Chapter 1119: Myriad Thoughts Pot
Eventually, he entered the innermost area of the temple. This place contained a pit that seemingly reached the entrance of hell. There was nothing else in this place outside of darkness.
The old monk slowly left while Li Qiye smiled.
"You came again." In the dark pit, a strand of divine intent emerged. It was not a sound, only a pure intent without emotions, just like a universal law.
Li Qiye sat freely next to the pit. He gazed into its abyss and smiled: "Are you speaking for yourself or for Di Shi?"
"Are you looking for me or Di Shi?" This law-like divine intent from the bottom of the pit could be heard clearly.
"You are only a broken pot without life and emotions. Why do you like to act like this so much?" Li Qiye quipped.
"I am the Myriad Thoughts Pot; one thought to become Buddha, another to become Devil. My will can turn into anything, so who says that I do not have emotions?" This divine intent pulsed like a universal law.
Many people didn't know what the pot was, but if they were to understand its true essence and origin, they would be jumping from horror.
The Myriad Thoughts Pot was one of the Nine Grand Heavenly Treasures. After millions of years, many people presumed that these treasures did not exist even though their legends had been passed down this whole time. No one had seen them before, hence the assumption that they were mere fabrications.
Li Qiye smilingly said: "Buddha or Devil, it doesn't matter. Even if you have a strand of Buddhist intent, it is without emotion. Thus, you will forever be a broken pot."
The thing in the deep pit did not become angry. It seemed to speak with its divine intent: "One thought will turn into myriad thoughts. If you leave your desires here, I will gain another thought."
Li Qiye burst out in laughter and said: "It seems like I have to take back my words. Despite only being a broken pot without emotions, you do know about some other things, such as poisoning the mind and instigating the weak."
"Don't forget, I have become a devil, an emperor and a Buddha before. These are the desires left behind by the people in this world for me, they are not my desires." The intent answered.
Li Qiye pondered for a moment and had to concede in the end with a nod: "This is indeed you. You are still you, a broken pot. My accusation that you were bewitching me is only based on the emotions and desires others left behind."
It wouldn't be correct to say that no one had seen the pot's true form before. For example, Di Shi, the Imperial Lord, and the Devil Lord had seen it before. However, regardless of who they might be, they would never be able to escape after seeing the pot itself.
One thought to become Buddha and another to become Devil — these weren't empty words.
Those who had heard about the Myriad Thoughts Pot knew of a certain legend very well. It stated that after obtaining the pot, it could realize their dreams and desires no matter what they might be.
As for whether this was real or not, no one had ever found evidence or heard of it happening. Few were able to see the pot, let alone obtain it so that it would realize their dreams.
As one of the nine grand treasures, it was only a broken pot without life and emotions. However, after people left their desires here, they also left a mark on the pot. Everything changed from this.
The traces from these people and their emotions and desires seemed to come back to life. Because of this, the Buddhist Funeral Plateau and the Lesser Imperial Devil World came into existence.
The intent spoke: "You are truly an existence that has lived for millions of years, your perspective is different from the others."
Li Qiye smiled and continued: "Your emotions and thoughts have nothing to do with me. I came here hoping that you would move your butt since I want the item at the bottom."
"You want the Space Scripture, right?" The divine intent emerged in the form of a law.
Li Qiye didn't bother hiding anything. In fact, it was pointless to do so before the pot. It consisted of myriad thoughts. The moment the person had an idea in their mind, it was already clear before the pot.
Li Qiye leisurely replied: "Yes, I want the Space Scripture. You just need to move over so that I can take it."
"You can't open it." The intent answered in a precise and clear manner.
Li Qiye smiled and took out an old box that contained three keys. The three keys were from the deal with the War God Temple back then. Mu Shen gave these keys that had been stored at the War God Temple for a long time to Li Qiye.
Li Qiye casually threw the three keys into the pit and said: "What do you think now? I know everything about this place. Back when time and space shifted, you came down to this place. This was not due to chance or because someone in the darkness wished for it. It was due to the destruction of a grand era! Someone hid the Space Scripture here as well, so I brought the keys to open it."
"This has nothing to do with me." The intent responded with clarity: "Just like you said, I am only a broken pot. The Nihility Temple is in charge of this place right now, so if you want it, you need their permission."
"I know." Li Qiye smiled: "As long as you move, leave the Nihility Temple to me."
"Are you only thinking of the Space Scripture?" The intent revealed its thought.
