Chapter 48: Spirit Spring Temple, Old Monk, Buddha Image

When Lin Mu finished eating and left, Mo Anyao did not come out to see him off. He figured the girl felt shy and was too embarrassed. As he walked out of the fast food restaurant, Lin Mu’s mind kept lingering on Mo Anyao’s slender figure.

Those beautiful legs were truly rare masterpieces he had seen so far. They were long and smooth, without a single scar or mole, simply perfect. It would be a waste of such great talent if she didn’t become a model.

Wandering around alone, Lin Mu ended up near Peerless Peak. He casually walked up the mountain, enjoying the scenery as he went.

The mountain was full of young couples, and of course, some older married couples also came here to reminisce about the past. Lin Mu walked forward alone and saw a small, dense grove. He strolled into it casually.

Finding a flat rock, Lin Mu had just sat down to rest when suddenly, a snowy white figure appeared in his line of sight. It was the back of a woman.

Looking closely, Lin Mu saw that not far below, a woman in white was also sitting on a rock. The more he looked at her back, the more familiar she seemed.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Mu remembered who this woman in white was—it was the woman he had seen in the cafeteria earlier. Just as Lin Mu stared at her, the woman seemed to sense something and turned to look back.

It was actually him? The woman in white was startled. The Zhenqi inside her suddenly stirred, frightening her so much that she quickly calmed herself and suppressed it.

She cultivated the family’s secret art, Frostglaze True Qi, which was passed down from the once-prosperous Profound Sect over a thousand years ago. Since developing Zhenqi, her body had gradually undergone a series of changes.

Her skin became whiter and more delicate. She gave off an increasingly youthful vibe, as if her age weren’t increasing but reversing.

Ji Qinglan once thought that if she continued cultivating like this, she might well achieve the legendary state of eternal youth.

Because of Frostglaze True Qi, Ji Qinglan’s heart grew cold and tranquil. Almost nothing could stir her emotions; in other words, she was slowly becoming cold-blooded.

But today, seeing that man again made her heart unusually restless. The changes in her Zhenqi frightened her a bit. After thinking for a while, she decided to leave this place, to stay far away from that man.

Since the area was remote with few passersby, Ji Qinglan didn’t hide her movements. With a light step, she soared with the wind, her figure graceful as she leaped down the mountain.

Seeing this, Lin Mu immediately stood up. The sight of the woman in white using Lightness Skill slightly shocked him—it felt like a scene from TV had come to life before his eyes.

Lin Mu wanted to chase after her, but in that moment of hesitation, the woman in white had vanished without a trace. Left with no choice, Lin Mu gave up on the idea.

After sitting alone for a while, Lin Mu grew bored and got up to wander around again. Soon, he descended from the Back Hill of Peerless Peak, where he unexpectedly found a temple bustling with worshippers.

Lin Mu looked at the plaque at the temple entrance, which displayed three gilded characters: Spirit Spring Temple.

He casually wandered around the temple, saw the donation box, and threw in a few hundred dollars. The sight of people bowing to every Buddha they saw amused him.

In one of the temple halls, beneath a solemn Buddha statue, sat an old monk with white hair and beard under the Buddha Image, deep in Meditation.

The old monk and the Buddha statue complemented each other, giving Lin Mu a sense of sacred dignity. In this bustling mortal world, someone could actually exude such a transcendent aura. Lin Mu’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

He stood to the side, quietly observing the old monk. Lin Mu remained standing for two hours without moving, intently watching.

Just then, the old monk slowly opened his eyes. His gaze, clear as a deep pool, fell upon Lin Mu. Smiling slightly, he pressed his palms together and bowed. “Greetings, Benefactor.”

“Greetings, Master. I’m sorry to have disturbed your Cultivation.”

Lin Mu hastily returned the bow. He deeply admired ascetics like this; each possessed immense self-discipline.

“Please follow this old monk, Benefactor.”

The old monk smiled and rose, walking toward a nearby path. Though Lin Mu didn’t know the old monk’s intention, he quickly followed. The two then entered a room next door.

Inside, Lin Mu found the room very simple, almost devoid of furnishings. Only a painting of a Buddha Image hung on the wall, and a Meditation Cushion lay on the floor. After looking around, Lin Mu turned a puzzled gaze to the old monk.

“This is where this old monk usually contemplates Buddhist teachings. Though Spirit Spring Temple is not large, it has been passed down for nearly a thousand years. This painting was brought over by an enlightened monk when Buddhism first spread to the Central Plains.”

