Ji Mo was bathed in endless Buddha's light, his entire body frozen like a sculpture.
To outsiders, it seemed he could not withstand the baptism of the vast Buddha's light and was about to be completely enlightened, becoming a walking corpse, forever controlled by the Little Thunderclap Temple.
However, upon closer inspection, one could see the "卍" symbol forming in the depths of his pupils, with countless scriptures flashing within his eyes.
No one would have imagined that Ji Mo was absorbing the profound Buddhist essence within the Buddha's light at an unimaginable speed.
Originally, Ji Mo had never been interested in Buddhism and had never seriously studied it, only knowing some scriptures and classics.
Now, the Four Arhats were using the Buddhist essence that had accumulated on the Blissful Plateau for tens of thousands of years to deal with Ji Mo, but it was like a meat bun thrown to a dog, unintentionally aiding Ji Mo's cultivation of Buddhist Dharma.
Fate is created by oneself, and form arises from the mind. All things in the world are but manifestations. If the mind is still, all things are still; if the mind does not change, all things do not change.
Ji Mo's Dao heart was clear and bright, his inner self like crystal. Golden lotuses bloomed beneath his feet, and a radiant halo appeared above his head.
The Dao values a selfless mind. Zen transcends reason and forgets all. Only then can one turn inward, illuminating the self and achieving complete transparency.
In just over ten breaths, Ji Mo's Buddhist cultivation had reached an incredible realm.
"Could it be that this is a reincarnated Buddha!"
The Joyful Arhat exclaimed, staring intently at Ji Mo, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Absolutely impossible."
The Long-Browed Arhat cried out, "He is a demon, not a Buddha. Everything before us is an illusion. We must not be deceived."
The Reaching Arhat agreed, "Long-Browed is right. How could a Buddha be so ferocious? This fellow is definitely a devil. Now that he is enlightened, it is the best time to eliminate him."
At this moment, the Long-Browed Arhat and the Reaching Arhat could only label Ji Mo as a devil. Otherwise, given how they had attacked Ji Mo earlier, they would have been guilty of blasphemy.
Therefore, they could only press on, eliminating Ji Mo to prevent future trouble.
"Are you mad to attack a Holy Buddha?"
The Contemplative Arhat roared, disagreeing with their opinion.
He could feel the brightest Buddha-nature emanating from Ji Mo, making him impossible to be a devil.
The Holy Bell striking eighty-one times was the best proof.
"Even if he is a Buddha, he is an evil Buddha. How can we tolerate him?"
The Long-Browed Arhat's face contorted with ferocity. He was determined to kill Ji Mo and waved his hands, ordering the nearby cultivators who had just been enlightened to attack.
Thousands of cultivators who had been affected by the incident heard the command, their killing intent surging. They drew their weapons and charged towards Ji Mo.
They had become puppets, their souls branded with the mark of the Little Thunderclap Temple, and could only obey the commands of the Long-Browed Arhat.
Just then, Ji Mo's eyelids twitched, and he regained consciousness.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw countless gleaming blades about to strike him.
"Lay down your butcher's knife, and you shall attain Buddhahood!"
Ji Mo uttered Buddhist phrases, accompanied by resounding Buddhist chants, the Buddha's essence surging in all directions.
Simultaneously, golden lotuses bloomed beneath his feet, and Buddha's light shone brightly behind his head, as if the Buddha himself had descended.
In an instant.
The movements of the surrounding cultivators stopped, and then, almost simultaneously, they dropped their weapons, clasped their hands together, and knelt before Ji Mo.
With just one sentence, Ji Mo had completely turned the situation around.
This was the terrifying power of Buddhism, which was most effective in influencing people's hearts.
"The body is the Bodhi tree, the mind is like a bright mirror stand!"
Ji Mo recited another Buddhist phrase, which sounded like thunder from the clear sky.
The thousands of cultivators kneeling on the ground trembled, their clouded eyes regaining clarity, and the shackles of the Little Thunderclap Temple on their bodies completely vanished.
They were freed from the control of the Little Thunderclap Temple and regained their freedom.
