Chapter 003: The Legacy of the Previous Life
Later, as he grew older, he began attending school and encountered new things. Consequently, he set this book aside and did not look at it for several years. In fact, by the end, he had even forgotten about the existence of this book.
This golden piece of paper only depicts a strange Buddha statue, with nothing else on it
Later, no matter how he researched, he found no clues at all. In desperation, he could only give up once again. However, an event that occurred later led him to ponder some avenues.
Thus, at that time, he speculated that this piece of paper might be a magical artifact
He is currently hesitating whether to keep the set of magical handprints that he accidentally obtained on Earth during his childhood
Moreover, methods such as cutting with knives, smashing with axes, crushing with vehicles, and pricking with needles have all been personally tested by Zhang Cheng, yet none of these had any effect on this piece of paper
However, just as he was about to leave the room, he inadvertently discovered the golden piece of paper that had been tucked inside that book amidst a pile of black charcoal.
This completely subverted all his perceptions, as things like being impervious to swords and guns, and unaffected by water and fire, existed only in the realm of myth and fiction in his understanding
However, after each training session, Zhang can feel that both his body and mind are improving, his concentration is remarkably focused, and he can even read ten lines at a glance, achieving a photographic memory.
However, the names of those nine handprints were directly copied onto the handprints present.
Of course, he has consulted many renowned doctors in the meantime, but they had no solutions for their own bodies, and some even claimed they would not live past the age of ten
However, after he truly practiced, he realized that while his mental state had improved, his physical condition had deteriorated increasingly, to the point that it has now reached an appalling level.
When he was eight years old, a sudden fire broke out in the orphanage, reducing the entire facility to a heap of ruins. When he returned to his room, it had been completely burned to charcoal.
He then picked it up and casually patted it, but to his astonishment, there was not a single burn mark on the piece of paper; it looked exactly like new
Nine pairs of arms and nine pairs of palms correspond perfectly, do they not
Having witnessed tangible benefits, he began to continue his research. After a period of time, Zhang Cheng indeed made some gains.
The Buddha statue in the picture is quite peculiar; although its appearance is similar to that of other Buddha statues, it is filled with benevolence.
If we calculate it now, it seems I am about to die again
At the beginning, he thought that this set of fingerprints could make him feel more comfortable, just like before
The first to the ninth seals are respectively called: Immovable Wisdom King Seal, Great Vajra Wheel Seal, Outer Lion Seal, Inner Lion Seal, Outer Binding Seal, Inner Binding Seal, Wisdom Fist Seal, Sun and * Diagram * Book Wheel Seal, and Treasure Vase Seal
He has also searched online, and the authentic "Great Seal of Esoteric Buddhism" indeed has nine hand seals, but those nine hand seals differ significantly from his nine hand seals
Of course, for him, time travel is not frightening; what is truly terrifying is being reborn as a frail person, which would mean he is completely doomed.
But what is even stranger is that these eighteen arms do not have hands, as if they had been forcibly severed, leaving an empty space in the middle
However, when it comes to giving up, he truly feels a sense of reluctance, as this is a technique he has practiced for a full ten years, and these nine hand seals have transformed his entire life
However, this character Zhang Cheng did not speak out, yet he raised his middle finger to the sky, the meaning of which is self-evident
However, if he continues to practice, his body will likely not be able to endure for much longer; at that point, he will have to traverse again
However, this piece of paper, aside from its tough texture and resistance to water and fire, possesses no other abilities, which led Zhang Cheng to dismiss this conjecture
Although these strange handprints were different from the ones he had practiced before, they inspired Zhang Cheng to connect the statue of the Buddha depicted on that piece of paper with the nine handprints.
