‘thought’. She could pull out and examine every single idea and emotion she had ever had, every bit and piece.

Hmm… in the past day, she had a total of forty-six thousand five hundred and thirty-two thoughts.

Most of them were about Celestial Pole, so she excluded thirty-six thousand.

Of the remaining ten thousand five hundred and thirty-two thoughts, about five hundred were杂念, various absurd thoughts that popped up when she was bored, so she excluded those.

For the next ten thousand or so thoughts, Shen Shuibi began to examine them one by one, looking for which thought was making her so agitated and restless.

She searched through them one by one.

Most of these thoughts were related to Li Qi and Li Shiwei.

Speculating about what Li Shiwei was doing, or mentally deducing the Little rabbit’s current safety when she had nothing else to do.

Thankfully, everything was fine. If there had been any ominous signs, she estimated she would have immediately burst through the Ghost Gate and rushed to her child’s side.

After removing those about Li Shiwei, there were still over three thousand left.

Hmm? Unbeknownst to her, her thoughts about Li Qi were actually less than those about Li Shiwei?

And, the agitated thoughts came from Li Qi?

Shen Shuibi was a bit confused and continued to search through these thoughts, trying to see what was making her so restless.

About an hour had passed since she began examining her thoughts.

At this time, Li Qi and Niu Huang’s inspection of Mystic Radiance Mountain was almost complete. Li Qi, with a wry smile, sent Niu Huang away and then returned home.

“What’s wrong?” As soon as Li Qi came back, he saw the Little rabbit burying her head, counting her thoughts.

Wasn’t that something children did? Like counting on their fingers.

But the Little rabbit suddenly looked up.

The moment Li Qi returned, over a thousand thoughts vanished into thin air, and the feeling of annoyance disappeared.

Hmm… she knew where those thoughts came from.

So, the Little rabbit stood up and said with a smile, “Nothing.”