Chapter 191: Chapter 158: In the Past, Only Ghost Immortals Could Arrive; Today, the Young Master Ascends the 9 Mounds

Hearing the two different reactions, Jiang Yi’s eyes flickered as he fell into thought.

’Judging by the reactions of Gui’er and the Cat Master, this gold foil paper seems to be something special.’

’Has my luck really surged so much that I can stumble upon a major find just like that?’

Then, under the watchful eyes of the girl and the cat, Jiang Yi gently picked up the sheet of gold foil.

He placed it in his palm and examined it closely.

"When I attain supreme, perfect enlightenment, may my body be a source of radiant light, brilliantly illuminating infinite, countless, and boundless worlds..."

"When I attain enlightenment, may my body be like lapis lazuli, transparent and clear from within and without, pure and flawless, with vast and brilliant light, and majestic Merit. May my form be well-composed, adorned with a web of flames more brilliant than the sun and moon, and may all beings in the Netherworld be awakened by its glow..."

"When I attain enlightenment, may all sentient beings in all heavens who hear my name wholeheartedly recite and uphold it..."

The lines of scripture flowed before his eyes, settling deep within his heart.

"Looks like the great monk who enlightened that old ghost woman really came from a major temple. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the ’Little Infinite Blessing and Longevity Sutra’ on him."

The chubby girl pushed herself up from the ground with some effort and moved closer to Jiang Yi, peering at the extremely light and thin sheet of gold foil.

Jiang Yi rubbed the Cat Master’s head, signaling it to be patient, then asked:

"May I ask, Gui’er, does this sutra have some grand origin?"

The chubby girl shook her head, putting on the airs of a wise old scholar:

"Its origins are indeed grand, but it’s not some supreme technique.

"This ’Little Infinite Blessing and Longevity Sutra’ was created eons ago by a famous World Honored One from the Ximizhou Continent.

"Legend says that reciting and writing it every day could accrue blessings and dissolve negative karma. As far back as one hundred and twenty thousand years ago, every household on the Ximizhou Continent would recite it."

’Created by a World Honored One?’

Jiang Yi’s brows shot up, and his hand trembled so violently he almost threw the gold foil sheet away.

’This is a karmic connection I can’t afford to get involved with!’

’Who knows, one day some eminent monk might just pop up and declare, "Benefactor, you are destined for our Buddhist path."’

’And then he’d try to convert me and drag me off on a journey to the west.’

Even Lower Cultivators knew that of the world’s major Daoist Lineages, the Buddhist Dao was the undisputed champion of shit-stirring.

They loved meddling in affairs outside the Ximizhou Continent, and would even secretly establish Dharma Lineages to covertly convert promising individuals.

It was precisely because of this "vicious habit" that the Immortal Dao and the Demon Dao formed an alliance, something unheard-of in all of history, simply to prop up the Sword Dao and bring ruin to the Ximizhou Continent.

The story goes that a certain utterly shameless World Honored One poached a Buddha-child and a Bodhisattva from the two Daoist Lineages respectively, enraging the Daoist Monarchs of both sides so much they could no longer stand idly by and were forced to fight to get even.

Thus, all Cultivators in the Yanfu Vast Land shared a consensus: unless you truly intended to become a monk, you must never, ever touch any Opportunity related to the Buddhist Dao.

The karmic ties left behind by their Bodhisattvas and Arhats were especially dangerous hot potatoes.

Therefore, when he heard the chubby girl say this blasted "Little Infinite Blessing and Longevity Sutra" came from a World Honored One, Jiang Yi’s vision nearly went black as he cried out in despair, ’Oh, the misery!’

’I was just about to go through with the Binding Yin Fate and take a wife! How could I possibly shave my head and become a monk now!’

"Don’t you worry, Young Master Jiang."

Seeing Jiang Yi’s reaction, the chubby girl knew he was well aware of the Buddhist Dao’s terrible reputation and the World Honored One’s shamelessness.

"The one who created this sutra perished along with the Sword Dao long ago. His entire dharma realm and pure land were utterly obliterated by a boundless killing power.

"The sutra lost its efficacy along with him. Nowadays, very few monks on the Ximizhou Continent still diligently recite it as part of their studies."

’Tsk, to think that the great war to ’Exterminate the Buddha in the West’ one hundred and twenty thousand years ago was that brutal.’

’Even a World Honored One who ruled all the grand monasteries of the Ximizhou Continent...’

’...had actually fallen in a Killing Tribulation.’

Jiang Yi clicked his tongue in silent amazement.

’But I have to admit...’

’...the killing power of Sword Cultivators truly lives up to their reputation as the "Apex of All Heavens, First Among All Daos."’

