Li Qingshan and Gong Yuan arrived at the Myriad Poison cult together. The night was deep like water. The main hall shone with golden, holy light, turning the gloomy hall into something that resembled a buddhist holy land.
“The Divine Nun of the South Sea?” Gong Yuan said. True buddhist disciples had always been rare in the south. In her memories, only the Divine Nun of the South Sea could give off such a glow and bearing. The aura bore a close resemblance, but it was slightly different.
“It’s not.” Li Qingshan rushed back in a hurry, but he hesitated at this moment.
“What’s wrong?” This was the first time Gong Yuan saw such hesitance and uncertainty on his face.
“Nothing.” Li Qingshan shook his head. He took a step and arrived in the hall.
Xiao An sat at the end of the holy glow and smiled at the sight of him. She closely sensed the change in his aura, clearly having undergone Nirvā?a Rebirth recently. She could not help but become concerned. “Are you alright?”
“It was just some small trouble. Are you alright?” Li Qingshan smiled. His hesitation all vanished, and he recovered his usual decisiveness. She had stopped being a simple child a long time ago, but he was unable to forget that he had to serve as a model for her.
“Yeah.” Xiao An nodded gently.
Whether it was the battle between Li Qingshan and the Martial Chief King or Xiao An fending off the invasion of the buddhist glow, it had both been relatively difficult. Right now, they did not say much, but they both understood.
Ru Xin’s gaze hovered between the two of them; she sighed inside for some reason. She backed out of the hall and met Gong Yuan at the entrance. She bowed in greeting, which was neither distant nor close.
Gong Yuan glanced at Ru Xin deeply and only nodded. This was the haughty demeanor she was accustomed to as the Merfolk Queen.
Ru Xin smiled and actually lightened up inside. Their grievances were settled, so they no longer had any ties to one another, which was for the best.
Gong Yuan did not end up setting foot in the hall. She waited outside and thought to herself, Our cultivation methods are compatible and are suited for dual cultivation, but the paths we walk are worlds apart. He won’t remain in the South sea, while I won’t leave the South sea. It’ll be difficult for us to become partners of cultivation. Only the two of them can be considered as true partners of cultivation!
Li Qingshan took out the Martial Chief King and the demonfolk’s corpses, piling them up into a mountain. The smell of blood filled the hall, and the demon qi that still lingered radiated with filth.
Under the holy glow, the demon qi all dispersed, and the corpses of demonfolk showed signs of melting. This originated from the innate conflict between buddhism and the demonic. They purified and corrupted one another.
Xiao An balled her fists, sucked in a deep breath, and spat out an extremely-thin strand of Samādhi Flames of White Bone. It slithered over to the bottom of the mountain like a snake, and a while later, pure-white, transparent flames spread upwards from below, setting the mountain alight.
Xiao An arrived at the top of the mountain. The Samādhi Flames of White Bone burned silently, like a magnificent, blooming, white lotus. However, it did not lead to any violent reaction with the holy glow. Instead, it seeped in gradually, prying away the cocoon-like buddhist glow.
In the flames, Xiao An’s white bones appeared from time to time. Beneath her great beauty was a set of white bones. It was clearly a horrifying sight of a pile of corpses and white bones, yet it possessed an indescribable buddhist truth. It represented the sa?sāra between life and death, the supreme essence that form was emptiness. Once again, it demonstrated that the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty truly did originate from orthodox buddhism.
This was also why the Divine Nun of the South Sea had failed to cripple the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty immediately despite her vinaya cultivation far surpassing Xiao An’s and grasping the many techniques of vinaya. This was due to a difference in intrinsic quality. This was not her difference with Xiao An, but her difference with the White Bone Bodhisattva.
If the Divine Nun of the South Sea’s cultivation had been a little weaker, then the ?arīra would have been devoured and converted by the Samādhi Flames of White Bone a long time ago.
Xiao An focused on circulating the cultivation method, and her expression gradually settled down. Compared to settling down, perhaps it was better described as certain emotions being drained from her again.
Li Qingshan stood there with his hands behind his back, gazing at Xiao An on the corpse mountain for a very long time. His eyebrows were tightly furrowed. Suddenly, he turned around and made his way out of the hall. When he brushed past Gong Yuan, he said, “Rest up and prepare for the next battle!”
Xiao An gazed at his tall, wide back and could clearly sense his conflict. She felt a sense of tenderness and dependence that she could never eliminate.
Qingshan, don’t feel bad for me. So what if I’m emotionless? So what if I fall into the demonic path? I will be by your side forever, until destruction!
After spending several days recuperating in the Myriad Poison cult, Li Qingshan and Gong Yuan set off once more. Although he was fully revitalised, the rebirth he had used up could not be replenished so quickly. In other words, he only had two more opportunities of Nirvā?a Rebirth left, and he would directly turn into an egg with the last one, losing all of his battle prowess. In a battle against a Demon King, that was no different from dying in battle, so the upcoming journey would be even more dangerous.
When they were about to reach the next demon cavern, Gong Yuan asked, “It’s all for the sake of her!”
“No, it’s all for the sake of me!” Li Qingshan said. He was solemn for once.
“Even butchering her master was for the sake of you?” Gong Yuan’s eyes were chilling like ice.
“It’s been tough on you for holding back that question all the way until now.” Li Qingshan smiled.
“Li Qingshan, I may have agreed to assist you, but we Merfolk technically owe the Divine Nun of the South Sea a debt of kindness too. I will never risk my life to save someone who’s killed their own master!” Gong Yuan said firmly.
“It’s not what you think…” Li Qingshan gave a rough explanation of the events.
“Is that true!?” When Gong Yuan heard how the Divine Nun of the South Sea had gone as far as to sacrifice her life and pour her entire cultivation into Xiao An just to cripple her cultivation method, she could not help but be stunned. She was not a disciple of buddhism. She did not understand what the Path of White Bone and Great Beauty meant to the Divine Nun of the South Sea, much less the Divine Nun of the South Sea’s feelings towards Xiao An. She only found this story to be ridiculous.
“If you don’t want to help me, I’m not going to force you. Go back to the South sea!” Li Qingshan waved his hand.
“Are you trying to order me around?”
Li Qingshan smiled. “Then please accompany me into battle again, your majesty!”
“I accept your request!”
At the end of the sea of trees, demon qi rushed into the air, connecting the ground with the sky.
The two of them flew beside one another, and violent rumbles rang out very soon, startling flocks and flocks of birds.
Time flew. Together, they swept through seven major demon caverns in the south in three short months, killing three Demon Kings in the process.
Fortunately, they did not run into another troublesome opponent like the Martial Chief King. Even if some of them possessed strange abilities, they struggled to hold off a direct confrontation from them. However, four Demon Kings still managed to escape, or more accurately, five. When they fought against a Demon King in the north, another Demon King suddenly emerged from the demon cavern.
Li Qingshan was ready for a battle to the death, but Gong Yuan obstinately refused, so they could only retreat in the end. The reason for that was because Li Qingshan had already used up his second chance of rebirth. During the two battles following that, they let another two Demon Kings escape because of the same reason.
Li Qingshan had involuntarily muttered several times, “Sigh, if it had been Xiao An, she would have faced them with me!” “I’m not Xiao An.” “If it had been Xiao An…” “Shut up!”
