Chapter 48: Breaking Delusion to Return to Truth

In recent years, Liang Yan had campaigned across the lands, long accustomed to slaughter. The surrounding nations had been annihilated one by one, and the number of prisoners he had buried alive was countless.

Only one enemy nation remained, his final opponent: the woman general in white standing before him.

She was alone, riding her horse to the front of the two armies. Holding a flowery precious sword, her white robes fluttered and her long black hair drifted in the wind, exuding an indescribable heroic grace.

Liang Yan wanted to look closely at her face, but he found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not see her clearly.

But he knew this battle was unavoidable!

"Kill her!" A surge of desire rose from the depths of Liang Yan's heart, and his eyes gradually turned blood-red.

He no longer held back, letting out a great shout: "Kill!"

The soldiers of both armies swarmed forward, clashing instantly. He himself spurred his horse forward, charging wildly toward the woman in white.

Amidst roaring sounds, his steed transformed into a massive grey pig, and the long sword in his hand turned into a giant red python. Everywhere Liang Yan passed, corpses littered the fields and rivers ran with blood.

The woman in white showed no fear. As she drew her precious sword, it let out a clear, resonant ring. The cold light flashed, as if this were the only sword in heaven and earth.

The two exchanged dozens of moves within the military formation in an instant, surprisingly evenly matched, each holding their own. This was something that had never happened since Liang Yan had joined the army.

"Who is this person?"

A strange thought suddenly surfaced in Liang Yan's mind. He wanted to see her face, but he found that even at such a close distance, he still could not see clearly.

Though suspicious and startled, the long snake in his hand and the grey pig beneath him became more excited than ever before. The snake flicked its tongue and the grey pig roared, as if they wanted to devour the person before them alive to be satisfied.

An irrepressible urge to kill surged in Liang Yan's heart once more, and his eyes turned exceptionally crimson. His momentum climbed steadily, and as he swung the long snake, the woman in white gradually found herself unable to hold her ground.

Suddenly, a "Clang!" rang out. Her long sword was knocked flying, and her mount was instantly kicked to death by the grey pig.

The woman in white fell from her mount, rolling several times on the ground. She spat out a mouthful of blood, appearing to have sustained extremely heavy injuries.

Liang Yan let out a long howl, intending to end the woman's life. Just then, a rolling thunder suddenly echoed from the sky, and a bolt of lightning exploded through the clear sky.

In that flash of lightning, Liang Yan suddenly saw the woman's face clearly.

"It's her!"

Who was she?

What was her name?

Liang Yan did not know any of this, but a voice blurted out from the depths of his heart: *This is "her"!*

"This person cannot be killed!"

For some unknown reason, such a bizarre thought rose in Liang Yan's mind. But just as it emerged, another voice spoke in his heart: "Kill her! If you kill her, you can sever your shackles, and from then on, heaven and earth will be within your grasp!"

The voice grew louder and louder, gradually drowning out all other thoughts, constantly urging him in his mind

"You have already killed so many people, do you still care about this last one?"

"This is the final hurdle. Once you pass this, you will no longer be your past self. From now on, you shall enjoy endless wealth and honor!"

"Kill, kill, kill! How can you conquer the world without killing?"

"Ah!"

Liang Yan roared toward the sky, feeling as if his head were about to explode.

"Shut up!"

Following his furious roar, a clap of thunder suddenly echoed from the sky, followed by a segment of golden Sanskrit characters.

These Sanskrit characters were extremely strange. Although Liang Yan did not recognize a single character, he seemed able to understand their meaning, as if he were born knowing what was written upon them.

Liang Yan stared blankly at the Sanskrit in the sky. After a long while, he suddenly assumed a bizarre posture: his upper body hung suspended and tilted backward, his left hand supported his head, and his right hand arched his back, appearing as if he were "sleeping."

Gradually, Liang Yan's eyes closed tightly, as if he had truly fallen asleep, yet his mind became exceptionally clear.

Within a ten-mile radius, one could hear a needle drop or see a falling leaf. The millions of troops on the battlefield and the woman in white on the opposing side became as still as wooden figures in his divine sense, motionless.

The Sanskrit in the sky continued to change. Although Liang Yan did not look up, his lips moved, reciting the heavenly Sanskrit word for word.

"Using the Vajra-fragment cause to break the fourfold arising; choosing all dharmas to depart from play; reaching the breaking of emptiness to eliminate delusion..."

"...All dharmas are unborn; break them with strength."

In Buddhist teachings, there are five great causes: "The Vajra-fragment cause," "The cause of breaking the arising of existence and non-existence," "The cause of departing from one and many," "The cause of breaking the fourfold arising," and "The Great Dependent Origination cause."

