When Leo Yuan found Lucian, Lucian was already at death's door, hanging by a thread, surviving only with the help of some herbs that Ethan had managed to find.
At that time, Leo Yuan had already understood the various deeds of his senior brother, but he still resolutely decided to save Lucian.
Unable to save his senior brother on his own, Leo Yuan carried Lucian everywhere, seeking help from people in the occult community. But because of Lucian's past actions, he was already regarded as a heretic, and wherever they went, the occultists looked down on them.
"Benefactor Zhang, for us Buddhists, the inner karmic obstacles are like a game of strategy—battling with one’s own mind. Master Lucian ultimately failed at the last moment, so he became afflicted with karmic obstacles and did such things. Amitabha."
"Then my cousin—isn’t he in great danger?"
I looked at Master Richard Ming in surprise, but he just smiled and shook his head.
"Chongsheng’s current situation hasn’t reached that point. Please rest assured, Benefactor Zhang. The karmic obstacles in his heart now are related to his children, and that’s not difficult to resolve."
Since Master Richard Ming said so, I felt much more at ease. I didn’t want anything to happen to my cousin.
To treat the wounds of karmic obstacles that burned Lucian’s body and pierced his heart day after day, Leo Yuan had no choice but to take his senior brother to the snowy mountains to ease his pain.
"Wounds of karmic obstacles? What are those?"
I asked, and Master Richard Ming explained to me. Normally, once a disciple enters the Buddhist order, they must strictly follow its precepts. To cultivate themselves, they have to come to terms with everything in the mortal world.
The so-called 'three thousand worlds of splendor' is a hurdle every Buddhist must cross. It’s similar to the Forest of Desire, but not the same—it’s not about being free of all desires, but about seeing through the true nature of these worlds.
I was a bit confused by what I heard. Master Richard Ming smiled and began to explain.
"Let me clarify for you, Benefactor Zhang. I know a bit about the Forest of Desire, but certainly not as much as you do."
I hurriedly replied that there was no way I could compare to the master.
"Not so, Benefactor Zhang. Personal experience is far superior to hearsay and speculation. For example, when you eat breakfast, there are three shops downstairs: upper, middle, and lower. Which one would you choose?"
I answered right away.
"Of course I’d choose the one with the best flavor."
Master Richard Ming nodded.
"But let’s put flavor aside—if all three shops made food that tasted exactly the same, which would you pick?"
I let out a sound of confusion. Now I was stumped—I had no idea what Master Richard Ming’s example was supposed to mean.
"Benefactor Zhang, if all three shops taste the same, and you already know which is upper, middle, and lower, then you have no way to choose. Karmic obstacles are just like this. Because you know the rules of the world, you know love, hate, and passion. Those monks who grew up in temples can only rely on hearsay and their own imagination to perceive the splendor of the three thousand worlds."
I finally understood the difference between experience and inexperience.
"It seems you understand now, Benefactor Zhang. These karmic obstacles grow as a cultivator progresses. Back then, I spent years in the mortal world before I was able to rid myself of most of my obstacles. My master let me descend the mountain, and I saw and experienced many things."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, finally understanding that isolating oneself in cultivation is like building a car behind closed doors—it’s impossible to truly improve.
"By tasting all the bitterness, spiciness, sourness, and sweetness of the world, you come to understand a person’s temperament and state of mind, and know how to face what lies ahead. What you think is good is good, what you think is bad is bad. Having desires but not being ruled by them—after all, no matter how we cultivate, we’re still human, and humans have desires."
Master Richard Ming then continued to tell me Lucian’s story.
The wounds of karmic obstacles, simply put, are like going mad or losing one’s mind, but not exactly the same. Madness is a mental illness, while wounds of karmic obstacles are like a person’s internal restraint breaking down, causing them to do things that defy morality and tradition.
But because there is still a cultivator’s heart inside, the conflict between the two is like a torturous chess match—constantly battling oneself, until a winner is decided.
Although Lucian was defeated, he still wanted to break free from his karmic obstacles. After suffering for years in the snowy mountains, Leo Yuan finally found a place—Hidden Falls Temple. There, a master named Origin, unaffiliated with any sect and uninterested in worldly affairs, agreed to save Lucian.
At this point, Lucian had become twisted and ferocious from his suffering, full of violent energy. Leo Yuan could only use occult techniques to continually suppress the pain and injuries Lucian suffered from his karmic defeat.
