Phoenix kept the bottle of mythical water into her pocket and left her hands there while staring at him.
The distance between the two of them was not too close, but it gave out a sense of ambiguity.
On the long flight of stairs, both of their outstanding appearances could already cause commotions, not to mention that they represented Tiao Dao and Buddhism respectively.
"For someone who ran away the next day after sleeping with me, I think that a greeting like this is just right." The Emperor looked at her coldly. As he was speaking, he bent down again and shadows clouded under his eyes. He spoke to her with a low voice that only both of them could hear, "Phoenix, hasn't anyone told you before that you need to take responsibility after sleeping with someone?"
Take responsibility? Phoenix frowned, "What happened last night should not be my responsibility."
"Oh? I must have remembered wrongly then. You did not beg me to be more gentle, did you?" The man lifted Phoenix's chin with a deceptive smile on his face, "Phoenix, who taught you to run away from your wrongdoings?"
After hearing what he had said, Phoenix raised her eyebrows and glanced at him. She shoved his hand away and said in a calm voice, "Both of us should know better. If it wasn't for the meat dishes, nothing would have happened. Don't act as if you don't know that I can't eat meat."
Phoenix moved her gaze away from him as soon as she finished speaking. She habitually buried her chin into her cassock, which was a sign that the conversation had ended. Then, she walked forward indifferently, and could not care less about what would happen.
The man's eyes sank as he looked at the only crimson figure within the entire Heaven and Earth of Buddhism.
He had expected Phoenix to show all kinds of reactions, be it angry or ashamed.
Yet, she did not show any of it and appeared rather indifferent instead.
The man threw away the scriptures in his hands. For the first time, there was no smile on his face. What remained were only his cold-looking eyes and thin lips that had pursed into a straight line. His eyebrows were thick, his nose was high and his eyes were clouded with haze.
Golden Lotus wanted to say something to him but before she did, the man had already walked away with ferocious-looking demons behind him. The threatening aura started permeating at that moment, almost engulfing the strong sanskrits and Light of Buddha.
Little Monk kept turning back to look at the man as he walked away. After Phoenix had entered the house, he could not resist it any further and asked, "My lord, what happened between you and the Emperor? How did it become this way?"
"Nothing happened." Phoenix paused for a moment after she said that. She took out the manual in her arms, found a line on it and crossed it out carefully.
Little Monk leaned over to have a look. He frowned even harder, "As a dominant partner, you need to have a cold war with your partner once? My lord, what does this mean?"
"The Manual of Human Partners." Phoenix lowered her head to keep the manual. Since she was already on bad terms with that person, she would be at a loss if she did not cross out another line on the manual.
Little Monk touched the back of his bald head and could not understand where exactly this was from.
But judging from today's situation, it would not be as peaceful as before the next time the Emperor visits Buddhism.
He felt the need to appease his lord in the future and keep them from fighting. Otherwise, they would definitely be detained again.
Phoenix understood Little Monk's concern. She was silent for a moment before she said, "He won't come anymore."
"He won't come anymore?" Little Monk's eyes were wide open, "Why?"
That person's pride would not allow anyone to reject him for the second time. It would be the same no matter what purpose he had.
On top of that, he was just not used to the fact that she was the first to leave after what had happened last night.
Nothing else.
Phoenix answered silently in her heart. She laid out the scriptures in her hands and did not speak anymore. She lowered her head as she chanted the sutras. Her presence could barely be noticed due to the quietness.
Just as Phoenix had expected, the Emperor did not visit Buddhism again since that day.
Little Monk was finally relieved. He followed Phoenix with his short legs and was going to help the lord to retrieve the mythical water.
Strangely, he had already asked three immortals from Tian Dao, but all the mythical water was sold out.
It was not sold to Buddhism in addition. Instead, it was sold to the Emperor who was also from Tian Dao and never lacked mythical water.
Little Monk was dumbfounded, "My Lord, why did the Emperor buy so much mythical water?"
"He wants me to take the initiative to look for him." Phoenix's voice was weak. She then turned around to look at Little Monk, "We don't need to visit the next shop anymore, let's go directly to the temple." They would have gotten the same result even if they continued with the search. It would not be surprising for that man to do such things with his means.
