Night without Borders

Chapter 601 Helping Others and Oneself
As night fell, deep within the vast and desolate land, the ancient Bodhisattva temple seemed to have come back to life, with endless chanting. The entire collapsed ancient building complex was bathed in golden light, and the Buddha's light shone in all directions.

Qin Ming stood before the temple, his face serene, and said, “Excellent, excellent. You have been angered and fallen into attachment. I also have some knowledge of Buddhism and can help you transcend and cleanse yourselves of worldly desires.”

He stood alone in front of the Bodhisattva's sacred site, already suspended in mid-air, exuding a powerful aura as he looked down upon the two beings beneath his feet.

The golden lion trembled in fear. Where did this madman come from? His demeanor was ethereal, yet he was so domineering. The lion was so suppressed that it couldn't get up, its fur stood on end, and it felt that it might really die.

Qin Ming reached out and grabbed it.

In fact, the Suanni is enormous, like a small mountain, but when faced with this suddenly appearing figure, it seems rather insignificant and cannot raise its head.

"Benefactor, please have mercy." From the depths of the dilapidated temple, Buddhist light surged forth like a tide, and a large bell materialized and flew towards Qin Ming, attempting to stop him.

Qin Ming remained calm as the giant hand, formed from the chaotic light of heaven, closed, grasping the enormous golden lion in its palm.

When the golden bell flew towards him, he gently touched it forward with his left hand and stopped it.

"clang!"

The resounding bells echoed throughout this wild land, as if they could cleanse one's spirit, creating sacred ripples that even bathed the distant mountains in Buddha's light.

This aura was so immense that many birds and beasts trembled, and in the end, they all prostrated themselves on the ground, bowing and worshipping in this direction.

However, when Qin Ming applied a little more force with his finger, the golden bell cracked and then exploded completely, like a thunderclap that was deafening.

As the night fog dissipated, the entire area seemed to be shaking violently.

At the same time, the giant hand that Qin Ming conjured squeezed and crushed the legendary super monster, the Golden Suanni, whose body contained strange blood, turning into a ball of brilliant liquid like a small sun.

A mournful howl echoed through the sky. The mid-stage Grandmaster monster was filled with fear and regret, knowing that it was truly about to face its calamity.

This is a Bodhisattva's sacred site, where it has become a Dharma protector, holding a special status, yet the other party doesn't seem to care at all.

The golden lion's physical body was shattered, and its master-level rare blood was taken away.

In that split second, its pure Yang consciousness surged, wrapped in a teleportation talisman, transformed into a rain of light, broke free from Qin Ming's fingers, and was about to escape.

However, behind it, in the void, a giant hand spread out, as if intense threads were locking onto it, covering its pure yang consciousness.

Nearby, a mountain peak disintegrated on the spot.

That was caused by the Golden Suanni's final struggles and howls, which shows its strength. Its pure Yang consciousness touched the mountain slightly and it cleaved off the mountain peak.

But it was pulled back by that big hand.

A faint light flowed between Qin Ming's fingers, like grains of sand falling and then quickly extinguishing. He said, "Well done. Although I only have a rudimentary understanding of Buddhism, I can still barely help you transcend. Now that your body and spirit are purified, go. In this way, you will be able to see the Buddha."

In front of the temple, there was complete silence. The fourth and fifth realm master-level monsters who were rushing from the depths of the mountains stopped in their tracks, petrified on the spot.

That was none other than the King of Suanni, a renowned figure in this region, who was purified in the blink of an eye.

In fact, most of the golden lion's spirit and will were silently sent by Qin Ming into the tattered cloth and fed to the yellow parasol.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The death of a mid-stage Grandmaster Demon King went unnoticed.

Qin Ming's eyes were clear, his feathered robes fluttering as he slowly landed in front of the temple. On the ground, there was an old monk who was unable to get up and was still being suppressed.

With a whoosh, several golden lights appeared instantly, coming from the depths of the ancient temple. Each of them erected a dense wall of golden Buddhist light, blocking Qin Ming.

