The Sage Who Transcended Samsara

The sky was clear and bright, dotted with clouds in the translucent blue backdrop. A great beauty of Nature in the Lotus Throne Mountain.

Meng Qi did not hide his Qi Ji. He arrived at the bottom of the mountain like a star crossing the sky and dropped down. To show his respect, he walked up on the steps, heading toward the mid-hill pavilion.

In mid-hill pavilion, a stone monument facing the deep valley was carved with the sixth Patriarch Yuan Kong’s The Vajracchedika-prajna-paramita Sutra. Every word was in different font and none of them were in a standard shape, for the purpose of a manifest for purification.

There stood not the monks in grey robes this time but two ushers in the temple in yellow robes. They put their palms together at their chests and said in a low voice, “Amitabha. His Abbotship invited mister to meet him.”

“Please,” Meng Qi answered with a smile. Compared to the last time he came back, this time he was treated with a more formal manner.

Two ushers looked up and turned around and cast a glance at Meng Qi from the corner of their eyes. An energetic young man in a black robe in a composed and elegant manner, with both his hands empty. He seemed to be not any different from other average young man but this reserved manner made him more mysterious and unpredictable.

No wonder he was the youngest Great Guru in this world!

The two ushers sighed quietly with complicated feelings. They started at the same level and same age but now Meng Qi was already a well-known swordsman and they were still doing receptions.

Nobody talked. Meng Qi sensed their feelings and did not say anything on purpose.

Everything stayed the same as before. Meng Qi walked for a while and then saw the yellow wall, black roof, and dark red gate.

Only this time, the door was wide open. One could see the square and the hall directly. There stood a group of monk superiors in red kasaya. In the front stood current His Abbotship Wu Si who used to be the head of Bodhi Yard. He had no beard or hair and looked like deadwood with a nine-ringed stick in his hand. He ranked 27 in Terrestrial Rankings.

On Wu Si’s left side stood head of Dharma Yard Kong Jian and right side the head of Bodhi Yard, the fresh-scrubbed Meng Qi’s master Xuan Bei. All monk superiors came except for a few who were in Isolated Practice and Kong Hui who was guarding Sutras Depository and Tower of Relic.

This was the most ceremonious reception Shao Lin could offer: Front gate wide open, His Abbotship came to greet together with other heads of tables. This was only offered to those most distinguished guest. Before Kong Wen passed away, it was only offered to a few Dharmakaya. Even if Shao Lin grew weaker these days, still only the top of the top Masters could enjoy it.

Meng Qi was a bit surprised. Now he gained a deeper understanding of his status: The first after Great Guru, almost the same as Great Guru. He had great skills in martial arts and was able to form a strong force except that he did not have any soldiers. Also he was in good terms with several Dharmakaya and has helped a lot of great people. His name was well-known and could be placed in the same rank with Shao Lin His Abbotship.

“Amitabha. Excuse me for not going out to meet you,” Wu Si held up one finger.

Meng Qi folded his hands in front and said, “I’m flattered by such great honor.”

Then he looked at Xuan Bei and saw his master was not sad like before and felt relieved. He presented himself ceremoniously to his master and said, “Master. How do you do?”

The other Monk Superiors saw Meng Qi being so respectful to his master and instantly changed their old impressions about him. Though he was in the first 30 strongest martial art player with Dharmakaya included in this world, he performed the etiquette of a disciple so politely.

Few people nowadays treasured old relationships and knew to repay for such kindness!

Xuan Bei opened his mouth for a few times and finally said delightedly:

“Great. Great. Great.”

He said this word for three times and could say nothing more.

A great disciple! A great nephew! And a great young hero!

His heart was frozen at the death of Elderly Ku. Now his disciple and nephew became such a mogul that he needed no more to worry about the world of mortals. He felt light-hearted.

After their exchanging a few more words, Wu Si and another Shaolin Monk Superior guided Meng Qi to the temple. They passed by a few monasteries and square and heard the voice of monks practicing Arhat Fists. Some played it well and some bad.

Meng Qi cast a few glances and said with a smile, “I also learned Arhat Fists as basics from the very beginning.”

Several years ago, in order to learn Arhat Fists, he had to clean up Sutras Depository and ask for sneaky Zhen Yong’s instructions. Now he could easily play The Buddha’s Palm, Seven Strokes of Heaven Interception, Premier Golden Stamp, and the Arts of the Eight-Nine. He couldn’t care less about basics like Arhat Fists. Time flied.

“Arhat Fists is the basics to all other practices. Recover simplicity and go back to nature. It could be used all the way to the nine orifices,” Wu Si said with a smile.

Monks who were practicing saw Monk Superiors gathering together to welcome a distinguished guest and got a bit distracted. And teachers were shouting at them for not being concentrated but they themselves could not help looking at Meng Qi.

The man in a black robe with his hands empty. Is he not the well-known Frenzied Blade?

It was said that, “No one could escape from the Frenzied Blade except for Dharmakayas.” Therefore many disciples decided to learn the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship.

This man used to be like us, practicing the most basic martial art in the sun and sweat like a horse. But now he is almost the same level with His Abbotship only after a few years.

Who could set a good example? Meng Qi!

Meng Qi smiled at those disciples staring at him and continued to follow Wu Si and others. Several talented martial arts player in the Exterior Realm or at the Orifices-Point Activation Stage stood outside the Grand Hall, including Zhen Ben whom Meng Qi was familiar with and his teacher Zhen Miao.

Zhen Ben has already reached the level of Integration of Man and Nature. His breathing went together with Nature’s rhythm. Whereas Zhen Miao was still in the stage of Connection between Man and Nature.

They both did not move up to another higher level but chose to wait and gain more experience.

They both saw Meng Qi. Zhen Miao looked away when Meng Qi looked at them. Zhen Ben nodded slightly.

