Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts Chapter 340

Xu Ming had a feeling that this little monk, who called himself Maitreya, had figured sothing out. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said those words.

But the monk couldn’t have known too much.

He had probably realized that Xu Ming didn’t belong to this world, but he wouldn’t know how Xu Ming had arrived in this realm—let alone the existence of the system. If he had, he wouldn’t have said he “couldn’t see through” him.

That aside…

Was this little monk really the “Future Buddha” of this world?

Or was it just a coincidence that his na happened to be “Maitreya”?

“Monk! Was that place we were just in your doing?!”

A man stepped forward, glaring fiercely at the little monk who had introduced himself as Maitreya.

His body was covered in blood—so his own, so belonging to others.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with the madness of soone on the brink of collapse.

Maitreya nodded slightly and t the man’s gaze. “Indeed, it was the work of this humble monk.”

“You! You killed my wife! You must pay with your life!”

As he spoke, the man brandished his longsword and thrust it at the little monk.

Yet, when the blade was only three inches from Maitreya, it ca to a dead stop in midair.

A golden radiance blocked the tip of the sword.

An invisible golden barrier of spiritual energy surrounded Maitreya.

Xu Ming recognized this spell—it seed like sothing Shi Xin had used before.

The man exerted all his strength, but he could not push the sword forward even an inch.

“Why is it that benefactors always want to kill ?” Maitreya asked, puzzled.

“You demon! You caused my wife’s death!” the man gritted his teeth and roared.

Maitreya ford a hand seal and calculated for a mont. Soon, he understood everything.

“Strange, strange indeed,” the little monk shook his head. “It was you who killed your wife—how can you bla it on ? I never laid a hand on her.”

His eyes were filled with innocence.

“Lies! It was you! You trapped us in that strange place and used illusions to deceive us! At first, I killed seven or eight of them, thinking they were illusions.

“But who would have thought the last one was my wife?

“My wife thought I was fake, and I thought she was fake.

“You made us slaughter each other on purpose!”

The man’s voice was filled with grief and hatred, tears streaming down his face.

“Not so, not so.”

Maitreya shook his head and sighed softly.

“The illusions you saw in that barrier were not my creation. They were the manifestations of your own fears and desires.

“In other words, what you call illusions were rely the demons of your own heart.

“Whether you saw through them or not had nothing to do with —so how can I be blad?

“Furthermore, that barrier was the protective formation of this temple, not sothing I deliberately lured you into.

“It was your own greed that drove you here, seeking fortune and opportunity, which led you into the formation.

“Everything was your own choice—how does that have anything to do with ?

“And even if we take a step back…

“When your wife appeared before you, you struck without hesitation, without even trying to discern the truth.

“In that barrier, were all the illusions truly out to harm you? I think not.

“So of them must have represented the things you longed for.

“Yet you believed you had ‘seen through’ them all and deed every single one unworthy of rcy.

“You never once gave them a chance.

“In the end, when you saw your wife, you still did not give her a chance.

“You acted with blind conviction, assuming all illusions were evil and must be destroyed.

“But tell —how is that any different from the wicked?

“You were the one who killed your wife. That was your own doing.

“What does that have to do with this humble monk?”

“Utter nonsense!”

The man, as if completely losing control, raised his longsword once again and swung it down at the little monk.

“Sigh…”

The little monk pressed his palms together, shook his head, and let out a soft sigh.

“Boom!”

A thunderous sound echoed through the temple.

At the very mont the man’s sword struck down on the little monk—

It was as if he had cut himself instead.

In an instant, his entire body exploded into a mist of blood.

Everyone present, including Xu Ming, frowned deeply.

They all knew very well that the little monk had not made a move at all.

That man had been killed by his own sword.

To be precise, he had died at the hands of his own attack!

And based on what the little monk had just explained, Xu Ming was beginning to piece together the truth of this place.

Earlier, Hong Xiu had told Shi Xin that the Rootless Secret Realm was actually a fragnt of the main world, shattered in ancient tis. This fragnt had beco a small, independent world, later nad the Rootless Secret Realm.

