"Amitabha."
Huijue wore a smile that seemed to pity the world as his gaze swept over the people from the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect. His voice was gentle yet carried an undeniable weight.
"Benefactors, the sea of bitterness is boundless; turn back and reach the shore. The disputes of the secret realm are, in the end, nothing but fleeting clouds. Why not let go of your obsessions and voluntarily hand over your flags and points? This monk can make the decision to let you all leave the secret realm peacefully, sparing you from physical suffering. Amitabha, Amitabha."
He spoke peacefully, as if he were truly considering their well-being, but everyone could clearly hear the threat hidden within his words.
Ji Yanzhi said nothing, merely using his eyes, cold as sword blades, to lock onto Jiang Yifan and Rong Yuying. His aura was held back but not released, giving off a sense of immense pressure, like a mountain storm about to break.
Behind him, the other disciples also watched their every move intently.
These high-sounding words made the hearts of the Five Elements Dao Sect members feel stifled, yet they had to endure it due to the other party's formidable strength.
At that moment, Duan Xianxing, who was standing toward the back of the group, was still feeling a bit weak from his previous exertion. He frowned with a look of sincere confusion and whispered in a low voice that only those nearby could hear:
"That's strange... do the bald donkeys of the Mingguang Sect always speak so... profoundly?" He scratched his head, his tone full of bewilderment. "They clearly want to rob us of our points and flags, so why do they make it sound like it's for our own good, as if they're trying to deliver us from suffering?"
He tilted his head as if seriously pondering a difficult problem. "Or does their Buddha usually teach them to persuade people to be good like this?"
"Persuade people to hand over their things to avoid a beating? This... is there any fundamental difference between this and those thugs down the mountain who collect protection fees? It's just... adding a Buddhist invocation? If the Buddha knew, would he be so angry he couldn't keep his coffin lid shut?"
"And another thing, they say we'll be spared from physical suffering... but if we just hand them over, the points are gone and our ranking will drop. We'll definitely be scolded to death by the master when we go back. Doesn't that count as suffering?"
The more he spoke, the more absurd it seemed to him. Although his voice was very low, the genuine bewilderment in his heart couldn't be hidden. "And 'nothing but fleeting clouds'... they're snatching points more fiercely than anyone, then they turn around and tell us not to be obsessed? Can they argue both sides of the coin like that? I haven't read many books, so don't trick me..."
Standing beside him, Liu Qingyang was originally extremely tense. Hearing Duan Xianxing's earnest questions and logically sound doubts—especially the part about being no different from thugs and arguing both sides—he couldn't help but nearly let out a laugh with a soft pfft.
Fortunately, he knew the current situation was inappropriate and quickly covered his mouth with his hand. However, his shoulders still shook violently, and he nearly teared up from holding it in.
Duan Xianxing's sincere mumbling and Liu Qingyang's suppressed laughter were faint, but everyone present was a cultivator; how could they not hear it clearly?
The smile of pity on Huijue's face did not change at all, as if he hadn't heard any disrespectful words. Even his eyes showed no ripple of emotion.
His gaze remained peaceful as it swept over the members of the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect, eventually landing on Duan Xianxing. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened slightly, carrying a sense of condescending tolerance and guidance.
"Amitabha," Huijue chanted the invocation once more. His voice remained gentle but carried a certain undeniable conviction. "It is only natural for this Benefactor Duan to have doubts in his heart. It is common for mortals to be confined by appearances and find it difficult to see the truth."
He nodded slightly, like a patient elder teaching a junior, and slowly said, "The Buddha is merciful and delivers all living beings, yet Buddhist teachings also have times for the wrath of the Vajra to subdue demons. This struggle in the secret realm may seem like a competition for points and rankings, but in reality, it is also a form of cultivation to temper one's heart and see through illusions."
He changed the subject, his tone still peaceful but with an air of taking things for granted. "Points and flags are merely external objects, indeed nothing more than fleeting clouds. However, such external objects are also opportunities and cultivation resources. As cultivators who seek the dharma above and deliver living beings below, how can we do so without resources by our side? Without strength to protect the Dao?"
"If an opportunity is before us and we stick to old ways, not knowing how to strive for it, that would be failing the gift of the heavens and neglecting our own cultivation. This is not greed; it is borrowing the false to cultivate the true. By using these resources to strengthen our sect and propagate the dharma, we can benefit more living beings. This is great compassion, great merit."
His gaze swept over the crowd with a hint of pity. "Advising you to let go is not for the sake of plunder, but to lighten your burden. It is to prevent you all from wasting your mental energy in this illusory competition and even suffering injuries. Returning to your sects to focus on cultivation is the righteous path. This is a benevolent act to stop further loss; how can it be called robbery? Physical suffering is easy to heal, but a clouded Dao heart is difficult to clear."
"As for sect rankings and a master's punishment..." Huijue shook his head slightly, showing a look that suggested they were obsessed. "Those are all illusory shackles. If you can take this opportunity to let go of your obsessions and see your true nature, your sect elders would be too relieved to even think of blaming you. Little Benefactor, you are too caught up in appearances."
After Huijue finished his high-flown speech full of classical references and substituted concepts, the pitying smile remained on his face as if he had already enlightened the lost lambs with supreme Buddhist teachings.
Duan Xianxing was left dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, feeling that the other man's words were going in circles and seemed to make sense, but he also felt something was wrong. He was flushing red but couldn't think of how to refute him for a moment.
In this frozen atmosphere, a crisp voice rang out, sounding as if its owner had just had a sudden realization. It was Li Nanzhu.
"Amitabha." Li Nanzhu followed suit, pressing her palms together and chanting the invocation quite convincingly. Her small face was full of realization and sincere inquiry. She blinked her large eyes and looked at Huijue. "Master Huijue, what you said makes so much sense! Listening to your words is truly better than reading for ten years!"
As soon as she said this, not only was Huijue slightly taken aback, but even the people from the Five Elements Dao Sect and the Hehuan Sect were stunned, looking at Li Nanzhu in confusion. Duan Xianxing was so anxious he tugged at Li Nanzhu's sleeve, whispering, "Little Junior Sister! Whose side are you on?!"
"Look," she said, counting on her fingers with clear logic. "You said points and flags are external objects and resources. Your Mingguang Sect currently has points high on the board and bountiful resources. If we go by what you said, wouldn't actively sharing these external resources with us living beings who have few points and scarce resources—helping us raise our rankings and avoid punishment back at our sects—be a more direct way of benefiting all living beings? Wouldn't that merit be even greater? Wouldn't it better fit your original intention of great compassion and great merit?"
She tilted her head and asked with an innocent face, "After all, advising someone to let go is just stopping loss, a small kindness. Actively giving is an increase, a great kindness! You have profound Buddhist knowledge and a merciful heart, Master. Surely you won't be stingy with these few external objects and would be willing to perform this great kindness to accumulate such great merit, right?"
She ended with a heavy sigh, looking at Huijue with eyes full of expectation and trust, as if waiting for a true holy monk to make a grand donation.
"If you are willing to share your sect's points with us, Master, we would be eternally grateful. When we go back, we will surely chant sutras and pray for the Mingguang Sect and for you day and night, helping you attain enlightenment soon with boundless merit! Wouldn't that be much more perfect than simply snatching... oh no, I mean, persuading us to hand over our points? If the Buddha knew, he would surely praise you for your great compassion!"
"Master, what do you think?"
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