Gu Qingfeng attempted to probe once more, yet still sensed nothing, detected nothing.
He probed again, sensed again...
This process repeated, countless times, yet still he could sense nothing.
Immediately after.
He sat cross-legged, pressed his palms together, drew a deep breath, and gradually closed his eyes.
As his eyes closed, his breathing ceased, his heartbeat stopped, all the pores and acupoints across his body sealed shut. His aura gradually faded, his life force diminished drop by drop, until it vanished completely.
At this moment, Gu Qingfeng was like a dead man, devoid of any life force.
Dead?
Dead.
At the very least, Gu Qingfeng's true body was now utterly dead. Even his soul was dispersing bit by bit, merging into nature, into the heavens and earth, turning to dust. This allowed his spirit to enter a state of absolute self-forgetfulness.
This was Nirvana Silence.
It was the supreme Buddhist realm Gu Qingfeng had comprehended.
Abandoning body and soul, transcending life and death, allowing the spirit to be completely liberated, thereby achieving a state of self-forgetful Nirvana Silence. In this way, one could leap beyond the Great Dao, beyond the heavens and earth, to observe the Great Dao, observe the heavens and earth, observe all living beings.
Just as Gu Qingfeng was about to enter the state of self-forgetful Nirvana Silence, a voice suddenly came.
"Amitabha!"
The voice was drawn-out, filled with extreme bitterness. It came from the Extinct Bone Jade, from the Old Monk residing within.
"Layman Gu...
You clearly know this is a trap someone has meticulously designed, why do you persist in your delusion?"
The Old Monk's voice came, but Gu Qingfeng did not respond.
Indeed.
He certainly knew this was a trap.
A mysterious Taixuan Stele, a Jun Xuanji, a Yanyang Heart.
Connecting these three, even thinking with one's toes would reveal this was a trap someone had carefully set.
Ever since learning the Yanyang Heart had been taken, Gu Qingfeng had already guessed someone was setting a trap, waiting for him to jump in.
However, he had already jumped into the trap Yun Nichang set, so he didn't mind jumping into one more.
He just didn't know if this trap was related to Jun Xuanji.
Was it a trap she set, or was it related to her?
"Layman Gu...
You still haven't answered this old monk's question. Why do you persist in your delusion?"
"The Yanyang Heart is inside. Although I can't sense it, I'm certain it's definitely inside."
Gu Qingfeng responded lightly, "Old Monk, if you're trying to persuade me to give up on Karma, forget it. Many have already tried to persuade me, I've heard enough... If I wanted to give up, I would have from the very start, without needing your persuasion..."
"Layman Gu, your Karma is inherently a path of no return. Now, someone has set layer upon layer of tribulations on this path of no return. Why must you persist in your delusion..."
Gu Qingfeng suddenly laughed. The Old Monk asked, "Why does Layman Gu laugh?"
"Nothing. It just feels somewhat laughable. This Taixuan Stele seems like some remarkable thing from your Buddhist Sect. Do you know what it is?"
"I do not!"
"Hahaha!"
Gu Qingfeng laughed again. "Whether you know or not, you cannot deny this Taixuan Stele is something from your Buddhist Sect. Whether this trap is related to Jun Xuanji, I may not know. But one thing is certain: it is definitely related to your Buddhist Sect."
The Old Monk fell silent.
"Now your Buddhist Sect has set a trap, waiting for me to jump in. You, as a member of the Buddhist Sect, repeatedly try to persuade me. Don't you think that's laughable?"
"Layman Gu, this old monk urges you to think thrice before acting. My Buddha has always been compassionate... Moreover..."
Before the Old Monk could finish, Gu Qingfeng lost all interest in listening. "Enough, Old Monk. Don't spout this Buddhist nonsense to me. You know I don't believe in the heavens and earth, don't believe in gods or Buddhas. I only believe in myself!"
"Amitabha..."
Gu Qingfeng paid no further heed. Abandoning body and soul, transcending life and death, after entering the state of self-forgetful Nirvana Silence, he gradually began to sense the sound of sutra chanting. It was very faint, but it was indeed there. He continued sensing; the sound of sutra chanting grew clearer. Sensing further, the sound became even clearer, and the chanting voices multiplied, as if tens of thousands of ancient Buddhas were chanting together.
An unknown amount of time passed. Gu Qingfeng sensed a faint Buddha light. Continuing to sense, the Buddha light grew increasingly brilliant.
At that moment, suddenly, a voice came.
"Don't—"
It was her.
Jun Xuanji's voice.
"Don't come in...
Please don't come in, okay?
..."
Jun Xuanji's voice was very weak. And as the sutra chanting from within grew stronger, her voice grew weaker and weaker, as if she were enduring immense pain.
"Go away. Go as far away as possible. Don't seek Karma anymore...
Don't seek...
Karma..."
"This seems like a trap...
A trap prepared for you...
I don't know who...
But I can feel this is a trap targeting you..."
"I've forgotten. I've forgotten everything. I'm lost. I'm completely lost...
But please believe me...
Believe me, okay?
Don't...
Don't come in..."
The sutra chanting grew ever stronger, Jun Xuanji's voice ever weaker.
"Don't fall for it!
This is a trap...
I didn't deceive you. I wouldn't deceive you. Not in the past, not in the future...
I have never deceived you...
Believe me...
Okay?"
Believe?
Gu Qingfeng didn't know whether he should believe Jun Xuanji. He truly dared not believe her again.
"Give up on Karma...
You should give up..."
"There are...
Those who wish for you to seek Karma...
Many, very many..."
"There are also those who do not wish for you to seek it...
There are...
Also many...
Many..."
"But...
But...
They cannot stop you...
They...
Can only...
Restrain you...
Restrain you...
Bind you...
Buddha...
Buddha might!
Might be...
Be one of them..."
"Ah—"
Jun Xuanji's pained cry came, twisting Gu Qingfeng's heart into knots!
"Give!
Up!
Kar!
Ma!"
"Ah— No!
Don't let him come in...
Die!
All of you, die!—"
Boom!
The vast Buddha Breath trembled, faintly flickering with a bloody glimmer. The sutra chanting also became chaotic.
An unknown amount of time passed. The bloody glimmer gradually faded. The vast Buddha Breath returned to normal, becoming even more powerful. The sutra chanting was no longer chaotic, growing even more immense.
"Jun Xuanji?"
Receiving no response from Jun Xuanji, Gu Qingfeng called out.
No one answered.
"Jun Xuanji?"
He called again, still no answer.
Gu Qingfeng continued sensing, sensing the vast Buddha light, sensing the sky-filling sutra chanting.
Close!
It was becoming clearer. He could feel it.
Suddenly, the voice of the Old Monk residing within the Extinct Bone Jade came again. "Layman Gu, this old monk once again urges you to think thrice before acting!"
Gu Qingfeng did not respond, continuing to sense!
"Layman Gu, are you truly seeking Karma, or are you seeking Jun Xuanji?"
Was it for Karma?
Was it for Jun Xuanji?
He didn't know!