Chapter 48

Chu Li saw Su Ru to the gate of the courtyard and, upon returning, found that the dishes had already been cleared away, leaving only two cold dishes for drinking.

Xue Ling was reheating the dishes.

He shook his head and smiled. Xue Ling, cold and proud, but her work was impeccable, leaving no room for complaint. He could only adapt.

In a short while, Xue Ling brought the dishes back, the aroma filling the air.

Chu Li put down his white jade cup and began to eat.

While eating, he thought about the Vajra Dharmic Power.

After Xue Ling washed the bowls and returned to his side, Chu Li suddenly said, "Xue Ling, do you understand Buddhism?"

"No." Xue Ling shook her head.

"Can you read, then?"

"Of course!"

"Can you read the Buddhist scriptures?"

"…I suppose so?" Xue Ling nodded, "Young Master, I don't believe in Buddhism!"

Since her father was assassinated, she no longer believed in Buddhism. Her mother was a devout Buddhist, and their home was filled with the Buddha, with daily chanting and incense burning.

She ignored it all, thinking that if the Buddha were truly omnipotent, her father, a good man, would not have died so unjustly. The idea of cause and effect was nonsense!

Chu Li said, "Go get a copy of the Diamond Sutra."

"…Yes." Xue Ling, though puzzled, did not ask more.

In this world, martial arts and Buddhism were both flourishing, with Buddhism surpassing Daoism. The martial arts of Qinglu Cliff were mysterious and unfathomable, but the prestige of Dulei Temple was even greater.

With Buddhism flourishing and many believers, it was easy to get a copy of the Diamond Sutra. She left the small courtyard and found one after a short walk around Yuxi Island.

She came to the small pavilion and presented it with both hands.

Chu Li took it, glanced through it, and nodded. It was an ordinary copy of the Diamond Sutra. He handed it back to Xue Ling, "Hold it and read it to me."

Xue Ling looked at him, took the Diamond Sutra, and began to read.

"Thus have I heard…"

Chu Li listened quietly. She read fluently, neither too fast nor too slow, her voice clear and pleasant, a pleasure to listen to.

After she finished reading, Chu Li smiled, "Not bad!"

Xue Ling looked at him, puzzled, not knowing what he was up to.

"Xue Ling, when I practice my skills later, you will read the Buddhist scriptures beside me."

"Will it not disturb your practice?"

"Just read!"

Xue Ling nodded lightly.

Chu Li smiled, "Go prepare some throat-soothing herbs and make tea to prevent your throat from getting sore."

"Yes." Xue Ling got up and left to find the herbs.

Half an hour later, she returned with a small bag of herbs, then boiled the tea. After a while, the tea was ready, and she steeped the herbs, "Young Master, shall we begin?"

"Begin!" Chu Li said.

He got up and left the pavilion, going down the steps to practice the Vajra Dharmic Power, performing all 72 movements. Xue Ling read the Buddhist scriptures beside him, her voice calm and steady, neither too fast nor too slow, just right.

She had never read the Buddhist scriptures before but had heard her mother read them, so she read in a similar manner.

She was not in a hurry, knowing that once he started practicing, it would be half a day, so she could take her time.

As she read, she memorized, always focusing on the book, her eyes getting tired. To reduce the strain, it was best to memorize it, saving effort and energy.

The Buddhist scriptures enveloped Chu Li, his mind changing as if he were in a temple. His mind became calm, merging with the Diamond Sutra, free from the concepts of self, other, and longevity. His spirit separated from his body, fully immersed in the teachings of the Diamond Sutra.

Without a sense of time or space, he felt free and empty, detached from the world, with only a spark of consciousness remaining. He practiced the Vajra Dharmic Power subconsciously.

When he came to his senses, he saw Xue Ling quietly watching him, having stopped reading the Diamond Sutra.

"What's wrong?" Chu Li asked, noticing her strange expression.

Xue Ling pointed to the sky, "Young Master, look at the sky."

Chu Li looked up and saw the sun setting, the sky darkening, and the lights coming on. He had lost track of time, and a whole day had passed.

Xue Ling said, "Young Master, you were practicing the whole time, and I didn't dare to disturb you."

Chu Li nodded, "You did the right thing!"

He felt full of energy, not at all tired, but even more vigorous, as if he could punch through the sky. His practice had progressed rapidly that day, far surpassing several days of practice in the past. It seemed he had found the right method.

