Chapter 1208: Emperor Shakra Li Youran
Xu Sheng Hua returned to the Upper Cang Divine Sect, his expression hesitant and uncertain. Jing Yan saw this and understood, asking, "Husband, do you wish to leave the Western Lands?"
Xu Sheng Hua nodded. "Sect Leader Qin came this time to show me the fruits of his cultivation over these years, and he also spoke of the Ancestral Court and the Tai Xu, which piqued my interest."
Jing Yan smiled. "Husband has always followed his own heart. In the past, your mind was at ease, which is why you could stay in the Western Lands for so many years. Now that your heart is stirred, why not follow it?"
Xu Sheng Hua hesitated. "Now I have a wife and daughter, so it is difficult to follow my heart."
Jing Yan smiled faintly. "Husband, do you think your wife and daughter have fulfilled you, or have they restricted you?"
Xu Sheng Hua was stunned.
Jing Yan laughed. "Some people believe that having a wife and children restricts them, making it hard to realize their ambitions. They blame heaven and earth, and their families become discordant. Others believe that having a wife and children gives them even more motivation to strive, to work hard, and to seek improvement. Husband, are you the mediocre man of the former, or the strong man of the latter?"
Xu Sheng Hua had a sudden realization and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, my lady, for guiding me."
Jing Yan quickly helped him up, smiling. "Husband, you flatter me. The chaos in the world will only grow greater and more ferocious. Its scale may not be inferior to the Yan Kang Calamity. If you cannot improve yourself, in the future, it will be difficult not only to protect the common people but even to protect your wife and child, or even yourself. Since you have the ambition and the path to advance, then go. There is no need to worry about us mother and daughter."
Xu Sheng Hua made up his mind and immediately packed his belongings. He kissed Jing Yan and his daughter Xu Meng Qing, then set off from the Western Lands, heading for Yan Kang.
Meanwhile, Qin Mu returned to the cubic prison where the Ark of the Other Shore was located.
The place was still sealed, but the seal could no longer hinder Qin Mu. He walked inside and saw many monks laboring hard, repairing the magnificent giant ship.
The Ark of the Other Shore could be said to be the most magnificent ship ever forged by humans and gods from ancient times to the present. It was even like a flying continent, possessing incredible abilities, able to travel through the void and sail beneath the Void Bridge!
And the terrifying power of the Void Bridge was already well known to Qin Mu. The Void Bridge in the Tai Xu was so dangerous that even Celestial Venerables could not cross it safely!
But the Ark of the Other Shore could.
These monks from the Kai Huang era must have infiltrated this cubic prison from Feng Du, silently, without alerting the gods and demons of the Heavenly Court.
Repairing the Ark of the Other Shore was extremely difficult. In the Kai Huang era, it was only possible because of the existence of a powerful figure like Emperor Shakra Li Youran, who established his Dao through forging. Only then could the Ark of the Other Shore and the Land of No Worries be created.
The Heavenly Court did not have such an extraordinary being as Emperor Shakra, so they could only leave the Ark of the Other Shore stranded here, unable to repair it.
Moreover, without the Ark’s Star Disk, it was impossible to reach the Land of No Worries. Therefore, the Celestial Venerables of the Heavenly Court were not very concerned about this ship.
Qin Mu arrived at the Ark of the Other Shore. The ship had been repaired to about seventy or eighty percent completion. Emperor Shakra Li Youran was holding a pile of blueprints, checking the connections and rune imprints of each component with many monks.
He also personally took the field, forging and imprinting, very busy.
Qin Mu approached and was slightly startled, seeing that every monk had the face of Emperor Shakra Li Youran, but their attire and the work they were responsible for were different.
"Li Youran also studied the Old Buddha’s Infinite Calamity Sutra. These monks are his dream incarnations!"
Qin Mu suddenly understood. Back then, in the Buddhist realm on the Brahma Heaven, the ones who entered the Old Buddha’s small temple, besides the Demon Ape Zhan Kong and the Monk Ming Xin, were Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King.
The Old Buddha had taught them his techniques, but each person received a different teaching. The Demon Ape Zhan Kong, after receiving the teaching, fell asleep directly, snoring like thunder. Monk Ming Xin meditated quietly, trying to comprehend the profound Buddhist teachings to save all beings.
Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, used his intelligence and wisdom, trying to interpret the Infinite Calamity Sutra from various angles.
At that time, Qin Mu was not taught, but his brother Qin Feng Qing grabbed the Old Buddha and ate him.
Their different attitudes toward the Infinite Calamity Sutra led to different results in their cultivation of it.