“By now, it has been a full three thousand years. By meditating before this Buddha Image daily, I have truly understood many principles. Though I don’t know what you seek, young Benefactor, contemplating here might be a significant opportunity for you.”

The old monk smiled, pointing to the Meditation Cushion on the floor.

“Thank you, Master. I’ll take you up on that.”

Lin Mu bowed, then sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion.

“You have an affinity with Buddha. No need for formalities. Buddha saves all those with affinity! Amitabha!”

The old monk slowly backed out and gently closed the door.

Lin Mu calmed his mind and quickly adjusted his state. Then, he fixed his eyes intently on the Buddha Image, watching without moving. As he stared longer, the image seemed to change.

Originally, the painting showed only a Buddha figure, but gradually, a mountain peak appeared. Faint, shadowy figures moved on the peak, the scene somewhat blurred, with light mist shrouding the surroundings.

He sat like this for four hours. Aside from seeing the mountain peak in the painting, Lin Mu gained nothing else. Then the door opened, and the old monk entered carrying some simple vegetarian food, placing it gently on the floor.

“Benefactor, please have some vegetarian food first.”

Lin Mu pulled over the wooden tray and nodded slightly. “Thank you, Master.”

“Comprehending the Dharma is not a one-day task. Don’t be too anxious, Benefactor. The calmer your heart, the closer you can get to Buddha.”

The old monk bowed and then left the room.

Lin Mu felt very grateful. He was just a stranger, a tourist. The Buddhist Dharma truly aims to save all beings. The old monk’s understanding was profound, seeming to perceive Lin Mu’s state of mind.

The simple vegetarian dishes were bland, but Lin Mu ate every last grain. Not because he was that hungry, but out of respect.

Putting down the bowl and chopsticks, Lin Mu looked at the painting again. Suddenly, he entered a serene state free from desire and want. With a thought, it felt as if his soul left his body and drifted into the painting.

A flash of light before his eyes, and he appeared on a mountain peak. A middle-aged monk with simple, ancient features stood atop the peak, exuding a majestic, mountain-like aura as he gazed intently at the clouds.

Suddenly, an earth-shattering Dragon’s Roar came from the clouds. Standing on the mountain, Lin Mu was shaken so hard he almost fell off.

A giant dragon revealed part of its body from the clouds. Its enormous scales were almost as large as Lin Mu himself. However, Lin Mu wasn’t too surprised—after all, he had truly seen a dragon before.

Looking back at the middle-aged monk, he remained unmoved like a mountain, watching the dragon with an unreadable expression. Only his light yellow monk’s robe fluttered gently in the wind.

Then, the dragon in the clouds began to slowly writhe. A massive dragon claw tore through the cloud layer, grabbing toward the monk on the mountaintop. It looked like it was about to slap the peak.

At that moment, the monk suddenly moved. He drew a circle in the air with both hands, then quickly formed a series of hand seals. His speed was incredibly fast, almost dazzling.

“Hey!”

With a loud shout from the monk, golden light suddenly erupted from his hands. A bright golden beam shot skyward, then transformed into a huge shield covered with flowing Sanskrit characters.

If ordinary Martial Artists saw this, they would be stunned speechless for a long time. But Lin Mu was different. He was a top-tier Cultivator with tens of thousands of years of Cultivation experience—what scene hadn’t he witnessed before?

Even under the Heavenly Tribulation, he had escaped with his life. In the entire Cultivation World, even over countless eons, how many could compare to such an experience?

“Roar!”

Another deafening Dragon’s Roar echoed in the sky. The huge dragon claw kept slamming against the golden shield. Violent shockwaves surged everywhere, and the clouds slowly retreated, gradually revealing the dragon’s form.

But the shield grew larger and larger, eventually seeming to envelop the dragon. It seemed that with each strike of the dragon’s claw, the shield would suddenly expand.

Just then, the monk moved again. His hands became a blur as he formed another series of hand seals. The golden light surged violently, instantly connecting to the shield in the sky.

In an instant, countless Sanskrit characters emerged. Golden flowers filled the sky, and Sanskrit chants resounded everywhere. Bolstered, the shield suddenly expanded explosively, completely trapping the dragon inside.

Then, the entire shield gradually shrank, finally becoming palm-sized as the monk collected it in his hand. Only then did a slight smile appear on the monk’s solemn face. He then turned to look at Lin Mu on the mountain.

“Since you have an affinity with Buddha, I shall gift you a Cultivation Technique.”

As soon as the words fell, a golden light shot from the monk’s brow directly into Lin Mu’s brow. It was incredibly fast; Lin Mu didn’t even have time to change his expression before the golden light entered his head.