bioinnovel Chapter 234 The Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere!
Chapter 234 The Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere!
Deep in the Mohan Desert.
Su Fan and Yuan Qingsheng landed at the coordinates marked by the system, but the scene before them made them both stare in disbelief.
What lay ahead was not barren sand dunes, but a strange, overlapping area.
Scenes from more than a dozen different eras overlap here, including the ruins of the Han Great Wall standing side by side with the post roads of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and camel caravans of the Qing Dynasty...
"Time-space turbulence..."
Yuan Qingsheng gasped; the sand beneath his feet was sometimes cold and sometimes hot!
"The flow of time here changes every three steps!"
Su Fan nodded, while at that moment, the system within his body was issuing high-frequency warnings:
[High-intensity faith barrier detected, analysis progress 12%...17%...]
"It did not form naturally."
Su Fan stared at the only clear and unchanging scene among those overlapping images.
A dilapidated ancient temple, a withered locust tree in front of the temple, and a figure in a tattered cassock standing beneath the tree.
"Someone... or rather, some kind of being, used the power of their faith to separate this area from normal spacetime."
Yuan Qingsheng was stunned for a moment after hearing this; he didn't quite understand.
"Belief?"
Instead of answering Yuan Qingsheng's question, Su Fan took a step forward.
In an instant, all the surrounding superimposed shadows spun wildly, and countless fragments of eras surged toward them like a tide.
The smoke of war from Han soldiers, the distant echoes of camel bells, the lone smoke rising from the desert...
All the images were preventing Su Fan and Yuan Qingsheng from taking another step forward:
"This road is blocked!"
Seeing this, Yuan Qingsheng grunted, and the divine power of a ninth-level Divine Master erupted. The phantom of the Water God Gonggong appeared behind him, forcibly suppressing the space-time within three zhang around him.
"Su Fan, this barrier seems to be rejecting all non-believers!"
Su Fan, however, seemed not to hear.
He closed his eyes, no longer using them to see, but instead letting the golden light of the "Divine Insight System" flow throughout his body.
The system was created specifically to identify Chinese deities and has a natural affinity for and analytical ability regarding the power of faith.
The moment the golden light touched the barrier, the frenzied overlapping images suddenly froze.
Then, all the figures in the images, whether Han soldiers, merchants, or scholars, turned their heads at the same time, and thousands of eyes looked at Su Fan.
Then, a magnificent, ancient, and seemingly timeless conception slowly descended:
Why have you come?
The sounds did not come from any one direction, but rather arose simultaneously from fragments of each era, overlapping to form a harmony that sent shivers down one's spine.
Su Fan opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through countless overlapping shadows, landing directly on the figure in a cassock whose back was to all living beings:
"To seek the true Buddha, to prove the divine way, and to protect all living beings."
silence.
A long silence.
When Yuan Qingsheng was almost unable to withstand the pressure of the temporal turbulence, all the figures in the thousands of overlapping shadows suddenly bowed at the same time, making way for him.
The road stretches out from Su Fan's feet, leading straight to the ancient temple and the withered locust tree.
Under the locust tree, the figure in the tattered cassock finally turned around slowly.
It was neither the solemn and dignified appearance one might imagine, nor the brocade robe of mythology.
Instead, he was an old monk with a withered face, his face etched with the furrows of wind and sand, his eyes sunken, only his eyes remained clear and deep.
He was wearing a very tattered robe, patched upon patched, with rough stitches.
The old monk looked at Su Fan and slowly spoke, his voice hoarse:
"The true Buddha is no longer in this world."
"The way of God has never needed human witnesses."
"common people……"
The old monk paused, a faint trace of pity flashing in his eyes.
"It's not necessarily that you need to protect me."
Three negatives are like three buckets of cold water.
But Su Fan smiled.
He stepped forward three times, neither bowing nor kneeling, but calmly meeting the old monk's gaze:
"If the true Buddha is not in this world, who is the Dharma Master waiting for after sitting here in solitude for 36,000 days?"
"If divine intervention doesn't require human witnesses, why did the Master travel 50,000 li westward to retrieve the true scriptures?"
"If the common people don't need anyone's protection..."
Su Fan pointed eastward.
"Then why do people in this land still remember the name Xuanzang?"
Old monk, no!
Or rather, a ripple finally appeared in the usually calm and unwavering eyes of Tang Sanzang, the Buddhist monk Xuanzang.
"name……"
Tang Sanzang repeated softly, as if he were chewing on a word that was both strange and familiar.
"Yes, there are still people who remember my name."
After saying this, Tang Sanzang raised his withered hand and pointed to his heart:
"But what I remember is that He is the Tang Monk from the story, the Sandalwood Merit Buddha from Chinese mythology, not the one sitting here..."