As expected, all the mythical water was gathered in one place.
It was as if the man had predicted her arrival. The immortal guided her in as soon as he saw her.
The destination was the royal chamber that they stayed the other night.
It might have been intentional. He did not remove the chain which she broke that day, instead, he left it where it was.
The man was sitting on a wooden chair crossing his legs with one hand supporting his chin. He looked at her with an indifferent expression, yet he was smiling, "Phoenix, you should be familiar with the place."
Not everyone could enter the royal chamber of the temple. So, both the immortal and Little Monk were outside of the temple.
The man was undoubtedly dangerous, but Phoenix was not afraid. She went straight toward the Emperor and squinted her eyes, "What do you want?"
The man smiled upon hearing what she said. He then got up abruptly, grabbed her hands and dragged her over. He threw her onto the bed next to them and put his hands by her sides. He leaned toward her and asked with a deep voice, "What do you think?"
Both of their breaths were intertwined. Their chests were undulating as if something was going to jump out...
Phoenix stared directly at his handsome face with her clear phoenix eyes, not trying to avoid or hide from him, "If you want to do something like that, there are tons of people in Six Dao who are willing to do it with you. Don't look for me, I don't like it."
"Really?" The man lowered his head and whispered with his thin lips sticking close to the back of her ear as if he was trying to kiss it. The atmosphere was rather passionate, "You didn't seem to dislike it from your reaction that day."
Phoenix pulled her neck back subconsciously to avoid his breath, but her body was firmly pinned down by the man. The man's forehead was against her as he began to show his charming smile which had the ability to warm people's hearts, "Phoenix, what about being together for real? Don't you enjoy doing things written in the manual? Since we have already done what we should, why don't we be together for real?"
Being together for real? Phoenix's movements froze. Her eyes looked into the man's eyes which were as deep as the night. Her smooth breathing suddenly started to change...
"I need to think about it." Phoenix pushed him away and stood up as she had her concerns.
The man did not force her. He stretched out his finger to stroke her lips and looked at her with his tempting magical eyes as his handsome face got closer toward her inch by inch, "Okay."
She just can't be bent no matter how much you try to twist.
Unmoved by persuasion or coercion, nothing could get through her mind at all.
However, it does not matter. A person as such would bring a lot more contentment once she becomes mine...
When Phoenix came out from the temple, she was carrying tons of mythical water in her arms.
Little Monk and the immortal were unaware of what had happened in the royal chamber. They were just surprised. Did the two of them actually finish discussing peacefully?
Aren't they having a cold war?
Little Monk could no longer keep up with what his Lord Phoenix had in mind.
Well, as long as they were not fighting, anything is fine.
After all, the Buddha feast would be held tomorrow and the Emperor would definitely be invited over again this time.
Little Monk's prediction came true.
During the feast on the next day, the man appeared as expected. He came in a white robe matching his black hair along with an elegant smile on his face.
Anyone who tried to get close to him was blocked away by him coldly.
Since Phoenix was still considering the matter, she decided not to sit by his side.
However, just as she entered, the Lady Buddhas and fairies' gazes changed when they saw her.
"It's Phoenix."
"Shh."
"I heard news saying that she moved into the temple some time ago. Tsk tsk, moving in just like that without any status given. As expected of Lord Phoenix, her thoughts are always different from ours."
"So what? Even if she moved in, the Emperor was still chanting with Golden Lotus these days. The Emperor has always fancied pure women. As for those who act boldly, he's probably just playing around with them."
"Lower your voices, that's Phoenix!"
"So what about Phoenix? She thinks she could do anything she wants just because her ranking of Buddhism is high?"
Golden Lotus was listening to the commotions around her but she did not stop them. She lowered her head, took a sip of tea and looked toward Phoenix after hesitating for some time, "My lord, just ignore them, don't keep it in your heart. However, it's better to watch yourself when you are dating the Emperor in the future."
