Yellow Skinned Taoist Master

Chapter 176: Divine Embryo, After You

The sun sets and the moon rises.

When the final ray of the fading sun vanished, the entirety of the Hundred Thousand Mountains sank into the darkness of night.

The crimson moon rose high.

Within the darkness, rustling sounds rang out from time to time.

That was the evil spirits emerging to be active.

And at the location of the River of Weak Water.

Chen Huangpi, as well as the Crosser of Torments and his group of people, were currently watching a bizarre scene unfold.

The River of Weak Water, gloomy, boundless, and limitless.

But with the arrival of night, that black mist blanketing the river's surface—the mist that killed upon touch, caused demise upon contact, and within three breaths could cause one's soul to shatter and scatter—melted into the dark night.

Casting one's gaze, they actually intermingled together for a time.Unable to discern the difference between the black mist and the dark night.

"Look quickly, the moonlight is shining over!"

The Brass Oil Lamp reminded Chen Huangpi within his heart.

Without needing it to speak, Chen Huangpi had already seen the changes produced by the moonlight shining upon this River of Weak Water.

Within the dark night, there existed light.

No matter how dim the moonlight was, it was still light.

Following the moonlight shining upon the river's surface, that pitch-black darkness where one couldn't even see their own hand extended in front of them was dispersed.

Along with it, those previous black mists also vanished without a trace.

Furthermore, the river water also became clear enough to see the bottom.

Chen Huangpi peered into the river, and dizzily, hazily, actually seemed to truly behold an entire world.

Glistening with bright ripples, blurry and indistinct.

There were mountains, rivers, and islands, as well as subterranean rivers and hidden paths.

Moreover, beneath that water, indeed existed a pitch-black, perfectly square pillar, looking like a stone stele.

This River of Weak Water was originally situated at the southernmost end of the Hundred Thousand Mountains; during the day, it served as a barrier between the outside world and the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

But at night, it turned into a mirror.

"Truly bizarre."

Chen Huangpi couldn't hold back from speaking up: "This River of Weak Water is so terrifying, even Immortals falling into the water during the day would be poisoned to death or drowned. Why would a world be hidden within it?"

"Not so, not so."

The Crosser of Torments said with deep dread: "It is not hiding a world, but rather reflecting a world."

"Before the Heaven and Earth Mutation, if there were heaven-shaking, earth-shattering Ancient Cultivators, they possessed the ability to use their dantian as a singularity point to open up 'Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands' (洞天福地)."

"If this little monk has not misjudged, what this River of Weak Water is reflecting is exactly the Cave Heaven and Blessed Land of some almighty existence."

"Or to state it another way, it is reflecting the dantian of some almighty existence."

The cultivators before the Heaven and Earth Mutation practiced a multitude of various cultivation methods.

But overall, the Immortal Dao remained the mainstream.

If Chen Huangpi were merely an ordinary cultivator, this Crosser of Torments absolutely wouldn't speak of Ancient Cultivators, but would instead substitute the term with Buddhist Cultivators.

Yet Buddhist Cultivators cultivated the Life Wheel (命轮/Fate Wheel).

Although one could say it was the same thing as the dantian, yet it simultaneously was not entirely the same matter.

Only by attaining Buddhahood could Buddhist Cultivators open up a world of such caliber.

The Crosser of Torments approached the edge of the Weak Water river, tore off a piece of shabby cloth from his sleeve, and tossed it onto the water's surface.

As this shabby cloth fell into the water, it stirred up a ring of ripples.

Under the illumination of the moonlight, it appeared exceptionally brilliant and radiant; its silvery-white hue scattered across the water's surface just like snowflakes.

"Almsgiver Chen, please observe."

The Crosser of Torments stated: "When night falls, this River of Weak Water loses its bizarre and terrifying nature from the daytime. Since the corner of this little monk's clothing falls upon the water's surface and remains unfloating (sinks), the Skin-Flesh Boat naturally can also guarantee we do not plummet down into this place."

"It is merely that this river's waters are boundless and limitless. Attempting to track down that fishing rod will probably be difficult atop of difficult."

"Crosser of Torments, I understand everything you are saying."

Chen Huangpi sighed, stating helplessly: "Truthfully, I also know this task isn't much better than fishing for a needle in the ocean. But those illusory figures in my dreams insisted I come here to find the fishing rod, even saying something like after finding the fishing rod..."

"Then what?"

"I don't remember clearly."

Chen Huangpi scratched his head, saying: "Anyway, they just want me to find the fishing rod. Perhaps once I find it, I'll remember."

Very well, the Divine Embryo was young and tender.

Not remembering matters within a dream clearly was actually rather normal.

However, going about it this way meant this fishing rod genuinely absolutely must be found.

After all, this was the decree of the Buddha Lord.

