Jiang He’s group of six hence followed the head monk to a majestic temple, inside of which was vast but empty, save for three buddha statues and round prayer mats placed over the floor.
The other monks were gone, and just eight had the rank to follow the head monk into the temple.
“The Diamond Sect is truly one of the Five Holy Grounds. Isn’t their sect too powerful? These eight are all divine-tier, and the head monk’s aura feels similar to Wang Hou’s—he probably is Void-tier, and there is no telling how much forces they still have hidden.”
Jiang He scanned through the group of monks and then at the three buddha statues. Then, upon a closer look, he muttered in surprise, “Those three statues are…”
“They are the three founding masters of the Diamond Sect!”
Someone answered, only for Jiang He to continue in confusion, “Why would a founding master have a tiger head over a human body? Could they be monsters? And… are your founding masters triplets?”
The three buddha statues that stood up to eight meters tall all indeed had a tiger head over a human body. Their faces were also identical—only their postures and the color of their robes were different: red, white and black.
Meanwhile, the group of lamas were staring hostilely at Jiang He, who chuckled without concern, “I’m only asking a question. Forget not telling me, why the stares?”
“Jiang He!”
Cheng Dongfeng cleared his throat, and signaled at Jiang He with his eyes.
Jiang He understood Cheng Dongfeng’s meaning, who was probably trying to tell himself that he had spoken out of turn, and referring to the Diamond Realm founding monsters as monsters was an insult in the first place.
Even so…
Jiang He insist on insulting.
Though the Diamond Sect was not too hostile after he revealed his revamped version of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna, they did demand that his memories be wiped.
And he was supposed to let that slip?
Hence, ignoring the monks’ stares, he pulled out one of the prayer mats and sat on it, chuckling, “Head monk, the Secret Realm opens tomorrow, I believe?”
“Jiang He!”
Unable to bear it any longer, one of the lamas barked angrily, “Please mind your status.”
After all, the monks would never dare to be that whimsical in the head monk’s presence.”
Jiang He looked at the monk who spoke, who happens to be the divine-conversion tier elite who displayed his Dragon-Elephant Prajna, and promptly laughed. “Sir lama, please watch yourself. A mere divine-tier like you, being impudent before me?”
“Impudent!”
The lama roared in rage, promptly bursting out with his divine-conversion tier aura as his palm bore down at Jiang He.
Rawr!
Jiang He raised his hand and answered with a palm of his own, slamming his palm into the monk’s even as a golden dragon silhouette roared as it streaked out between his fingers.
The prayer cushion beneath Jiang He’s feet split into pieces just while the floorboards cracked apart, whereas the divine-conversion tier lama stumbled three steps back with a dull grunt.
His tanned face appeared taken aback and he looked at Jiang He in disbelief, and he could not help crying out, “No way! You’re just rank-nine, and a rank-nine novice at that. There’s no way your cultivation and strength could be that powerful!”
The monk tried to advance on Jiang He again, only for the head monk to stop him.
Despite his look of utter exasperation, the monk waved his sleeve, turned and left.
On the other hand, Jiang He pulled himself another full prayer mats, smiling calmly, “The Diamond Sect is a Holy Ground for Buddhism, but I didn’t expect a senior master to be no different from us average joes. That said, I wouldn’t be afraid if everyone here wants to have a go!”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Jiang He rose to his feet as a violent aura burst away form his body. Six great suns rose into the air behind him, with Nature Qi shrouding his starlight-glinting body while a dragon’s roar and an elephant’s trumpeting echoed.
He laughed out loud in utter arrogance, saying, “I’ve only reached rank-nine yesterday, but I do want to have a spar against the Diamond Sect’s style!”
“Insolence!”
The many Diamond Sect monks were furious; all of them charged their auras.
That was when the Diamond Sect’s head monk abruptly took a step forward.
He merely strode a step forward, but a mystical force was released once his foot touched ground, nullifying the monks and even Jiang He’s aura.
Watching the other monks, he quietly said, “Leave us.”
In response, the monks respectfully retreated out of the temple despite their reluctance, with some of them throwing vicious glares at Jiang He, which was answered with a sneer from Jiang He.
Why the looks? We could do this if you’re upset.
Meanwhile, the head monk came before Jiang He, got himself a prayer mat to sit—he did not react with an ounce of age towards Jiang He’s provocation, even explaining with a smile, “The Diamond Sect does indeed have three founding masters, being the White Tigercoat Wise King, Red Tigercoat Wise King and the Black Tigercoat Wise King.”
“Of the three, the White Tigercoat Wise King enlightened all life with compassion, blessing them with longevity, health, fortune and favor. He satisfied the beseeching of the masses, fulfilling their ambitions.”
“Likewise, the Red Tigercoat Wise King enlightened all life with of forgiveness and tolerance to all life. He spread radiance to all life with the first flame of wisdom, illuminating three thousand great realms with the flames. With the light of wisdom, he converted the impulses of all life into kindness, and kindness into wisdom and Bodhicitta.[1]”
The head monk’s visage appeared exceedingly ancient.
His bear and brows were all white, his face full of wrinkles and he had lost several teeth, but he spoke without a stutter as he explained patiently, “Meanwhile, the Black Tigercoat Wise King enlightened all life with might. He uprooted all vile thoughts and devilry, satisfying the ambition of all life to convert the vile intentions of hedonism and bringing harm upon life to kindness.”
Jiang He smiled but did not say a word.
‘Even after speaking for so long, are your three founding masters not triplets?’
Leaving aside the difference in names and color, they were basically identical… and their statues had tiger heads over human bodies, so how could they not be monsters?
That was when the head monk added, “Lady and gentlemen, you may enter the Secret Realm at midnight to cultivate for seven days, after of which you would be escorted out.”
It was an answer to Jiang He’s first question.
Jiang He glanced at his phone. It was not even ten yet and the sky just turned dark, making it a little over two hours to midnight.
He asked, “Head monk, your Diamond Sect has a long history and knows much secrets, and I have a question to ask!”
“Does the Era of Qi Refinists really exist?”
The head monk nodded. “The Era of Qi Refinists did exist, but following a great upheaval, immortal arts became lost the world, and only then did martial arts came to be widespread.”
“Oh?”
Jiang He’s gaze shifted and he pressed, “Does your sect have immortal art keepsakes?”
The head monk appeared likely taken aback at that and could not help saying, “And here I was thinking that you would ask about the upheaval that led to loss of immortal arts…”
“So, what happened?”
“No idea.”
“…”
Jiang He was speechless.
‘Why did you even bother?’
Chuckling, the head monk then added, “The Diamond Sect’s history merely extends over twelve hundred years. Immortal arts were already lost and martial arts widespread, not to mention that my sect only cultivates Buddhist teachings and not the immortal path.”
Well, that was true.
Immortal arts were affiliated with Daoism, while Buddhists naturally cultivated Buddhist teachings.
And from the way the head monk put it, it was clear that the Diamond Sect possessed Buddhist legacies that could match immortal arts—though Jiang He would not be interested in such a thing.
He did not want to become a monk at all, so why get into Buddhism?
“Does your sect possess Orirocks, head monk?”
“Yes!”
The head monk laughed. “We do have Orirocks, though few in number. Our disciples had been using them excessively for cultivation and emptied the stocks we had, and now we could only depend on the Secret Realm to produce around a hundred Orirocks each year.”
Delighted, Jiang He promptly rose to his feet and asked, “Are you selling those? I’ll pay you well!”
[1] A mind that strives toward awakening, empathy, and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings.