"What does she need to watch out for?" It was the Emperor, asking in an indifferent tone. Those who knew him well would know that he was starting to get angry at this point, "Do you all even need to discuss what others do and where others go?"
The Lady Buddhas and fairies were embarrassed as they were criticized by the man they admired. They looked down at their feet, thinking whether they had offended him.
Golden Lotus looked up and explained to him gently, "Emperor, it's just a misunderstanding. We're just worried that Lord Phoenix is acting too..."
"I don't mind however she acts at all." The man smiled while looking insouciance, "Since the concerned party doesn't mind, that means it's none of your business already, am I right, Lady Buddha?"
Golden Lotus clenched her left palm for a moment. When she felt the pain, she then smiled and replied to him, "Of course, it's fine as long Your Highness doesn't mind."
Phoenix was watching this as she realized this was the first time someone ever spoke for her, although she never cared about the gossip.
However... So this is what it feels like to have a partner.
Phoenix looked down at her palm and subsequently gazed at the man who had already returned to his seat. He was showing his good-looking side face while listening to what the immortal next to him was saying. With only an arc on his lips hinting a smile, the Lady Buddhas and fairies around him were attracted and gazed secretly at him.
However, from what those people had said just now, the man must be quite attentive toward those kinds of things.
Thinking of this, Phoenix then pulled Battle Victory Buddha over, "Can I ask you something?"
"Huh, what?" Phoenix, just say what you want, why must you touch me? The moment you touched me, the Emperor immediately had his cold eyes looking this way!
Phoenix hesitated for a moment and decided to ask directly, "Did the Emperor have any woman before?"
Battle Victory Buddha looked at Phoenix unbelievably, "Are you even a member of Buddhism? How could you not know the enemy's situation? Don't you know that the Emperor rarely gets close to women? It was said that someone once tried to get women into his bed, but they ended up getting their ribs broken and kicked off to the human world. For that, I even suspected whether he had a problem regarding those sorts of things. I later learned that it was because he found them dirty. The incident was spread across Six Dao three hundred years ago, have you never heard of it?"
"Of course I know about this." Although Phoenix never cared about any gossip, she would still take note of important things, "But I meant even before he achieved the title of God." After becoming a God, there would be fewer affections, but it was different back in the chaotic world.
Battle Victory Buddha stroked his chin and said, "No, what I've heard was that the Emperor's favorite thing to do in the chaotic world was killing people. He would kill anyone who approached him, so no women dared to get close to him then. This was also why Buddhism wanted to take him in, but he never agreed to convert..."
Phoenix could still remember the young man who stood in Leiyin back then. Both Tiao Dao and Buddhism could not do anything to him.
However, those were not Phoenix's concerns at the moment.
Instead...
She flipped open the manual in her hands. It was clearly stated there, 'As a domineering and reasonable partner, if it was the other party's first time, you must be responsible for the other party...'
It was that man's first time.
Although it did not seem like it, it was actually his first time.
Phoenix frowned and tapped her fingers on the manual. She had lost appetite for her vegetarian food.
She walked toward the man only after the Buddha feast had been dismissed. She looked at him calmly, "I want to talk to you."
The man never thought she would take the initiative to approach him. So he followed Phoenix's footsteps into her wooden house and raised his eyebrows with mischief, "Have you made your decision?"
"Yes." Phoenix opened the manual in her hands and said, "I've asked others about it. That person said it is your first time."
The man watched as she spoke so seriously and had his eyes on the words 'domineering and reasonable'. He could no longer resist and laughed in a low tone, "So?" Is she putting herself in the wrong position again?
"So, I will be taking responsibility." As expected. Phoenix's expression turned serious as she opened her mouth again and said, "Let's get together."
Although it was rather unacceptable for a woman to take responsibility for a man.
The Emperor was no ordinary man.
The result was all he cared about, no matter what.
Since the result was just as he wished.
Of course he would answer composedly, "Sure."
Once we are together, how long can your heart stay unmoved? Phoenix...
That was how these two people started their new relationship.
Usually, one would be playing chess while the other would be chanting.
The man would always hold Phoenix's waist while teaching her how to win a chess game.