Combining Buddhism with martial arts, separating the mind from the body, and merging the mind with Buddhism while the body practiced the Vajra Dharmic Power, he wondered if the disciples of Dulei Temple practiced this way. However, this required a strong mind, deep understanding of Buddhist teachings, and profound meditation skills, which few could achieve.

Xue Ling hurriedly said, "Young Master, I'll reheat the dishes!"

She ran off to reheat the dishes in the kitchen, her mind often drifting back to his practice, which seemed very strange, as if his spirit had left his body and disappeared from the world, leaving only an empty shell.

Chu Li was extremely hungry and quickly devoured ten dishes and drank a jar of wine, then took a deep breath.

"Young Master, shall we continue tomorrow?" Xue Ling asked, putting down the wine jar.

"Continue in the evening. How is your throat?"

"No problem!" Xue Ling said.

The herbs she had steeped were very effective, soothing her throat, and she had been careful not to overexert herself.

Chu Li looked at her for a moment. Despite her resentment, she had not hesitated to agree, showing good character.

He then felt the Heavenly Spirit Tree, which was still weak and could not be used rashly. After the day after tomorrow, he would use the tree's spiritual energy to practice the Vajra Dharmic Power and see the results.

After eating, Chu Li wandered for a while and continued practicing.

Xue Ling began reciting the scriptures, having memorized them, her voice clear and steady.

Chu Li quickly entered a meditative state, merging with the Diamond Sutra, with only a spark of consciousness guiding his body to practice the Vajra Dharmic Power.

Xue Ling watched his eyes gradually become vacant, knowing he was in a trance. The ability to practice in such a state was truly remarkable.

She suddenly became interested in the Diamond Sutra. Before, he had not been like this, but after reading the Diamond Sutra, he changed. It was clearly due to the Diamond Sutra. Could the Diamond Sutra really have such incredible power?

Shaking her head, she thought about her mother, who had chanted the Diamond Sutra for half her life without discovering any supernatural abilities, and her personality had not changed, always being talkative.

Although she thought it didn't matter whether she read or not, and Chu Li probably couldn't hear, she did not slack off and continued reciting.

The full moon shone in the sky, casting a soft, gauzy silver light.

The pavilion was not lit, but the moonlight was enough to see.

Under the moonlight, Chu Li's body faintly emitted a golden glow, especially his palms, which seemed to be made of gold.

He practiced until midnight, then came to his senses and asked Xue Ling to prepare another meal as a late-night snack. The practice had consumed a lot of his vital energy, and the Vajra Dharmic Power required not only internal energy but also the essence of grains.

Xue Ling prepared a table full of dishes but refused Chu Li's invitation to sit and eat with him.

Chu Li did not insist and quickly finished the dishes.

Xue Ling looked up at the night sky, got up, and began practicing the Eight Yin Movements.

Chu Li watched for a while and shook his head, "Xue Ling, you are still not soft enough."

Xue Ling stopped, looking at him helplessly.

She thought she was already soft enough, as gentle as a baby, using no force, and her practice was very effective. After practicing the Eight Yin Movements, she practiced the Yin Technique, and her internal energy surged, progressing several times faster.

Chu Li said, "Go read some Daoist scriptures; it will be beneficial."

"Yes." Xue Ling nodded.

Chu Li thought for a moment, then got up and said, "Alright, I'll help you again."

He picked up the long sword hanging on the red pillar of the pavilion, drew the sword, and put it back, holding the scabbard and coming to Xue Ling. "Start practicing."

Xue Ling looked at the scabbard and began practicing again.

"Bang!" Chu Li suddenly raised his hand, and the scabbard hit her slender waist, making a dull sound.

Xue Ling "ah" softly, a strange heat spreading from her waist, as if she had suddenly immersed herself in hot water, instantly relaxing, and her movements changed.

Chu Li said, "Remember this feeling!"

Xue Ling blushed, the sensation was too strange, and she quickly focused, trying to capture this feeling.

Chu Li shook his head, "Don't try too hard. Your habit is not good; you always put too much effort into everything. When you try too hard, you get tense, and it's all over!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand again, and the scabbard hit her shoulder, making her movements even softer, and another wave of heat surged through her body.

She began to feel it, moving lazily, using no effort.

Chu Li hit her again, this time on her buttocks, at the coccyx.

Her face turned red, and she tried hard not to let out a fart. A wave of heat spread through her body, making her want to expel the turbid air, but it was too ungraceful, so she held it in, her face flushed, looking beautiful and shy.

Chu Li smiled inwardly, said nothing more, and put away the scabbard, returning to the pavilion and then to his room, "You keep practicing. I'm going to sleep!"