He looked at the deepest location in the pit and confirmed: "I'm only here for the Space Scripture."
"Don't you want the Myriad Thoughts Pot?" The divine intent emitted a glittering law full of temptation for Li Qiye.
If Li Qiye was a miser, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from palpitating with greed due to the irresistible temptation of this glittering golden light.
Li Qiye took a deep breath. His dao heart was as calm as the water at the bottom of a well. He laughed in response: "Is this your own thought, or is it the remnant desires speaking? Or is it Di Shi's will?"
"Does it matter who is saying this?" The divine intent was like an enchanting magical spell. It was tempting Li Qiye like the whispers of a supreme beauty in his ears: "I am the Myriad Thoughts Pot, I can fulfill all your dreams. Whether you want to become an Imperial King over the nine heavens or an everlasting immortal or even an omnipotent existence, I can realize all of your wishes…"
Li Qiye laughed and leisurely denied: "Such temptations are not effective on me. Myriad Thoughts Pot, you wanting to seduce me with this little snare… you really are looking down on me."
He glanced into the depths and continued: "Even the broken pot itself cannot tempt me. I will fulfill my own dreams, there's no need for the pot to do so. If I have to rely on it, then what will I be in the end? Only a puppet."
"You think the pot will manipulate you? It is only a broken pot, it won't manipulate everything." The divine intent answered like the clear sound of a bell: "You have seen Di Shi and the Devil Lord. They have never been manipulated, or rather, the thing being manipulated was the pot, not them." 1
"I know that full well." Li Qiye laughed in response: "The pot itself cannot manipulate everything. However, it can control desires. The moment a person's desires reach a certain degree, they will no longer be able to distinguish themselves from their desires. This is why these realms exist!"
"The pot didn't turn a world into the plateau and the lesser world." Li Qiye slowly went on: "The thing that created this place was the ambition of many people."
"Then what are you afraid of?" The divine intent rose again.
"Because I have an ambition that nothing can contain!" Li Qiye pointed at his heart: "I will hold my ambition and hopes in my heart. If I let them out, the result will not be something as simple as the Buddhist Funeral Plateau!"
This whole part is a bit confusing to me. I don't know if the divine intent is the pot speaking or not. At one point, it claimed to be the pot, but in this passage, it is referring to the pot as a separate entity. But then again, Li Qiye was questioning who was speaking earlier, so maybe they are different yet the same. ↩Chapter 1120: A Gambling Bout
The pit had no reaction and the divine intent didn't emerge again to answer Li Qiye.
Li Qiye smiled and instead added: "Myriad Thoughts Pot, countless people covet you. Even true immortals go crazy because of you, but for me, you are only a broken pot that will bring about endless troubles."
"You truly don't want it?" The divine intent emerged again with the same appearance of a universal law as before.
Li Qiye smilingly answered: "To tell the truth, it would be a lie to say that I am not tempted by the Nine Grand Heavenly Treasures. As one of them, the pot is indeed something that makes the heart go wild. However, I do not need it. Even without it, I can still fulfill my dreams."
The Myriad Thoughts Pot was something everyone would want. Even Immortal Emperors were no exceptions. If immortals existed in this world, they would crave for the pot as well. Li Qiye felt the same way about the heavenly treasures.
However, he didn't want the pot as it would bring about too much trouble. For generations now, many had taken possession of the pot, but ultimately, those who had it in their hands all met bad ends.
This was not to say that the pot would bring about nightmares. On the contrary, it could give someone everything, even their wildest dreams and needs. Alas, possessing it meant that their desires would escalate without bounds until they lost control. In the end, they wouldn't be able to tell whether they were in charge of their desires or the other way around.
In the very distant past, a forgotten age that couldn't be traced, more than just one person had obtained the Myriad Thoughts Pot. None of them were ordinary people; all were supreme and brilliant for generations.
However, this didn't matter. None of them could control their desires after obtaining the pot. Eventually, they brought about their own unimaginable doom.
And there's no need to speak about the ones further in the past, Di Shi was the most recent example. In the endless river of time, few knew about Di Shi. Many had never even heard of this name.
However, Di Shi was absolutely as great as any Immortal Emperor and was comparable to even someone like Immortal Emperor Fei.
But in that old era, after Di Shi obtained the Myriad Thoughts Pot, the Buddhist Funeral Plateau came about! 1
Li Qiye eventually stared and smiled at the pit: "I'll come back again to take the Space Scripture. Let's go with that."
