Monk Wufa walked step by step toward the foot of Mount Great Autumn. Far away, within Xiangshan Monastery in Great Yong, Buddhist light also shone inside the jeweled roof of Miguang Hall.
At that moment, Monk Wufa slowly raised his head as he walked into the blizzard and looked south. It was as though he could see that distant Buddhist light, and even more clearly feel its Buddhist essence, as though he had gained another layer of understanding of the Nameless Sutra, or sensed the hazy figure of a Bodhisattva.
It seemed a thousand miles away, yet right before his eyes-or perhaps hidden within his heart.
Faced with his present circumstances, he also felt like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river, unable even to save himself.
"Behold the body in freedom, without fear, without evil beings."
Monk Wufa stopped reciting the sutra. He lowered his hands from their prayer gesture, his face bearing the solemn dignity of the Buddhist Sect, while a long-absent radiance flickered in his eyes.
The meditation he had once practiced, everything he had seen, everything he had pondered, all his confusions and revelations-enlightenment might come in a single instant, but the experiences leading to it never did.
Had Yi Shuyuan stood beside him, he would certainly have recognized that gaze and that radiance. Rather than the compassionate eyes of a Buddha, Monk Wufa's gaze now resembled Ding Feixiong's during his final battle all those years ago.
Though Yi Shuyuan could not see him up close, he could still sense it. A deep karmic bond already linked him and Monk Wufa, and their shared perception now made him feel as though he were experiencing it himself. Looking beyond Great Autumn Temple, he sensed a vastness that made his heart tremble.
Not only Yi Shuyuan, but even the