Meng Qi said nothing to them and stepped into the Grand Hall.

The gate closed. Zhen Ben and Zhen Miao looked at each other and sighed. They both made some progress but none of them could compare themselves with Meng Qi.

In the Grand Hall, after a little small talk, Meng Qi said in front of all the Monk Superiors:

“I met a group of inheritors of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva during my journey at the south. And they kept a complete version of the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script and an incomplete version of the Mo-Ke Exorcism Punch.”

Many monks were surprised. A complete version of the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script?

Shao Lin had been searching for it for years!

Xuan Bei now understood Meng Qi’s purpose to come. He was surprised when hearing it and then became more pleased. He smiled and said, ” You are being very considerate.”

He knew that Meng Qi and his disciple always wanted to return the kindness to Shao Lin for teaching him martial arts.

Wu Si pondered and said, “Do they want to exchange their Ksitigarbha Transgression Script with our Mo-Ke Exorcism Punch?”

He had to confirm Meng Qi’s real purpose first. He’ll think about whether the offer was true or not later.

“Yes. They’ve asked me to make a copy of the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script and I bring it with me now,” Meng Qi said, astonishing everybody else.

They were shocked as the inheritors trusted Su Meng so much that they even let him to make a copy of the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script!

They thought that it would take another several months for them to have a look at the script.

Seeing their reactions, Meng Qi said, “The Monk Master of that group said, ‘One of the greatest wishes of the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is to have every lost soul saved from hell and send their ghosts to the Ananda Pure Land. To achieve this goal requires a selfless heart. If spreading the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script could help more lost souls and ghosts, why not’?”

“Amitabha. What a merciful heart. I feel ashamed,” Wu Si exclaimed and then conversed with other Monk Superiors quietly and then said after a few breaths, “Please give that copy to Xuan Bei. We’ll have a look at it. And if the script was real, we promise to exchange it with the Mo-Ke Exorcism Punch?”

Just as I expected… Meng Qi gave the copy to Xuan Bei and saw him sit down on the floor with legs crossed and then operate Interior Realm, reflecting Statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Xuan Bei read out the words in the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script and then his acupuncture points were activated one by one as he read through. His whole body began to shake and the acupuncture points lit up in a glaze color, the symbol of being able to change between life and death.

At the end his whole body became as clear as glaze and was overlapping with the Statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on the back. No one could tell which one was Xuan Bei, and which one was Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Xuan Bei has now stepped over the 3rd Heavenly Stairs and entered into the realm of Dharmakaya of Half-Step.

No wonder it’s said that only by the help of the Ksitigarbha Transgression Script, one can achieve to be Dharmakaya… Meng Qi was delighted at the sight.

“Amitabha. This script is real,” Xuan Bei opened his eyes and confirmed.

Wu Si smiled and asked Meng Qi to wait for him to make a copy of the Mo-Ke Exorcism Punch. It was done after only a few seconds.

Rubbing the deep blue cover of the script, Meng Qi was relieved as he now had what he wanted.

Shao Lin was more delighted to have Meng Qi come and invited him to discuss about martial arts, classics of Buddhism and Taoism until midnight. Then they asked Xuan Bei to guide Meng Qi to his bedroom.

Passing through halls and cabins, Meng Qi suddenly saw a Chores Yard far away. He laughed and said, “I may still be working hard there if not by luck.”

“Xuan Xin is a descendent of Bai Ze, a demon transformation,” Xuan Bei said after seeing the Chores Yard.

Meng Qi knew there was demon transformation in Shao Lin, but he never thought about Xuan Xin. He was quite surprised at first but then he recalled that Zhen Guan became a half-demon after being expelled from the Chores Yard and went into the back hill.

Meng Qi was back to the place he used to live. He saw a young disciple sleep soundly. His little rosy cheeks and seemly far away Jing Xie, Qi Ti, and Shen proved that he was in great status.

“Was he still asleep? Was he going to achieve Asleep Golden-bodied Luohan?” Meng Qi asked as he could see that this little disciple was now in the Exterior Realm.

Was it not the Flowering fingers he was supposed to practice?

“Practice Chan Meditation in the dream. Not necessarily asleep Luohan,” Xuan Bei said.

Xuan Bei asked a few more questions about Meng Qi’s experience after leaving Shao Lin and then left for Meditation Room to further fix his new realm. Meng Qi cast another glance at the disciple and went to the bed. He sat down leaning on the wall with both hands folded at the back of his head. Suddenly he felt like going back to the time when he was still living in the Chores Yard. But now he’s more calm, pleased, and relaxed.

Recollecting everything happened today, he laughed and murmured quietly:

Today’s experience can be summarized in one sentence: A well-known swordsman, a martial arts player ranking within top 30, the strongest after Great Guru and Condors with honor in Sect of Six-Fans Su Meng paid visit to Shao Lin today. His Abbotship leading all Monk Superiors warmly welcomed Su Meng. Both parties reviewed their history together and looked forward to the future. At last they reached an agreement on strategic cooperation. During the visit, Xuan Bei led Su Meng to the place where he used to learn and practice martial arts. Swordsman Su Meng met with young disciples and encouraged them to study hard and make new progresses…

Meng Qi could not help laugh out loud.

After a while, Meng Qi calmed down and sat down cross-legged. His Primordial Spirit shrunk and controlled the other body’s movements by a mysterious and secret connection.

At Luo Yi, Zhou Di.

Meng Qi’s body in the world of earth has changed his clothes and saw this great ancient city. He was going to enter into the gate.

He was the same Eight Levels of Sky with no difference at all.

Meng Qi did not exchange time to practice because he’s afraid that the time speed would be too different from this world and thus might affect the delicate connection between these two bodies!