On the jade wall, devoid of any inscription, a multitude of ancient and golden, yet crude, characters inexplicably appeared. This bizarre phenomenon was one that none of the monks of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, including the venerable Master Puhong, had ever witnessed. As they gazed upon the jade wall, auspicious energy would rise from time to time, only to be replaced by an eerie flicker of dark red. The solemn and majestic golden light intermingled with the inscrutable red radiance, evoking a sense of suffocation.
Lei, suspended in midair, let out a long, agonizing howl, his eyes then shifting to focus on the myriad undulating characters on the inscriptionless jade wall. He scrutinized them intently. Around him, the strange glow of the Devouring Spirit Orb grew brighter, as did the demonic energy emanating from his body.
Even the monks below could feel an unprecedented icy aura descending from Lei in the air, enveloping their surroundings. After three days and nights under the Buddhist ritual array, the demonic power of the Blood-Drinking Pearl seemed not to have diminished, but rather to have been fully unleashed, more formidable than ever.
A worried expression crossed Master Puhong’s face. At this critical juncture, his countenance mirrored the tempestuous sky, filled with uncertainty. Beside him, Master Pufang grew anxious. Gazing at Lei, who was bathed in a deep azure light, he furrowed his brows and shouted at Master Puhong, “Elder Brother, what should we do now?”
Master Puhong took a deep breath and declared resolutely, “This man is the disciple of our late Junior Brother Puzhi, and it is the embodiment of his lifelong aspirations. We cannot abandon him.”
With those words, Master Puhong sat cross-legged once more, chanting the sacred names of the Buddha, and the sound of hymns echoed faintly. Following his lead, the other monks of the Azure Ethereal Conclave joined in, and soon, a solemn and radiant golden light rose once again from among them.
Yet, this time, the golden light lacked the compassion of the previous ritual, exuding instead a more stern and menacing aura. Unbeknownst to Lei, who was still fixated on the flickering characters on the jade wall, the golden light was slowly enveloping him.
No one could have fathomed, not even the monks witnessing it, that the text flashing on the hallowed sanctuary’s jade wall was, in fact, the fourth volume of the legendary Demon Sect’s Tome of Heaven!
The vast cosmos and its capricious ways are unfathomable. Even the devoted monks of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, who chant the scriptures day and night, could not perceive this; neither could Lei, who had endured countless hardships and vicissitudes of life.
Yet, at that moment, Lei’s mind was wholly captivated by the flickering characters, which illuminated the missing pieces and perplexing sections of the Tome of Heaven that he had painstakingly studied. It was as if, in the midst of numerous cliffs and precipices, a path suddenly appeared before him, a bridge over the rapids—a realm of great joy, leaving no room for distraction.
In an instant, the complex and obscure passages of his past studies unfolded before him. From the moment he first saw the first chapter of the Tome of Heaven in the Blood-Dripping Cave of the Ten Thousand Bats Ancient Tomb on Mount Kongsang, ten years had passed like a flood. This man, standing amidst the celestial winds, felt for the first time the unity with the cosmos, yet forgetting all else.
Breathing deeply, his entire body seemed on the verge of bursting. A cacophony of bizarre sounds surrounded him, and the energies within his body boiled like a tempest, surging and roiling. The icy demonic power of the Blood-Drinking Pearl clashed with the searing pure yang energy of the Celestial Fire Tablet; the harmonious and balanced Taoist arts of the Taiji Xuanqing Dao and the solemn and mountainous Great Vairocana Dharmakaya were also unleashed.
Moreover, the true essences from the three volumes of the Tome of Heaven that Lei had cultivated surged forth, overwhelming and unstoppable.
The heavens shifted, and the wonders of creation revealed themselves!
Beneath the darkening clouds, the luminous figure in the sky shone brighter, exuding an aura that dared to defy the heavens. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning began to dance through the clouds, as if the wrath of the celestial heart had been ignited.
A fierce wind stirred within the swirling clouds, gradually forming a massive vortex above Lei. Yet, he remained entranced by the jade wall, oblivious to the surrounding tumult.
At that moment, the chants of the monks below intensified, and the golden light shot up into the sky, enveloping Lei. The intense golden light, fueled by the collective spiritual energy of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, subdued the demonic glow emanating from Lei, ensnaring him in a sphere of light.
As the golden light enveloped Lei, the thunder and lightning in the sky subsided, and the mysterious vortex above began to fade.
Master Puhong, looking up at the sky, sighed in relief. Suddenly, a dry, old monk beside him said coldly, “This man’s cultivation has triggered the Heavenly Punishment Lightning, indicating the intensity of his demonic aura, which the heavens cannot tolerate. Abbot, you may have acted unwisely in your desperation to save him.”
Master Puhong’s expression changed, and he turned to look at the old monk, who stared back coolly, leaving Master Puhong speechless. Despite his high level of cultivation, he could feel the sinister and ominous demonic aura emanating from Lei, which was certainly not of the righteous path. But thoughts of his late junior brother Puzhi and Lei’s recent acts of great compassion towards Puzhi’s remains moved him deeply, making it impossible to abandon him.
Silence fell, and after a while, Master Puhong was about to speak when a commotion arose. Many monks gasped, and a strange aura spread through the ritual array. Looking up, he saw the color drain from his face.
The demonic energy from Lei, which had been suppressed by the golden light, suddenly flared up again, even more powerful than before.
A thunderous clap echoed through the sky.
Amidst the fierce wind and thunder, Lei let out another long, mournful howl. His body shimmered with blue, red, gold, and crimson lights, which gradually merged into the simplest black and white energies. These black and white energies, though peculiar, oscillated between total whiteness and total darkness, exerting a force that all the monks could sense.
