Legend of the Great Sage (Chapter 201-Chapter 300)

“First senior brother and Li Qingshan.”


When the school masters heard Li Qingshan’s name, they all gathered their focus. Right now, he was the source of all their problems, as well as the key to dealing with the issue of the school of Novels.





Chapter 292: Guardian Kings Subdue Demons | Legend of the Great Sage




Liu Zhangqing immediately fished out the Watermirror disc, which conjured an image. The monk’s spade in Mind Enlightenment’s hand was imbued with true qi, turning into a startling wave that forced Li Qingshan back. However, Li Qingshan was like a small boat in the storm, rising and falling with the wave without capsizing.

Wang Pushi frowned. “This brat really is a troublemaker.”

After hearing the whole story, the One Thought master became displeased too. “Xiao An is currently practising the Guardian King’s Scripture of Demon Subdual, so no one should disturb her. Li Qingshan is far too insensible.”

As an esoteric cultivation method of buddhism, originally only the primary disciple, Mind Enlightenment, could practise the Guardian King’s Scripture of Demon Subdual. This was not because the One Thought master was unfair and favoured Mind Enlightenment. Instead, it was because the Guardian King’s Scripture of Demon Subdual possessed far too much depth. It required a very firm foundation and a very high level of understanding for a cultivator to practise it.

This was beyond what talent alone could achieve. It required an extremely deep foundation in cultivation and a great understanding of buddhist philosophies. It was not something that a new disciple could practise. There were plenty of buddhist disciples who would take quite a few years despite their cultivation foundation to practise this cultivation method.

The reason why the One Thought master had arranged for this to happen was to separate Li Qingshan and Xiao An, especially after he learnt that she had only known Li Qingshan for around a year, and they were not connected by blood. This was for Xiao An’s sake too. As a buddhist disciple, too many distracting thoughts would affect her cultivation. As long as he separated them for a while, time would naturally erode away everything.

His other objective was to eliminate Xiao An’s arrogance so that she could learn her flaws before this wondrous method of buddhism that even she was unable to practise. No matter how great of a genius she was, there was nothing she could do if she did not comprehend the essence of buddhism, cut off her worldly ties, and cultivate in peace.

……

Nightfall yesterday, outside the Anāsravā? temple, in the Pure Moon nunnery.

Xiao An changed into a set of grey monk robes and knelt quietly before the buddha.

The One Thought Master picked up his razor, personally performing tonsure and completing this ancient ceremony for her.

When the shiny tonsure razor reached towards her long, dark hair, the abbess of the nunnery, the One Leaf abbess, despite personally believing her mind had already achieved a stillness akin to an ancient well, actually found this slightly regretful. With that, she would serve as a buddhist monk for the rest of her life, cutting off her worldly ties.

Xiao An raised her head and avoided the razor. She looked at the jade buddha in the niche.

The One Leaf abbess discovered that her dark eyes were even more akin to an ancient well than her own heart before smiling self-deprecatingly. She was just a child. Were there any girls who were willing to cut the beautiful long hair they had grown themselves? Because of her unbelievable talent, didn’t that make her mind unsettled too?

She brought her palms together and stated, “A head of black hair is akin to three thousand strands of afflictions. Shaving away your hair is ending these afflictions. Don’t be so reluctant to give it up. Only with loss comes gain.”

However, little did she know that losing her hair meant nothing to Xiao An. Even losing her body meant nothing. It was all just an illusion, just like how even the greatest beauty would be reduced to a pile of white bones someday. She had never cared about it in the first place. Whether it was a head of black hair or three thousand strands of afflictions, it was all for him, so how could she shave it away so easily?

The One Thought master said, “Tonsure is a crucial ceremony for joining the school of Buddhism. It represents cutting away all your concerns so that you can wholeheartedly cultivate. If you don’t go through with this, you won’t be able to become a disciple of the school of Buddhism.”

Xiao An said nothing. She took out the Guardian King’s pearl and placed it before the buddha.

There was no need for anyone to say anything to her. Even a supreme grade spiritual artifact was not enough for her to go through with this.

The One Thought master remained in silence for quite a while before letting out a long sigh. He allowed her to cultivate in the Pure Moon nunnery without going through tonsure, but it only made him even more determined. He could not allow a mere Li Qingshan to affect this rare, supreme genius of his school of Buddhism.

Benevolent be the buddha. Perhaps she was supposed to suffer a little so that she would know when to take a step back in the face of difficulties.

……

In the blink of an eye, Mind Enlightenment had already forced Li Qingshan down the cliff. He was encased in the wrathful, glaring, golden avatar of a guardian king, which swung down with the golden, half-transparent monk’s spade in his hand.

There was a great clang.



Li Qingshan parried with the Wind-entwining blade and stopped the monk’s spade, but his arms shuddered, and the webbing between his thumb and index finger ached. The power from Mind Enlightenment had completely exceeded anything that a Strength Talisman of the Guardian Kings could provide.

A notch immediately appeared on the Wind-entwining blade. Under the force of the monk’s spade, it let out a painful groan as it twisted and changed shape.

There was a flash of blue light, and the Clear Stream sword shot out from Li Qingshan’s sleeve, stabbing towards Mind Enlightenment’s forehead. There was a clink, and it was sent flying. It failed to harm the golden avatar at all.

“Like an ant trying to shake a tree! Why don’t you piss off!” Mind Enlightenment crushed down with the monk’s spade.

Li Qingshan was secretly amazed by the power of buddhist cultivation methods. If he did not transform, he would have to use the Cursive Sword Calligraphy if he wanted to get through this golden avatar.

Suddenly, his vision lit up, and he smiled. Looks like there was no longer any need for that. A petite figure rushed over by leaping roof to roof, her black hair dancing in the air. He did not think too much. He just felt that she still looked better with hair.

The One Thought master saw this too. He immediately questioned the One Leaf abbess, “Junior sister, didn’t I say that she’s forbidden from leaving seclusion if she didn’t complete the first layer of the Guardian King’s Scripture of Demon Subdual? Why did you let her out?”

He had placed down restrictive formations at the location where Xiao An cultivated. Not only were others forbidden from entering or disturbing her, but even Xiao An herself could not leave until she reached the first layer of the Guardian King’s Scripture of Demon Subdual. Apart from him, the only person who could let her out was the One Leaf abbess. He had left plenty of food in there for her, along with precious pills. They were enough to sustain her cultivation for quite a while.

Before the wide open doors, the One Leaf abbess stood in a daze. She did not answer him. All she muttered was, “That’s impossible!”