Eventually, they really started looking more like a couple.
In terms of love, Phoenix... was relatively simple compared to the man.
So, whenever they hold hands, Phoenix would always feel that her heart was pounding as if it was not her own...
It had never crossed Phoenix's mind that it might be a bad thing for a woman to be too proactive in a relationship.
Since they had decided to be together, she figured that she should treat the relationship seriously.
As she opened her eyes, waking up in the man's embrace every day, she would catch sight of well-prepared vegetarian dishes. Breakfast would always consist of her favorite dishes.
After breakfast, they would spend time together in the temple if they were free.
He enjoyed caressing her hair with his slender fingers and he would always carry a hint of a smile on his face.
Occasionally, he would lower his head to kiss her. Phoenix would never avoid him but she was still not good at kissing. Her breathing would get uneven and she would always end up in a mess, though there was an indescribable intimacy between them.
One day, Phoenix got obsessed with hair braiding. She twirled a silver ribbon around the man's hair as she braided it. When she was done, she took out her manual and crossed out a line of words in it.
The man would often let out a grin just by looking at her. "How long are you going to keep up with this game?"
"Game? Isn't this something every couple will do?" Phoenix retrieved another silver ribbon.
The man smiled faintly and kept silent. To avoid his black hair from suffering further, he dragged her up. "Let's go, I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where are we going?" Phoenix raised her head as she asked.
The man pressed his lips on her eyelid and smiled. "The magical realm."
Nine thousand feet, from the earth to the sky.
No scenery in the world could battle the beauty of the magical realm.
Unlike the dirty chaos in hell, the magical realm was filled with fascinating enchanted flowers.
Flower petals scattered in the air as the wind blew, even the air carried the unique fragrance of those flowers.
Once the Emperor and Phoenix arrived, all the demons who were hidden there immediately retreated a thousand meters from them.
No single demon dared to appear before them, especially in front of Phoenix.
Even though she was not holding her scythe in her hand, demons who had seen her around the magical realm hid as soon as they smelt her godly fragrance.
On the other hand, the Emperor remained his usual elegant self in the magical realm. Whenever he felt uneasy in Tian Dao, he would come over to drink in the magical realm. His every visit made the witches go crazy every time.
After all, a man like him attracted the attention of others unconsciously, no matter how dangerous he was. The ascetic celestial aura that set him apart from Netherworld creatures was especially charming, winning over the hearts of others.
Witches were usually seductive-looking. They dressed differently from the celestials, their appearances were gorgeous and their figures were ravishing.
Even their gazes were filled with seduction. They did not bother to conceal their interests and they were not pretentious like those from the Celestial Path. Hence, their eye expressions would often reveal a surge of unyielding flirtatiousness.
Theoretically speaking, they should be able to obtain his heart easily if they tried.
As a matter of fact, there had been witches who confessed to the Emperor before.
There was a witch who was about to attain supreme Buddhahood. She came in flames without an air of pretense, she went directly before the Emperor and told him she was interested in him.
The Emperor just laughed and said mischievously, "What a resemblance!"
No one understood what he meant.
In the next moment, the Emperor walked out as if he saw someone he knew.
Since then, the Emperor never came back.
Today, not only had he returned, but he had even brought a woman with him. Of all the women in the world, he had chosen the one who had killed thousands of demons and attained Buddhahood, Phoenix!
Phoenix did not like the magical realm very much.
It was because she was always here to capture and kill.
Moreover, in her current state...she was really unfit to be in the magical realm.
Her Dharma had not fully recovered so the power she could execute through her scythe was only ten percent of what it was before.
"What are you thinking about?" The man turned to look at her. He lowered his eyes and chuckled lowly as he went ahead and bit her ear. "Have I mentioned that I really hate it when you look so distracted before me."
Phoenix avoided his action and pointed ahead with her lips curving upward. "That was where we first met in the magical realm."
"No, that was not the first time." The man pulled her meaningfully into a cave.
Outside the cave was a boundless stretch of red spider lilies. They appeared astounding as they drifted alongside the gentle breeze.
