As soon as those words were spoken, Jin Jue fell silent, simply watching Xue An quietly. After a moment, he finally said softly, "So the benefactor already knew!"
Xue An smiled faintly, "I forgot to tell you, I have a friend who practices Buddhist cultivation, so I’ve witnessed the methods of your Buddhist cultivation firsthand!"
With that, Xue An fixed his sharp gaze on Jin Jue, "To manifest countless incarnations and roam the world—this technique within your Buddhist cultivation surely belongs to those at or above the Seventh Ground Bodhisattva rank, correct?"
Jin Jue shook his head and replied honestly, "No! I’m currently only at the Sixth Ground Bodhisattva rank, just one step away from entering the Unseen Ground. That’s why my incarnations are imperfect and cannot extend across the universe in a single thought!"
Xue An felt a subtle stir within. Buddhist cultivation methods are as innumerable as grains of sand along the Ganges, but the Bodhisattva Path is the most renowned among them.
And this Bodhisattva Path is divided into ten ranks: Joyful Ground, Stainless Ground, Radiant Ground, Wisdom Flame Ground, Difficult-to-Conquer Ground, Present Ground, Unseen Ground, Immovable Ground, Excellent Wisdom Ground, and Dharma Cloud Ground!
This hierarchical structure differs greatly from those of the Multiverse, but the standards are roughly equivalent.
The Unseen Ground corresponds to the Seventh Ground Bodhisattva rank and possesses power comparable to an Immortal King in the Multiverse. Due to the unique nature of Buddhist cultivation methods, such individuals can already manifest countless incarnations at this rank.
Now that Jin Jue himself admitted to being above the Sixth Ground but not yet reaching the Seventh, his cultivation level approximates that of a Half-step Immortal King.
Do not underestimate this level; it is already considered exceedingly rare and powerful within Buddhist cultivation.
"When did the benefactor discern my true identity?" Jin Jue asked with some curiosity.
Xue An’s face displayed a faint smile. "To be honest, during our first encounter, I didn’t notice anything peculiar. I only felt that you, as a monk, seemed wooden and rigid. But just now, when my Sword Intent enveloped the world, your spiritual essence remained impenetrable — that’s when I started suspecting!"
Jin Jue sighed softly, "It seems I lack perfection after all!"
Xue An asked curiously, "Do your incarnations now already cover the entirety of the Ghost Realm?"
Jin Jue shook his head, "No, the planes deep within the Ghost Realm where the Ghost Race’s power is too overwhelming—I didn’t go there. And I cannot enter the Central Ghost Realm even if I wanted to."
Xue An’s eyes flickered with a glint of light, "So, does that mean your presence exists in all the other planes?"
Jin Jue nodded, "You could say so!"
Xue An laughed, "Excellent. I’m about to head to those other planes. Do you have anything to say?"
Jin Jue, with no joy or sorrow in his voice, replied, "I appreciate the benefactor’s kindness, but being incarnations ourselves, our intentions come from the same place. The Buddha’s three thousand paths, and what we must do is find a pathway suitable for this realm. The methods and processes may vary, but the ultimate goal remains the same!"
"Oh? And what if you cannot find one?" Xue An suddenly asked.
Jin Jue fell silent for a moment and then said softly, "Then we will continue seeking until we find it."
Xue An gazed steadily at Jin Jue, his eyes gleaming with an unnerving brightness. Jin Jue, however, remained composed, facing Xue An’s gaze without flinching.
After a prolonged silence, Xue An finally lowered his gaze and said indifferently, "But I must say, I find you more agreeable. If any of your counterparts in other planes don’t meet my expectations, I might just eradicate them."
Jin Jue remained silent, finally clasping his hands together solemnly, "Amitabha. The benefactor is a being of great power. Whatever you wish to do, this humble monk cannot intervene!"
Xue An laughed heartily, suddenly giving Jin Jue’s shoulder a heavy pat. "I quite like your wooden demeanor! Consider this world a gift I’ve cleaned out for you. Let’s see if you can transform samsara into a pure land!"
With that, Xue An ascended into the sky and vanished instantly.
Jin Jue watched silently, saying nothing.
A trembling Ghost Race youth cautiously approached. "Master... Master!"
Jin Jue turned to glance at him, then lowered his gaze. "Let’s go!"
"Yes!"
This time, Jin Jue’s steps grew increasingly resolute, and his clear eyes shone ever more brilliantly with the radiance of Buddha’s light!
At the same time, Xue An returned to Destiny City.
At this moment, atop the high platform, not only were the Vermilion Pavilion women like Ah Qing present, but Wen Lingcui and Song Jingyue’s master-disciple duo, along with all other survivors, stood at the corner of the platform, faces filled with unease.
Their unease stemmed partially from the shocking display earlier when Xue An’s sword swept through the entire realm, but more importantly, it was the realization that they could no longer leave.
No matter how they had arrived here, all means of departure had now become completely ineffective.
This realization left everyone shaken and dumbfounded.
Wen Lingcui’s face turned pale, her expression shifting unpredictably, unsure of Xue An’s intentions.
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