Spirit Mountain's Thunderclap Temple, Mount Song's Shaolin Temple
Mo Wenjian's strength had reached the upper limit of the National Martial Arts world. He had reached the point where he could advance no further.
Only two paths lay before Mo Wenjian.
The first was to shatter the void and ascend to a higher world. The higher limit of that world would give Mo Wenjian room to advance.
The second was to draw on the mythological cultivation system Ye Fan had provided. His main body would remain in the National Martial Arts world, while his secondary soul traveled across the heavens and seized bodies throughout the myriad worlds. Each time one of his heavenly incarnations overcame a tribulation and ascended, it would return to his main body and bring him a lifetime's cultivation.
Without a moment's thought, Mo Wenjian chose the latter.
Since his main body would remain in the National Martial Arts world, Shaolin Temple would no longer be a temporary residence, but a permanent home.
Naturally, he had to attach greater importance to Shaolin Temple.
"All eminent monks who have reached the Gang Force realm, come to the Mahavira Hall at once to discuss matters!"
Mo Wenjian's strength had reached an inconceivable level.
With a single punch, Mo Wenjian could reduce Shaolin Temple to dust.
Transmitting his voice throughout Shaolin Temple was naturally a piece of cake.
As Mo Wenjian grew stronger and stronger, his prestige rose higher and higher.
When the eminent monks heard Mo Wenjian's voice transmission, they dared not delay and immediately hurried to the Mahavira Hall.
In the blink of an eye, the eminent monks at the Gang Force realm had all gathered.
"Greetings, Buddha's son!" Although the sudden summons in the middle of the night had disturbed their sleep, none of the eminent monks voiced any complaint.
"Where is Master Xingshan?" Mo Wenjian glanced around and found no sign of Master Xingshan. He found it very strange.
"The Buddha's son brought Shaolin Temple an immense karmic connection with the Buddha, and this gave rise to greed in Xingshan's heart. Xingshan proposed that we do everything possible to persuade the Buddha's son to stay at Shaolin Temple a little longer. In a sense, that meant preventing the Buddha's son from ascending to the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Heaven and reclaiming his position as a Buddha. Just as Xingshan voiced his thoughts, the Thousand Buddha Hall caught fire. That was clearly a warning from the Buddha. Xingshan knew he had committed a grave mistake and had intended to spend the rest of his life repenting in the Demon-Subduing Pagoda. This old monk's heart softened for a moment, so I punished Xingshan by sending him to repent in Bodhidharma Cave for three years!" Master Shanhui explained the whole affair, then lowered his head in shame. "We received the Buddha's son's guidance, yet failed to comprehend the true meaning of the Dharma, to empty ourselves of the four elements, or to purify the six senses. We implore the Buddha's son to punish us!"
"We implore the Buddha's son to punish us!" As soon as Master Shanhui finished, the eminent monks all begged for punishment in unison.
"Why do you worship the Buddha?" Mo Wenjian asked, casually waving a hand to help the eminent monks to their feet.
The eminent monks looked at one another, all somewhat at a loss.
The question seemed simple, but it went straight to the heart.
After a brief silence, Master Shanhui finally decided to speak first.
"This humble monk worships the Buddha to pray for his guidance and seek a home for my soul in the Dharma!" Master Shanhui believed that cultivating Buddhism meant cultivating the heart, and that a home for the soul lay in emptying oneself of the four elements and purifying the six senses, ultimately reaching a state without desire or want, sorrow or joy.
"This humble monk worships the Buddha because the mortal world's sea of suffering is too tormenting. Only in the tranquility of a Buddhist sanctuary can I find release!" Master Decai was one of the four divine monks, yet he had been trapped at Dan Jin Perfection for so many years, evidently because of a knot in his heart. Had Mo Wenjian's Heavenly Gang Thirty-Six Fists not drawn on the strengths of many schools, making it something other than a purely Buddhist cultivation method, Master Decai could likely have forgotten about breaking through to Gang Force in this lifetime.
"This humble monk worships the Buddha because all living beings suffer. I lack the ability to deliver them all from suffering, so I can only pray that the Buddha opens his eyes!" Master Deyuan had the heart to deliver all living beings from suffering, but lacked the ability. He was evidently deeply dissatisfied with the dark rule of the Great Qing Dynasty, yet lacked the courage to overthrow it.
