In the following days, the once-quiet Huiming Temple bustled with activity. With a plan set for its restoration, Li Squire provided the funds, and the craftsmen began their work. Initially, Li Squire wanted to expand the temple and make it grander, but Ethan Shu declined, suggesting only a careful renovation based on the original layout. The remaining funds were instead used to construct a golden statue for the late Monk Huiming and to repair the steep, rugged mountain steps so that visitors could come and go safely.
After the renovations, Li Squire was astonished to find that exactly one hundred taels of gold were used, not a penny more or less.Ethan Shu hadn't asked for any extra.
Once the restoration was complete, Huiming Temple began to attract a steady flow of devotees. The late Monk Huiming became revered as the temple's "living Buddha," receiving the incense offerings from worshippers.
That night, as the last visitors departed, the courtyard—previously home only to an old tree and a stone table—now featured a large incense burner in the center. Wisps of smoke rose from the freshly burned incense, swirling in the air.Ethan Shu sat cross-legged in the side hall, his sturdy torso exposed. Perched on his shoulder, a miniature golden Dawei Heavenly Dragon gripped him with its claws, exhaling true fire from its mouth, surrounding a cauldron in midair with blazing flames.Ethan Shu's expression was solemn as he performed intricate hand seals, meticulously refining his purple bronze alms bowl.
A few days prior, when he vanquished the demonic Daoist Ku Xuan, he obtained a small piece of Celestial Luo Gold—a rare and precious celestial metal that enhances the quality of magical artifacts when even a sliver is incorporated. Likely, Ku Xuan's patron, the Sky Net Demon Lord, had gifted this metal to him. But now it was inEthan Shu's possession, to his advantage.
Just in time,Ethan Shu had earned a refining technique from the system's reward for sweeping. With the combination of his Dawei Heavenly Dragon's true fire and the Celestial Luo Gold, he re-forged his bronze bowl, greatly enhancing its quality. By dawn,Ethan Shu had upgraded his humble bronze bowl to a powerful low-tier Buddhist artifact: the Great Luo Golden Bowl.
After refining the bowl,Ethan Shu checked his attributes:
Name:Ethan Shu
Monastic Name: Xuan Kong
Lifespan: 500 years
Aptitude: Mortal Body (Top-tier)
Cultivation: Relic Stage, Late Phase (60,000/100,000)
Techniques: Sutra of Strengthening Sinews and Bones, Level 6 (60,000/100,000)
Powers: Swastika Buddha Seal, Shurangama Mantra, Heart's Eye of Brahma, Earth Store Bodhisattva Mantra, Rebirth Mantra, Dawei Heavenly Dragon True Fire, Freedom Buddha Seal, etc.
Martial Arts: Mighty Vajra Palm, Buddhist Lion's Roar, Bodhidharma's Demon-Subduing Staff, Eighteen Arhat Fist, Crossing Over on a Reed, etc.
Equipment: Broom infused with Buddhist energy (unranked), White Monk's Robe (low-tier Buddhist artifact), Vajra Bodhi Beads (mid-tier Buddhist artifact), Fire-Water Equilibrium Shoes (low-tier Buddhist artifact), Great Luo Golden Bowl (high-tier Buddhist artifact), Purple-Gold Staff (high-tier Buddhist artifact), Brocade Kasaya (low-tier Buddhist treasure), Third-Rank Jewel Lotus Platform (low-tier Buddhist treasure), etc.
With the cultivation points from defeating Ku Xuan and those earned through days of quiet meditation at Huiming Temple,Ethan Shu successfully advanced to the late phase of the Relic Stage. Now, he walked the world as a true master of Buddhist arts.
His next step would be the Buddha Light Stage, where his body would radiate a fragrant light. However, reaching this stage would also make him a tempting target for demons and sinister cultivators. Monks at the Buddha Light Stage often secluded themselves in monasteries to avoid drawing unwanted attention, striving to advance quickly to the Golden Body Stage. Only upon reaching the Golden Body Stage could a monk be regarded as a "Holy Monk."
Ethan Shu gathered his belongings and murmured to himself, "It's time to go. I'll travel the world and return my master's relic to his lineage in the Grand Hanging Monastery. But first, I must resolve the final wishes of Serena Nie and Clara Ning and help them achieve peace."
As was his habit,Ethan Shu first took his broom and swept the mountain gate for ten minutes.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for gaining 1,000 cultivation points!"
After sweeping, he went to the temple's main hall, where he gazed at the golden statue of his late master. He clasped his hands together, bowed sincerely, and then turned to leave.
In the dense forest of Black Mountain,Ethan Shu walked under the canopy, holding an oiled paper umbrella. "Serena Nie, Clara Ning," he called.
With a sharp clatter, the windows and doors of a small, rustic hut flew open. Red and white sleeves shot out from behind the door, whipping toward Ethan Shu.
"Amitabha,"Ethan Shu chanted softly, raising a single hand in a sign of peace.
The attacking sleeves fell limp, dropping to the ground like withered vines.Ethan Shu, having attained great proficiency in Buddhist arts and mastered the Great Freedom Relic, was now unmatched by Serena Nie and Clara Ning, even if they joined forces.
In a flash of red and white, two graceful figures appeared on either side of Ethan Shu. Clara Ning, dressed in a flowing red gown, crossed her arms with a slight huff, "So, little monk, you finally remembered to visit us."
"Sister, the monk has been busy. Surely he doesn't have time to visit us," Serena Nie, the softer and gentler of the two, replied on his behalf.
"Ah, dear sister, always contradicting me," Clara Ningsmirked, turning on Serena Nie with a playful gleam. "You asked for this!"
Laughter filled the clearing as Clara Ning chased Serena Nie, their robes fluttering gracefully as they teased each other.Ethan Shu stood by, unfazed, watching the two beauties with calm detachment.
After a while, he spoke. "Serena Nie, Clara Ning, I came today to help fulfill your wishes and guide you both to peace."
Clara Ning drifted closer, her red sleeves swirling like clouds as she playfully brushed one across his face. "Oh, monk," she laughed, "do you even know what my wish is?"
The soft fragrance of her sleeve tickled his nose, and Ethan Shu, feeling a bit disarmed, replied, "This humble monk… does not know."
Circling him in slow, graceful steps, Clara Ning finally stopped and, with earnest eyes, declared, "My wish in life was to marry a good man. Can you grant me that, little monk?"
Ethan Shu's calm expression faltered slightly. He could find no words in response.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]