The Great Sun Sutra, lost for a thousand years

Hui Ming sighed. "Hui Jing, you are exceptionally gifted. Reaching the Transformation Realm at fifty certainly makes you a rare talent. But you must understand that there is always someone better, always a higher peak.

"I have seen Benefactor Chen's cultivation with my own eyes and experienced it firsthand. Never mind you—even I am insignificant before him."

Hui Jing jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief and resentment.

Insignificant?

His senior brother stood at the Peak Transformation Realm and ranked among the greatest figures in Esoteric Buddhism's hundred-year history, yet he claimed to be insignificant before that young man?

He did not believe it.

But he dared not contradict his senior brother again. He merely lowered his head and remained silent.

Hui Ming turned to Chen Hao and raised one hand in a Buddhist salute. "Benefactor Chen, my failure to discipline them has subjected you to unfair treatment."

Chen Hao waved a hand. "It's fine."

Hui Ming smiled wryly. "I admire your generosity of spirit."

He paused, then looked at Hui Jing and the younger monks. "All of you, come here and apologize to Benefactor Chen."

The younger monks hurried forward and bowed. Hui Jing stood where he was, hesitated, then approached and bowed as well, without saying a word.

Hui Ming frowned and was about to speak when Chen Hao cut in.

"No need to force him. It's perfectly natural that you don't believe me."

Hui Jing looked up at him.

Chen Hao said evenly, "You began practicing martial arts at six and spent fifty years cultivating before reaching the Transformation Realm. To you, that already represents a rare gift. You cannot imagine someone reaching heights at thirty that your senior brother could not attain in sixty years. That's perfectly natural."

Hui Jing's expression shifted, but he said nothing.

"But remember this." Chen Hao looked at him calmly. "Some people exist in this world to shatter everything you think you know."

Hui Jing shuddered.

In the livestream chat:

[I am Ying Zheng: That was so well said! Some people exist to shatter everything you think you know!]

[Yaoyao's little red riding hood: You're so handsome! That presence is off the charts!]

[Snowblowing at the east gate: Those words... I'm writing them down. It's true. My grandpa trained his whole life and only reached the Transformation Realm. But Celestial Master Chen is thirty...]

[Driving rideshares, not delivering takeout: That monk's face has gone green, hahaha.]

[A Fan: So satisfying! So damn satisfying! That's how you put someone in their place!]

Watching this, Hui Ming nodded inwardly. This young man possessed not only extraordinary cultivation, but an equally transcendent state of mind. Faced with doubt, he showed neither anger nor irritation, yet a few brief words had left Hui Jing speechless.

He cleared his throat. "All right, it's getting late. Please follow me to the dining hall for a vegetarian meal."

Everyone followed him toward the dining hall. Hui Jing remained where he was, watching Chen Hao's retreating figure with a complicated look in his eyes.

The dining hall was small but spotlessly clean. Simple vegetarian dishes sat on the long table: highland barley porridge, tsampa, butter tea, and a few small plates of side dishes.

"It's a humble meal, hardly worthy of our guests," Hui Ming said.

"This is already wonderful," Cai Jingwen replied politely.

Everyone sat down, and Chen Hao placed the wolf cub on a meditation cushion beside him. The little fellow seemed very interested in the butter tea and kept lifting its head to sniff.

Amused, Li Li broke off a small piece of tsampa and offered it to the cub. It sniffed, cautiously licked it, then brightened and swallowed it in one bite.

"It likes it!" Li Li exclaimed delightedly.

Everyone laughed, and the mood grew considerably lighter.

After the meal, Hui Ming invited everyone to the main hall for tea. Butter lamps burned inside, their dim yellow light lending the Buddha statues an especially compassionate air.

The younger monks brought out butter tea and snacks, then withdrew to one side. None left, however; they all stole glances at Chen Hao.

Hui Ming looked at Chen Hao, considered for a moment, then said, "Benefactor Chen, I have a presumptuous request."

"Please go ahead, Master."

Hui Ming sighed. "I have cultivated for over sixty years and believe I have been diligent. But today's battle made me realize just how far short my cultivation falls. Even with all my strength, I could barely hold my own against that Gu Diao King. Had you not intervened, I would already have passed away."

He looked at Chen Hao earnestly. "Might I be so bold as to ask you a few questions about cultivation? Would you be willing to offer some guidance?"

At these words, everyone in the hall pricked up their ears.

Hui Jing stared intently at Chen Hao, eager to see just what abilities this young man possessed to make his senior brother so humble.

Chen Hao lifted his butter tea, took a sip, and said evenly, "What would you like to ask, Master?"

Hui Ming perked up and hurriedly asked, "I have practiced Esoteric Buddhist cultivation methods for over sixty years and reached the Peak Transformation Realm long ago. Yet I have never been able to take that final step and touch the realm beyond Return to Truth. May I ask where the key to this lies?"

Chen Hao set down his cup and looked at him. "What cultivation method do you practice, Master?"

"The Great Sun Sutra of Esoteric Buddhism."

Chen Hao nodded. "The Great Sun Sutra is indeed a superior Esoteric Buddhist cultivation method, but there is one problem."

Hui Ming quickly asked, "What problem?"

"It's incomplete."

Hui Ming froze.

Chen Hao continued, "Esoteric Buddhist cultivation methods originated in Ancient India. After they spread to the Central Plains, many portions were lost amid successive wars. The Great Sun Sutra originally had nine levels, but only the first six remain in circulation today.

"Reaching the Peak Transformation Realm is already the limit of this incomplete method. To break through, you must restore the final three levels."

Hui Ming's expression changed several times before he finally said, "You are absolutely right. Successive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism have all attempted to complete the method, but none ever found a way.

"I, too, have thought that obtaining the complete method might allow me to break through. But..." He smiled bitterly. "The complete method has been lost for a thousand years. Where could I possibly find it?"

Chen Hao fell silent for a moment, then took a yellowed booklet from inside his robe and placed it on the table.

"Take a look at this, Master."

Startled, Hui Ming picked up the booklet and opened it to the first page.

After reading just a few lines, his expression changed.

"This... this is..."

The more he read, the more excited he became. Even his hands were shaking. When he reached the final page, he abruptly looked up and stared at Chen Hao. "Benefactor! These are the final three levels of the Great Sun Sutra! The three levels lost for a thousand years!"

Everyone in the hall was stunned!

The younger monks burst into an uproar and crowded around, hoping to see the booklet. Hui Jing pushed right to the front, staring fixedly at its yellowed pages, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Impossible!" he blurted. "The final three levels of the Great Sun Sutra have been lost for a thousand years! Successive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism searched the entire world without finding them. How could they possibly be in his hands?"

Hui Ming glared at him and said sternly, "Hui Jing! Do not be disrespectful!"

He turned to Chen Hao, holding the booklet in both hands, and bowed his head deeply. Even his voice trembled. "Benefactor... this... this is far too precious... I... what have I done to deserve this...?"

Chen Hao said evenly, "I happened to find it while traveling in the Western Regions some time ago. It's of little use to me. Since you need it, Master, you can have it."

Have it?

Have it?!

Everyone in the hall thought they had misheard.

He was simply... giving away the supreme cultivation method of Esoteric Buddhism, lost for a thousand years?

Hui Ming's hands trembled as he held the booklet. His eyes reddened and his lips quivered, but he could not utter a word.

The younger monks exchanged looks, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

Hui Jing stood rooted to the spot, his mind utterly blank.

In the livestream chat: