“Tofu Heavenly Sovereign?”

Hearing the entity within the sword recount its past, the young novice monk got a huge fright. This really is an extremely remarkable existence.

He racked his brains for a long time, but still couldn’t think of any ancient powerhouse whose title included the word “tofu.”

“Alas, never mind. It seems even this esteemed one cannot escape the fate of fading into obscurity with time.”

The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign let out a long sigh, though it was unclear whether he was lamenting the cruelty of time or reminiscing about that carefree era.

“Unfortunately, the karmic ties this esteemed one bears are too heavy. If I were to show myself in the world, it would likely trigger a cataclysmic war among immortals. This small Xitian Temple would be reduced to ruins.”

“T-then what should I do?” The young novice monk never imagined a sword he had casually picked up would involve him in so many matters. He shuddered, afraid of incurring some great karmic consequence.

“This esteemed one is residing within this immortal sword for the time being to erase those karmic ties. As long as you, little monk, do not reveal my existence, nothing will happen.”

“That’s good, that’s good. My lips are sealed. I’ll absolutely not speak about your affairs, Senior.” The young novice monk quickly assured him.

“That would be best.”

With that, no further sound came from the sword. The monk couldn’t tell whether the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign was too lazy to speak further or had fallen into a deep slumber.

Now aware of the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s origins, the young novice monk dared not be negligent, nor did he dare entertain the thought of abandoning the immortal sword. He cautiously cradled it and tiptoed back to the meditation room.

Inside the meditation room was a large communal sleeping platform that accommodated six or seven people. The young novice monk quietly found a clean length of cloth, wrapped the Qingfeng Sword in it, found his spot, and placed it by his pillow. Only then did he lie down to sleep.

~~~

“Xinding, why were you in the latrine so long last night?” The young novice monk’s companion asked when he woke in the morning and began dressing.

His companion had been groggy the night before and couldn’t recall exactly how long Xinding had been gone. He only felt that it was quite a while.

“Amitabha. Monks do not speak of falsehood.”

“So?”

“So I cannot say,” Xinding stated seriously. I can’t reveal the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s existence; otherwise, Xitian Temple would be destroyed. I now bear the heavy responsibility of saving Xitian Temple.

“Ah?”

After eating a light breakfast, Xinding attended morning lessons and chanted sutras, then joined the other menial monks in fetching water, chopping wood, and sweeping the courtyards. Only after he was done did he sit cross-legged and enter a meditative state.

“Little monk, are you practicing visualization?” The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s deep, ancient voice came from the immortal sword. He noticed that the monk had some foundation in cultivation and was around the Level Five Qi Training Stage.

Before Xinding lay a yellowed illustration of the Arhat Subduing Devils Painting. He was visualizing this painting to stimulate his spiritual consciousness.

The cultivation world commonly employed visualization techniques to enhance one’s spiritual consciousness. Meng Jingzhou’s method of constantly suppressing instinctual urges was an approach used by only a handful.

Xinding was startled. He looked around and saw that neither his fellow monks in meditation nor the administrator had heard the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s voice.

“Stop looking. This is an auditory message transmitted through spiritual consciousness. Others cannot hear it.”

Only then did Xinding reply, “To answer the Heavenly Sovereign, yes. This is the most basic visualization painting. To obtain a better one, we must contribute to the temple and exchange merit points for it.”

Xinding smiled bashfully. “But this Arhat Subduing Devils Painting is already quite good. It’s said to have been passed down from the ancient era.”

Naturally, the one Xinding held could not be an original. It was merely a copy of the ancient visualization painting.

“How is this thing worthy to be called a visualization painting?” The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign shook his head, turning his nose up at Xinding’s visualization method.

“Since you’ve crossed paths with this esteemed one, it means we share an affinity. I shall bestow you with a bona fide ancient visualization painting, lest you embarrass me in the future.”

The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign used his spiritual consciousness as a brand, imprinting an image in Xinding’s mind.

“This is?!”

Xinding closed his eyes. The Tofu Heavenly Sovereign’s spiritual consciousness imprint appeared in his mind.

It was a golden divine dragon soaring between heaven and earth, a natural-born supreme sovereign more majestic than any true dragon that Xinding had ever seen in books. A mere frown from the divine dragon summoned countless immortal thunderbolts that filled the sky, as if heaven and earth bent to its will.

“This is one of the five founders of Buddhism. This esteemed one has met him on several occasions. This visualization painting may be called the Dragon Mandate Visualization Painting.”

One of the five founders of Buddhism!

Xinding’s heart jolted at these words. Isn’t the founder of Buddhism the World-Honored One? How did it become five?

When Xinding visualized the Great Venerable Dragon Mandate, he realized that its effect on stimulating his spiritual consciousness far surpassed that of the Arhat Subduing Devils Painting!

Generally speaking, the stronger the figure in a visualization painting, the greater the impact of their deeds on the world. If they were related to the visualizer’s cultivation method, the visualization effect would be even better.

With how effective it is, the true dragon depicted in the visualization painting must be connected to Buddhist teachings, and its status within Buddhism must be absurdly high!

It truly is one of the founders of Buddhism!

Xinding increasingly felt that the Tofu Heavenly Sovereign was inscrutable. What he casually gave me has already upended my understanding.

“Heavenly Sovereign, may I ask about the five founders of Buddhism?” 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“Your cultivation is too low. This is not yet the time for you to learn of ancient secrets.”

“Yes.”

In a way, Lu Yang was also practicing visualization. But what he visualized was the living, breathing Everlasting Immortal Fairy, not any painting. This was tantamount to visualizing at all times, so his spiritual consciousness naturally far eclipsed that of his peers.

“Come to think of it, I still don’t know your name, little monk.”

“This little monk is Xinding, a menial monk in the servants’ courtyard.”

“Subdue the restless heart (xin) and stabilize (ding) the cosmos. A fine dharma name.”

With the mysterious Tofu Heavenly Sovereign providing an ancient visualization painting, Xinding felt his spiritual consciousness progress by a thousand li a day. He had never experienced such an exhilarating sensation.

Several days passed. Xinding’s spiritual consciousness grew increasingly powerful, and his essence, qi, and spirit underwent transformation. But since the other menial monks interacted with him daily, they failed to notice these subtle changes.

One day, after Xinding finished his visualization session, he stepped out of the meditation room. Suddenly, a pebble flew toward him, aimed at his forehead.

Sensing it coming, he turned his head and dodged.

“Junior Brother Xinding, your reflexes have improved considerably in just a few days.” A few menial monks laughed derisively. The one leading them still held several pebbles in his hand.

“So it’s Senior Brother Xincheng,” Xinding replied insipidly, as if unaware that Xincheng had deliberately thrown the pebble at him. This made Xincheng feel as if he had punched a mass of cotton.

“It’s Xincheng. Why is he here?”

“Don’t you all know? The Martial Vihara Selection is around the corner, and he’s been snatching merit points everywhere to exchange for items in preparation!”

“I also heard that he’s acquainted with a senior brother in the Martial Vihara, who gave him a fragment of the Fragrant Elephant Crossing the River painting.”

“What? A fragment of the Fragrant Elephant Crossing the River painting? That’s a visualization painting we can’t afford even after half a lifetime of labor!”

“Exactly. Junior Brother Xinding is likely in for trouble.”