The eminent monks dared not treat Mo Wenjian's question lightly.
After careful consideration, they all gave their answers.
Mo Wenjian was deeply dissatisfied with those answers.
"In my view, you are all wrong. Worshipping the Buddha is like taking a master. You worship the Buddha in order to become Buddhas yourselves. Rather than pray for the Buddha to guide you out of the maze, see through it yourselves and become Buddhas on the spot. Rather than pray for the Buddha to grant you a place of tranquility, become Buddhas yourselves and establish a Buddhist kingdom on earth. Rather than pray for the Buddha to deliver all living beings from suffering, become Buddhas yourselves and deliver them. You know that everyone has Buddha-nature, so why do you not dare imagine that everyone can become a Buddha?" Mo Wenjian pressed his palms together, his expression taking on a solemn, sacred aspect.
"Amitabha!" Upon hearing this, the eminent monks all felt as though a thunderclap had awakened the deaf, and without prior agreement, they invoked the Buddha's name.
"When one person attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. I have lived in Shaolin Temple for so many years. If I become a Buddha someday, you will at least be arhats. You must never belittle yourselves!" Mo Wenjian paused, then continued, "Master Shanhui, go to Bodhidharma Cave and ask Master Xingshan to come here!"
"I shall obey your decree!" Master Shanhui accepted the order and immediately left the Mahavira Hall.
It was Master Shanhui who had decided that Master Xingshan would spend three years facing the wall.
If he sent another eminent monk to tell Xingshan that his punishment was over, it would be something of a slap in Master Shanhui's face.
The best choice was for Master Shanhui to go in person.
A short while later, Master Shanhui returned to the Mahavira Hall with Master Xingshan.
Although Master Xingshan had spent only a short time facing the wall, his demeanor had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.
The imposing bearing he had possessed as abbot had completely fallen away, leaving only an approachable kindness.
"This humble monk knows his sins are grave. Thank you, Buddha's son, for showing me mercy!" Upon entering, Master Xingshan first apologized to Mo Wenjian.
"Until you have suffered another's pain, do not urge him to be good. Only by experiencing greed firsthand can you overcome it. Cultivating Buddhism means cultivating the heart. Only by entering the mortal world can you transcend it. Only by picking something up can you understand how to put it down. You experienced a tribulation of the heart and successfully emerged from it. That is cause for celebration. Even someone who has raised a butcher's knife can put it down and become a Buddha on the spot. You bore no ill intent and were thinking purely of Shaolin Temple's interests. That cannot be called a grave sin; it was merely a momentary mistake. I will not take it to heart, and neither need you!" Mo Wenjian held Master Xingshan in very high regard. During his time as abbot, Master Xingshan had not only personally instructed Mo Wenjian in cultivating the Muscle-Tendon Changing Classic, but had also granted his every request. After breaking through to Gang Force, he had immediately decided to become Mo Wenjian's dedicated protector. If the National Martial Arts world were a game map, Master Xingshan's favorability would surely be MAX.
"This humble monk is ashamed!" Master Xingshan could not help lowering his head, evidently still unable to untie the knot in his heart completely.
"Let us set the past aside for now and talk about the future!" Mo Wenjian paused, then continued, "Ye Fan, whom I brought back to Shaolin Temple, is a heavenly general under Great Emperor Ziwei, entrusted with the mission of overthrowing the Great Qing Dynasty and restoring our beautiful lands. Master Xingdian, a spy planted in Shaolin Temple by the Great Qing Dynasty, is Ye Fan's destined archenemy. I have decided to seal the mountain for a hundred years and leave the affairs of the mortal world to Ye Fan to contend over, while you devote yourselves to cultivation with me. I hope that before long, a saying will spread throughout the heavens and myriad worlds: Spirit Mountain's Thunderclap Temple, Mount Song's Shaolin Temple!"
"Amitabha!" The eminent monks' faith in Mo Wenjian had already reached the point of blindness, so naturally, whatever he said went.
At the thought that Shaolin Temple might one day stand shoulder to shoulder with the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Heaven, the eminent monks all looked invigorated.