Before me unfolded a world of immense, staggering scale, vaster even than the chaotic universe I had just witnessed! At the center of this world stood a mountain of incomparable size, one that pierced the heavens and stretched to the very earth, radiating an aura of absolute majesty.
This mountain rested upon a black wheel, beneath which lay a golden wheel, then a crimson wheel, and further below, a cyan wheel. Beyond this cyan wheel stretched the boundless, trackless void.
The mountain was immense at its base and apex, yet narrowest at its center. A sun and moon hung suspended simultaneously at its midsection, flanked by four segments of sky, seemingly cut and placed, arrayed on the four sides of the mountainside.
The instant Li Yundong saw this mountain, he was utterly paralyzed by awe. A sudden, sharp memory surfaced from the Buddhist scriptures he had once read—the very depiction before him was recorded in those sacred texts.
This mountain was Mount Meru, and those four segments of heaven were the Trayastrimsa Heavens! Above the Four Heavenly Kings was the Yama Heaven, the Tushita Heaven, the Paranirmita-vashavartin Heaven, and then the eighteen heavens of the Form Realm, followed by the four heavens of the Formless Realm.
At the base of Mount Meru lay seven concentric rings of golden mountains and seven seas of fragrant water encircling it; between each sea and mountain lay another ring. Outside the seventh golden mountain was the Ocean of Acid, and beyond that, the Mahā-Iron Enclosure Mountain.
In the four cardinal directions of the Ocean of Acid lay the Four Great Continents: Purvavideha, Jambudvipa, Aparagodanīya, and Uttarakuru—known collectively as the Four Continents—each accompanied by two smaller continents and hundreds of minor isles as dependents. Li Yundong surveyed this world, continent by continent, realizing this grand structure comprised nine mountains, eight seas, one sun and moon, the Four Great Continents, and the Six Heavens of Desire!
Li Yundong knew, with a profound certainty, that this was precisely what the Buddhist sutras described as the “Three Thousand Great Worlds”! As Li Yundong stared, dumbfounded, a solemn and majestic voice suddenly echoed across the sky of this world: “Since you so stubbornly cling to your obsession, why not journey into these Three Thousand Worlds to seek your true self, to find the very object of your fixation?
Only when you locate your true obsession and your true self can you break free from this world.” As the voice finished, a thought sparked in Li Yundong’s mind. His figure instantly transformed into a streak of long rainbow light, arriving in the blink of an eye at the mountainside of Mount Meru.
He looked up and saw no less than ten billion sentient beings scattered throughout the Three Thousand Worlds, and in every single world, there were forms of both himself and Su Chan! Li Yundong’s face drained of color as he thought: In these Three Thousand Worlds, these ten billion realms of dust, how am I ever to search, and how am I ever to leave?
Just as Li Yundong smashed through the Chaotic World and entered the Three Thousand Worlds, he remained completely unaware that he had been trapped within the minor world contained in the Finger-Burning Alms Bowl for a full day and night. When evening fell, the little foxes, having fleeced another day's worth of customers at the teahouse, returned to their homes in high spirits.
They were cheerfully counting their day’s earnings, utterly oblivious that their own Sect Leader had tragically been ensnared within the minor world of a magical artifact. It wasn't until the little foxes’ stomachs began to rumble with hunger that they remembered one crucial thing: Why hadn't their Sect Leader cooked dinner yet?
One little fox clutched her belly and wailed, “Boss Lady, I’m starving! When do we eat?” At that moment, Ling Yue also felt a sudden nudge of thought and said to Su Chan, “Right, Su… Boss Lady, hurry and go ask the Sect Leader about how to handle this money.
Hehe, if it’s like yesterday, that would be wonderful!” Su Chan also found it strange; she had never known Li Yundong to remain locked in his room the entire day without emerging. The little maid answered, stood up, and walked to Li Yundong’s door.
She lightly tapped, tentatively asking, “Yundong? Are you in there?” But after several knocks, there was still no reaction from within.
Su Chan wondered secretly: Could he have gone out? The longer Li Yundong served as the master of the Fox Zen Sect, the more his authority grew, and no one dared to push open his door without permission.
Only Su Chan, leveraging her unique relationship with Li Yundong, dared to boldly push it open for a look. Su Chan pushed the door ajar and cautiously poked her head through the gap.
She swept a glance across the room and was instantly jolted in shock. She saw Li Yundong sitting cross-legged on the floor, clutching the Finger-Burning Alms Bowl, his entire body drenched in sweat.
His expression cycled wildly—at times gritting his teeth in fury, at others contorted with profound sorrow and grief. Su Chan was aghast; she knew these were the signs of qi deviation (zouhuorumo).
She rushed to open the door fully and lunged toward Li Yundong. However, just as the young maid was about to touch him, she froze instantly.
She knew that Li Yundong was currently suffering qi deviation, and if she touched him rashly, she would certainly harm him in return. While Su Chan anxiously paced in place, utterly at a loss, Ling Yue, growing impatient downstairs, tiptoed to the doorway and peered inside.
Her gasp was sharp, “Bad! The Sect Leader is suffering qi deviation!” This cry was momentous.
The little foxes downstairs were immediately thrown into a panic, scrambling in a massive swarm upstairs to see what the commotion was. Su Chan watched them surge up like a thousand chattering sparrows.
Fearing they would disturb Li Yundong, she turned back, fixed them with a rare, sharp glare, and hissed, “What are you shouting about? Quiet down, all of you!” The little foxes, accustomed to jesting with Su Chan, had never witnessed her display such a temper.
