Chapter 337: Ten Breaths

Through Master Tianxin's messages in the chat, I realized that resolving the matter of the Infant Spirits normally would be very difficult.

Unlike Little Ghosts, these Infant Spirits should have lived in this world. Instead, their life forces had been forcefully snuffed out while their Yang Lifespans were not yet exhausted. Unable to enter reincarnation, they harbored deep resentment toward the living.

Ordinary Ghost Cultivators wouldn't dare provoke them. Since their spiritual intelligence had not yet bloomed, it was absolutely impossible to subdue them. Furthermore, their resentment and hatred were incredibly heavy; once provoked, they would latch on to the bitter end.

Master Tianxin: "To help Infant Spirits pass on, one must first find the person who had the abortion. That person must sincerely repent. The key to success lies entirely in their sincerity. The Infant Spirit must feel their remorse, and then a memorial tablet must be set up for it in a temple to enshrine its spirit. Once its resentment is worn away, it will leave on its own."

"Master, this method you mentioned doesn't help me at all. The hospital I'm in is an illegal clinic. Who knows how many abortions they've performed? Where am I supposed to find those women and make them sincerely repent?" I replied helplessly, flexing my freezing fingers.

"Since you have no connection to the women who had abortions, why interfere with another's karma? Are you not afraid of drawing fire upon yourself?"

"Whether I'm afraid or not, I have to go inside. The victims' secrets might be hidden in this room. I must go in and take a look with my own eyes to be sure."

Hearing my words, Master Tianxin took a while before sending another message: "To think that you, Almsgiver, are actually a person of profound virtue and brilliant character, far different from the mundane crowd. This humble monk, Tianxin, is full of admiration. However, you must think this through clearly. You have no ties to them. If you anger the Infant Spirits and fail to help them pass on, they will suck you dry and haunt you for eternity."

"Master Tianxin, if you have any good methods, please say them quickly. You can see that the feng shui layout of this place has already changed. The number of ghosts here has probably reached a terrifying level. If we don't grant them release, this will be even harder to clean up in the future," I spoke with utmost seriousness. A Buddhist Zen phrase came to mind, and I added, "If I do not enter hell, who will enter hell? Please teach me the method, Master."

"What a grand vow! Almsgiver, you have an affinity with Buddha. Today, this humble monk will lend you a hand." Master Tianxin went silent for a moment. Then, massive blocks of incomprehensible Buddhist scriptures appeared on the screen.

They were indeed Chinese characters, and I knew how to pronounce each one individually, but once strung together, I had no idea how to read them.

Buddhist scriptures were obscure, and their pronunciation required special attention. After sending the first paragraph of the text, Master Tianxin sent another message: "Almsgiver, what I just transmitted to you is the Ksitigarbha Sutra. Chanting this scripture will grant you the protection of the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. It specifically counters Infant Spirits and Little Ghosts. However, it drains a tremendous amount of mental energy. An ordinary person can only endure for twenty-two breaths at most before growing dizzy. You must remember not to push yourself too hard. Otherwise, once you are entangled by the Infant Spirits, the consequences will be unimaginable."

I scratched my head awkwardly. "Master, I don't understand this scripture. Could you explain it in detail?"

Master Tianxin: "The Buddha bestows upon those with affinity. Almsgiver, you have an affinity with the Buddha and possess great wisdom. How could you fail to understand? Meditate on the scripture I just sent and read it again with your heart."

Scrolling through the chat, I once again found the paragraphs of scripture Master Tianxin had sent. This time, I focused on visualizing them. My consciousness retreated into my spirit platform, entering the Sitting in Forgetfulness Realm.

One by one, the characters of the scripture flew and reassembled within my sea of consciousness like golden birds, gradually turning into clear writing. Fortune arrives and the heart reaches; almost on instinct, I chanted aloud, "The supreme, profound, and wondrous Dharma is difficult to encounter even in millions of eons. Now that I have seen, heard, and received it, I vow to fathom the Tathagata's true meaning."

"Through compassion and accumulated virtue, vowing to save all sentient beings. With the golden staff in hand, striking open the gates of hell. The bright pearl in the palm illuminates the trichiliocosm. Amidst the sounds of wisdom and auspicious clouds, acting as the great proving master of merit for the suffering sentient beings of Jambudvipa. Great compassion and great vows, great holiness and great mercy, the honored Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva!"

My voice rang like a bronze bell. My body felt as though it had been purified, and the chill in my bones and meridians lessened significantly. 'Is this a Buddhist cultivation method?'

My expression was solemn and dignified, a natural aura of righteousness settling over my face, forcing all evil to retreat.

Perhaps because my Daoist cultivation had laid a solid foundation, I quickly grasped the essence of chanting the Buddhist scripture. 'I don't really understand Buddhist cultivation realms, but now that I can chant this scripture aloud, I've essentially crossed the threshold. Am I going to follow the Two-Faced Buddha's old path and practice both Buddhism and Daoism?'

