Dragon Canon

There was a reason why Wei Yuan had returned immediately. No matter what, he would never mistake his own Dao Foundation. Why had the Pure Land’s gate brought him right to the heart of the jade hill, he had no idea. However, he would have to be crazy to linger for longer than was necessary.

An ordinary cultivator might be tempted to explore this place, but Wei Yuan was, after all, a student trained by the Palace of Absolute Beginning’s centralized learning system. His way of thinking was far more rigorous than that of those raised through the traditional master-disciple system.

He had entered his Dao Foundation, emerged from his sea of consciousness, and ultimately returned to the Pure Land. It was an infinite loop.

It was clear the strongmen weren’t expecting Wei Yuan to reappear in the Pure Land. Those in front came to a sudden halt, causing those behind to crash into them. The group of strongmen instantly scattered everywhere like headless flies.

Wei Yuan tossed an immortal sword toward the crowd of strongmen. All who noticed it instantly fixed their gaze on the blade, on high alert. The next moment, a white flash struck their eyes. It was the Immortal Sword Pure White, and as advertised, it painted everything pure white.

Seizing the moment, Wei Yuan carried the First Consort toward the third wooden door at full speed, dashing through right as the Vajra Guardian’s demon-subjugating vajra scepter was about to strike his head.

The scenery before his eyes shifted, and he found himself in a somewhat dim world. It seemed to be inside a mountain range, with several openings in the dome through which light streamed down. The light was bright but not warm. It didn’t feel like sunlight.

The interior of the massive cavern was covered in moss. There were some plants here and there, but most of them were vines. It was also eerily quiet; so quiet Wei Yuan could hear the sound of his own blood flowing and his heartbeat.

There was a glimmer of light around the bend ahead, but he had no idea what lay there.

Wei Yuan set the First Consort down and asked, “What is this place? Do you recognize it?”

“I’m sorry? I can’t see anything.” The First Consort’s eyes were completely unfocused. It was clear she had been affected by Pure White’s sword intent as well. Wei Yuan had no choice but to cast a minor spell to clear her mind and restore her vision.

Once she was healed, the First Consort looked around and held out her hand. An enigmatic symbol lit up on the back of her hand, and she said, “This is the place. The Arhat’s true blood is just ahead.”

Wei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I’ll set up some defenses first.”

Two HFSLs appeared in his hands as he prepared to lay a line of suppressive fire around the wooden door. But when he turned back, he froze—the wooden door they had come through had vanished.

“This place is a world unto itself. By entering, we’ve effectively died within the original Pure Land. Without us, the Pure Land has shattered, and the gateway through which we entered has also vanished. Follow me.”

The First Consort led the way, and Wei Yuan followed behind her.

Maybe it was because they were alone, but her form subtly shifted and grew much taller. Her figure was no longer as exaggerated as that of a maiden of a mountain village, yet still beyond what most people could bear to look upon. Looking from behind, Wei Yuan could almost imagine lotus flowers blooming on the ground with every step she took.

Though Wei Yuan’s eyes were filled with this beautiful sight, his mind remained clear, and his heart was untainted by worldly dust. He observed his surroundings intently. As he followed the First Consort around a corner, a vast underground chamber came into view.

A colossal Buddha statue, hundreds of zhang in size, appeared before Wei Yuan. The statue looked very young, with features as delicate as a painting. It was so strikingly handsome it was almost unreal. His posture was very peculiar. He was seated in the lotus position with one hand forming a mudra before his knee. However, his other hand was pressing against the cave ceiling, as if supporting the very earth itself. His body was slightly bent, as if the task was extremely taxing.

The First Consort pointed at the statue and declared, “That is the Arthat’s true blood.”

Wei Yuan exclaimed in surprise, “Really? Are you sure?”

“Duh? What did you expect to see? A drop of blood?”

Wei Yuan hid a pang of sheepishness—that was exactly what he thought it would look like, or at most, a gem formed by the condensation of true intent. He never could have imagined it would be a Buddha statue hundreds of zhang tall.