Because of that, many ancient relics still remained here.

If Xu Ming was right, then this temple had likely existed since those ancient tis.

And within this temple, a special formation had been set up.

The mont soone stepped into it, they would enter an enchanted barrier.

Inside that barrier, so things were re illusions, while others were real.

This temple had seamlessly blended truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between them.

And the hardest thing in the world to tell apart… was sothing that was both real and fake at the sa ti.

At first, one might believe everything they saw was just an illusion and attempt to kill all the “phantoms.”

But eventually, when they encountered real people—especially those most important to them—if their killing intent remained unchanged, if they treated all illusions the sa way, then the one they would end up killing…

Would be the person they cared about most.

That man was a perfect example.

And Xu Ming had nearly fallen into the sa trap.

If he hadn’t recognized Shi Xin in ti, there was a very real chance she would have already died by his hand.

But then again… what did the little monk just say?

That everything inside was a manifestation of their inner demons?

And that these “inner demons” were either what they feared the most or what they desired the most?

Back then, when Shi Xin ran toward him and hugged him…

Did that an that, deep down, what he truly wanted was Shi Xin’s affection?

“…No way.”

Xu Ming furrowed his brows.

He had to admit—Shi Xin was indeed beautiful.

In fact, as long as a man’s preferences were normal, as long as they weren’t part of the LGBT community or anything like that, they would naturally find her attractive.

But attraction was one thing.

Finding a woman beautiful didn’t an he had any improper thoughts about her. He was just appreciating her beauty, nothing more.

Likewise, Xu Ming found Shi Xin beautiful, but that was simply an instinctive reaction.

He had never seriously considered wanting to be with her.

…Had he really been swayed by lust?

As Xu Ming stood there lost in thought, Shi Xin was just as dazed.

She, too, was thinking about the little monk’s words.

She recalled how, in the secret realm, Xu Ming had treated her so kindly—

And then, how he had suddenly drawn his sword against her.

“Could it be that, deep down, I actually want Xu Ming to treat well?”

“But why does it matter whether he treats well or not?

“What difference does it make?

“Why would I expect kindness from Xu Ming?

“And then… why did he draw his sword against ?

“Was it because I fear he might harm ?

“But why would I fear that? Why would I ever think Xu Ming would harm …?”

Shi Xin was utterly confused.

She realized that she cared about Xu Ming far more than she had thought—

But she didn’t know why.

“What is the difference between humans and demons? And what about humans and devils?”

The little monk paced back and forth in front of the crowd, speaking as if delivering a sermon on Buddhist philosophy.

“What does it an to be a good person? What does it an to be an evil demon? And what does it an to be a wicked devil?”

He stopped in his tracks, pressed his palms together, and bowed toward everyone.

“Good and evil… all lie within the heart.

“There are no true saints in this world.

“And there is no such thing as a perfect Buddha.

“There was once a scholar who saved a fox. The fox wanted to repay his kindness.

“But one night, the scholar had a dream—he dread of a fox devouring humans.

“When he awoke, he was overco with fear. And so, he killed the fox.

“Humans always think demons are terrifying.

“But in truth… those who fear demons are far more terrifying than the demons themselves.

“If you can understand this, perhaps it will be more valuable than any treasure.”

The little monk smiled faintly, then continued, “Still, since you have co seeking fortune, I will not let you leave empty-handed.

“The Rootless Secret Realm is on the verge of destruction.

“The treasures within it do not wish to fade into oblivion.

“But at the sa ti, they do not wish to follow masters they do not approve of.

“So, in the end, it will all depend on you.

“Taoism speaks of cause and effect. Buddhism, too, speaks of cause and effect.

“Even that old scholar of Confucianism believes in cause and effect.

“In this world, every cause must have its effect.

“If you give nothing, how can you expect to gain anything?”

As soon as the little monk finished speaking—

The entire temple began to shake violently.

Dust and stone fragnts rained down from the ceiling.

Cracks spread across the temple floor, and the pillars started to crumble one by one.

The entire structure was rapidly collapsing.

The only things that remained unmoved…

Were the statues of the Buddhas.

