Redemption of a Born Demon-Chapter 75: Wondrous Sound Scripture Exposition, the Heretical Broken Monk

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Wondrous Sound Scripture Exposition, the Heretical Broken Monk

"Elder Celestial Master, you..."

Wei Cheng hesitated, a torrent of complex emotions churning within him.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death—not even a Saint Expert could escape them. A lifetime of Cultivation would ultimately end as a handful of dust.

What was more terrifying was that Saint Experts possessed Spiritual Sense, allowing them to vaguely perceive the limits of their own lifespan. It was like watching the finish line draw closer every day, a pressure that was one of the world’s greatest horrors.

For this very reason, countless powerful figures throughout history have craved Longevity. Before the dawn of the new era, when information was scarce and the masses unenlightened, the sole purpose of Cultivation was, in fact, Longevity.

Even the Corpse Dissolvers, with their peerless Cultivation, sought Longevity. They willingly abandoned their own bodies and hid themselves from the world, all to find a way to be reborn in a new vessel.

"You and I have weathered the tides of many eras. What is there left that we cannot see through? Life and death are but an illusion. Our lives will continue in another form, and that is precisely what I intend to do."

"Eternal life isn’t necessarily a good thing. The ebbs and flows of life and death are what reveal life’s True Intent. Look at those Corpse Dissolvers. They call themselves long-lived Immortals, yet they can only hide in the shadows, abandoning their true names. So what if they live for a thousand years? They have long since lost their true selves."

On the other end of the line, the Elder Celestial Master’s laughter was still hearty and robust, full of vigor. He didn’t sound at all like an old man whose life was about to end.

"I was hoping to have you preside over the upcoming High-level Conference, Elder Celestial Master. I never thought..."

Wei Cheng sighed.

"Life is unpredictable. Besides, every generation produces new talents. These old bones of mine should have stepped aside long ago. My only regret is that I won’t be able to witness the grand spectacle of the world’s Martial Arts Dao."

The Elder Celestial Master said with a chuckle.

"This is all too sudden. It won’t be easy to notify all the Saint Experts and have them arrive in time."

Wei Cheng reined in his thoughts and spoke with gravity.

Beings who had achieved Body Ascension were unpredictable and uncontrollable. They had their own Dao and Skill. Some were in secluded Cultivation, some roamed the mortal world, and others had important duties. They couldn’t be summoned at a moment’s notice.

Take Fang Xiuyuan, for example. He was always delving into remote mountains and ancient forests, often completely unreachable. Then there were the two stationed at the Great Inner, who could not easily leave their Dao Fields.

Getting them all to arrive within a few days would be no easy task.

"Forget about old geezers like you. You all came from the turbulent era, you’ve cultivated for many years and have long since established your own Dao and Skill. You’ve become stubborn old fools. What’s the point of you coming to listen to a sermon? This old man doesn’t have the energy to preach to so many Saint Experts."

"The ones I want you to invite are the Saint Experts of the younger generation. They grew up in this era, they’re young and full of vigor, and they have the most potential. Don’t bother inviting anyone over fifty. This old man doesn’t want to see a bunch of old relics on his deathbed. What bad luck that would be! I want to see the rising sun that represents the future of Donghua."

the Elder Celestial Master said.

’Old geezers like me... Aren’t you the real old geezer here?’

"Alright, I understand. I’ll get on it immediately."

Wei Cheng nodded, understanding the Elder Celestial Master’s intent.

The so-called Transformation Dao Conference was an event where, in the final moments of one’s life, one would use every means to sublimate oneself and demonstrate the Dao and Skill cultivated over a lifetime.

A Saint Expert’s True Intent had an influential effect, but this effect diminished as the number of people it acted upon simultaneously increased.

One’s strength is finite.

Therefore, the Elder Celestial Master wanted to gather the younger generation of Saint Experts and demonstrate his Dao for them to achieve the optimal effect.

"It’s for the best. The future belongs to the young. This is a perfect opportunity for them to gather."

Wei Cheng muttered to himself.

「Northern Desert, Ma Family.」

The Ma Family was immensely powerful in the local region. Today, however, within the Ma Family Manor, the family’s key members were gathered around a man, escorting him out of the courtyard with the utmost reverence, as if serving Immortal Gods.

This man had slightly curly, shoulder-length hair. He wore a jacket, leather pants, and a satchel slung over his back. His face was unshaven, giving off an overwhelming air of decadence.

But upon closer inspection, one would find him to be ruggedly handsome, possessing an inexplicably intoxicating charm—the kind of dashing older man who could captivate countless literary young women.

"Alright. I’ve extended Ma Shengyuan’s life by three months. The karmic debt between me and your Ma Family is now settled."

The man reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and placed one between his lips. He then patted his pockets, seemingly looking for a lighter. The eldest son of the Ma family, a middle-aged man in his fifties, immediately understood. Beaming, he took out a lighter and respectfully tried to light it for the man.

"No need."

But the man refused. He took the cigarette from his mouth, pinched the tip between two fingers, and gave it a sharp twist.

The Ma family members saw a puff of white smoke rise from the man’s fingertips. When he released his fingers, apart from a small, crushed bit of tobacco, a spark had already appeared on the remaining tip of the cigarette.

The man placed the cigarette to his lips and took a deep drag. It burned rapidly, half of it turning to ash in an instant.

What was even more astonishing was that the man only inhaled, not exhaled. Not a single wisp of smoke escaped his mouth or nose.

Lighting a cigarette with his fingers.