The golden light of the ritual array, infused with the spiritual energy of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, weakened under the onslaught of Lei’s newfound power. Simultaneously, the vortex in the sky reappeared, forming at an even faster rate, directly above Lei.
From below, the monks saw the electric bolts dancing wildly in the vortex, accompanied by a sinister, hissing sound, as if the heavens were about to devour someone.
The monks on the ground, their faces contorted in pain, struggled to maintain the golden light. Not only was Lei resisting the light, but the vortex above also exerted a formidable force, pressing down on the ritual array.
Surrounded and overwhelmed, the golden light of the ritual array dimmed rapidly. In a moment of shock, a thunderous boom resounded, and a thick, blinding lightning bolt struck the ritual array.
The thunderclap shattered the silence, and all the monks, including Master Puhong, were shaken. Monks with lower cultivation spat blood, and the golden light of the ritual array flickered and dissipated.
Master Puhong, his heart heavy, stood up, his mind still on the sky. The suppression on Lei was gone, and he felt a sudden release. The new, vital energy within him circulated freely, bringing immense joy.
However, before he could act, the wrath of the heavens descended. From the depths of the swirling clouds, a pillar of light, intense and scorching, aimed directly at Lei, seeming to pierce through the earth and sky.
The monks, unable to bear the sight, closed their eyes and turned away. Master Puhong, deeply saddened, couldn’t understand why his good intentions had led to this catastrophic Heavenly Punishment Lightning, a phenomenon unseen for millennia.
Just as the massive pillar of light was about to strike Lei, causing his imminent destruction, the inscribed jade wall, which had been dimming, suddenly lit up again. The nine characters, “Heaven and Earth are unkind, treating all things as straw dogs,” glowed with a piercing, defiant light.
Even facing the seemingly invincible Heavenly Punishment, the jade wall did not waver. Its light reached its peak, illuminating the world like a burst of the brightest star. In a moment, the light engulfed Lei, and a colossal brilliance shot up, aiming directly at the vortex in the sky.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“BOOM!”
The sky trembled, and the Heavenly Punishment Lightning, provoked, shifted slightly, striking the defiant light from the jade wall. The two forces collided, causing the earth to shake, and the rocks to crack. In the rumble of thunder, the beasts cried out, as if the end of the world had come.
In that blinding light, the world seemed to freeze. The jade wall, previously smooth as a mirror, shattered, and with a loud crash, the massive rock wall collapsed.
The light in the sky slowly dissipated, and the dark clouds, having vented their fury, calmed. The world returned to peace, and the sky brightened.
Lei, covered in blood, fell unconscious, surrounded by a faint, mystical light that finally faded away, leaving no trace.
The monks of the Azure Ethereal Conclave, dumbfounded, watched the fallen jade wall and the miraculously surviving Lei, unable to utter a word.
In the silence that followed, Lei seemed to enter a deep, peaceful slumber.
* * *
Outside the door, footsteps approached, and Dharma Master Fasang, who was in the meditation room, looked out and stood up, bowing to Master Puhong. Master Puhong nodded, glancing at the still-unconscious Lei, and asked softly, “Is he well?”
Dharma Master Fasang replied, “Since that day, Mr. Zhang has been in a coma, but his breathing is stable, and he has no other injuries. By all rights, he should have awoken by now, but for some reason, he remains unconscious.”
Master Puhong pondered for a moment, then said, “He survived the Heavenly Punishment Lightning, which is already incredibly fortunate. That punishment, unseen for millennia, befell him. Could it be that he truly is a demon whom even the heavens cannot tolerate?”
Dharma Master Fasang’s face paled, and he glanced at Master Puhong, whose expression was grave but calm. Relieved, Fasang whispered, “Master, have the senior monks been arguing with you again?”
Master Puhong gave a bitter laugh but said nothing.
Fasang remained silent.
After a while, Master Puhong spoke, “The inscribed jade wall is the most precious treasure of our temple, a relic of our ancestors. Its destruction by the Heavenly Punishment is due to my personal desires. I have decided to resign as abbot and retreat to meditate on the teachings of the Buddha, to atone for my sins.”
Dharma Master Fasang was shocked, “Master, how can you say that? This is not your fault.”
Master Puhong shook his head, “Your senior uncles are right. I acted out of a desire to repay Mr. Zhang for alleviating the resentment of Junior Brother Puzhi’s spirit, but I miscalculated. The Heavenly Punishment, and the destruction of the jade wall, are my fault. However—”
He smiled and continued, “I do not regret it. Do you know why?”
Fasang shook his head, silent.
Master Puhong smiled, “When the Heavenly Punishment struck, Mr. Zhang should have perished, but the jade wall intervened, saving him. Although we do not know the reasons, the jade wall, imbued with a spirit, must have had its own reasons for not wanting him to die. Therefore, I do not believe I was wrong. The destruction of the jade wall is indeed my fault, and I will seek penance, but in my heart, I do not regret it.”
Fasang bit his lip, “Master—”
Master Puhong patted his shoulder, smiling, and walked to Lei’s bedside, examining him. “It seems his condition is improving. If all goes well, he should wake up in a few days. Take good care of him.”
Fasang bowed, “Rest assured, Master.”
Master Puhong nodded, took one last look at Lei, and turned to leave. Just as he was about to step out, a groan came from Lei’s bed.
Fasang exclaimed, “Master, he’s waking up!”
Master Puhong hurried back, sitting by Lei’s side. Under their watchful eyes, Lei’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
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