"Almsgiver Chen, there is no need to worry."

The Crosser of Torments said with a smile: "You are the Heaven-Mandated Master of the West. This little monk will definitely assist you in finding that fishing rod. At worst, we merely need to expend a few extra days here, that is all."

After the sky turned dark, this River of Weak Water became slightly more normal.

So long as they returned to the shore before daybreak.

Then they would not be trapped by that black mist.

Thinking of this, the Crosser of Torments immediately commanded the rest of the monks: "Quickly set up the Skin-Flesh Boats, enter the river and search for the fishing rod on behalf of the Divine Embryo."

Those monks immediately replied: "We obey the command."

Chen Huangpi was astonished: "Crosser of Torments, why do you call me Divine Embryo? I am clearly a Daoist!"

The Crosser of Torments said with profound, hidden meaning: "Almsgiver Chen, the Daoist robes cannot conceal the Buddhist intent upon your body. Once we enter the water, you will naturally understand why this little monk addresses you as Divine Embryo."

"Alright, I trust you."

Chen Huangpi felt somewhat panicked/flustered, yet also somewhat expectant/anticipating.

His gaze was even further wandering and unsettled.

As if he genuinely possessed some different thoughts regarding his own origins as well.

Furthermore, he even muttered softly: "Since childhood, I've been very interested in the Buddha. Could it be I shouldn't be cultivating the Dao, but instead should be cultivating Buddha!?"

Seeing that Crosser of Torments cast his gaze over, Chen Huangpi hurriedly sealed his mouth, keeping silent.

The former merely smiled faintly, merely treating it as if he hadn't heard anything.

Divine Embryo oh Divine Embryo.

You haven't awakened your past-life wisdom, and remain somewhat bewildered and confused regarding your own essence.

Wait until you board the Skin-Flesh Boat. After you behold your own original appearance and Buddha body, you will then realize exactly who you truly are.

Those nearly one hundred monks successively sat cross-legged upon the ground, chanting and reciting Buddhist scriptures.

Furthermore, they each lit a candle before themselves.

The Crosser of Torments did the same.

Chen Huangpi felt somewhat enlightened; when that candle burned out completely, the skin and flesh of these monks would transform into endless, bottomless Skin-Flesh Boats.

"Crosser of Torments, this candle of yours looks so bizarre and marvelous; what is it made of?"

While that candle burned.

Chen Huangpi smelled a faint, delicate fragrance.

The Crosser of Torments' expression remained unchanged, stating nonchalantly: "This candle is called the Six Roots Pure Candle. Smelling it calms the mind. If an individual possessing great wisdom smells this candle's fragrance, they can achieve enlightenment regarding Buddhist principles and behold the true body of my Buddha."

Chen Huangpi nodded as if gaining some comprehension.

Yet he didn't smell any 'Buddhist principles'.

Nor did he behold any 'true body of a Buddha'.

He only smelled the stench of corpse fat, only saw an endless multitude of illusory visages transforming into ash in tandem with the burning of that candle.

The Life-reaping Ghost stated resentfully and hatefully: "Merely a single one of these candles must minimally require several thousand lives to refine into form. Even the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the Underworld Yellow Spring are not this brutal and cruel."

Chen Huangpi spoke inwardly in his heart: "He genuinely thinks I can't see it, yet I see it crystal clear. What this West Region Buddha Kingdom does is even more excessive and extreme than the cultivators of Da Kang. If there comes a day when I visit that damned place, I will definitely slaughter them until rivers of blood flow."

The cultivators and deities of Da Kang fed upon human qi.

Chen Huangpi had long since found this displeasing to the eye.

But at the very least, those cultivators and deities still sheltered and protected the mortals, merely treating them as livestock, treating them as a type of resource.

Yet these Buddhist cultivators of the West Region Buddha Kingdom not only utilized human qi for cultivation, they oppositely even ate humans.

Even candles required humans to refine.

Although Chen Huangpi had never visited the West Region Buddha Kingdom, merely from these fragmented sentences and partial words alone, he was already clear what exact path/style that damned place operated on.

The Brass Oil Lamp sighed emotionally: "The Eighteen Levels of Hell in the Underworld Yellow Spring is merely for fun and laughs; for the true Hell, one must still look at this West Region Buddha Kingdom."

Chen Huangpi actually didn't see much from this Six Roots Pure Candle.

Oppositely, it was Huang Er; it fundamentally was the Nine Nether God Lantern of ultimate Yin and ultimate Evil.

Lamp light and candle light essentially possessed no difference.

Through comprehending by analogy, Huang Er beheld the entire refinement process of this object from the candle light of this Six Roots Pure Candle.

Three thousand virgin boys, three thousand virgin girls.

