Chapter Summaries

Lu Feng realized that six scripture students had been arranged to target him, and a debate turned deadly when a defeated monk killed himself and terror began to overwhelm the courtyard. Lu Feng dispelled the oppressive presence with the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra, then challenged one of the hostile students to debate.

• Lu Feng noticed that the six students who bore him ill will had been paired against others rather than one another, and waited for their plan to unfold.
• A defeated scripture student slammed himself into a tree and died, while the student beside him was killed by terror; Elder Mingfa, Elder Mingzhi, and the abbot's attendant did not stop the debate.
• Lu Feng sensed the deaths feeding a growing terror that threatened the remaining students, so he rose and chanted the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra.
• Lu Feng's mantra cleared the oppressive atmosphere and gave the dying students a moment to breathe.
• Lu Feng introduced himself as a scripture student from Ganye Temple, approached a hostile student, and asked what it meant to see one's nature through emptiness and reality.

Lu Feng defeated the Sutra Student Monks who opposed him in scriptural debate, using his mantra practice and relentless questioning to leave them unable to answer. After the remaining monks yielded their robes, the Abbot Venerable’s attendant rang the Dharma Gong, and Lu Feng’s path to becoming a Kalyāṇamitra was declared clear.

• Lu Feng overwhelmed the first monk with rapid scriptural questions until the man collapsed, unable to respond.
• Lu Feng advanced to the next monk as Elder Mingfa watched and remarked that Lu Feng had a profound affinity with the Buddha.
• Elder Mingzhi and the attendants allowed the debates to continue because Lu Feng’s methods were within the rules.
• Lu Feng defeated the monks who bore him ill will, then accepted the robes offered by the remaining Sutra Student Monks.
• The Abbot Venerable’s attendant rang the Dharma Gong, and Lu Feng respectfully offered his own robes; the attendant revealed that his path to becoming a Kalyāṇamitra was now unobstructed.

Lu Feng passed the debate and Guru Zhiyun escorted him to receive the precepts, a Dharma name, and a tutelary deity. As they headed into the rear mountain, the ancient scroll depicted a sinister presence emerging from the temple’s burial terraces, unbeknownst to Lu Feng.

• Guru Zhiyun asked Lu Feng a simple question, and Lu Feng answered correctly, completing the debate.
• Elder Mingzhi kept Elder Mingfa behind to question him about the scripture monks he had selected for the upcoming Dharma assembly.
• Guru Zhiyun led Lu Feng toward the rear mountain and warned him against trusting the chieftains’ lineage or the temple’s neutral monks.
• The ancient scroll depicted shadowy figures watching from the white pagoda tombs and suggested that something wanted to emerge, but Lu Feng noticed nothing.
• Guru Zhiyun brought Lu Feng to a registrar’s office, where he scolded the sleeping monastic official and offered Lu Feng the post.
• Lu Feng declined the registrar’s post, and the grateful official fetched the register to enroll him.

Lu Feng received the Dharma name Yongzhen and was secretly ordained by Zhiyun, who then sent him to spend the night in a locked hall studying its murals. The chapter leaves Lu Feng inside the clammy, cold hall, tasked with comprehending the “Immovable Mind.”

• Zhiyun ordered the monk official to record Lu Feng as a sixteen-year-old monk named Zhasa, omitting his birth details, Buddhist affinity, precepts, and attainments, and wrote down the Dharma name Yongzhen.
• After Lu Feng left, Zhiyun made the monk official conceal the irregular register, dismissed his attendant, and ordered him to resolve the matter of two women kept in the temple.
• Lu Feng considered the dangers of his position and wondered whether Zhuogedunzhu’s reputation could protect them from the chieftains’ Lineages.
• Zhiyun hurried Lu Feng between watchtowers, administered his precepts, and led him to a locked hall behind the mountain.
• Zhiyun told Lu Feng to remain in the hall overnight, leave only with Zhiyun the next morning, and study the murals to comprehend the “Immovable Mind” and gain the authority to recite mantras.
• Lu Feng entered the hall and felt a wave of clammy cold.

After becoming a sixth-stage monk, Lu Feng reflected on the poverty and hardship he had escaped, then entered an old hall to study its murals and perceive the Immovable Mind. When he opened the Ancient Scroll, he saw the Endless White Pagoda Temple’s burial ground filled with Malevolent Ghosts, leaving his survival uncertain.

• Lu Feng recalled how poor Sutra Student Monks struggled to afford clothing, education, and shelter, and remembered one who died after losing his toes to frostbite.
• Lu Feng recognized that his new rank let him wear red robes, carry ritual implements, and have attendant monks, though he had been rushed through ordination before receiving his supplies or completing the Great Offering.
• Lu Feng entered a clean but ancient hall as evening fell and lit a candlestick to examine the murals.
• Lu Feng studied a mural of the Great Sun Tathagata above a vast ocean, wondering how it could reveal the Immovable Mind.
• Lu Feng opened the Ancient Scroll and saw the Endless White Pagoda Temple’s burial platform crowded with Malevolent Ghosts.

