Mount Sumeru Exchange and Discussion

Xuande never set out from the foot of Buzhou Mountain; instead, he mounted his escape light and flew westward.

The return journey was much faster than the trip there.

Perhaps it was because his heart was set on home.

Or perhaps the gains from his travels had deepened his sense of belonging to this land.

The scenery along the way blurred past—mountains and rivers that had once made him pause now only earned a fleeting glance.

After an unknown span of time, the world ahead gradually grew familiar.

The sky of the West was still not as clear and lofty as that of the East, and the land was still not as fertile and abundant.

But now, as Xuande looked upon this earth, only warmth welled up in his heart.

The earth veins he had personally helped repair now flowed quietly underground, releasing spiritual energy that, though thin, was fresh and pure.

On some once-barren slopes, faint traces of green had begun to appear.

The silhouette of Mount Sumeru emerged on the horizon.

That towering divine mountain stood in silent majesty.

The Bodhi Tree at its peak, though impossibly high, seemed to radiate a faint, ethereal light of purity, guiding the way.

Xuande's heart stirred, and he quickened his escape light.

Just as he was about to reach the mountain gate of Mount Sumeru, two beams of light rose from within the mountain and flew toward him.

The one in front had a gaunt, sorrowful face—it was Jieyin.

The one half a step behind had a slightly sallow complexion and bright eyes—it was Zhunti.

The two had clearly sensed Xuande's aura while in seclusion and had come out specially to greet him.

"Daoist brother Xuande!"

Zhunti called out from afar, his face beaming with smiles.

"You're finally back! My senior brother and I were growing anxious, wondering how long you'd wander outside!"

Jieyin also nodded slightly; the sorrow on his face was much softened by the joy of seeing Xuande, and his voice was low and gentle:

"Daoist brother, you must have had a hard journey. Did your travels go smoothly?"

Xuande stepped forward, exchanged greetings with the two, and laughed:

"I've troubled you both with your concern. This journey was quite fruitful—I'll tell you the details later."

The three of them landed their escape light together at the foot of Mount Sumeru's mountain gate.

The gate was as ancient as ever, unchanged since Xuande had left.

Passing through the gate, they climbed the familiar stone steps until they soon reached the Bodhi Tree.

The tree was still vigorous, its branches and leaves spreading wide, scattering specks of clear light.

The three meditation mats beneath it remained in their original positions, as if time had never passed.

They sat down.

Zhunti could no longer hold back and spoke eagerly:

"Daoist brother, tell us quickly—where did you go on this journey? Whom did you meet? Was there anything new?"

Seeing his eagerness, Xuande couldn't help but smile, and he recounted the events of his travels one by one.

He spoke of the vibrant vitality he had seen upon first entering the East, of the emotions stirred by passing the Three Clan Ruins, and of the Dead Silent Wasteland left behind by the Dao-Demon War.

Zhunti listened intently, sometimes exclaiming in wonder, sometimes sighing, while Jieyin listened quietly, occasionally nodding.

When Xuande mentioned Buzhou Mountain, both of their expressions turned solemn.

"Buzhou Mountain..."

Jieyin said slowly, "Though I have long dwelled in the West, I have heard that this mountain was formed from the spine of Pangu, supporting heaven and earth, and is the foremost divine mountain of the Primordial Wilderness. That you, Daoist brother, could ascend to its midslope shows your profound cultivation."

Xuande shook his head: "It was barely managed. The pressure on Buzhou Mountain is immense, and the higher one goes, the harder it becomes. I reached the midslope and already felt my strength failing, so I did not force my way to the summit."

Zhunti asked curiously:

"Did you see anything at the midslope, Daoist brother? I've heard that innate spiritual roots often hide there—if one is fortunate enough to encounter them, it would be a great fortune."

At this, Xuande's expression shifted slightly, and he fell silent for a moment.

He recalled the Innate Restriction hidden within the natural Dao rhythm of Buzhou Mountain.

He recalled the pair of siblings who had secluded themselves there.

"At the midslope..." he said slowly, "I met two Daoist friends."

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both focusing intently to listen.

"Those two Daoist friends are a pair of siblings."

Xuande continued, "The elder brother is named Fuxi, the younger sister Nuwa.

