Zen chants wound around the ancient temple; Buddhist bells marked time upon the Purification Terrace.
A golden Buddha sat within the temple; a withered monk gathered winter firewood.
A golden ancient temple hung in the void. Beneath it lay an inverted cone of land, suspended upside down in the cosmos.
That largest ancient temple stood upon the largest floating cone of land, and beneath it, smaller cones of land floated in the void.
Upon those smaller cones stood little temples as well.
Throughout this independent expanse of void, everything in sight hung suspended in emptiness.
Only that largest ancient temple stood out most conspicuously, and it stood highest of all...
Inside the largest ancient temple, Revered Master Withered Leaf sat cross-legged upon the Pure Lotus Mat, holding prayer beads in one hand and raising the other before his chest, murmuring Zen verses.
Before him stood a golden Buddha a thousand feet tall.
A Fanpu golden light of the Buddhist Sect emanated from the Buddha's body...
Everything looked so peaceful.
An Arhat entered the hall with his palms joined and bowed deeply. "Amitabha. Revered Master, guests have arrived."
Revered Master Withered Leaf slowly opened his eyes and slowly nodded.
As though he had anticipated this long ago, Revered Master Withered Leaf showed no surprise at all. He merely cast his gaze into the emptiness beyond the hall and sighed deeply.
"Please show our guests in."
Seeing that indefinable expression on Revered Master Withered Leaf's face, the Arhat seemed somewhat hesitant. "But our guests seem to have come with ill intent."
"There are two Sages among them."
Both Sages were exceptionally transcendent, their cultivation equal to Revered Master Withered Leaf's.
Once they entered the Hanging Temple, they might easily bring considerable trouble...
Revered Master Withered Leaf slowly shook his head. "Please show