Chapter 17  : I Am Buddha!

In the first round of ‘On Buddha’, the result was what Su Qin expected. In less than a quarter of an hour, Zhen Yuan had a pale complexion and didn’t know how to respond anymore.

Although Zhen Yuan is proficient in Buddhism, he underestimated the Holy Son of the Vajra Temple. Every word Ba Tuo said was like Buddha’s mantra, he couldn’t compete and got crushed.

“I lost.”

Zhen Yuan got up, his eyes slightly dim.

In ‘On Buddha’, the contestants don’t compete in Martial Arts, but despite being so, it’s danger definitely surpasses the latter.

In Martial Arts, at most, one will only get injuries on their body. And as long as it is not too serious, recovery is not difficult.

But ’On Buddha’ is a struggle for one’s own ideals. And once lost, although the body is still fine, it is absolutely mentally traumatizing. One may even fall into self-doubt and form a Heart Demon.

Once a Heart Demon is 10% formed, one wouldn’t be able to progress any further in his lifetime and be stuck.

Upon the loss of Zhen Yuan, many Shaolin Temple disciples felt down.

They had great hopes for Zhen Yuan and felt that with his understanding of Buddhism, even if he could not win, he would not lose too badly.

But in the end, Zhen Yuan didn’t even last a quarter of an hour, before getting up and surrendering.

What does this mean?

It means that the Zhen Yuan’s perception in Buddhism was far inferior to Ba Tuo’s.

“Thank you for letting me win.”

Ba Tuo’s hands were clasped together, and he slightly bowed.

“Abbot Hui Wen, arrange for your next contestant.” The Grade 2 Monk from the Vajra Temple looked at Abbot Hui Wen and said.

“Hmph!” The Disciplinary Court Head coldly snorted at the Monk.

When he looked at the dim expression of Zhen Yuan, a trace of distress flashed across his face.

Zhen Yuan is his most important disciple. So how can he remain indifferent, if his disciple was hit by such a blow?

“Namo Amitabha…”

Abbot Hui Wen took a deep look at Ba Tuo, before he once again opened his mouth and called: “Zhen Ke.”

“Yes, Abbot.”

The second Shaolin Temple disciple got up and sat down in the position where Zhen Yuan just sat.

The second round of ‘On Buddha’ began.

“It’s boring.”

Su Qin watched for a while and soon got bored, so he took the opportunity to sneak out.

The Handyman Court disciples were placed at the edge and on top of that, Su Qin was extremely unremarkable, he was not noticed by anyone.

“I thought that Buddhism is to separate oneself from the world, but now it seems that I was wrong.”

Su Qin first went to the Scripture Pavilion to use up today’s Sign-In opportunity, then looked for a quiet place where he won’t get disturbed and used a Divine Accumulation Pill.

A few hours later, Su Qin came back to Great Strength Hall.

However.

This time, Su Qin clearly felt that the atmosphere amongst disciples was depressed.

“We lost, we lost…” A Handyman Court disciple next to Su Qin muttered to himself while wearing a blank look.

“Lost?”

Su Qin looked to the front of Great Strength Hall.

At this moment, Abbot Hui Wen’s disciple, Zhen Wu, sat facing Ba Tuo.

Zhen Wu is the most outstanding disciple among the ‘Truth (Zhen)’ generation. He was accepted as the disciple by Abbot Hui Wen as soon as he had entered the temple.

And Zhen Wu’s performance did not disappoint Abbot Hui Wen. Both his understanding of Buddhism and his diligence in Buddhist Martial Arts, are the highest among the younger generation of the Shaolin Temple.

Abbot Hui Wen was even preparing to train Zhen Wu as the next generation’s Abbot.

If one based it according to the previous ‘On Buddha’, a disciple like Zhen Wu should be last to contend as a final trump card.

But at this moment.

Zhen Wu was already competing.

Meaning, there was only one possibility…

The first eight disciples of the Shaolin Temple all had lost.

“So fast?”Su Qin was slightly surprised.

In just a few hours, less than half a day, the Holy Child of the Vajra Temple defeated eight disciples of the Shaolin Temple?

No, that’s not right.

It should be nine disciples.

Because at this moment, Zhen Wu had obviously fallen into a disadvantage and will not last long.

In half an hour.

“We should treat our actions as bubbles and dew, it’s delicate…”

Ba Tuo was cut off from all worldly troubles and seemed to have reached enlightenment.

“Thank you Senior Brother for letting me win.”

Ba Tuo slowly got up, clasped his hands, and said solemnly.

Zhen Wu, on the other hand, was still sitting cross-legged, and his face was as pale as paper. He had lost.

“Namo Amitabha…”

The Grade 2 Monk from the Vajra Temple expressed his joy and recited a mantra.

At this moment, apart from Abbot Hui Wen, all the Court Heads were ashamed and in disbelief.

They really didn’t expect that with only one person, the Shaolin Temple had lost.

One person!

The Shaolin Temple disciples were also full of grief. They felt as if the face of the Shaolin Temple had been trampled on by the Vajra Temple.

Because that was exactly what happened. Ba Tuo won nine consecutive rounds and won ‘On Buddha’ by himself!

“Since ‘On Buddha’ is now over, we will take our leave and not disturb the Shaolin Temple any longer. We are grateful for your hospitality.”

The Grade 2 Monk from the Vajra Temple swept his eyes to the audience. And seeing that no one dared to look at him, he said slowly.

The expressions of the Court Heads were pale, and even a few of them began to feel unstable.

After today, once the results of the Shaolin Temple and Vajra Temple’s ‘On Buddha’ spread, the title of the Head of the Four Buddhist Sects will be handed over to the Vajra Temple.