Finally, Lucian made it to Hidden Falls Temple. The two brothers met Master Origin, but at that time, Master Origin had already determined that Lucian was beyond saving—he could never return to the Buddhist path and was headed for death.
In the end, Leo Yuan’s sincerity and heartfelt devotion to his senior brother moved Master Origin. He used a method—though the details are unclear—to help Lucian.
Lucian’s wounds healed, and he could use Buddhist techniques again, but he was completely changed. His spells always carried a hint of evil, and he became unusually fierce.
Afterward, Master Origin hoped that when Leo Yuan reached Nirvana, he would bring the Buddha Statue of Visions to Hidden Falls Temple, and then let the two leave.
At that time, Lucian was astonished that his junior brother had actually dreamed of the Buddha and obtained the Buddha Statue of Visions. Deeply unwilling, after leaving Hidden Falls Temple, Lucian parted ways with Leo Yuan.
Because of the silence spell cast by Master Origin, neither of them could tell outsiders the location of Hidden Falls Temple. The spell also had another effect: if they broke their promise, they would be eroded by the law of karma.
Speaking of the law of karma, I once saw Aunt Zinian’s body with no bones inside, as if they had completely vanished.
"Is that letter Master Cloud is holding real?"
I looked at Master Richard Ming in surprise, and he nodded.
"Benefactor Zhang, this story was passed down to my master through Master Leo Yuan. But now, Master Lucian has become a Blue Wraith. I cannot rest easy entrusting the Buddha Statue of Visions and Chongsheng to them, so I had selfish thoughts. Amitabha."
"Master, I’m sorry. It must have been hard for you."
Master Richard Ming shook his head.
"Benefactor Zhang, I’ll soon be returning to Universal Temple. I hope you’ll keep an eye on Chongsheng. You’ve already transformed, and I believe you have what it takes to handle these matters."
"Don’t worry, Master. I’ll look after my cousin."
I said this, and Master Richard Ming stood up, respectfully made a Buddhist gesture, and left.
That ghostly monk turned out to be the former abbot of Brahma Temple. Now, because of the Buddha Statue of Visions, he’s probably desperate, so he seized on my cousin’s weakness, wanting to take him to Hidden Falls Temple.
"Brother, why don’t you come eat? Lunchtime is almost over."
Just then, John Chou came over, sat down on the stone table, and looked at me with a half-smile.
"Do you know anything about that ghostly monk?"
I asked, and John Chou nodded.
"So, brother, is he your target this time?"
I smiled.
I just hope my cousin will be fine. If anything happens to him, I’ll be the first to go after that monk.
But right now, the most important thing is the mastermind behind this meeting. It’s almost certainly the Immortality Society—Samuel Young told me so.
"Are you worried, brother? About those guys from the Immortality Society?"
I nodded.
"This meeting is a game between all sides. Keep your eyes open, brother—don’t miss a single detail if you want to move up."
With that, John Chou drifted away into the distance. I nodded, stood up, and drifted after him.
At the food area, I grabbed a bite to eat. Yuna Ji was laughing and joking, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction on her face.
"Tell me, Lord Shenyan, aren't you supposed to be a Ghost Sovereign? Ha, why are you fighting with a weak woman like me for this?"
"Hmph, Yuna Ji, Yvonne May already promised to allocate a magical artifact to me as an exchange. Besides, you’re not really a weak woman, are you?"
Lord Shenyan spoke coldly, and Yuna Ji snorted in return.
"Yvonne May, you can't be so biased! You gave them five artifacts, but not even one for me. That's not fair! I won't accept this, I won't!"
Yuna Ji took on the appearance of a little girl, holding Yvonne May’s hand, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked extremely cute and pitiful, hoping to win Yvonne May’s sympathy.
"Enough with the drama, you brat."
John Chou reached out and grabbed Yuna Ji’s ear.
"What are you doing?"
John Chou smiled, and Yuna Ji returned to her original appearance.
"If you all listen to me, I can use five magical artifacts to exchange for seven tasks, and everyone will get a share."
John Chou spoke with confidence. The other six Ghost Sovereigns all looked at him, and none of them doubted his words.
"Hmph, you must be scheming to set up another trap for those damn Taoists, John Chou. You sly bastard... Fine, I’ll go along with you this time."
Redhair spoke reluctantly. John Chou sat down and beckoned to the other six Ghost Sovereigns.