Chapter 96
In the Heart Hall of Light, the monks were astonished, angered, and anxious.
"Martial Brother Cen!"
"Brother, you can't!"
The demonic beast with iron plates lifted its eyelids and glanced at the young man in front of it.
Under the watchful gaze of everyone, the young boy took off his shoes. Without blinking his eyes, he stepped on something sharp.
At that moment, a distant and melodious sound of a bell echoed through the air.
Dong—
The sound was deep and resonant like a sacred chant.
Qiao Wan and the other monks held their breath, watching as his foot landed on sharp iron thorns!
But the expected sound of flesh being pierced by the nails did not occur.
The Zen Masters, with worried expressions on their faces, collectively sighed with relief upon seeing this spectacle.
Cen Qingjia had an unpleasant look on his face.
But this was only the first foot!
The young boy hesitated for a moment, then stepped onto the second foot.
...
Cen Qingyou actually had a secret.
Before the age of five, he lived just like everyone else.
Mrs. Cen and Cen Qingjia were always kind to him, but his only worry was that he couldn't get his father's attention.
In his father's eyes, there was only the Lin family.
Sometimes, when Mrs. Cen held his hand and played with him in the garden, they would occasionally come across Cen Xiangnan, Lin Li, and Lin Qingzhi.
Whenever this time came, Mrs. Cen would lead him away to hide.
He remembered, all the beautiful spring scenery seemed to be showered upon their family of three.
Young Cen Qingyou, being led by Mrs. Cen, hid behind the rockery and watched as Cen Xiangnan picked up Lin Qingzhi and played with him, laughing uncontrollably.
At that time, he felt especially envious.
Envious of Lin Qingzhi.
Cen Qingyou looked down, took a step forward, and accidentally stepped on a nail.
He was different from Lin Qingzhi; in order to catch even a glimpse of Cen Xiangnan's attention, he had to work twice as hard.
So, the young boy studied every day, learning to read and write, practicing his skills, and learning about manners and social etiquette.
Finally, Cen Xiangnan gave him a little bit of attention.
Cen Qingyou, who was cautious, mild, and well-behaved, was almost ecstatic.
At that time, he felt content and had no other desires.
But then, things changed.
Later on, many practitioners came to the Cen Mansion, claiming that he was the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha.
Cen Qingyou was confused.
The Blue-eyed Evil Buddha, a merciless killer who even took pleasure in it as a way of cultivation?!
These practitioners said that he was a vessel, a vessel chosen by the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha, and that their souls had already merged. One day, the Evil Buddha would use this vessel to return to the world of cultivation.
From then on, Cen Qingyou's life changed. He was no longer Cen Qingyou, but became the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha.
Everyone said that one day, the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha would come back, and it would be safest to kill him!
But there was one person who went against the crowd, appearing before him and wanting to take him as a disciple.
That person was Venerable One Miaofa.
Mrs. Cen personally went to plead with Venerable One Miaofa, seeking his help.
The venerable one, with a dignified appearance, seemed to have a bad temper and was not easy to approach. Yet, despite the pressure from everyone, he took him in as his own and dedicated himself to guiding and transforming him.
At his most confused time, the Buddha angrily shouted at him, telling him that he is himself, Cen Qingyou .
So, he treated people kindly and gradually, everyone said that the Second Young Master of the Cen family has a good temper.
He intentionally tried to be kind and drew a clear line between good and evil, demon and Buddha.
He wanted to prove it to Miaofa.
But how is it possible for one person to have no evil thoughts?
Cen Qingyou continued to walk forward, this time with the nails firmly embedded, leaving several blood holes in his footsteps.
Blood flowed along the iron plate.
Cen Qingyou looked around the hall and lowered his eyes.
Splat -
The young man lifted his foot and pulled out the nail from his foot, continuing forward without changing his expression, quietly sighing.
He had overestimated himself and made a mistake.
Perhaps he really is the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha he used to be.
Recently, in order to seize power, he even calculated his own father without any hesitation.
"What can't he accomplish?"
"He was born with a lot of sin. If it wasn't for him, Venerable One Miaofa wouldn't have such a heavy inner demon."
Everyone fears him, there is nowhere in the entire world of cultivation, from the northern region to the thirteen southern continents, where he can find shelter.
Blood dripped from the iron plate.
The monks in the Heart Hall of Light looked at each other, silent. At this moment, they didn't care about the reputation of the Great Hall of Light. They were all shocked, sorrowful, and reluctantly watching Cen Qingyou, a man.
After a while, the voice of Fanxin Temple sounded: "It seems that for so many years, Venerable One has been working in vain."
Lu Guancai looked up and said, "Since Cen Qingyou is still a demon, it's not difficult for our Sun Tao College to invite him over. We kindly request your faction to release him!"
Cen Qingyou, who had been personally guided and influenced by Venerable One Miaofa for so many years, still had dark thoughts. This is truly tearing off the face of the Great Hall of Light and stomping it on the ground!
The disciple's reactions inside the Great Hall of Light were clearly seen by the Zen Master at Fanxin Temple. He couldn't just let it go easily; instead, he became even more assertive!
"After all these years of trying to guide him, this demon still holds evil intentions. In my opinion, demons cannot be guided, they must be eliminated!"
"You agree or not?"
Demons must be eliminated!
These four words echoed loudly and confidently!