“Amitabha. May fortune smile upon you all.”

The little monk closed his eyes, his form gradually fading into nothingness.

“ROAR!”

A deafening dragon’s cry echoed through the temple.

A massive erald claw tore through the roof and swiped down, crushing several cultivators in an instant.

At the sa ti, all the Buddha statues began to crack.

The very next mont—

Beams of dazzling light shot out from within them, piercing through the roof and scattering in all directions.

Taking a closer look—

They were treasures.

A myriad of artifacts burst forth—so were top-grade spiritual weapons that had already birthed artifact spirits, so were half-immortal weapons, and even a few true immortal weapons appeared!

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned bloodshot with greed.

There was no need to even ntion the value of half-immortal or immortal weapons.

Even those top-grade spiritual weapons that had birthed artifact spirits were an unimaginable fortune.

First of all, a top-grade spiritual weapon was already an incredibly rare treasure.

And for a top-grade spiritual weapon to develop an artifact spirit? That was even more difficult—an almost impossible feat.

When a spiritual weapon successfully birthed an artifact spirit, it ant that it had the potential to evolve into a half-immortal or even an immortal weapon.

Of course, for that to happen, it would still require countless precious materials and great opportunities.

But at least… the possibility existed.

Most top-grade spiritual weapons didn’t even have the potential to ascend.

And on top of that, a spiritual weapon that had birthed an artifact spirit was already far superior to an ordinary top-grade spiritual weapon.

But the most crucial point was this—

For a cultivator, half-immortal and immortal weapons could not be forcibly refined into a life-bound artifact unless they recognized their wielder.

But top-grade spiritual weapons were different.

As long as one obtained one and subdued its artifact spirit—

Even if the weapon didn’t truly acknowledge them, they could still forcibly refine it as their life-bound artifact.

In other words—

Half-immortal and immortal weapons could only be won over with patience and persuasion.

But with top-grade spiritual weapons… force was always an option.

At that mont, countless cultivators shot up toward the roof, scrambling to seize the spiritual weapons.

Of course… obtaining them wouldn’t be that easy.

All of these top-grade spiritual weapons, half-immortal weapons, and even immortal weapons had transford into artifact spirits.

If the artifact spirit took on a human form, they would carry their own weapon.

Anyone who rushed toward them would be rcilessly slain on the spot.

If one wished to subdue them, they could try—

But first, they had to wager their own life as the price of admission.

If the artifact spirit was not in human form, it often appeared as a rare divine beast or even a ferocious beast.

In such cases, their weapon body would manifest as part of their features.

At this mont, the erald dragon and the Heluo fish were also locked in battle with the cultivators.

They, too, were artifact spirits.

However, what truly piqued Xu Ming’s curiosity was—

What exactly were their original forms?

What kind of weapons had they once been?

“You got your eye on any of them?” Xu Ming turned to Shi Xin and asked.

Shi Xin tilted her head, puzzled. “Huh?”

Xu Ming repeated, “I’m asking if there’s a weapon or an artifact spirit you’re interested in. If there is, I’ll go get it for you.”

“I also have a weapon in mind, I wonder if Young Master can help get it?”

“Nonsense, of course—”

Xu Ming turned his head and was about to refuse, when hee saw Qin Qingwan walking toward him.

“…Of course, I can!” Xu Ming imdiately corrected himself, nodding with a serious expression.

For so reason, when he saw Qin Qingwan, a faint sense of guilt stirred in his heart.

Especially after his deep exchange with Wu Yanhán—

Xu Ming felt even more uneasy, as if she might see through sothing.

But he quickly took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

What’s done is done.

Since I’ve done it, I have to take responsibility. What’s there to feel guilty about?

Even if Qingwan finds out—so what?

It’s not like I can just run away from it.

Besides, Yanhán isn’t even here, so I really don’t need to panic.

“Really? That’s wonderful~ I’ll have to trouble Young Master, then.”

Qin Qingwan smiled sweetly before turning toward a woman not far away.

“Yanhán, why are you standing all the way over there? Co over! This young master is going to snatch so treasures for us~”