"Can!"

Feng Zikang was momentarily stunned. "Brother Kuei, you recognize this Wind Essence?"

The Wind Essence, the very soul of wind, rarely manifested. It could only be glimpsed within vast, powerful gusts. Such essences were incredibly useful, whether for refining magical artifacts or condensing one's own cultivation.

Yet, for some unknown reason, Kuei Tongzi appeared panicked. Clearly, his view of the Wind Essence differed sharply from Feng Zikang's.

"How could I not recognize it!"

Kuei Tongzi forced a bitter smile. "When the Great Desolation fractured, and the heavens and earth separated, reshaping the primordial waters and winds—that was when such things were most visible. That's why I jumped in fright when I first saw it." He paused, his voice laced with doubt. "But surely, an eruption of this level of the Nine Nether Underwind shouldn't possess the power to destroy worlds, should it?"

Having witnessed world-ending might before, that was the source of his fear. Though he surmised this outburst of Nine Nether Underwind lacked the power to reset the elemental order, seeing the Wind Essence nonetheless made him tremble involuntarily.

"Oh," Feng Zikang reassured him. "Brother Kuei needn't worry. I believe that monk Huiji still has moves left. Never mind destroying the world; just destroying this Lu Yun Valley might prove difficult for this Nine Nether Storm!"

Feng Zikang watched as the monk Huiji hurled the Wind-Quelling Bead toward the Wind Essence, then slapped his own forehead, revealing a towering, eighteen-foot golden body. He had transformed into a radiant, golden Arhat.

This Arhat was also clad in tattered robes, though his face appeared cleaner than Monk Huiji’s. Despite a faint smile on his countenance, his eyes held a touch of sorrow. A brilliant Buddha light emanated from him, pressing down upon the Nine Nether Storm. The Wind-Quelling Bead and the Wind Essence battled fiercely under the suppression of the golden radiance.

"What in the world is this now? A Golden Body divine ability like a Dharma Manifestation?"

Kuei Tongzi failed to recognize the image of the Arhat. Feng Zikang smiled faintly. "I didn't expect this Monk Huiji to be a reincarnation of an Arhat. Revealing his Arhat Golden Body now to suppress the Nine Nether Underwind outburst—he’s certainly paid a steep price for this."

If the Underwind were allowed to erupt unchecked, the living beings within the Lu Yun Mountains would suffer catastrophe. This monk Huiji was acting out of pure benevolence, sacrificing himself to protect them.

"These Buddhists are truly strange."

Kuei Tongzi mused over Feng Zikang’s words, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow.

These people were willing to feed themselves to tigers and cut their flesh for eagles for the sake of mortal beings. One might call it the boundless compassion of a Bodhisattva, yet their actions often resulted in deluding the masses and disrupting the state. This combination of traits deeply puzzled Kuei Tongzi.

Back in the ancient Great Desolation, cultivators generally fell into two camps.

One faction believed mortals were mere ants, their lives irrelevant to the cultivator's affairs. They might use mortals as tools, but never cherished them.

The other faction believed that immortals too originated from mortals—mortals being the ancestral stock of the enlightened. Thus, they meticulously taught, left behind legacies, and used the Great Dao to open the minds of mortals, sacrificing themselves for humanity; tales of their deeds were widespread.

But this Buddhist practice was peculiar.

Looking at their methods—creating idols, building temples everywhere to sway the hearts of the people, yet withholding the true Dharma—it seemed they merely wished to utilize mortals, transforming mortal wishes into divine power to construct the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Yet, their vows of self-sacrifice bespoke great compassion, even to the point of risking their own lives and—

Listening to Kuei Tongzi’s question, Feng Zikang paused, considering for a moment. "In my view, it’s a conflict between the collective aspirations of the Buddhist community and the personal desires of the individual."

Feng Zikang actually understood the mindset of those in Buddhism. Their goal was naturally to deliver all sentient beings. To "deliver all sentient beings" meant establishing Buddhist principles as the foundation upon which all beings in this current world—the Primary Profound Realm—would be illuminated. Following that, they would use supreme divine power to elevate this entire realm to a higher plane.

It was akin to ordinary people ascending to immortality; this realm's ascension would mean becoming, in its entirety, a realm of Immortals!

This sort of feat had been attempted before. Of course, for a world as vast as the Primary Profound Realm, the merit and effort required for such an ascension were not easily achieved.

Therefore, the first step for Buddhists was the propagation of faith.

They didn't need to transmit the Great Dao itself; they simply used idols and temples to attract mortal belief, then spent several generations slowly infusing Buddhist principles deep into the fabric of the world. Only then could the first step be considered complete.

Looking back, everything the Buddhists currently did, seemingly nonsensical, was actually preparation for the future.

But for the Great Virtue Monks, they had already reached the state of Nirvana, having long since seen through life and death. They only remained tied to their grand vow of delivering all beings, preventing their ascension, forcing them into cycles of reincarnation.

