Within Er Ya, there was a couch, a cushion. Wen Yinyue took the cushion from the side stone chamber's niche, placed it on the couch, and moved the original one aside.
One at the head of the bed, one at the foot.
Li Muzhan extended a hand, silently inviting her to sit first.
Wen Yinyue drew her silk robe around her.
She settled onto the cushion at the head of the couch, formed a mudra with both hands, and looked at him faintly, her back perfectly straight, her posture elegant and graceful.
Li Muzhan, conversely, sat on the cushion at the foot, adopting a cross-legged posture.
He formed a mudra over his dantian, smiling at her.
He closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and soon entered a deep meditative state.
Wen Yinyue observed him quietly, then suddenly waved her hand. Li Muzhan gave no reaction.
She bit her lower lip as she watched him, her teeth white against her crimson mouth, her demeanor alluring.
After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly struck out with a palm, propelling the cushion forward.
It carried her swiftly toward Li Muzhan.
Her hand, white as jade, was about to graze his chest.
Li Muzhan abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning.
Wen Yinyue recoiled swiftly.
She instantly returned to her original spot, then realized she had been too weak, knitting her brow to glare at him.
Li Muzhan chuckled softly but said nothing, closing his eyes once more.
Wen Yinyue bit her lip and stated faintly, "Master said your resolve was profound; testing you like that, you’re merely average!" Li Muzhan remained silent, a faint smile playing on his face.
It was a smile akin to the compassionate serenity of the enshrined Buddhas in the temple.
Wen Yinyue let out a soft "Hmph," and stopped speaking. She took several deep breaths, dispersing the frustration in her heart, and fixed her phoenix eyes upon Li Muzhan.
Li Muzhan closed his eyes to adjust his breath. It grew progressively finer, slower, until finally, he took a breath only after a long pause—so subtle it was almost imperceptible.
Wen Yinyue sighed internally.
At his age, to possess such pure inner power.
It was truly extraordinary.
Though perhaps not equal to her own, she benefited from a wondrous technique, so comparison was moot.
As Li Muzhan’s breathing grew fainter,
she understood that this time he had entered a profound meditation, feeling a flicker of annoyance at his boldness.
This fellow seemed utterly convinced that she would not harm him.
Such a sharp individual, yet so readily trusting others. She shook her head, finding her junior brother Zhanran increasingly inscrutable—one moment lost in thought, the next astoundingly astute.
However, in the span of just fifteen minutes, he could attain deep chan ding (meditative absorption); such concentration was indeed impressive. No wonder the Master praised him so highly; she truly was inferior in this regard.
She watched Li Muzhan, her phoenix eyes unblinking. With a sudden movement, she was right before him.
Her lotus palm struck out, aiming for his chest.
Li Muzhan remained motionless.
He seemed completely oblivious.
Wen Yinyue suddenly retreated, returning to her place, knowing this time he was in absolute meditation—his breathing and heartbeat perfectly normal, showing no response whatsoever.
She shook her head, suddenly feeling foolish and childish; she wouldn't normally do such things.
She shot Li Muzhan a sharp look, took a few more breaths, closed her phoenix eyes, and began her own meditation.
Li Muzhan entered his absorption.
He focused his inner gaze, cultivating the Practice of Compassion (Cí Bēi Guān).
The key to practicing Cí Bēi Guān lay in visualization—the image needed to be clear. As cultivation deepened, the scene would become sharper, as if it were tangible reality.
When the image reached a tangible state, and genuine compassion was truly born, the practice was considered complete.
His spiritual power was immense.
His visualization was crystal clear. Where ordinary people needed accumulation over days and months to slowly refine the image until it was complete, he could achieve it in one swift effort.
Three days later, the Cí Bēi Guān was accomplished, and the seed of compassion blossomed.
He quietly opened his eyes. Wen Yinyue sensed it and opened hers simultaneously, struck by the soft radiance emanating from his eyes.
She paused momentarily.