The leader was a grandmaster, an old monk whose body was bathed in Buddhist light, with golden rays emanating from every pore. His voice was like a booming bell as he said, "Benefactor, are you determined to kill before this ancient temple and desecrate the majesty of the Bodhisattva?"

Qin Ming said, "Well said. I had no intention of offending them. The cause and effect of their suffering are all due to their obsession and their desire to kill. That is why I performed the ritual to help them pass on."

He killed two demons, both because they attacked first.

Qin Ming looked at the old monk crawling on the ground and didn't move him for the time being. After all, they were on someone else's turf, and he had come for his two good brothers, mainly to save people.

In the shadows, Old Furnace was dumbfounded, his heart filled with unease. How long had it been? Just over two years, and Mingzi could kill a Grandmaster with a mere wave of his hand.

“Mingzi, you’ve killed two Dharma Protectors. This is a Bodhisattva’s sacred site. It’s not good to cause a big fuss,” Old Furnace warned.

Qin Ming nodded, indicating that he understood the importance of the matter.

When he sensed the killing intent and was being targeted, he naturally wouldn't stand idly by; how could he not put up a decent counterattack? As for instantly crushing the two grandmasters, there was nothing to it but practice makes perfect.

A Buddhist monk helped the old monk up from the ground and led him to the back.

Behind them, guardian deities such as the Nanming E Bird and the Six-Tusked White Elephant also followed.

Buddhist disciples and nuns also rose, all with clear and ethereal beauty, transcending the mundane world, and looked over together.

It can be said that among the ancient temples, the Great Thunder Temple is the most powerful, and all its members are masters.

With a smile on his face, Qin Ming spoke again: "Master, when I help others, I am also helping myself. Those who harbored murderous intent towards me also dragged me down, causing evil to rise in my heart and murderous intent to soar to the sky. Now that I have helped them pass on, my mind is at peace and I no longer have any reckless thoughts of killing."

The grandmaster-level old monk remained calm, sized up Qin Ming, and said nothing more.

Behind them were newly converted Dharma protectors, all of whom were great demon kings, used to being wild and unruly. Now, they had Buddhist identities and stood beside the Grand Master, speaking up for him with great confidence.

A bear demon roared, "Who are you, daring to cause trouble here? You should know that the Great Thunderclap Temple teaches cause and effect. You have killed the Dharma Protector Vajra here. You should know this..."

Qin Ming glanced at him and said, "You have disturbed my Dao heart again, making me want to kill you for no reason. Well, I may have to help you pass on, to help others and to help myself."

A chill ran down the old bear demon's spine. Where did this human demon come from? Every word and action of his was sinister.

"This is a Bodhisattva's sacred site, how dare you act like this?" the old bear demon said, but unconsciously took two steps to the side, getting closer to the Grandmaster.

Qin Ming looked at him and said, "Do you want to talk to me about cause and effect? ​​I'm willing to speak my mind."

Upon hearing this, the elderly monk at the head of the group twitched slightly, but he remained composed and calmly said, "Benefactor, please come into the temple for a chat."

Suddenly, everyone looked at him. Did he dare to go in?
With so many Buddhist masters, and two grandmasters in charge, who wouldn't be intimidated? Besides, there's a glowing door there, leading to the distance.

Qin Ming had been resonating with the temple. After figuring out the situation of the door, he smiled and accepted the invitation readily, saying, "I am willing to form a good relationship with your temple."

Everyone was astonished; he actually dared to go inside?

“He is at the Grandmaster level, but he is definitely not a Great Grandmaster.” Sure enough, the Buddhist monks carried extraordinary treasures with them and immediately began to investigate his background and strength.

"Please!" the old monk said.

"Master, please." Qin Ming smiled broadly, his previous decisive and courageous demeanor when slaying demons completely gone.

He walked calmly into the depths of the collapsed Bodhisattva temple under everyone's gaze, heading straight for the Black Lotus of Reincarnation.

The old monk Duchen's eyebrows were all white, indicating that he was the most accomplished Taoist in the area, even surpassing the Grandmaster Nanming E'niao.