However, right at the beginning, he felt a daze in his mind, and then he fainted completely, after which he knew nothing at all
That set of handprints was inadvertently found by him in front of the orphanage during his previous life, with no inscriptions or text on it, only recording nine handprints, and in between was a golden piece of paper of unknown material
Sigh, I say, oh heavens, you have truly played an international joke on me. Since you have brought me into this world and granted me an extra life, you should at least provide me with some benefits, right? If not a good family, then at the very least, give me a decent body so that I can finish practicing my handprints. Now, it seems that I have barely lived a few days here, and I am already facing death again. Are you not just having fun at my expense? What can I possibly say to you?" Zhang Cheng sighed, lying on the bed, looking at the sky through the window, his face revealing a hint of bitterness and helplessness. Now, it seems that I have barely lived a few days here, and I am already facing death again. Are you not just having fun at my expense? What can I possibly say to you?" Zhang Cheng sighed, lying on the bed, looking at the sky through the window, his face revealing a hint of bitterness and helplessness.
At this moment, Zhang Cheng sat on the bed in a daze, his hands involuntarily forming several gestures. However, just as these gestures took shape, he forcibly released them, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face as he pondered within: "Should I continue practicing or not?"
After a while, Zhang Cheng sat up again, looked at the sky, and said, "Heavenly Lord, do you know? I really want to say a word to you..."
However, unlike ordinary Buddha statues, this statue has a total of eighteen arms on either side, with nine right arms and nine left arms, arranged symmetrically in front of the chest, aligned neatly from top to bottom
Thus, he had already ceased his cultivation several months ago, and the rapid deterioration of his health has somewhat alleviated; however, his condition has not improved as a result of the books.
Later on, if it had not been for a certain event, he would not have noticed the significance of this book
When Zhang Cheng first obtained this book, he spent a long time looking at it but could not discern any particular meaning. He simply found the handprints amusing, so he practiced drawing the nine handprints depicted in it.
He discovered that there were only some gray paper scraps on this piece of paper, which seemed not to have been burned
After this, the piece of paper and that set of fingerprints successfully caught Zhang Cheng's attention
At that time, Zhang Cheng discovered that some of the Buddha statues in this temple had their hands clasped in front of their chests, forming various strange hand gestures
However, the difficulties arising from the cultivation of these nine hand seals took a full ten years, and he still had not truly mastered the first seal, let alone made progress towards the second seal
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it made sense. Therefore, after returning home from school that day, he eagerly began to try it out, using both hands to form the shapes according to the handprints, while simultaneously visualizing the image of the Buddha statue in his mind. He then completed the pair of wrists at the bottom using the first seal.
However, when he visualized the Buddha statue and formed the hand seal simultaneously, he felt extremely fatigued throughout his body, unable to persist for long. He had to stop; otherwise, he would faint as he had before.
When he woke up, it was already the next day. However, after waking, he distinctly felt that his spirits were exceptionally high, as if he had slept for an entire month, akin to a picture book. Moreover, his body felt very comfortable and considerably lighter.
It is also for this reason that he has been refining for ten years
That was a spring outing organized by the school, and it happened to take place at a temple
Thus, he is currently finding it very difficult to make a decision on whether to continue or to give up completely
He found that when visualizing the Buddha statue alone or forming hand seals, he could hardly feel any effect
Later, he conducted a specific experiment and discovered that this piece of paper was not only fire-resistant but also remarkably so. He placed the paper in a boiler and burned it for several days and nights, yet it remained completely undamaged.
However, even so, he was not yet twenty years old when he achieved outstanding results and was admitted to Tsinghua University as a special student with full tuition and accommodation waivers
A few days later, Zhang Cheng placed it in the water again, soaking it continuously for several days and nights. However, after taking it out and shaking it a few times, it was completely dry, just as it had been before it was placed in the water.
It was only recently that he discovered the exacerbation of his physical condition might be inextricably linked to his daily practice of this hand gesture
However, it was during his junior year that an unexpected incident brought him here
Later, as he grew older and learned more, he gave this handprint a more pleasant name, called "The Great Seal of Esoteric Buddhism"
Furthermore, after obtaining this technique, he has not yet practiced the ninth hand seal, which leaves him with a sense of dissatisfaction.