Chapter 620: Buddha

Chapter 620: The Buddha

"This is wrong—this is all wrong! I’m about to be discharged, and now this happens!"

In the empty corridor, Li Huowang paced anxiously with his phone pressed to his ear.

"Don’t talk to me about mental fragmentation—I’m not autistic, my mind hasn’t shattered! And I don’t have hallucinations—I was cured long ago!"

Upon hearing what was said on the other end of the call, Li Huowang sighed deeply, his voice instantly becoming much calmer. "I really do want to go home. I truly don’t want to spend my life labeled as a psychiatric patient. But..."

Li Huowang paused here, his face showing a flicker of inner struggle and pain. "But everything that happened aboard that ship—it was so real, like I actually lived it! I really did grab that bronze sword! I really did lose an arm when that bull-headed dog bit me! But now... they’ve all vanished!"

At the far end of the corridor, several people from Li Huowang’s group cautiously peered out, watching him with curiosity.

"Look at this guy—he still claims he's not sick. I've seen plenty of cases in the ward. This is a classic case of schizophrenia," muttered Wei Shizhou, a young soldier with a buzz cut who had mild manic tendencies, in a low voice.

"He doesn't seem like it. Listen how he speaks—so coherent. Schizophrenics don’t function this well without medication. I think it might be more like personality disorder. My last roommate had that."

Many were curious about exactly what ailment had befallen this newcomer, even betting snacks in secret to pass the time in the monotonous psychiatric ward.

"Doctor Yi, I’m afraid all my previous experiences might have been for nothing. I really... my head is spinning right now. I don’t know if it was real or not. I'm genuinely uncertain."

"Alright then, come by when you have time. Thank you," Li Huowang hung up the phone, his brow furrowed as he continued pacing the corridor.

He had thought things were finally settling down, but that inexplicable sea voyage had once again thrown his thoughts into chaos.

If it were false, then those events must have been hallucinations from his mental breakdown phase. Then what kind of madness did he suffer from? Was there still hope for treatment?

But if it were true...

Li Huowang hesitated again. He felt he was caught in a great predicament and needed to handle it carefully.

If he didn’t choose wisely, he would likely fall into an even greater mess.

Yet what made Li Huowang feel utterly hopeless was that he had no idea what to do in such a situation.

“Tap-tap-tap.” A strange sound came from outside the window beside him. Li Huowang walked over and looked up to see the vast army of the Great Li Dynasty marching past.

The thunderous hoofbeats and the overwhelming aura of these soldiers left him completely tense.

Only by seeing this could one truly understand what it meant to have over ten thousand troops, endless and boundless—let alone the imperial court.

"Where are these soldiers heading?" Li Huowang asked in a deep voice.

"They’re not going anywhere. As long as these men remain here, the followers of the Law Sect won’t dare rebel."

"Heh, even if they do rise up, we won’t fear them. Once the Flying Leopard Army moves, we’ll wipe out those heretics completely," said Liu Zongyuan, his tone filled with pride.

"Don’t worry. It seems the higher-ups also take the changes in Great Qi seriously. With them here, plus the spies and agents of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, we should be safe this time."

Hearing Liu Zongyuan’s words, Li Huowang finally understood why so many military forces had been dispatched.

Now he had a clear understanding of Gao Zhijian’s influence. The Emperor of the Great Li Dynasty truly wasn’t bluffing.

Noticing the unhidden stares of Li Huowang and his companions, a general quickly glanced their way. Upon seeing the badges on their waists, he immediately looked away.

Once the Great Li soldiers had passed, Li Huowang turned to the Buddhist incense burner beside him and said, "Forget about these people. Let’s deal with this big problem quickly."

This issue with the Great Qi Law Sect must be handled properly. If he failed, the entire Great Li Dynasty might fall into even greater trouble.

Then, everyone mounted their horses and galloped toward Yinling City, hoping to contribute to resisting the Law Sect.

Over just a few short days, the most dramatic change had occurred among the three monks of Zhengde Temple. When Li Huowang first met them, the abbot Chan Du had been so thin he looked like a skeleton.

But now, after only eating a few vegetarian meals, his skin and flesh had returned to normal, giving Li Huowang a new appreciation for the monk’s divine powers.

"Abbot, besides transforming into the Blood-Flesh Thousand-Handed Buddha, what else can your Buddha-given power do? If we ever meet the Law Sect, we need to coordinate."

Upon hearing this, the abbot Chan Du on horseback let go of the reins and clasped his hands together. "Namo Amitabha Buddha. I have meditated for sixty years and have reached the realm of the Transformation Body Realm."

Li Huowang was utterly confused. What did “Transformation Body Realm” mean? It was better not to say it at all.

"Abbot, can you put it simply? I really am—"

Before Li Huowang could finish, a black vulture swooped down from the sky. When the two looked at each other, Li Huowang saw a black-robed lama in the vulture’s eyes.

Immediately, he saw the lama raise his wrinkled right hand, holding a vajra, pointing it at Li Huowang’s forehead.

"Respected One of the Ultimate Reality!"

In the next moment, Li Huowang felt a chill in his heart, as though something essential had been taken from him.

Just as he thought his body would react, nothing unusual happened.

"Whoosh!" Li Huowang slashed with his purple-tassel sword, instantly splitting the vulture in half. "Watch out—enemy attack!"

As his voice rang out, countless vultures descended from the sky, attacking the other nine people.

The abbot of Zhengde Temple quickly clasped his hands together, his body swiftly merging with the saddle and becoming one with the horse.

But it didn’t stop there. As the three monks merged with their horses, their blood and flesh began to blend.

What emerged was a horrifying yet sacred being, resembling the Buddha Li Huowang had once seen in Zhengde Temple.

This Buddha had seven or eight arms, each forming a different mudra—vajra, lotus, lion—and more than ten mouths chanted sutras in unison.

"From the Tusita Heaven, propagating the true Dharma, leaving the heavenly palace, descending into the mother’s womb, born from the right side, walking as a Buddha, opening the gate of the Dharma. Washing away defilements..."

The chanting varied in pitch, harmonizing into a solemn and majestic chorus.

As the sacred voices spread, the wings of the vultures fused with their bodies, their eyes and eyelids stuck together. They fell from the sky like massive stones.

Looking up at this Buddha, whose compassionate face bore the abbot’s gentle expression, Li Huowang finally understood what the "Transformation Body Realm" meant.

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Next chapter updates at 11:35 PM.

(End of Chapter)