Especially seeing the deep-seated ferocity that flashed beneath her sharp gaze, every one of the little foxes shivered, daring not to speak another word. In that instant, the little foxes distinctly perceived a truth: although Su Chan was usually cheerful, innocent, and kind-hearted, when it concerned Li Yundong, she was capable of turning ruthless and merciless!
Su Chan’s fierce expression lasted only a moment. Once the situation was stabilized, she quickly reverted to her usual demeanor.
The young maid knew that Zhou Qin was currently out cultivating his foundation, accompanied by Ziyuan and Ruan Hongling. With Li Yundong, the Sect Leader, trapped in this perilous state of qi deviation, apart from the remaining two elder martial aunts, Zhuang Yating and Liu Yuehong, there was no one left in the entire Fox Zen Sect capable of making a decision!
Su Chan instinctively thought of her elder aunts. She ushered the little foxes out, carefully closed Li Yundong’s door, and asked with growing urgency, “Where are Elder Martial Aunt Zhuang Yating and Elder Martial Aunt Liu Yuehong?
They might be able to help—go find them quickly!” One of the little foxes immediately ran to Zhuang Yating’s and Liu Yuehong’s rooms. They didn't knock but simply pushed the doors open, only to emerge moments later, looking utterly disappointed: “They’re not there!” Su Chan’s heart sank: “Neither of them is here?” The little foxes nodded in unison: “Neither!” Su Chan couldn't help but frown deeply: “Where could they have gone at a time like this?
Why is no one here?” Ling Yue stamped her foot too: “This is agonizing! What happened to the Sect Leader?
What should we do?” At this point, everyone capable of making a decision was gone. All the little foxes’ gazes snapped toward Su Chan.
Seeing their eyes turn to her, Su Chan felt an immense pressure, but she knew in this situation, she couldn’t simply shirk responsibility as she might have done in the teahouse. Su Chan took a deep breath, and an unprecedented calm and composure settled over her charming features.
She spoke, “Everyone, don’t panic. It’s highly likely that Yundong failed while subduing a magical artifact, and his spiritual sense is now trapped inside it.
No one here can help right now; we can only wait quietly for Yundong to break out of the situation himself. What we must do is take care of ourselves, avoid causing Yundong any more trouble, and ensure we don’t disturb him!” The little foxes gazed at Su Chan with wide eyes, feeling as though this typically carefree young girl had suddenly matured greatly.
Her bearing and words now carried the air of a true Boss Lady, one capable of commanding the situation! The little foxes agreed that Su Chan was right, nodding one after another.
Ling Yue frowned and sighed softly, “Why does our Fox Zen Sect have to suffer so many calamities? We finally welcomed a good Sect Leader, only for him to face such a dangerous ordeal.
I truly hope the Sect Leader can pass through this trial safely! If he truly overcomes this, I vow to eat only vegetarian food every day and offer incense to the Buddha!” Upon hearing this, the other little foxes chimed in together, “Yes!
If the Sect Leader gets through this, we’ll offer incense to the Buddha too!” Su Chan managed a weak smile and said, “What good is thanking the Buddha after he’s already saved? That’s worse than clutching at straws at the last moment!” Saying this, she gracefully knelt down herself, pressing her palms together and facing west.
She murmured, “Oh, Buddha, oh Buddha, our Fox Zen Sect’s ancestor, Master Stone-Root Fox, was enlightened and ascended by the great Zen Master Panshi. Our sect has some connection to Buddhism, after all.
Please, for the sake of that connection, save Yundong! If you do, I, Su Chan, will maintain constant offerings to the Buddha!” After speaking, the young maid’s pretty face was filled with piety and solemnity.
She held her hands clasped, constantly chanting the Great Compassion Mantra: “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva said: World-Honored One, if sentient beings recite the Great Compassion Mantra, and fall into the three evil paths, I vow never to attain perfect enlightenment. If, by reciting the Great Compassion Mantra, they do not attain birth in the Buddhas’ lands, I vow never to attain perfect enlightenment.
If, by reciting the Great Compassion Mantra, they do not obtain immeasurable Samādhi and eloquence, I vow never to attain perfect enlightenment…” The little foxes beside her were moved by Su Chan’s devotion and knelt down beside her, pressing their palms together, and softly chanting the Great Compassion Mantra in unison with Su Chan. In that moment, the sound of solemn, respectful chanting filled the luxurious, modern living room, drifting out through the open balcony windows and floating far, far away, lingering long in the air.
This chanting continued for the entire night. It wasn't until dawn broke the next day that Su Chan slowly opened her eyes and ceased her recitation.
She looked back and saw that all the little foxes had collapsed in the living room, snoring loudly, clearly exhausted by the all-night chanting and having finally succumbed to sleep. Su Chan carefully got up, careful not to disturb them, and crept back to Li Yundong’s room.
She pushed the door open for a look and saw that Li Yundong’s expression was still fluctuating, but the heavy sweat coating his body had finally stopped, indicating that the true energy within him was slowly stabilizing, no longer surging as violently as before. Su Chan clasped her hands together, filled with both joy and shock, murmuring gratefully in her heart: Thank the Buddha for his protection!
Yundong’s condition has finally stopped worsening! It seems the chanting was helpful.
Today, I will chant for another night for Yundong! The thought filled the young maid not with fatigue, but with renewed energy and motivation.
In the young maid’s mind, as long as she continued chanting like this, Yundong would eventually break through and emerge! But what Su Chan did not know was that Li Yundong’s entrapment lasted for a full eighteen days!