Li Qingshan suddenly stood up and opened his eyes. He had even been angered by the Spider Queen, so he wanted to get back at her.
The tiger demon's malice had already merged with his bones. Just a sliver of it was enough to frighten mortals to death if they saw it. Even cultivators would feel their hearts skip a beat and feel some fear.
However, Ru Xin only sipped her tea calmly. She did not take Li Qingshan's actions seriously at all. The corner of her lips even seemed to curl into a complacent smile. When they clashed verbally, victory had always been achieved by infuriating the other party. Now, she had basically won this round, so she was overjoyed.
Li Qingshan ground his teeth. He really did have a way with her. Even a vicious tiger could not unleash its claws and fangs on a friend.
And, while he said he was angry, he actually felt a rare sense of peace and tranquility inside. As he sipped his tea and listened to her rambling story, the shadow from underground seemed to recede from him bit by bit.
In a daze, he was no longer the Moon Devil. He recovered some of his human instincts. His tense heartstrings eased up too. If she was just some random person trying to scam him out of his spiritual stones, that would depend on whether they had the life to spend it or not.
In order to listen to the full story, all Li Qingshan could do was top up obediently.
Ru Xin smiled. "Thank you for your patronage. If it's too much, it won't be refunded, but if it's too little, I'll have to make it up to you!"
Fortunately, after Ru Xin's "scheme" succeeded, she did not purposefully drag out the story. She told him everything in a simple manner. Even with that being the case, she still managed to earn almost ten thousand spiritual stones.
"That bastard really doesn't know what's good for him," Li Qingshan said casually. He did not take it too seriously. A clown like him was no longer worth his attention.
More importantly, the Annihilum Light Chan Master actually wanted to take Little Ann to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga.
Although Li Qingshan had planned to accompany Little Ann, the timing was a little off.
The journey to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga definitely could not be completed in just a few days. Three to five years would be considered fast. The issue was that he had just established a foundation in the Clear River prefecture. He had yet to reap the fruits of his labour. It would be a pity if he left now.
Now, he had forcefully unified the night roamers. Collecting spiritual grasses would no longer be like paying tribute like before. Instead, they would be plundering directly. Their harvest would definitely be greater than what they had collected in the past few years. Much, much more.
Moreover, he could make full use of the underground resources. He could try to make long-term deals with the Hundred Schools of Thought. The income would definitely be considerable.
Even though ordinary pills were useless to him. However, as long as he accumulated enough spiritual stones, he could go to the Ruyi commandery or even better places. He refused to believe he couldn't buy suitable pills there.
It was like a farmer who had worked hard and shed a lot of sweat. When the autumn harvest season finally arrived, he was asked to give up his field and open up a new one. No matter who it was, they would feel indignant.
Moreover, the hidden danger after Helicoverpa Rosa had yet to be resolved. It was even more impossible for him to leave like this.
Of course, there was another way, which was for Little Ann to cultivate in the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga alone. Li Qingshan would remain in the Clear River prefecture and do whatever he needed to do.
However, Li Qingshan had never even considered this method. It was just like the promise he had made in the past. Only death could separate them.
Li Qingshan sank into his thoughts. His expression changed for a while before suddenly standing up. "I'll go take a look at the Hundred Schools of Thought." If the old monk acted on his own and forcefully took Little Ann back to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, wouldn't that be terrible?
"There's no need for you to be in such a hurry, master of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. As long as you don't insist on marrying their genius disciple. "Ru Xin seemed to see through his thoughts. She spoke in a probing manner.
"Why would I marry her for no reason?"
"As long as you don't think that way." Ru Xin let out a sigh of relief before pushing Li Qingshan back into his seat. Suddenly, she said something irrelevant, "Do you know that gods have always existed in this world?"
"What?" Li Qingshan was taken aback. He had no idea why she had suddenly mentioned this.
"That's another story." Ru Xin smiled.
"You're still trying to swindle spiritual stones out of me?" Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow.
"Forget it. Seeing how obedient you've been Just Now, I'll give this story to you for free."
"Even if you want me to buy it, I have to agree to it. Tell me!"
"You're absent-minded, so let's forget about it today. We'll talk about it once you've settled down! Let's go. I'll go to the Hundred Schools of Thought. " Ru Xin stood up slowly and made her way towards the entrance of the dwelling with a rather mysterious smile on her lips.
I'm not taking over ten thousand spiritual stones from you for free.
… …
In the grand hall of the Anāsravāṇa temple, the monks stood around in silence.
Rings of incense fell from the pagoda as smoke curled up into the air. The tathagata buddha lowered his head and smiled.
Before the buddha, an old man and a young woman sat and discussed the dharma. One was as withered as wood, while the other was as delicate as a flower.
The monks were at a loss as to what they were talking about. Mind Enlightenment seemed to understand, but he did not.
Little Ann seemed to be in thought, lowering her head from time to time in deep thought. Often, it would only take a while before she raised her head and continued.
The joy on the Annihilum Light Chan Master's withered face grew heavier and heavier. They had met several years ago, and they had only established their relationship as master. They had not interacted much with each other. Today, he wanted to test her and give her some guidance. None of the questions he asked could stump her.
She had blazed a new trail in the study of buddhism, so she had her own comprehension. Her understanding was still rather shallow. However, sometimes, she would say something witty, which would make him feel like he was talking to a senior.
