Even non-buddhists would be overcome with a shock of the immensity of buddhism at this sight. Li Qingshan had been like that in the past, but right now, he thought of something different altogether, If I assume my form of the demonic and divine, I’d still be much shorter than Great Buddha mountain!
“Who is it? Flying is forbidden above the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga!” A bellow rang out from the monastery.
“I almost forgot about this rule!” Li Qingshan descended from above and arrived at the huge entrance. He called out, “Secular disciple Li Qingshan!”
His voice rolled out, booming through the entire mountain.
Behind the mountain, before the Demon Suppression hall.
“What, he still won’t come out?” the Dauntless monk asked with a frown.
The Unraging monk shook his head. His plump face that always had a smile was now filled with worry. “If we hadn’t sealed up his cultivation, he would have suffered from cultivation deviation already. However, if this continues…”
“Then no wonder. Even you or I cannot just shrug off something like that. If we had the Affliction Severing blade, there might still be a chance to save him.” The Dauntless monk sighed heavily.
“His inner demons have already become deeply rooted. Even with the Affliction Severing blade, it might not be enough to sever all of his afflictions,” said the Unraging monk.
“I wonder where the Golden Cicada Spirit King is right now.”
The two Monk Kings were in a discussion when they suddenly looked back. Li Qingshan’s voice then rolled over.
“Li Qingshan!” The Dauntless monk frowned slightly. He had no good impression of Li Qingshan. He asked the Unraging monk, “Has he really undergone the third heavenly tribulation?”
“You’ll know when you see him!” The Unraging monk smiled. He opened his mouth and yelled back, “Damned disciple, why don’t you get over here now?”
“I’m coming!” Li Qingshan smiled and strode over.
The other monks only heard him. Before they could even make him out, he had already crossed through the entrance and passed through the halls and pavilions, arriving at the back of the mountain. A fierce wind followed right after him, sweeping up countless robes.
“Dauntless abbot, long time no see!” Li Qingshan arrived before the Demon Suppression hall and suddenly stopped, clasping his hands with a smile.
The Dauntless monk shivered inside. Just his actions and movements alone revealed his cultivation. He stared straight at Li Qingshan silently.
Li Qingshan did not conceal his aura. The aura that resembled a Demon King from him made the Dauntless monk’s frown deepen. If it were not for the fact that he knew about the Demon Suppression Statuary, he probably would have attacked him to purge demons already.
“Your cultivation has progressed yet again!” the Unraging monk said in surprise. It had only been so many days since he last saw Li Qingshan, yet the aura he gave off was even more pure than before. He had actually completely consolidated his cultivation at the third heavenly tribulation already. This disciple always brought him far too many surprises.
“Time waits for no one, so of course, I have to advance valiantly. Master, please open up the Demon Suppression hall. I want to go to the ninth floor!” Li Qingshan cut right to the chase.
“Go!” The Unraging monk did not dilly-dally either. With a wave of his hand, the entrance to the Demon Suppression hall opened up. It was dark and gaping, filled with unknowns, but Li Qingshan leapt inside without the slightest hesitation.
“Senior brother?” The Unraging monk gazed at the Dauntless monk beside him.
“His cultivation speed is truly puzzling. Do you know the reason for this?”
The Dauntless monk loosened his fist under his sleeve. Gaining a third heavenly tribulation cultivator should have been something worthy of celebration, but it made him feel slightly uneasy instead.
“He befriended the Great Banyan Tree King in the Mist province. He must have had some kind of fortuitous encounter!” the Unraging monk said, but even he himself found this explanation to be a little far-fetched.
Apart from Reincarnated Celestials that possessed innate knowledge, no one could cultivate so quickly, but Li Qingshan’s behaviour the entire time really did not match a Reincarnated Celestial’s. On top of that, if he were a celestial, why would he have taken the Unraging monk as a master and learnt the Demon Suppression Statuary?
“He’s colluding with daemons?” the Dauntless monk said in thought.
The Green province was not wild and chaotic like the Mist province. There was a clear divide between humans and daemons. In particular, disciples of the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga were forbidden from making contact with daemons without good reason.
This crime varied in size, mainly depending on which “daemon” he colluded with. If he colluded with the Soaring Locust King, then even death would be fortunate. If it was only some regular daemon, then sending him to the Disciplinary courtyard for punishment was enough. He might even be let off with just a warning.
However, coming in contact with one of the Ten Daemon Kings was something that even the Dauntless monk struggled to judge. There had never been an example of this in the past. The Green province’s Dragon King of Ink Sea was proud and aloof. He did not even pay much attention to the daemons of the Green province, let alone making contact with humans.
“The Great Banyan Tree King has always been known for his kindness and love for peace. He cannot be treated like any regular daemon,” the Unraging monk said seriously.
