On the third day of the third lunar month, the Double Third Festival arrived.
One of the four major ghost festivals folk tales spoke of!
Clearly, it was spring, a time when all creatures should come to life and thrive.
Yet, a sudden blizzard blanketed the Black Mountain and towering peaks of the ancient forest in a pristine layer of snow, transforming the landscape into a frozen wonderland.
Vegetation and rocks alike were adorned with a silver hue, making the scenery unusually enchanting.
Ethan Shu woke up early, grabbed a broom, and began sweeping the snow in front of the temple gate.
The thick snow was swept to one side of the stone steps, forming a growing pile.
Straightening his back, Ethan Shu gazed around and found that snow made both the human world and the demon realm breathtakingly beautiful.
The stone path leading from the foot of the mountain to the ancient temple atop the peak was completely covered in snow, creating a serene and artistic atmosphere.
The trees and ancient pines alongside the mountain path shimmered like crystals, weighed down by the heavy snow.
Ethan Shu exhaled a cloud of white breath and continued sweeping for another ten minutes before a system notification echoed in his ears.
"Ding-dong, congratulations, Host. You have obtained the Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell!"
The Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell?
It was indeed the Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell!!
Ethan Shu took a deep breath of the icy air, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
His joy was overwhelming, and he felt like roaring with delight into the sky.
As the system notification faded, a majestic, solemn, wise, visionary, and composed image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva emerged in Ethan Shu's mind.
"As long as hell is not empty, I vow not to achieve Buddhahood; only after all sentient beings are saved will I attain enlightenment."
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's voice reverberated in Ethan Shu's mind.
Using his Dharma Eye, Ethan Shu saw the hand gesture of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and imprinted it onto his soul, committing it to memory deeply.
The profound and mysterious Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell was instantly memorized by Ethan Shu.
"I never expected, never expected, that on the eve of the final battle with The Black Mountain Demon and the Bloodbrake Zombie Demon, I would receive the reward of the Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell."
"With the Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell, my chances of defeating The Black Mountain Demon have increased even further."
Ethan Shu opened his attribute panel to check his current status.
Name: Ethan Shu
Dharma Name: Hsuan Kong
Life Span: 300 years
Potential: Mortal Body (Peak)
Cultivation: Mirror Realm Late Stage (7000/10000)
Martial Arts: Sutra of Strengthening Sinews and Bones, Level 6 (60,000/100,000)
Mystical Powers: Dharma Buddha's Seal of the Swastika, Shurangama Mantra, Dharma Eye of the Vajra, Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell, Birth and Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Dharani, Great Dragon Vast Fire, etc.
Martial Skills: Powerful Vajra Palm, Buddhist Lion's Roar, Dharma Protector's Staff, Eighteen Arhat Fists, Crossing the River on a Reed, etc.
Buddhist Artifact: Buddha-Blessed Broom (Unranked), White Monk Robes (Low-Grade Buddhist Artifact), Vajra Bodhi Prayer Beads (Mid-Grade Buddhist Artifact), Water-Fire Plain-Land Dharma Shoes (Low-Grade Buddhist Artifact), Brass Alms Bowl (Low-Grade Buddhist Artifact), etc.
Dungeon: Black Mountain
(Note: The current maximum level for this dungeon is Mirror Realm Late Stage.)
...
Since the maximum level for the Black Mountain dungeon was Mirror Realm Late Stage, Ethan Shu had invested all his subsequent cultivation points into Sutra of Strengthening Sinews and Bones.
He had directly mastered the difficult-to-learn Sutra of Strengthening Sinews and Bones to its sixth level, making his physical body stronger and enhancing his potential after undergoing the purification of bone and marrow.
This had also granted Ethan Shu the strength comparable to a martial master.
Because of this, in order to not waste his martial prowess, Ethan Shu also learned martial skills from the old monk.
An additional martial skills attribute immediately appeared on the attribute panel.
Many of the martial skills and mystical powers Ethan Shu currently possessed were learned from the old monk, while others were randomly rewarded by the broom-sweeping system each day.
In summary, Ethan Shu's current strength was immeasurably greater than it had been before.
It was simply incomparable!
Now, Ethan Shu had mastered the Bhagavat Ksitigarbha Spell.
If he could unleash the power of the Great Dragon Vast tattoo on his back, his strength would undoubtedly increase even more!
As the sun climbed high in the sky, the old monk bathed, changed into clean clothes, completed his morning Buddhist scriptures, draped himself in a cassock, adorned his neck with Golden and Rosewood Prayer Beads, and slowly walked out of the ancient temple.
"Hsuan Kong, let's descend the mountain and visit those two female demons… donors," he said.
Ethan Shu turned his head and saw the neatly dressed old monk bathed in the sunlight after the snowfall, faintly surrounded by holy Buddha light. He couldn't help but be stunned.
"Master, it's true what they say, Buddha needs gold, and people need clothes," Ethan Shu said.
Huiming, the old monk, asked, "How so?"
Ethan Shu replied, "Put simply, Master, you've become even more handsome."
The old monk's eyebrows twitched in anger, and he snapped, "Am I not handsome normally?"
"Handsome, handsome, handsome!"
"Wait for me, Master. I'll go change my clothes too."
Ethan Shu left the broom and ran into the ancient temple, fumbling around in the side hall.
On ordinary days, Ethan Shu wore ragged patchwork robes.
Today, Ethan Shu donned a pristine white monk robe, adorned with a string of Vajra Bodhi Prayer Beads hanging from his chest, and a brass alms bowl cradled in his palm.
In an instant, Ethan Shu transformed from a sweeping novice monk to a young, handsome, and extraordinary monk.
"Master."
Ethan Shu walked out of the ancient temple.
The old monk, who was still sweeping snow in front of the temple gate, turned back.
This time, he was the one who was momentarily stunned.
The sunlight after the snowfall was brighter than usual.
Ethan Shu, clad in his white monk robe, stood under the brilliant sunshine, appearing as radiant as jade.
Despite being bald, he made people instinctively want to exclaim—
So handsome!
The old monk regained his composure, coughed, and said, "Amitabha, Hsuan Kong, you've been blessed with a good appearance."
"If you were a monk who indulged in worldly pleasures, how many lady benefactor and nuns would be enchanted by you?"
Ethan Shu blushed and said, "Master, stop praising me indirectly for being handsome."
"It's just a physical appearance, don't flaunt it."
The old monk's face darkened, turned away, dropped the broom, and went down the mountain.
"Hsuan Kong, why aren't you following?"
"I'm coming, Master!"
Ethan Shu chased after him.
The old monk didn't ask where Ethan Shu's monk robes, prayer beads, and brass alms bowl came from.
In his view, these were Ethan Shu's own karma and destiny, which required neither interference nor inquiry.
In a small cottage in the woods, Clara Ning and Serena Nie had changed into elaborate phoenix crowns and wedding robes, sitting on a bench before the bed.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
Both women immediately tensed up, instinctively clenching their fists.
Ethan Shu spoke from outside, "It's me."
Clara Ning lifted her red veil in frustration and scolded, "This little monk, why didn't he climb through the window this time but chose to use the front door?"
Serena Nie covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Sister, since Ethan Shu has brought the old monk from the mountain, he naturally wouldn't climb through the window."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]