Chapter 87: Eating, Eating, Eating
"When the Bodhisattva practicing deep prajna-paramita, he sees that all five aggregates are empty and crosses all suffering."
"Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness are also like this."
In the meditation hall, the faint sound of chanting could be heard. Qiao Wan and Cen Qingyou sat there, looking a bit dispirited.
"Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form."
They chanted from morning until midnight without stopping, occasionally supervised by a monk pacing in circles.
The next day, almost the entire Great Hall of Light knew that Venerable One Miaofa's disciple had been possessed by an evil spirit and entertained improper thoughts with a certain female devotee. As a punishment, Venerable One made him recite scriptures for the whole night.
That night, the sound of chanting echoed throughout the meditation hall. As soon as the sun rose, without catching their breath, Qiao Wan and Cen Qingyou were whisked away by their senior brothers to attend the morning class.
Although Venerable One Miaofa held a high position and had a fierce temperament, according to the young monk from the Great Hall of Light, he may seem fierce but deep down he was kind-hearted, compassionate, and forgiving.
If there was anything they didn't understand, they could always go to Venerable One Miaofa for answers and guidance. As long as they weren't afraid of being scolded.
The Buddha sat on a high platform, wearing flowing robes like drifting clouds, with sharp eyes. If anyone lost focus for even a moment, a beam of golden light would swiftly come down.
This made Qiao Wan, who was sitting on the bench, feel like she had returned to high school in a dream. Although she had lost the memories of her past teachers and classmates, this terrifying feeling was deeply imprinted in her bones.
After arriving at the Great Hall of Light, Qiao Wan spent several consecutive days attending morning and evening classes, practicing various forms of meditation and chanting.
Perhaps it was the conflict between good and evil. Under the constant influence of the Buddhist aura, Qiao Wan's mind seemed to develop a rebellious attitude. One sunny morning, the evil energy in her mind suddenly fought back, overpowering even several martial monks and nearly causing an explosion in a temple.
However, just in time, a golden light appeared and transformed into a beautiful Buddhist figure. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a golden lotus from her sleeve.
The radiant light suppressed the evil energy, but before Qiao Wan could react, she was blasted several yards away and crashed deeply into a rock wall, causing it to shatter.
"You sinner!" scolded the Buddhist figure with a furrowed brow.
Another beam of golden light shot towards Qiao Wan's forehead and penetrated into her consciousness, leaving behind a mark of the Buddha.
"All my monks! Is that... Lord Lu?" exclaimed the shocked monks.
This impact instantly brought Qiao Wan back to her senses. She slid down from the rock wall, wiped the blood from her face, and swayed a little. "I'm fine," she said.
The monks' mouths twitched: "But you... have lost a lot of blood."
Qiao Wan replied, "I'm fine..."
As she spoke, she took two unsteady steps forward.
Under the gaze of the crowd, there was a loud crash.
She fell to the ground, unconscious.
The monks glanced at the fierce Buddha light and shivered in unison: this doesn't look like nothing happened at all!
The Venerable One Miaofa's cruelty... hadn't decreased a bit during his recent seclusion.
By the time Qiao Wan woke up, she had been carried into a meditation room by the monks.
She held her head, slowly regaining consciousness, feeling as if she saw stars spinning around her.
With a glance, she saw a familiar white figure by her bedside.
Cen Qingyou sat by the bed, looked at Qiao Wan , and hesitated a bit before saying, "Xin Yi , the master asked me to give this to you."
Upon seeing what the young man had brought out, Qiao Wan was stunned.
Cen Qingyou had taken out a brand new broom?
"A broom?"
"Yes," Cen Qingyou handed the broom to Qiao Wan and explained kindly, "This is the Heart Freeze Broom from the Great Hall of Light. When your mind is calm, it feels as light as a feather in your hand, and you can sweep quickly. But if your mind is filled with distractions, the broom will feel as heavy as a thousand pounds."
"What do you mean, senior?"
Cen Qingyou replied, "I want you to purify your soul through labor."
Qiao Wan remained silent.
After all, she was a demon, although she had disguised herself and the Buddha seal in her sea of consciousness suppressed much of her demonic energy. But during the Three Teachings Law Meeting, where people came and went on the mountain, Qiao Wan's appearance was not suitable for public view. Therefore, the monks arranged for her to sweep near the southern gate of the Great Hall of Light.
The Three Teachings Law Meeting was a grand event where the practitioners of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in the cultivation world would gather to compete and learn from each other. This time, the meeting was hosted by the Great Hall of Light. Even before the official start, each day there were young boys and girls full of confidence and enthusiasm causing trouble at the mountain gate.
On the south side of the Great Hall of Light, there is a steep cliff. Few people venture to the southern gate, and there are layers of stone steps that lead upwards. The branches of the Bodhi tree are lush, and the emerald green leaves almost cover the entire flight of stairs.