Furthermore, the three Buddhist disciples should be revered.

The Buddhist disciple Miaowu, dressed in white, was ethereal and otherworldly. Although he was only in his early thirties, he had already established himself as a true master.

He was staring at Qin Ming, comparing him to himself.

He believed that this was most likely a master in his prime who had accumulated his cultivation over many years to achieve such extraordinary results; otherwise, how could he have suppressed the golden lion with a wave of his hand?
The Buddhist nun Miaoyin, though a nun, possesses unparalleled beauty. When she takes a step, golden lotuses appear in her vision. She has comprehended extraordinary Dharma and, at the age of twenty-nine, has already reached the pinnacle of the fourth realm.

She was very confident about this. If she could break through to the fifth realm within the year, she would be a grandmaster before she was thirty years old, which would be a great achievement.

Although she is calm and will not be burdened by such empty fame, if she can achieve it, who would dislike having another halo?
Without a doubt, regardless of which faction they belong to, most top-tier saints need to be over thirty years old before they can reach the Grandmaster realm.

At this moment, Miaoyin gazed at Qin Ming and sensed his vibrant life force.

A thought stirred within her: she wanted to ask the Grandmaster to use his extraordinary treasure to carefully investigate the man's true age and whether he was a saint in his prime.

The Buddhist disciple, Miaoyuan, possessed outstanding spiritual charm, but his complexion was slightly pale, and there was an unusual white hair at his temple that shouldn't be there, as if he had fought a bloody battle and was severely weakened.

He glanced at Qin Ming only once before lowering his eyes again, focusing his attention on sensing the Reincarnation Black Lotus in the Seven Treasures Pool.

There was also a hermit and two old monks here, all of whom were at the Grandmaster level, including the old monk who had been suppressed to the ground by Qin Ming in front of the temple gate.

With six powerful demon guardians by his side, who wouldn't be wary of such a combination?
Qin Ming was already sitting cross-legged by the Seven Treasures Pond, watching the black lotus.

"Benefactor, what is your name?" Grandmaster Du Chen asked, getting straight to the point.

Qin Ming replied, "My name is Zheng Guang, also known as the Supreme Master of Benevolence."

Du Chen, bathed in Buddhist light, gazed at Qin Ming and said, "Benefactor, you possess wisdom. Even the name Zhi Shan aligns perfectly with the teachings of our Buddhist school."

Qin Ming smiled and nodded, saying, "This is a good connection."

Among the guardian deities, some powerful demons were quite dissatisfied with him. This person had killed the demon king of their territory, so how could they talk and laugh with such a person?

However, no guardian deity has spoken yet, mainly because that madman always blames others for disturbing his spiritual path, and for wantonly harboring murderous intent, and speaks his mind directly.

"What brings you here?" the old monk Duchen asked.

Qin Ming said solemnly, "I've been entrusted to rescue these two people."

In an instant, both the Buddhist disciple Miaowu and the Buddhist nun Miaoyin raised their eyes and looked at the grandmaster who seemed to be even younger than them, feeling that he must have come for the two people in the Black Lotus of Reincarnation.

Sure enough, Qin Ming pointed to the black lotus and said, "Those two are inside the lotus."

In the Seven Treasures Pond, Buddhist light, like a nebula, entwined around the layered black lotus petals. Two hazy figures were hidden deep within the lotus's heart, their eyes closed and motionless. It was Xiao Wu and Xiang Yiwu who had mistakenly wandered into this place. At this moment, it was as if they had returned to a critical juncture in their cycle of reincarnation. They seemed lost, cut off from the outside world.

Duchen sat cross-legged on the ground and said, "Benefactor, you have come to the wrong place. These two have already entered my Buddhist sect and severed their ties with the mortal world."

Qin Ming stood up, his hands behind his back, by the pool. The chaotic light of heaven was concentrated but not released. His eyes were like torches, locked on the Reincarnation Black Lotus, as if he were ready to pierce the lotus at the slightest disagreement.

