Chapter 723: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

Chapter 723: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

The moment those words left Qin Feng’s mouth, the chanting paused.

In the dark cave, the strange beast beside the lotus-shaped stone pedestal growled angrily, “Bodhisattva, this boy is ungrateful. Why bother saving him?”

The kind-faced monk on the lotus pedestal smiled and replied, “This man has great aspirations and the seeds of Buddhahood within him. If he were to renounce worldly life, it would be a great fortune indeed.”

“How can a man who cannot let go of women possibly have the seeds of Buddhahood?” the beast sneered.

“He is merely blinded by the dust of the mortal realm. With a bit of guidance, he can achieve great enlightenment. Otherwise, he would not have uttered those words – ‘if I don’t go to hell, who will?'”

As the monk spoke, a brilliant golden glow appeared behind him, and a swastika symbol manifested, seemingly erasing the distance between the monk and Qin Feng.

Qin Feng came back to his senses, the surrounding darkness disappeared, and he saw a clear and empty world. At this moment, he seemed to be suspended in the cloudless sky.

And not far in front of him, there was a monk sitting cross-legged, wearing a golden-red cassock, holding a Zen staff in his hand, with half of his chest exposed.

Qin Feng was utterly bewildered. It was clear that the earlier murmuring and chanting had come from this monk, and the effortless display of spatial manipulation demonstrated his immense power.

‘Just now I called this guy a bald monk. Could it be that he came to settle a score with me?’ Qin Feng swallowed secretly.

The monk inclined his head slightly and smiled, “I am Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva*. Seeing that you are willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the living, I was moved and used this technique to guide you, to help you see through the illusions of the mortal realm.”

Hearing the name, Qin Feng paused.

‘That name sounds familiar... I think I’ve heard it somewhere before in my past life.’

Qin Feng looked the monk up and down and asked, “Great Master, have you come from the Western Regions of the Immortal Realm? A divine being from the Immortal Realm once told me that the Western Regions of the Immortal Realm are the domain of the Buddha.”

The monk chuckled, “I did reside there originally, but now this is where I should be.”

“Could it be that the Great Master committed some offense and was punished by the Buddha, causing you to be banished to the Netherworld Realm?”

“Not at all. Everything is due to my vow and aspiration to guide the beings in this defiled and evil world, until the waters of the Yellow Springs are cleansed, thereby attaining Buddhahood.”

At this, Qin Feng trembled inwardly and muttered, “If the hells are not emptied, I will not become a Buddha. I will not become enlightened until all sentient beings are saved.”

The monk’s eyes brightened upon hearing this, “Excellent, the guest truly has inherent wisdom.”

So it is him!

“It is said, one must have suffered pain to truly know the pain of all beings; “

“one must have been attached to let go of attachment;”

“one must have had ties in order to be free of all ties.”

“Just as you have descended into this realm to save the beings of the Netherworld Realm, if you have never experienced the affairs of men and women, how can you counsel others to let go of it?”

Hearing these words, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva fell into contemplation for a moment before replying, “But it is an undeniable fact that you have become trapped in the Farshore Flower’s illusion due to the attachments in your heart. If you were to let go of this attachment, then naturally...”

Qin Feng shook his head, interrupting, “Promises are hard to keep, but it is because of the ties in my heart that I can move forward courageously. Even if I am bound by my attachments, I am willing to trade this lifetime of bewilderment for a single-minded determination, even if it means I die without regret!”

With these words, Qin Feng’s consciousness departed from the Bodhisattva’s domain.

To the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s disbelief, the Farshore Flower’s illusion that had previously ensnared Qin Feng was now effortlessly shattered in an instant!

“The love of all living beings is love. Only when you have been attached can you let go of attachment...” Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva repeatedly chanted silently, and his thoughts suddenly became clear in an instant: “Good!”

“Luckily, the Senior’s Heart Cleansing Mantra was effective...” Qin Feng let out a soft sigh, then reached out his hand towards the Farshore Flower.

The stems and leaves felt icy cold, as if they could freeze even his divine soul.

Qin Feng managed to pluck two of the flowers, intending to gather more as a backup, but just holding these two caused him to tremble uncontrollably, unable to take another step.

Fortunately, a golden light shrouded him, and the warmth like spring sunshine swept through his body, making him feel better.

Just as the incense stick’s time was about to run out, a gigantic ghostly hand emerged from the other side of the Yellow Springs, swiftly grabbing Qin Feng and pulling him back.

It was obvious that the Ghost Lord had intervened.

Qin Feng looked at the Farshore Flowers in his hand and wasted no time, immediately communicating with Bai Su in the Divine Sea.

In moments, a channel of life force coalesced on his chest once more.

Without hesitation, he fed one of the Farshore Flowers into it...

T/N:

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: The term “Ksitigarbha” refers to meaning “Earth Treasury,” “Earth Store,” “Earth Matrix,” or “Earth Womb.” Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha was foremost a Great Vow to help and deliver all beings. Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha was depicted as a Buddhist monk with a shaved head, wearing simple robes, and wielding a staff.Dizang Bodhisattva: His name is a translation of the Sanskrit Kshitigarbha (“Womb of the Earth”). Dizang seeks to deliver the souls of the dead from the punishments inflicted by the 10 judges, or kings of hell.