After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 112

After lingering in the Thousand Streams Plain for half a month, having initially adapted to the customs and environment outside the Northern Region, Ye Li and Qin Yixuan decided to continue heading west. Based on the intelligence collected by Sun Xiaohou and the faint pull from the trace of divine origin in Qin Yixuan’s body, there seemed to be some kind of fortuitous encounter awaiting them in the Western Region.

The Western Region is fundamentally different from the ice plains and snow peaks of the Northern Region and the flatlands and water towns of the Central Region. Here, the land is marked by endless yellow sand and boundless Gobi desert, with a dry and intensely harsh climate. However, on this seemingly barren land stand countless golden-domed pagodas, and the sound of Buddhist chants often drifts on the wind, pervading the area with a unique atmosphere of solemnity, reverence, and compassion. The Western Region is the world of Buddhist cultivators, with large and small temples and Zen monasteries everywhere. The largest powers are Buddhist giants like the Adamant Temple and the Lapis Lazuli Pure Land Sect.

The two did not travel conspicuously on escape light, but instead chose a common Western Region mode of transport—a covered wagon pulled by a kind of docile demonic beast called a “Sand Camel.” They mingled with merchant caravans and pilgrims, slowly heading west. This approach allowed them to better integrate into the environment, experience the unique “Buddhist charm” of the Western Region, and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

Along the way, they saw ascetic monks making prostrations, one step and one kneel, toward sacred sites; they saw enlightened eminent monks giving sermons and saving sentient beings in the oases; and they even witnessed the miraculous means by which Buddhist cultivators used supreme Dharma to resolve the desert’s malevolent energy and nourish the oases. This was vastly different from the Northern Region’s atmosphere, where sects focused on personal cultivation and fierce competition, which both Ye Li and Qin Yixuan found very novel, gaining a deeper appreciation for the diversity of the “Dao.”

The divine origin within Qin Yixuan seemed particularly active and tranquil in this land filled with the laws of compassion and serenity. This allowed her to gain a new insight into the profound meaning of “Supreme good is like water; water benefits all things and does not contend” from the Nine Heavens Profound Water Scripture. Ye Li, on the other hand, keenly sensed that the “Karma” and “Reincarnation” Dao cultivated by the Western Region Buddhists had a subtle and mysterious connection to the fragment of the Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror she possessed.

One day, they followed a caravan and arrived at a famous Buddhist city on the edge of the Western Region—”Kasyapa City.” Legend had it that this city was the place where an ancient Buddha named Kasyapa once preached the Dharma. In the center of the city was an ancient “Karma Pool,” said to allow those with fate to glimpse fragments of their own karma—a truly miraculous phenomenon.

However, upon arriving outside Kasyapa City, they found the atmosphere to be unusual. The city gates were heavily guarded, and all cultivators entering and exiting had to undergo strict inspection. A suppressed energy fluctuation could faintly be felt coming from inside the city.

“Esteemed Master, may I ask what has happened in the city?” Qin Yixuan asked an old monk waiting in line to enter the city, her tone gentle and courteous.

The old monk looked at Qin Yixuan, joined his palms in salute, and sighed, “Amitabha. The two benefactors are unaware, but three days ago, the Karma Pool Secret Realm in the city suddenly opened ahead of schedule for unknown reasons. However, the entrance is extremely unstable, and a vile, wicked energy is leaking out. The Abbot is currently leading the monks in setting up formations to suppress it, and is widely inviting fated cultivators to enter, investigate the source of the anomaly, and purify the evil.”

The Karma Secret Realm opened ahead of schedule? Vile, wicked energy? Ye Li and Qin Yixuan exchanged a look, both seeing the eagerness in the other’s eyes. This seemed to be both a challenge and a great opportunity.

After paying the entrance fee, the two entered Kasyapa City. The buildings inside were mostly made of stone, carved with exquisite Buddhist patterns, and permeated with incense. They went straight to the location of the Karma Pool in the city center.

It was a clear pool surrounded by an ancient temple. The pool water looked ordinary but gave a feeling of being bottomless, connecting to an unknown space-time. At this moment, the space above the pool was distorted, forming an unstable light gate. Strands of black energy were escaping from the gate, carrying a terrifying aura of resentment and chaos. Dozens of highly cultivated monks were sitting cross-legged around the light gate, chanting scriptures. Beams of golden Buddhist light, like chains, wove into a large net, barely sealing the light gate and purifying the escaping black energy.

