Above the Great Dao-Chapter 1424 - 663: Life and Death Reincarnation, All Is Mere Appearance (Part 2)

And those believers were also captured to be slaves, to construct new temples and forge new Buddha statues.

The temples everywhere were resplendent and magnificent, with dazzling colors of gold and silver. As the saying goes, a man relies on his clothes and a Buddha relies on gold adornments. These Buddha statues were clad in gold and adorned with silver; even their bodies needed to be gilded. The gold in Wotuo Country wasn't enough, so the common folk gave up the gold they wore, had inlaid in their mouths, or buried in tombs to consecrate for the Buddha's golden attire.

For a while, everyone in Wotuo Country believed in Buddhas and prayed to them, exhibiting immense piety.

Moreover, seven major inner and outer altars were built. Monk Zheng Nian and Heavenly Inference Arhat performed manifestations of divinity in front of everyone, creating the Buddha Country's boundary. They cast spells that caused heavenly rain to fall, cleansing Wotuo Country's land. Unusual phenomena were frequent everywhere, with heavenly flowers falling, and golden springs emerging from the earth.

Everyone praised Buddha, believing them to be miracles.

By the seventh day, the Water and Land Dojo had been completely prepared. Wotuo Country Lord invited dozens of eminent monks from various places, not few of whom seemed to be from Western Heaven, accompanied by Arhats or Vajras, and several monks had Bodhisattvas alongside them, displaying dignified poise.

Chen Shi even saw familiar faces, monks who had come with him on the same boat, also invited.

Wotuo Country is a medium-sized nation within the World of Wu Fang. They were about to abolish other Divine and solely honor the Buddhist Law, which was definitely a major event attracting many monks from Western Heaven.

The monks gathered together, the Three Realms Soul Summoning Banner had also been refined, and so the grand feast Water-Land Dharma Assembly began.

Accompanied by grand chanting of Buddhist hymns, Buddha light descended from the sky near the Capital, revealing countless Great Buddhas, along with Western Heaven Holy Land and Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Various mountains, streams, lakeshores, rivers, and seas also experienced unusual phenomena, with golden lotuses emerging from springs, Buddha light shooting from wells towards the sky, withered trees blossoming, and the dead coming back to life. Such spiritual phenomena spread widely.

The monks participating in the Water and Land Dojo all experienced great merits affecting them, enhancing their cultivation increasingly.

Among them, Monk Zheng Nian continuously broke through Dao Realms, rapidly escalating his cultivation from the First Layer Dao Realm to the Third Layer Dao Realm, a speed that even Chen Shi was astonished by.

Chen Shi, Zhong Wuwang, and the Old Monk didn't partake in the Water and Land Dojo and watched from afar, indifferent.

They witnessed Buddha light eradicating monks, feeling suspicious about the scenario unfolding before them.

The Water and Land Dojo proceeded extraordinarily smoothly, with Wotuo Country transforming into a Buddha Country's momentum. Buddha light enlightening all beings, Buddist Law spreading widely, Monk Zheng Nian and others' cultivation rising consistently, even Heavenly Inference Arhat with a massive increase in cultivation, almost as if ready to upgrade a Dao Realm!

Reaching his level of cultivation, upgrading a Dao Realm is exceptionally challenging. Unexpectedly, a Buddha Country could achieve such great accomplishments!

Even the well-versed Old Monk was tempted by such benefits.

His realm had been trapped for a long time; otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of using the Flask of Yin and Yang Essence to find disciples, relying on disciples to achieve enlightenment.

Though these years Zhong Wuwang taught him Yin Yang Daoist Skill, helping improve his cultivation, the speed still was not quick enough.

Directly enhancing cultivation via merits from transforming a Buddha Country, he had heard of it long ago. Witnessing it firsthand now, he was even more tempted.

"Dear disciples, Daoist Chen, why don't we also join this Water and Land Dojo and gain a share of the feast?"

Old Monk proposed, "If this leads to a great advancement in cultivation, sparing hundreds of years of painstaking cultivation, that too would be a good thing. Even if not, doing good deeds earns merits too."

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang shook their heads together, simultaneously rejecting.

Zhong Wuwang said, "Master, this place is certainly no good place, do not trust it lightly! There must be traps within it!"

Chen Shi added, "Dao brother, there is something odd here. Let's calmly observe the changes and not lower our guard."

Old Monk huffed angrily, blew his beard, glared, and scolded, "You two are being overly cautious! In my lifetime, what haven't I seen? What traps haven't I jumped into? These people's merits and vast cultivation improvements are solid! You two cautious fellows, fail to attain any benefits! You don't reap, I will!"

He then mingled into the Water and Land Dojo, reciting Buddhist Law together with the monks.

Heavenly Inference Arhat saw this and quickly said, "Elder, you promised not to share the merits with us..."

"Babble!"

Old Monk struck him brutally, leaving Heavenly Inference Arhat with a bruised and swollen face, daring not to speak further.

Old Monk felt his cultivation gradually growing, joy in his heart, "Daoist Chen and my disciple are two blockheads, just too timid. With such little courage, how will they get rid of Tathagata and become Buddha themselves? I shall earn these merits, and someday storm up Ling Mountain, making Tathagata move over and obediently become my nephew."

Chen Shi and Zhong Wuwang continued to watch.

They saw the Old Monk's cultivation improve, yet remained composed, showing no envy.

"We've seen more than enough strange things on the West Bull New Continent; although these events are strange, they don't truly surprise us." Chen Shi said.

Zhong Wuwang replied, "Amid endless changes, there lies little deviation from the core. Any strange occurrence will eventually reveal its true form; with patience, we can see it through to the end."

Chen Shi chuckled, "The Water and Land Dojo runs for seven days; isn't it nearing the seventh day?"

The seventh day is for offering feasts; this day banquet feasts are set all over the country, only they aren't for the living but for ghosts, allowing them to eat their fill and enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Quickly, it was the seventh day.

Across Wotuo Country, grand banquets were available, with exquisite delicacies laid before incense and candles.

On this day, many monks brought the Water and Land Dojo to the zenith, each monk's face gleaming with golden light, with halos of Buddha light forming behind their heads, surrounded by peculiar fragrance, seated atop golden lotuses. Their bodies became more and more grand, appearing as True Buddhas before the world.