"I wish to establish a good relationship with the Great Thunderclap Temple and plant a seed of good karma today, but if it is unavoidable..." Qin Ming did not finish his sentence.

The six guardian Vajras all raised their eyebrows. This person was indeed powerful. His words were not finished, but his meaning was clear.

The light of Buddha in the entire temple grew stronger, covering Qin Ming, and a grand chanting resounded in his heart, deafeningly loud.

However, he remained unmoved, standing with his hands behind his back. Around him, a thousand cicadas chirped in unison, and a pair of hands tore through the dense Buddhist light. He seemed impervious to all magic.

The ascetic was shocked and thought to himself, "What's going on? The chanting in the Bodhisattva's temple is enough to suppress a great demon, so why is he completely unaffected?"

Even the eyes of the Buddhist disciples were moved. This was the spiritual radiance of a Bodhisattva's sacred site, yet it couldn't suppress a grandmaster?

“After thousands of years of decay, the spiritual energy of this place has probably been almost completely depleted,” an old monk at the mid-stage of the Grandmaster level guessed.

In fact, only the Grandmaster Duchen knew that although the Buddhist essence had been almost completely lost, it was not so weak. This person was extraordinary.

Qin Ming initially endured a wave of pressure, but once his Chaotic True Form broke through and swept away that discomfort, all the surging Buddhist aura was obliterated.

He remained calm, without the feeling of entering a dangerous place.

Of course, he didn't get carried away. After all, there was a golden portal here, with a rich Buddhist light that stretched into the distance.

Qin Ming had already resonated with it; it was connected to the Great Thunder Temple and was a channel formed through the resonance of the Seven Treasures Pool.

However, those on the other side cannot pass through in their true form; only those with wisdom rooted in the light of Buddha can step through this gate.

Whether it was the Grandmaster Duchen or the three Buddhist disciples, they looked exactly like real people, but in reality, they had no physical bodies. It was just that the Buddha's light encompassed their wisdom, and ordinary people could not detect anything unusual.

This is the Buddhist state of "spiritual wandering".

That golden portal is only accessible to beings of the Fifth Realm.

The main problem is that the Bodhisattva's sacred site is dilapidated, and the Seven Treasures Pond once dried up. Now it only has a little water left, which is not enough to support the passage for the patriarch and the earth immortals to cross the boundary.

Otherwise, Qin Ming wouldn't have come here alone.

The real Great Thunderclap Temple is actually incredibly far away from here.

Thousands of years ago, after this Bodhisattva's sacred site was severely damaged, the Great Thunderclap Temple abandoned this enclave.

In this era, many Arhats used extraordinary treasures to explore the six directions and eight wastelands. After resonating with the Seven Treasures Pool of this sacred site, they learned that a Black Lotus of Reincarnation had been revived and come back to life. They were all quite excited.

This miraculous plant is extremely rare, with only a handful existing even at the main site of the Great Thunderclap Temple.

In particular, they discovered that someone here was actually trying to enter the cycle of reincarnation, which made them even more concerned. Initially, only the Buddhist disciple Miaowu brought a monk to observe and comprehend the meaning of reincarnation.

As for the Buddhist disciple Miaoyuan, he recently suffered an unprecedented defeat in a magical duel, and even a strand of white hair appeared at his temples, a sign of severe damage to his vital energy.

Moreover, the group he had sparred with was still visiting the Great Thunderclap Temple, so Miaoyuan, wanting to avoid seeing them, went over here.

Later, Duchen, Miaoyin, and others also arrived.

The Buddhist disciple, Miaowu, spoke up: "The Buddha is merciful. These two have entered the Lotus of Reincarnation due to karmic connections, not as a calamity, but as a result of their Buddhist affinity. The lotus, imbued with the pure energy of the Great Thunderclap Temple, guides them through reincarnation, cleanses their karmic obstacles, and severs their mortal ties. In the future, they can attain the Arhatship, thus propagating Buddhism and suppressing evil spirits. This is their opportunity and merit. Benefactor, why are you so attached to appearances? The so-called 'taking them away' would surely sever their connection?"