A mirror stood on one side of the cave. The wooden frame of the mirror was black and was carved with complex yet ancient patterns.
Phoenix's face was reflected in the mirror. What surprised her was that it showed how she looked the first time she visited the magical realm to hunt demons.
It turned out that he was also present back then. However, he was just drinking by the side. With a glass wine in his hand and an evil smile on his face, he was surrounded by numerous witches back then.
She failed to notice him previously. It was probably due to the fact that this person had always concealed his aura whenever he was in the Netherworld.
Even so, the way he looked at her earlier...
Phoenix's heart almost skipped a beat. Just as she was about to open her mouth...
The man hugged her from behind and with a heated breath he uttered, "When I first saw you in the past, I only had one thought in my mind..." He raised Phoenix's chin and pressed his thin lips over. "If I ever meet this person again, I have to get it on with her!"
Phoenix frowned upon hearing what he said. The way she looked now was even more irresistible than before.
The man's gaze lowered and his voice turned hoarse as his fingers reached into her cassock...
Ever since they agreed to be together, their intimacy had remained pure and innocent up until this point.
They never did anything as such...
Phoenix paused for a moment. As soon as she was about to push him away, a deep kiss locked her lips as the man's fragrant minted scent occupied her mouth.
This time, it was not a simple kiss.
The man's tongue slowly prized open her teeth and made its way in bit by bit.
Gradually, his movements became more aggressive and his breaths became heavier. He held her head firmly as he deepened his kiss. He who had always been graceful seemed a little thirsty at the moment...
As the man kissed her, his fingers rubbed against her clothes roughly, his force was so strong that it was rather overwhelming.
His actions made Phoenix gasp for breath. Her moans were cold and slightly husky. It was like a bone-chilling poison that diffused gently in the air, making the atmosphere rather dazzling and fuzzy...
The man looked at the person in his arms. Her ink-black eyes were wide open and her black hair was tucked behind her ears. She looked even more lovely than she usually was...
He felt that he could no longer resist it!
No one had ever made him feel like that.
The evil fire inside of him surged as if it was about to devour him.
He wanted to kiss her more intensely, he wanted to get more intimate with her, he even wanted to tear this person apart!
The man could clearly feel the agitation in his blood. He could feel the heat coming from all parts of his body as it zoomed in at the point between his legs!
Even that part of him was telling him...to do it with her!
He could no longer hold back his desire.
The man opened his mouth and bit Phoenix's ear!
Phoenix trembled slightly as the numb feeling spread instantly throughout her body. The man's chest pressed against her and in between the force of his body was an excessive pool of heat.
This time, Phoenix was sober.
She was sober as she watched herself falling deeper and deeper...
Their relationship seemed to improve tremendously.
Everyone knew that Phoenix was the apple of the Emperor's eye but some individuals were still tempted to take her place.
The Venerable on the lotus summoned Phoenix to the Formless Realm.
When the Sakyamuni Buddha went into seclusion, the True Buddha would have to go through the Buddhist Kalpa that happened once every ten thousand years to reclaim his position.
Thus, Phoenix had been responsible for clearing all the wrongdoings during this period of time.
There was no exception this time.
Phoenix held her scythe and stood amidst the floating clouds in the Hall of Great Strength as she listened quietly to the profound changes happening in the Netherworld.
"The Sea of Blood in Hell has risen again. Phoenix, it's your turn to go this time, do not lose out to the Celestial Path again." The Venerable spoke to her while murmuring Amitabha.
The True Buddha could only return when the Sea of Blood had been cleared.
Phoenix understood this clearly. She always felt grateful toward the True Buddha who had led her to Buddhism from Hell.
As a result of her sense of gratitude, Phoenix always executed every task entrusted to her without any excuses.
However, this time...
Phoenix laid her eyes on her scythe.
If this happened in the past, she would have gone to Hell instantly without hesitation.
However, she had yet to recover the power of Buddha fully at this moment. The odds were against her if she had to clear the Sea of Blood alone.
Phoenix was well aware of this so she did not go to Hell right away.
The Sea of Blood was the accumulation of the blood and resentment released when the most ferocious demons of the world fought one another.