"Thank you, Holy Venerable, for saving me from the sea of suffering."
"Holy Venerable's Buddhist Dharma is boundless, saving all sentient beings. We will forever remember the Holy Venerable's kindness."
...
Thousands of cultivators showed gratitude, sincerely kowtowing to Ji Mo to thank him.
They were completely convinced by Ji Mo. Originally, Ji Mo could have enlightened them and taken them as his own, but he did not do so. Instead, he returned their freedom, which was true great compassion.
"This is demonic art, not Buddhist Dharma at all. You ants, wake up quickly, do not be deceived by this fiend."
The Long-Browed Arhat shouted, while the Reaching Arhat beside him chanted scriptures again, trying to enlighten these cultivators back.
"Shut up!"
Ji Mo glared at the two of them and roared, "You two ugly freaks, you are the demons, and your whole family are demons. Damn it, whoever is a demon will explode on the spot."
He spoke with a vulgar tone, but his words were like true pronouncements, imbued with Buddhist essence.
The Long-Browed Arhat and the Reaching Arhat suddenly found themselves unable to speak, their faces filled with fear. They felt their immortal energy surging within them, and their bodies were involuntarily expanding.
Do his words come true, or is it a prophecy?
This fellow, could he truly be the Buddha descended, otherwise how could he be so terrifying!
The Long-Browed and Reaching Arhats were terrified out of their wits.
Bang! Bang!
They had no chance to figure out the truth, their bodies truly exploded on the spot, turning into blood mist.
"Holy crap, has my mouth been blessed? How can it be so accurate!"
Ji Mo was also startled, unable to understand why two perfectly good monks had inexplicably exploded.
Then he thought, this must be the legendary karma. Having done too many evil deeds and accumulated too much sin, they naturally met their retribution.
Ji Hanhan felt the back of his head was very hot, as if a high-power heater was hanging above him. He shook his head uncomfortably.
Instantly, the Buddha's light above his head dissipated, and the golden lotuses beneath his feet disappeared. He returned to his ordinary appearance.
The beings around felt the mountain-like pressure disappear and all breathed a sigh of relief.
The Joyful Arhat maintained a smile on his face from beginning to end, not because he was brave and fearless, but because he was born with this expression. Whether happy, angry, sad, or joyful, he always faced it with a smile.
He was so terrified that his legs were trembling, and he was almost wetting himself. How could he escape?
"You, why are you smiling? All beings suffer, why are you alone happy? Cry for me."
Ji Mo saw that there was still a bald head looking at him, grinning foolishly, and couldn't help but curse.
The Joyful Arhat was so scared that he immediately knelt down, trembling, and begged for mercy, "This disciple's sins are deep. From now on, I will reform myself and dedicate myself to saving all sentient beings."
As he spoke, he desperately squeezed out snot and tears, crying with a smile, looking as repulsive as possible.
Ji Mo found it disgusting and was too lazy to scold him further. He turned and stared at the Contemplative Arhat.
He couldn't help but look more closely at this monk who had remained as calm as an old dog from beginning to end.
Even at this point, he was still meditating with his eyes closed, he was too pretentious.
"And you, why are you acting so profound? Do you know your sin?"
Ji Mo asked indifferently, but his voice was like a great bell, striking directly at the soul.
If the other party's heart was evil, he would surely reveal his true form.
As expected, the Contemplative Arhat jolted and opened his eyes: "Holy Buddha, please illuminate. This disciple has sinned, his six senses are not pure, and he once broke the precept of lust. That year, this disciple... this disciple fell in love with a nun."
"Huh?"
Ji Mo was surprised, not expecting to force out such explosive news.
The Contemplative Arhat showed a nostalgic expression. After revealing his long-hidden thoughts, his expression became extremely painful. He gritted his teeth and said, "This disciple is not pretending to be profound, but has been desperately trying to figure out an answer. This disciple has pondered for a full nine thousand five hundred and twenty-seven years, and still cannot understand why that nun chose that old Taoist priest back then?"
Ji Mo: "..."