Take this Monk Huiji's Arhat reincarnation, for example. If he wished to ascend to the Upper Realm, he only needed to maintain his Arhat attainment; he could naturally be reborn in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or ascend directly.

Yet, he chose to embed himself in the mortal realm, enduring repeated rebirths to guard the Wind-Quelling Bead and the several Wind Eyes. He did this solely to protect the common people.

For them, while the ultimate task of Buddhism was paramount, the actions of the present life were obligations that must be fulfilled.

Kuei Tongzi pondered for a long time, still frowning and shaking his head. "This Buddhist path is truly contorted. The Great Dao was direct—pointing straight to the heart and revealing true nature. I see now that after the heavens and earth broke apart, the Dao fragmented into three thousand variations. It truly has spoiled... spoiled!"

Feng Zikang gave a wry smile. According to Kuei Tongzi’s description, in the days of the Great Desolation, there was no divergence of the Dao; the Great Dao inherently possessed a single, ultimate answer. Everyone strove to comprehend this single Dao, which only made the Dao clearer. Now, everyone claims their own Dao, and naturally, the Great Dao has retreated, becoming inaccessible.

This observation caused a jolt in Feng Zikang's heart. He felt a sense of shock but couldn't quite articulate why.

"Brother Kuei, you are a Transcendent from two thousand years ago. If fate allows, could you perhaps speak a little about the Great Dao?" He bowed deeply, sincerely seeking instruction from Kuei Tongzi.

Kuei Tongzi was stunned speechless, waving his hands desperately. "Brother Feng, stop joking with me! When I listened to the teachings back then, I was just a mere attendant. I only spoke this way because I grasped the root of the Daoist techniques. As for what the Great Dao truly is... if I could articulate that, would I still be like this now?"

Feng Zikang knew he was asking the impossible, so he just laughed heartily.

At that moment, they heard the Arhat Golden Body, manifested by Monk Huiji, roar out in exasperation, "You two loitering scoundrels! Aren't you going to hurry up and help? Buddha is about to collapse! If even a trickle of the Nine Nether Storm breaks loose, just see how much sin you two will accrue! Hurry up!"

Feng Zikang turned back to see Monk Huiji waving his massive fists at him, blazing with anger.

The two exchanged knowing glances and laughed. They understood the monk was frantic. However, Monk Huiji was also right: first, Feng Zikang had stolen the Wind-Quelling Bead, and second, Kuei Tongzi had caused trouble at Cihua Temple, leading to this massive eruption. If the life in Lu Yun Mountain truly perished, they would inevitably incur boundless sin.

Feng Zikang himself didn't care much. As a demonic figure, merit and sin were both illusions. But currently, his strength was insufficient; staying low-key was paramount. Having the sin wiped away by Confucius's principles wouldn't be a bad thing... *

Kuei Tongzi, having understood the causality of the Great Dao since childhood, knew that one should avoid karmic burdens from killing if at all possible. Although the monk had inadvertently insulted him earlier, the anger had dissipated after he knocked the bead back. Initially, feeling incapable of helping, he had stood aside. But now that Monk Huiji had transformed into an Arhat and was using Buddha light to suppress the Nine Nether Storm, they certainly had an opportunity.

Furthermore, this was a chance to seize the Wind Essence. Feng Zikang's eyes darted as a plan formed.

He summoned his sword light and flew to the edge of the Nine Nether Underwind eruption, asking with a smile, "Master, I have returned the Wind-Quelling Bead intact. This Nine Nether Underwind is truly formidable; what can we do to assist?"

Monk Huiji shot him a cross look. Here he was, exhausting himself, while the two culprits watched the show from the sidelines. How could he not be furious? "Kid, don't play dumb with me! I am in my Arhat Golden Body state; my eyes are sharp! Aren't you just after that piece of Wind Essence? Fine, I grant it to you! If you go up and take the Wind Essence, the power of this Nine Nether Storm will naturally lessen greatly. Then Buddha will surely have a way to control it, and you won't have to worry!"

Feng Zikang knew this was precisely the kind of advantageous situation that would make him willing to help. If he painstakingly collected the Wind Essence only for the monk, upon seeing the Arhat's power, to suddenly change his mind and confiscate it, that would be meaningless. Now that he had the monk's explicit promise, Feng Zikang relaxed and meticulously observed the Wind Essence's movement.

This Wind Essence was enormous, and it seemed intelligent—cunning and fierce. The Wind-Quelling Bead, a treasure specifically designed to counter wind-based divine abilities, could only fight it to a standstill. Capturing this Wind Essence would likely not be easy.

But if they didn't capture it, the Nine Nether Underwind would pour out endlessly. Monk Huiji had summoned his past-life Golden Body; no one knew how long it could last. If it broke against the Underwind, everything would be finished.

Fortunately, the Nine Nether Underwind was currently suppressed by the Buddha light. Feng Zikang tentatively stepped into the eruption zone. Though the cold was bone-piercing, with his cultivation level, he could barely endure it.

