It was a night of romance, a night Zhou Huan spent with his disciples in a proper, married setting. Logically speaking, these wives had long been initiated. Earlier, everyone had cleaned and organized everything in the Fushou Hall, and Mr. Wang’s men were already waiting at the gate.

“Master Zhou, Director Wang sent us to help you move. Are you ready?” Mr. Wang’s chief steward stood at the door. Zhou Huan recognized him immediately.

“We are ready to move. But when carrying things to my study, you must handle them gently and with utmost reverence. Do not damage anything inside through carelessness, or these souls will cause trouble,” Zhou Huan specifically cautioned the chief steward.

The chief steward had handled many matters with Mr. Wang alongside Zhou Huan, so he understood the gravity of the situation. He readily agreed and later explained the necessary precautions for moving to his subordinates in great detail.

In an instant, Fushou Hall became bustling. As for why Zhou Huan always sought Mr. Wang’s help, it was because he had once promised Mr. Wang that he would help him spend the money he possessed so that he would no longer be burdened by such a large sum.

Zhou Huan, with his entire family, boarded the vehicles and headed straight for Baoguang Temple.

Upon their arrival at Baoguang Temple, the monks were already prepared to welcome Zhou Huan. After all, since he was moving in to reside within the temple, the resident monks naturally had to receive him like a distinguished guest. A long line of monks stood in two rows, palms joined in reverence, awaiting Zhou Huan’s arrival.

Seeing such a display, Zhou Huan immediately felt overwhelmed. To have monks lay out such a grand reception for him was truly embarrassing. He quickly turned to his own people and instructed, “Hurry up, get inside quickly. Don’t keep these monks standing at the entrance.”

Everyone, laden with bags and parcels, hurried into the temple grounds. At the entrance, the venerable monk Dehong greeted them.

“Amitabha. Everything in the temple is prepared. We heard you plan to enter seclusion; the entire temple’s monks will pray for blessings and offer support during your retreat. That is why you see such a grand formation.”

“Master Dehong, this is truly too much trouble for you!” Zhou Huan felt genuinely sheepish. Not only was he staying here, but he was also imposing on others for so much assistance.

“Master Zhou, please come in. The auspicious time has arrived. I think we should begin as soon as possible!” Venerable Monk Dehong said, leading Zhou Huan further into the temple.

Zhou Huan led Shi Bingyuan and Tianxiong at the very front. They walked behind the Mahavira Hall to a courtyard where a three-story pavilion stood tall. A large plaque hung above it, intricately inscribed with three large characters: “Library Pavilion” (Zangjing Ge).

“Master Zhou, please come. We have prepared the third floor for the three of you. Everything is ready; the three of you just need to go up.”

“Amitabha, thank you so much, Master!” Zhou Huan bowed to the old monk. Then, he leaned close to the monk’s ear and whispered discreetly, “You absolutely must not let anyone know about our impending transcendence, not even the people from our Fushou Hall. Very few people know about this; you must keep it confidential for me! I rely on you!”

Venerable Monk Dehong, with a benevolent face, accumulated wrinkles and replied, “Master Zhou, please rest assured. This is a major undertaking. We will discuss everything after you return.”

“Good.” Zhou Huan then gave a few more instructions to the remaining people. The others from Fushou Hall were arranged in the temple’s guest quarters; they could accommodate these few individuals easily enough.

A moment later, a large group entered through a side door. Zhou Huan saw they were Mr. Wang’s men, all dressed in black Zhongshan suits. Mr. Wang led the way. He approached Zhou Huan, first bowing to Venerable Monk Dehong, and then stated, “Master Zhou, we have secured the Baoguang Temple completely. These men are here to help guard the Library Pavilion; rest assured, we will not withdraw until you emerge from seclusion.”

Zhou Huan smiled and bowed, “I truly thank both of you, dear friends.” He then glanced at his watch and announced, “Disciples, let’s go in!”