“Let’s go.”

Wei Yuan followed the First Consort to the Buddha statue. There was an offering table, a praying mat, and some simple Buddhist ritual implements. The First Consort brushed the dust off the table, took an incense stick from the side, and lit it. She then inserted it into the incense burner and began to kneel and bow. After one final bow, she remained motionless for a long time, as if praying for something.

As a disciple of the Palace of Absolute Beginning, and with an Immortal Lord presiding over the sect, Wei Yuan naturally could not kneel or bow before a Buddha. He stood to the side, studying the Buddha statue intently.

Based on his limited knowledge of Buddhism, the figure before him looked less like a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, and more like an Arhat. However, Arhats were rarely this massive. Even in the Exquisite Blossom Pure Land’s Four Directions Arhat Dharma Altar World, an Arhat’s golden body was only about ten zhang tall.

There were three small lotus platforms surrounding this Arhat statue, but they were all empty and devoid of anything.

As for the Vajra Guardian in the Pure Land, he was clearly born with some sort of mystic ability that allowed him to take on a gigantic form. His true golden body could not be very tall, standing at most two or three zhang.

Just then, the cave suddenly shook, and dust and debris rained down from above. A faint golden glow began to emanate from the Arhat statue. Several patches on its surface turned golden, but considering the sheer size of the statue, the palm-sized patches might as well be specks of dust.

At that moment, a layer of faint Buddhist light enveloped the First Consort. Her countenance was majestic and serene, radiating boundless sanctity. All around her feet, cyan lotus blossoms appeared and vanished constantly. The muddy ground within a radius of a zhang had also transformed into a clear pool. She just stood there, suspended above the water.

The Arhat statue also came to life, its cold, luminous glow shifting and revealing numerous extraordinary phenomena. Vague figures also materialized on the three small lotus platforms, vaguely discernible as a human, a demon, and a small beast.

A monk’s robe appeared on the Arhat’s body. Although it looked mundane, it gave off a sense of purity and tranquility. A golden alms bowl appeared in the Arhat’s hand that was resting on his knee, and a string of prayer beads appeared on his wrists. Each of the seven beads was a different color, corresponding to different true meanings.

Beneath the Arhat, a lotus platform had taken form as well. However, most of it was buried in the earth, with only a few petals visible.

Every object that appeared caused a stir in Wei Yuan’s heart. For reasons, he was exceptionally sensitive toward the aura of treasures, and since the Great Realm was truly unique, he was also particularly attuned to any treasure aura that might be described as “grand”, “vast”, or “ancient”. As it happened, the Arhat’s attire possessed all of these qualities.

First, the monk’s robe. Though seemingly ordinary, it could calm the mind and purify the primordial spirit—a surefire way to elevate one’s innate talent, and equivalent to raising one’s Dao Foundation by a tier. Although Wei Yuan had already reached the pinnacle in terms of the quality of his Dao Foundation, theoretically speaking, there was still room for improvement. Furthermore, the robe had survived a tribulation. If he wore it, he could likely withstand a True Lord’s attacks while standing.

The function of the golden alms bowl was unclear, but its grade was very high. To put it succinctly, it looked incredibly valuable even though he had no idea what it was used for.

As for the prayer beads, they were clearly a one-time-use treasure. Every bead he used would cost him that bead, but as long as he still had a bead in hand, no Avatar would dare to stand in his way.

These were just the small treasures.

Wei Yuan looked at the vague silhouettes on the lotus platforms and felt a stir of excitement. Could he pick these three as well? Perhaps they would turn out to be protector demons or guardian beasts or something similar—like the snake and cat that accompanied Trueman Chu He. But unlike those two animals, these three had attained their Ariya-phalas.

Finally, Wei Yuan gave the lotus platform beneath the Arhat’s seat a glance...

The Arhat statue bowed its head slightly, gazing at Wei Yuan as if appraising him. A vast, gentle gaze pierced through his whole body, and Wei Yuan felt as if his inner thoughts and secrets were completely laid bare.