"This old monk is almost forgetting who he is."
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Fan's system interface suddenly started flashing wildly:
[An anomaly detected in the target deity's true name!]
[Analysis Result: Target deity's divine essence completeness is 37%!]
[Warning: This deity may have lost most of its powers and memories!]
Su Fan's heart trembled violently.
The completeness of the divine status is only 37%?
Su Fan understood instantly.
Tang Sanzang must have encountered tremendous changes during these endless years.
This is what caused Him to lose some of His powers and memories, and to become the person He is today, almost forgetting Himself.
"Master," Su Fan suddenly sat down cross-legged on the sand opposite the old monk, "let me tell you a story."
Tang Sanzang quietly looked at Su Fan.
"At the beginning of the story, there was a young monk named Chen Yi who, in order to understand the Buddhist scripture that all beings are equal, decided to go to India to seek the true scriptures."
"He secretly crossed the border, traversing eight hundred miles of quicksand alone, and nearly died of thirst several times. He was almost roasted into a dried-up human body at the foot of the Flaming Mountain, and almost perished in the Tongtian River. He encountered monsters who wanted to eat him, and he also encountered kings who wanted to keep him."
"Fortunately, He had three powerful disciples to protect Him."
"One was once the Monkey King, one was once Marshal Tianpeng, and one was General Rolling Curtain."
"And He Himself is the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi, a good person who has cultivated for ten lifetimes. Eating His flesh can grant immortality."
"That's why He encountered so many monsters along the way."
"Chen Yi traveled for seventeen years, covering 50,000 li (approximately 25,000 kilometers), and finally brought back 657 Buddhist scriptures. On the day he returned to Chang'an, the streets were deserted as Emperor Taizong personally came out to greet him."
Su Fan's voice was calm as he quietly described a story that seemed to be true.
"Later, He translated scriptures, completing 1,335 volumes in nineteen years. On the day of His passing, the people of Chang'an lined up for three hundred li to see Him off, with white banners like snow."
Tang Sanzang's eyes began to flicker, and those long-blurred fragments of memory seemed to be being awakened little by little.
Finally, Tang Sanzang was also bestowed the title of... by the Buddha.
"The Buddha of Sandalwood Merit!"
Su Fan said slowly.
The moment Tang Sanzang was given his title.
"boom--!!!"
The entire area of superimposed shadows shook violently!
Fragments from all eras simultaneously crumbled and reassembled, ultimately coalescing into countless golden rays of Buddhist light that flowed into Tang Sanzang's withered body.
"Chen Yi... Jin Chanzi... Xuanzang... Sandalwood Merit Buddha..."
Xuanzang murmured these names, and with each name he uttered, the light in his eyes grew brighter.
The dust that covered memories peeled away layer by layer as the real name was called.
Finally, Tang Sanzang raised his head.
His left eye was as clear as a newborn child's, reflecting the suffering of all living beings.
His right eye was as deep as the ancient starry sky, reflecting the three thousand worlds.
"I remember now."
Tang Sanzang's voice was no longer hoarse.
"This humble monk is Xuanzang, who came from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East. He once traveled to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures."
"This humble monk is also... a deity of China!"
The moment the word "god" was uttered, the barrier of faith between heaven and earth shattered!
It was not destroyed, but rather actively gathered, transforming into a flawless golden Buddha light, like a great sun, slowly rising behind Xuanzang's head!
The Buddha's light shines everywhere!
The golden light was warm but not dazzling; wherever it passed, the turbulent flow of time and space instantly subsided, and the overlapping shadows disappeared.
Yuan Qingsheng felt a sense of relief wash over him, and the disorientation that had almost torn his soul apart disappeared.
He stared in awe at Tang Sanzang before him, sensing an aura within Tang Sanzang that was completely different from the divine images of all the gods before him.
That is not a power that requires a contract or a summoning, but a divine power that has always existed here, subtly resonating with the thoughts of this world and the millions of living beings!
A system notification sounded in Su Fan's mind:
[Warning lifted! The Faith Barrier has been transformed into the target divine realm!]
[Detection indicates that the divine status of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang (Tang Sanzang) is being repaired... 37%... 58%... 79%...]
[Divinity restored!]
Tang Sanzang slowly stood up.
He gently tapped the nine-ringed staff in his hand.
"Thump—"
With a soft sound, a gentle golden ripple spread outwards from the point where the staff landed, instantly covering the entire Mohan Desert and continuing to expand at an incredible speed.
"My divine power lies not in conquest, nor in destruction, but in faith!"
Xuanzang's voice resounded throughout the land, clearly reaching the ears of Su Fan and Yuan Qingsheng.
"The more faith I have, the stronger my divine power becomes!"
Su Fan looked surprised upon hearing this.
The power of faith?
