The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

The howling wind at the top of the mountain was brutal. It was the kind of weather to chill one to the bone, cracking skin and solidifying blood.

Nonetheless, the deep, hoarse voice of Huang Liang was full of strength. He said slowly, “I have been cultivating kung fu for many years in order to realize my own path. When I finally broke through to the realm of void, however, I ended up in this world that was different from my own.”

“Is he an example of ‘ascension’?” Meng Qi found this idea somehow ridiculous in the midst of his serious explanation.

“After witnessing the differences between the two worlds, I was prompted to ponder over more fundamental questions. If I were to break through to the realm of void once again, where would I end up? IIf I were to do so over and over again, where would I find myself eventually? How would my final destination differ from all the places I’ve visited? Why must there be a final destination, why must there be a limit to my breakthrough?” Questioned Huang Liang in his raucous yet far-reaching voice, as if asking the Heaven above.

Shangguan Heng was getting a headache just listening to him, and said offhandedly, “‘The path’. The answer is undoubtedly ‘the path’.”

The era for Nine Primogenitors of Taoism, Five Ancient Emperors, and masters of Buddhism had long passed, and the experience beyond Dharmakaya level was known only to aristocratic families or sects like the Wang family of River East and Method of Mistress Su. Even so, the ultimate goal of cultivating kung fu had always been the discovery of one’s own path.

Huang Liang glanced at Shangguan Heng, and without any change in tone, said, “Stupid.”

Shangguan Heng flushed. Even so, knowing that this man had dwelled on the top of this mountain for years without eating or drinking made him far above his level. He kept his mouth shut and stared fiercely at the ice beneath his feet.

“Multiple times of ‘ascension’…” Meng Qi was dizzy at the mere thought of it. He paused to contemplate for a while before answering, “If you reach the destination, perhaps you will meet the true identity of Buddha and return to the most original state?”

He was afraid that his answer was as disappointing as Shangguan Heng’s. If that happened, maybe Huang Liang would lose interest in talking to them and chase them down the mountain.

“If you have been cultivating with a sincere heart, you will naturally share the same mind as Buddha,” Huang Liang said. He seemed to not have much understanding of Taoism, since he did not comment on ‘the original state of things’.” He continued, “I have always wondered, if all worlds I have visited were fake, am I witnessing the truth at this moment? If the worlds I have visited are not fake, why must I break through to the void to leave?”

“Just when I was unable to answer my own questions, a special encounter with a master helped me understand what is the truth, and what isn’t. In order to find that truth, I have been here contemplating all day, every day.”

“The truth?” Meng Qi sucked in a breath, whereas Shangguan Heng only felt his headache worsening.

“There is a Realm of Truth in every world; at the heart of it, it cannot be explained or described by our logic. In that realm, there is no concept of time, space, cause and effect, or life and death. Simply put, everything that can be felt or understood by us does not belong to that realm, because they are not real, but only what our different minds have put together.” explained Huang Liang. His voice seemed to grow, gradually filling up the space.

“In Taoism, it is called ‘Dao’; in Buddhism, it is called ‘Buddha’ or ‘Bodhi’; while in Brahmanism, it is called ‘The Realm of Param Brahman’.”

“That’s an interesting thought…” Meng Qi was captivated by his explanation, because sit was similar to his understanding of “the original state of things”. Regardless of whether his explanation contradicted that of Buddhism, or if it was the correct explanation, Meng Qi could use his words to improve his understanding of this topic.

“Outside the heart of it, there is a realm full of change and flux, where different laws combine with theories. This realm is not altered by any external influences. In Taoism, it is called the Ultimate Heaven; in Buddhism, it is called the pure land; while in Brahmanism, it is called ‘The Realm of Aparam Brahman’. In my sect, this realm and the core together are called the Realm of Truth. It contains the truth that will remain forever unchanged.” Huang Liang explained, his eyes alight with a feverish glimmer.

He paused and let out a gentle breath that suddenly transformed into a fierce storm that cut through the icy mist like a lethal saber. Then continuing, “Outside the Realm of Truth, different types of energy derive different Dharma and Logos. They combine with all natural elements to create different worlds. In any world, it is possible for a master to become an immortal. However, if the energy of the Realm of Truth changes, so do the Dharma and Logos of Heaven and Earth. When that happens, even immortals will lose all their power.”

“I understand that you may not believe in my words, but that’s the only possible explanation for the huge differences between various worlds, and the steady decline of the Dharmakaya’s lifespan generation after generation…”

Meng Qi had only been listening to Huang Liang’s words with passing interest. It was only when he mentioned the gradual decline in the Dharmakaya’s lifespan when Meng Qi took notice. This idea was not a completely unreasonable guess.

However, many questions surfaced in his mind as well. “When I was in the world of Journey to the West, why was there no change in the lifespan of the powerful masters? Also, why did their lifespan coincided with those of many historical figures in my world”

Huang Liang continued, “…Only then can we explain why in some worlds, the living beings live on a star that moves around the sun. While in other worlds, the earth is square and the heaven is round, the sacred tree of Fu Sang at the East and Kun Lun Peak at the West…”

“Living on a star that moves around the sun?” This shocked Meng Qi even more than his previous statement.

“That was exactly how my own world was like.” Huang Liang responded with a bitter laugh.

“Are you sure that they live on a star?” Meng Qi asked solemnly.

Huang Liang was from a world where people cultivated Kung Fu, which was completely different from the Earth. It was very likely that his world was one of the Worlds of Samsara. If his people indeed lived on a star, his ideas would finally get the evidence needed to carry weight!

Shangguan Heng was astonished seeing his two companions having an intense conversation. He only felt that as someone who was not as crazy as them, he would not understand a word they were saying.