The Buddha seal left in Qiao Wan's mind by Miaofa is mainly used for supervision. However, now the demonic energy in Qiao Wan's mind has become increasingly rampant, to the point where even the Buddha seal can no longer suppress it much.
Feeling uneasy, Qiao Wan holds the Heart Freeze Broom, which feels as heavy as a thousand pounds in her hand.
The level of cultivation of the broom wielder reflects the difficulty of sweeping with the Heart Freeze Broom. If a cultivator with the power to move mountains were to wield it, its weight would be equivalent to a towering mountain.
Qiao Wan swept for a while, but didn't make much progress. Instead, she became tired and sweaty. She decided to put the broom down and leaned against a tree to rest for a while.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the demonic energy and the Buddhist energy churned fiercely in her mind.
Vaguely, the demonic energy began to gain the upper hand.
Just then, a young man's voice suddenly came from her ear, accompanied by a flurry of footsteps.
"There's someone here! Let's go ask!"
"Excuse me, taoist friend!"
Qiao Wan looked up.
A group of young men and women stood elegantly in front of the stone steps, dressed in luxurious attire with a golden "goodness" embroidered on their cuffs.
The young man who just spoke asked, "Do you know where this is?"
He held a scroll in his hand, with a casual smile on his face and a proud tone in his voice.
Qiao Wan pursed her lips, her voice slightly hoarse from exhaustion. "This is the south gate of the Great Hall of Light."
"The south gate," the young man nodded as if he understood something, smiling with a sense of accomplishment. "I've heard that the Great Hall of Light is always bustling with worshippers, but I didn't expect there to be such desolation here."
Qiao Wan felt a bit anxious, furrowing her brow.
It was evident that this group of young men and women was here to cause trouble.
Even before the religious gathering had begun, disciples from different sects were already challenging each other and competing to bring glory to their own sects.
Qiao Wan didn't look back and tried her best not to see the group of men and women in front of her.
She was surprised to see that the female cultivator in front of her was so arrogant. The young man frowned and said, "What's wrong? Is the Great Hall of Light always this proud?"
The dark magic became even stronger. Qiao Wan instinctively reached for the broom leaning against the tree to calm herself.
Just as her hand touched the broom handle, a sword energy came slashing towards her, splitting the broom into two.
"We're talking to you, is this how the Great Hall of Light treats its guests?"
A wave of hostility rushed into her mind, accompanied by the stirring of the dark magic, intensifying her desire for violence and killing.
Qiao Wan tightly griped the remaining half of the broom, determined to resist.
The people on the steps below laughed when they saw her being attacked and not fighting back.
That laughter provoked a strong reaction.
The dark magic seized the opportunity and overwhelmed her sense of tranquility.
Unexpectedly, the girl who had been holding onto the broom without daring to fight back suddenly raised her head. There was a flash of red light in her pitch-black eyes!
In the blink of an eye, the broom, which was still half intact, shot out.
Bang!
The heavy Heart Freeze Broom struck the young man with the book, sending him flying.
The young men and women who had just been eager for trouble were stunned.
Everyone present was not just ordinary practitioners, they were disciples of a sect, with keen eyes.
The...dark aura surrounding the girl who swept the courtyard...was it magic?!
All this happened in just a moment.
Bang bang bang!
Qiao Wan swung the broom and swept all the young men and women off the steps, clean and neat.
One person among them reacted first, clutching their chest and spitting out blood, angrily shouting, "Magic?! Why does this person have magic aura?!"
Is this a follower of evil?
Before they could finish speaking, a fierce and ruthless force surged towards their chest, and Qiao Wan swept the broom again.
And then, she raised her eyes.
Countless swords, books, and brushes surrounded her in an instant. The group of young men and women in front of her finally snapped out of their shock.
"This is magic!" exclaimed one of the young women.
"It's not dark magic, dark magic doesn't have such a strong aura!" added another.
But it's not enough.
I still want...
Qiao Wan held a broomstick tightly, her eyes flashing with determination.
Last time in the Mudstone Secret Realm, she had killed the Mother Queen and countless Human-faced Scorpion-tailed Spiders. Her demonic energy had only been slightly suppressed, and this time it surged even stronger.
This...this magic might only be at the Foundation Building stage of cultivation, but the intensity of its aura made it hard to breathe.
In addition, their body techniques and martial skills were clean and precise, without any hesitation.
They looked like they were forged from the fires of battle!
The group of young men and women stared in astonishment.
They were all disciples of Sun Tao College. Since it was still early for the law meeting, they decided to take advantage of these few days and go sightseeing in Jiuyue Mountain. When they saw a mediocre female cultivator at the side entrance, they wanted to assert their dominance by going over.
But unexpectedly, things got out of hand.
This was definitely a demon!
"Get down the mountain!"
"Quick, get down the mountain!!"
Hurry, go back!
