"All things in the world have a heart. If you can hold compassion in your heart and resonate with all things, why be bound by human words?"

The old monk clasped his hands together, calm and unruffled, not angered by Xu Qi'an's words.

"Then why don't you speak the official language of The Great Feng to me? Speaking the language of the Western Regions would suffice, wouldn't it?" Xu Qi'an thought to himself, then said straightforwardly:

"Just get to the point. How are we going to compete? Don't bother me with these unnecessary details."

"Master, why do you want to compete?" The old monk smiled.

"You clearly proposed the competition on behalf of the Buddhist sect. Master, causing trouble like this is risking the reputation of the Buddhist sect," Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Earlier, the benefactor said at the foot of the mountain: 'The four elements of the ordained are all empty.'" The old monk's face was peaceful and calm as he said slowly, "If the four elements are all empty, what is reputation?"

"Alright, Master, how do you plan to test me?" Xu Qi'an held his patience.

He felt that this was tricky. What was more terrifying than a nitpicker was someone who didn't speak human language. A nitpicker would at least desperately seize the loopholes in your words to refute you.

But someone who didn't speak human language would ignore whatever you said and only speak their own words. If you couldn't comprehend, then it was your problem.

Even if you exhausted all your efforts to comprehend, it was useless because they would ignore you.

"Life is a practice, and the benefactor's entry into this secret realm of Buddhism is also a kind of practice," the old monk smiled.

"How do I practice? Master, please guide me."

"Practice depends on the individual. There's no need to ask a poor monk."

"Practice my foot! You don't speak human language, do you? I won't entertain you." Xu Qi'an suddenly felt an unnamed anger rising in his heart and walked away, leaving the old monk behind.

But a barrier blocked his way.

"I do have an idea," Xu Qi'an coldly turned back, gripping the hilt of his knife. "I wonder if the Master who understands the emptiness of the four elements can withstand a strike from me."

"Amitabha, then let's try." The old monk lowered his eyebrows and said in a deep voice, "Before the poor monk became a Bodhisattva, he cut off a strand of attachment."

Bodhisattva? First-rank Bodhisattva?!

Xu Qi'an released his grip on the knife without expression. "Master, where were we just now?"

The old monk honestly replied, "The benefactor asked the poor monk to withstand a strike."

"Master!"

Xu Qi'an sternly reprimanded, walked to the opposite side of the old monk, sat cross-legged, clasped his hands together, and criticized, "Does the Buddhist sect only engage in violence? Does the Buddhist sect rely solely on violence to save all living beings? Master, let's have a chat."

.............

"That servant, did he just back down?" Biao Biao whispered, turning to look at Huai Qing.

Huai Qing glanced at her, her expression cold, her tone flat. "Just a change in strategy. As the Art of War says, the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy's strategy. It's the same for the enemy."

Biao Biao suddenly realized, thinking that she had been narrow-minded. That servant wasn't backing down, he was cleverly changing his strategy.

He's just afraid... The people of Lin'an are too easy to deceive! Huai Qing shook her head, looking at her sister with pity.

After hearing that the other party was a 'Bodhisattva' with attachment, Xu Qi'an cleverly resolved the conflict, which surprised many people who were watching from the sidelines.

He really knows how to seize the opportunity.

However, this move made his image even more vivid and interesting. At least the noble ladies felt that this servant was very interesting and amusing.

"He does know how to seize the opportunity. If this round were to be resolved by violence, it would undoubtedly be a loss," Nangong Qianrou snorted coldly.

This kid... The servants shook their heads helplessly, wanting to laugh, but the occasion wasn't right.

Sometimes, he didn't seem like a martial artist at all, and he had no pressure when backing down, no psychological burden at all. But he was an extremely talented martial arts genius.

"Adoptive father, where is the mystery of this round?" Yang Yan asked.

The servants all looked at Wei Yuan, waiting for his answer. They never considered that Wei Yuan wasn't a lackey of the Buddhist sect and wouldn't know what the third round was about.

Wei Yuan ignored them.

At this moment, in the royal pavilion, a girl in a fiery red palace dress raised her hands like a trumpet and shouted sweetly, "Hey, bald donkeys, what are we competing in this round? Is it the old monk's formation?"

The girl had a round face and a pair of watery peach blossom eyes. At first glance, she seemed to be a charming and affectionate woman.

Du'e, the Arhat, was originally unwilling to respond, but seeing that the one asking the question was a certain princess, out of courtesy, he explained, "In the third round, there is no content."

