Chapter 624 — First Show of Might

Shen Mu had lived through far more perils, had even stood face to face with a demon god like Vajra; his gift for improvising was foremost among the younger generation.

Ma Rulai's purpose in sending him was, beyond comprehending the supreme Buddha Dharma, to guard the safety of Zhankong and Chenghuai.

"Must I shave my head?" Shen Mu asked.

Ma Rulai laughed: "Do you see me with a shaved head?"

Shen Mu looked up at his head. His hair had turned into flesh-crowns, each one a pearl of wisdom refined by the Buddha Dharma out of the three thousand strands of affliction.

Ma Rulai said: "Some take affliction as their own obstruction, a limit on their cultivation, and so they shave off the afflictions that cover their heads. But the Buddha turns affliction into his own wisdom. The more affliction before Buddhahood, the greater the wisdom after. The Tathagata has not shaved his head — why should you?"

Shen Mu smiled: "I am taught."

The heavens of the Buddha realm blazed with light, hanging high above Licheng.

Layer upon layer, these heavens looked illusory and misty, yet looked at closely they were profoundly deep, holding space beyond measure. In the Twenty Heavens, one great Buddha after another appeared, Buddha-sounds wreathing about. One Buddha stretched out a finger, and a thread of Buddha-light shone down from the Twenty Heavens; the other Buddhas pointed one after another at this temple in Licheng, and the Buddha-lights gathered into a stream and became a pillar of light.

Ma Rulai led the monks to the great pillar of Buddha-light, nodded to Shen Mu and the others, and said: "Take care on the road."

Shen Mu nodded, and stepped with Xuanliao the Demon Ape and Monk Chenghuai into the pillar of light. The pillar of Buddha-light rose slowly and soon vanished into the Twenty Heavens of the Buddha realm; Shen Mu and the other two, treading its base, were carried into the Twenty Heavens with it.

Shen Mu, Xuanliao the Demon Ape, and Chenghuai set foot on solid ground and looked up. Before them stood a vast complex of temple buildings, pagoda after pagoda, great Buddha after great Buddha, and countless monks.

Beneath their feet was a wondrous, resplendent mountain; looking down, they saw Buddha-lands everywhere, gold and glory.

A single heaven alone held a domain as vast as Jingping, with Buddha-lands standing in peace one beside another.

A monk came out to welcome them, bowed, and said: "Three senior brothers come up from the lower world, Mituo Temple lies ahead. Please!"

Shen Mu and the others returned the greeting: "We trouble you to lead the way, senior brother."

The monk led the way ahead and said with a smile: "Senior brother Zhankong's attainments in the Buddha Dharma are unfathomable; I too listened all along the way, and admired them greatly. And these two young senior brothers are...?"

Chenghuai gave his dharma name, then said: "This is Layman Shen of Datingming Temple."

The monk's gaze fell on Shen Mu: "Layman Shen? No wonder he cultivates with his hair unshorn."

Shen Mu smiled faintly: "May I ask which great Buddha founded this Mituo Temple?"

The monk laughed: "Layman Shen does not know — Mituo Temple was founded by Dharma King Molun. Dharma King Molun is an enlightened Buddha of the Heavenly Court, with countless disciples and profound Dharma. Many senior brothers, having sampled Senior Brother Zhankong's attainments in the Dharma, now wish also to sample his attainments in divine powers."

Shen Mu's heart sank a little. This Mituo Temple was most likely the Heavenly Court's sphere of influence, a force the Heavenly Court had planted in the Buddha realm!

"Grandpa Huo has found me a fine errand."

He could not help but feel a headache coming on. They had only just arrived in the Buddha realm, and already the Heavenly Court's forces meant to give them a show of force — their intent was certainly not friendly!

Monk Chenghuai said: "Senior brother, we have come to study, not to pit our divine powers against anyone. Once we have learned the supreme wondrous Dharma, we will return to the lower world. We do not wish to offend senior brothers of the upper world."

They came to the mountain gate of Mituo Temple. The monk smiled: "Only in contest does one learn who is long and who is short. What offense is there in that? Go in!" With that he pushed them from behind into the temple, then shut the gate.

Shen Mu, Xuanliao the Demon Ape, and Chenghuai looked ahead. Before them ran a mountain path, and along both sides of it, every ten paces or so, stood a pair of monks with staffs in hand, their faces grave.

At the summit of Mituo Temple, a young monk in a yellow robe shouted: "Worship the Buddha, bow to the Buddha, and come up the mountain on your knees!"

Xuanliao the Demon Ape and Chenghuai frowned slightly. Chenghuai said in a low voice: "Cult Master Shen, what do we do? Must we truly bow and knock our heads all the way up? Our way back is already blocked."

At the mountain gate, many monks with torches and weapons barred the way.

"No matter."

Shen Mu smiled: "Do not raise a hand. Just walk up the mountain."

Xuanliao the Demon Ape and Chenghuai strode up the slope. The young monk at the summit narrowed his eyes and shouted: "Strike!"

Along both sides of the path, the monks swung their staffs down at the three!

Shen Mu's sword pill flew out in an instant and became a great ball some three zhang across, blazing with light, sword-gleam wreathing it. With a hum it shredded the robes of the monks who came striking with their staffs. The monk stood there bare as an egg, not knowing what to do.

"Senior brothers of Mituo Temple!"

Shen Mu flicked his fingers, and the sword ball went howling up the mountain path. Wherever it passed, the monks standing along both sides were stripped bare in the blink of an eye; in a panic the monks flung down their staffs and covered their privates.

Shen Mu said in a loud, clear voice: "Have you ever seen a sharira this big?"