“Of course. There were numerous masters from my world, some were able to travel around the star and return, while some were extremely good at calculation. They once calculated the fluctuations of the stars to conclude that our star is moving aroung the sun…” said Huang Liang, his tone as calm as before.

Finally, Shangguan Heng could not help but interrupt, “How’s that possible for everyone to be able to fly? If what you said is true, most of the living beings would have long fallen into the endless void.”

“How can someone ignorant like you understand the complexity of the mesmerizing Stars Force?” replied Huang Liang disdainfully.

Shangguan Heng flushed again, gritting his teeth.

A fresh idea suddenly sprung in Meng Qi’s mind. He asked, “Does the Grand Sun hold the same astral forces as the stars?”

“That is correct.” Huang Liang’s answer held a faint tremor of joy, as if sensing that Meng Qi had a brilliant mind.

However, he closed his eyes immediately afterwards, showing he was not willing to go any deeper into the topic.

Meng Qi was not angry after seeing this. Instead, he laughed heartily and left.

Shangguan Heng had been wanting to leave for a while, and he followed closely behind Meng Qi. When they left the top of the mountain, he asked Meng Qi, “Do you believe Huang Liang’s words?”

“No,” replied Meng Qi with a smile.

“No?” Shangguan Heng almost fainted upon hearing that. “How could you be so wrapped up in the conversation if you did not believe him in the first place?”

Meng Qi continued smiling. After all, he had learned two very important pieces of information during the conversation. One being that Huang Liang came from another world and the other being that there were indeed other worlds where the earth was not square and the heaven was not round.

Although Shangguan Heng had called Huang Liang a maniac, he did not see any sign of madness during their conversation. At most, some of his descriptions on the Realm of Truth and all the different worlds were slightly ’embellished’. When it came to his past experience and the world he belonged to, his words sounded credible to some extent.

Of course, it was possible that he was only making up stories. After all, he only had some circumstantial evidence, which in the end still had to trace back to the Earth and the World of Samsara.

In order to prove his ideas and find his own path, his next step would be to concentrate all his energy and focus into achieving the Buddha’s Palm, Divine Nine-annihilation, Heavenly Golden Scripture, and Eight Nine Mysteries techniques.

Ignoring Shangguan Heng’s reaction, Meng Qi quickly climbed down the mountain using both hands.

From that day onwards, Shangguan Heng felt that Meng Qi had changed. His figure seemed to have been drained of energy like a piece of dead wood, and his eyes no longer looked alive. Be it under the scorching sun or pouring rain, he would not stop moving forward. He never visited any cities or lit any fires. When he was hungry, he would eat fruits he picked along their journey. When he was tired, he would meditate on the spot. His hair grew long and his beard grew unkempt.

Though his appearance had become haggard, his Energy, Qi, Spirit and Will all seemed to be well kept within his body, making it impossible for others to sense.

“Is he trying to be an ascetic monk?” A stray thought crossed Shangguan Heng’s mind.

He had watched Meng Qi in this state all the way from early Autumn to early Winter. They had been travelling north, slowly approaching the border between North Zhou Dynasty and the grassland.

“That’s Mount Tianjie in front of us, do you want to travel to the grassland?” asked Shangguan Heng. He finally could not suppress his urge to ask Meng Qi about his intentions.

Mount Tianjie was a mountain range on the border between North Zhou Dynasty and the grassland.

It was just before dawn and their surroundings were still relatively dim. Shangguan Heng was absolutely sure that he did not want to enter the grassland at this time of the day to be chased by the masters there.

“Tianjie, the Heavenly Realm…” Upon hearing these words, Meng Qi had sudden inspiration,

“Ninth Heaven!”

“There were rumors about Celestial Court, Ninth Heaven and Thirty-third Heaven in many worlds. Interestingly enough, these descriptions were very similar to that in the Sutras. For instance, there was Bṛhatphala worlds and Four Formless Spaces in numerous worlds…” The question that Meng Qi had been puzzling over became clear as he realized some similarities between the descriptions of Heaven and Earth given by Taoism and Buddhism.

“That means, if I compare my understanding of the multiple universe to that of Buddhism and Taoism, it won’t be too far off. Even if I slip up at some parts, I can still correct them as I grow deeper in my understanding in the future…”

At that same moment, a pale orange sunlight burst forth from where the horizon met the sky and entered Meng Qi’s eyes. It was a ray of hope, magnificent and splendid.

“Only by accommodating changes can one become immortal, and only by clearing one’s mind can one have the heart of Bodhi.” Meng Qi finally understood these two lines. Feeling warm at his mid-brows, he imagined being up in the sky, surrounded the countless stars and the floating lands, the Golden Crow and Chaotic Hole, and all kinds of living beings. These were all evidence of change.

Shangguan Heng felt that Meng Qi had become a changed person in that split second. He seemed surreal, as if containing all things in the world.

It was not by design, but emanated from him naturally.

“Is this a display of Heaven-man Connection?” Just as Shangguan Heng was stunned in amazement, Meng Qi turned around and their eyes met.

His eyes were deep and intense beyond words. If anyone stared at his eyes for any longer, he might even see the faint outline of the blazing Grand Sun, the soaring Golden Crow, the unfathomable darkness, as well as the mesmerizing Galaxy…

Shangguan Heng could not help but step back. After tearing his eyes away from Meng Qi’s gaze, he turned and left without looking back.

“Are you not going to follow me?” asked Meng Qi, slightly confused.

In response, Shangguan Heng gloomily spat out a few words:

“You are way beyond my level.”

He then strode in the opposite direction, his every step firm but relaxed.