"I am the law!"
The entire void shook violently. Countless flickering points of light emerged from the chaos, resembling stars, or the lowered eyes of countless living beings.
Emperor Chen drew the sword at his waist, the symbol of his supreme imperial authority. As the blade left its sheath, every star in the sky dimmed for an instant. Then a streak of light poured down like the Milky Way overturned.
He slashed downward to the faint rumble of a dragon's roar. Sword light cascaded like a waterfall, cleaving the void as it descended upon the gaunt figure below.
"I would slay even a Buddha who stood in my way, let alone an old monk like you!"
Chaos churned wherever the sword light passed, and currents of air exploded, as though heaven and earth themselves had bowed before it.
Faxian stood beneath the sword light, his eyes lowered and his palms pressed together.
Light suddenly kindled in the empty chaos behind him.
It was a gentle, tender light, like the first ray of early spring sunshine melting accumulated snow.
The halo gradually spread, accompanied by a distant Buddhist chant, faint and elusive, like sutras being recited beyond a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers.
Within the halo, a majestic Buddha slowly appeared. He was neither a thousand feet tall nor seated upon a throne. He simply sat casually cross-legged, wearing the same patched kasaya as Faxian, his gaunt face bearing the peaceful smile of one who had seen all the vicissitudes of the world.
Faxian extended his hand.
That gaunt, callused palm rose to meet the falling torrent of sword light.
His movements were slow, as slow as an old man pushing open an aged window in the dusk.
Compared with the sword light pouring down like the overturned Milky Way,