Reclining on a lotus throne, preaching compassion-when have you ever looked down upon the people?

"I shall see whose Dao field this is, to display such boundless arrogance!"

Golden Cicada stepped through the hall doors, and in an instant, a scene like an immortal paradise slowly unfolded before him.

In the distance, verdant mountains overlapped, wreathed in thin mist.

At their feet stood low, rustic buildings.

Birds flew in flocks, and beasts roamed in ranks.

Rosy clouds flowed like silk beneath a pristine sky.

The scene was tranquil, yet steeped in profound mysteries!

Every sight, every object, every tree and plant embodied the Heavenly Dao, perfectly natural and whole.

Nearby, an ancient willow towered between heaven and earth. All its branches and leaves drooped toward the southeast, as though pointing the way—or bowing in worship.

Of course!

The Great Dao arose in the southeast!

Golden Cicada focused his gaze and saw a Daoist standing in that very direction.

The Daoist stood silently amid the rosy light, dressed in plain clothes, without the slightest fluctuation of aura. Like a stone or a tree, he was one with heaven and earth.

Unless one deliberately looked for him, his presence was almost impossible to notice.

Yet that very inconspicuousness made him all the more terrifying!

Every mystery in this realm seemed to revolve around him.

The Daoist seemed to be the ultimate answer to every secret of heaven and earth, to all things in existence.

There was great beauty in the world!

And this was its pinnacle!

The Daoist stood before a desk, holding a black brush, and slowly painted upon a sheet of white rice paper.

With every stroke, spiritual energy surged forth like an unbridled horse, becoming mountains and rivers, birds and beasts, waterfowl, fish, and shrimp upon the paper, each complete in form and vividly lifelike.

When the final stroke fell, everything on the paper seemed to gain a soul. They leaped from the page, became real living creatures, and soared freely through this realm.

Golden Cicada held his breath and concentrated, examining those living creatures closely!

They were not illusions!

They were not conjuring tricks!

Nor were they marionettes!

Nor imitation puppets!

"Gasp! One Thought, All Things Born!"

"Such a power, spanning heaven and earth and turning decay into wonder—surely only a Saint could possess such ability?"

Golden Cicada stood stunned and exclaimed in shock:

"Create Something from Nothing, Mold Earth to Create Humans—these are... divine powers that, according to legend, only Empress Nuwa possessed!"

But the next moment, he shook his head.

"No! When Nuwa created humans, she still needed three lights divine water and nine heavens breathing soil. Yet this Daoist created all things with nothing but a brush, rice paper, and a single thought. Such power already far surpasses Empress Nuwa's!"

Witnessing such a miracle, Golden Cicada was shaken to his core and murmured to himself:

"Amitabha! Before this man, my master Tathagata probably would not even be worthy of carrying his chamber pot!"

Only after the Daoist set down his brush did Golden Cicada approach and bow with the utmost solemnity.

"This humble monk pays his respects to the Saint."

Zhou Xuan turned slightly to look at him. His gaze was calm as water, yet seemed to pierce every mystery of existence at a glance.

"Golden Cicada, since you have comprehended the Dao and assumed human form, why are you not on Spirit Mountain listening to that brat Tathagata's sermons? What brings you to my Dao field?"

Golden Cicada's heart jolted. The man before him had revealed his identity and origins in a single sentence!

A Saint's powers were truly unfathomable!

"This humble monk did not mean to disturb you. I was swept up in a mass of golden light and lost my way within it. That was how I came to this place." Golden Cicada dared conceal nothing and recounted everything.

Zhou Xuan nodded slightly and said:

"This is the Lingxuan Dao Field, and I am Daoist Lingxuan!"

"That you could reach this place means we share a fated connection!"

"Would you be willing to take me as your master?"

Golden Cicada's heart filled with joy at those words.

To become a Saint's disciple was a supreme blessing one could only encounter by chance, never seek!

Yet after that joy came a chill in his heart!

He was Tathagata's second direct disciple!

He had sworn to enter the Buddhist School, fulfill his great vows, and never forsake his path. How could he so easily take another master?

He lowered his head in thought, unable to answer for a time.

