We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real? Chapter 624: Paying Respects to Master Wangxin

Within the Dao Inquiry Platform.

Today, Xiao Mo did not practice his sword.

At this moment, he was cultivating the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet.

At first, Xiao Mo had worried that cultivating the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet would take up considerable time better spent on the Grass Character Sword Formula, hindering his progress in swordsmanship and so Xiao Mo had planned to treat it merely as a secondary practice, cultivating it whenever he had spare time but as he continued practicing, Xiao Mo found something rather unexpected.

The Great Dream of the Yellow Millet and the Grass Character Sword Formula not only did not conflict with one another, but after practicing the Grass Character Sword Formula, channeling the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet afterward allowed his spiritual energy to recover even more quickly.

Xiao Mo even discovered that he could practice the Grass Character Sword Formula within the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet itself.

In other words, practicing swordsmanship within his own spiritual consciousness.

"Practicing swordsmanship within one's spiritual consciousness" was, in truth, already a common cultivation method among sword cultivators, rehearsing sword techniques mentally to deepen one's understanding of the Dao of the sword but regardless, practicing swordsmanship within one's consciousness alone was never quite as effective as practicing in reality.

And so sword cultivators typically resorted to this method only when injured, forced to rest in bed, practicing their sword within their own mind during recovery but the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet, blurring the line between truth and illusion, reality and dream, could nearly simulate the whole of reality itself.

When Xiao Mo channeled the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet while practicing the Grass Character Sword Formula, the effect achieved reached roughly seventy percent of practicing in actual reality.

To Xiao Mo's mind, this was already remarkably good and as his practice of the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet grew ever deeper, the effect would only continue to improve, eventually reaching the point where "practicing the sword within a dream" would be indistinguishable from reality itself.

In sum, with both of these supreme cultivation techniques, the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet and the Grass Character Sword Formula, working in perfect compatibility with one another, Xiao Mo felt that, given another year, breaking through into the Dragon Gate realm was not at all out of the question.

One year, one major realm.

Even Xiao Mo himself found his own current cultivation talent somewhat frightening.

The only shortcoming remaining was that his own physical constitution was still insufficient.

Though a sword cultivator's constitution was considerably stronger than that of an ordinary qi-cultivator, compared to a true martial cultivator, it still fell noticeably short.

Xiao Mo often found himself imagining, if he could use the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet as his "internal cultivation," the Grass Character Sword Formula as his primary offensive method, paired with a true martial cultivator's physical constitution, just how terrifying that combination might prove.

Of course, this remained, for now, merely a fantasy within Xiao Mo's own mind.

Achieving it in reality would, he suspected, prove nearly impossible.

"Whew..."

Xiao Mo drew a deep breath, settling the spiritual energy within his body.

Though the Great Dream of the Yellow Millet allowed Xiao Mo's spiritual energy to recover considerably, channeling it for an extended period after practicing swordsmanship still placed a certain toll on his soul and so Xiao Mo went to Clear Spring Palace to bathe, to relax a little.

In the past, whenever he bathed within the spirit spring at Clear Spring Palace, immersed in its waters, Xiao Mo could clearly feel the fatigue of both body and soul receding rapidly but now, as his cultivation level had advanced further, Xiao Mo found this spirit spring had already lost much of its former effect...

Though Xiao Mo had already braced himself mentally for this, after all, what high-grade spirit spring could such a small kingdom as Zhou possibly possess?

Yet when the spirit spring truly proved entirely useless to him now, he could not help but feel a certain sense of loss regardless.

It was at this moment that Xiao Mo genuinely came to understand the importance of cultivation resources.

"Once the court is fully stabilized, and the people's livelihood has recovered somewhat, I should expand outward."

Xiao Mo thought to himself.

He could not possibly remain confined to this small patch of land forever.

He needed far greater cultivation resources and in this world where the strong preyed upon the weak, only by continuously growing stronger could one retain any freedom of choice.

Otherwise, any random Upper Three Realms cultivator might well be capable of destroying this small Zhou Kingdom of his without much effort at all.

After bathing, Xiao Mo changed into fresh, clean robes, walking out of Clear Spring Palace.

"Your Majesty, a maid from Lingxin Palace just arrived. The Empress Dowager feels that Your Majesty has been so consumed with worry over state affairs these past days, far too exhausted, and has sent word asking whether Your Majesty might have some free time. She wishes to invite that great master to recite Buddhist sutras for you, to calm your mind." Sili, waiting outside the door, raised her lovely head, asking Xiao Mo respectfully.

"Then have the carriage prepared for Lingxin Palace."

Xiao Mo felt he genuinely ought to visit his mother as well.

These past days, his mother had remained remarkably well-behaved, and had, moreover, supported Yan Zhen in becoming the head of the Yan clan.

Beyond this, the Empress Dowager had thrown her full support behind the imperial house. Should the Yan clan ever harbor any excessive ambitions, before Xiao Mo could even act, the Empress Dowager would already have suppressed it with a single edict of her own.

