Chapter 487 — The Overlapping Realm

Kui Wushen worshipped my soul to death. I do not have Xing Han's strength, and now my soul is about to scatter and disperse. Zhankong, bring me the Ximilo. " The Xuanliao Demon Ape came forward on his knees, holding up the Ximilo in both hands. "Because of the Ximilo, my senior brother transmitted the Thunder Cry Mahayana Sutra to you; because of him, I took you as my disciple. Great Thunder Cry Temple and Little Thunder Sound Temple have been joined together again because of you. " Little Tathagata raised his hand, and the Ximilo floated in the air.

"You are the junior fellow disciple of Ma Tathagata of Great Thunder Cry Temple.

After I die, take the monks of this mountain to Great Thunder Cry Temple; Ma Tathagata will take you in. " He took up a kasaya robe and a volume of scripture, laid the scripture upon the robe, and set both on the Demon Ape's two hands; the Ximilo descended and pressed down upon the scripture.

"Say to Ma Tathagata: the Dharma says all living beings are equal, so why are the statues of the demon race in the temples all mounts for statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? Can we of the demon race be equal as well? " Little Tathagata's soul began to split apart and drift away, yet he went on: "Then ask him: if the demon race can be equal too, why is the Dharma written by humans—can demons write the Dharma as well?

" "Then ask him: saving a human is merit—is saving a demon also merit? " "Then ask him: eating a human is taking life—is eating a demon also taking life?

Plants, grass and trees, can become demons too; is eating them taking life? " "If he cannot answer, give him the sutra written by me, a demon Tathagata, and he will take you in.

" Little Tathagata pressed his palms together, smiling: "After I enter nirvana, take this stinking skin bag of mine to Great Thunder Cry Temple, and ask him: may I enter the Tower of Ten Thousand Buddhas? " With that, his soul scattered and dispersed.

"Demon—Master!

" The Xuanliao Demon Ape fell prostrate, and all the monks chanted the Great Compassion Mantra in unison. "Little Tathagata, by his own strength, founded Little Thunder Sound Temple, making it the only holy land in the Wasteland—and the only holy land of the demon race.

" Xu Shenghua said in a low voice: "There is no demon race in the Dharma, yet he gave the demon race a Dharma of their own.

Is the great monk's state of mind not that of a Tathagata? Swallow, I want to go and see the Buddha of humans and the Buddha of demons. " Jing Yan said: "I will go with you to Great Thunder Cry Temple.

If the big fellow leads these demon monks through the Wasteland, there will surely be no small number of dangers.

We can look out for each other.

" Xu Shenghua said: "Little Thunder Sound Temple has many experts, after all; crossing the Wasteland should not be too dangerous. It is Cult Master Shen who is in danger—he stole Xing Han's box and even made off with the Golden Palace's Great Venerable.

This Cult Master Shen. . .

" Veins stood out on his forehead. Jing Yan laughed: "You envy him?

Envy his thrilling life? " Xu Shenghua nodded: "But I am not that sort of person. Though I envy him, I do not wish for myself the life he leads.

I hope he can survive this tribulation.

" The cliff of the Wasteland. The great box gave off a faint, ghostly light, and ghostly light came from the cliff face as well.

Outside, all was darkness that shrouded and drowned everything, yet here there was still light—a thing to make one marvel.

The box walked down the steep cliff face and halted before a patch of light. Shen Mu studied the light closely, and could not help showing astonishment. That ball of light was not given off by luminous creatures on the cliff, nor by some treasure—it was sunlight shining through a crack in the rock of the cliff face!

Shen Mu pressed close to the crack and peered deep into it, and saw green grasslands, a brilliant sky, and a blazing sun hanging in the heavens. Ban Gongcuo too lay against the crack and looked inside, utterly astonished.

Seeing this, Long Qilin also stuck out his rear and peered into the crack, saying doubtfully: "Is there a world hidden inside this cliff? " "It is not that a world is hidden inside—rather, this crack in the cliff connects to another world.

" Shen Mu's eyes darted about, but he could see nothing more. "I knew long ago that this place was uncanny, that five worlds overlap here.

.

. Silence!

" Suddenly, two incomparably thick pillars of light shone down from the top of the cliff, humming as they swept past them, though they took no notice of those on the cliff face.

"Xing Han's eyes! " Shen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

Then suddenly the two pillars of light separated, more than a hundred li apart, and shone upon the cliff face, searching inch by inch! Shen Mu was stunned for a moment: "Xing Han dug out his own eyes; now these two eyes fly through the air, searching for our whereabouts!

" His scalp went numb; the very thought of such a scene made him shudder with dread.

"Cult Master Shen, there is a big crack here! " came Ban Gongcuo's voice.

Shen Mu hastily urged the box on; the box strode toward the great crack in the cliff face and slipped into it.