“Yes, Master!” Shi Bingyuan and Tianxiong were also very excited by the display. Being the ones protected, participating in such a solemn transcendence was certainly a stroke of fortune for them.

As mentioned before, transcendence is not an easy feat, especially initiating one voluntarily. It demands courage, skill, cultivation, and physical stamina.

Zhou Huan, Tianxiong, and Shi Bingyuan acted as if they were approaching a great battle. The three slowly ascended the Library Pavilion. Everyone watched them reach the third floor, appearing reluctant to part, especially Zhou Huan’s two wives. Having just married, they were now facing a long separation so soon, which naturally weighed heavily on their hearts.

After Zhou Huan, Shi Bingyuan, and Tianxiong reached the top floor, three meditation cushions were placed in the center of the room. The three removed their shoes, sat upon the cushions, and assumed the full lotus position. Then, Zhou Huan instructed, “Sit firmly first. When the temple masters begin chanting the blessing sutras, we will start forming the hand seals, reciting the incantations, and calling the soul!”

“Understood, Master!” the two disciples spoke in unison.

“Remember, recite the third section of the Soul Leaving Body Incantation. The talisman in your hand is drawn for the Door-Breaking Spell, meaning to shatter the gate of time and space. The final hand seal is the Lotus Seal, meaning stable passage. Do you remember?” Zhou Huan reiterated his instructions to the two disciples, knowing that if they forgot this, none of them would ever return.

“We remember, don’t worry, Master!” Zhou Huan’s meticulousness was felt by his disciples as warmth.

Shi Bingyuan and Tianxiong repeated everything Zhou Huan had just told them.

The appointed time arrived. The large doors downstairs creaked shut and were locked tight. Outside the Library Pavilion, the monks’ ritual instruments began to sound. The solemn, booming chant of the sutras commenced—a sound that bestowed purity and serenity, offering warmth and security.

Zhou Huan and his two disciples sat in the center of the third floor of the Library Pavilion. As soon as they heard the deep resonance, the three formed the agreed-upon Lotus Hand Seal. Then, they each took out the talismans they had prepared beforehand, holding them high while chanting the incantation clearly. The hand seals were now firmly held; the Lotus Seal was a high-level hand gesture, rich in symbolism, ultimately signifying stability and auspiciousness.

Observe how the three souls began to slowly rise from their physical bodies. This ethereal form differed from the wavering phantom of a ghost. The phantom that emerged here, the soul, was remarkably steady, and its appearance mirrored the three figures meditating and forming hand seals. As the intensity of their chanting grew, three complete souls passed through the roof of the Library Pavilion, pierced the nine layers of clouds, carrying seven-colored auspicious light, and vanished into the azure sky.

Venerable Monk Dehong was a man of realization. Looking up at the sky, he silently rejoiced. Historical records indicated that those capable of voluntarily separating their soul from the body were rare, perhaps no more than ten in a century, and those individuals were practitioners who had dedicated themselves to cultivation. That Zhou Huan could achieve this indicated he was indeed a heaven-born genius.

The old monk watched his disciples chant for nearly an hour. Since Zhou Huan had safely departed, the old monk performed the dedication of merit, and the monks dispersed. The men sent by Mr. Wang immediately took up their posts, encircling the Library Pavilion so tightly that nothing could pass. However, they were not in their usual formal suits; they wore lay practitioner robes, rotating shifts of ten men to guard continuously. Dongzi, Hong Kun, and Lingzi were tasked with guarding against anything unclean, though since they were within the temple grounds, such entities were scarce, which saved them considerable trouble.

Venerable Monk Dehong also specifically assigned two monks to chant auspicious mantras for Zhou Huan and his two disciples four times daily—morning, noon, evening, and midnight—each session lasting nearly an hour.

Everything these people did had been arranged by Zhou Huan before his departure. Many arrangements were discussed with Venerable Monk Dehong and Mr. Wang, so the plan was executed with meticulous completeness. It even included proper reception procedures for their return and several contingency plans for unexpected accidents; the entire process was exceedingly thorough.