In boundless darkness, a faint consciousness that had fallen silent slowly stirred.
After who knew how long, he opened his eyes.
The moment of his defeat and death, of dying with bitter regret, remained vivid in his mind. Yet all he could sense now was the roar of a surging river.
"Where is this? Did I not fall in battle?"
Dazed, he tried to stretch his arms, but those mighty arms that could seize dragons and subdue tigers seemed not to exist. They gave no response. He tried to move his body, only to find emptiness.
His strength had nowhere to go, and silence surrounded him. Anger flared in his heart.
Just then—
Blood suffused with golden light fell from the void and merged with his will!
In an instant, amid countless faint whispers, his body took shape from nothing. Broad-backed and powerfully built, he felt bones and sinews ring as he stretched his arms. His divine strength was still great enough to shake mountains!
But immediately afterward, several thoughts rooted in his bloodline surged from deep within him—
"Our ancestor once grasped Buddha Thought. Alas, there was no Buddhist School in the Central Lands then. Though he had the roots of wisdom, he could find no way in. He died with that regret, unable even to close his eyes!"
"Ancient teachings of the Eastern Land skimmed the surface of things and lacked introspection. They dealt with practical matters but could not see the principles behind them. They were far less subtle than Western Buddhist Dharma, and our ancestor suffered for it! Now that we have entered Buddhism and enjoy the pleasures of the West, we must not forget our ancestor or abandon our roots. We must vindicate him! In truth, his heart was set on the Buddha, and he