Chapter 101
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Eastern Pure Glazed World—
The flowing sword light seemed to exist only in dreams, like moonlight—illusory, yet as if it had always been there since time immemorial. Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva, though among the highest ranks of Bodhisattvas, could neither perceive the beginning nor the end of this sword. He could only vaguely sense a kind of enlightenment.
It was not that he arrived here and drew his sword.
Rather, it was that he arrived here, and in that instant, between heaven and earth, this sword was always meant to be.
Thus, it had no beginning and no end.
Thus, this sword energy neither originated nor perished.
Like the eternal Heavenly Dao, like the ceaseless cycles of the sun and moon.
What kind of realm was this? Moonlight Universal Illumination had once believed that the path before him had reached its utmost limit, yet now he beheld a state beyond comprehension, beyond imagination. In that moment, Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva felt no fear of death—only the joy of glimpsing a distant road, and the sorrow of realizing how immeasurably far he still was from the Great Dao. Tears fell from his eyes.
Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata sighed softly and said gently:
“Many thanks, Dao Sovereign, for showing mercy beneath your sword.”
The refined Daoist replied calmly: “The Dao of Immortality cherishes life.”
“So it should be.”
“Heavenly Venerable is compassionate…”
Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata pressed his palms together. His form radiated boundless, pure, and resplendent glazed light as he softly chanted the Buddhist scriptures. Yet, cracks began appearing across his divine body. These fractures coursed through his boundless, pure-glazed Dharma body—not only failing to be mended by his infinite Buddha light but instead spreading ever further, deepening with each passing moment, until they covered his entire form in a sorrowful and terrifying sight.
The refined Daoist turned, his sleeves brushing past the clouds and mist as he walked away, step by step. His voice was calm and distant.
“I acknowledge that the path of cultivation is not easily walked.”
“I have severed but one of your three Buddhist lifetimes.”
His gaze was tranquil as he spoke lightly:
“In your next life, do not make the same mistake again.”
Behind him, the Pure Glazed Dharma Image crumbled, scattering relic light. Thirty-six white arcs of radiance streaked across the sky, drifting in all directions. A long time passed before Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata’s Dharma body shattered completely, leaving only an aged monk seated upon a lotus platform. His vital energy was in complete disarray, his face deathly pale. After all, he was the foremost of the Three Sages of the Eastern Buddhist Kingdom, the ancestral vein of an entire lineage of Dharma. Though one lifetime had been severed, he had not perished immediately.
Seeing Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva’s sorrowful expression, he offered reassurance:
“Do not worry. The Shangqing Lingbao Great Heavenly Venerable did not truly aim to take my life.”
“It was merely a small admonition.”
Moonlight Universal Illumination Bodhisattva shed tears. “To sever the World-Honored One’s lifetime—is this a small admonition?”
Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata sighed. “It is settled. Only because my true nature was intact did I barely survive.”
“Even if it were the Yuqing Great Heavenly Venerable or the Taishang Great Heavenly Venerable, neither could defeat me to such an extent with a single strike. But the Shangqing Lingbao Great Heavenly Venerable… the Dao he cultivates is none other than [Cataclysmic Annihilation]. The sacred proclamation praises:『From the Epoch’s Dongyu Records, the five calamities are divided.』Among the Three Pure Ones, he reigns supreme in the Dao of Slaughter.” [TL_Note: Dongyu refers to a celestial archive]
“And yet, he did not strike a second time.”
“That, already, was mercy.”
“Moreover, I was the one who tested the flow of Daoist and Eastern energies, and he noticed.”
“I had prepared myself for being discovered. I simply did not expect that the one to come would be him.”
“Had it been the Taishang who arrived for the first time, I would have been fine. Had it been the Yuqing, at most the Buddhist Kingdom would have been sealed for millennia.”
“Only the Shangqing Great Heavenly Venerable is truly unfettered.”
“He acts solely as his heart wills.”
“Even the Yuqing Great Heavenly Venerable has no way to restrain him. If he comes, it may be for idle conversation, or he may simply draw his sword. No one can predict his intentions. No one can divine them. No one dares to… Cough, cough, Moonlight Universal Illumination, withdraw for now. Allow me to reassemble my true nature and regain my freedom. Perhaps, I may not need to enter the cycle of reincarnation after all.”
The old monk sighed. “Great Dao Sovereign, Great Heavenly Venerable. Such is the way of things.”