The Shaolin Temple’s ancestors have won this title, but because the younger generation was incompetent, they lost it. This fact made the Shaolin Temple’s people heart bleed, including Abbot Hui Wen.

Even after the Vajra Temple Monks left, the Great Strength Hall still remained silent.

“We have shamed our ancestors…”

The Handyman Court Head looked up to the sky and heaved a deep sigh. Then his face suddenly flushed, he vomited a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.

“Court Head!”

“Court Head, what happened?”

“Junior Brother, are you okay?”

The Handyman Court disciples turned pale with fright. Abbot Hui Wen also appeared in front of the Handyman Court Head and assessed the situation.

After a while.

Abbot Hui Wen shook his head, “Junior Brother is okay, it’s just that his emotions got too agitated on top of his vitality already slowly declining…”

…

Not far away, Su Qin looked at the Handyman Court Head who had collapsed on the ground, and was silent.

In the ten years he’s been in the Shaolin Temple, the Handyman Court Head had treated Su Qin fairly well; and even often thought of transferring Su Qin to the Arhat Court or Martial Monk Court instead of being a Sweeping Monk.

Though, these kindnesses were rejected by Su Qin.

“Is the Shaolin Temple’s reputation so important to you (Handyman Court Head)?”

Su Qin whispered to himself.

Then Su Qin turned and left.

…

Outside the Shaolin Temple.

The Vajra Temple’s group of people was moving towards a certain direction.

“Ba Tuo, when we go back, the Abbot will be overjoyed. If it were not for you, how could the Shaolin Temple easily hand over the title of the Head of the Four Buddha Sects?”

The Grade 2 Monk of the Vajra Temple looked at Ba Tuo and said with satisfaction.

The Monk’s name was Tong Ru, and he is this generation’s Guardian of the Vajra Temple. He has a Grade 2 Cultivation Base.

Ba Tuo, as the Holy Child of the Vajra Temple, naturally cannot go on a journey unprotected, so Tong Ru is the Dao Protector of Ba Tuo.

“Martial Uncle, are we really right to do this?”Ba Tuo couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course it is right.”

He further affirmed: “The battle for ideas is about winning or losing, not about right or wrong.”

When Ba Tuo heard this, a thoughtful look flashed through his eyes.

But suddenly.

Tong Ru seemed to have sensed something and looked up.

Under a withered linden tree, he saw a young Monk wearing a gray monk robe and was just standing there silently.

“Eh?”

Tong Ru’s brows tightly frowned.

“Are you a disciple of the Shaolin Temple?” Tong Ru asked loudly.

This was the boundary of the Shaolin Temple and apart from the Shaolin Temple, there were no other Monks that would come here.

The young Monk nodded, but then shook his head.

This young Monk was naturally Su Qin, who had arrived here a long time ago.

“I have heard that the Holy Child of the Vajra Temple is the reincarnation of an Arhat. I am here this time because I want to talk to the Holy Child about Buddhism!”

Su Qin spoke neither fast nor slow.

“’On Buddha’?”

Tong Ru was slightly taken aback, “My temple has already finished ‘On Buddha’ with your Shaolin Temple and the result has already been determined. Abbot Hui Wen also had no objection. So why do you want to discuss Buddhism?”

“Martial Uncle.”

“Since it is a Senior Brother of the Shaolin Temple, let us discuss.”

Ba Tuo took a step forward, and expressed solemnly: “How does Senior Brother want to go about?”

“Let us do whatever you want.”

Su Qin slightly smiled.

Ba Tuo clasped his hands, and said: “Then can Senior Brother tell me what is ‘Buddha’?”

In the Shaolin Temple just now, Ba Tuo asked this same question to the nine Shaolin Temple disciples.

What is ‘Buddha’?

The ‘Buddha’ of Buddhism is naturally the Buddha, but who is the Buddha?

A person? A God? Is it a ghost? Is it a demon?

No one knows.

No one dared to speculate.

Tong Ru shook his head.

Even the Abbot of the Vajra Temple was asked this question before.

Moreover, Tong Ru can naturally see that Su Qin’s status in the Shaolin Temple is not high, otherwise he would not wear a gray robe.

And the reason he stopped them here, was probably because he was unwilling from their loss.

But so what?

If even the best disciples of the Shaolin Temple got crushed by Ba Tuo, how is it possible that a lowly disciple can beat Ba Tuo?

“What is ‘Buddha’?”

At this time, Su Qin repeated the question in a low voice. And then, his voice got higher and higher, and then his words shocked everyone’s ears:

“I am ‘Buddha’!”

Bang!!!

When he spoke these words, all the Monks of the Vajra Temple, including the Guardian, were stunned.

They have never seen such an arrogant person, to actually compare himself to ‘Buddha’!

“How bold!”

Tong Ru reacted abruptly, but when he was about to speak out.

He suddenly witnessed the most incredible scene he had in his life.

Behind Su Qin, he saw a Golden Buddha suddenly appearing. The Buddha’s hands were pointed to the sky and the ground respectively. There was boundless Zen and Majesty, and a magnificent voice sounded in everyone’s ears:

“Above the Heavens and under the Earth, only I am Supreme!”

Under the linden tree, Su Qin also had his hands pointed to the sky and the ground. He had a solemn appearance:

“Above the Heavens and under the Earth, only I am Supreme!”

“This, this, this…”

All the Monks of the Vajra Temple stood there stunned. Ba Tuo looked as if he got struck by thunder, as he looked at Su Qin while trembling all over…

The Zen… The Majesty… This is the one and only Supreme Buddha!