Without Empress Dowager Yan, Xiao Mo felt his own political costs would have been considerably higher and it happened that he could take the opportunity to see how this Buddhist master his mother had invited was faring.

After all, Xiao Mo knew that this world had no tradition of Buddhist nuns, a woman becoming a monk seemed to be, so far, entirely without precedent.

Two incense sticks' time later, Xiao Mo arrived before the gates of Lingxin Palace.

Raising his head, Xiao Mo could sense the Buddhist resonance drifting out from Lingxin Palace, along with the faint scent of incense carried on the breeze.

Had he not known better, he might have thought he had arrived before a temple.

Walking into Lingxin Palace, Xiao Mo saw, at its very center, a large incense burner, and from the front hall came the sound of sutras being recited.

The maids of Lingxin Palace, seeing Xiao Mo, bowed, wanting to inform the Empress Dowager, but Xiao Mo pressed a hand down, signaling them not to disturb her.

Xiao Mo walked into the front hall, and saw the maids attending nearby but Xiao Mo did not see Empress Dowager Yan. He only saw a woman seated cross-legged upon a cushion, her back to him, reciting sutras.

The woman's figure, from behind, was slender and delicate, her raven-black hair flowing gently down her back, drooping softly near her feet.

Xiao Mo turned his head slightly, looking further.

He saw a small, fleshy creature lying upon the table, fast asleep.

"Migu..."

The sleeping Hundun caught Xiao Mo's scent, slowly opening her eyes.

"Migu?"

Seeing Xiao Mo, Little Hundun's entire fleshy form froze for a moment, wondering if she had seen wrong, even rubbing her eyes with her wings but before long, Little Hundun realized this was indeed her master!

She hadn't seen wrong!

"Migu! Migu!"

Little Hundun hurried to fly to her mistress's side, her small paws tugging ceaselessly at Wangxin's collar, appearing rather incoherent.

Wangxin's voice, reciting the sutras, gradually fell silent.

She opened her eyes, turning around.

The instant she saw Xiao Mo, her delicate body trembled faintly, her clear eyes like pebbles dropped into a spring lake, rippling outward, circle after circle and the moment Xiao Mo saw Wangxin, a little girl rose up in his mind, covered in dust and mud from head to toe.

Her entire body had been filthy, and yet her eyes alone had remained like the purest treasure in the world, untouched by any stain and just as Xiao Mo was about to dwell further on this image, he suddenly felt a searing pain shoot through his head.

As though a single drop of water falling into the sea had somehow triggered towering waves but the next instant, the pain in Xiao Mo's head vanished.

That faint, hazy figure from before had disappeared as well.

"Miss, are you the great master who has been instructing my mother in the Buddhist teachings?" Coming back to himself, Xiao Mo looked at Wangxin, asking with puzzlement.

"I... I..." Wangxin's heart raced ceaselessly, her lovely head lowered, her pure eyes darting left and right, carrying a note of panic, her small hands gripping the skirt of her robe tightly.

At last, Wangxin, as though wanting to flee, made to run out of the front hall.

"Migu?"

"Migu!"

Seeing her own mistress about to leave, Little Hundun was startled, hurriedly beating her wings to fly up, tugging fiercely at Wangxin's hem, refusing to let her leave.

Xiao Mo had no idea what was happening, only sensing that this female monk seemed to be avoiding him somehow but Xiao Mo felt considerable curiosity as well.

To Xiao Mo's mind, shouldn't even a female monk be bald-headed?

And yet this female monk had hair reaching to her waist, and was remarkably beautiful besides, her appearance rivaling even Ruxue's and Siyao's.

"Your Majesty has arrived, then."

Just as the atmosphere between Xiao Mo and Wangxin grew somewhat awkward, Empress Dowager Yan walked over, smiling.

"This child greets Mother." Xiao Mo bowed to the Empress Dowager. "How has Mother been these past days?"

"Well, I've been quite well indeed."

Empress Dowager Yan smiled.

In truth, Xiao Mo, too, could sense that the Empress Dowager's expression seemed considerably better than before.

Compared to before, when a certain melancholy had always lingered on the Empress Dowager's face, she now appeared as though she had come to some kind of peace within herself, her entire bearing carrying a composed, gentle quality, her whole demeanor considerably more relaxed.

"Let me introduce Your Majesty. This is that Buddhist master I told you about, some days ago, her Dharma name is Wangxin. Your Majesty mustn't underestimate her simply because she's a woman, and so young at that."

Empress Dowager Yan introduced her to Xiao Mo solemnly, her tone deeply respectful.

"This Master Wangxin is the closing disciple of the abbot of Kongnian Temple, the great Buddhist temple of the Western Region. Her mastery of the Buddhist teachings is extraordinarily profound, and moreover, Master Wangxin has already lived over a thousand years, her cultivation level truly extraordinary, an Upper Three Realms cultivator, higher than the very heavens themselves."

