Lin Mu felt calm and refreshed the more he basked in the atmosphere of the Green Lotus Temple.
"This is like an optimum place to cultivate," Lin Mu muttered.
"It sure is," Daoist Chu agreed.
"Do other people co to cultivate here?" Lin Mu asked.
"Sotis," Monk Hushu replied. "But not everyone can get used to the constant chanting and eventually ends up leaving," he added.
"They can't? But it feels pleasant," Lin Mu replied, genuinely finding it nice.
"That's only because you have a Buddhist disposition," Monk Hushu explained. "For other cultivators, they might be able to enjoy the Qi, but after a while, the chants might end up interfering with their own path. As such, they can't endure it and end up leaving."
"Hmm… The chants certainly seem to have an ability to affect Qi flow. I can see how they might be able to affect those who are cultivating different techniques," Lin Mu said as he checked his own body and realized the truth in those words.
Of course, for him, the benefits were greater, and he was basically immune to any long-term negative effects due to the Calming Heart Sutra.
It was the sa as taking too much dicine—it could always end up having a harmful effect if taken over a certain dose.
As they continued to get closer, Lin Mu finally saw the Grand Temple. It was located right at the top of the peak and was covered in snow. If not for the Buddhist monks clearing the paths every day, one might not even be able to tell that there was a temple here, as it would be totally buried under the snow.
The golden roof and pillars shone brightly in the white snow, casting a gentle glow upon the area.
Lin Mu could also feel a powerful aura within the temple, which imdiately caught his attention.
'This doesn't seem to be the aura of a cultivator,' Lin Mu thought to himself.
There was a certain level of detachnt within it, which was not common for a cultivator's aura. Even for a monk, there would still be a certain level of mortality in their aura, which cented them as human. But the aura that Lin Mu was feeling was different… natural, yet otherworldly.
"You can feel it too?" Monk Hushu asked, looking at Lin Mu.
"What is that aura?" Lin Mu asked.
"What aura?" Daoist Chu questioned.
"It's the True Buddhist Aura of the Grand Statue of Buddha within the temple," Monk Hushu revealed. "Only those with a great affinity with the Buddhist Path will be able to feel it."
"No wonder I don't feel anything," Daoist Chu muttered.
"Can all the monks feel it?" Lin Mu asked.
"Even among our temple, only a few monks can feel it—other than the elders and the abbot. Those who can feel it can consider it an achievent, a mark of approval from the Buddha," Monk Hushu explained. "Since you feel it too, the Abbot and elders will like you quite a bit," he added with a chuckle.
"I suppose that's good," Lin Mu replied.
"Mmhmm, you can basically consider this place your ho," Monk Hushu stated, much to Lin Mu's surprise.
"What?" Lin Mu hadn't expected that.
"You'll know soon," Monk Hushu said as he pointed to a gate at the bottom of the main peak. "We shall land there."
"Alright." Lin Mu directed Little Shrubby toward the gate and soon landed at the base of the mountain.
Several monks could be seen entering and exiting the gate, but there was sothing special about it. All those who entered it knelt and bowed their heads in respect before going in.
Step step step.
Monk Hushu walked up to the gate before kneeling on the ground.
He then deeply bowed his head, touching the ground with his forehead, and held that position for an entire minute before getting up.
"Paying respects?" Lin Mu guessed.
"Yes. All monks are to pay respects before entering," Monk Hushu replied. "Though outsiders don't have to follow it," he added.
Step step.
But much to Monk Hushu's and several other monks' surprise, Lin Mu actually knelt as well. He then bowed his head, touching the ground for an entire minute just like Monk Hushu before getting up.
Daoist Chu looked at him with raised brows, while the other monks were visibly surprised.
"I've never seen you bow your head to others," Daoist Chu said. 'Here I thought he had far too great a sense of dignity to do that,' he thought.
It was not uncommon—many cultivators were like this. But Lin Mu was not one to care about such matters. If he felt that soone or sothing was truly worthy of respect, he would give it.
"May as well follow the traditions," Lin Mu said, casually.
Monk Hushu smiled and gave a gentle nod.
The other monks, who had been silently watching, brought their hands together and greeted him.
"Amitabha, we greet the honored guest." The monks had rarely seen outsiders follow their customs so sincerely and were rather pleased.
Lin Mu mirrored the sa gesture and greeted them in return.
Unknown to him, though, his act hadn't just been noticed by those around him. Several pairs of eyes were watching him from high up in the temple.
Far above the mountain in the Grand Temple, several old n were sitting in the main chamber. The chamber was unlike any grand hall or royal court. There were no thrones, and everyone sat on the ground on prayer mats. Even at the head of the chamber, a rather ancient-looking man was sitting on the floor.
His position was elevated only by a slightly raised platform that was barely four inches tall.
The man had a face full of wrinkles so thick and drooped that even his eyes could not be seen. His head was bald and reflected the light of the lamps in the chamber, while his long white beard and eyebrows reached all the way to the ground.
His body was very thin—almost like a desiccated corpse. And yet, the aura coming from him was like that of a massive volcano lying dormant.
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