Ningbi Cliff on Mount Emei towered alone, its sheer walls seeming to have been sliced by a blade. Buddha light had appeared here years ago, and Chan Master Bai Mei had made a special journey to pay homage, then remained to cultivate while facing the cliff.
The people of Mount Shu were all "alive." They changed with time, and most grew in magical power, especially those who encountered such good fortune as obtaining Heavenly Books, Magic Treasures, or spiritual herbs.
From the First Sword Duel to the Second Sword Duel, and on to the future Third Sword Duel, the strength of the Three Immortals and Two Elders, the One Master and Seven True Ones, and even Monk Bai Mei all changed.
One had to view the people of this world with an eye for how they developed over time, rather than fixing someone's strength in a rigid mold, as though they remained exactly the same from their entrance to their final bow.
Monk Bai Mei's attainment had advanced since his encounter with Shi Feiyang in Beijing. Over the years, his worldly vexations had gradually subsided, and his mastery of meditation had steadily deepened. Of course, he had already been formidable; now he was more formidable still. While facing the wall in meditation, he had illuminated Ningbi Cliff with the Great Sandalwood Buddha Light cultivated over a thousand years and several lifetimes, gradually merging his own body into the stone wall.
When the Emei group reached the foot of Ningbi Cliff, they saw no one outside. Only the Black Eagle and White Eagle who attended him stood atop the cliff.
They knew the old monk had entered deep into the cliff wall. Offering prayers with the respect due from juniors, they told him only that the Demon Dragon was refining demons