"This humble subject pays respects to Master Wangxin." Xiao Mo bowed to Wangxin, smiling. "How could I possibly underestimate Master Wangxin? That Master Wangxin agreed to teach my mother the Buddhist teachings is truly Great Zhou's own good fortune."

"It's... it's nothing..."

Wangxin, praised so highly by Xiao Mo, and shown such respect besides, felt a faint blush rise to her cheeks, even feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.

In Wangxin's own memory, Xiao Mo had always bullied her, disdained her, never once praising her before.

"Master Wangxin, His Majesty has been laboring over state affairs these past days, without proper rest. Now that I've finally managed to bring him here today, might Master Wangxin recite some sutras for him, to ease his mind a little?" Empress Dowager Yan asked.

"I... I can... if... if Your Majesty doesn't mind..." Wangxin wrung her fingers together, her head lowered throughout, speaking softly.

"Then I shall trouble Master Wangxin." Xiao Mo thanked her once more.

Truth be told, Xiao Mo genuinely felt that this Master Wangxin carried none of the airs one might expect from an Upper Three Realms cultivator, even showing a certain shyness and bashfulness, hardly different from an ordinary young girl.

"I'll go have some tea with Ruxue, then. Master Wangxin, please, make yourself comfortable."

Empress Dowager Yan took her leave, departing with her maids, leaving only Wangxin and Xiao Mo within the hall.

"Your Majesty, please, be seated here." Wangxin made a welcoming gesture.

"All right."

Xiao Mo seated himself upon a cushion.

Wangxin, too, smoothed her robes, seating herself across from Xiao Mo.

"I had thought Master Wangxin would be dressed in monastic robes and kasaya, radiating Buddhist light from head to toe, but Master Wangxin, remarkably, wears ordinary mortal clothing, just like an everyday woman, exactly as the texts describe the great Dao as being utterly simple."

Xiao Mo continued praising her, wanting to build good rapport with her.

After all, this Master Wangxin seemed genuinely kind-hearted, and, being an Upper Three Realms cultivator, befriending her could bring nothing but benefit.

"Your Majesty is too generous with your praise." Wangxin's small hands rested upon her lap, gently gripping the hem of her skirt, the blush on her cheeks growing all the more lovely.

Hundun, nearby, raised her "head," looking at her master with utter disbelief.

She thought to herself, how had her own master become so smooth-talking, after this second life of his?

If master had possessed even half this level of skill in his previous life, her mistress would already have great-grandchildren by now.

"I wonder what I should do now? Should I recite the sutras alongside Master Wangxin?" Xiao Mo asked curiously.

"I... I will recite the sutras for Your Majesty. Your Majesty may simply close your eyes, relax your mind, and feel it gently." Wangxin said softly.

"All right."

Xiao Mo sat up straight, closing his eyes.

Only then did Wangxin raise her head, looking at Xiao Mo's face, her clear eyes blinking, seemingly entranced but before long, Wangxin came back to herself, and began, slowly, softly reciting the Buddhist sutras.

The sutras flowed from Wangxin's lips, each word reaching Xiao Mo's ears.

Xiao Mo felt these strains of Buddhist chant carried an ethereal, holy quality, and his own weary mind gradually relaxed, his soul finding nourishment.

Gradually, Xiao Mo entered a state of selfless contemplation of the Dao.

As the sound of Wangxin's sutra recitation gradually fell silent, Xiao Mo opened his eyes, only then realizing that a full hour had passed.

"My thanks to Master Wangxin."

Xiao Mo pressed his hands together, bowing to the woman before him.

The accumulated fatigue within Xiao Mo's soul had vanished entirely, his whole body feeling remarkably light.

He had never expected that simply listening to an Upper Three Realms Buddhist cultivator recite sutras could have such an effect.

Indeed, every school of thought held its own unique strengths.

"Your Majesty is too kind. Should Your Majesty ever feel your soul growing weary again, you may come find me at any time... I... I will recite the sutras for Your Majesty."

Wangxin said, her heart filled with joy at having been able to do something for Xiao Mo.

"In that case, I shall not stand on ceremony going forward." Xiao Mo said with a smile.

"Mm..."

Wangxin answered softly, and at the thought that Xiao Mo would come find her again in the future, the joy within her heart gradually spread further.

"But Master Wangxin, I have a few somewhat immature questions I'd like to ask you, though I'm not sure whether they might be inappropriate." Xiao Mo asked.

"Please, Your Majesty, ask directly." Wangxin nodded.

"It's said that Buddhist cultivators, unlike those of the other schools, can eventually come to see the Buddha himself, as their cultivation progresses. I wonder if this is true?" Xiao Mo asked with curiosity.

Hearing Xiao Mo's question, Wangxin nodded, “It should... be true..."

"Then has Master Wangxin ever seen the Buddha? I wonder what he looks like?" Xiao Mo genuinely felt curious.

"What the Buddha looks like is..."

Wangxin raised her head, only gazing at the man before her.

She bit her soft, delicate lower lip, remaining silent for a long, long while.