Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Grand Assembly in the Zen Forest Begins

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Assembly at the Zen Forest Begins
Part Five: Tigers Leap and Dragons Soar, Contending Roars of the Mystic Blade and Spirit Sword (Five)

Master Zhiguang gave a wry smile and said, “Indeed, had it been just me, I could never have escaped that flying dagger. I was saved only because Master Xukong intervened. Later, when that fiend from Ying released several Vajra Mother-and-Child Needles, I was utterly powerless to resist. I had no choice but to close my eyes and await death.” Master Xukong gently stroked the scar on his face and sighed, “I never imagined those Vajra Needles would wield such power. In a blink, they shattered my Ashen Essence Bowl. Had I not used the Golden Emptiness Talisman and dodged at the crucial moment, I fear my corpse would have lain there as well!”

Zhiguang continued, “Afterward, Master Junyang managed to free himself and battled the fiend, until the fiend realized he was outmatched and fled. Only then did we scrape by with our lives. But… alas! In that chaos, my eldest senior brother disappeared without a trace. My second brother, sixth, seventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fifteenth brothers—all six of them—perished. The rest of our brothers were injured to varying degrees. The loss was truly devastating!”

Master Xukong lowered his head and softly intoned, “Amitabha, all that is past—let it dissolve into emptiness. There is no need to dwell on it.” Zhiguang said, “My visit to you today is, in fact, related to this matter. No sooner had I left my retreat than I heard that the fiend from Ying is once again stirring. Word from Mount Putuo has gone out, inviting the heroes of the world to investigate. I fear our land may be thrown into turmoil once more!”

Master Xukong replied, “The fiend has held sway over Liao for nearly thirty years, his greed insatiable. It is only to be expected that he would again covet the lands of Shenzhou. This is not surprising.” Zhiguang said, “Last time, when we went to Liao to resist him, we numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and with the cultivators of Liao included, we were a million strong. Yet we were still defeated, every front in retreat. I fear Shenzhou will again be unable to withstand him! My purpose in coming is to invite you to join me in leaving our seclusion, to call upon the hidden hermits of the world, and together resist the fiend from Ying!”

Master Xukong pondered for a moment, then said, “Very well! Let us go first to the capital and gather with the cultivators from all corners. What do you say?” Zhiguang exclaimed with delight, “That is excellent! Let us go together!” Xukong said, “My Elysium Monastery on Mount Qingxu is but a humble temple, but ahead at Lingguang Monastery is Master Fengye, a grand-disciple of Patriarch Xieyue, whose cultivation rivals yours and mine. There is also Li Yulan from Lake Hidden Cave, of the Dragon-Tiger Mountain lineage from Ganzhou, and Zhang Hui from Flame Cave, of the Pure Chastity Sect in Western Capital—both worthy of invitation!”

Zhiguang was all the more pleased. “Good! With so many of us, we may not necessarily lose to the fiend from Ying!” Xukong cautioned, “The capital is now a chaotic mix of factions, each with its own agenda. Though Prince Yuan currently holds the regency, he commands little real authority. Every sect vies to lead the heroes—things will not be so easily resolved!” Zhiguang sighed, “It is true, yet what can be done?” Xukong said, “Stay the night here, Master. Tomorrow we shall visit our fellow cultivators, and the day after, proceed together to the capital!” Zhiguang thanked him again. The two discussed their plans late into the night before finally parting.

Meanwhile, Ye Hua relayed Master Zhiguang’s request to his teacher, Master Zhiku, and then returned to Guanyin Cave to diligently practice with the Moonlight Sword, ceasing only when sword and mind became one and his spirit flowed in perfect harmony with the blade. Ye Hua knew the grand assembly was imminent, and his own level was still far inferior to his senior brothers. Even the Four Noble Truths technique was much less than theirs. If he were to face an opponent, he would surely be defeated! He did not desire victory, only that he would not fall in a single exchange. With this resolve, he redoubled his efforts to practice the Sixfold Heavenly Art of Wondrous Will. He had already achieved minor mastery of the second level, whose power far surpassed the Four Noble Truths. If he could unleash the Sixfold Heavenly Art at a critical moment, perhaps he might yet achieve something unexpected.

These days, Baishi Song, Qingkai, Qingshi, and the rest were also seizing every moment to train, all hoping to triumph at the assembly and earn the chance to temper themselves in the city of Han—a great boon to their cultivation.

One day, Master Zhiku summoned all the monastery’s disciples to the Great Hero Hall. Ye Hua looked around and saw that there were several hundred present. Beside his teacher, Zhiku, stood four elderly monks in yellow robes, all looking solemn. He could not help but be surprised: These four seemed to be of his master’s generation, yet in his five years at Bishan Monastery, he had never seen them, nor heard mention of any other uncles or elder brothers in the order.

As Ye Hua pondered this, someone tugged his sleeve from behind, followed by a soft whisper: “Heh, little brother, what’s this? Haven’t seen you these past days—have you been off practicing in Guanyin Cave again? Never mind, for the assembly we’ll treat it as a bit of fun—don’t take it to heart!” It was Qingyu. Ye Hua managed a wry smile and whispered back, “Fifth brother, my skills are shallow; I fear I’ll only disgrace our master and seniors. Perhaps I should just… just…”

“Just what? Heh!” Before he could finish, Ling Yun’er had somehow slipped up behind him and chimed in, “If you dare skip the assembly, don’t be surprised if Master throws you out of Bishan Monastery!” she said, grinning. Before Ye Hua could respond, Master Zhiku began to speak: “The reason I have called all the disciples here is the matter of the Zen Forest Assembly. Tomorrow we depart for the Arhat Hall of Dafu Lingjiu Monastery. This is a momentous occasion. This time, your four senior uncles—Zhigang, Zhihui, Zhiming, and Zhixiao—will all leave their seclusion to accompany you. You nine disciples must not fail to live up to expectations.” “Yes, Master, Uncles,” Baishi Song and the others replied in unison, bowing low.

Immediately, the eyes of the hundreds of disciples fell upon the nine, full of admiration and envy, burning with desire. Ye Hua glanced at the surrounding gazes and was suddenly struck: To be accepted as an inner disciple of Bishan Monastery on North Terrace and taken as a direct student by Master Zhiku, to study the Dao—this was a rare fortune indeed. How many monks spend their whole lives as outer disciples, only able to study scriptures and chant, never stepping through the immortal gates? Of all these hundreds, most had their own specialties—making talismans, refining medicine, quarrying stone, divination, and so on—but these were not the true path to immortality.

“This Zen Forest Assembly is truly the grand event of a century for the Five Terraces. The five great Zen forests, over a hundred temples, and more than a thousand Dao-cultivating monks will gather. According to cultivation, participants will be ranked in six classes from lowest to highest. The top two classes may enter the grand Assembly of Buddha’s Origin in Shenzhou, and the very best may journey to the city of Han for further tempering. Disciples, you must take this to heart. The victors may even receive a sacred treasure bestowed by the Arhat Hall of Dafu Lingjiu Monastery, passed down for a thousand years!”

A collective gasp arose from the crowd: “A treasure passed down for a thousand years—isn’t that a spiritual treasure of Mount Wutai?!”