The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

A creaking sound filled the room as the door gradually closed, hiding the green-robed figure from view.

Thud! The doors had shut completely, leaving the group of martial artists to look at each other. It was an unexpected occurrence that Mr. Su would turn a blind eye to them. That he would simply leave to return to his room, without asking the reason they had come here.

Mr. Su’s cold, distant refusal put them in a dispirited, disappointed, and helpless mood. The only option left was not giving up until they were thrown out of the hostel now that they had barged right in!

There was no excuse for them to give up, no matter how dismal the chance of success!

The coarse-mannered woman knelt, bringing her knees down with force. “Mr. Su and Lady Jiang, martial arts have been on the decline for many years, leaving martial artists with a deep sense of humiliation. We spend days and nights tempering, practicing, and cultivating yet we can never match up to the minimal efforts that practitioners and automaton architects put forth.” Her voice not quite loud yet not quite soft either as she spoke.

“In this seemingly long, neverending night, where martial artists cannot seem to see even a sliver of light.”

“It wasn’t until today that we found out that ancient Qi refinement is a way to connect with the heaven as well as one of the correct paths of the world. It doesn’t lack in comparison to any of the sects. Naturally, we couldn’t restrain the excitement in our hearts. That was why we barged in here without showing proper respect and kneeled here before you.”

She merely described the deprived condition of martial arts as to provoke feelings of salvation in Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei, speaking only about how everything felt like it was a long, dark night to them. She did not mention, not even a word, about requesting them to be leaders and propagate martial arts far and wide. That would make it feel like they were trying to coerce them and would definitely backfire on them.

In the same vein, she also emphasized that she would only bow for this long and never said that she would kneel until Mr. Su agree to teach them.

‘Blackmailing’ was the worst taboo to commit when trying to get someone to help. If she truly made such a threat, given Mr. Su’s behavior earlier, he would definitely leave her to kneel until the end of time.

Being the leader of the five martial artists, she naturally had a way with words!

The other four kneeled down in tacit agreement and kowtowed at the same time.

“It was like a long, neverending night where us martial artists saw not even a speck of light.”

It was all quiet behind the door. No reply came. The martial artists remained in a kneeling position upon the steps, not daring to move.

…

Inside Plenitude Sect.

The white-haired Taoist with a ruddy complexion returned to the main hall and kowtowed before the portrait of the ancestral masters.

“Disciple Yunhe humbly requests for a Primordial Charm of Purity.”

“Disciple Yunhe humbly requests for a Primordial Charm of Purity.”

…

He repeated his words three times with a solemn expression before he saw a jade case in front of the feet of Plenitude Immortal Venerable. He was uncertain of when the case appeared.

Immortal Yunhe got up to his feet, lifted the jade case onto his palms, and carefully opened it.

Suddenly, numerous rays of light beamed up to the sky, showering the world with thousands of auspicious signs and brilliant colors. Countless Taoists in Plenitude Sect cast sidelong glances at the peak of the mountain with stupefied expressions. They happenings a mystery to them.

The Divine Masters stepped on their puff of clouds and flew toward the Plenitude Hall on the peak of the mountain.

They had just arrived at the hall when they saw their leader, Immortal Yunhe, receiving a charm the color of the primal chaos shrouded with mist. The ancient seal characters sinking and floating inside the charm were dizzying to look at as if each one contained the law of heaven and earth or perhaps the cardinals of Taoism.

Being members of a faction of Taoism that deals with charms, charms were the basis of their thoughts, desires, and Vital Spirits. Naturally, they believed that the ‘Innate Birth’ charm patterns and scripts would harbor the secrets of the Taoism. This piece of charm seemed to be in alignment to their views.

“Leader…”

“Leader, why did you summon the Primordial Charm of Purity?”

One of the Divine Masters issued the question doubtfully.

Immortal Yunhe put the charm away and his solemn expression turned into a mask of indifference. “There’s a matter of grave importance that requires me to borrow the power of the charm.”

He stepped out of the hall without waiting for questions from the rest of the Divine Masters. Suddenly, a cry pierced through the Nine Heavens. They watched as a crane flew down from the clouds and stopped in front of Immortal Yunhe.

“Please guard the sect. I’m off to meet my disciple-nephew Guo.” When Immortal Yunhe was done leaving his orders, he flew toward the back of the crane and sat there cross-legged.

The white crane spread its wings and soared up the sky, carrying the expressionless Immortal Yunhe as its passenger.

