Passing the Torch

When people were truly heartbroken, their hearts held nothing but sorrow, with no room for anything else...

The last time Gao Xian had felt such grief was over Yun Qiushui. But his friend's death had been certain then, and what Gao Xian had felt more was grief and fury.

When he saw Zhou Yuling's message on Jade Star Island, he had also been deeply saddened, yet what he felt more was the melancholy brought by merciless time.

At this very moment, Gao Xian did not know why, but the pain felt exceptionally profound, piercing straight into his marrow and into the deepest part of his heart.

In his daze, Gao Xian heard a voice chanting, "My Buddha is compassionate. May he bestow boundless divine powers to protect the faithful Ru Dian, ferry him through all calamities, cleanse all his sins, and grant him rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss..."

The voice was rich and low. Within its chant lay an unshakable firmness and devotion, a tranquil peace that soothed the soul, and an indescribable solemn sanctity...

Gao Xian immediately recognized it as the voice of Hui Kong, the master of Dragon Elephant Palace. He had met this Pure Yang Dao Venerable at the Nine Provinces Assembly, and the man had left a deep impression on him.

He was not familiar with Buddhist scriptures, but from the contents, it seemed to be a sutra for delivering the souls of the dead.

Ru Dian was a disciple of Dragon Elephant Palace who had now met with disaster and death. That a Pure Yang powerhouse like Hui Kong personally chanted scriptures for him showed just how highly Dragon Elephant Palace regarded Ru Dian.

And that was not all. Before long, hundreds and thousands of voices joined in the chanting. The low recitation