The monks in the Heart Hall of Light were silent and filled with sorrow.
This conflict was not just about the positions of the Great Hall of Light and Fanxin Temple, but also about different ideologies!
"Why is the Zen Master not speaking? Does he also agree with us at Fanxin Temple?"
In Fanxin Temple, a young monk stepped forward, holding a blood-stained vajra staff, and aimed its sharp tip directly at Cen Qingyou's forehead!
The disciples in the Heart Hall of Light angrily raised their eyes!
"What do you mean by these words from your sect?!"
To eliminate all demons means that Cen Qingyou can be eliminated as well!
"I see that you, my Buddhist friends, have some concerns. Is there any disagreement?" The young monk spoke calmly, "Coincidentally, the Three Teachings Law Meeting is approaching. If there are any disagreements, why not discuss them here in the Heart Hall of Light through a debate?"
"Let's discuss whether all demons should be slain or if it is the belief of your esteemed faction that they can be transformed," he continued.
Suddenly, the young monk raised his hand and swung the Vajra staff in his hand, forcefully hitting the three-eyed demon beast that was tied to an iron plate. The sharp tip of the Vajra staff pierced deeply into the flesh of the beast, causing it to wail in pain. The disciples of Chongde Ancient Garden and Zhanyun Peak couldn't help but frown upon witnessing this.
Qiao Wan, with a blank expression on her face, watched silently.
Religion is a complex matter, where the literal symbolism and the deeper meaning can often overlap. The use of religious violence in Buddhism has been prevalent throughout history.
In Qiao Wan's memory, there was a leader of mainstream Buddhism during the Cold War in a certain country, who even said that left-wing people are not considered to have lives, and that killing communists does not count as killing lives, which was a ridiculous statement.
Religious wars between different sects and the violence of the system under the fusion of politics and religion are not uncommon in this world. It's not surprising that fanxin Temple would say things like demons are heartless and should be all be slain.
"Coincidentally, there is a demon beast here. How about we discuss our doctrines based on it? If your sect can subdue this demon within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, then Fanxin Temple will consider your ideas."
The three-eyed demon beast, chained up, weakly lifted its eyelids and looked at the group of people in front of it. With bloodshot eyes, it spoke in a hoarse and tired voice: "Pah! We demons fight for the demon realm, we die for our demon lord! If you so-called righteous hypocrites have the ability, go ahead and kill me. What's the point of discussing doctrines?"
Mei Kangping was right. The demon beast continued to cough up blood, while coldly observing.
The entire cultivation world seems strong but it's actually divided and filled with internal disputes and power struggles. By infiltrating these sects and stirring up trouble, it would be easy to take them down.
It's almost time...
When these sects start fighting each other, it will be the day their demon lord returns!
Can one truly overcome the demons in just a short period of time?
The disciples of the Great Hall of Light were shaken!
"Everyone, even the Troublesome Demon and the Shadowy Demon, aren't they all burdened by demonic thoughts? Isn't cutting off these demonic influences what cultivation is all about?"
"You are going too far! How can one overcome the demons in half a day?!"
Are they going to show them how it's done?!
"If we can't even overcome the demons in half a day, how much longer does your sect plan to drag this out?! The longer we wait, the more havoc the demons will cause! Are you just going to sit back and watch as the demons rampage, casually saying that there's not enough time?"
When Zen Master Kongding heard this, he was speechless. Inside the Heart Hall of Light, the monks looked upset and remained silent.
Lu Dechang pointed at Cen Qingyou and said, "If your sect can't handle it, why not hand over this unruly demon to our Sun Tao College? We have given your sect face for so many years."
"You should know that the Buddha cannot eliminate past karmic deeds. They cannot guide those without affinity," Fanxin Temple continued to attack, taking advantage of the situation. "In the 'Great Wisdom Treatise', it is said that even the Buddha himself cannot eliminate past karmic deeds. Cen Qingyou's past life misdeeds are his predetermined karma in this life! He cannot escape it, nor can it be eliminated. It is his deserved karmic retribution. Even the Buddha had to endure the suffering of 'bursting wood thorns in the feet' as one of his four retributions. Cen Qingyou now has an iron nail piercing his foot, but it is just one of many."
"Or perhaps Venerable One Miaofa truly believes that he can eliminate past karmic deeds, daring to surpass the Buddha and claim to be the supreme Buddha of this world?!"
In the Heart Hall of Light, the monks looked very sad.
If Venerable One Miaofa were here, they wouldn't be in this situation.
But now, who can defeat this fierce beast in the Great Hall of Light?!
If they give up now, it will not only damage Venerable One's reputation, but also lower the prestige of the Great Hall of Light.
Buddha and demon...
Buddha saving demons...
They are neither Buddha nor demon, how can they know what demons are thinking?
But even Venerable One is troubled by inner demons! Can demons truly not be transformed?!
As the disciples in the Hall of Light were filled with anger and sadness, a clear and calm male voice echoed through the hall.
A young man with a hint of dragon scales in his eyes and a serious expression walked slowly towards the crowd.
Cen Qingyou was startled.
Why do people always live for the gaze of others, restricting and changing themselves for the thoughts and opinions of strangers who have nothing to do with them?
With his eyes as dark as the night, the young boy looked around the entire Heart Hall of Light and sneered, "Who the heck told you that demon cannot be transformed?"
