Yellow Skinned Taoist Master

Chapter 173: My West Region Buddha Kingdom

The Divine Embryo was a fourteen-year-old youth.

This was very good.

The Divine Embryo was a mountain villager from the massive mountains.

This was even better.

The Divine Embryo was young, indicating his innate disposition must definitely be incredibly pure, honest, and simple.

Moreover, he was highly likely an ordinary mortal. Even if he possessed cultivation, at this age and in such an environment, he definitely must have only just begun glimpsing the Dao of cultivation.

Twisting him back would be effortless and easy.

The Divine Embryo was a mountain villager. The Hundred Thousand Mountains held a multitude of evil spirits and was incredibly sinister and treacherous.

That indicated the Divine Embryo ordinarily must have eaten a great deal of hardship and suffered much.

Having eaten hardship, when they, these Arhat monks, welcomed the Divine Embryo back, they probably merely needed to promise some benefits to make the Divine Embryo willingly and gladly follow them back.Although the Arhats of the West Region Buddha Kingdom ate people.

And the monks' cultivation was also very bizarre and strange.

But they cultivated Buddha.

The Divine Embryo signified the reincarnation of their Buddha.

Although it was unknown exactly which Buddha, a Buddha was still a Buddha.

Even if he hadn't awakened his past-life wisdom (宿慧), they wouldn't dare hold any disrespect.

Since ancient times, it had always been the Buddha delivering all sentient beings from suffering; how could there be a principle of sentient beings delivering the Buddha?

...

At this very moment.

Within the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Chen Huangpi, however, stopped in his tracks.

He said somewhat displeased: "Huang Er, those bald donkeys trailed us again?"

The Brass Oil Lamp said grumpily: "They trailed us! Wherever we walk, they go. Like a bunch of flies, annoying to death."

About an hour ago.

Chen Huangpi and the Brass Oil Lamp sensed the tracks of those monks.

At first, Chen Huangpi didn't mind it.

He didn't like monks, because the Heretic Buddha previously inside the Old Temple gave him a very bad feeling.

Therefore, he had no thoughts of going to make contact.

After all, seeking out the fishing rod was the urgent business at hand.

Yet very quickly, no matter where he went, those monks always followed behind.

Moreover, their speed was growing increasingly faster.

As if they were specifically targeting him.

"Originally, I didn't want to bother with these bald donkeys!"

Chen Huangpi said in anger: "But them following like this is truly annoying. Since they wish to find me, fine! I shall grant their wish."

Saying so, Chen Huangpi turned his head and walked directly toward the position of those monks.

While situated several tens of li away.

Those monks were currently advancing rapidly toward Chen Huangpi's position.

Leading them was precisely that Crosser of Torments.

As for Golden Horn, it seemed as if it had been locked away by him, its shadow completely unseen.

"The Divine Embryo has stopped."

"Yi, the Divine Embryo is coming toward us."

"Could it be the Divine Embryo awakened his past-life wisdom and sensed our existence!?"

The Crosser of Torments said thoughtfully: "It's merely... why is the Divine Embryo's speed so fast?"

"Incorrect. Why is the Divine Embryo's aura so incredibly powerful!?"

Chen Huangpi didn't conceal his aura in the slightest.

Coming all the way here, a distance of a mere few tens of li, was truly just arriving in the blink of an eye for him.

The moment these monks saw Chen Huangpi, their expressions were excited, but their hearts were startled and dumbfounded.

Because Chen Huangpi was wearing Daoist robes.

"This..."

The Crosser of Torments was also somewhat surprised, though not because the Divine Embryo was a Daoist.

But rather because this Divine Embryo's aura was very strange.

Even he was entirely unable to see through it.

It seemed as if he had already reached the extreme limits of cultivation—which is to say, Nascent Soul.

But if it was a Nascent Soul cultivation, why walk through the mountain forests instead of transforming into an escaping light to fly?

"Why have you all stopped speaking?"

Chen Huangpi snorted coldly: "Weren't you looking for me? I've come. Why is everyone acting like a mute? If you have words, speak quickly; if you have a fart, release it quickly."

Very well, the Divine Embryo's tone was very bad.

But this definitely must be because he was currently a Daoist; after all, there was a distinction between Buddha and Dao.

That Crosser of Torments pressed his palms together, speaking up: "This little monk greets the Almsgiver. Chasing all the way previously was due to a specific reason; we entreat the Almsgiver not to lay blame."

He didn't immediately call out 'Divine Embryo' right off the bat.

Because he was worried it might trigger a rebellious mentality within this Daoist-robed Divine Embryo.

