CHAPTER 289: MASTER JINGUANG!? THE BODHI PILL!

A heaviness pressed on Li Yanchu’s heart.

Still, this was within the grounds of Jinguang Temple. Surely nothing too great could go wrong here. After all, Jinguang Temple likely had laid its plans, intending to lure and slay the heretics coveting the relics. It ought to possess sufficient strength to do so.

He released Lady Yun from the Dragon-Tiger Scepter. With a flash of golden light, a young woman with her hair in a coiled bun and a lovely, radiant face appeared in the room. Her plain indigo skirt was simple and unadorned, yet it traced the elegant curves of her form.

The moment Lady Yun emerged, her limpid eyes roamed curiously about the meditation room.

“So this is Jinguang Temple? This Buddhist aura truly feels comforting,” Lady Yun sighed in wonder.

Li Yanchu chuckled. “Shall I leave you here, then?”

Lady Yun froze, then quickly said, “No, I must remain by your side, Daoist Master.”

Suddenly, Li Yanchu remembered something. “By the way, the high monk who enlightened you back then, what was his name?”

“Master Benyin[1].”

The name sounded strangely familiar to Li Yanchu. He tried hard to recall the introductions he’d read about Jinguang Temple, yet no matter how he searched his memory, nothing came to him.

All of a sudden, his eyes widened.

“Master Jinguang!” For the first time, he scrutinized Lady Yun carefully, making her cheeks flush with a rosy hue.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

Li Yanchu shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just that you truly share a deep connection with Jinguang Temple.”

Lady Yun smiled gently.

The Dharma name of the founding patriarch of Jinguang Temple was Benyin. A living Arhat of the Buddhist order, he wielded supreme Dharma powers, and was able to subdue dragons and tame tigers.

It was said he once subdued a wicked dragon with a gold alms bowl. Some claimed that this was the origin of Mount Wolong’s name, though most regarded it as mere legend.

He established the foundation of Jinguang Temple in Donglin Prefecture, and he was honored by the world as Master Jinguang. As for the Dharma name “Benyin,” almost no one addressed him by that.

Li Yanchu was secretly astonished. That Lady Yun had once encountered Master Jinguang himself, now that was extraordinary. No wonder the Buddhist aura on her body was so strong.

The two of them remained in the meditation room of Jinguang Temple, not venturing out.

Lady Yun was considerate. Knowing her identity would be hard to explain, she only stayed out for a short while before transforming into a streak of clear light and returning into the Dragon-Tiger Scepter.

Seeing this, Li Yanchu smiled faintly. She was beautiful, ethereal in temperament, and so understanding. Having her by his side was anything but troublesome.

Crossing his legs, he began meditating and cultivating the Longhu Golden Alchemy Method. The surrounding spirit qi was especially abundant; truly worthy of being a Buddhist stronghold, chosen from a land brimming with Heaven and Earth’s spiritual essence.

Li Yanchu entered a state of forgetting both self and surroundings, retaining only a trace of clarity in his mind. His five viscera and six bowels pulsed with vitality, and spirit power coursed through his body, ultimately gathering in the dantian sea of qi.

When he finally emerged from meditation, the vortex within his dantian had grown a little larger.

To be able to see progress from effort, it really is addicting, Li Yanchu thought to himself.

Soon after, Master Puxing of Jinguang Temple sent over a bottle of medicinal pills. Each was the size of a lotus seed and golden in hue, exuding a rich fragrance of herbs and wood.

“These are Bodhi Pills, refined by the senior monks of our temple. Consuming them will enhance your spirit qi. Please, Daoist Master Li, accept them.”

Li Yanchu recalled Master Puxing’s words, and couldn’t help but reveal a look of joy. “Enhance spirit qi?”

That was precisely what he lacked most at the moment. The pills given to him by the old Daoist were also for replenishing and gathering qi.

But just from the appearance alone, these Bodhi Pills clearly contained an even stronger reservoir of spirit qi. There were ten pills in this bottle.

They had been refined from Jinguang Temple’s unique Bodhi seeds, possessing extraordinary effects for cultivators of the second realm.

Alone in his room, Li Yanchu’s eyes were full of delight. He had already used the quadruple-enhanced Plague-Dispelling Talisman to examine them, and found nothing suspicious.