Then she exclaimed in surprise, "You succeeded?"
Li Muzhan smiled and nodded: "Yes, the Cí Bēi Guān is complete."
His smile was compassionate and serene; his voice was low and magnetic, compelling listeners to obey unconsciously, carrying an inexplicable force.
"Eat something?" Wen Yinyue inquired.
Li Muzhan shook his head, smiling faintly, "No need. I must continue practicing. I trouble you, Senior Sister." Wen Yinyue replied mildly, "Master came to see you." Li Muzhan nodded and smiled, then immediately closed his eyes again, motionless, sinking back into contemplation.
Li Muzhan began practicing the Great Bright King Sutra (Dà Míng Wáng Jīng).
The first step was transforming the compassionate heart into wrathful fire.
Anger at the refusal to strive burned fiercely, the flames growing ever stronger and larger, eventually matching a person’s height.
The color of the flames gradually shifted—first red, then gold, finally turning azure.
Then, the flames coalesced into a figure: three eyes, a blue face, wearing a skull crown, hair bristling towards the heavens. His left hand gripped a rope, his right held a sword, standing in a bow stance.
This Dharmapala image stood opposite him, the two mutually observing, solidifying into actual beings.
Then, this Akshobhya Buddha (Bù Dòng Míng Wáng) rose into the air, sitting cross-legged atop his head, radiating brilliant light that pierced through his entire body, cleansing his mind and body until he became transparent as flawless glass.
Afterward, the Míng Wáng condensed into a blazing pinpoint of light, descending from his crown and entering through the Baihui point, merging into his heart center.
At this stage, the seed was fused, the foundation laid.
When he reached this point,
he opened his eyes just as Wen Yinyue opened hers.
Her gaze was peculiar.
"Senior Sister, how long has it been?" Li Muzhan asked.
Wen Yinyue replied, "One month and ten days!" Li Muzhan nodded slowly.
He smiled faintly, "I think I'd like something to eat." Wen Yinyue floated down, swiftly fetching a bowl of congee that exuded a fragrant steam. His stomach immediately rumbled. He took it and drank it down; heat instantly suffused his body, and his strength surged. Knowing it must be a superb tonic, he smiled, "Did you cook this, Senior Sister?" Wen Yinyue stated mildly, "Master sent over Ten Treasures Pills (Shí Jǐn Dān), excellent for replenishing Qi." Li Muzhan nodded with a smile, "Master's great kindness, I truly feel unworthy." "How is your practice progressing?" Wen Yinyue took the bowl back.
Li Muzhan said, "Well enough. The seed has been formed; the next step might be easier."
"Hmm, it’s not in vain that Master treats you so well."
Wen Yinyue nodded.
Li Muzhan smiled, "Senior Sister, do you resent me because you feel I’ve taken Master’s favor away?" "Nonsense!" Wen Yinyue frowned.
Li Muzhan smiled, his gaze peaceful, "Senior Sister has followed Master since childhood; your bond is deep, not something I could ever steal. You've simply misunderstood, Senior Sister." Wen Yinyue remained outwardly impassive, as cool and detached as ever: "Speak less, practice more!" With that, she turned and left.
Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head, closing his eyes to continue his cultivation.
Having fused the seed, practicing the Great Bright King Sutra remained arduous, as difficult as scaling the heavens.
He formed a mudra with both hands, chanted the mantra, and concentrated his spirit on the seed, faintly sensing the Akshobhya Buddha (Bù Dòng Míng Wáng) in the void.
The Míng Wáng resided in the void, within another layer of reality.
Through the hand seals, the mantra, and the internal seed, the three merged to form a summons, desiring to communicate with the Míng Wáng in that other realm.
Success depended on fortune.
Li Muzhan's spirit was formidable; his three core zhū (beads) congealed simultaneously, and a connection immediately sparked.
Wen Yinyue suddenly felt something amiss, looking up at the sky. A vague phantom shimmered into existence in the void above Li Muzhan's head—the stone ceiling could not conceal it.