Lu Feng studied his Ancient Scroll and realized the scenes of Malevolent Ghosts were changing as his blessing from the Subjugation of Malevolent Ghosts neared its end. As night fell, he recited the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra in the dilapidated hall, unaware that six Malevolent Ghosts had gathered outside and the true danger had begun.

• Lu Feng examined the Ancient Scroll, confirmed that his three tasks remained incomplete, and questioned what the Fire Rooster Year's contamination meant.
• Lu Feng saw that the Chang Ghost and Tiger Ghost had filled his Ancient Scroll with wisdom that would last only a little over five more days.
• Lu Feng decided not to investigate the Malevolent Ghosts in the rear mountain's stupa burial grounds and hoped the Ancient Hall was free of them.
• As night fell, Lu Feng recited the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra while turning his Kapala rosary, whose beads became jade-white and held Malevolent Ghosts.
• Six Malevolent Ghosts formed from monks appeared outside the hall and tried to attack Lu Feng, but the Great Compassion Resonance pinned them outside as he remained unaware.

Lu Feng’s mantra practice awakened a compassionate mind, and he accidentally began a Fire Offering inside the abandoned mandala, setting the rear mountain ablaze. As the monastery’s elders sealed the exits to investigate, Lu Feng remained inside with the six Malevolent Ghosts.

• Lu Feng recited the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra and awakened a compassionate mind through the Kapala rosary’s empowerment.
• Lu Feng used luminous fire to begin a Fire Offering against the six Malevolent Ghosts outside the hall.
• The Fire Offering ignited the abandoned mandala and spread flames across the Ancient Hall and rear mountain.
• Zhiyun saw the fire but could not reach the locked rear mountain.
• Elder Mingfa ordered every entrance locked and forbade anyone, including Zhiyun, from leaving without his written order.

Lu Feng survived an abandoned Mandala’s fire offering by keeping his mind immovable, then awakened and subdued six Malevolent Ghosts through compassion. After a black sheep delivered a Thangka, he found its transmission lineage appeared broken within the Endless White Pagoda Temple.

• A fire offering in the abandoned Mandala caused Hungry Ghosts to devour Lu Feng’s body, senses, and consciousness while Great Terror assailed his mind.
• Lu Feng recited a single-syllable Secret Mantra, offered himself completely, and maintained an Immovable Mind through the ordeal.
• After the Great Offering, Lu Feng awakened and subdued the six Malevolent Ghosts linked to him by karma through Great Compassion Resonance.
• A black sheep brought Lu Feng a Thangka, which contained cultivation instructions but no yidam for empowerment.
• Lu Feng concluded that the Thangka’s Transmission Dharma Lineage was broken within the Endless White Pagoda Temple.

Lu Feng subdued six malevolent ghosts, gained an immovable mind, and spent the night safely inside the ancient hall. At dawn, the black sheep left, and Zhiyun arrived to check on him.

• Lu Feng examined the Thangka but put it away, deciding to wait until he knew more about its seed syllable and principal deity.
• He considered how his immovable mind and compassionate heart might help him withstand the Great Terror and approach King Mingzhu.
• Lu Feng tested the six ritual implements, finding that the butter lamp concealed him from ordinary malevolent ghosts and the Damaru soothed them.
• Lu Feng watched the black sheep outside the hall until sunrise, when it vanished into the darkness.
• Zhiyun hurried to the hall and asked whether Lu Feng had been safe; Lu Feng said the night had passed without incident.

Lu Feng completed the final step of becoming a monk in the Endless White Pagoda Temple as Monk Zhiyun outfitted him in red robes and ritual implements. After Lu Feng struck the Great Sutra Hall’s gong three times, the monks gathered for the Great Offering.

• Monk Zhiyun asked Lu Feng to protect his illegitimate son if the temple’s Lineage ever suffered calamity, then reflected on the many obstacles Lu Feng would face after earning his Kalyāṇamitra degree.
• Monk Zhiyun obtained three sets of red robes and ritual implements from the storehouse monk and had Lu Feng put on one set.
• Monk Zhiyun led Lu Feng to the Great Sutra Hall, where Elder Mingfa sat as Chief Seat and the monks watched.
• At Monk Zhiyun’s signal, Lu Feng struck the ritual gong three times, and the monks hurried to gather for the Great Offering.

Lu Feng watched the great offering proceed without disturbance, then told Zhiyun that he wished to worship King Mingzhu. Zhiyun warned him to consider carefully and pointed out another path of wisdom at the temple.