In fact, the lineage Liang Yan practiced possessed the "Vajra-fragment cause."

The attachment of sentient beings to the idea that all dharmas arise spontaneously, from others, together, or without cause, is what is known as the "fourfold arising."

The "fourfold arising" is the source of worldly obsessions and desires. The "Vajra-fragment cause" emphasizes breaking delusion with strength—not physical strength, but the solidity of the divine sense. When the divine sense is as solid as a rock, demonic illusions will crumble with a single strike.

As Liang Yan chanted the Sanskrit, a golden current of air spontaneously emerged from within his body; it was his long-lost spiritual energy beginning to circulate. The snake-sword and the grey pig beside him hissed and crackled, gradually turning into wisps of green smoke that dissipated into nothingness.

Immediately after, the golden light in the sky grew even more intense, and the earth beneath his feet let out a rumbling sound, as if the end of the world were imminent.

Liang Yan slowly opened his eyes. The crimson color in his gaze was gone, replaced by a clean and clear look. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth as he turned to look toward the horizon. There, a person was walking toward him, dressed in plain hemp clothes and wearing a straw hat.

The newcomer's steps were slow, pacing one by one as if strolling through a field. Yet, strangely, though he had been at the horizon just a moment ago, he was now right in front of him.

"I knew you would come," Liang Yan smiled.

The newcomer was none other than Liang Yan's father, Liang Xuan! He asked with a look of confusion

"Why? Why did you stop? You were only one step away. Do you not want to live with your father forever?"

Liang Yan replied with an unrelated question: "You lost six years of my memories and even wanted me to sever them with my own hands; your heart is truly poisonous. But rest assured, I will not kill you. As they say, 'within the true lies the false, and within the false lies the true.' The father-son bond you brought me is real. If I were to kill you here, I would be severing my past self."

Liang Xuan said with a look of astonishment, "For these ten years, your father has been devoted entirely to you. Can you not feel it? I made you pass your exams, helped you marry and start a family, helped you build your career, and helped you conquer the world. Was there anything wrong with any of it?"

Liang Yan shook his head. "You were never my father. You do not understand him, nor do you understand me."

Liang Xuan's face darkened, and he said slowly, "Think carefully. The world is now within your grasp. As long as you pass this final hurdle, you will be the sole ruler of heaven and earth!"

Liang Yan extended his right hand, pointing directly at the sky, and laughed loudly

"Unluckily for you, the one I intend to break is this very Heaven!"

With that gesture, the golden light of the Sanskrit in the sky flared brilliantly. Several massive cracks appeared across the sky, and countless streaks of golden light poured from the fissures. A faint sound of Buddhist chanting echoed between heaven and earth.

The next moment, the heavens and earth collapsed as if it were the apocalypse; the world Liang Yan inhabited crumbled rapidly.

The entire world shattered into countless small pieces, and Liang Yan fell into a black hole. The past ten years of his life flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Ten years had passed like a white horse leaping across a crevice—a mere dream of millet cooked overnight.

Now, having awakened from the great dream, he could not quite remember the details of the dream.

Liang Yan felt a sensation of spinning, only to find his feet firmly planted on an open space. A man's startled voice reached his ears

"Eh?"

Liang Yan shook his slightly dizzy head and looked around.

What met his eyes was an underground cavern. Beside him lay a woman in white, her brows furrowed as if caught in a dream; it was Tang Diexian.

Seeing that she was not in immediate mortal danger, Liang Yan breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the source of the voice.

There was a stone platform, surrounded by four stone pillars. Upon them sat a wooden fish, a Zen staff, a glass lamp, and an alms bowl. These items radiated divine light and tangible spiritual energy, clearly recognizable as Buddhist treasures.

Sitting in the middle of the stone platform was a man in red. His pupils were narrow, his lips were crimson, and his features were quite handsome, though he carried an unsettling, cold, and bloodthirsty aura.

Chains extended from each of the four pillars toward the center of the platform, binding his hands and feet, as if he had been sealed there.

At this moment, he was staring at Liang Yan with an expression of shock, a hint of fear flickering in his eyes, and his body was trembling slightly.

"Bodhi Clarity?...Who are you to the 'Angry Monk'?"

A strange expression appeared on Liang Yan's face upon hearing this. He did not answer the question, but instead thought to himself: *"So the old monk's title is 'Angry Monk,' and this technique, 'The Drowsy Aspect,' was originally named 'Bodhi Clarity'..."*

Recalling how he had randomly named the cultivation method he taught the old monk five years ago, he couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement.

However, though he laughed inwardly, not a trace of it showed on his face. Instead, he stared at the man in red and said solemnly

"He is my master!"

(End of Chapter)