Spirit Vessel

This continent seemed borderless and unfathomable, far larger than the territory of Jin. Moreover, this was only one of the many continents found here.

The sacred ground of Heavenly Kingdom was situated in this pristine continent with inaccessible terrains and auspicious clouds.

Beneath was a flowing spirit vein - a great land for cultivation.

The bird's ancestors weren't the only ones here. Virtually every senior of the beast race was present. They have sensed the aura of a new Golden Silkworm user.

The door has opened after ten thousand years to welcome its new master.

Among the mountain range was a massive Buddha statue several thousand meters high, tall enough to reach the clouds. It carried a majestic and holy aura.

Beneath was a platform made out of amethyst in the shape of a lotus flower, nine meters tall and wide enough to be a courtyard.

Three thousand white lotus flowers floated on top, wielding a dense and cold spirituality. Their name was Void Lotus, taking root in the spatial fabrics.

To the front of the platform were four bronze pillars with a diameter of seven meters; all on fire. Strangely enough, the heat wasn't present, only a comfortable feeling.

Feiyun was slightly intimidated because the auras here were too monstrous and numerous - more than a hundred.

The three in the center were especially strong with their Buddhist energy. A golden halo floated behind their neck so they looked like three dignified Buddhas.

They were quite tiny, a stark contrast versus their old age.

To the left was a leopard-like creature with five tails. It had one horn on its forehead, sharp and shiny. However, upon closer inspection, one would find that it was very old with white hair all over. Its tails looked wizened.

Feiyun nodded, recognizing the beast - a zheng with a pure bloodline of unknown cultivation. Feiyun couldn't see it even with his heavenly gaze. [1]

The second beast was a fish with two wings, surrounded by an expense of Buddhist energy. It also looked quite old. Its body was only half a meter long versus its three-meter-long beard.

The third one in the center was a bi'an sitting in a meditating pose with a human-like face. It had a string of Buddhist beads on its neck and was chanting.

All three had the bloodline of ancient sacred beasts. They had an amazing aura and looked just like three Buddhas; people couldn't help wanting to bow before them.

Next were another one hundred ancestral beasts from various races meditating on top of the platform. They were all older than two thousand years with an aura purer than an enlightened monk.

The bird brought the two to the entrance and was stopped outside. It wasn't qualified to enter the platform.

Liu Ruixin held his sleeve. Although these beasts have hidden their auras, she still felt a great pressure and found it hard to breathe.

"The disciples of nine continents, three mountains, and twelve oceans are all here to welcome the return of Fo Canzi." The old bi'an exuded a sacred chant. The rest of the platform resonated loudly with him. One could hear the sound of bells then a rain of flowers poured down.

Fo Canzi? That's what they call a cultivator of this scripture?

Feiyun was led by a certain power and floated to the center of the platform. He then sat down on a twelve-ranked Void Lotus.

The three tiny beasts were ten meters away from him, forming an arc. This was another lotus platform with eighteen spots - all were ninth-ranked Void Lotus.

It required prestige to sit here; only these three were qualified. The other fifteen spots remained empty.

Next was a series of 360 sixth-ranked lotus flowers then 3,000 third-ranked lotus flowers. The majority was taken by meditating beasts. They looked awfully serious - a rather funny scene.

Feiyun felt a massive Buddhist power beneath his lotus. It was as if he was sitting on a star. This thing must have been growing for more than ten thousand years.

He had thoughts of taking it with him. Unfortunately, all the beasts were looking at him right now.

He sat up straight and became sentimental. Maybe there were really three thousand Enlightened Buddhas preaching here in the past.

Someone had created this holy land of Buddhism, freed from conflicts and killing.

The beasts had a pure heart and great Buddhist enlightenment. They knew how to carry themselves with pride and respect, perhaps more pious than human monks. They didn't have as many desires and unwarranted thoughts either.

"Hmm… who can tell me more about this Fo Canzi business?" Feiyun was shrouded by pure light and auspicious clouds.

In the distance on a sixth-ranked platform, an eagle took out a scroll and read aloud in an expressive manner: "30,000 years ago, it has been prophesied that a disaster would happen 20,000 years later to Buddhism. Thus, Heavenly Kingdom closed its door waiting for the next Fo Canzi. Its opening for the second time will spread the enlightenment and laws of Buddhism, freeing the heart from worry and terror, eventually reaching Nirvana and Ascension with our great dao."

Feiyun got a headache from listening to this. It seemed that 30,000 years ago, someone had predicted a calamity and left behind this prophecy about the next Fo Canzi.

'What the hell is going on? Why me? Fo Canzi? I only cultivated this scripture to get stronger and don't give a damn about Buddhism. Plus, I'll have to stop meeting girls too, goddamn it, am I stuck in this mess? The prophecy gotta be wrong.' He thought.

A holy voice came from the other side: "Tian Shu has a question for you, oh great Fo Canzi."

"Tong Huan has a question for the great Fo Canzi, please enlighten us."

"Tong Yi is confused about certain ceremonies, please elaborate."

…

One question came after another. They weren't trying to make it hard for Feng Feiyun. This was out of love for learning more about Buddhism. They had nothing but sincerity in their eyes.

They had the same intelligence as humans but not enough wisdom about certain things, especially Buddhism. A few simple ceremonies and ideas for humans were awfully difficult for them.

In the past, Enlightened Buddhas taught them the scriptures and improved their wisdom. Now, these monks were all dead from old age; same with the older spirit beasts.

The loss of legacy truly troubled the new generation. Some could no longer understand certain parts of the scripture even with the help of the seniors.

In fact, in terms of Buddhist logic and reasonings, any young member of Beastmaster Camp could become their teacher.

However, Feiyun still knew less than them. This was akin to a young master entering a library then having to do a lecture on traditional scriptures?

'Looks like I have to find them a teacher soon.' He rubbed his head and got a headache.

Monk Zhi Zang wasn't a good candidate because although he was a powerful Buddhist, he killed too many people. If he were to gain control of these monstrous spirit beasts, Heavenly Kingdom would turn into a source of destruction rather than a peaceful holyland.

Tan Qingsu was actually a good candidate - kind and reclusive on top of possessing a transcending temperament. Moreover, she cultivated a beast taming art, capable of removing the wildness from most animals, allowing them to have greater attainments.

Wu Qinghua? No way, her temper was a problem.

Feiyun stopped thinking and said: "It's not time to talk about Buddhism right now since I just got here and have many questions. What is the situation in Heavenly Kingdom right now?"

The fish answered: "In the last ten thousand years, Heavenly Kingdom has grown by 3,500,000 miles for a total of 21,000,000 miles, from east to west. From north to south, it has grown 2,700,000 miles for a total of 16,000,000 miles. Deeper inside is a chaotic mess, still uncultivated. The center is exuberant and lush. The source vein is 7,200,000 miles long now with twenty-one branches."

Feiyun rubbed his chin and nodded approvingly: "Yes, this is a transformation from a high-level realm into a minor dimension."

"A minor dimension?" The tiny beasts murmured.

"It'll be able to form a complete world with days and nights, capable of giving birth to new lifeforms and more suitable for cultivation." Feiyun smiled.

"Like a paradise?" The fish asked.

"Haha, you can put it that way." He didn't want to elaborate too much and began to plan.

Since this place had so many Buddhist experts, he should be able to borrow their strength on top of his phoenix physique to force Yama out of his body.

This was a potential problem that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

1. there's no direct translation, it's another case of kun peng or qilin