Chapter 597: Cultivation
“Zhang Mingli?” When Gao Ming first saw the statue, he instantly thought of Zhang Mingli. As that thought settled in his mind, the holy aura around the statue’s face lightened. It did somewhat look like Zhang Mingli.
“Did Zhang Mingli build this place? Something doesn’t feel right.” Gao Ming stood at the entrance and didn’t go in. He held Fu Shu’s neck and whispered, “Do you see the painted divine statue on the wall? Who do you think he looks like?”
“I don’t know. I can’t really tell.” Fu Shu was confused. “I have not seen a nine-story Soul Temple before. In the initial design, a nine-story temple only existed as a database model. Everything about this place is unknown. You need to be careful.”
Fu Shu was of no help, so Gao Ming turned to Bai Feng, who also shook her head.
“This is strange.” Standing at the entrance, Gao Ming and the God of Flesh and Blood picked up not even a trace of negative energy. There were flowers, incense, tea and scrolls. It was like the residence of an immortal.
Gao Ming turned back with uncertainty. His gaze pierced through the bloody rain and saw the streets that were strewn with corpses. Further out, there were more curses. The baby spirits who wore the weasel’s skin wanted to turn Dream Break Town into a place of nothingness.
The contrast between the temple and the town couldn’t be more stark.
“This has to be fake!” Gao Ming told himself repeatedly as he carried Fu Shu into the soul temple. The wooden gate behind them didn’t close. Gao Ming could leave at any moment, but he simply wanted to stay. A normal Soul Temple would trap the visitors inside after they were lured in, but this Soul Temple was different. It was above doing such despicable things. Its guests were allowed to come and go freely.
“It is very confident. It believes that the citizens will not leave after they’re in here.” Fu Shu coughed a few times. He purposely used that to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.
“The door is wide open so that people inside can more clearly sense the difference inside and outside. Faced with danger, sacrificing freedom for safety is a normal choice. The person who built this temple definitely has that knowledge.” Ever since she entered the temple, Bai Feng also felt peaceful. She used to worry herself endlessly about her children. However, when she was inside the temple, her taut nerves relaxed. Holding the hands of the two children, Bai Feng appeared younger. Even the wrinkles around her eyes smoothed out.“I remember the butcher and Elder Tang entering the same gate. How did they not get into a fight?” Gao Ming didn’t get it. With the butcher’s temperament, there should be blood around the northern gate.
Gao Ming stopped a passing cultivator. He wore tattered clothes. He should have just entered the temple not too long ago. However, he radiated the presence of an enlightened monk. “Benefactor, how can I help you?”
“Benefactor my ass. You reached this place several minutes earlier than we did. Why are you acting all high and mighty?” Fu Shu tried his best to ruin the peace. “Where is the butcher?”
“Zhu Ren has achieved epiphany and has lowered his killing knife. He is about to reach immortal status.” The person signed a rudimentary seal and chanted the sutra. He lowered his head, but he soon froze. Gao Ming placed the butcher’s knife on his neck. The blade cut through his skin. The evil aura and thick blood scent were like a hungry ghost. They crawled into his wound.
“Tell me. Where are Zhu Ren and Elder Tang?”
“Second floor. They have gone up to the second floor!” Faced with the threat of death, something broke in the person. His eyes cleared, and fear returned to his face. However, that only lasted for a few seconds. His expression glazed over until a smile remained, “You’ll only sin if you kill me. It doesn’t help your cultivation, but it will help mine. It’ll bring me closer to the divine palace!” He rushed at the knife and rambled madly, “Kill me! I know you’re here to deliver me from the physical pain. I don’t need this shell anymore!”
“Madness!” Gao Ming knocked the man over with a kick. He glanced at the painted God. He looked more and more like Zhang Mingli.
“Don’t go! Help me!” The man really thought he would ascend to heaven once Gao Ming killed him. He crawled on the ground and caught Gao Ming’s leg.
“Get lost!” Gao Ming kicked him so hard that the man coughed out blood. Some of his ribs broke. However, he still crawled towards Gao Ming.
“Do you really want to die?” Gao Ming narrowed his eyes. His heart started to beat irregularly. This was the God of Flesh and Blood’s reminder that he had probably fallen to some illusions.
Gao Ming took a deep breath and calmed down. “Have I become more violent? No. I have shaken loose from some kind of shackles.” Normally, he couldn’t kill for no reason. However, there was a moment when it was fine for him to kill that annoying man. It would be like stepping on an ant. It wouldn’t affect him.
“Let’s go.” Gao Ming carried Fu Shu to visit the nearby monk's residence. The rooms had similar decorations, such as coffee tables, bookshelves, and urns.
“Where is everyone?”
He continued to move forward. The smoke of incense pervaded everything, and the atmosphere became more solemn. Gao Ming noticed the painted divines moving. They seemed to be stepping on the stairs made from incense smoke towards a Dharma altar. The altar was heavily occupied. There were villagers, paper dolls and weasels. Everyone had shed their hatred and sat in their seats obediently.
“Everyone, the heavenly gate is open. Everyone can become a God. Please do not be anxious. Do not mind anything. The temple has nine floors, but there is no greater or lower in terms of dignity. Nothing outside can decide the final result. Enlightenment is enlightenment. It cannot be forced.” A voice that sounded similar to Zhang Mingli’s came out of the blurry divine figure’s mouth.
“Divine master, how can we reach enlightenment? So many people have reached the second floor! Evil ghosts who have dirty hands have even arrived on the third floor!” A resident prostrated. They no longer wanted to live in fear. They just wanted to ascend into godhood.
“Being fast doesn’t mean anything.” The divine moved his fingers. A divine cloud cuddled the resident and picked him up. “There’s no need to worship me. The Dao is natural. The real result is within your body.”
“Our bodies?”
“Quiet the noise in your mind. Settle your heart and listen to your body. Understand its needs, and follow the natural rhythm. Cultivation is cultivating the truth. The truth is our true nature. The unison of one’s nature and one’s body. Understand that you are already in the divine temple.”