The Ma family, however, was no longer surprised by such things. They knew this man’s abilities were terrifying—not human, but a Divine Power.

A short while ago, the Ma Family Patriarch, Ma Shengyuan, had suddenly fallen gravely ill and was on the brink of death. The best doctors had been summoned but were helpless, even declaring his case hopeless. He was only barely clinging to life thanks to a piece of 300-year-old ginseng.

However, Ma Shengyuan’s wife had invited this man. He had merely stood before the sickbed and chanted some nonsensical, incomprehensible "scriptures" for half an hour, and all of Ma Shengyuan’s vital signs had returned to normal.

The scene from that day was still deeply seared into their minds: as the man chanted, his voice was like thunder, deafeningly loud; a strange wind had suddenly stirred in the room, and the lights had flickered erratically. They would probably never forget it for the rest of their lives.

In ancient times, this man would have been considered an Immortal whose Mana allowed for Divine Communication, one who could enter the Eternal Underworld to negotiate with Yama and reclaim another’s lifespan.

Though his appearance and dress didn’t seem to fit an Immortal at all.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Ding. Otherwise, the Ma Group would have been thrown into chaos. I’ve prepared a banquet. Please stay for a meal before you leave, Mr. Ding."

Ma Shengyuan’s wife, a white-haired old woman, said respectfully to the man.

"The karmic debt is settled. I won’t linger."

The man chuckled. The crowd felt their vision blur for an instant, and the man’s figure had already appeared at the courtyard gate without a sound. After a few flickers, he vanished completely.

’Truly an Immortal!!’

The Ma family members couldn’t help but marvel in their hearts. They just wondered where such a figure was headed.

"Mr. Ma is awake! He wants to see Mr. Ding!"

Just then, a shout came from inside the house.

’The Patriarch woke up so quickly?!’

The Ma family members had no time for other thoughts and hurried inside.

「Meanwhile.」

After leaving the Ma Family Manor, the man took a metal hip flask from his coat. He sipped from it as he strolled through the city, observing the dazzling lights and bustling nightlife of the streets, yet he felt as if something was missing.

"Ah, that’s right. I’ve come to the city today but haven’t yet heard the ’wondrous sounds of scripture chanting’. A sin, a sin."

The man slapped his forehead. Following his instincts, he wandered on and soon stopped in front of a luxurious commercial KTV.

Not long after, inside a lavishly decorated private room.

The man was surrounded by ten beautiful women, all dressed revealingly with sexy makeup.

"Boss, how about we play a game?"

the girls said with giggles, proactively pressing themselves against him.

This was a man who could produce a black card and had ordered all the best liquor. Even the manager treated him with utmost respect. His status was clearly extraordinary.

Most importantly, he wasn’t like those pot-bellied, greasy middle-aged bosses. He was even melancholically handsome. If something were to happen, they would be more than willing.

"We can play anything?"

At this moment, the man showed none of the transcendent aura of a Human Immortal. He wrapped his arms around a few of the girls beside him and said with a chuckle.

"Of course. We’re all yours right now, Boss. We’ll do whatever you tell us to do."

One woman with the air of a young madam and a graceful figure leaned in and whispered breathily in his ear. The other girls all laughed and agreed.

"Great!"

The man slapped his thigh, picked up his satchel, and pulled out several small booklets, handing one to each of the girls.

The girls took the booklets and stared, completely stunned. Question marks practically appeared above their heads.

The booklet was actually a book of scripture.

"Come on, come on, let’s all chant together. Keep your voices soft and your tone clear. There are pronunciation guides above the characters you don’t know. There’s a bonus for chanting well."

Seeing the expressions on the girls’ faces, the man roared with laughter.

"Boss... this is..."

The girls looked at each other, speechless.

They were worldly and had seen it all. They’d had clients who asked them to cosplay as nuns, but they had never, ever had a client come here and ask them to chant scriptures.

"Double the service fee."

the man added with a smile.

Hearing this, the girls stopped caring about the weirdness. It was just chanting scriptures, right? As long as there was money to be made, it was fine. If the pay was good enough, they wouldn’t even mind becoming real nuns for a few years, living on a vegetarian diet and chanting all day.

And so, a chorus of chirping, chanting voices began to echo through the private room.

The scriptures were obscure to begin with, full of rare characters and words. Even with the pronunciation guides, an ordinary person would stumble through them. To say nothing of ten girls chanting at once, completely out of sync. To a normal person, it would just sound like a chaotic racket that would quickly become irritating.

Yet, amidst the cacophony, the man’s expression grew increasingly serene. He crossed his legs, poured himself a glass of liquor, and lit a cigarette. Tapping his thigh and bobbing his head, he listened to the noisy chanting, looking for all the world like he was enjoying music in an old-timey brothel.

This was his so-called "wondrous sounds of scripture chanting."

If anyone from the relevant circles were to witness this heretical scene, they would undoubtedly fly into a rage and start cursing.

But the man didn’t care.

Ding Huiyuan, the Broken Monk. He had originally devoted himself to cultivating the Buddhist Dharma but failed to achieve enlightenment for many years. Then, in a single day of breaking his vows, he instead achieved Body Ascension.

Ten thousand scriptures are but chirping words.

A thousand precepts are but a self-spun cocoon.

Through heresy, one comes to know the true self.

By following one’s heart, one finds freedom and serenity.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

However, the beeping of his phone disturbed Ding Huiyuan’s peace. He frowned slightly, picked up his phone, and saw the two words on the caller ID: "Wei Cheng."