Jiang Yi mulled it over for a moment, but still felt he couldn’t carry this gold foil sheet on his person.

Before he had condensed his perfect "Saint King" destiny, he had once been the "Great Luminous Honored One."

He could only feel at ease if he kept anything even remotely related to the Buddhist Dao far, far away from himself.

"Gui’er, would you like to examine it?"

Jiang Yi looked at the chubby girl.

She shook her head repeatedly.

"The Ghost Dao despises the ways of the Buddhist Gate. If you don’t want to keep it, Young Master Jiang, just throw it away.

"But karmic ties follow the heart; they don’t change whether you possess an item or not."

Finally, the chubby girl added one last comment.

’If this Young Master Jiang is truly the new monarch of the Shao Yang, the Buddhist Dao would surely throw open their gates to welcome the Great Luminous Honored One.’

"Ah Yi."

The hitherto silent Yang Xun suddenly spoke up.

"Could you give that sutra to me?"

Jiang Yi hesitated, but the chubby girl beside them said:

"It wouldn’t be a bad idea to let your Grandpa hold onto it. The Buddhist Dao only cares about converting those with great destiny. The bald donkeys have always looked down on those without luck.

"Besides, this sutra isn’t some forbidden, taboo technique; it spread far and wide a long time ago."

Jiang Yi considered this for a moment as a golden light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

’I beg the Celestial Book, show me: will giving this to Yang Xun lead to a negative outcome?’

After receiving the reply "no harm" a moment later, he stuffed the gold foil sheet and two bottles of Treasure Medicine into Yang Xun’s arms.

「After saying their goodbyes.」

Cradling the Cat Master, Jiang Yi said to the chubby girl:

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Gui’er. Now that things are settled here, we can proceed to the eighteen layers of Fengdu."

The chubby girl clapped her hands and beamed with joy.

"Once you meet my mistress, Young Master Jiang, you’ll understand that this is an opportunity of a lifetime!"

Then she glanced at Yang Xun, who looked utterly grief-stricken, and said irritably:

"You old man, you don’t know what’s good for you! A mere Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer Lower Cultivator like you might get to have my mistress call you ’Father-in-law’ one day. That’s the kind of blessing you’d have to cultivate for a hundred lifetimes to earn!"

Jiang Yi said calmly:

"He is an old man, reluctant to see his grandson go on a long journey. Please don’t take offense, Gui’er."

The chubby girl grumbled, but she had to give face to her future young master, so she held her tongue.

She took several items out of her big, red-padded jacket’s pockets one after another and hastily arranged them into a Ritual Altar, muttering a few incantations under her breath:

"The Northern Dipper governs killing, the Southern Dipper decrees life. Killing is the heavenly law, life is the Three Terraces. As in the human body, so it corresponds to Heaven and Earth. The law is of the sun and moon, the Dao is not far, by three and five, come and return..."

About a dozen breaths later, she stomped her foot, stepping onto the Magic Altar.

She immediately revealed her true form and activated her Magical Power. Rolling black clouds covered the ground for hundreds of yards as gusts of fiery wind and thick smoke billowed forth, accompanied by the ceaseless crackle of thunder.

"Don’t be alarmed, Young Master Jiang..."

The chubby girl’s voice seemed to drift from a great distance. Jiang Yi felt his head grow heavy and dizzy, and then he lost all five of his senses.

He was suspended in a void, with nothing beneath him, as if he had fallen into a dim and boundless expanse.

With a great RUMBLE, Jiang Yi opened his eyes again, only to find himself standing on an immense, Eighteen-Layered High Platform that soared up from the ground.

Majestic, sky-piercing grand halls spread out before him, rising layer upon layer in succession, like an endless range of overlapping mountain peaks.

The chubby girl, having retracted her true form, puffed out her chest and announced proudly:

"Young Master Jiang, you have passed through the ’Land of Nine Mounds’ and have now ascended before the Profound City Central Palace.

"In the past, none but Ghost Immortals were permitted to come here for an audience with my mistress."

’The Land of Nine Mounds?’

Jiang Yi had heard of it before. The great land of the Netherworld was divided into nine layers, collectively known as the "Nine Mounds."

Each mound was further divided into four layers, matching the Heavenly Dipper number of thirty-six.

"Is that the Profound City Central Palace up ahead?"

Jiang Yi strained his eyes but was unable to see the end of the immense, unending complex of palaces.

"May I ask, Gui’er, when can I have an audience with your mistress?"

The chubby girl pursed her lips, as if she too were pondering that very question.

Just then, a woman in a blue robe drifted down gracefully.

"I heard that the Young Master has passed the Nine Mounds, and have come to welcome you."