Using Dharmic power to sustain their final breath; before their physical flesh was completely and thoroughly refined into corpse oil, they absolutely could not be allowed to die.

After death, one must even further use Dharmic power to sustain their souls.

Even their souls had to be refined into oil.

Only in this manner could it be considered a Six Roots Pure Candle.

Chen Huangpi could hear the voices of mortals, yet couldn't hear the soul-voices of this Six Roots Pure Candle.

Because those souls fundamentally didn't even wish to cry for help; they merely wished to burn out sooner, to achieve release and liberation sooner.

In tandem with that candle burning to the end.

In a daze, Chen Huangpi hazily seemed to hear a burst of exhaling sounds.

That sound was very tender and immature.

It sounded indistinct and unclear, as if it were an auditory hallucination.

Inexplicably, his heart felt somewhat sorrowful.

"Huang Er, this Six Roots Pure Candle is incredibly sinister/evil. I seemed to hear the exhaling breath of a child even younger than me, did you hear it?"

"You didn't hear incorrectly, because I was the one exhaling."

The Brass Oil Lamp said, unable to bear it: "Just now I was idling with nothing to do, recalled what you looked like when you were three years old, and subconsciously imitated it for a bit."

Chen Huangpi was displeased: "Huang Er, you truly are shameless. I am already fourteen years old, yet you still imitate my childhood appearance. You are not allowed to imitate me anymore in the future."

"Alright, I won't imitate it anymore."

Even if beaten to death, the Brass Oil Lamp was unwilling to tell Chen Huangpi what it saw.

That process was far too brutal and cruel.

It feared Chen Huangpi's mind and intellect would become contaminated.

Merely, it did not see that within Chen Huangpi's eyes, a smear of azure-black hue had emerged.

That was the power of the Evil Eye.

And right at the moment that candle finished burning.

The Crosser of Torments' skin and flesh suddenly began wriggling.

This individual was originally incredibly ancient and senile, his skin utterly covered in wrinkles and age spots. Yet at this moment, as the skin and flesh wriggled, those wrinkles all stretched taut, as if something was desperately trying to drill out from beneath the skin.

Puchi!

A pair of hands tore open the skin and flesh.

The Crosser of Torments ripped open his own skin sack/physical shell, and stepped out from within.

The previously white-haired, white-bearded Crosser of Torments with a face full of wrinkles was currently at least thirty years younger, looking like a robust and heavily-muscled middle-aged monk.

"This is this little monk's true appearance (真相/Truth)."

The Crosser of Torments smiled as he spoke: "Shedding the stinking skin sack naturally reveals the true appearance. The Buddhist Dharma is boundless, holding karmic affinities of myriad wonders."

Saying so, he pointed an extended finger toward that shed skin and flesh.

"The Sea of Bitterness requires a boat to ferry across. Today you ferry me, another day I shall ferry you."

"Go, go, go!"

As these words of the Crosser of Torments landed.

That shed skin and flesh surged against the wind, growing larger, and in the blink of an eye transformed into a Skin-Flesh Boat, landing stably and securely onto the surface of that Weak Water river.

Chen Huangpi saw that the rest of the monks were also the same.

Merely, they only grew ten years or so younger, rather than possessing the massive transformation of the Crosser of Torments.

"Made a fool of myself before the Divine Embryo."

The Crosser of Torments gathered his words, then stated: "If this little monk's Dharmic power were a bit stronger, then I could shed yet another layer of skin sack, transforming it into another Skin-Flesh Boat. Merely, today's Heaven and Earth Mutation does not permit this little monk to continue cultivating onward."

"Given this, I can only ask the Divine Embryo to share the same boat as this little monk."

To be able to share the same boat with the Divine Embryo.

This was a heavens-spanning fortune and karmic reward.

Furthermore, he could also personally behold the true body of the Divine Embryo. In the future, when the Divine Embryo awakened his past-life wisdom, this would be karma; perhaps in the future he himself would also possess the opportunity to become a Bodhisattva.

The Crosser of Torments stretched out a hand toward Chen Huangpi, gesturing invitingly.

"Divine Embryo, after you."

"Alright."

Chen Huangpi wasn't polite; swaggering and strutting, he walked onto that Skin-Flesh Boat.

Then, he lowered his head for a look.

This Skin-Flesh Boat was indeed just as the Crosser of Torments stated, bottomless; one could see the surface of the Weak Water river.

The glistening ripples of light were just like a mirror.

Reflecting out an incredibly strange and weirdly-shaped entity.

At this moment time, the Crosser of Torments also stepped onto this Skin-Flesh Boat. Brimming with anticipation and expectation, he cast a glance down at the original appearance and true Buddha body of the Divine Embryo reflected at the boat's bottom.

However, with this single glance, the Crosser of Torments' expression changed to become exceptionally spectacular.