But Zhou Xuan seemed to have already seen through his hesitation and asked calmly:

"When you first entered the Buddhist School, what did you seek?"

Golden Cicada fell silent for a moment, then answered, "What I sought was to spread Buddhist teachings and bring salvation to all living beings."

Zhou Xuan asked again, "Then do you believe Buddhist teachings can truly bring salvation to all living beings?"

"Have the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the Western Paradise ever lowered their heads to ask whether living beings wish to be saved?"

"If living beings have no such desire, do you even know what they truly want?"

The three questions exploded like thunder, leaving Golden Cicada's mind roaring!

He froze where he stood and murmured to himself:

"Can Buddhist teachings... truly save all living beings?"

"Do living beings truly need to be saved?"

"Have we... ever asked what they actually want?"

Golden Cicada thought of the azure lion Qiu Shou Xian, whose manhood had been cut away.

He thought of the million people of Shituo Kingdom, living and working in peace, only for their home to be reduced to a hell on earth!

Once, he had devoutly believed that all living beings suffered, and that compassionate Buddhist teachings could save the world!

But now, his Buddhist faith collapsed with a crash, and all hope turned to ashes. Still unwilling to accept it, he argued loudly:

"The Buddhist School is favored by destiny! Once the Great Tribulation of Journey to the West ends, the Buddhist School will enter its Great Prosperity, and the opportunity to save all beings will come!"

Zhou Xuan sneered. "Golden Cicada, stop deceiving yourself!"

"Is the Buddhist School's Great Prosperity for the sake of the people, or its own fortune? Do you dare search your conscience?"

"The Buddhas of the west sit high above on lotus thrones, treating all living beings as worthless weeds. Are they seeking to save them, or to gain merit and fortune?"

"Remember: when powers rise, the people suffer; when powers fall, the people still suffer. Through all the rises and falls of the ages, it has always been the people who endured the greatest hardships."

"This so-called Buddhism Spreads East, this great flourishing of Buddhist teachings, is nothing more than a celebration for those who already hold power!"

"It cannot rescue the people, much less bring salvation to all living beings!"

Golden Cicada's lips trembled as he listened. His convictions had already wavered, yet emotionally, he still clung to one last shred of hope. He had cultivated for ten thousand years. Could the foundation of his faith, the Tathagata in his heart... truly be wrong?

Zhou Xuan said no more on that subject and instead spoke gently:

"Though the Buddhist School flourishes, living beings still suffer. If you truly care for all beneath heaven, you must understand that Buddhist teachings cannot resolve the suffering of this world, much less save all its living beings!"

"Golden Cicada, will you cultivate under me and become my direct disciple?"

Those words were like a heavy hammer, shattering the fog that had gathered in Golden Cicada's heart for a thousand years.

Sweat poured from him, soaking his entire body. At last, he knelt and bowed.

"If Buddhist teachings cannot save the world, this disciple is willing to forsake his former ties and cultivate under the Saint."

"Very good."

Zhou Xuan smiled and nodded, then took up his brush and wrote a line of words. Once the ink had dried, he handed the paper to Golden Cicada.

"Go. The answer lies within. When the Buddha in your heart is completely gone, we shall renew our bond as master and disciple."

Though puzzled, Golden Cicada accepted it solemnly, bowed deeply, then turned and left.

Zhou Xuan stood in the hall, watching his figure recede. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and he murmured:

"This Journey to the West is becoming more and more interesting!"

In a study on Spirit Mountain.

A sheet of rice paper lay spread upon the desk, its ink still fragrant.

On the paper were just four lines of verse, seemingly ordinary, yet heavy as a mountain:

"Reclining on a lotus throne, preaching compassion—when have you ever looked down upon the people?"

"Only after ten lifetimes of rebirth and a hundred bitter trials will you know the journey west was all for nothing!"

Golden Cicada read them over and over, unable to put them from his mind.

He vaguely felt that these mere twenty-eight characters had already shown him his path, surpassing the thousand volumes of Buddhist scripture he had studied over ten thousand years!

After a long time, he let out a deep sigh, and a glimmer of resolve rose in his eyes!