• The monks gathered in the Great Sutra Hall, where they received tea, rice porridge, and copper coins according to their rank and duties.
• Lu Feng observed the offering calmly as the monks followed the temple's rules and concluded with a hymn and bows.
• Elder Mingfa left before the final signal, and the other red-robed scripture monks followed him out.
• After the remaining monks departed, Zhiyun invited Lu Feng to choose a Lama and asked which Yidam he wished to worship.
• Lu Feng named King Mingzhu, and Zhiyun advised him to consider carefully because the temple also offered the Vajra Bodhi Mahā Mahāmudrā path.

Lu Feng chose King Mingzhu as his personal deity despite Zhiyun explaining the rare and demanding qualifications required, and Elder Mingli took him to register at the Scripture Institute. Elder Mingfa heard of Lu Feng’s progress but chose to wait for the Abbot Venerable’s coming death and the upheaval he expected to follow.

• Zhiyun warned Lu Feng that worshipping King Mingzhu required extraordinary spiritual qualities, but Lu Feng reaffirmed his deliberate choice.
• Elder Mingli gave Lu Feng a bag of offerings and asked about his Dharma name, personal deity, and Scripture Institute registration.
• Lu Feng said his Dharma name was Yongzhen, declared his wish to worship King Mingzhu, and followed Elder Mingli to register at the Scripture Institute.
• As they passed monks and slaves, Lu Feng quietly recited the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra, and Zhiyun and Elder Mingli noticed his compassion resonance.
• Elder Mingfa learned that Elder Mingli was taking Lu Feng to the Scripture Institute, dismissed the report, and continued waiting for the Abbot Venerable to pass into nirvana.

Elder Mingli registered himself as Yongzhen’s Yidam Lama and punished Yongli by banishing him to Bayang Village under a speech prohibition. After Zhiyun removed Yongli and the dead attendant, Mingli offered Yongzhen the monastery’s registration clerk position.

• Elder Mingli reprimanded Yongli for eating and drinking at work, then ordered him to leave the monastery and replace a monk in Bayang Village.
• Elder Mingli registered himself as Yongzhen’s Yidam Lama, with Zhiyun remaining silent about the arrangement.
• Elder Mingli placed a speech prohibition on Yongli, saying it would be lifted when he reached Bayang Village and met the monk there.
• Zhiyun took Yongli and the dead attendant away, leaving Elder Mingli to offer Yongzhen the registration clerk position.

Lu Feng became Elder Mingli’s disciple and monastic clerk, learning about Mingli’s power and the dangers of inheriting the King Mingzhu Dharma Lineage. The chapter ended with Lu Feng preparing to undergo his first empowerment, despite the risk of becoming a Malevolent Ghost.

• Lu Feng accepted Elder Mingli as his personal-deity Lama and learned that the bond brought obligations as well as access to Mingli’s authority and resources.
• Elder Mingli explained the discipline monks’ judicial power and said Lu Feng could inherit some of his estates and influence if anything happened to him.
• Elder Mingli instructed Lu Feng to fast and follow strict rules before receiving the first blessing empowerment for the King Mingzhu Dharma Protector Mantra.
• Elder Mingli revealed that his previous six disciples had become Malevolent Ghosts during their first empowerment and warned Lu Feng that failure could deny him rebirth.
• Elder Mingli gave Lu Feng an ivory token, appointed him a monastic clerk, and told him to find an attendant monk before coming to the mountain mandala for empowerment.
• After Elder Mingli left, Lu Feng continued reciting the mantra and resolved to follow the only path available to him.

Lu Feng settled into his new quarters as a senior monk and meditated on the Dharma Mandala gifted by the Black Sheep. The Black Sheep appeared in his room that night but could not find him, while the monks outside briefly showed signs of its influence.

• Lu Feng fasted and moved into private quarters with help from Monk Yongqing, sent by Elder Mingli.
• Lu Feng studied the Dharma Mandala and focused on the Black Sheep until the Ancient Scroll against his chest grew hot.
• Lu Feng awakened and used the Six-Syllable Great Brightness Mantra, his Damaru, and Prayer Wheel as Ghost Resonance filled the room.
• The Black Sheep searched the room but could not find Lu Feng, while a yellow-robed monk outside began to rot.
• At sunrise, the Black Sheep left, and the yellow-robed monks recovered, though their eyes briefly turned square like sheep's eyes.

Lu Feng's great compassion resonance awakened the seventh lotus petal and transformed the six eminent monks' ghosts into his protectors as he used a mudra and mantra to purify the room. Outside, the ghosts summoned him to the Rear Mountain Stupa Burial Ground, while Monk Yongqing became a malevolent ghost after fleeing to report what he had seen.