He chuckled after seeing a lack of response from the pit and stood up to leave.
Li Qiye went back to the main hall. The old monk placed his palms together to greet him and asked: "Benefactor still wants to have a scripture debate?"
"That's right." Li Qiye smiled: "I'm bored of fighting and killing. Aren't you monks known for your supreme dharma? Very well, I will take you down using the dharma."
"Benefactors want to make a bet then?" The old monk was not angry at Li Qiye's impolite words. He maintained his palm gesture while still speaking respectfully.
Li Qiye looked at him and said: "Old monk, don't try to dig a pit for me to jump into. I'm not here this time to bet against you guys."
"The Nihility Temple always has wagering available." The old monk revealed a kind expression. Anyone would feel comfortable in his presence.
"Wager your sister!" Li Qiye coldly glared at him: "Only the careless would jump into your trap! I am not here to bet. I only want the Space Scripture, not the Myriad Thoughts Pot!"
"Benefactor used to be so ambitious back then…" The old monk still gave off the same amicable feel. Those who were unknowing would actually consider him as a loved one.
"Ambitious your sister!" Li Qiye coldly retorted: "Back then, your grandpa didn't understand the intricacies and you bald donkeys fooled me. Luckily, I realized in time or else I would have truly fallen into the trap."
"Benefactor's remark is incorrect." The monk said: "Those not in the same household won't enter the same door. Benefactor is predestined to be with the Nihility Temple, it is fated by the heavens…"
"Okay, there's no need to act like a swindler before me. I can also become a Buddha with one word. Everyone is on the same level, so you don't need to speak such lies." Li Qiye interrupted the old monk: "I only want the Space Scripture."
The monk calmly asked: "Benefactor does not want the Myriad Thoughts Pot?"
Such ordinary words were full of a fatal temptation, the most lethal enticement in this world.
Not wanting the Myriad Thoughts Pot? Anyone would grow angry upon being asked this question. This was one of the nine grand treasures, things that even Immortal Emperors couldn't resist!
Li Qiye looked at him with disdain and said: "Monk, this is what you said to fool Immortal Emperor Hao Hai back then. These words were spoken to trick Immortal Emperor Fei Yang as well."
"Benefactor is mistaken again." The old monk spoke kindly: "The Nihility Temple always treats others with sincerity. We clearly explained the dangers inside without hiding anything. A Buddhist practitioner does not lie, Benefactor should be aware of this."
Li Qiye answered: "You are right about that. Immortal Emperor Fei Yang was as treacherous as a ghost. He was capable of deceiving others into drinking feet-washing water while others would find it prohibitively difficult to swindle him. Immortal Emperor Hao Hai was not a fool either, but he was too confident and ultimately fell into your trap. This was why he never entered the plateau again for the rest of his life."
Immortal Emperor Fei Yang was the first to come here with the intention of obtaining the Myriad Thoughts Pot. However, he was different from the other emperors. During his youth, he was extremely cunning and tricked many people down to their underwear before taking that from them as well.
The emperor realized the trickery of the temple very quickly and reacted in time. He understood the mysteries within and instead tricked his opponents and received a stone Buddha from it.
In contrast, Immortal Emperor Hao Hai whom people considered to be even more heaven-defying was tricked and suffered a big loss. Moreover, he could only keep this anger to himself, he never told any outsiders about it.
This emperor was truly stunning. Some people once listed him among the top ten strongest Immortal Emperors. He had been to the World Tree before and obtained one of the miracles there. Moreover, there was a rumor that he obtained part of the Space Scripture.
Among the old emperors, most thought that even though Immortal Emperor Hao Hai was still weaker than Immortal Emperor Jiao Heng, he was definitely more brilliant than Immortal Emperor Fei Yang.
During his visit, he didn't only want the legendary Space Scripture, he desired the Myriad Thoughts Pot as well. After all, since time eternal, no emperor had been known to have obtained any of the nine heavenly treasures.
If he could obtain the pot, then perhaps he would become the prime emperor and surpass Immortal Emperor Jiao Heng.
He was influenced by this greed as well as his absolute confidence in himself. In fact, it was understandable that he was so complacent. After all, an invincible emperor could illuminate many generations.
But who would have thought that this invincible emperor actually willingly fell into a trap? Despite losing the gamble, he still forcefully left and the Nihility Temple couldn't do anything to him. Unfortunately, this left a mental scar in his mind for the rest of his life; he never dared to set foot onto the plateau again.
