Chapter 253: Sha Xin Descends Into Madness, Kill A Sinner To Protect Him, For The Riddance Of Evil Is Not Slaughter
“Why, why?!”
“Am I really not destined to reap any reward? I’ve done so much for Buddhism and others, is it all for nothing?!”
“Lay down my sword and ascend into Buddhahood?”
“No, I refuse!”
Within the Dhamma Institute, Sha Xin’s expression was unsettled as his eyes revealed his struggle, and his Buddhist Light began to flicker.
In the next moment, powerful spiritual energy erupted from Sha Xin’s body and transformed into a typhoon, instantly shattered the entire house into smithereens!
The entire Dhamma Institute was shocked!
Countless monk warriors rushed over and looked at Sha Xin.
“What’s going on? This is obviously the Chief’s aura.”
“What happened to the Chief? Did he fail to defeat an enemy?”
The monks were mortified as they rushed towards Sha Xin’s premise.
To their surprise, all they saw was Sha Xin still in his robe and with a longsword in his hand as he stood amid the debris, his Buddhist Light flickering.
“Chief?”
A monk warrior approached Sha Xin and asked curiously.
Yet at that moment, Sha Xin’s body immediately emitted a surge of murderous qi.
Sensing that the situation was off, an elder monk’s face changed and he dragged the monk warrior aside. At the same time, he shouted, “Step back!”
When the crowd started to retreat, an unprecedentedly horrifying knife qi exploded from Sha Xin’s body, sending one of the monk warriors flying backward.
“Kill!”
“I’m not wrong!”
With his eyes swelling with redness, Sha Xin charged towards the group of monk warriors with his long sword. The terrifying knife qi was still circulating his body.
“This is bad. Chief has descended into madness!”
“What in the world is happening?”
Then, a bright Buddhist Light emerged in the air and a golden palm came crashing downwards with the intention to suppress Sha Xin.
Sha Xin struck upwards and instantly tore the palm into pieces. This was when Hui Xin began to descend from the sky.
Hui Xin said solemnly as he looked at Sha Xin. “What’s happening? How did Sha Xin descend into madness?”
“We don’t know either. Chief was already in this state when we arrived.” The group of monk warriors was clueless too.
It was then when Hui Xin noticed a booklet on the floor. He retrieved the booklet over and was horrified to recognize its content.
It was the exact booklet that Hui Xin had passed to Sha Xin yesterday. Could it be that this booklet was responsible for Sha Xin descending into madness?
Hui Xin could not help but blame himself for this incident.
“We need to stop him!”
Hui Xin stepped forward with his body bathed in Buddhist Light.
If the situation was left uncontrolled, Sha Xin could descend into complete madness. By then, not even the goddesses could save him.
“Restful Mantra!”
Hui Xin unleashed the Thunder Temple’s Sage Technique.
A unique Brahmic chime echoed in the void and carried with it a surge of mysterious Daoist Rhymes that attempted to soothe Sha Xin.
However, the Sage Technique had no use on Sha Xin.
With his eyes still red, Sha Xin gripped tight onto his long word and charged towards Hui Xin whom he was glaring at as he struck out a terrifying burst of power!
The knife qi shot out horizontally and formed into a hundred-foot-long knife shadow!
Meanwhile, Hui Xin pressed the palms of his hands together as he conjured a pair of giant golden palms that clasped the knife shadow in between. “Amitabha, Sha Xin. Lay down your sword!”
Hui Xin bellowed like muffled thunder.
There was suddenly a change in Sha Xin’s gaze, to which he looked confused and struggling. However, it was not long before he once again descended into lunacy. “Kill, kill! As long as you demons are still alive, I shall never lay my sword down!”
He furiously channeled his spiritual energies into his knife qi. With that, Hui Xin’s giant golden palms that were formed with Buddhist Light began to crack.
“If this goes on, Sha Xin will surely be overtaken by the demonic Dao!”
Hui Xin’s expression sank even further.
At that moment, another conjuration of a giant golden palm was launched beside Hui Xin, landing directly on Sha Xin and sending him flying several hundred feet backward.
It was then that Chu Kuangren and Lan Yu stepped forward.
“Master, what’s happening here?”
Chu Kuangren asked puzzledly.
“Sha Xin has descended into madness,” said Hui Xin.
“Kill, kill!”