When this was said, all the dignitaries present were astonished.

"What does 'no content' mean?" Biao Biao clapped her hands on the table twice, expressing her dissatisfaction.

Du'e, the Arhat, just shook his head and smiled without saying a word.

The servants suddenly realized. No wonder Wei Gong didn't say anything. It turned out that there was no content in this round at all. But, with no content, how could they compete?

Amidst everyone's confusion, Princess Huai Qing spoke with a clear and melodious voice, like the collision of jade, pleasant and textured:

"Untitled! Does that mean that no matter how Xu Yinluo responds, the Buddhist sect can choose not to respond or acknowledge, trapping him in the secret realm until he admits defeat?""A word awakens the dreamer!

In the various cool sheds, the faces of civil and military officials changed slightly.

After careful consideration, it was found to be true. No matter how difficult the level, as long as there is a question, it can be overcome.

The most difficult and unsolvable is this kind of empty-handed fight, with a lot of room for maneuvering. Whether it's a martial arts fight or a literary fight, the Buddhist sect can veto it.

The Buddhist sect always stands in an invincible position.

"Isn't this just being shameless? If you want to fight, then set up your formation. Whether it's a literary or martial fight, your Buddhist sect can say whatever you want. What kind of trick is this?"

"Using shameless tactics to win a fight, I'm afraid it's not honorable."

"Prime Minister, since His Majesty is not here, can you say something?"

The hot-tempered military officials were so angry that they smashed their cups and cursed at Du'e and the others.

They were not afraid of literary or martial fights. There were many experts in the capital, and both sides were using their skills. But this third level was simply unsolvable. If Xu Qi'an couldn't do it, then could someone else?

The common people who were blocked outside the perimeter by the Forbidden Army heard the nobles' questions and immediately realized that something was wrong. However, they were too far away to hear clearly.

"What's going on? It seems that the gentlemen in the cool sheds are very angry."

"It seems like they're saying that the Buddhist sect is being shameless?"

"Why is the Buddhist sect being shameless? Oh, I'm so anxious. Is there some kind of trick to this third level?"

In the discussions, a man from the Jianghu spoke with a serious face and said loudly, "Gentlemen, I just heard what happened..."

The warriors had excellent hearing, and the common people couldn't hear, but the Jianghu man near the front row heard it clearly and immediately spread the secret of the third level.

"Shameless!"

A scholar was furious, "I have been studying for more than ten years and have never encountered such despicable and shameless people. The dignified Buddhist sect actually uses such despicable and dirty means to win a fight.

"Are they afraid of our Xu Shi-kui's swordsmanship, so they deliberately used these despicable means? Whether it's an examination or a fight, it should be conducted with integrity. People should not, at least they cannot...

"Even the imperial examinations have questions."

The people were passionate and denounced the shamelessness of the Buddhist sect, but unfortunately they didn't have rotten eggs and vegetable leaves to throw at them.

With Xu Qi'an's two previous strikes, the common people had already changed their view from "the Buddhist sect is really powerful" to "the Buddhist sect is nothing special."

This was all due to the confidence and strength that Xu Qi'an brought.

Countless people were proud and honored.

Now, seeing the shamelessness of the Buddhist sect, setting a trap for Xu Qi'an, the common people were furious again and began to push and shove the Forbidden Army, as if they were going to rush in and beat them all up.

"Amitabha, even without a question, there is still a question. Life is ever-changing, is there always a 'question' waiting for everyone?"

The peaceful voice of Du'e spread throughout the venue, seemingly carrying a comforting power that made the crowd outside unconsciously quiet down and think that what he said made sense.

The seventh rank of the Buddhist sect, the ability of the monk realm.

Not only the common people, but even the nobles in the cool sheds also restrained their anger and nodded slightly.

"Shameless!"

Just then, a shout of anger rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and found that it was a handsome scholar who walked down from the cool shed to the square, looking coldly at the monks:

"No wonder you monks are all bald. It turns out that you have hidden the hair on your heads in your hearts. You look glorious on the outside, but inside you are full of filth and shame!"

The monk Jinchen frowned, "This benefactor..."

"Who are you calling benefactor? I wouldn't even give you a penny. You call everyone benefactor, how shameful!"

"You..."

For the full version, visit [ pawℝead.com ].

"What 'you'? You're such a great master of Buddhist teachings. Are you also the obsession that Buddha cut off before he became a monk?"

The obsession that Buddha cut off before he became a monk?! Jinchen was stunned, then furious. Who was he insulting?

