Discussing the Dao on Mount Sumeru

The atmosphere along the way was quite harmonious.

Jieyin spoke little, but whenever he did, he always struck upon some crucial point of the principles of purity and quiescent extinction.

Though he did not delve deeply, it was already clear that his cultivation foundations were solid and his compassionate nature innate.

Zhunti, on the other hand, was rather talkative. Not only did he introduce the sights and customs of the West, he would also from time to time discuss the principles of cultivation, his words concealing sharp subtleties.

He was clearly highly skilled at guiding others and debating. Though he seemed somewhat impatient, his passion and persistence toward "karmic affinity" were plain to see.

Xuande mostly listened, occasionally offering a few responses.

Everything he said was upright and even-tempered, suited to the innate character of a lotus's pure merit.

His cultivation was the highest, and the occasional pointers he gave, though born of his own insights, often left Jieyin and Zhunti deep in thought, making them feel all the more that this fellow cultivator Xuande was unfathomable and of extraordinary worth.

As they traveled westward, the deeper they went, the more the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth, though not as rich and vigorous as that of the East, took on a still, tenacious, and even faintly bitter, desolate flavor.

It faintly resonated with the Dao aura surrounding Jieyin and Zhunti. The mountains and rivers, too, were mostly grand and bleak.

After an unknown length of time, the outline of a divine mountain, impossible to describe in its magnificence and loftiness, gradually became clear upon the distant horizon.

The mountain seemed to hold up the western sky, its entirety shrouded in pale auspicious clouds carrying the scent of sandalwood and a golden radiance.

It lacked the concentrated spiritual beauty of the famous mountains of the eastern lands, with no exotic flowers and rare herbs carpeting the ground.

Yet it possessed a weighty bearing, immovable and capable of bearing all things, as well as a sense of pure solemnity that had endured the years and been washed clean of all worldly adornment.

"Daoist friend Xuande, Mount Sumeru lies ahead."

Jieyin pointed at the towering divine mountain, his voice carrying a natural sense of belonging and reverence.

Zhunti also sighed with feeling:

"Though our West is poor, this mountain is the backbone of heaven and earth, one beginning from which all things arise.

We have built humble dwellings here to cultivate in peace and contemplate the Great Dao. Though we dare not call it a blessed land, it has a realm all its own."

Xuande narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. With the eyesight and spiritual senses of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, he could clearly sense the vast Earth Vein energy flowing through Mount Sumeru, as well as the immense fortune of fate closely bound to the western earth—somewhat tragic and heroic, yet unyielding and resilient.

The mountain was indeed pure and tranquil. There were few living creatures, yet each possessed a simple, unadorned air.

And somewhere amid the deep clouds atop the mountain, two places emanated the densest Dao aura. They were presumably where Jieyin and Zhunti cultivated in seclusion.

"Truly, it is a divine mountain born of heaven and earth, with myriad aspects to its grandeur. It lives up to the name of ancestral vein."

Xuande praised it sincerely.

Though this place was "poor," the depth of its foundations and the profundity of its conception were indeed far from ordinary.

No wonder it could nurture the two future Saints.

Hearing Xuande praise Mount Sumeru, Jieyin and Zhunti smiled broadly.

It was as if their own treasure had won the appreciation of someone who truly recognized its worth.

The three Escape Lights descended from the clouds and landed amid a secluded range of Mount Sumeru.

The Spiritual Energy here was relatively abundant, and the scenery was rather beautiful as well, with flowing springs, pines, and cypresses. It had clearly been tended to.

"Please look, fellow cultivator. This peak is fairly secluded, and its Spiritual Energy is sufficient. It may serve as your temporary residence.

If anything displeases you, you may choose another place anywhere in the mountain," Zhunti introduced enthusiastically.

Jieyin said, "Fellow cultivator, you have come from afar. Why not settle in and rest a while first?"

Three days from now, the two of us will hold a gathering beneath the Bodhi Tree atop the mountain. Then we may sit and discuss the Dao, speaking in detail of cause and affinity. What do you think?"

Xuande had no objection to the arrangement. Cupping his hands, he said, "Many thanks to you both for your thoughtful arrangements. A guest follows the host's convenience. Xuande will rest here for now, and in three days, I will certainly attend."

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a few more courtesies, telling him that there were no restrictions in the mountain and that he could roam as he pleased. Only then did they take their leave and return to their respective caves.

They too needed time to digest today's developments and prepare for the discussion of the Dao three days hence.

