Ancient Chu Remnants

The Lord of Zongshedu Mountain sat high upon the mountain, doubt stirring in his heart.

That Lower Beast of the Gao Household and this Lower Beast who cultivates "Li Thunder" were evenly matched, neither superior to the other. The one cultivating "Li Thunder" also lost some of his Dao Attainment within my domain. After a fight to the death, they would most likely both end up badly wounded.

He calculated silently, With that outcome, whether those bald donkeys picked up their corpses or the two of them went into hiding, they should no longer be able to cause trouble and disrupt matters.

But why has so much time passed without the slightest movement?

The "Li Thunder" Dao Lineage should unleash rolling thunder the moment it struck, its sound shaking the wilderness in every direction. It should never have been this silent.

Just then, his heart stirred with a faint premonition. He looked up to see a black-robed figure descending from the air, carrying a handsome young man.

A trace of shadow slowly faded from the black-robed young man's eyes. He set Gao Gongjin on the ground, stepped back half a pace, and bowed. "Li Fuchan has fulfilled his charge."

A flicker of surprise crossed the Lord of Zongshedu Mountain's tiger eyes. His gaze brushed over Li Fuchan's pale face, then settled on Gao Gongjin, unconscious and grievously wounded on the ground. Suddenly, he spread his jaws and uttered, "Interesting."

His immense body slowly stretched, his joints cracking like thunderbolts, like muffled thunder rolling past. Demonic energy spread, sinister winds surged without cease, and black smoke churned. Within it, a figure in a yellow robe patterned with black gradually took solid form, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, standing two or three heads taller than Li Fuchan.

An Evil Spirit!!!

Li Fuchan's expression remained unchanged. He swallowed the gold-and-crimson arcs of lightning that had silently manifested between his mouth and nose, and his Dao Attainment diminished another measure.

"Since you possess such fine abilities, I ought to tell you a fine story. Unfortunately, time is short. I shall simply tell you what you wish to know."

The Lord of Zongshedu Mountain stood atop the mountain with his hands behind his back, speaking casually. "The Six Mountains Immortal Sects of today are all descendants of the Zhu House of Ancient Chu from two hundred years ago. Two hundred and forty-five years ago, Qin destroyed Ancient Chu, and the Zhu House migrated north. Now Qin has fallen after three generations, and the Zhu House wishes to return south to its former homeland. How they return, how they get back—that is for them to scheme over. As for Black Mountain..."

The Mountain Lord paused slightly. His enormous, uncanny amber eyes turned back to study Li Fuchan with interest, and his voice suddenly deepened into a sinister murmur. "Why would you think it is a mountain?"

"An eyeball. It is an eyeball cut out by an Evil Spirit!"

Thus the Mountain Lord transmitted his words.

Li Fuchan's breath caught. As though struck by lightning, every hair on his body stood on end.

At that very moment, waves of Buddhist chanting suddenly rang out below the mountain.

"Homage to the Great Compassionate Wisdom King, who perceives all dharmas, subdues all demons, delivers all from suffering, and achieves all wisdom... We bow in reverence and welcome the Great Wisdom Consort proclaimed by the Great Compassionate Venerable."

Mu Liang'er's face went deathly pale.

The Mountain Lord watched quietly, utterly unmoved.

Li Fuchan could not help looking down. Along the winding mountain path, a succession of gray-robed novices was filing uphill.

From afar, their ranks were perfectly ordered, like a gray dragon winding up along the mountain ridge, their numbers beyond counting.

The novice at the very front seemed ordinary at first glance, yet with every step forward, his aura swelled.

Lotuses blossomed beneath his every step, as though Golden Light bore up his feet. His aura climbed layer upon layer, surging higher and higher. Li Fuchan watched with his heart violently shaken, until at last he cried out in horror, "The sixth level of Aperture Opening?!"

The moment those words left his mouth, the leading novice stepped onto the summit.

With that single step, Buddhist radiance shone all around him and the sacred chanting swelled. His cultivation had already reached the rank of an Outer Scenery True Person.

Buddhist radiance enveloped him like a solar halo, his wisdom clear and pure, his entire body luminous.

The Buddhist radiance gathered without dispersing, gradually forming a solemn dharma manifestation behind him.

What a bodhisattva!

The bodhisattva wore a jeweled crown in which a manifested Buddha appeared. Jeweled necklaces draped his body, and precious bangles adorned his arms and wrists. He held a lotus in one hand and a scripture banner in the other, his face like the full moon. He offered a Buddhist salutation to the man on the mountain. "This humble monk, Sangha Deva, greets the Great Wisdom Consort proclaimed by the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King."

"Sangha Deva? So it is the Harmonious Assembly."