"Goodness, goodness." The monk responded.
"Myriad Thought Pots." Li Qiye chuckled and said: "There's no need for this gamble. It is not a wager against you monks, it is a competition against oneself! Immortal Emperor Hao Hai didn't understand this back then, so he lost to himself in the end."
The old monk only smiled and didn't say anything. They would not reveal this intricacy, the person would need to rely on themselves to understand it. Only those who realized this would be able to escape, such as Immortal Emperor Fei Yang.
"Okay, I will debate the Nihility Scripture with you lot, who will come first?" Li Qiye sat in the main hall and spoke leisurely: "I trust that you all have prepared well."
The old monk sat down in the main hall as well and kindly responded: "Benefactor is able to become Buddha with one thought, but this little monk will boldly overestimate my own abilities to debate against you."
"You monks have finally changed the opponent for me." Li Qiye laughed while looking at the old monk: "After the big commotion last time, all of you are afraid that I have understood your strategy, so now, they are changing it to having you start instead."
"Goodness, goodness." The old monk didn't say anything else besides chanting with his palms placed together.
"Whatever, I can handle anyone who comes out." Li Qiye said: "Same rules as before. If I win, you must let me take the Space Scripture. If I lose, then I will stay behind. If there's a tie, everyone can just leave."
This part is abrupt and confusing in both versions. I'm not sure of the implications without further context and lore. ↩Chapter 1121: Buddhist Debate
"Humm—" Waves of Buddhist lights radiated from the old monk. Each of the rays seemed to be their own Buddhist World with billions of worshippers and monks…
The three thousand worlds sang Buddhist songs. Each brilliant wisp eventually turned into individual profound dharmic beliefs.
These lights that could convert billions of existences represented different Buddhist paths.
A Buddhist wheel rose from behind the old monk's head. It could carry the three thousand worlds. A golden lotus emerged beneath him and raised his body…
This monk no longer looked ordinary like before. He had become a Buddhist Lord capable of converting deities with just one phrase.
A Buddhist light also emanated from Li Qiye. He shouldered the entire universe as the world rotated around him. Both sacred Buddhas and deities had to prostrate before him. His words became the only laws in this world while his dharma became the universal order.
In the nine heavens and ten earths, only his dharma was allowed to exist for eternity. All the other laws were baseless and false before its might; they weren't worth mentioning and were no longer even allowed to exist.
At this time, the monk formed a mudra and spewed out a mantra: "Where are you from?"
Li Qiye smiled while forming a lotus mudra with his hand. He responded with the most orthodox Buddhist speech: "From the heavens."
"What is the will of the heavens?" The monk's mudra continued with Buddhist hymns engulfing the three thousand worlds in an awe-inspiring manner. Anyone would kneel before him and his non-dispersing Buddhist aura for an eternity.
"One cannot measure the heavenly providence." A lotus flower blossomed in Li Qiye's palm that then began to wither into nothingness.
However, its withering brought about a new lotus bud and the creation of a new world.
In this way, people saw the process of destruction and rebirth in a continuous and never-ending cycle.
"How vast is the heavens?" The monk asked once more. His words resembled a deluge of heavenly flowers, like the coming of a fairy from the heavens or the reincarnation of a golden dragon.
Li Qiye revealed a smile full of mercy. It was capable of shielding the entire era and converting all the creatures within as well as washing away the darkness of the world. He maintained this eternal smile and answered: "Impossible to explain, futile to disclose. Borrow my eye of wisdom so you can see it clearly."
The monk smiled. A Buddhist eye shot out a spiritual light. At this second, this eye allowed him to see the great momentum of all generations. It illuminated the eras and gauged the nine heavens above and hell below. He eventually said: "I cannot see the heavens even with the eye of wisdom!"
"The heavens exist before the eye of wisdom!" Li Qiye answered. The soul swayed while the sun and moon became resplendent. The Yin and Yang turned chaotic. In front of them was only one world and one blue sky… These visions emerged before their eyes.
While Li Qiye was debating against the old monk, Li Shuangyan and the others saw an unbelievable scene at the base of the mountain. They saw the Nihility Temple suddenly disappear as a vast Buddhist sea took its place.
A supreme Buddha sat in this vast sea and a huge lotus flower bloomed beneath him. He sat there with his eyes closed and a motionless mouth…
Even though the supreme Buddha did not speak or take action, the moment anyone saw his Buddhist light, they would feel the urge to worship him and listen to his scripture on their knees.