• Six eminent monks' ghosts circled Lu Feng and their great compassion resonance opened the seventh lotus petal, pushing the yellow-robed ghosts away from his room.
• Monk Yongqing approached the door, sensed danger, and ran, while the yellow-robed monks' bones burst from their bodies and called Lu Feng to the Rear Mountain Stupa Burial Ground.
• Lu Feng saw the ghost resonance beneath the ground and absorbed milky-white light as the six eminent monks' ghosts honored him and prayed for him.
• Lu Feng formed several mudras and used the mantra "Mi," bringing great luminosity and stillness as the six ghosts became dharma protectors.
• Monk Yongqing felt his skin and flesh cut away, saw his body still running, and became a malevolent ghost.

Monk Yongqing transformed into a powerful Malevolent Ghost, while Lu Feng presented an invisible Thangka during questioning by Elder Mingli. When Mingli tried to reveal it, the Thangka’s power resisted him, and Lu Feng drew on the Ancient Scroll’s protection to contain its influence.

• Monk Yongqing regenerated with a thousand hands and eyes, and an invisible force seized the yellow-robed monks as the Discipline Lama arrived.
• Elder Mingli questioned Lu Feng, who explained that the black sheep had dug up a Thangka and placed it before him.
• Elder Mingli could not see the Thangka in Lu Feng’s hands, but believed his disciple and suspected it was connected to Monk Yongqing’s transformation.
• Elder Mingli formed the Six-Syllable Manjushri Sword Seal and recited a Secret Mantra, causing the Thangka to appear to Lu Feng.
• Elder Mingli summoned King Mingzhu’s wrathful presence, and mantra seals from the Thangka crawled toward Lu Feng’s hands.
• Lu Feng shut his eyes and focused on emptiness, as the Great Sun Tathagata’s image shrank into a Bindu and settled in his Umbilical Meridian Chakra.

Elder Mingzhi subdued Elder Mingli’s wrathful transformation, but Lu Feng’s Thangka vanished, prompting Elder Mingli to prepare a journey northwest to investigate ancient matters tied to Lu Feng. Elder Mingfa learned of the incident and revealed his intention to subjugate an unseen presence, advance his Dharma mastery, and eventually outlast the temple’s other monks.

• Lu Feng continued reciting a mantra as Elder Mingzhi beat back King Mingzhu’s hands and made offerings to calm Elder Mingli’s wrathful transformation.
• Elder Mingli returned to normal and told Elder Mingzhi that Lu Feng had been holding something, but Elder Mingzhi said he could not identify it or act against it.
• Elder Mingzhi left, and Elder Mingli saw that Lu Feng’s Thangka had disappeared and told him to prepare to leave the temple.
• Elder Mingli said they would travel northwest by packhorse to consult manor lords about ancient matters connected to Lu Feng.
• Elder Mingfa learned of the events, called them a severed Dharma Lineage, and told an unseen presence that he intended to subjugate it before going to Zajuben Temple.

Lu Feng traveled with Elder Mingli to the Ganing Lineage estate, where they hoped to learn how to resolve the malevolent ghost attached to him. As darkness fell, Elder Mingli revealed Sunrise Temple with a golden Great Sun and led the procession inside to rest.

• Lu Feng left the Endless White Pagoda Temple with Elder Mingli and recited a mantra to comfort the horse-tending monk who helped him mount.
• Elder Mingli explained that the Ganing Lineage served King Mingzhu as spirit shamans and said their prophecies might resolve Lu Feng's problem.
• Elder Mingli promised to teach Lu Feng the Immaculate Body Yoga Great Mudra so he could protect himself while unable to practice his King Mingzhu Dharma Protector Mantra.
• As dusk approached near Abian Village, Lu Feng spotted a black goat watching him from the darkness.
• When the Guide Monk could not find the great tree that marked Sunrise Temple, Elder Mingli summoned a golden Great Sun to reveal the tree and the temple.
• Elder Mingli ordered everyone to rest at Sunrise Temple and remained behind Lu Feng as the packhorses entered the village.

At Sunrise Temple, Lu Feng discovered that a Malevolent Ghost was confined inside the main hall and used his Great Compassion Resonance to help the coughing monks. Elder Mingli then performed a ritual that brought Lu Feng into deep meditation, where a principal deity formed as forces gathered around the temple.

• Lu Feng entered Sunrise Temple with Elder Mingli and found scripture pillars and drapes suppressing a Malevolent Ghost inside the main hall.
• The Malevolent Ghost’s resonance made attendant monks cough and develop pustules, but Lu Feng expelled the resonance from them and burned the resulting blood clots.
• Elder Mingli explained that the temple had acquired its Dharma Protector after a disgraced great monk was banished there, and that the surrounding village had dwindled.
• Elder Mingli bathed Lu Feng with safflower water and chanted as Lu Feng entered a profound meditative state.
• A principal deity formed in Lu Feng’s milky-white radiance as powerful winds swept toward the temple, and a figure from Lu Feng’s shadow merged with Elder Mingli’s shadow.