The Mountain Lord fixed his amber eyes on the novice before him and spoke in understanding.

The Harmonious Assembly?

Illuminating Light blazed within Li Fuchan's "Brow Peak," suppressing Treasure Light and Golden Light and occupying the peak alone. Drawing on the cultivation experience and knowledge he had acquired over the years, he tried to deduce the original meaning of "Harmonious Assembly."

Even as he kept himself alert, expecting to hear some secrets, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

This Sangha Deva seems to be bowing to me?!

Refusing to believe it, Li Fuchan shifted to the left. Sure enough, Sangha Deva shifted with him and chanted again, "This humble monk, Sangha Deva, pays his respects to the Great Wisdom Consort proclaimed by the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King."

I am the Wisdom Consort?!

Li Fuchan's expression abruptly changed, as though he had swallowed a fly.

Having spoken, Sangha Deva turned toward Mu Liang'er. His compassionate gaze suddenly sharpened, filling with wrath. The apparition behind him changed as well, its eyes widening in fury as it glared fiercely at Mu Liang'er. Monk and apparition spoke together, their voices booming like a great bell:

"This demon has bewitched the Wisdom Consort and deserves ten thousand deaths. This humble monk beseeches the Wisdom Consort's Edict to execute this demon."

I am a demon?!

Mu Liang'er's face went from white to red, from grief to joy. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether she was crying or laughing.

Thoughts raced through Li Fuchan's mind, and at last he understood what those "incomprehensible" looks on the monks' faces had meant when he cut them down. They had plainly been overwhelmed with ecstasy.

To be killed by the Wisdom Consort—was that not to be personally delivered by the Wisdom King into rebirth in the Buddhist Land, to enjoy bliss for ten thousand lifetimes?

The Qi-Form False Body has implicated me!

Understanding dawned on Li Fuchan.

Turning to Sangha Deva, he immediately pressed his palms together and softly chanted homage to the Great Compassionate Venerable Wisdom King. Under the gazes of the mountain lord and Mu Liang'er, he said, "I have an Edict. Will you heed it, master?"

"This humble monk respectfully receives your Edict."

Sangha Deva bowed in assent.

"Please take your own life."

Sangha Deva's gaze remained calm, without a ripple. He simply looked at Li Fuchan and said softly, "This humble monk is Assembly Heaven, neither living nor dead. When the monastic assembly disperses, I shall naturally return to Shakyamuni Buddha Land. For now, I ask the Wisdom Consort to proceed to the Wisdom King's Sanctuary and respectfully welcome the Wisdom King's arrival."

Li Fuchan gave a cold laugh.

His eyes, which had only with difficulty shown a little warmth and gentleness before the Lord of Zongshedu Mountain, slowly narrowed. His brows and eyes drew into long, thin lines, and uncontrollable malice surged sky-high as he thundered:

"You were originally a faithless disciple, who forgot the great precepts and uttered falsehoods. What is your crime!"

Sangha Deva's expression did not change. He lowered his head and replied, "This humble monk accepts his guilt and requests expulsion from the monastic assembly."

The moment he finished speaking, his form abruptly dissolved. That oppressive might receded like a tide and vanished completely. Before Li Fuchan could recover, another monk stepped out from the ranks, rising through Aperture Opening to its ninth level, then through Outer Scenery to True Person, all in a single leap. His features transformed once more into Sangha Deva's, and he intoned:

"The Wisdom Consort possesses Great Wisdom."

Even the Mountain Lord's gaze upon Li Fuchan acquired a few shades of deeper meaning.

Li Fuchan sighed inwardly. I was mistaken. I thought "Sangha" meant assembly and "Deva" meant heaven, that they gathered their assembly to borrow heaven's might and thus obtain power at the rank of a True Person. That was why I induced him to commit a minor falsehood under the precept against lying, thinking that expelling him from the monastic assembly would break it. My Dao Attainment is insufficient. I can see only the surface, not understand what lies within.

He let out a quiet sigh.

Sangha Deva softly chanted the Buddha's name and stepped aside to clear the way. "Please proceed, Wisdom Consort."

I have the Three Lights lying dormant, the Flying Sword Coughing Thunder, and the might of "Li Thunder," yet not one of these powers can shake a True Person's might. This path has reached its end.

Li Fuchan knew he could scarcely escape death today. Relying on the unusual nature of this body, he instead felt no fear. With that thought, the Li Thunder within his sea of qi unexpectedly flowed freely, faint lightning glimmering within.

Without another word, he left with Sangha Deva.

Hoping you'll keep reading, asking you to keep reading, and thanking you for keeping up with the story. The author will keep striving!!!!