And, this so-called "shallow" was only compared to him, the head monk of the Bodhi courtyard who had cultivated the buddhist dharma for several centuries. There was probably no one among the inner disciples of the monastery who could rival her. All he could do was sigh in admiration.
The Path of White Bone and Great Beauty was not a simple cultivation method. It also contained the efforts of a buddhist great expert's entire life. It was equivalent to having a bodhisattva as a teacher, pointing out a path for her within the vast buddhist scriptures. Using this as a foundation, she studied the buddhist dharma and scriptures before turning around and practising the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty. The two complemented each other, progressing step by step.
She felt like she had benefited quite a lot from the discussion with the Annihilum Light Chan Master. However, the bodhisattva was still the White Bone Bodhisattva at the end of the day, so Little Ann did not actually tell the Annihilum Light Chan Master what she had comprehended. Otherwise, he would not be praising her. Instead, he would fly into a rage and directly destroy this damned disciple of his.
Most of Little Ann's attention was not on the discussion of the dharma. Instead, she was concerned about Li Qingshan's safety. However, she had always been expressionless, and her words and reactions were sharp. Even the Annihilum Light Chan Master failed to sense it. If he knew that Little Ann was only paying attention to him, who knew how he would react? Would he become furious or dissatisfied? Or perhaps he would be even more delighted?
Little Ann's dark pupils were as calm as an ancient well. Through her eyes, the glorious hall seemed to be a transparent black and white colour. The heavy fragrance of sandalwood was light and tasteless. The Annihilum Light Chan Master's lips parted, and the exquisite buddhist dharma he spat out was forgotten as soon as it entered her ears. The morning bell and evening drum were also obscure and distant.
This was not because her senses were not sensitive enough. Instead, it was because she had reached a state of invisibility that was close to the buddhist school of thought. Regular buddhist disciples could attain enlightenment in that instant after facing the wall for three years, and their cultivation would advance drastically. However, she was constantly in this state.
Thump!
A great sound rang out in Little Ann's ears. She turned around in surprise and joy. Li Qingshan stepped into the hall. Unlike the surrounding scenery, he possessed an extremely bright colour. His bronze skin and shining eyes broke the silence with his loud laughter.
Li Qingshan arrived beside Little Ann and bowed deeply. "I am Li Qingshan. Greetings to the Annihilum Light Chan Master. Little Ann has encountered a master. Seeing the dignified appearance of the chan master today, you really do live up to your reputation."
The Annihilum Light Chan Master did not even glance at Li Qingshan, as if he did not exist at all. All he could see was Little Ann. As the head monk of the Bodhi courtyard of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, even among cultivators who had undergone the second heavenly tribulation, he could be regarded as powerful.
However, this was not because he looked down on a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Li Qingshan. Instead, it was because of his natural disposition. Before he met Little Ann, he had already practised silent meditation for twenty years.
This silent meditation was extremely renowned among the chan sects. It was about letting go of the obsession with words. However, it was rumored in the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga that he practised silent meditation not for cultivation at all. It was purely because he did not want to speak and waste time explaining the scriptures to others.
In just half a day, he had almost spoken more to Little Ann than he had in a decade in the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga. If the disciples of the Bodhi courtyard found out about this, they would definitely be so surprised that their mouths would drop open. They would even suspect whether their master had been impersonated or not.
However, it was very clear that the Annihilum Light Chan Master was not particularly fond of Li Qingshan who had barged in so recklessly.
Mind Enlightenment went up and tried to persuade him softly, "Junior brother, you better leave for now."
"In the past, the One Thought master told me that I was fated with the buddha. I want to hear about the profound buddhist dharma of the Annihilum Light Chan Master and see whether I'm really fated with him or not." Li Qingshan smiled at Little Ann before sitting down on a cushion by himself.
Little Ann smiled faintly. Her momentary beauty surprised all the monks in the hall slightly. Some of them with insufficient cultivation naturally developed some lust.
The Annihilum Light Chan Master frowned. He did not know what "Heavenly Fragrance and Beauty of the World" was, so he could not help but think of the legends. When the buddha achieved buddhahood under the bodhi tree, a horde of demons came to stop him, conjuring heavenly maidens to confuse his buddhist heart.
He had never seen a true heavenly maiden, but her smile seemed to erase her buddhist nature, turning her from a buddhist genius into a heavenly maiden transformed from a demon. Only now did he truly notice her appearance for the first time. However, he felt like he had been overthinking things. She was still a child at the end of the day, so it was inevitable for her to have impure thoughts. If she really was untainted by even a speck of dust, it would instead be unbelievable. She would seem even more like a demon.
The Annihilum Light Chan Master turned his withered head, and his eyes regained their murkiness. Finally, they landed on Li Qingshan's face, and his unwavering heart suddenly began to ripple.
He was the only obstacle to her cultivation!
"The buddha says that the dharma cannot be heard. Do you have the right to listen to me talk about the scriptures, sir?"
Unlike his dry voice when he talked about the scriptures, the Annihilum Light Chan Master's voice suddenly became vast and majestic, with a hint of a dragon's cry. It seemed endless, descending from the sky and piercing the top of Li Qingshan's head.
Li Qingshan's face changed, and he immediately dismissed his thoughts. Even his soul surged as electricity seemed to pass through his body.
"Is this the Chant of Deva-Nāga!?"
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