Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Yun drove the Land Rover with Murong Feixue in it. The car tore through the mountains and forests. The Lingjue Temple was soon in sight.
He was steering with his right hand, while his left held a walnut-sized gray bead.
It was the Bodhi Bead.
The closer they got to the Lingjue Temple, the stronger the power of Buddha got. Of course, that was relative to the power he felt in the small temple within the crater.
Ling Yun was now only one step away from the Qi Cultivation Stage. He had become very sensitive to the various energies and auras in the world.
For example, there was a thin layer of Natural Qi in the green woods. It might be extremely thin, but Ling Yun could absorb it effortlessly. Such was the const.i.tution of his body.
One must never underestimate the invisible and untouchable acc.u.mulation of time. Ling Yun's cultivation was rising every single second. Though it was normally undetectable, that was the fundamental reason Ling Yun was so powerful.
Right now, the power of Buddha was so much more powerful than the surrounding Natural Qi. That was why he brought out the Bodhi Bead.
This Bodhi Bead was one of the things he brought back from the crater. It flew out by itself and blocked a dozen strokes from Ling Yun when he wanted to kill Master Xingchi. Ling Yun was so angry with it that he almost threw it away. However, it had also emerged by itself and helped Ling Yun with the Nine Colored Tribulation Cloud when he was on Turtle Island.
Ling Yun knew that the four treasures he had on him relating to Buddhism were extraordinary. The most powerful and mysterious of them all was this Bodhi Bead.
The Bodhi Bead was still old and gray, but its surface now had a faint green color. Ling Yun knew this was the result of it absorbing the lighting from the green tribulation cloud. The same went for the Shennong Cauldron.
The Bodhi Bead continued to fly higher into the sky, as though it was fighting with the other treasures to erode the Seven Colored Tribulation Cloud. What it obtained far surpa.s.sed the sum of what the other three treasures obtained for themselves.
Ling Yun's expression was solemn. He looked at the Bodhi Bead in his left hand from time to time, staring at the green glow on the surface.
It was daytime, so Murong Feixue wouldn't be able to see the green glow on the Bodhi Bead. Only Ling Yun with his Yin-Yang Eye could see it.
It's very normal and ordinary… There isn't any power of Buddha seeping out, but it's absorbing the surrounding power without any pause… Ling Yun could feel it very clearly.
Ling Yun knew that the same would happen if he were to take out the blue light, Buddhist beads, or the mysterious gourd.
He decided against it immediately. Murong Feixue would think Ling Yun wanted to become a monk if he were to take those out.
What else could he be thinking of if he were to bring all these out before they even reached Lingjue Temple?
Before he died, Master Xingchi told Ling Yun that he had an affinity with Buddhism. He was a divinely appointed person since he owned the Emperor Brush and the Earth Emperor's Book.
Divinely appointed person… Ling Yun stared quietly at the Bodhi Bead, a huge wave set off in his heart.
He thought back to the tribulation cloud on Turtle Island and how his magical weapons came to his aid.
However, Ling Yun had an instinctive resistance to Buddhism. That was because he felt Buddhism was too mysterious and too overbearing.
Buddhism was about reincarnation and delivering all living creatures from suffering. However, they tried to cultivate their bodies into an indestructible existence. The power of Buddha was also the power of faith of human beings. It wasn't a form of energy from the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy.
Buddhism was too scary and not something that should be provoked. That was why Ling Yun showed respect to Buddhism but never wanted to be near it.
Murong Feixue was in high spirits since Ling Yun was accompanying her to Lingjue Temple. However, she turned to look at Ling Yun when she failed to elicit a response from him and was nearly shocked to death!
Ling Yun's eyes weren't on the road!
He didn't need to look at the road because his divine sense was at its maximum, which covered an area of forty square meters. He could drive with his eyes closed.
Murong Feixue didn't know about that, she only saw Ling Yun staring blanking at his left hand. "Ling Yun, what are you thinking about, why aren't your eyes on the road!" Murong Feixue asked anxiously.