"Benefactor, as a scholar, you only know how to curse people. Is this the kind of scholar in the Great Feng?"

"I never curse people. I only curse those who are not human."

The people of the Buddhist sect all showed anger, glaring at Xu Xinnian.

"What's wrong, can't take it? Several high monks have come from afar to propose a fight. The Great Feng is a country of etiquette, and sending just one representative has already given you face.

"Who knew that your faces are thicker than the walls of the capital city, no wonder you won the battle of Shanhaiguan twenty years ago. The barbarian alliance from the north and south couldn't break through the thick skin of the great masters for ten years.

"But the great masters are still not aware of it, and things that are not self-aware are useless even when reflected in the mirror."

"This is outrageous!"

Jinchen stood up suddenly, his monk's robe billowing. He glared, like an angry Vajra, with a terrifying momentum.

Xu Xinnian was unafraid, sneering, "What a great master of the Four Emptinesses, emptying everything, bah!"

Jinchen's expression suddenly froze.

Master Du'e said calmly, "Jinchen, your mind is in chaos."

Jinchen's face turned pale, and he sat down weakly, clasping his hands together and trembling, saying, "Disciple has committed an offense."The Western Region envoy came to Beijing to ask for punishment, and they were already full of anger. After the fight, the people around kept cursing, and Xu Qianan broke through two formations, causing great mental pressure on the monks of the Buddha's sect.

Xu Xinnian suddenly came out to insult, and the Buddha was also angry, not to mention their disciples.

Xu Xinnian chuckled and turned away.

All eyes fell on Xu Xinnian, with a mix of surprise and admiration. Although they didn't listen to the insults, they were good at cursing the monks of the Buddha's sect.

It felt great.

Moreover, they claimed their identity, and those words could not be said in public, Xu Xinnian was essentially a tool for conveying the voice of the nobles.

Smart! Miss Wang secretly praised. She could see that Xu Huanyuan's cursing was just a facade, and his real purpose was to disturb the monks of the Buddha's sect.

Intentionally provoking them, and then delivering a fatal blow.

It was satisfying and a heavy blow to the monks.

In addition, she speculated that Xu Huanyuan's proactive attack had another layer of meaning, which was to show off in front of the nobles in the capital, and in front of the emperor.

Show enough value to make the emperor think he was talented, and after the palace exam, he might give him a good future.

"Quite clever."

At this point, she heard her father, Wang Zhenwen, make a casual comment.

Miss Wang smiled happily.

Satisfying! Xu Xinnian sat in his chair, feeling greatly satisfied. There was nothing more satisfying in the world than cursing people.

The little episode ended, and the fight continued, with the audience still feeling heavy.

............

Under the Bodhi tree, Xu Qianan sat opposite the old monk, discussing the Dao. He nodded and said, "Master's words are very true, and they are enlightening."

At the same time, he was thinking about how to break through the third barrier.

The Buddha's sect was indeed cunning. There was no question in this barrier, which meant that the interpretation was entirely in the hands of the Buddha's sect. Would the monks let themselves lose?

The answer was no.

How to break the deadlock? After careful consideration, Xu Qianan had two ideas: one, to persuade with reason. Two, to persuade with reason.

In my current state, I can't make a second move. Even if my aura recovers, without the blessing of..., it's impossible to break through the barrier.

The old monk in front of him was the obsession cut out by the Bodhisattva Wen Yin before he attained enlightenment, so he had to be careful about the first idea of persuading with reason.

The second idea of persuading with reason was to use all means "beyond physics" to deal with the old monk.

Deal with him, and this barrier would be broken.

"I definitely can't talk about Buddhism. The old monk is the obsession cut out by the Bodhisattva Wen Yin. He is definitely not someone that a little monk like me can compare to. Only he can deceive me, it's impossible for me to deceive him... How can I deal with him?"

Xu Qianan pretended to listen to the scriptures while thinking about his strategy.

"Master, you said that you are the obsession cut out by the Bodhisattva Wen Yin. What kind of obsession is it?" Xu Qianan suddenly asked.

"The highest realm of the Buddha!" The old monk replied.

The highest realm of the Buddha... This was such a profound question right from the start. I wanted to start from the aspect of obsession, but it seems impossible... Wait, I might as well listen to what he has to say first, and then combine it with my knowledge as a keyboard warrior to see if there is any room for maneuver!

Xu Qianan asked, "What is the highest realm of the Buddha?"

The old monk remained silent for a long time, "I don't know, but Wen Yin believes it is the Buddha. So he cut me out, and from then on, my heart was pure, and I attained enlightenment as a Bodhisattva."

