Xuande set out from the foot of Buzhou Mountain, riding his Escape Light westward.
The journey back was much faster than the trip there.
Perhaps it was because he was eager to return.
Or perhaps his travels had given him a deeper sense of belonging to this world.
The scenery flew past. Mountains and rivers that had once made him stop and linger now passed in a fleeting glance.
After an unknown stretch of time, the landscape ahead gradually became familiar.
The western sky was still not as clear and expansive as the East's, and the land was still not as fertile and abundant.
But now, when Xuande looked upon this land, all he felt was a sense of closeness.
The Earth Veins he had helped repair were flowing quietly underground, releasing Spiritual Energy that was thin, yet fresh.
Some hillsides that had once been barren were already showing faint traces of green.
The outline of Mount Sumeru appeared on the horizon.
The majestic sacred mountain stood silently.
Though the Bodhi Tree on its summit stood at a great height, it seemed to radiate a faint, pure light that guided the way.
Xuande's heart stirred, and he sped up his Escape Light.
Just as he was about to reach Mount Sumeru's gate, two Escape Lights rose from the mountain and came toward him.
The first was gaunt, his face full of sorrow. It was Jieyin.
Half a step behind him was Zhunti, his complexion sallow and his eyes bright.
The two had clearly sensed Xuande's presence while in seclusion and had come out to welcome him.
"Daoist Brother Xuande!"
Zhunti called out from afar, his face breaking into a broad smile.
"You're finally back! My senior brother and I have been waiting anxiously. We were wondering how long you planned to travel!"
Jieyin nodded slightly. The sorrow on his face had eased considerably at the sight of Xuande, and his voice was low and gentle.
"Daoist Brother, you've had a long journey. Did your travels go well?"
Xuande went up to them, exchanged greetings, and smiled.
"Sorry for the trouble, both of you. I gained a great deal from my travels. I'll tell you all about them later."
The three of them lowered their Escape Lights together and landed before Mount Sumeru's gate.
The gate remained as simple and ancient as ever, unchanged since Xuande had left.
They passed through the gate and followed the familiar stone steps upward. Before long, they reached the Bodhi Tree.
The Bodhi Tree was still strong and venerable, its branches and leaves spread wide, casting down flecks of clear light.
The three cushions beneath the tree were still in their places, as if no time had passed.
The three took their seats.
Zhunti could barely contain himself as he spoke.
"Daoist Brother, tell us—where did you go on your travels? Whom did you meet? Did anything interesting happen?"
Seeing him like this, Xuande couldn't help laughing. He promptly recounted his journey from beginning to end.
He spoke of the vibrant life he had seen upon first entering the East, his feelings as he passed the Three Clan Ruins, and the Dead Silent Wasteland left behind by the Dao-Demon War.
Zhunti listened intently, sometimes marveling, sometimes sighing. Jieyin listened quietly, nodding from time to time.
When Xuande spoke of Buzhou Mountain, both their expressions grew solemn.
"Buzhou Mountain..."
Jieyin spoke slowly. "Though I have long lived in the West, I have heard that this mountain was formed from Great God Pangu's spine. It supports the heavens and the earth, and is the greatest sacred mountain in the Primordial Wilderness.
"That you managed to climb halfway up is proof of your profound cultivation."
Xuande shook his head. "I barely managed it.
"The pressure on Buzhou Mountain is immense. The higher you climb, the harder it gets.
"By the time I reached halfway, I could feel my strength failing, so I didn't force myself to reach the summit."
Zhunti asked curiously:
"Did you see anything halfway up, Daoist Brother?
"I've heard that Innate Spiritual Roots are often hidden on that mountain. To find one by chance would be a tremendous blessing."
At this, Xuande's expression shifted, and he fell silent for a moment.
He thought of the Innate Restriction hidden within Buzhou Mountain's natural Dao resonance.
He thought of the siblings who lived in seclusion there.
"Halfway up the mountain..." he said slowly, "I met two fellow cultivators."
Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, then listened intently.
"The two fellow cultivators were siblings."
Xuande continued, "The elder brother was named Fuxi, and the younger sister, Nuwa.
"They had established a cultivation ground halfway up the mountain, concealed within an Innate Restriction.
"At first, I didn't know that and mistakenly thought the restriction was unclaimed. I nearly offended them."
"Fuxi? Nuwa?"