Chen Huangpi said impatiently: "You old monk are truly shameless. You followed behind my ass for so long, and now you think you can brush it off with a single phrase 'due to a specific reason'? What, must I forgive you or something?"

The Crosser of Torments didn't take offense at all, instead immediately apologizing: "It was this little monk who was abrupt. Every word the Almsgiver speaks is a flawless pearl of wisdom; you must definitively be a person possessing great intellect and great wisdom."

"It's merely that we mistakenly entered these Hundred Thousand Mountains. If we did not follow the Almsgiver, we fear we would be unable to find our way out for an entire lifetime."

"Mistakenly entered!?"

Wearing an incredibly bizarre and peculiar expression, Chen Huangpi lifted his head to look at the sky.

The sun in the sky was very hot.

The blazing sun was directly overhead; right now it was exactly high noon.

Many cultivators had come to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, but this was the very first time he had ever heard the phrase 'mistakenly entered'.

Chen Huangpi couldn't be bothered to waste excessive words with this Crosser of Torments.

He stated plainly and straightforwardly: "Old monk, you people want me to lead you out, is that right?"

"Exactly so."

The Crosser of Torments smiled and said: "We hail from the Middle-earth Buddha Kingdom, which is also the West Region Buddha Kingdom. I wonder if the Almsgiver has heard of it?"

Chen Huangpi replied: "I've heard of it, but never been there."

To Chen Huangpi, the West Region Buddha Kingdom was far too distant.

He had merely heard about it from the mouth of the dead Mang Shan Jun.

Apart from knowing it was located to the west, he was completely unclear about everything else.

The Crosser of Torments stated: "The West Region Buddha Kingdom is unlike these Hundred Thousand Mountains. It boasts a territory spanning ten thousand li, possessing rice crops that ripen three times a single season. The commoners all live and work in peace and contentment without exception. It truly is a place of ultimate bliss in the mortal realm/human world, devoid of sorrow, suffering, and worldly boundaries."

"Then why are you dressed so shabbily?"

Chen Huangpi laughed in ridicule: "The Remnants in my mountains either use animal hides for clothing to keep warm, or use coarse hemp fabric to cover their bodies, but none are covered in patches all over their entire body like you are."

Aside from being a bit dangerous, the Hundred Thousand Mountains...

Everything else was actually quite alright.

At the very least, there were few people and abundant resources.

The Crosser of Torments explained: "Almsgiver is unaware, this little monk is an ascetic monk; naturally, I dress this way. Look at the others."

Saying so, he pointed toward those monks and said: "They are also converts of my Great Buddha Temple. As the saying goes, people rely on fine clothing, Buddha relies on golden coating. Even people dress this sumptuously and luxuriously, let alone the Buddha."

"If the Almsgiver leads us out of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, upon returning to the West Region Buddha Kingdom, there will absolutely be a handsome reward."

"You want to give me a handsome reward too!?"

Chen Huangpi shot a weird glance at the Crosser of Torments.

This Crosser of Torments was somewhat taken aback: "Why does the Almsgiver say this?"

Chen Huangpi replied: "Previously, many people came looking for me, asking me to lead the way for them, or asking me to take them in. Every time they promised a handsome reward, yet in the end, they couldn't even pull out half a copper coin."

"Almsgiver, please look."

The Crosser of Torments smiled, then pulled out a small golden fish (a gold ingot shaped like a fish) from his sleeve.

"My West Region Buddha Kingdom yields abundant products and rich resources."

"Gold and silver can be seen everywhere on the ground, and even the rivers flow with milk and honey."

"Since there were numerous areas we lacked propriety previously, treat this small golden fish as an apology to make amends."

The Crosser of Torments ceaselessly depicted the beauty and wealth of the West Region Buddha Kingdom.

And tossed the small golden fish to Chen Huangpi.

With this, Chen Huangpi was oppositely somewhat at a loss.

He had now visited the outside world.

Naturally, he knew gold was something even more valuable than silver.

For this Crosser of Torments to hand him a small golden fish right off the bat, oppositely made his own behavior appear a bit excessively aggressive and overbearing.

Thinking of this, Chen Huangpi's expression relaxed slightly, and he stated: "Old monk, I've accepted your gold. I won't lay blame upon you anymore. You may leave; hereafter, do not appear before me again."

Finishing his words, Chen Huangpi turned around and prepared to leave.

As for leading these monks back to the West Region Buddha Kingdom or whatever...

Where did he even have the time for that!?

Seeing this, the multitude of monks universally cast their gazes toward the Crosser of Torments.