…

Since noon all the way until night time when Xie Xuan returned to talk to Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei, no one paid attention to the group of martial artists. When the night deepened, the two of them returned to their rooms to rest. The martial artists continued to kneel on the steps without moving even when Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei ignored and treated them like air.

The moon hung high in the sky, spilling bright moonlight on the unmoving figures still kneeling on the steps. Sincerity, after all, was proven through actions and not through blackmailing.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were discussing martial artists inside the room, sparring with words instead of movements.

Just as Meng Qi was enthusiastically engaged in the discussion, he suddenly sensed danger. The danger was not strong but it seemed to weigh on his heart, a deep sense of despair settling within it.

Simultaneously, the sword balanced across Jiang Zhiwei’s knees emitted a soft cry and jumped an inch in agitation.

Both of them were instantly on high alert and subconsciously turned to look at the door.

Thump, thump, thump! Thump, thump, thump! Rhythmic knocking of the door rang out.

Meng Qi was dismayed that he and Jiang Zhiwei only noticed when the person had reached their door!

“Who is it?” he asked, holding the handle of Heaven Inflicted Pain in his right hand. Flowing Fire in his left.

“I’m Yunhe, the Leader of Plenitude Sect. Please excuse my late-night visit, my friends,” said a neutral, elegant-sounding voice from behind the door.

The voice sent a jolt of fright through the martial artists kneeling at the steps and they raised their heads at the same time. They did not know when the two people standing in front of them had appeared. One of them was Divine Master Guo Feihu, who they had met yesterday, and the other was an old Taoist with grey hair and a ruddy complexion. The Taoist wore a robe embroidered with cloud patterns and fastened a jade pin on his hair.

“The Leader of Plenitude Sect?”

“Immortal Yunhe! ”

They were so astonished that they could barely hold on. Immortal Yunhe was an old immortal who had lived for a whopping three to four hundred years!

Never mind his mystical tricks or stellar grasp of the art of mechanism, just the fact that he had lived for nearly four hundred years was enough to strike feelings of reverence in their hearts. Only god knows how many Principals and Divine Masters that Immortal Yunhe had seen die in his time!

Meng Qi exchanged glances with Jiang Zhiwei. Something had finally bit after testing the waters, but it was still too early to tell if it would be a good catch.

“Be prepared to use the reincarnation talisman at any second…” Meng Qi gave Jiang Zhiwei a hint through a meaningful look. He took a deep breath and triggered his Eight Nine Mysteries to work at maximum capacity, though his appearance remained the same.

He strolled toward the door and opened it. Standing outside the door was one of the true masters of this place, Immortal Yunhe!

He had a rosy complexion, a head of sleek, grey hair, and high cheekbones. In his hand was a horsetail whisk and the other was placed on his arm. His breath was fleeting like a cloud. Yet, at the moment Meng Qi’s eyes landed on him, he could feel an unimaginable and indescribable pressure pressing on him. It was as if the one before him could crush him to death at any moment.

Meng Qi had once experienced such a feeling when facing Royal Advisor of Bomi inside the Carefree Valley!

“The same Royal Advisor before he suffered countercharge after Master Lu broke the secret technique!”

“Immortal’s Dharmakaya?”

“Even more terrifying than an Immortal’s Dharmakaya?”

Meng Qi suppressed all sorts of emotions bubbling in him and saluted the old Taoist. “I sincerely apologize that I couldn’t receive you at the door when you’ve come this late at night.”

Immortal Yunhe smiled. “The blame is on me for being impetuous.”

Meng Qi stepped aside, making way for him to enter the room. Immortal Yunhe stepped inside slowly and sat down unceremoniously. Divine Master Guo Feihu did not follow suit and merely stood beside the immortal.

Right at that moment, the door slammed shut before the eyes of the martial artists. Without even a breeze to push it shut. The movements inside the room were heard no longer, as if the room was frozen in time.

When Jiang Zhiwei was done paying her respects, she and Meng Qi sat facing Immortal Yunhe. Her eyes showed no hint of fear or a desire to retreat.

“I wonder what’s the purpose of your late-night visit is Immortal.” Meng Qi said in a deliberate tone.

It did not matter if his appearance change failed him as long as Zhiwei could escape. He had someone who would come running to rescue him!

Immortal Yunhe chuckled. “Su and Jiang, my young friends, you two first appeared at the foot of Mount Firemist. It coincided with the appearance of the demons two years ago. I couldn’t help thinking…”

He paused momentarily before continuing, “Did you two come here through the Plenitude Gate from the outside world?”