The scholarly young man made a quick decision. He threw away his books and jumped up, trembling with excitement.
He wanted to go back and tell the senior monks in the Great Hall of Light that there was a demon being kept in the temple!
Qiao Wan remained silent as she picked up a broom and was about to chase after them. Suddenly, a stern shout echoed in her mind.
"You wicked one! Is this what you call devotion to the right path?!"
Following the shout was a surge of powerful Buddha energy, rushing into her consciousness.
Meanwhile, Miaofa, who was meditating in the meditation room, felt the impact of the Buddha's mark shaking. With a frown, he quickly made his way to the southern gate.
As soon as he saw Qiao Wan, who had lost her sanity, his face darkened.
The strong power of Buddha and the dark magic were engaging in a fierce battle in the mind. They were constantly fighting, unwilling to give up.
In the end, the dark magic gained a slight advantage. The deep black magic wrapped around the golden Buddha light, starting to devour it.
Boom!
A pink figure flew out from the South Gate and crashed onto the ground with a loud thud.
All the monks, including Cen Qingyou, turned their heads in unison, staring in shock at the swirling dust on the ground. "Did something just fly past?"
As the dust settled, Qiao Wan stood up unsteadily, her lips pursed, her gaze coldly fixed ahead.
Following Qiao Wan's gaze, Miaofa frowned, his face darkening, as he walked step by step towards them.
Facing the imposing Buddha practitioner, Qiao Wan unleashed her full power of magic, filled with a determination to kill.
This was the "demon" that Xue Yunchao had mentioned. Without the guidance and teachings of adult demons, one would eventually be lost in these desires.
Cen Qingyou was shocked and exclaimed, "Xin Yi, what happened to you?"
Miaofa frowned.
After not seeing each other for several months, he didn't expect Qiao Wan to become so deeply lost in evil.
One person charged forward recklessly, without caring about their own life. Another person had no intention of hurting anyone and didn't use any other moves except for a "golden light." They skillfully weaved around, while also emitting a buddhist aura to understand what was going on in Qiao Wan's mind.
Raising their hand, the golden light moved effortlessly, flipping and swirling, making a sound like a spinning top. The attacks were decisive and merciless.
As the monks watched in shock, their mouths twitched. They couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy and respect for this intriguing evil in front of them.
However, unlike the fierce golden light outside, the buddhist aura that entered Qiao Wan's mind was gentle and cautious. But as soon as it entered, the evil energy was completely eradicated.
Despite being in such a battered state from the golden light, Qiao Wan continued to charge forward with unwavering determination. Her eyes shone with coldness, with only the thought of "devouring" remaining.
Miaofa watched as the girl in front of her remained stubborn and unresponsive. Miaofa, the Venerable One, became furious and struck with powerful golden lights. Qiao Wan's fair face immediately showed small wounds, which oozed a red blood.
When Qiao Wan coldly approached again, the Venerable One stood firm, no longer showing mercy. Swiftly, he formed a hand seal and shouted, "Gather Buddha's Crown Seal!" The seal rapidly spun and forcefully pierced into Qiao Wan's mind.
A radiant glow enveloped the girl, as if she was influenced by the Buddha's light, and she abruptly halted in front of the Venerable One.
After the seal was inserted into Qiao Wan's mind, she showed no reaction. Venerable One Miaofa frowned, feeling that he had slightly eased his strength.
Cen Qingyou breathed a sigh of relief. "Did it work?"
The power of the Buddha.
It smelled so nice.
Qiao Wan gasped for air, sweating profusely. After briefly regaining consciousness, her hunger overcame her rationality once again.
Seeing that the Venerable One had slightly relaxed his strength, Qiao Wan launched another attack, tensing her muscles and charging forward once more.
Qiao Wan noticed Miaofa's anger as she made her move. The golden light from Miaofa's powerful Buddhist energy swiftly struck Qiao Wan's waist, leaving bloody marks on her fair skin through the tattered fabric of her clothing.
Everyone had underestimated the demon's determination to devour. Despite being covered in wounds and feeling the scorching hot Buddhist energy like flowing gold, Qiao Wan stubbornly resisted. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the Venerable One's neck.
The intense and scorching Buddhist light rushed into her mouth and nose, causing Qiao Wan to shiver uncontrollably. In that instant, time seemed to stand still in the vicinity of the side hall.
Uh-oh.
A thunderous sound echoed across the area, leaving everyone astonished and terrified. They watched in horror as the majestic Great Hall of Light and the Venerable One were both taken by surprise when Qiao Wan sank her teeth into his neck.
Her teeth pierced through the warm, delicate skin, causing a bead of blood to trickle down the side of his neck.
Feeling a gentle wet sensation on her neck, Qiao Wan's blue hair slipped down her neck. Venerable One's fierce and beautiful eyes widened in surprise. With a stern expression, he raised his hand and shouted angrily, "May the light shine forever!"