The First Consort said, “This is the Arhat of Vast Wisdom, Supreme Merit, and Universal Salvation. Simply recite his Dharma title, and you will receive this karmic opportunity. I have already taken on the karmic consequences[1] for you.”

Suppressing his excitement, Wei Yuan bowed to the Arhat and silently recited his Dharma title.

Wei Yuan immediately felt a sense of gentle warmth within him, as if all his worries could be forgotten, and joy welled up in his heart.

But then Wei Yuan saw the monk’s robe, alms bowl, and prayer beads fade away one by one. The vague silhouettes on the three small lotus platforms dissipated, and finally, the lotus platform beneath the Arhat slowly vanished as well, shattering the Zen-like state in his heart.

Am I not destined with these opportunities? Then why did you show them to me in the first place?! Wei Yuan felt a surge of frustration and humiliation. In that instant, he realized all too clearly that he was still a mere mortal.

Just then, an object fell from the sky and struck Wei Yuan’s head with a thud.

The First Consort, standing nearby, burst out laughing. Her holy appearance shattered as she reverted to the demonness capable of bringing ruin to a nation via her looks alone.

Wei Yuan picked up the object and examined it. It was a fist-sized fruit that was dark red all over and shaped like a withered lotus. As heavy as stone and as hard as jade, it hurt to be hit by it on the head.

“What is this?” Wei Yuan knew little about Buddhist relics, so he humbly asked the First Consort for guidance.

The First Consort rolled her eyes and said, “The Arhat is right in front of you—why are you asking me instead of him?”

Wei Yuan cautiously chanted the Dharma title once more, and this time, the experience felt even stranger. Based on his knowledge of Buddhism, a Dharma title this grandiose was generally beyond the reach of even Bodhisattvas and virtually impossible for the likes of an Arhat to attain, let alone three of them[2].

Upon finishing the chant, a wealth of knowledge suddenly filled Wei Yuan’s mind.

Part of it concerned the fruit—the Red Lotus Bodhi. It was an unusual seed of a Bodhi tree. The Bodhi tree that bore it was originally an ordinary Bodhi tree. However, it had grown beside an Arhat until he entered nirvana. As a result, it had absorbed a great deal of karma and formed this Red Lotus Bodhi seed after withering. The Bodhi seed still held a sliver of life; if it fell into the hands of a destined one or landed in a fated place, then it might be reborn.

Upon reading this, Wei Yuan’s spirits soared. This was a Bodhi seed that had taken form before a Buddha! In terms of level of existence, it likely surpassed even the Bay Laurel Immortal Tree tree branch! After all, who knew where that branch had once grown? It could have come from a random wild forest for all he knew. Naturally, a wild immortal object could not compare to a treasure that had taken root before a Buddha.

For the Red Lotus Bodhi to grow into a tree, it must absorb a multitude of karma, primarily those related to slaughter, rivers of blood, and destruction. As for what kind of tree it would ultimately become, that depended on the specific karma it absorbed.

Reading this, Wei Yuan’s joy only deepened. Its revival was never a question in the first place—if he could nurture a withered twig to life, he sure as hell could resurrect a seed that still held a spark of life.

In addition, Wei Yuan obtained a sutra titled the Red Lotus Universal Salvation Mantra. It was a mantra capable of summoning Red Lotus Hellfire[3] to subjugate demons and monsters. Its power depended on the caster’s Buddhist nature and the growth progress of the Red Lotus Bodhi Tree[4].

Wei Yuan had little expectations for his own Buddhist nature, but he was quite confident in the growth progress of the Red Lotus Bodhi Tree. After the two factors offset each other, what remained should still be a substantial amount of power. It might fall short of the Golden Light Water Blade spell, but it certainly far surpassed the rest of his repertoire of Dao techniques.

With this, this journey could be considered a complete success.