This Tang Sanzang is truly extraordinary!
Tang Sanzang nodded to Su Fan: "Young friend, you have awakened me. Speak, what is the matter?"
Upon hearing this, Su Fan immediately said, "Master Xuanzang, I hope you can protect China."
"Oh?"
Su Fan immediately explained the situation.
Tang Sanzang remained silent, but stepped forward, and a lotus platform made of pure light naturally appeared beneath his feet.
"Let's go, young friend Su, benefactor Yuan. It's time to meet the person who now governs China."
Tang Sanzang's tone was calm, but Su Fan's face lit up with joy.
Some things, some words, must be said face to face.
Kyoto, Forbidden City.
Mo Lao and a group of high-ranking officials from China are having an emergency meeting.
The United States has been making increasingly big moves lately.
Mr. Mo's voice was calm and steady.
"It looks like America is going all out, preparing to break through the protective barrier of the Mythic Arena!"
An old man nearby nodded: "Su Fan's attack has driven them to desperation. They can't wait any longer and don't want us to become stronger!"
Old Mo sighed, nodded, and said:
"Any news from Su Fan? He found the scroll's guidance..."
suddenly!
An indescribable wave swept across the entire city of Kyoto.
There was no sound, no vibration.
But everyone could clearly feel the terrifying divine power within.
"This is……?"
Everyone was filled with surprise and doubt.
Just then, ripples spread across the courtyard like water.
Su Fan and Yuan Qingsheng were the first to appear.
Immediately afterwards, an old monk dressed in a simple robe, holding a nine-ringed staff, with a warm halo of Buddha's light hanging behind his head, stepped out slowly on a lotus of light.
Old Mo stared at Tang Sanzang behind Su Fan. Although he had some guesses, he still asked:
"This is……?"
Before Su Fan could introduce him, Tang Sanzang raised one hand to his chest and bowed slightly.
"This humble monk is Xuanzang, a deity of China, who comes from the desert. I greet all of you benefactors."
Chinese deities!
These four words, like a thunderclap, exploded in everyone's ears!
It's not a divine shadow!
It's not a thought awakened within the statue!
Rather, it is alive and exists in the present world...
Chinese deities?!
"You...you are a true god? Not a mere shadow?!"
Old Mo asked, still somewhat incredulously.
Tang Sanzang nodded and calmly said, "Yes, benefactor."
In the courtyards of the Forbidden City, you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was stunned by the old monk who called himself Xuanzang and his words about the gods of China.
Unlike the divine figures that appear when a deity is awakened from a statue, this one before me... is a real, living god walking among mortals!
Old Mo took a deep breath, stepped forward, and solemnly clasped his hands in a salute:
"This junior pays homage to the revered Chinese monk, Master Xuanzang!"
This is a basic respect for the Chinese deities!
Tang Sanzang nodded slightly without any hesitation.
"No need for such formalities, Benefactor Mo."
"Young friend Su has already explained the situation to me."
Then Tang Sanzang turned his head to look at the eastern horizon, his gaze piercing through layers of space, and saw the shadows that were gathering.
"This humble monk can sense that in the far east, murderous intent fills the fields and malevolent energy soars to the heavens. There are heretical forces that intend to invade our Chinese territory and harm our Chinese people."
Su Fan immediately replied:
"The Master is absolutely right. The United States and its allies are plotting a war against China!"
Tang Sanzang put his hands together in prayer and chanted a Buddhist mantra:
"Excellent, excellent! Foreign powers' attempts to invade by force are truly wicked."
"Although I am not skilled in warfare, I may give it a try with the power of faith."
After saying this, Tang Sanzang raised his nine-ringed staff high, and a great burst of Buddhist light instantly shone forth.
The halo of light behind his head detached from his body, transforming into a massive beam of faith that flew towards the sky.
Tang Sanzang said to everyone, "That is my divine power, the Buddha's light shining everywhere. As long as someone believes in me, the power of their faith will continuously gather into this Buddha's light."
"The Chinese people illuminated by this Buddha's light will experience a significant increase in their cultivation speed; the more faith they possess, the faster their cultivation will be!"
"At the same time, it can also enhance my strength."
"I hope that Benefactor Mo can make the people of China believe in me."
Upon hearing this, Old Mo was extremely excited.
Improving cultivation speed? Holy crap, this is a divine power that benefits the entire nation and elevates the destiny of the country!
Mo Lao made a decisive decision: "I will immediately order the construction of a statue of Master Xuanzang throughout China."
At the same time, Master Mo also issued a notice explaining the Buddha's light, which calmed the people across China who were initially terrified by the sudden appearance of the light.
That light of faith, like a blazing sun, hung high in the sky, illuminating the entire land of China.
People across China felt that their cultivation speed had actually increased.