Chen Kuang himself had little formal study of Buddhist doctrine, so he naturally hadn't heard this phrase before.
But once, back in the imperial prison, Huo Hengxuan had, in order to help him quickly comprehend those two cultivation techniques, passed along many of his own cultivation insights.
Among these were the teachings he had acquired during his time cultivating at Garan Temple, including a number of Buddhist concepts.
One of them was a story, or rather, a prophecy, titled:
"At the End of Dharma, the Heavenly Dao is destroyed; Māra shall slay the Tathāgata."
Māra, the Heavenly Demon Māra, was said in legend to be a powerful ancient demon king of the Desire Realm.
Xiuzhu gestured toward the Bodhi tree and said:
"The Buddha once cultivated beneath this very tree for forty-nine years. After delivering all sentient beings, as he was about to enter Nirvana, he once more encountered Māra, with whom he had contended in spiritual battle many times."
"Māra said to him: 'After you attain Nirvana, I shall destroy your Dharma.'"
"The Buddha replied: 'My Dharma is the True Law. You cannot destroy it.'"
"Māra sneered and said: 'While you are alive, people believe in you, heed your guidance and your commandments. Of course I cannot destroy it. But once you pass away, human nature will revert to its base form. Without restraint, they will indulge their desires. Fewer and fewer will continue to believe in you. Then I will destroy it.'"
"The Buddha said: 'The light of the Buddha shines upon all. The hearts of goodness in this world shall never vanish.'"
"Māra said: 'Sages have no constant heart, they follow the hearts of the people. Māra too has no constant heart, I follow the desires of the people. You use precepts to bind them, to lead them away from greed. But I follow their cravings, and fulfill their desires. How can you compare to me?'"
Xiuzhu stood beneath the Bodhi tree, his snowy white monastic robes flowing gently, he looked just like the Buddha, who once gained enlightenment beneath this tree.
Yet what he recited was a tale about the death of the Buddha.
He continued softly:
"The Buddha said: 'I have left behind scriptures in the world.'"
"Māra replied: 'Scriptures are dead words. To teach the living, someone must interpret them.'"
"The Buddha said: 'I have disciples left behind in the world.'"
"Māra responded: 'A hundred generations from now, when the world enters the End of Dharma, I will send my disciples to become your disciples. Clad in your kasaya robes, they will destroy your Dharma.'"
"'They will distort your teachings, violate your commandments, and accomplish through deception what my strength could never achieve.'"
Xiuzhu smiled slightly:
"Hearing this, the Buddha remained silent for a long time, and in the end... shed two burning tears."
"Māra immediately knew that the Buddha was powerless to stop it, and departed with mad laughter."
Chen Kuang looked at Xiuzhu, then back at the Bodhi tree, silent for a long time.
"So... you're Māra?"
This story, wasn't it a mirror image of what the Pure Land had become?
Even the three Grand Chan Masters had clearly already been replaced by monsters, yet no one seemed to notice.
How could this still be the Pure Land? It was clearly a den of demons now!
But what he didn't know was: When did the three Grand Chan Masters become like this...?
Xiuzhu sighed:
"Regrettably, no, I'm not."
"I already told you, I am Xiuzhu, a true disciple of Garan Temple."
Chen Kuang could tell, he was telling the truth.
But if Xiuzhu and that "second personality" were in fact one and the same... then technically, this wasn't a lie either.
Chen Kuang asked:
"Then what do you mean by bringing up that story?"
Xiuzhu once again revealed that eerie smile:
"You saw them, didn't you? The true forms of the three Grand Chan Masters."
Chen Kuang kept his silence.
Since no strange rumors had ever leaked out of Garan Temple, and the monks in the temple showed no sign of fear or distress, it meant perhaps only he could see the truth.
After all, he had the passive skill "Piercing Insight"-any illusion or deception was utterly useless before him.
And if that were the case, assuming Garan Temple was still under the control of the "Sages"...
If he revealed his thoughts now, those three monsters might discover him at any moment.