After the two departed, Xuande stood alone atop the peak where he would temporarily reside, looking around him.

The aura of Mount Sumeru enveloped him, and the sense of "karmic affinity" faintly connected to him seemed to grow a little clearer here.

He drew in a deep breath, and the pure, faintly bitter air of the mountains filled his lungs.

He had already taken this step.

Whether the road ahead ran deep or shallow, whether it held tribulation or affinity, he would have to experience it himself and see it with his own eyes.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he turned and walked toward his temporary cave abode, his figure merging into Mount Sumeru's vast twilight and curling clouds.

To a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, three days passed in but the blink of an eye.

At the summit of Mount Sumeru stood an ancient, vigorous Bodhi Tree in silence. Its leaves were like green jade, its branches twisted and knotted, radiating a faint glow of tranquil wisdom.

Beneath the tree, three simple cushions had long been prepared, facing one another in a triangle.

When Xuande arrived as promised, Jieyin and Zhunti were already there.

Both of them wore comparatively neat cultivator robes today.

Their expressions were also more solemn and dignified than they had been three days ago, clearly showing how seriously they took this discussion of the Dao.

Seeing Xuande arrive, the two rose to welcome him, their manners exceedingly respectful.

"Daoist friend Xuande, please."

Jieyin extended a hand toward the empty cushion. It faced the West, offering a broad view of the rolling sea of clouds among the mountains.

"Thank you." Xuande returned the courtesy and calmly took his seat.

The cushion seemed to be woven from some kind of pure grasses and plants. The moment he sat upon it, his mind naturally settled, faintly harmonizing with the Spiritual Energy of the surrounding mountains and rivers.

Zhunti smiled. "The heavens are clear and the air mild today—a perfect time to discuss the Dao. Senior Brother and I have long wished to sit with you, fellow cultivator, and exchange what we have learned."

Jieyin nodded as well. Beneath the pure radiance of the Bodhi Tree, the sorrowful look on his face seemed to fade somewhat as he said slowly:

"The Dao has no name; forced to name it, one calls it the Dao.

"Today, we shall not contend over superiority or inferiority. Let us merely speak our own views and verify our insights against one another. What does fellow cultivator Xuande think?"

"That is exactly how it should be." Xuande smiled in reply.

He could see that although Jieyin and Zhunti's cultivation was slightly inferior, their Dao hearts were steadfast, and they possessed profound conviction and fervor toward the path they followed. Such an attitude deserved respect.

And so, amid this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, their discussion of the Dao began naturally.

Jieyin spoke first. His voice was low and unhurried, like the pulse of the earth, like an echo in a secluded valley:

"I observe the West: its lands are barren, its Spiritual Energy thin, and its myriad beings steeped in suffering. Thus compassion arose in my heart.

"Therefore, my Dao begins with 'extinction' and returns to 'purity.'

"All phenomena in this world are but dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows. Sentient beings cling to them, only increasing their own anguish.

"Only by seeing through illusion and extinguishing the roots of affliction may one attain ultimate purity, transcend the sea of suffering, and reach the blissful shore beyond. This is the Dao of extinguished purity."

As he expounded, a faint golden halo seemed to emerge around him.

Within that halo, the shadows of countless tiny living beings seemed to arise and perish, ultimately returning to a blank expanse of silent emptiness.

Yet within that emptiness, a trace of pure, undying compassion remained.

The Bodhi Tree seemed drawn by it as well. Its branches and leaves stirred without wind, scattering specks of clear radiance.

Xuande listened quietly. He could sense the paradoxical unity of profound "renunciation" and "compassion" within Jieyin's Dao teachings.

It was because he pitied the suffering of sentient beings that he sought extinction, to escape the sea of suffering.

This path pointed directly at the roots of one's nature, treating afflictions and attachments. It truly possessed its own unique depth.

In particular, it faintly corresponded to the innate atmosphere of "bitter desolation" in the Western lands.

Its Dao resonance was deep and weighty. Though it seemed somewhat passive, its "vow" and "goal" were exceptionally clear and resolute.

Xuande reflected that, as the Merit Golden Lotus, his nature was inherently pure and untouched by worldly dust. In that sense, he shared something with the ultimate end of "purity."

Yet he leaned more toward "bearing" and "the light of one's true nature," rather than actively seeking "extinction."

Still, Jieyin's analysis of "thoughts of the heart" and "attachment" truly inspired him in further understanding Primordial Spirit cultivation and perceiving his heart to see his true nature.