Zhunti furrowed his brow and thought for a moment.
"I believe I've heard those names before, but I don't know much about them. What kind of great figures are they?"
Xuande said, "They told me they had been cultivating on Buzhou Mountain for countless ages.
"Fuxi, the elder brother, excels at deducing the principles behind the changes in heaven and earth, while Nuwa, his younger sister, studies the Dao of Creation and living beings.
"I drank tea and chatted with them. Though we didn't spend long together, I gained a great deal."
Jieyin looked thoughtful.
"Anyone who could establish a cultivation ground halfway up Buzhou Mountain must be no ordinary cultivator.
"That you met them and discussed the Dao together was fate."
Xuande nodded, then gave them a general account of his conversation in the thatched cottage.
He mentioned Nuwa's explanation of the Creation Dao, as well as Fuxi's guidance on the Dao of engaging with the world and withdrawing from it.
"Engaging with the world and withdrawing from it..." Jieyin murmured, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
"What Fellow Daoist Fuxi said is most apt.
"Your Dao lies in repairing Earth Veins and accumulating merit. That is engaging with the world.
"The Dao of the siblings lies in deduction and contemplation, in standing apart from worldly affairs. That is withdrawing from the world.
"Neither is superior to the other. Each simply chose the path best suited to them."
Zhunti, too, seemed thoughtful. After a moment, he suddenly smiled.
"Your travels have brought you far greater gains than my senior brother and I got from meditating in seclusion!
"We only consolidated our cultivation, while you found such an opportunity, met such remarkable figures, and grasped such profound principles."
Xuande shook his head. "There's no need for either of you to be modest.
"Consolidating one's cultivation is fundamental. Without a solid foundation, all the opportunities you encounter are for naught."
The three exchanged smiles and said no more.
Beneath the Bodhi Tree, a gentle breeze stirred, and the leaves rustled.
They sat quietly, letting their thoughts settle and their Dao hearts grow clear.
After a long while, Jieyin spoke, his voice low and unhurried.
"Daoist Brother Xuande, now that you've returned, I can sense that though your cultivation hasn't advanced, your aura is more composed and restrained than before you left.
"Your gains from your travels must have become part of your Dao heart.
"Would you share some of them with my junior brother and me?"
Xuande understood what he meant. They were about to discuss the Dao.
He nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and let his mind sink into a state of clarity.
After a moment, he opened his eyes and began to speak.
This time, his words were simpler than before, yet clearer and more penetrating.
He spoke of merit, but not of merit alone.
He spoke of shouldering burdens and protecting others; of the weight of the karmic burden of slaughter he had felt before the Three Clan Ruins; and of the deep wounds left by war that he had sensed on the wasteland where the Dao-Demon War had been fought.
He spoke of how these experiences had strengthened his resolve in his Dao, and how they had deepened his understanding of the word "merit."
Jieyin and Zhunti listened quietly, nodding from time to time.
When Xuande finished, Jieyin began to speak. He still spoke of Nirvana, but not of Nirvana alone.
Xuande's accounts of his travels had made him think that the suffering of the Western lands' inhabitants came not only from the decline of the Earth Veins, but also from their attachment to their own thoughts.
Perhaps the Nirvana Dao was not merely a path to transcendence, but also a way to bear and alleviate the suffering of living beings.
Zhunti continued. He still spoke of wondrous applications, but not of them alone.
Xuande's reflections before the ruins had made him realize that fate was not only about actively seeking opportunities, but also about revering and yielding to all things in heaven and earth.
Sometimes, refusing to take something was itself a greater kind of taking.
The three spoke in turn, and before they knew it, the sun had slanted westward and the moon had risen.
Beneath the Bodhi Tree, three kinds of Dao resonance intertwined and flowed, confirming and inspiring one another.
No one deliberately sought a conclusion, and no one argued over whose way was superior.
Each simply shared their own insights and drew new nourishment from the others' words.
When the last ray of moonlight fell, their discussion of the Dao gradually subsided.
The three opened their eyes and smiled at one another.
There was no need for words. Each knew in their heart that they had all gained something from the discussion.
Jieyin and Zhunti's cultivation had stabilized, yet their understanding of the Dao had deepened;
Xuande had not advanced, yet his comprehension of his own Dao was clearer and more complete than it had been when he returned from his travels.