Chapter 629 — Killing Intent Hard to Suppress

In the ruined temple, Sakra, the Heavenly Buddha King, went barefoot, strolling at ease, wandering here and there, in no hurry at all to find Brahma, the Heavenly Buddha King. "Junior brother, what trouble are you scheming to stir up now?

" a voice came from behind him.

Sakra turned and saw a sweeping monk sweeping away the footprints he had left. Sakra said with a smile, "I walk without stirring dust; like my person, my traces are spotless and I leave no footprints behind — why bother to sweep, senior brother? " The sweeping monk said, "Your person left no footprints, but your mind has left its mark.

I am sweeping the dust from your mind. " Sakra said, "You call my mind filthy — you're insulting me.

I can't beat you, so I won't stoop to quarrel. Hurry and pass your cultivation art to me; once I've learned it I'll dust off my backside and go, sparing you the nuisance.

" There came the soft swish of sweeping, and Sakra followed the sound to see another sweeping monk entering from the west gate, head bowed over his broom, saying, "You always want my cultivation art. Can you still not see the reason I do not pass it to you? Junior brother, because I did not pass it to you, you became the Sakra, the Heavenly Buddha King you are today, second only to me in the Buddhist realm, and your cultivation art has reached the Lingxiao level. Had I passed it to you, you might never have achieved what you now have. " Sakra fixed his eyes on this sweeping monk who had appeared so suddenly and said, "I can climb no higher now; I cannot cultivate to the level of the Emperor's Throne, and so I have come to ask you for the Emperor's Throne Sutra to study.

You said you would pass it to whoever came in. I have come in. Pass it to me, and I will trouble your purity no longer.

" Another soft swishing of a broom came from behind him; Sakra turned to see yet another sweeping monk sweeping his way over — three sweeping monks now stood in the courtyard. His Dharma Eye was without peer.

He studied the three sweeping monks, and every one of them was different in appearance, and yet every one of them was Brahma, the Heavenly Buddha King — and truly Brahma, the Heavenly Buddha King! These Brahmas, the Heavenly Buddha Kings, were unlike in form and alike in spirit.

He was only a single realm apart from Brahma, the Heavenly Buddha King — and yet he could no longer comprehend him.

One realm, like a Heavenly Moat, made Brahma seem unfathomably deep, while he himself seemed somewhat shallow.

The sweeping monk came sweeping over, not raising his head, and said, "In all the Buddhist realm, no second one surpassing you can be found.

You should be able to see that there is something strange beneath that eye of the Shen family's child. I saw the Shen child when I wandered the Dark Capital in a dream; he was devouring the ghosts and gods of the Dark Capital. I observed him a while — he even wished to devour me. He is the most evil and ferocious being in the world. I was present when the Earth Lord sealed him; I too went to the Wasteland to see him, and I witnessed him grow step by step from a mortal sealed by the Earth Lord, possessing nothing and being nothing, witnessing him go from a mortal body to an Overlord Body. If you peel off his golden willow leaf now, I fear it will bring down a great slaughter. " Sakra did not wish to hear more. He walked straight on, shaking his head.

"You should also know that in recent years the Heavenly Court has planted more and more people in the Buddhist realm. In the past the Heavenly Court sent accomplished Buddhas who still had some regard for appearances; but now it plants the finest of the younger generation. These young Buddha-sons cultivate no Buddhist Dharma — only divine powers. When their cultivation matures in years to come, the Buddhist realm will exist in name alone! I can already see us Buddhas having our orthodoxy extinguished, the magpie's nest occupied by the dove. In time the Heavenly Court will wash the Buddhas in blood, and there will be no Buddha in the Buddhist realm! You fold your hands and wait for death; I am not willing to let the orthodoxy be wiped out.

" He walked a few steps, and ahead another sweeping monk was waiting for him. Sakra looked without seeing, walked straight past, and went on: "The Shen child's entry into the Buddhist realm is a grand opportunity. We can use his hand to uproot the Heavenly Court's planted spies and younger generation in one stroke! You have great wisdom; you can surely see my intent.

" He had taken scarcely a few steps when another sweeping monk stood by the roadside.

In the span of a single passage, he passed more than ten sweeping monks. Ahead, a sweeping monk on the left side of the road lifted his head and, leaning on his broom, said, "Using the Shen child's hand to destroy the Heavenly Court's planted people is a brilliant move, but it will also bring many variables to our Buddhist realm. When the Heavenly Court investigates, it will surely trace the matter to you. Just now the Shen child said outside that the chamber pot would be placed on your head — and you may not be able to bear that chamber pot. You still cannot forget the past.

" "If you forget the past, does the past cease to exist?

" Sakra walked on and said with a sneer, "You are lofty in realm; you forget the past and deem it illusion. But I remember the past clearly. Rest assured, I will not implicate the Buddhist realm.

Once I learn your cultivation art, I will leave before the chamber pot falls. " Ahead on the right side of the road another sweeping monk lifted his head and said, "And what of the Shen child? I wandered in the Great Dream and watched him grow. I know how hard he strove to break through beneath the Earth Lord's seal, to walk step by step from one who could never cultivate to where he is now — and you would push him onto the stage.

You will bring him great peril!

" "Senior brother, I wish to stand on the stage, but no one pushes me onto it!

" Sakra asked in return, "Then tell me — do you have a better way to preserve the Buddha's orthodoxy?

" Ahead of him another sweeping monk lifted his head: "No. " The road ahead was a straight line, endless, without a visible end, and on either side of the road stood old monks sweeping with brooms in hand, countless, with no end in sight!

The faces of these sweeping monks were all different, not one of them repeated!

Sakra walked woodenly forward and said, "Whether you wish to contend or not — even if the Four Elements are all void to you — if others deem you a threat they will want to destroy you: not only your disciples, your achievements, your life, your orthodoxy, but your name as well, trampling you underfoot so you can never rise again for all eternity. Since that is so, why not contend? Senior brother, you may dream in tranquil sleep here — I cannot! The cultivation art: will you pass it on or not? " His voice was deafening, yet the sound did not travel beyond the temple; it circled only within those walls. A faint, mournful sigh came, and the road ahead and the sweeping monks upon it gradually grew hazy and vanished one after another.

"I will pass it on.

" Sakra smiled.

"After I have passed it on, find your own way out of the Buddhist realm, lest you die here.

" Sakra grew solemn, pressed his palms together, and bowed: "Thank you, senior brother.

" Brahma's voice came: "As for the Shen child, you must also make it up to him; he bore great peril on your account.

Beyond that, the chamber pot — you will put it on your own head.

" "I am grateful for your instruction. " Sakra hesitated, then said, "May I ask, senior brother — how big is the chamber pot?

" "Bigger than you imagine.

" Outside the ruined temple, the third eye on Shen Mu's forehead was half-open, half-closed.

With this eye, the divine-path divine store and the demon-path divine store within him were unexpectedly harmonious, gradually becoming one.