Qin Ming was surprised. He had heard rumors about this supreme training ground, that it was most skilled at debating scriptures and engaging in verbal battles. He never expected that he would have to experience it for himself.

He raised the corners of his lips slightly and said, "The 'good karma' that the Buddhist disciple speaks of is nothing more than your wishful thinking. These two people were bound by worldly ties, and their entry into this place was not their intention. Reincarnation to cleanse their karmic obstacles is not what they seek. Forcibly guiding them is not a matter of Buddhist affinity, but rather a forced conversion. You speak of severing their worldly ties; do you mean to strip them of their memories and change their nature? The Great Thunderclap Temple preaches 'equality of all beings.' Does equality mean depriving others of their choices and imposing one's own will upon them?"

Then, he smiled slightly and said, "Moreover, I believe more in action than empty talk. If you wish to convert these two, I am also somewhat skilled in martial arts and would like to spar with you first."

In short, he felt that empty talk was useless; in the end, it all came down to strength, and he didn't mind debating with the Buddhist disciple in public.

The Buddhist disciple, Miaowu, said, “You have misunderstood the Buddha’s teachings, and your wisdom has been clouded. I am willing to recite scriptures for you for three days to remove the dust and help you to see your true nature.”

Dressed in white, he was indeed otherworldly. He began chanting scriptures, and in an instant, countless characters flew towards Qin Ming, covering him completely.

This kind of "verbal sparring" is indeed quite powerful. It's like a manifestation of true wisdom, a form of suppression that can "purify" a person's mind until they are completely convinced.

"Could it be that you still want to convert me?" Qin Ming asked.

Miaowu said, "No, this humble monk wishes to cleanse the dust from your soul, and guide your wisdom back to shine brightly."

Qin Ming said, "Don't think about saving my soul first, try saving my hand first."

As he spoke, Qin Ming extended his right hand, which instantly enlarged. The light of heaven blended with his consciousness and divine wisdom, radiating a dazzling and sacred brilliance that shattered the surrounding scripture characters.

Then, this massive hand descended upon the Buddhist disciple.

Those present remained still, silently observing the contest between the Buddhist disciple and Zhengguang. Everyone knew that the so-called chanting of scriptures to cleanse the mind was nothing more than a form of verbal combat.

A truly virtuous and accomplished Buddhist monk can utter words that become law, which is even more terrifying than direct physical action.

Sure enough, the Buddhist disciple, Miaowu, saw the scriptures materialize around him. Page after page of paper floated in the night sky, each one formed from Buddhist essence, the words on them shining brightly as they slashed towards the giant hand.

However, Qin Ming's large hand, like tearing a windowpane, slowly but firmly broke through the layers of Buddhist aura, tore the paper apart, and set it ablaze.

In mid-air, burning scriptures drifted down to the ground, page after page.

That giant hand had already reached the top of the Buddha's disciple, Miaowu's head.

In an instant, his body radiated golden light, and all the words on the papers flew out, forming a huge golden Dharma image with a thunderous roar. It held a vajra and smashed it towards the giant hand.

With a loud bang, Qin Ming's giant hand, though blocked, still slammed down, causing the golden Dharma image to shake violently. The treasure pestle in its hand dimmed and was about to disappear.

Qin Ming pressed down with his large hand, as if the sky itself were descending.

The Buddha disciple's wondrously enlightened form was bent over and bowed, unable to withstand such immense force.

Everyone's expression changed. The Buddha's disciple was the master, far surpassing the Dharma protectors such as the Golden Lion and the Six-Tusked White Elephant.

As a result, even he couldn't stop this person?
With a soft "poof," the Buddha's body, imbued with profound wisdom, expelled spiritual blood.

Finally, after a brief stalemate, his enormous golden Dharma form shattered and exploded, dissipating into the void amidst a surge of Buddhist light.

His innate wisdom was also swaying, his spirit exhausted. He sat there cross-legged, his face as pale as paper. He had lost; he could not stop the opponent's large hand.