Thinking carefully about it, I had dabbled in much more than just Buddhism and Daoism. I had touched upon ghost arts, Gu arts, dream manipulation, feng shui, and more. With the Underworld Live Show's redemption mall backing me, perhaps I truly could become an omnipotent cultivator in the future, mastering the paths of Buddha, demons, ghosts, and the Dao.

My mind trembled as my consciousness returned. My eyes were clear, and the yin energy and malevolent forces in the room no longer dared to approach within three feet of me. 'Just a short passage of scripture is this miraculous. If I obtained the complete scroll and chanted it in its entirety, wouldn't I be able to forge a Golden Body? For Buddhism to have been passed down to this day, they truly possess real capabilities.'

I turned my head to look. Golden threads suppressed the sea of blood-red in my eyes. The female ghost standing next to Wang Yu immediately darted behind Wang Yu with a swish. By the looks of it, she was extremely wary of me.

'The resentment on this girl is thicker than the ten evils. Even she is afraid. I shouldn't be in any danger on this trip.' Thanking Master Tianxin once more in the livestream room, I circulated my qi to regulate my breathing and stepped into the room.

"May the Greatly Merciful and Greatly Compassionate Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva protect me..." Sending my consciousness into my spirit platform, I visualized the Buddhist scripture. With a mind as still as water, I silently counted my breaths and took large strides forward.

The Family Planning Department was divided into three compartments. The outermost was the patient waiting room, while the inner two were where the actual surgeries were performed.

As I chanted the scripture, all evil retreated. The surrounding yin energy slowly grew denser, taking the shape of hideous chains.

These chains of yin energy were somewhat different from the yin energy I had seen before; they were intertwined with resentment and hatred.

'I haven't even seen an Infant Spirit yet, but the malevolent yin energy is already this thick. I don't even dare to imagine what kind of shocking scene awaits deep inside these compartments.' Using divine sense to visualize the Ksitigarbha Sutra was extremely mentally draining. With limited time, I didn't hesitate. I quickly walked in and pushed open the compartment door.

To my surprise, there were still no Infant Spirits in this compartment. However, the yin energy and resentment were even denser. I didn't even need the Underworld Live Show Phone; I could see the anomalies with my naked eyes alone.

On the smooth operating table, patches of dark red were smeared like bloodstains that could never be washed away. When I touched them, it felt as if my fingertips were being pricked by needles.

This compartment was where the Doctor performed surgeries. All the equipment remained exactly as it had been left. To put it bluntly, those cold metal instruments were murder weapons—tools for killing.

Illuminating them with my phone's flashlight, I discovered tendrils of resentment clinging to all the instruments like ivy. They only appeared in the dead of night when no one was around. I darkly suspected that during the surgeries the Doctor normally performed, he was shoving these exact instruments into the girls' bodies.

Of course, this was just an isolated phenomenon at this illegal clinic. I took a lap around the room. Other than the dense yin energy and the teeth-chattering resentment, there was nothing else inside.

Twenty-two breaths passed in the blink of an eye. I retreated out the door first to adjust my condition.

'Looks like they're in the last compartment.' The only remaining compartment was the surgical prep room, a place only doctors and nurses were allowed to enter.

Chanting the Ksitigarbha Sutra once more, I raised my phone and pushed open the compartment door.

Crying echoed in my ears. It sounded unlike any cry I had heard before.

It was mournful, terrifying, and completely hair-raising.

"It's too dark, I can't see anything," I muttered. I took two steps forward and entered the room. Something flicked my earlobe, and a strange sensation came from my legs, as if several tiny hands were grabbing me.

'I am chanting the Buddhist scripture, how could these Infant Spirits possibly get close?' Before the question in my heart could be answered, the half-open door behind me suddenly slammed shut on its own.

The room plunged into absolute darkness. My heart pounded wildly, and my breathing grew rapid. This was the first time I had encountered danger during my ninth livestream, but I never expected it to be this fatal.

Dedicating all my mental energy to chanting the Buddhist scripture, I didn't dare hold back any strength. I chanted the text aloud while my meridians circulated the Profound Truth Mental Method. One guarded my spirit platform, while the other protected my flesh—neither interfering with the other.

I cranked my phone's brightness up to the maximum as best I could. Not daring to relax even a sliver, my eyes locked onto the Live Show Phone's screen like lightning.

Swirling with yin energy, the compartment resembled a true ghost realm. Right by my feet, on my legs, and even on my back and shoulders, I could see Infant Spirits climbing over me one by one. Their bodies were blurry, but their eyes were venomous as they repeatedly opened their mouths to bite me. Fortunately, a thin layer of golden light had appeared on the surface of my skin. Buddhist chants faintly flickered within it, swirling with the text of the Ksitigarbha Sutra.

'I only have ten breaths of time left.'