The Sea of Blood could only be cleared by killing or capturing all the demons like what the Emperor did.
However, capturing the demons was easier said than done. If one lacked willpower, the tables might be turned instead.
Phoenix wondered if he could borrow the Emperor's mythical ax, but instead, she found that he was not in the temple.
The immortal guarding the temple entrance told her that a witch from the magical realm had attained immortality, thus a celebratory banquet was being held by Tian Dao. Those from Buddhism had gone to send their regards as well. "Lord Phoenix, did the Emperor not invite you to the banquet?" the immortal asked.
Phoenix had not heard anything about any banquet. But the Emperor had mentioned that he did not want her to be exposed to the public. He would rather hide her from their sights.
"Since he is not here in the temple, I shall go look for him at the heavenly banquet."
Her task could not be delayed so Phoenix did not linger in the temple. When she arrived at the heavenly banquet, she saw many goddesses sitting among the clouds. They started whispering among themselves once they saw Phoenix.
"Phoenix still doesn't know yet, right?"
"I bet she doesn't. If she knew, she probably wouldn't be as calm now."
"Poor thing. Tsk tsk, who would have guessed that the witch and the emperor were predestined to meet? She said she had known him since they were in the magical realm."
"Based on the Emperor's character, he is likely to abandon the old for the new. Even though the witch is not as beautiful as Phoenix, they are both wild spirited. Hence, it would not be a surprise if the Emperor is interested in the witch as well."
Phoenix looked up casually as she listened to their conversation. Standing beside the emperor was a woman cloaked in red. She was beautiful and she resembled the Golden Lotus slightly, though she was fierier. There was joy in her eyes as she lowered her head and spoke to the man.
A match made in heaven.
The moment she saw them, these words came into her mind naturally.
They seemed to be close to each other.
Phoenix was stunned for a moment but she did not go forward. She concealed her aura from the edge of the clouds.
The heavenly banquet seemed to be coming to an end. It was not the right timing for her to meet the Emperor as he was talking to someone. Furthermore, the matter of borrowing the mythical ax was not something to be discussed in public.
She resorted to sitting behind the stone steps as she closed her eyes and waited for the Emperor to pass by.
As expected, the immortals could be heard sending the guests off after a while.
Phoenix was about to stand up when she heard the crown prince's laughter. "Emperor, another witch falls for you. You even have the one from Buddhism in your clutches. This is no fun, you are winning every bet."
What the crown prince said was nonsensical, but it made Phoenix freeze in action. She knew she should go out immediately or leave as if she had never been here before. However, her legs felt like lead and she felt heavy to move.
A sigh of Buddhism seemed to appear in her mind again.
Phoenix felt tired all of a sudden.
However, the voice constantly spread to her ears.
It was such a familiar voice, yet it was giving her chills right now.
"Whatever I want...there is no way I cannot get it." The man smiled faintly, his long narrow eyes were glittering.
His tone was so light, yet it made the crown prince's feel a shiver running down his spine. The crown prince smirked as he said, "Phoenix merely forgot how you looked when you were a youth, and she was just a little less enthusiastic than usual. Do you have to punish her like that? I know you are a vengeful person, every time you get hurt you will make sure to pay it back tenfold. But isn't it a bit harsh to dump her after you have made her fall in love with you? Phoenix seems to like you a lot, what are you planning to tell her about the immortal witch today?
"What does this have to do with you?" The man laughed, he seemed to be in a good mood with the pair of vicious eyes looking seductive and alluring. He was like a deadly cliff that women could not help but throw themselves into...and fall to their death with broken hearts.
Their conversation made Phoenix grip the stone pillar in front of her with trembling hands. No one could see it but her lips curled upward very slowly. It was not a smile at all for her eyes were ice-cold.
So, this is the truth.
It turned out she was the only one who was obsessed with the manual.
She thought the other party was committed to it, but it was just a game to him.
He could stop and leave anytime he wanted, as long as he found someone whom he was more interested in.
She thought they were a loving couple, but in fact, she was just one of the women he wanted to conquer.