Qin Ming didn't continue, after all, he was on someone else's turf and didn't know the status of Xiao Wu and Xiang Yiwu.

Moreover, although the Buddhist disciple Miaowu was skilled in verbal sparring, it wasn't considered a major disrespect to him. Therefore, Qin Ming did not continue to use excessive force.

Grandmaster Du Chen saw that he stopped at the right time, so he did not interfere and just observed quietly.

But everyone else felt as if the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed, especially the demon guardian Vajra, who secretly wondered, who exactly is this person? He suppressed a Buddhist disciple with a mere wave of his hand, which was even more terrifying than they had imagined.

The Buddhist nun Miaoyin spoke up: "This benefactor, I think you have misunderstood. The two people in the Lotus of Reincarnation who convert to our sect are not having their past washed away, nor are they being imprisoned. For them, it is a kind of transcendence. What is severed is the karmic obstacle of reincarnation, and what is cut off is the bondage of worldly emotions. This is the great freedom of helping people, not taking them away and imprisoning them."

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "The bonds of worldly emotions are the very foundation that sustains the existence of living beings. Fate should be followed naturally. If these two are truly devoted to Buddhism, they will naturally take refuge in the Great Thunderclap Temple. But if their hearts are attached to the mortal world, your attempts to convert them in this way would be going against the way of Heaven, deviating from the essence of Buddhism, and lacking compassion."

Then, he chanted a mantra and said, "Just like now, if I use my power to force you to bow down and make you kneel, will you be convinced?"

Qin Ming unleashed a series of characters from his lips, which flew out and combined to form a five-colored mountain peak that pressed down on Miao Yin on the spot.

In an instant, the power of the five elements circulated, and the mountain peak exuded a majestic Daoist aura, pressing down on the Buddhist nun who had reached the Great Perfection of the Fourth Realm, making it difficult for her to raise her head and forcing her to prostrate herself on the ground.

At the crucial moment, Qin Ming stopped.

Instantly, both the old monk and the Dharma protectors were deeply moved. This man's words were law, and he could suppress the Buddhist woman with just a few words.

The shock of the second Buddhist saint left everyone present deeply disturbed.

Just then, the last Buddhist disciple, Miaoyuan, was about to rise and make a move.

The Buddhist nun shook her head and transmitted her voice, saying, "Senior Brother Miaoyuan, although your cultivation is higher than mine and Senior Brother Miaowu's, you are injured. And this person, I feel, is definitely not an elder, but more like a saint from some supreme Daoist temple. Even if Grandmaster Duchen can suppress him, it will be difficult to win people's hearts."

She asked if she could go back to the Great Thunder Temple to ask someone for help.

Miaoyin continued, "How about we invite our second senior brother and the person who injured you over for a three-way discussion? Anyway, the other senior brothers are also having a headache with those visitors."

"Is he a saint from some supreme Daoist temple?" Miao Yuan's eyes flickered as he stared at Qin Ming for a long time.

The exchanges between different factions, and between saints, are extremely sensitive and must be taken seriously.

Miaoyuan personally transmitted his voice to Duchen, saying, "Elder, please use a special treasure to investigate this person. We suspect that he is a saint of the Supreme Daoist Temple, and is likely not much older than us."

Miaoyin chimed in, saying, "Yes, I want to know his exact age. If he's decades older than us, that's fine, but if he's only in his early thirties, we really need to go into seclusion and reflect on ourselves."

Grandmaster Du Chen's expression was complicated. Just now... he had already secretly investigated, which was why he remained silent for so long. He found it hard to believe.

"Elder, why are you lost in thought? Please use your extraordinary treasure," Miaoyin said.

"Are you... sure you want to investigate?" Du Chen asked.

　Some readers have said that the protagonist knowing where Xiao Wu and the others are is a last-minute addition, but I clearly stated this in previous chapters. Back then, the protagonist directly asked where Xiao Wu and Xiang Yiwu were. Besides, even if I hadn't written this detail, I think it was obvious that once the brothers reconnected, they would naturally exchange basic information.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)