Then, after he tested it several more times, he carefully probed for any flaws in the Bodhi Pills with the help of the Clearheart Jade Pendant and the Spirit-Officer Summoning Talisman to strengthen his primordial spirit.

At last, he was certain that these were indeed flawless, precious pills. He began to simulate the Great Dao’s resonance within his mind.

“Decree of Bestowal!”

Just like that, three hundred merit points were consumed! The Bodhi Pill shifted, its golden radiance darkening into a deeper shade while its surface grew crystal-clear.

He pondered briefly, then pressed on with the enhancement. Six hundred merit points were consumed! The Bodhi Pill emitted a soft and gentle golden radiance, which was not dazzling but instead pleasing to behold.

“Decree of Bestowal!” One thousand merit points were consumed!

This time, the Bodhi Pill burst forth with a shaft of golden light, illuminating the entire room.

Li Yanchu stopped. With the radiance of merit upon him, blessings stirred his heart. In the unseen depths, there arose a feeling both mysterious and profound, yet incomparably certain.

He must not proceed further. Otherwise, it would do harm, not good!

Could it be... this is the reason Senior Uncle sent me here to Jinguang Temple? For the sake of these Bodhi Pills!? Li Yanchu thought to himself.

Sometimes, with pills, it wasn’t simply about having extraordinary alchemical skill. The ingredients and the formula were just as crucial. This Bodhi Pill was surely one of Jinguang Temple’s most treasured pills, a secret never to be passed outside.

If not for the merit he earned by escorting the relics, they would likely never have taken out such a pill to give him.

After swallowing the Bodhi Pill, an incomparably pure medicinal force instantly surged through his limbs and bones. All his pores opened wide, madly drawing in spirit qi. If the qi in his meridians had once been like a small stream, then now it had become a flowing river.

A spark of joy lit in his heart. Without delay, he guided the Great Circulation according to the Yellow Court Classic’s cultivation method.

His spirit power swelled ceaselessly, and the Bodhi Pill also carried a measure of marrow-washing, impurity-cleansing effect. With the triple-enhancement, all its attributes had been strengthened.

As a result, not only did Li Yanchu’s spirit power grow, but a layer of filth began to surface on his skin. It was the expulsion of all the impurities within his body. His meridians, too, were widened and toughened. This meant he could draw upon a far greater amount of spirit power in an instant, and his explosive output had increased.

When the transformation ended and his body ceased changing, he lowered his head to look at himself: he was covered in grime. But Li Yanchu paid it no mind, and his face instead lit up with joy.

That single pill had doubled the spirit power within his body! It was an utterly astonishing effect.

To reach this stage by cultivation alone would have taken him at least a year, and that was already with him carrying numerous treasures, having had his physique transformed by the immortal fortunes of a Blissful Land, greatly speeding his absorption of spirit qi. Such was the hardship of the Daoist path!

One pill is equal to a year’s cultivation... If I finish the whole bottle, wouldn’t that be ten years worth of spirit power?

Li Yanchu grinned.

Of course, all pills shared the same truth: the first dose was the strongest. With each subsequent pill, the effect would gradually diminish.

Still, even if the efficacy lessened, this round of pills would at the very least save him seven or eight years of cultivation.

“This trip has been well worth it!” Li Yanchu’s smile stretched wide.

Having delivered two high monks’ relics, he was a distinguished guest of Jinguang Temple. And with the endorsement of none other than Zhang Huaihe, once foremost of the Four Great Celestial Masters, his status was lofty and well respected.

After a thorough bath, he felt utterly refreshed. His body felt as light as air, comfort flowing through him. It was as though he were walking upon clouds.

1. The character 本 (běn) means “root,” “origin,” or “fundamental,” pointing to what is primary and essential. The character 因 (yīn) refers to “cause” or “condition,” often used in the Buddhist teaching of cause and effect (因果 yīnguǒ), which emphasizes that all results arise from specific causes. To me, 本因 can be understood as “fundamental cause” or “original cause.” In a spiritual sense, this name suggests returning to the root of one’s practice, seeking the primary cause that leads to awakening, or recognizing the deep karmic conditions that give rise to liberation. ☜