“I may not practise the Demon Suppression Statuary, but the feeling he gives me is no different from a Demon King. If his fortuitous encounter came from his friendship with the Great Banyan Tree King, then so be it. However, the Mist province has been overwhelmed by the demon plague, with countless demon caverns opening up everywhere…”
“You’re thinking too much, senior brother. Regular Demon Kings would never come here, let alone setting foot in the Demon Suppression hall so calmly. He worked with the Merfolk King in the south to sweep up the demon caverns too, which everyone knows about. Perhaps he’s been a little unruly and uncontrolled, but his actions have lived up to the Chan Monastery of Deva-Nāga, as well as me. You shouldn’t worry so much, senior brother!”
“I also hope that I’m just worrying too much, but don’t shield him just because he’s your disciple either. If the situation seems off, I’ll order you to suppress him in the Demon Suppression hall under the name of the abbot. You’ll have to do it!”
“I’ll obviously take responsibility for my own disciple,” said the Unraging monk.
By now, Li Qingshan had already arrived on the eighth floor of the Demon Suppression hall. He reviewed the Demon Suppression statues one by one again, making them fall in line with his own Demon Suppression Statuary. He gained some more understanding yet again. Then, he stood in silence before the eighth Demon Suppression statue for a moment before finally entering the ninth floor.
Immediately, demon qi flooded his face like thick mist that refused to disperse, surging through the surroundings.
Li Qingshan felt like he had returned to the demon caverns in the south. He confirmed his suspicions. Sure enough, there really is a demon cavern under the Demon Suppression hall, and it’s far larger than any of the demon caverns I saw in the south. If it’s unleashed, it can affect thousands of kilometers.
Li Qingshan let out his soul sense and searched for the ninth Demon Suppression statue. He discovered that the area of the ninth floor was much more expansive than the eighth. Apart from the demon qi, there was nothing else there. Let alone the gilded walls, there was not even a pillar. It truly seemed like he had arrived in another world.
“I found it!”
Li Qingshan found the ninth Demon Suppression statue very soon, parting the demon qi and making his way over. A delicate glow abruptly appeared before his eyes, illuminating a shrivelled figure who sat right in front of the Demon Suppression statue without budging at all.
Li Qingshan walked over and discovered that the shrivelled figure was a monk. His aura was extremely feeble, and his skin was pale and withered. His shabby, faded robes were basically held up by bones alone. His eyes were firmly shut, and his face that basically resembled a skull was filled with pain.
He held a damaged lamp in his withered hand, which gave off a feeble glow, protecting the monk from the demon qi. However, under the surging demon qi, it could be snuffed out at any moment.
Li Qingshan found the lamp to be more and more familiar before finally remembering where he had seen it before. He said in surprise, “The One Lamp monk?”
The One Lamp monk heard him and opened his eyes slowly. When he made out Li Qingshan’s face, his expression twisted from anger. He said hoarsely, “It’s you!”
A Domineering Plea for Monthly Votes—Lend Me a Hand!
I said two days ago that I wanted to write a hundred and twenty thousand characters this month.
That amount is not even worth mentioning among webnovels. I’m often ashamed about that too, unwilling to ask for monthly votes without any good reason. All I do is lament a little at the start of the month and overtly ask for some monthly votes when I pretend to look around at the scenery.
However, the sense of shame ends here. Qingshan has even become a supreme Daemon King, so how can I continue with such negativity?
Alright, I admit that this is all I can write even when I use everything within me. There’ll be no mass releases. I can’t even guarantee six thousand characters every single day, so does that make me an irresponsible author? Who says! Do you know how much effort I’ve been putting in? Sigh, why does that come to me so easily? Whatever, who cares. I’ll learn from Li Qingshan today and be domineering for once.
My one hundred and twenty thousand characters will be an absolutely wicked hundred and twenty thousand characters. Every single character, every single conversation will contain a hundred and twenty percent of my effort. It’ll have things that you can’t find in the hundred and twenty thousand characters you read elsewhere.
From Li Qingshan to Xiao An, from the Great Banyan Tree King to the Dragon King of Ink Sea, they’re all demonstrations of my sense of responsibility! If you don’t see it, then read it again!
Many readers have said to me, If you put some more work into the releases, you won’t be any worse than those god-level authors. Originally, I didn’t believe it at all. That’s just how pessimistic I am, but I’ll try it this year. If a hundred and twenty thousand characters isn’t enough, then I’ll do a hundred and forty thousand. Please tell me if this is putting some work into the releases!
Note: God-level is basically a level of writing ability for authors. It’s also the name of one of the various levels of contracts offered to authors. It doesn’t make their writing actually divine. Above god-level is platinum authors.
I’ve written Legend of the Great Sage for two years now. Countless people have predicted that it’ll end badly or be dropped. I’ve always been disinclined to give them a reply, so let me tell you right now, Just what kind of a joke are you telling? This is Qingshan’s path to the nine heavens, as well as my path to the ninth heavens!
Come, come, come. That fellow over there, lend me a hand. I’ll take you to beyond the Nine Heavens for a look!