Mei Suyao and the girls were experienced. With discolored faces, they immediately protected their dao hearts while using their fastest speed to run away from the mountain.
"Shit! After so many years, this damned place didn't weaken at all and instead actually became more and more powerful. This is simply inconceivable." Little Autumn was aghast in the face of this scene and kept on cursing.
The girls had serious expressions. Those with shallow dao hearts would have been converted already. Such a scene would jolt just about anyone.
Mei Suyao knew more than the other girls. She glanced at the Buddha with its eyes closed and murmured: "What is that, is that the legendary Di Shi?"
"No, I'm afraid not." Little Autumn shook its head: "This might be the ambition of the broken pot. When someone leaves their desires behind for the pot, they would be amplified to no end. This must be Di Shi's thought to become Buddha back then!"
Little Autumn took out a large piece of metal. It was only a scrap without any value. It then threw it into the Buddhist sea.
The unthinkable happened. The piece of metal continued to break apart while expelling its impurities. Eventually, this large piece of scrap turned into a small refined metal full of Buddhist light.
A while later, an even more inconceivable transformation occurred. It turned into a small lad, or rather, a novice monk. It prostrated before the lotus flower of the Buddha and began to chant scriptures. The light on its body became increasingly bright.
Everyone was shocked to see this scene. The girls took deep breaths of disbelief. If outsiders were here, they would be astonished as well.
A piece of metal actually turned into a monk in such a short period of time. Perhaps people would attribute this to a type of illusion.
"Is this a demonization?" Bai Jianzhen's eyes were wide open. She felt incredulous while looking at this myth-like event.
One must know that even if a piece of metal was lucky, it would require countless years and baptisms before becoming a demon. For anything that wanted to become a demon with its own sentience, they had to undergo years of refinement before reaching the final step.
But now, this metal became a person in almost no time at all. This broke everyone's common sense.
Li Shuangyan turned paled and murmured: "This power of conversion is too terrifying."
"It is not the power of conversion." Bu Lianxiang gazed at the sea and slowly explained: "There is something in there, something unimaginable. It has the most terrifying power in this world."
She was referring to the Myriad Thoughts Pot. It had an unimaginable power and no one knew just how mighty it was.
"It's that broken pot." Little Autumn swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Its old master wanted to seize the pot and had to pay with his life.
It could only stand there filled with greed since it didn't dare to mess around. Plus, even if it wanted to seize the pot, it knew full well that this was an impossible endeavor.
Not to mention the fact that it had to compete with the pot first, it would also have to flip over the Buddhist Funeral Plateau. Such a thing couldn't be done by even Immortal Emperors.
"Truly horrifying." Mei Suyao commented: "No wonder why Immortal Emperor Hao Hai never wanted to enter the plateau again. So he wasn't only afraid of Spirit Mountain, it was the entire plateau."
She understood why such an invincible being chose to stay away from the plateau completely.
This scene lasted for a while before the Buddhist light slowly dispersed along with the sea and the gigantic Buddha.
The girls held their breaths. They wanted to go up the mountain since they didn't know the result of the debate.
Eventually, Li Qiye showed up at the entrance of the Nihility Temple.
The girls were moved to see him and their anxious minds were finally relieved.
"Success!" Little Autumn's voice was shaking from excitement: "He really did it, he finally defeated those bald donkeys!"
Li Qiye slowly went down the mountain while the ecstatic group immediately rushed forward and gathered around him.
At this moment, his body was quivering and he couldn't stand straight. The girls were quite frightened and quickly went to hold him.
"Young Noble, how are you?" Chen Baojiao was quite worried after seeing Li Qiye's pale face and extreme fatigue.
"It's fine, help me sit down." Li Qiye struggled to take a deep breath as he gasped in between.
The girls helped him sit down with haste while Bu Lianxiang channeled a pure power of the grand dao into his body. This slowly restored his blood energy as his face turned pink again.
"Are, are you alright?" Even Bai Jianzhen was worried. It was rare to see Li Qiye in such a sorry state.
Even if they couldn't watch the debate, they could imagine the perils within.
"I'm actually better off." Li Qiye smilingly said: "You all should go and see that old monk. He probably can't even stand right now. He'll probably have to stay in bed for some years."
"Hahahahaha! He still has a way to go before competing with me!" Li Qiye burst out into laughter. He finally won in the scripture debate against the Nihility Temple. No wonder why he was so excited.