Xu Qing also loved corpses, but he had his principles in collecting them, never engaging in reckless pursuits.
However, Corpse Body Buddha's love for corpses drove him to indulge in practices that were shortsighted and irresponsible.
This clearly violated Xu Qing's initial sustainable approach to corpse collection and seriously disrupted the ecological balance of the trade.
Zombie Xu was very angry, and the consequences were severe.
Zhang Pingsheng saw the Sect Leader's gloomy face and thought that his Sect Leader was empathizing with him, wanting to avenge him, hence the indignation.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? If I had known this demon was so hateful, I should have come here first to eliminate him when I eradicated Ghost Law and restore peace to the industry!"
Zhang Pingsheng clearly misunderstood the meaning of peace in the industry; he only knew the Sect Leader was protective and was eager to stand up for him, feeling utterly moved!
"Sect Leader's grace and righteousness, Pingsheng will never forget! In the future, should Sect Leader give any orders, I will fulfill them without hesitation!"
Xu Qing waved his large hand and said, "The Twelve Gates of Ancient Yin River Dao have plagued the world for a long time; you are not the only one who harbors resentment against it. I too deeply hate it, so you needn't feel so burdened."
Having said that, Xu Qing's figure disappeared over the Gan River, leaving behind the ever-flowing river water and the vast misty waves.
Zhang Pingsheng cupped his hand towards the direction Xu Qing left, feeling increasingly revere in his heart.
For such a Sect Leader who struggles day and night for the safety of all beings, it is hard to find another one in the three realms.
...
Ancient Yin River Dao, Formless Dojo.
The Corpse Body Buddha, with myriad forms and countless images, is discussing chan and debating the sutras with a White Bone Bodhisattva.
"Amitabha Buddha." White Bone Bodhisattva, draped in a human-skin robe, uttered a Buddhist chant, saying, "Buddha Master, I observe the turbulent waves in the three realms, and my mental sea is filled with demonic obstacles. Now there is a dangerous cliff that hangs outside the law of cause and effect, its shadow gradually approaching, causing me to fear just by gazing upon it..."
Corpse Body Buddha stirred the skeletal Buddha beads in his hand, his eyes slightly closed, saying:
"Why don't you speak of where the fear arises from?"
White Bone Bodhisattva, clearly apprehensive, said, "Recently, there has been a change in the netherworld; half of the twelve state gates were killed by one person. Dharma Master has decreed that we must find this person, and report his background and origins to the underworld..."
"However, all who have seen this person in the past have perished completely; upon hearing this, I feel terrified, hence I come to seek Buddha Master's guidance for a liberation method."
Corpse Body Buddha laughed and said, "You only see the cliff collapsing, but do not see the void remain unharmed. You see the boat decayed, yet do you see the flowing water cease to flow?"
White Bone Bodhisattva respectfully said, "I am ignorant, and ask Buddha Master for clarification."
Corpse Body Buddha finally opened his hollow eyes and gazed into the distance, calmly saying, "Those gatekeepers who have died and had their paths extinguished are cliffs, they are iron boats; yet cliffs will eventually crumble and iron boats will eventually decay."
"Whereas I am originally the discarded form cast off by numerous Buddhas and monks of the Western heaven, useless thus rootless, rootless thus without delusion, akin to flowing water within empty space. Even if that person possesses vast divine techniques to push the cliffs to collapse and break the ship to sink, how can they tear open void and sever the flowing water?"
White Bone Bodhisattva, showing a sorrowful look, said, "Buddha Master possesses no true form, yet all corpses are containers, akin to the flowing water, naturally fearless of the strong. But I only have this single shell, like a boat in the water, how could I possibly escape this peril?"
Corpse Body Buddha dismissively said, "Though you are a lone boat, you have thousands of human skins as the boat's fabric; even if the boat leaks, it can be repaired, what need is there for such fear?"
Corpse Body Buddha continued, "Otherwise, you may stay here, and when that person has not arrived, you and I can explore Buddhist principles together and share the bloody feast. If that person does come... even if we cannot retain him, we can discern what manner of evil he is, and informing the Dharma Master will also be a great merit."
Upon hearing this, White Bone Bodhisattva was overjoyed and immediately pressed his palms together, saying, "Excellent, I have received guidance."
However, just as White Bone Bodhisattva dispelled his doubts and no longer felt fear, he heard pervasive sounds arising around the dojo.
"Heaven and earth will eventually collapse, let alone the void? Even a thousand-mile-long river freezes, and a boat without water becomes scrap iron! Are you two heretics deceiving ghosts here?"
Before the voice finished, a three-headed six-armed figure appeared on the western side of the dojo, holding axes in six hands. As he spoke, thirty-three layers of the Celestial Spirit Axe Technique were already stacked completely.
Corpse Body Buddha and White Bone Bodhisattva, still in shock, watched as the young man outside the dojo swung his axe, and then a white rainbow axe shadow of world-splitting power reached them in the blink of an eye!
White Bone Bodhisattva was scared out of his wits, the axe shadow before his eyes was indeed capable of breaking the void divine techniques!
A thunderous roar sounded.
When the dust settled, what's left of the once intact and compassionate White Bone Bodhisattva was now in tatters, revealing a framework of pale bones within its skin-alike facade, which turned out to be his true form.
That compassionate appearance was nothing more than a facade he stitched together using human flesh, sewing people's collective skins into a painted mask.
And like such painted masks, White Bone Bodhisattva had thousands upon thousands.
Meanwhile, the Corpse Body Buddha, who was ambushed by Xu Qing, was in no better condition.
Initially in the guise of an old monk, Corpse Body Buddha's body disintegrated; when he reappeared, he had already transformed into the form of a young monk.
Furthermore, Corpse Body Buddha's injuries instantly recovered as his flesh changed.
Xu Qing furrowed his brows; though his Celestial Spirit Axe could split heavens and earth, it couldn't do so indefinitely.
And Corpse Body Buddha had countless corpse transformations, Xu Qing feared that even if he chopped tens of axes, he would end up exhausting himself as a dried corpse.
Corpse Body Buddha didn't care about all this; he looked at Xu Qing as if staring at a piece of tender meat.
"Your body appears quite extraordinary."
Corpse Body Buddha licked his lips, as if having spotted prime prey, unconsciously revealing a greedy expression.