This phantom grew more solid until its features were clearly visible: a three-eyed figure standing within a mass of fire, his face bluish-black, terribly fierce, wearing a skull crown, his left hand holding a rope, his right a sword.
Wen Yinyue’s whole body tensed. Instantly, lotus shadows appeared around her, as if she were seated upon a lotus flower. The void behind her became covered in lotuses, which converged above her head into a protective canopy.
She was bracing against the immense power radiating from the phantom.
The wrathful glare of the Vajra god made heaven and earth seem to burn.
She was greatly shocked.
Junior Brother had actually succeeded in cultivating the Great Bright King Sutra! When she had first examined the text, she had dismissed it as a jest, a myth or legend meant only to showcase the depth of Buddhist doctrine, impossible to attain.
The very first step, fusing the seed, was incredibly difficult, almost insurmountable. Furthermore, the communication between the spirit and another realm was inherently nebulous.
Though Buddhist principles had taken deep root in people’s hearts, whether a true "other shore" actually existed remained a matter of half-belief; no one had ever seen another realm, and she presumed it didn't exist.
The Wonderful Lotus Scripture (Miào Lián Jīng) was a supreme secret text of Buddhism. After cultivating it, her martial arts had become profoundly esoteric, almost transcending conventional martial arts, residing somewhere between Buddhist divine techniques and combat skills.
Even so, upon reading the Great Bright King Sutra,
she found it bizarre and perhaps illusory—unlikely to be achieved.
The phantom grew denser, then suddenly sank, piercing into Li Muzhan's body.
Li Muzhan suddenly opened his eyes; two balls of fire flickered in his pupils.
They were tinged with azure.
The moment Wen Yinyue met his gaze, her heart clenched. A massive force, like a mountain, pressed down on her, rendering her unable to move or even breathe.
Li Muzhan's expression had transformed; he stared at her, bristling with rage. He braced himself and lunged toward Wen Yinyue, leaning in, his lips about to brush against her captivating red mouth.
"Hah!" Wen Yinyue’s expression remained unmoved.
With a sharp frown, she shouted, and the pressure released. Her body relaxed, shaking off the oppressive weight. Her palms transformed into lotus blossoms, striking Li Muzhan’s chest.
Li Muzhan stared fixedly into Wen Yinyue’s phoenix eyes, allowing her strike to land. His body remained utterly still, firm as a mountain. Wen Yinyue’s delicate brows furrowed further. Her wrists throbbed with an intense, bone-breaking pain—her palm had struck iron as hard as steel.
Li Muzhan lunged to kiss her again.
The lotus beneath Wen Yinyue flashed, and she abruptly retreated, stepping off the couch. Li Muzhan rose as well, crossing the space in one stride to stand before her, leaning in to kiss her once more.
No matter how she dodged, he followed like a shadow; space seemed irrelevant to him.
Wen Yinyue transformed her palms into lotuses and struck out with both hands, arriving instantly at his chest—this time, she struck with lethal intent.
Li Muzhan moved faster, reaching out and grasping her wrist as easily as plucking something from a bag. All her exquisite maneuvers proved useless.
With her wrist secured and movement restricted, Li Muzhan leaned his head in again.
The lotus around Wen Yinyue flashed, and a large, substantial lotus bloomed vividly. With a violent shake, she broke free of his grasp, flashed to the cave entrance, and with another burst of movement, appeared on the cliff face.
As soon as she was outside, she let out a piercing cry, then flew toward the Boundless Palace (Wú Jí Diàn).
She knew she was no match for him. Only by uniting with the Master could she suppress him. Junior Brother appeared gravely unbalanced; he had clearly veered off course while practicing the Great Bright King Sutra.
Her movement was like lightning; she reached the Boundless Palace in an instant.
Li Muzhan did not use any lightness skill, merely walking forward step by step, yet he moved with the speed of lightning, following right behind her.
He entered the Boundless Palace.
(To be continued) e is currently closed. U
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