Sha Xin came charging forward once again
With both of his eyes still red, he channeled an appalling amount of murderous qi into the longsword he held and charged towards Chu Kuangren.
Chu Kuangren simply raised his hands and clapped into the air.
A giant golden palm was then conjured in the air, ferrying a boundless amount of Buddhist Light and an immeasurably dense Daoist Rhyme towards Sha Xin.
“Giant Palm of Exorcism!”
Just like that, the crowd witnessed how Chu Kuangren sent the unstoppable Sha Xin flying so easily once again!
Such power was sure to make everyone’s jaws drop.
“Yet another Buddhist Technique that has never been seen before.”
Hui Xin said in disbelief.
This technique had reaffirmed how strong Chu Kuangren actually was as a Buddhist cultivator.
Sha Xin spat a fresh pool of blood and his body began to crack under the brute force. His Buddhist Light began to dim while the violent intent in his eyes was reduced by the sudden impact.
As such, Daoist Rhymes emanated and Buddhist Light surged around Chu Kuangren’s body. An echo of Brahmic chimes echoed in the void. It was the Sage Technique, the Restful Mantra!
Compared to Hui Xin’s technique, Chu Kuangren’s Restful Mantra was much more refined. Sha Xin’s violent intent immediately dissipated as his expression returned to a calm and restful state.
Hui Xin could not help but lament at that.
Hui Xin had spent years studying the Restul Mantra, only to have his technique surpassed by Chu Kuangren who had barely spent half a day learning it. It was a painful reality for Sha Xin.
Could Chu Kuangren actually be the reincarnation of the Buddha?!
Hui Xin was secretly guessing.
However, now was not the time to contemplate such a matter. Hui Xin immediately rushed to Sha Xin’s side and helped him up.
“Sha Xin, how are you?”
“I think I’m fine.” Sha Xin smiled bitterly.
“What exactly made you descend into madness?”
“I spent an entire night reading the booklet you gave me. These words were so insightful that they made me contemplate it too much. Then, when I remembered that I’ve spilled too much blood on my hand, I feared that it was too late for me to go back now.”
“It was then when I could not take the anguish any longer and I descended into madness.”
Sha Xin was a little dejected when he recounted the incident. Sha Xin looked as if he had aged dramatically and there was no longer the domineering composure that he used to carry.
“You just can’t let go. As long as you’re willing to lay your swords down, you’ll soon be able to embrace Buddhahood.” Hui Xin immediately attempted to console Sha Xin.
Sha Xin still had some mixed feelings about it, but at last, he sighed. “Tomorrow, I’ll resign from my position as the Chief of the Dhamma Institute. Then, I’ll go into a closed-door meditation and study Buddhism. Hopefully, that’ll be enough to cleanse the violence in my soul.”
Despite his statement, Sha Xin was still struggling to reconcile with his decision.
The people whom Sha Xin had killed were always those who deserved death. Sha Xin questioned why was this his pain to bear if he did not commit any wrongdoings in the first place?
Could it be that this was a test from the Buddha?
“Foolish!”
It was at that moment when Chu Kuangren startled him!
The crowd immediately looked towards Chu Kuangren.
“Foolish beyond belief. I’ve never seen such a foolish cultivator like you,” said Chu Kuangren calmly as he stared at Sha Xin.
Sha Xin’s expression darkened. “Brother Chu, what do you mean?”
“You haven’t reconciled with your inner spirit, yet you wish to cleanse the violence of your soul to discover your Buddhist Core. This is ruining your future. If this isn’t foolish, what else could it be?”
“But if I don’t do that, how can I embrace Buddhahood?”
“Let me ask you this. For all the people you’ve killed, do they deserve it?”
“They do!” Sha Xin said determinedly.
“If they should be killed, then you’re not at fault. If you don’t feel you’re at fault, even if you’ve physically laid down your swords, how’s it possible for your inner self to reconcile with such a decision?!”
Sha Xin once again struggled with his thoughts. Amid his confusion, his violent aura began to reappear.
Hui Xin was shocked at such a sight. Could Chu Kuangren’s words drive Sha Xin into madness again?
“Brother Chu, please teach me then. What should I do?” Sha Xin held onto his last strand of rationality and asked.
Chu Kuangren said indifferently, “Let me say this. Kill a sinner to protect him, for the riddance of evil is not slaughter!”