Though Xiuzhu appeared bizarrely forthright, Chen Kuang dared not bet on whether he was laying a trap.
Xiuzhu chuckled:
"Don't worry. If they could sense this conversation, would I still be standing here safe and sound?"
"Since three years ago, their divine senses have been unable to leave the meditation hall. Otherwise, they wouldn't even be able to sustain their physical bodies. The fact that they let you leave earlier means you've already passed the first trial of trust."
That... was the truth.
Chen Kuang felt a bit more at ease.
Though he couldn't be sure whether Xiuzhu's knowledge of this was fact or merely his own belief, his sincerity in this moment was real.
Which meant, it seemed Xiuzhu wasn't in league with those three monsters.
Otherwise, there'd be no need for him to conceal the fact that Chen Kuang wasn't actually the reborn Lionheart.
This Pure Land... was getting more and more complicated.
Chen Kuang took a deep breath:
"So they believe... that I really am the reincarnation of Lionheart?"
"On the contrary."
Xiuzhu said:
"They believe you are not Lionheart."
...Huh?
Chen Kuang's eyes widened.
They thought he wasn't, so why did they still trust him?
Xiuzhu said:
"Do you know what 'demons' are?"
Chen Kuang answered:
"Night Barbarians?"
Xiuzhu:
"Yes... and no."
He spoke in a tone tinged with both nostalgia and disdain:
"The current Night Barbarians are nothing but foot soldiers beneath the 'Demon'. A motley horde who worship the Demon as their god."
"The true 'Demons' are entities like the Demon King Māra, or perhaps... the Barbarian God Loutuo Luo."
Xiuzhu gave Chen Kuang a meaningful look.
He spoke in the Central Region tongue, but the name he uttered matched perfectly with the term Chen Kuang had once heard spoken in the Western Regions.
No, he was recalling that term again...
Chen Kuang hurriedly calmed his thoughts, refusing to let the name resurface.
He now understood, this might be the very nature of a true demon: Their true names, especially when spoken in those strange ancient tongues, could resonate with their essence and alert them.
Chen Kuang frowned:
"So you're bringing up 'demons' now to say that... they are demons?"
Xiuzhu nodded:
"I know your doubt. If that's the case, then why would they, knowing full well you are an impostor, still allow an unstable element like you into their midst?"
"The reason is simple."
Xiuzhu said faintly:
"You bear the aura of a Heavenly Demon."
Chen Kuang froze.
His heart skipped a beat.
Was his identity as a transmigrator exposed? Had he somehow been branded a "Heavenly Demon"?!
Then, he suddenly remembered, he had indeed come into contact with a Heavenly Demon.
Or more precisely... the Demon King of the Son of Heaven.
Chen Kuang's gaze fell upon his Status Panel. Numerous passive skills scrolled through his vision until one caught his eye, one that had once left him deeply perplexed:
[You have awakened the Demon King of the Son of Heaven. You have obtained the passive skill "Heavenly Demon Mimicry": Any method used against you can be instantly replicated.]
Yes.
It was he who had once, even if only for a moment, awakened the Demon King of the Son of Heaven!
And now, someone else claimed that he bore the aura of a Heavenly Demon...
Which meant, he hadn't just awakened the Demon King, he had made contact with it!
Chen Kuang narrowed his eyes:
"So... they mistook me for one of their own?"
"Even though I'm fake, they don't mind... In fact, because I'm fake, they feel even more at ease?"
Xiuzhu smiled but said nothing.
But Chen Kuang already understood.
Most likely, Xiuzhu had sensed this too.
Therefore, the true threat wasn't that he had impersonated Lionheart...
But that he was impersonating Lionheart as someone not aligned with the demons.
That made everything far more dangerous.
If the first secret were exposed, at worst he'd wound the monks' feelings. Based on Pure Land discipline, they'd probably just expel him and take back the cultivation techniques.
But if the second were revealed, death would be certain.
Still, looking at things now, Xiuzhu's stance had become clear:
He wanted Chen Kuang to infiltrate deeper into Garan Temple and gain the trust of the three monsters.