Wei Yuan was a Daoist. It was impossible for him to unleash the full power of any Buddhist treasure. In fact, the more powerful the Buddhist treasure, the more it hinged on one’s Buddhist nature and karma. That was why some renowned Buddhist treasures from the Distant Antiquity Era would be worth less than a high-grade immortal sword in the hands of an ordinary cultivator.

Obtaining a Bodhi seed that had taken form before a Buddha was exactly the kind of treasure he had been hoping for. By the time this Bodhi tree had fully grown, Wei Yuan believed that his Dao Foundation would be more or less solidified.

Just then, the cave began to tremble violently, and the falling debris grew larger and larger. The First Consort came over and took his hand, saying, “We should leave.”

Wei Yuan nodded. The scene before his eyes shifted, and his consciousness turned blank. By the time he opened his eyes again, he was back in the small temple. His shifu and Big Senior Sister were still sitting in the pavilion, calm and composed. It was the Xiang Marquis who was pacing back and forth anxiously, clearly disturbed.

When he finally spotted Wei Yuan and the First Consort, the Xiang Marquis hurried over to them with unbridled joy. Zhang Sheng, though, was as unperturbed. He merely glanced their way once before returning to his reading.

The First Consort had regained her appearance as a maidservant. She curtsied to the Xiang Marquis and said, “A few twists and turns happened inside, but overall, it was a smooth journey.”

The Xiang Marquis let out a long sigh of relief and said, “As long as everyone’s safe! As long as everyone’s safe!”

The maidservant said suddenly, “I have a few words I need to exchange with him.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the Xiang Marquis’ face, but he said nothing. He merely said, “I’ll be waiting inside the pavilion.”

Had this been earlier, Wei Yuan would have found this request strange. But now that he knew the maidservant’s true identity, everything made sense. Clearly, the First Consort also felt there was no need to hide anything from him.

Now that the two of them were alone inside the small temple, Wei Yuan was suddenly overcome by a strong sense of unease. The temple’s door wasn’t even closed yet—wait no, this temple didn’t even have a door, meaning that Zhang Sheng could see everything just by turning his body slightly!

Facing Wei Yuan, the maidservant’s ordinary face melted away like water, revealing her stunning features once more. While wearing a half-smile on her face, she asked, “You wanted to know what the consort kins could give you, didn’t you? Are you satisfied with what you’ve received?”

Wei Yuan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“Clearly, you are destined with the Arhat, considering he gave you the Bodhi tree that had stood by him until the very end. To him, the tree was as sacred as the lamps before the Buddha on the Spirit Mountain.”

Oh, she meant the seed, not that. Wei Yuan let out a sigh of relief and felt less worried.

Suddenly, the First Consort pulled open her collar and slid her robe down a bit, revealing full, snow-white curves. The gesture instantly made Wei Yuan’s heart leap into his throat!

He took a single glance, and his mind went completely blank. It was because there were several distinct teeth marks on her exposed skin!

Wei Yuan did not need to compare them to know that they were his own teeth marks!

But how was this possible?

A terrifying thought crossed Wei Yuan’s mind then: could it be... it wasn’t just his primordial spirit that had crossed over?!

The First Consort’s lips curved into a tiny smirk as she said, “Relax, I’ve already shouldered the greatest karmic burden for you. You are only a teeny weeny bit implicated. As for what is the nature of that karma...”

She gently stroked her lower abdomen and finished, “... It’s right here[5].”

1. It terrifies me to make this distinction because logically I should’ve translated both as karma. You the readers were supposed to figure out yourselves that she took the consequences and he reaps the rewards. But... yeah. >_> ☜

2. Referring to this: Vast Wisdom, Supreme Merit, and Universal Salvation. ☜

3. Ye Qing may not be here, but his technique is BACK! ☜

4. Not a mistake. The above is a seed, this is the tree. ☜

5. It is what you think it is. Didn’t expect this, did you? This whole “side” arc is not nearly as “insignificant” as it seems btw. You’ll probably want to bookmark it and come back to it in the far future. ☜