A major cult figure in southwest China from the ninth to thirteenth centuries, Liu Benzun was best known for sacrificing parts of his body to quell demons and save lives. This paper examines key figurations of Liu at cave temples in Anyue and Dazu as part of a broader study of how these sites reshaped the mountain setting, which has long been the destination for Buddhist ascetics, for lay devotees. Central to my discussion is the presentation of Liu’s Ten Austerities as a spectacular relief across a cliff surface at Baodingshan, which is in a marked contrast with the Cave of Perfect Enlightenment at the same site, wherein Liu is depicted as both a spectator and a participant in a staged encounter with the Vairochana Buddha. A comparative analysis of these sections at Baodingshan and other related sites demonstrates different strategies in using the niche format and the full cave design to tailor the mountain setting for a localized form of Buddhist rituals and devotional practices.