Hearing this, Xu Qianan fell silent. He knew nothing about the Buddha in this world, but he had some understanding of Buddhism in his past life. However, there were significant differences between the Buddhism of his past life and the Buddhism of this world.

The most obvious difference was that there was no Buddha in the Buddhism of this world. There was only one Buddha.

"Why is the highest realm of the Buddha the Buddha? Aren't the other Buddhas also Buddhas?" Xu Qianan frowned.

At this point, he suddenly remembered a detail. In the Buddhist system, there were Arhats of the second rank, Bodhisattvas of the first rank, and then there were Buddhas who transcended the ranks.

There were no other Buddhas.

The old monk replied, "In the Buddhist system, there are ranks of Arhats and ranks of Bodhisattvas. Only the Buddha attains the highest and supreme rank. Therefore, the Buddha is the highest realm of the Buddha, and is a unique existence. The Buddha is the Buddha, and there is only one."

"Arhats and Bodhisattvas may not necessarily attain the highest rank," Xu Qianan said.

The old monk looked at him and shook his head, "You are not a Buddhist, so it's understandable that you don't understand the ranks."

Xu Qianan clasped his hands together like a disciple, "Please enlighten me, Master."

Please let me freeload some knowledge of Buddhism from the Master.

"Do you know why a Bodhisattva is a Bodhisattva, and why an Arhat is an Arhat? In the Buddhist system, the fourth rank is the 'ascetic monk'. Those who reach this realm are called 'Vows of Great Aspiration'. Those who have great aspirations attain the rank of Bodhisattva. Those with small aspirations attain the rank of Arhat, and the rank of Arhat is also divided into three levels: killing thieves, not returning, and Arhat.

"Once the rank is consolidated, it cannot be changed, and there is no advancement."Xu Qi'an was stunned and didn't speak for a long time. The amount of information in this passage was too great for him to digest for several minutes.

"So, the essence of Bodhisattva and Arhat is irrelevant. They both are promoted from the fourth-grade ascetic monk... Wait, after the fourth grade, it's either the second grade or the first grade. Then where does the third-grade Vajra Realm fit in?"

A flash of insight crossed Xu Qi'an's mind, and he had a corresponding guess: an eighth-grade martial monk - third-grade Vajra!

Damn, jumping directly from the eighth grade to the third grade? The Buddhist system is really strange, not following the normal progression at all.

Xu Qi'an reviewed the Buddhist system again, and many things suddenly became clear to him.

In the Buddhist system, from the ninth grade to the first grade, the eighth-grade martial monk corresponds to the third-grade Vajra. No wonder Master Heng Yuan had such strong combat power, but he was only an eighth-grade martial monk, because his next grade was the third-grade Vajra Realm.

Furthermore, it's no wonder the second grade is Arhat, the first grade is Bodhisattva, and Buddha belongs to the supreme grade. The reason for this naming is that once the grade is determined, it cannot be changed.

So, unlike in his previous life, where there were a bunch of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, in this world's Buddhist system, there is only one Buddha: Buddha.

In the world, only one Buddha is revered... Damn, isn't this just the Hinayana Buddhism?!

I've figured out how to break the deadlock!

Xu Qi'an slowly stood up, staring straight at the old monk, his mouth slightly raised, then widened from a smile to a big laugh, and from a big laugh to a wild laugh.

"Hahaha......"

He laughed wildly, leaning forward and backward, laughing wantonly.

"What is he laughing at? Has he gone mad?"

The people outside the scene looked up in confusion, watching Xu Qi'an laughing wildly under the Bodhi tree in the Buddhist temple.

"Is he about to admit defeat...?" someone worried.

The people in the Buddhist temple frowned slightly, not knowing why Xu Qi'an was laughing so much.

In the cool shed, all the civil and military officials, women, and soldiers, and others all looked bewildered.

Those who were familiar with Xu Qi'an were worried, afraid that he had been stimulated by something, which caused him to behave so abnormally.

Emperor Yuan Jing stood beside the chief monitor, slightly raised his head, looked at the painting of Xu Qi'an laughing wildly, frowned, and then turned to glance at the chief monitor, only to find that the chief monitor had stopped drinking and was looking at Xu Qi'an with a serious expression.

Wei Yuan unconsciously tapped his fingers, looking at the Buddhist mountain, not saying a word.

...........

"What are you laughing at, benefactor?"

Under the Bodhi tree, the old monk asked, voicing everyone's confusion.