Meng Qi felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him and temporarily lapsed in his concentration. He knew that the lie of him and Jiang Zhiwei being islanders of the South Sea would never fly by the higher-ups of Divine Sect and Darkness Palace and the line of thought would guide their attention to Mount Firemist. However, he never expected that Immortal Yunhe would cut straight to the heart of matters and ask them if they were otherworlders who entered through the Plenitude Gate. He thought he could take advantage of their confusion as they come up with wild guesses of his and Jiang Zhiwei’s origins and escape without ever going on the offensive.

Immortal Yunhe heaved a sigh as he looked at the stunned look carved on Meng Qi’s face, the rising fighting intention in the expressionless Jiang Zhiwei, as well as Guo Feihu’s confusion over the term ‘Plenitude Gate’. He said, “Others might be unaware but I know it clearly. It’s impossible for the impartation of Qi Practitioners to appear here. Even if a person can find it, there’s no way he can develop it to such a tyrannical level.”

The terrifying pressure that Immortal Yunhe exuded was still haunting the room. Meng Qi suspected that as soon as he made the wrong move, he would be instantly struck by lightning. Thus, he answered with a question, “Why are you so sure?”

Grotto Immortal Yunhe shook his head with a smile. “My young friends, I’m not here to ask you difficult questions. I’m merely here to inquire about the outside world. But since you’re on your guard, then let me show my sincerity. This place is one of the paradise grottos of Taoism, the Plenitude Grotto – a cave cleaved by Immortal Venerable of Plenitude Sect. When the world was in chaos, Immortal Venerable had everyone in the sect settle in this place. That was some 200,000 years ago. Now, besides the affairs of Darkness Palace, I have little to do with the outside world.”

“It was Immortal Venerable’s orthodoxy that first came here, all of which belonged to the same vein as charms. The way of flying swords also emerged from this place. There was no difference between True Charm Practitioners and flying swordsmen. That’s why I was sure that there’s no such thing as impartation of Qi Practitioners unless there was an incredible talent who slowly grasped for this particular path by himself. But if that was the case, how could such a talent be unknown?”

“This is, as expected, related to Plenitude Primogenitor… So this is the legendary Grotto…” Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei exchanged glances, feeling reserved even as understanding dawned on them. With just his brief description, Immortal Yunhe had completely dominated the atmosphere and rhythm of their interaction. Putting aside issues of strength, they appeared so immature compared to him. The older one became, the more crafty one would be indeed!

“Then is he simply trying to inquire about the outside world?”

Still doubtful, Meng Qi asked without any suspicion on his face, “Since it was Immortal Venerable who arranged for the sect to enter, should not he had maintained the Plenitude Gate instead of cutting off connections with the outside world?”

He confirmed Immortal Yunhe’s suspicion that they came from the Plenitude Gate in a roundabout manner.

Immortal Yunhe’s expression suddenly turned somber. “Immortal Venerable had indeed left behind the Plenitude Gate and he also used the gate to leave the Grotto. He has never returned since.”

“There were Immortals who had tried to open the gate but once they stepped beyond, their soul lamps would instantly be snuffed out. Thus, no one dared to leave through the gate anymore.”

“Plenitude Immortal Venerable never returned after leaving?” Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei frowned at the same time, both recalling the nine graves of Immortal Venerables in the depths of the snowy mountains!

When Immortal Yunhe saw them furrowing their brows, he thought that they were puzzled and thus explained, “The Plenitude Gate is a gate that comes and goes. You can hide things with material existence inside but not make them disappear. You can only leave from the same place you have entered. In other words, even if you run around within the confines of the gate, you will still end up leaving from the same spot. It’s unknown where the gate that our Plenitude Sect owns leads to, making it incredibly dangerous.”

“Back then, Darkness Palace entered through another Plenitude Gate to avoid the wrath of Demonic Buddha. That was how we found out about the medieval times.”

“The Immortals and Priests of the past were worried that Demonic Buddha, who possessed remarkable abilities, would find traces of them and forcibly open the gate. Thus, they worked together to ruin the Plenitude Gate. Since then, we have never heard of any news from the outside world.”

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei were not the only ones who were shocked. So was Divine Master Guo Feihu. So it turned out that this place was the Grotto and Darkness Palace did not originate from across the sea!

Such secrets were only known to those at the top of the hierarchy!

Immortal Yunhe fixed his gaze on Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei after he was done with his explanation, his expression quite grave.

“Now, my two young friends, did the chaos that Demonic Chaos had caused come to an end?”