The Crosser of Torments frowned deeply, the wrinkles on his face entirely squeezing together.

This Divine Embryo didn't seem all that pure and honest.

Taking the money and leaving right after.

As for the other words he spoke, this Divine Embryo treated them entirely as if he hadn't heard a single thing.

Only taking the benefits without handling the affairs...

"Almsgiver, please halt your steps."

This time, the Crosser of Torments' voice was intermingled with Dharmic power/magic power.

Although he appeared to be human.

In reality, a Bodhisattva resided within his body.

Therefore, those Arhats were so respectful toward him. Right now, by mobilizing Dharmic power, it was equivalent to a Bodhisattva speaking, possessing the power of 'words manifesting as laws'.

However, what surprised this Crosser of Torments was.

Not only did Chen Huangpi not halt his steps, he actually walked increasingly faster.

As if he fundamentally wasn't affected by it in the slightest.

"Almsgiver, halt your steps!!!"

The Crosser of Torments vigorously spoke up again loudly: "Almsgiver halt..."

Zing!

Before he could even finish speaking, an icy, piercingly cold sword qi instantly brushed right past this Crosser of Torments' ear.

Rumble, rumble...

Wherever the sword qi passed, an unknown number of trees were chopped apart at the waist, entirely shattering into sawdust.

The expressions of those monks frantically drastically changed.

They all possessed cultivation upon them; naturally, they could sense the terrifying nature of this sword qi.

It was absolutely not something a Nascent Soul cultivator could slash out.

Following along, the Arhats residing within the Buddha shrines they carried on their backs similarly revealed expressions of extreme, intense dread and apprehension.

Because they could genuinely sense it.

This sword qi could injure them, and even kill them.

Only at this moment did Chen Huangpi's voice slowly descend: "This is the Hundred Thousand Mountains. I leave when I wish to leave, and I stay when I wish to stay. If there is a next time, do not blame me for being impolite."

However, this scene falling into the eyes of those monks.

Actually didn't make them feel terror.

Oppositely, it made them excited, incomparably, incredibly excited!

Following the Heaven and Earth Mutation, the path of cultivation halted at Nascent Soul.

Any higher, and one could only shift to becoming a deity.

The current Arhats and Bodhisattvas were actually similarly piled up using human qi and incense like this; they were not true Buddhas.

Chen Huangpi displayed cultivation power surpassing the Nascent Soul realm.

In their view, this clearly meant the Divine Embryo had already awakened a portion of his power, merely lacking the awakening of his past-life wisdom, that's all.

One couldn't blame these monks for thinking this way either.

Because in their eyes, the Buddhist intent upon Chen Huangpi was far too dense, far too heavy.

"We entreat the Almsgiver not to lay blame."

That Crosser of Torments performed a deep, sweeping bow of respect toward Chen Huangpi, and then immediately said: "The heaven and earth is incredibly vast; wherever the Almsgiver wishes to go, you naturally shall go. Only it's a pity we currently lack a place to rest our feet/shelter; we entreat the Almsgiver to exercise great mercy."

"Want to find a place to stay, huh..."

Chen Huangpi sized these people up and down with a glance. Adding them all together, there were close to a hundred people. Although the Pure Immortal Temple possessed many guest rooms, it still couldn't house this many people.

Unless it was nighttime and they stayed inside the Old Temple.

The Old Temple had a vast number of guest rooms; even if another thousand monks came, they could all be housed.

Watching Chen Huangpi seem somewhat persuaded, the Crosser of Torments hurriedly revealed a kind, amiable smile. Without intermingling even half a speck of Dharmic power into his words, he said incredibly respectfully: "We would not place the Almsgiver in a difficult position; we merely wish to stay a few days before leaving. As for the handsome reward..."

"Previously, we actually captured a Son of Diting. We shall present it to the Almsgiver as a meeting gift."

The moment the words landed, this Crosser of Torments waved his large hand, and a golden sphere of light instantly flew out from his sleeve. That golden sphere of light landed in front of Chen Huangpi. Within it, a small dog—pitch-black entirely, save for its horns which were golden—was currently excitedly barking frantically.

Barking and barking, that small dog even used its paws as hands, gesturing sign language toward Chen Huangpi.

Chen Huangpi shot a glance at Golden Horn, then cast a glance at that Crosser of Torments. Suddenly, he smiled and said: "Old monk, truthfully I also possess some understanding of Buddhist scriptures. Just now you mentioned my West... hummm... your West Region Buddha Kingdom is very large, and very rich, is that right?"