Has the proud Phoenix turned out to be the biggest id*ot in the world?
Hah, when I was moaning in his arms, when I was listening to his heartbeat in between cuddles, he must have been thinking how easy it was to tackle me.
Has he ever said he loved me?
No.
Everything is clear now.
It is all too obvious.
At that moment, not only did she lose her dignity, but she also lost her prideful heart that she had surrendered willingly to him.
Phoenix closed her eyes again. Her heart still ached, yet she merely rubbed her chest casually...
Her throat felt like it was on fire and a horrible dizzy spell hit her. Phoenix suddenly recalled a phrase that she came across when she knew nothing about love back then.
That phrase went something like this, "I may have held your hands as we traverse together. I may have touched your heart and done many insane things for you. At the end of the day, I'm the one to feel the sting of tears while you nonchalantly talk about our past as we part ways."
Maybe love is merely a game.
Whoever takes it seriously will always be the loser.
A smile played on Phoenix's lips. She stood alone for quite a while before coming to her senses.
The chatter and laughter of the crowd of gods and fairies were still ongoing from afar. Amid the billowing clouds, every corner that her eyes had landed on was a heavenly sight to behold.
Once again, Phoenix saw that witch who had just ascended to godhood. She smiled and trudged her way back to Buddhism without another word.
Nothing had changed in the Trayastrimsa heaven.
Little Monk ran forward and asked where Phoenix had been. He kept on nagging along the way.
There was no time for Phoenix to shed her tears since the matter of cleansing the Sea of Blood must not be delayed.
Little Monk trailed behind her and spoke in a low voice, "My Lord, Venerable had been looking for you twice. He was asking when you are going to Hell."
Phoenix stretched her hand out to water the Bodhi tree with no intention to pause at all, "I'll go once I finish watering."
"The Emperor had also sent someone to deliver your favorite Osmanthus cake besides asking what vegetarian meal you would like to have tonight." Little Monk lifted the mythical water with all his might. "The Emperor has no idea that you're going to Hell yet, right?"
Phoenix did not bother to answer any of his questions. She hunkered down under the Bodhi tree and watered it quietly. Her face betrayed no emotion.
Little Monk had a nagging suspicion that Lord Phoenix had not heard a word he said.
Just as Little Monk was about to repeat his words, Phoenix finally replied in a flat tone, "I'm not going over to eat."
What does she mean by 'not going over to eat'? Is she not going there anymore?
A hint of confusion was written all over Little Monk's face. Before he managed to figure it out, Phoenix rose to her feet and had her waist-length hair carelessly tied up. It was then the prayer beads wrapped around her wrist turned into a scythe, radiating a threatening vibe. It gave a perfect reflection of her cassock, daunting and vigorous like a raging fire.
Phoenix was undoubtedly beautiful. Her hair was like a cascading waterfall with her snowy white robes spreading out like a water lily in bloom for thousands of years. Deep in her eyes was the flowing elegance and grace, illustrating her unparalleled beauty in the world.
Such a face was not befitting a Buddhism practitioner as it attracted too much attention.
However, Phoenix continued to exist as such that she would never abandon her scythe despite being terribly wounded. The same went for her back that would never bend to others' will.
The stench of rotten flesh permeated the air in the expanse of Hell's Sea of Blood. All magical beings were howling within the sea regardless of the approaching Light of Buddha.
Phoenix stood suspended in the air as the hostile ghosts surrounded her. The large yet magnificent scythe was chiming in the wild wind.
Even so, those slimy evil spirits who liked to take advantage of others could still sense that something was wrong with her.
"Haha, how dare you come and cleanse the Sea of Blood with such a weak Light of Buddha?"
"The Phoenix of Buddhism is nothing compared to us!"
With the spirits sneering at her, the reeking foul stench of the turbulent Sea of Blood kept on emanating from all directions. Swarm of monsters and spirits came charging at her unceasingly.
"As a Buddhism practitioner, the detachment from worldly desires is being valued the most and you, the so-called Immortal Phoenix has in fact fallen for someone. So what makes you think that you can still cleanse the Sea of Blood?"