"No problem, I didn't drive into the drain, did I?" Ling Yun regained his senses and smiled at Murong Feixue.
Nonetheless, he started to take his driving seriously to ease her worries. "Big Sister Murong, how much farther to Lingjue Temple?"
Murong Feixue hadn't seen such a serious expression on Ling Yun's face before. She thought it must be because Ling Yun's thoughts were on them. Her heart raced. "Just up ahead. Two more turns…" She pointed ahead.
"How can you not know where Lingjue Temple is when you've been in Qingshui City all your life!" Murong Feixue muttered with a red face.
I was picked up by my mom from Lingjue Temple, but I lost my memories, Ling Yun thought to himself.
They finally reached Lingjue Temple after a few minutes. They parked the car at the foot of the mountain and started their ascent with numerous tourists and devotees.
Lingjue Temple was indeed very famous. Many of the people there were parents bringing their kids to the temple to pray for a good score on the college entrance examinations.
Murong Feixue's beautiful face also became more solemn as they ascended. "Ling Yun, many parents and candidates are here to pray. You should also burn some incense so that the Buddha will bless you with a good score…"
Ling Yun squeezed the Bodhi Bead in his hand as he felt the power of Buddha from Lingjue Temple. He smiled upon hearing what Murong Feixue said. "I don't believe in that. I believe in myself. Praying to Buddha is just for peace of mind. I'd rather count on myself."
Ling Yun was very calm, but his words carried his confidence. That made Murong Feixue's heart thump.
She said no more of the matter and linked her arm through Ling Yun's as they continued walking.
Ling Yun could feel a power that was many times stronger than what he felt on his way there. Most of the people around him were lost in their own thoughts. They looked up occasionally, but most were silent.
The power of Buddhism, the power of faith, it's really amazing… he thought.
The mountain wasn't high, so they arrived at their destination with the crowd in no time.
All kinds of people were entering and exiting the temple gate. It was noisy, but Ling Yun could still find some level of peace and zen charm from it.
"Wait here for me, I'll buy some incense…" Murong Feixue loosened her grip on Ling Yun and walked away.
Lingjue Temple wasn't just a temple, it was also a famous attraction in Qingshui City. The incense in the temple was more than double the price of incense found at the gate of the temple. It was said that it better reflected the piousness of the devotee.
That didn't affect Murong Feixue. Piousness was spiritual and from her heart. That was why she bought it at the gate of the temple.
Ling Yun nodded as he activated his divine sense. He had only found ordinary people here to pray and monks walking around and persuading these people to buy incense.
These were just the people in the temple.
Lingjue Temple also had many life-like Buddha statues. They were tall and were either standing or seated. They were solemn. Most of the power of Buddha that exuded from Lingjue Temple was from these statues.
Ling Yun looked at the Bodhi Bead in his left hand. It was absorbing the power of Buddha at an accelerated speed. Nothing could stop it.
The natural texture on the Bodhi Bead got clearer in the light. The naturally formed Buddha on it also became clearer. It seemed as though it might pop out from the bead itself.
That alarmed Ling Yun slightly.
Murong Feixue returned with a whole bunch of incense. It seemed like she would be praying to every single one of the statues.
"Let me help you…"
"You can't…"
Ling Yun felt that Murong Feixue looked a little funny holding such a huge bunch of incense in her flaming red get up. He wanted to help her but was rejected flatly by Murong Feixue because of her sincerity.
Ling Yun accompanied Murong Feixue all over the temple. He looked on as she kowtowed and groveled in front of the Buddhas, her face full of piety.
They quickly came to Daxiong Hall.
Ling Yun had yet to find anything with his divine sense. The one thing that surprised him the most was the sheer size of the Buddha statues in Daxiong Hall. Mortals were like ants in front of them.
Murong Feixue used up all of the incense in her hand. She then turned and told Ling Yun that she wanted to personally thank the monk that told her about her marriage.
"Where?"
"The backyard of Lingjue Temple."