"Swish!"

Kuei Tongzi proved his loyalty and followed Feng Zikang in. As soon as he entered, he deployed his tortoise-shell armor, enclosing them both. For the moment, the Nine Nether Underwind couldn't touch them!

"Yes! Yes! Little turtle, you figure out how to shield us both with your shell, and you, brat, think of some clever scheme to collect the Wind Essence. Once that's done, this matter is settled!"

Monk Huiji, despite being an Arhat, was still coarse-mouthed. Kuei Tongzi was furious, turning back to curse, "You bald donkey, stop spouting nonsense! Who is a little turtle!"

He had seemingly learned the insult spontaneously, inventing the term "bald donkey," which proved that insults, across all eras, followed a certain logic and eventually converged on the same source.

Monk Huiji ignored him, continuing his haphazard name-calling. Kuei Tongzi could not tolerate it, but he finally understood that this erratic Arhat simply had this temperament; arguing was useless.

Feng Zikang found it amusing, but his entire focus remained fixed on the Wind Essence.

The closer he approached, the clearer he saw it: within the pale green mass, there were distinct layers, internal swirling variations, an infinite complexity. Truly the Essence of Wind, living up to its name.

The Wind-Quelling Bead emitted a dazzling light, suppressing the Wind Essence's counterattack, yet it could not subdue it in one go.

"Brother Feng, is there any way to capture it?"

Feng Zikang frowned and shook his head, then suddenly swung his sword. A beam of sword light shot out, cleaving the Wind Essence in half. The Wind Essence seemed startled but unconcerned; it merely twisted, and the two halves reformed into one mass.

"Idiot! Absolute idiot!"

Monk Huiji cursed incessantly. "Have you ever seen anyone cut the wind with blades and swords? Wind is formless; cutting it achieves nothing!"

Feng Zikang smiled slightly and shook his head.

"If I don't shatter it, this massive piece of Wind Essence—I don't possess any treasure light enough to contain it. Even your Master's Myriad Things Energy Pouch would be ripped apart by it trying to escape. What other method is there to capture it?"

"Qing—"

Monk Huiji looked closely and saw that the Wind Essence was indeed outrageously large; his expression shifted slightly.

"Drat, why did I attract such a massive Wind Essence? Has it grown larger and more powerful from me suppressing the Wind Eye for so long?"

Feng Zikang's heart stirred, and he nodded. "Master's words actually contain profound truth. Although the Wind-Quelling Bead is powerful enough to suppress this Nine Nether Wind Eye, regardless, a massive storm is still incubating beneath the eye. If your Wind-Quelling Bead were gone, or if it couldn't suppress it and it broke through—then the ensuing disaster would be limitless!"

"It is better to guide than to block. Governing water is like this, governing a nation is like this, and governing the world's calamities should be the same!"

"Ah!" Monk Huiji slapped his golden, shining head. "I can't believe that after ten reincarnations, I've been enlightened by Young Benefactor's words! You speak the truth. I have only relied on blocking and suppressing, unaware that human effort has its limits, which led to this situation! Fortunately, Young Benefactor reminds me now. If this Wind Essence grows stronger over the next few hundred years, even the Wind-Quelling Bead won't hold it, and this old monk will be in trouble!"

Having achieved Arhat status, he was exceptionally intelligent. Feng Zikang’s words, though born from self-interest, contained essential truth. Monk Huiji achieved sudden enlightenment, dancing with joy.

"But for now,"

Feng Zikang smiled, steering the conversation back to the present.

"Yes, yes!" Monk Huiji remembered the immediate problem, sheepishly withdrawing his hand, then chuckling. "Now that we have such a huge piece of Wind Essence, how does Young Benefactor plan to deal with it?"

Feng Zikang laughed heartily. "Master, I already explained earlier. We cannot contain one large piece of Wind Essence, but what if there are many small pieces?"

Monk Huiji was startled. "Didn't you try cutting it just now and fail? Are you going to cut the wind again?"

Feng Zikang roared with laughter, and his light scraped toward the sky, splitting into thousands.

"Master, are you saying there are no people in this world who can cut the wind? Don't be so narrow-minded!"

The thousands of sword lights descended rapidly, striking the Wind Essence with pinpoint accuracy. In an instant, the Wind Essence was sliced into countless fragments. Although wind is formless, just as they were about to coalesce again, Feng Zikang shouted loudly and released countless jade bottles!

"Ah, yah!"

Monk Huiji was startled. How did this fellow carry so many jade bottles? Was he a traveling pharmacist?

Before he could fully react, Kuei Tongzi frantically threw out all his various jars and pots, rushing to collect the chopped-up Wind Essence!

Monk Huiji smacked his head. He quickly tossed his own alms bowl and other containers, unwilling to let that brat claim all of this useful treasure for himself! For the continuation of the story, please log in to Si , for more chapters, please support the author and the authentic version.