"Today shall mark as your time of death!"
The hostile ghosts sprang and clung onto Phoenix's leg as they tried to invade her physical body.
Soon, the weak Light of Buddha was being engulfed bit by bit.
Just as the hostile ghosts were about to rip Phoenix's throat out using their mouth, Phoenix suddenly stopped in the middle of the air as she jabbed the scythe into her left shoulder.
The Phoenix blood could exterminate all sins, just like the Ninth Heaven's flame!
The evil spirits widened their eyes in bewilderment. They watched silently as she stood in the sky with her feet landed on the turbulent Sea of Blood. Reaching her hand out, she slowly drew out a bloody bone from her body. The bone was then transformed into a sword in her hand and her fair, jade-like fingers were stained with blood shimmering in gold.
In the next second, she leaned forward and with one swing, she nailed the evil spirits within the Sea of Blood!
There was a loud bang followed by the tremendous shaking of the earth. Countless evil spirits were instantly sucked into the ground before they even got the chance to show themselves.
"She drew out her Dharma Bone!" The evil spirits exclaimed in shock.
The tsunami being triggered by this enormous earthquake had darkened the sky. The evil spirits all howled in horror as they tried to flee for their lives.
Phoenix remained indifferent. Drenching in blood, her five fingers split apart. Like an iceberg that had endured waves for thousands of years, she blew those top-tier evil spirits into pieces as they exploded like spectacular bloody fireworks that went on for miles!
Her hand was still holding onto the curved bone as blood trailed down her fingers. The golden Light of Buddha emitted from the Phoenix bone suddenly sliced through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, which then completely enshrouded the Four Evil Paths under the endless Sound of Buddha.
From now on, there would be no Sea of Blood in Hell!
After the massacre, Phoenix kept her scythe. With her right hand supporting her shoulder, she limped her way back to Buddhism.
Little Monk had never seen Phoenix in such a disheveled condition before as she would return triumphantly from every fight she was involved in.
However this time, even her hair was stained with blood. She looked like she was about to collapse in another step.
Nonetheless, she kept a faint smile and held herself ramrod straight.
Those in a bloody state were prohibited from entering the Hall of Great Strength.
Thus, Phoenix could only wait outside.
The best place would be under the Bodhi tree.
Only there, nobody would loathe her for being sinful.
Phoenix leaned against the tree tiredly, the searing pain after the extraction of her Dharma Bone caused her to exhale deeply.
"It's okay, Wushuang. The pain won't last."
Yes, the pain won't last.
Slowly, Phoenix closed her eyes. Up in the Trayastrimsa heaven above the Six Paths, she was somehow like an exhausted bird coming back to its nest. She shut her eyes and slept through the entire afternoon.
She was rejected by Buddhism as her body was drenched in blood.
Therefore, she had no choice but to use such an ineffective way to heal her wounds.
The blood on her shoulder kept on gushing out. Though she was an immortal bird, she knew exactly what pain felt like.
That day, the wind that blew across the Bodhi tree was warm.
The Bodhi tree learned to feel something new as blood seeped into its root.
It was a feeling called heartache.
Phoenix's Buddhist aura was getting weaker, it was so weak that he started to worry about her.
In spite of that, he could only be a Bodhi tree, watching everything unfold before him.
Many years later at the Trayastrimsa heaven, the True Buddha was converted.
Bodhi took a step after another and knelt all the way up the 9000 stairs in the heavy snow.
Buddha asked Bodhi, "What do you wish for?"
"May she be blessed with good health and peace with no worries for eternity." These were the only words that he said after gaining his human form.
The cleansing of Sea of Blood was indeed the most joyous occasion for Six Paths.
The cleansing this time was different from the time when the Emperor went to Hell.
There would be no evil spirits in the Sea of Blood within these 500 years.
Buddhism would certainly need to celebrate.
The celebration was for the sake of the merits of delivering all living creatures from torment. Most importantly, it was to celebrate Buddhism's victory over Tian Dao.
Meanwhile, the Emperor frowned right once he heard of the news. "Phoenix went to the Sea of Blood?"