An old monk in a red kasaya, with a withered face but eyes like lightning (the Abbot of Kasyapa City), saw Ye Li and Qin Yixuan approach. Especially when he sensed the pure, serene, and faintly divine aura emanating from Qin Yixuan, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he spoke first: “The two benefactors possess extraordinary bearing. Are you willing to enter the secret realm and help our Buddhist sect quell this calamity?”

“Greetings, Master.” Qin Yixuan returned the salute. “We are travelers here and are willing to contribute what little strength we have. But may we know the specific situation inside the secret realm?”

The Abbot explained: “The Karma Secret Realm is a place left by the Ancient Buddha Kasyapa to comprehend karma. This anomaly seems to be due to an external force’s intrusion, which has contaminated the secret realm’s origin, leading to a chaotic state of karma, rampant illusions, and the breeding of wicked, demonic creatures. Those who enter must guard their minds, discern karma, and only then can they find the source and purify it. The secret realm suppresses cultivation; those above the Core Elixir stage will find it difficult to enter. The two benefactors’ cultivation is just right.”

Ye Li sensed the aura beyond the light gate and indeed felt a faint stirring from the fragment of the Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror, as if something inside the secret realm was attracting it. She looked at Qin Yixuan, who also nodded slightly. Her divine origin had an instinctive repulsion to the wicked energy and a desire to purify it.

“In that case, we are willing to go,” Ye Li said.

The Abbot was overjoyed and handed them two wooden talismans emitting a sandalwood scent: “These are ‘Clarity Charms,’ which can help the two benefactors resist some of the evil corruption and stabilize your minds. Inside the secret realm, karma is entangled; please be careful in all things.”

Accepting the talismans, Ye Li and Qin Yixuan did not hesitate. Under the expectant gazes of the monks, their figures flickered, and they plunged into the unstable light gate.

The moment they entered the light gate, the sky and earth spun. Once they found their footing, they realized they were in a bizarre, kaleidoscopic world. The sky was a twisted, colored vortex, and the earth was like a shattered mirror, reflecting fragmented, broken scenes. Countless blurry figures moved, cried, and fought within it. These were all illusions formed by the chaotic energy of karma—a mix of truth and falsehood, difficult to distinguish. The air was permeated with the nauseating wicked energy, constantly trying to erode their minds.

“Guard your spiritual platform, don’t be misled by illusions,” Ye Li said in a low voice. Her Extreme Cold spiritual power circulated, forming an icy shield around her body, isolating the black energy. Qin Yixuan also activated her Profound Water spiritual power and divine origin. A pure blue light enveloped her, and the holy aura caused the surrounding wicked energy to melt away like snow and ice.

They proceeded cautiously through the shattered secret realm. Along the way, they saw many scenes generated by karmic chaos: the regret of cultivators whose single misguided thought led to the destruction of their sect; the obsession of mortals who could not be freed even after several cycles of reincarnation; and the various evil thoughts and fears magnified and twisted by the wicked energy.

These scenes were a massive test for their Dao hearts. Qin Yixuan was able to maintain clarity with the purity of her divine origin and the resilience of the Nine Heavens Profound Water Scripture. Ye Li, however, sensed a deeper meaning within these chaotic karmic fragments.

The fragment of the Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror gently vibrated in her Sea of Consciousness, emitting a soft light. Through these fragmented karmic illusions, she seemed to see countless fine, intricate “lines.” These “lines” connected every sentient being in the illusions, representing their cause and effect (karma). And the wicked energy was like a virulent, sticky substance, polluting, twisting, and knotting these karmic lines, leading to all the chaos.

“Karma… Reincarnation…” A deeper realization dawned on Ye Li. The Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror controls reincarnation, and it must also involve karma. If she could clearly understand karma, perhaps she could better control the power of reincarnation, and even… avert certain unfortunate “results”?

She attempted to mobilize a trace of the Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror’s power to sense and sort out the relatively clear karmic lines around her. It was very difficult at first, but gradually, she seemed to vaguely see some fragments of karma: a monk in secluded cultivation in this secret realm, whose inner demons suddenly arose, was invaded by external evil, and eventually became the source of pollution…

“The source… is probably in that direction!” Ye Li pointed towards an area where the karmic lines were particularly chaotic and the black energy was thickest.