Qin Mu had not comprehended any Buddhist teachings from the Infinite Calamity Sutra because he had not tried to comprehend it at all. His gain was the smallest, so the Old Buddha directly instilled the sutra into him. He used it as it came, without thinking about what principles it contained.
Monk Ming Xin wanted to save all beings and eliminate suffering in the world. He gained much from the Infinite Calamity Sutra, learning a great deal. His Buddhist teachings were accomplished, and his attainments were very high.
However, because he was too deliberate, he moved further and further away from the true essence of the Infinite Calamity Sutra. Although he comprehended various supreme wondrous techniques from the sutra, he could never learn the true Infinite Calamity Sutra.
Only the Demon Ape Zhan Kong received the Old Buddha’s true transmission.
His Buddha nature was too high. After receiving the sutra, he paid no attention and fell asleep, greatly resembling the Old Buddha’s demeanor back then.
Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, put the most effort into it, wanting to become another Great Brahma Heavenly Buddha King, to go further and avenge his grievances.
He had many schemes, using Qin Mu to purge the Heavenly Court’s power in the Buddhist realm, eliminating the Heavenly Court’s spies. He also could not forget his old feelings with Red Emperor Qi Xia Yu, nor his friendship with Kai Huang, nor the past years, nor his identity as the leader of the Heavenly Artificer Clan, nor his hatred, nor his identity as the War Heavenly King.
Therefore, despite his extremely high talent, his gain from the Infinite Calamity Sutra was the shallowest.
He was also a man with Buddha nature; otherwise, he could not have become the Buddha King of the Nineteenth Heaven of the Buddhist Realm, Emperor Shakra. But he had too many distracting thoughts. Even so, his comprehension of the Infinite Calamity Sutra had given him his own insights.
Qin Mu looked at the countless monk Li Yourans scattered across the Ark of the Other Shore, feeling quite emotional.
Back then, because Li Youran was emotionally involved with Red Emperor Qi Xia Yu, he lost interest in warfare, leading to the near annihilation of the Heavenly Artificer Clan. Only the Mute survived, enduring endless suffering.
Li Youran then entered the monastic life, becoming Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, but he could not let go of the past, unable to achieve the state of the Four Great Emptinesses, and eventually returned to the mortal world.
Now, the self in his dreams had become a monk, but the monk was doing the work of a Heavenly Artificer, repairing the Ark of the Other Shore. For him, this was probably still a state of entanglement and contradiction, difficult to escape.
He could not become the Great Brahma Heaven.
His dream avatars had low intelligence, so he needed to personally guide these selves. Only then could the Ark of the Other Shore be repaired.
Repairing the Ark of the Other Shore was a torment for him, but also a process of repairing his Dao heart.
Qin Mu stepped forward and greeted him with a bow. "Are you now Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, or Li Youran?"
Emperor Shakra Li Youran returned the bow. "Celestial Venerable, I am Emperor Shakra. They are Li Youran."
Qin Mu looked at the hardworking Heavenly Artificers and smiled. "Buddha King, you should say that you are both Emperor Shakra and Li Youran. Only then can you achieve enlightenment."
Emperor Shakra Li Youran was slightly stunned. After thinking for a moment, he smiled. "You’re playing word games again. Let’s not talk about that. What brings the Celestial Venerable here?"
Qin Mu took out the Star Disk of the Ark of the Other Shore. "I came to return this item."
Emperor Shakra took the Star Disk and put it away silently.
Qin Mu asked, "Buddha King, I am also quite familiar with the Ark of the Other Shore. Do you need my help?"
Emperor Shakra shook his head. "No need. I want to do it myself."
Qin Mu smiled. "Then, I will act as your protector."
"Thank you."
Qin Mu sat down, closed his eyes, and rested. After an unknown amount of time, the Ark of the Other Shore had been mostly repaired by Emperor Shakra, and a series of giant furnaces had also been forged.
Although Yan Kang had many Heavenly Artificers, including strong figures like the Mute, they had not yet managed to forge such massive furnaces.
In terms of precision and micro-level detail, Yan Kang’s forging techniques had surpassed those of Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, but in terms of scale, Emperor Shakra, the Buddha King, still held the top position.
Suddenly, the surroundings darkened. The massive seals, like giant continents, formed a cube around the Ark of the Other Shore. The mountains and forests gradually changed. Above the Ark of the Other Shore, the earth slowly rose, forming a huge face that hung down from above.
The earth split open, revealing three enormous eyes, looking with great interest at the nearly completed Ark of the Other Shore.
—Today there are two classes, three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Zhai Zhu may not have time to write tonight’s chapter. I’m letting you know in advance.