In the raging inferno, Shi Kui pulled out the final demon-sealing nail.
The demon-sealing nail was lodged in his crown, sealing the soul of the Corpse Puppet.
This was why all of Shi Kui’s attacks before had been with his physical body, at most borrowing the power of evil spirits.
As Shi Kui removed the last demon-sealing nail, his aura surged, reaching its peak state!
Innumerable black malevolent qi erupted from his crown.
The approaching flames were instantly dispersed by the malevolent qi and extinguished, revealing Shi Kui’s hideous form.
Due to the burning flames, Shi Kui’s body was not spared a single intact piece of flesh. Although his musculature was clearly defined, his skin had been severely burned, rendering him a ghastly spectacle.
At this moment, soaring malevolent qi swirled around him, and the Buddhist golden body, previously shattered by Yan Shouyi, re-condensed!
A golden body of black!
Even more astonishing, the malevolent qi coalesced behind Shi Kui into a black halo, akin to the halo behind a Bodhisattva or Arhat!
“Hahahaha!”
Amidst Shi Kui’s wild laughter, he slowly ascended, appearing as if a dark deity or Buddha had descended!
Boom—
The thunderclouds rumbled in response to Shi Kui’s laughter, intensifying the somber and terrifying atmosphere.
“The seals are all broken!”
“I am free!”
“This familiar power… it has returned!!!”
Shi Kui bared his chest, countless streams of black energy swirling around him. Upon closer inspection, these were streams of vengeful spirits!
There were at least a thousand of them!
“Asura?! This heretic monk Shi Kui has actually cultivated to this extent?!”
Even the martial monk Miaoji couldn’t help but be moved, a flicker of shock in his eyes.
“What is an Asura?” Lin Zitong asked, frowning.
The fact that Miaoji was so surprised indicated Shi Kui’s current strength was formidable, and Lin Zitong began to worry for Yan Shouyi’s safety.
Miaoji solemnly explained, “Buddhism has Six Realms: the Human Realm, the Deva Realm, the Hell Realm, the Hungry Ghost Realm, the Animal Realm, and the Asura Realm.”
“The Asura Realm is peculiar. If you call it Buddha, it lacks the benevolence of a Buddha and bears resemblances to the ghost realms. If you call it a ghost realm, it possesses the power and divine abilities of a Buddha. If you call it human, it has human emotions and desires, yet also the power and malevolence of Buddhas and ghost realms. Thus, it is a monster that is neither god, ghost, nor human, but exists between them.”
“Ordinary monks cultivate the Buddhist heart and foster good karma, ultimately having two paths: Dharma monks become Bodhisattvas, and martial monks become Arhats. My path is that of an Arhat.”
“But heretic monks, upon reaching their end, fall into the demonic path and become terrifying Asuras… I had thought Shi Kui was merely a slightly more powerful heretic monk, I never expected him to become an Asura…”
Miaoji spoke with deep apprehension.
The dog Taoist recovered his senses and exclaimed in shock, “If you say so, then a heretic monk who has become an Asura is on the same level as a Bodhisattva or Arhat, isn’t he?”
Miaoji slowly nodded.
Bodhisattvas and Arhats were beings of legendary divine status.
Yan Shouyi was still a mortal; how could he possibly be his opponent?
No… rather, everyone present would be unable to defeat Shi Kui!
For a moment, Miaoji and the dog Taoist grew anxious. The dog Taoist even prepared to awaken Yan Chou, who was in seclusion, as he felt the situation had escalated beyond his control.
At this moment, Lin Zitong suddenly noticed something amiss.
“That’s not right! If Shi Kui were an Asura, he should have been one a hundred years ago. His power is so immense, how could the people of the Crimson Flower Society have managed to seal him?!”
At this critical juncture, Lin Zitong, with her bold and meticulous mind, identified the flaw.
The two recovered their composure. The dog Taoist slapped his thigh and said, “That makes sense! You bald donkey, look again. Is that Shi Kui truly an Asura? You must not be mistaken!”
Miaoji also calmed down from his initial shock and panic.
He clasped his hands together, chanted Buddha’s name, and forced himself to remain composed.
Then, a golden light flashed in his eyes, and he re-examined Shi Kui in the sky.
In his perception, Shi Kui’s physical form slowly dissolved, and only various malevolent energies boiled in the heavens and earth. In Shi Kui’s place, a shadow appeared, like an infant but entirely black.
The infant’s hands were clasped, and malevolent qi surged from its body, like a black hole vortex.
The golden light in Miaoji’s eyes faded, but the shock on his face intensified.
“What did you see?!” the dog Taoist urged, “Damn bald donkey, stop playing games, speak quickly!”
Lin Zitong also pressed, “Uncle Miaoji, what did you discover?”
Miaoji took a deep breath and said, “Shi Kui is not an Asura.”
Everyone instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
The dog Taoist grinned slyly, “I knew it, how could Shi Kui be an Asura! As long as he’s not an Asura, Shouyi can definitely handle him!”
But the next second, Miaoji added:
“However, he has the soul of an Asura within him. It appears… he is an Asura reincarnated!”
The dog Taoist’s smile froze on his face.
Taoism cultivates this life, while Buddhism cultivates the next life; this is a well-known “secret” within the Xuanmen.
It’s not that Buddhist practitioners are putting on airs or being pretentious.
The reason for this lies in the content of Buddhism’s cultivation system.
When Buddhist cultivation reaches its end, one must make a great vow. Without fulfilling the vow, they cannot attain their fruit status and will remain ordinary mortals, unable to become Buddhas.
Although no one knows for sure if Bodhisattvas and Arhats truly exist in the world, this cultivation system is real.
For example, the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha in Buddhist hell made a great vow: “I shall not become a Buddha until hell is empty.”
Because hell is not empty, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha remains a Bodhisattva and cannot become a Buddha.
There are many similar great vows. The greater the vow, the more difficult it is to fulfill.
Some monks, spending their entire lives, cannot fulfill their vows. They feel that this life is hopeless and thus enter reincarnation, awaiting the next life to try again.
This is the true reason for “Buddhism cultivating the next life.”
This principle tells us that the boasts made with a smile in the past will eventually have to be faced with tears, and it is highly likely to be in the next life, or the life after that.
The Asura soul that Miaoji saw within Shi Kui was that of a reincarnated Asura.
Although the soul was that of an Asura, Shi Kui himself was not a true Asura. His power was still far from that of a true Asura. It was only because he possessed an Asura soul that he had become so powerful.
“So, it means Shi Kui is not invincible, Shouyi still has a chance…” The dog Taoist’s eyes were sharp, still contemplating whether to offer assistance.