They have opened a cultivation site halfway up the mountain, hidden within an Innate Restriction.

This Humble One did not know at first and mistook it for an ownerless restriction, nearly committing a discourtesy."

"Fuxi? Nuwa?"

Zhunti frowned slightly, pondering for a moment.

"This Humble One seems to have heard those names before, but does not know them well. What manner of divine beings are they?"

Xuande said, "According to what they told me, they have already cultivated at Buzhou Mountain for countless ages.

The elder brother Fuxi excels in deducing the principles of heaven and earth's transformations, while the younger sister Nuwa comprehends the way of creating and nurturing life.

This Humble One drank tea and chatted with them; though the time was brief, the benefit was immense."

Jieyin looked thoughtful:

"To be able to open a cultivation site halfway up Buzhou Mountain is no ordinary cultivator.

For Daoist brother to meet them and discuss the Dao is also a matter of fate."

Xuande nodded, then recounted the gist of the conversation in that thatched hut.

He mentioned Nuwa's exposition on the way of creation, and Fuxi's guidance on the paths of entering the world and transcending it.

"Entering the world and transcending it..." Jieyin murmured, a glimmer of insight flashing in his eyes.

"What that Daoist friend Fuxi said is absolutely right.

Daoist brother's path lies in repairing Earth Veins and accumulating merit—that is entering the world;

His siblings' path lies in deduction and contemplation, standing aloof from worldly affairs—that is transcending the world.

Neither is inherently superior or inferior; each has simply chosen the road suited to themselves."

Zhunti also seemed lost in thought, then suddenly smiled after a moment:

"Then Daoist brother's travels this time have yielded far more than my senior brother and I gained from seclusion!

My senior brother and I merely stabilized our cultivation, while Daoist brother obtained such fortune, met such figures, and realized such principles."

Xuande shook his head: "You two Daoist brothers need not be modest.

Stabilizing cultivation is the foundation; without a root, seeing more fortune is all in vain."

The three exchanged smiles and said no more.

Beneath the Bodhi Tree, a gentle breeze came, rustling the leaves.

The three sat just like that, letting their thoughts settle, letting their Dao hearts grow clear.

After a long while, Jieyin spoke, his voice low and slow:

"Since Daoist brother Xuande has returned, I observe your aura—though you have not broken through, it is more condensed and restrained than when you left.

It must be that what you gained from your travels has already merged into your Dao heart.

I wonder if you might share a little with us two brothers?"

Xuande understood his meaning—this was an invitation to discuss the Dao.

He nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and sank his mind into a state of clarity.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and began to speak slowly.

This time, his words were more concise than before, yet also more penetrating.

He spoke of merit, but not only of merit.

He spoke of bearing, of guarding, of the heavy karmic slaughter he felt before the Three Clan Ruins, of the deep wounds of war he experienced on the wasteland of the Dao-Demon battlefield.

He spoke of how these experiences had strengthened his own path, 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 spoke, still on nirvana, but not only on nirvana.

He said that Xuande's travel experiences made him think that the suffering of sentient beings in the West came not only from the decay of Earth Veins, but also from the clinging of the mind.

The path of nirvana might not only be about transcendence, but also about bearing and dissolving the suffering of all beings.

Zhunti then spoke, still on wondrous function, but not only on wondrous function.

He said that Xuande's realization before the ruins made him think that the word 'condition' was not only about active striving, but also about reverence and compliance with all things in heaven and earth.

Sometimes not taking is, in itself, a greater taking.

The three spoke, one after another, and before they knew it, the sun's shadow had shifted westward, and the moon had risen.

Beneath the Bodhi Tree, three kinds of Dao resonance interwove and flowed, mutually confirming and inspiring one another.

No one deliberately pursued a conclusion, and no one argued over superiority.

Each spoke of their own insights, drawing new nourishment from the other's words.

When the last sliver of moonlight fell, the discourse gradually settled into silence.

The three opened their eyes and exchanged smiles.

No words were needed; each understood in their hearts that this exchange had brought gains to all.

Though Jieyin and Zhunti's cultivation was already stable, their understanding of the Dao had deepened another layer;

Xuande, though he had not broken through, now grasped his own Dao with greater clarity and harmony than when he had returned from his travels.