Xu Qi'an covered his stomach, barely suppressing his smile, his face proud and arrogant as he said, "I'm laughing at the narrow-mindedness of the Buddhist temple and the hypocrisy of Buddha."

Arrogant!

The old monk's face turned angry, and the Bodhi tree moved without any wind.

Outside the scene, Du'e, who had been emotionless from start to finish, finally had a dark expression on his face.

If even Du'e had this reaction, not to mention the other monks in the Buddhist temple.

But Xu Qi'an's words stopped the furious anger of the old monk under the Bodhi tree.

"Master, you know the highest realm of Buddhism, so let me tell you!" His voice was strong and powerful.

The old monk's eyes shot out golden light.

"I thought that the Buddha's teachings were profound, and that all Arhats and Bodhisattvas were compassionate people, but now I know that they are just selfish and self-interested people. It turns out that the Buddhist temple practices Hinayana Buddhism," Xu Qi'an said loudly.

Hinayana Buddhism?!

This was a strange term, unheard of before. It made the monks outside the scene angry, but also curious. If there was Hinayana Buddhism, was there also Mahayana Buddhism?

"Hmph, what Hinayana Buddhism? Clearly, he's deliberately talking nonsense to belittle our Buddhist temple."

"What does a warrior know about Buddhism, and why is he presumptuously classifying Mahayana and Hinayana? Master, this man is insulting our Buddhist temple and should not be let off lightly."

The monks scolded Xu Qi'an, not admitting to his words.

............

"You say that I..."

"Master, where are you from?"

"The Western Regions."

"Why do Buddhist monks practice?"

"To attain enlightenment and transcend the sea of suffering."

"This is Hinayana Buddhism, practicing only for oneself, and attaining enlightenment is the same. It benefits oneself without benefiting others," Xu Qi'an said.

The old monk was stunned, and this time, he pondered for a long time, showing no signs of anger, and asked, "Benefactor, you say this is Hinayana Buddhism, then what is Mahayana Buddhism?"

"You are not a high monk from the Western Regions, you are a high monk from the Nine Provinces, a high monk of the world. Monks should not practice to escape the sea of suffering for themselves, but to help all beings in the world escape the sea of suffering."

"Four hundred years ago, why did Confucianism want to eradicate Buddhism? They didn't eradicate the Buddha, but the Buddhist temple, the Hinayana Buddhism."

"Hinayana Buddhism is ultimately limited to one sect, while only Mahayana Buddhism can save all beings. So, what is Mahayana Buddhism?"

The old monk's breathing became rapid, his eyes were no longer desireless, and he was no longer calm. His voice showed obvious fluctuations.

"What is Mahayana Buddhism?"

Outside the scene, the monks of the Buddhist temple stared at Xu Qi'an, their breathing becoming rapid."Why is there only one Buddha?" Xu Qi'an demanded.

Including the old monk, all the monks' breathing suddenly seized.

Du'e, the Arhat, abruptly rose to his feet, as if he knew what Xu Qi'an was about to say.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qi'an slowly said, "All beings under heaven are Buddha; in the three realms and ten directions, there are countless Buddhas. This is the true Mahayana Buddhism. Why should there be only one Buddha in the world?"

It was like a bolt from the blue!

All beings under heaven are Buddha... The old monk stood petrified, as if turned to stone.

"All beings under heaven are Buddha, all beings under heaven are Buddha... Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism... If it is Mahayana Buddhism, and all beings are Buddha, can Confucianism still destroy Buddhism?" Monk Jingchen muttered to himself, as if his life's beliefs had been negated, his Buddhist heart subjected to a tremendous shock.

"I practice the Lesser Vehicle, I practice the Lesser Vehicle, ha, hahaha... So all beings can become Buddha, yes, all beings are Buddha, this is the true Mahayana Buddhism..."

Suddenly, a monk went mad, charging into the crowd with a crazed expression.

His Buddhist heart was shattered.

...

PS: Two things, first, I would like to thank the alliance leader "Remembrance of the Broken Sword" for their reward.

Second, it took a while to research the material for this chapter, and writing it was very difficult, draining both mentally and physically. There are many differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, and here I've only touched on some of the core differences.

In order to narrate smoothly, I wrote and deleted this section repeatedly, consulting materials and reflecting... It truly was mentally and physically exhausting.

There's one more chapter to go, so I must continue to persevere.

Today, I have but one request: could you please give Xu Qi'an a little support? A person should not, at the very least, be ridden roughshod over by their mount.