Qin Yixuan trusted Ye Li’s judgment implicitly, and the two immediately headed in that direction.

The closer they got to the center, the more terrifying the illusions became, and the more fierce the wicked energy’s erosion grew. Even demonic creatures, condensed from pure wicked energy, began to appear. They had no fixed form, like shadows, and frantically attacked the living.

Ye Li drew her Profound Ice Sword. Where the sword light passed, all things were frozen, and even the formless wicked energy was frozen and purified. Qin Yixuan’s long sword flashed, her Profound Water Sword Intent turning into a fine, continuous net that entangled and purified the demonic creatures. Their cooperation was seamless; they cleared a path forward.

Finally, they reached the core of the secret realm. They saw a stone Buddha statue, which should have been merciful and solemn, but was now completely eroded by black energy. The Buddha’s face was twisted, black tears flowed from its eyes, and countless wailing, tormented resentful spirits wrapped around its body. Embedded in the Buddha’s heart was a constantly throbbing black tumor, the very source of all the wicked energy!

“Amitabha… the sea of suffering is boundless, turn back and reach the shore…” The corrupted Buddha statue actually emitted a demonic sound that tempted people’s hearts!

“Vile demon, don’t be presumptuous!” Qin Yixuan sharply rebuked, her divine origin intensely stimulated, erupting with a boom! The Lapis Lazuli Moon Pearl shone brightly. A vision of an even more solemn and compassionate female deity, radiating boundless purification power, vaguely appeared behind her! The deity’s hand rose, and a wave of incomparably pure Purification Divine Light, like a celestial river pouring down, washed towards the Demonic Buddha!

“Roar!” The Demonic Buddha let out a pained roar, black energy surging, trying to resist.

It was at this moment that another anomaly occurred! Perhaps drawn by the strong divine aura and the core power of the Buddhist sect on Qin Yixuan, a golden stream of light tore through the black energy from the depths of the secret realm and suddenly flew over! It was a string of prayer beads, seemingly simple but containing powerful Buddhist energy! The prayer beads automatically spun above Qin Yixuan’s head, casting down beams of serene Buddhist light that reflected her divine origin, multiplying the power of the Purification Divine Light several times!

Aided by this Buddhist treasure, Qin Yixuan’s momentum soared, and the Purification Divine Light completely suppressed the Demonic Buddha!

Ye Li was not idle either. She seized the opportunity, her Profound Ice Sword turning into an extremely cold streak of light, stabbing directly at the black tumor in the Demonic Buddha’s heart! At the same time, she pushed the power of the Wheel of Reincarnation Mirror to its maximum, not to attack, but to try and “sever” the karmic link between the tumor and the secret realm’s origin, and the countless resentful spirits!

“Sever!”

Shing—!

The sword light accurately pierced the tumor! Simultaneously, Ye Li seemed to hear the faint sound of countless karmic lines snapping! The tumor struggled violently a few times, but finally, under the dual assault of the Purification Divine Light and the severance of karma, it burst apart with a crash!

The dense wicked energy, having lost its source, began to rapidly dissipate. The black energy on the stone Buddha statue gradually receded. Though damaged, it regained a trace of its solemnity. The twisted scenes in the secret realm slowly began to return to normal, and the painful illusions gradually subsided.

The crisis was resolved.

Qin Yixuan withdrew her divine power, and the string of Buddhist prayer beads also dimmed and settled into her hands, docilely. She looked at the prayer beads, a flicker of enlightenment in her eyes, as if this item had a destined connection with her.

Ye Li, meanwhile, was immersed in the epiphany she had gained from severing karma, deepening her understanding of the Dao of Reincarnation. This trip to the secret realm was a huge gain for her.

When the two emerged from the light gate, carrying the Buddhist prayer beads and the good news that the secret realm’s origin had been purified, they received the highest respect from the monks of Kasyapa City. The Abbot especially congratulated Qin Yixuan on being recognized by the ancient Buddha’s prayer beads, calling her a person with a strong connection to Buddhism and deep blessings.

Following this event, the names “Profound Maiden” Qin Yixuan and “Ice Phoenix” Ye Li began to circulate quietly in the Western Region Buddhist Kingdom. Their journey of exploration, too, was imbued with more mystery and Buddhist goodwill due to this experience in the Karma Secret Realm. For Ye Li, the profound understanding of karma and reincarnation would become a crucial foundation for her future path.