“Yet, my Buddhist sect is scattered in all directions. Even among the thirty-three Buddhas and the thirteen branches of Dharma, strife and conflict are unending. They go so far as to raise arms against each other. In dreams of the past, I once saw the Western Heaven collapsing layer by layer, countless monks perishing in agony, and the world descending into darkness. In the end, even the sacred bells of the Western Paradise fell silent. That dream… it was too terrifying…”
Tears streamed down the old monk’s face. “My Buddha… where are you?”
“I have sought, I have pursued, and in doing so, I have already broken my precepts. Yet I have not found you.”
“Where are you truly?”
In the Zhongzhou Prefecture City—
The great monk had originally intended to continue speaking with the young Daoist, but today’s unusual celestial phenomenon left him in a daze. First, the western sky was illuminated with shifting rays of light, glowing like blood. Then, thirty-six white arcs of radiance emerged from the west and streaked across the heavens. Seeing this, the great monk lost all interest in conversation. Instead, he turned and frantically pursued the white light, tears streaming down his face.
As he ran, he raised his sleeve to wipe his eyes.
Qi Wuhuo did not know what had happened, but he could sense the monk’s sorrow.
Meanwhile, beneath the Nine-Eyed Bridge, he filled a wooden bucket with water, mixed in herbs that warded off evil and poison, then leisurely chose a path back to Lianyang Temple. At this moment, Mingxin was starting to feel restless. Behind them, such an extraordinary event was unfolding—one that would be the talk of every street and alley for miles. He could have joined in the excitement, listening to the chatter of the people. Instead, he was stuck carrying a heavy bucket full of water, sprinkling it along the streets on their way back to the Daoist temple.
At first, this task had seemed somewhat interesting. But the longer it went on, the duller it became.
“How long are we going to keep doing this, Uncle Master Qi?”
The young Daoist replied: “As long as we can, we will do what we can.”
“Then why not just inform the authorities?”
“It would be useless.”
“Officials only act when they can see tangible results. We neither have the means to offer them benefits nor the ability to present them with immediate achievements. To them, this is just an effort that requires manpower and silver, yet yields no apparent reward. Even the most upright officials would not bother with it.”
“Because if they do such things without producing visible results,”
“They will face criticism from their rivals. There are too many constraints. Even those who genuinely want to accomplish something find it difficult to act according to their wishes. It’s an unavoidable predicament.”
Mingxin was puzzled. “Uncle Master Qi, you’re not that old. How do you know so much about these things?”
The young Daoist formed a hand seal and sent a stream of water flying forward, sprinkling it over the ground. At the same time, he answered gently: “I dreamed of it.”
Mingxin was immediately dejected: “Uncle Master, you’re tricking me again.”
“I’m not a child anymore!”
The young Daoist smiled slightly, just about to speak, when he suddenly sensed the same medicinal scent of realgar and other warding herbs ahead. Looking up, he saw a few men dressed in official attire walking toward them, carrying buckets and sprinkling realgar-infused water as well. When they noticed the young Daoist, they seemed surprised. After exchanging a few words, one of them recognized Mingxin and asked: “Are you a Daoist from Lianyang Temple?”
Mingxin stepped forward and answered,
“Yes, I am Mingxin. This is my Uncle Master Qi.”
“May I ask, Head Constable Li, what brings you here…?”
The well-built warrior chuckled: “Lately, there has been illness spreading among the city’s common folk. A noble figure stepped forward and requested that we sprinkle realgar-infused water to ward off sickness and evil. We didn’t expect that the Daoists of Lianyang Temple were doing the same thing. It seems we had the same idea. With a few Daoists helping, we’ll be able to cover the whole city in no time.”
Mingxin was surprised. He instinctively glanced at Qi Wuhuo, then quickly withdrew his gaze and continued chatting casually with the constable before they went their separate ways.
Each group chose a different path to sprinkle the realgar water. Mingxin said: “Uncle Master Qi, see? You were wrong!”
“The officials do take action too!”
The young Daoist, however, was deep in thought. Who was this so-called “noble figure” that had such influence?
Zhongzhou Prefecture City held a high status. Convincing its officials to take action on something with no direct benefits was no easy feat.
Unless… these officials believed that earning this noble’s favor was more valuable.
That was something universally acknowledged by both corrupt and upright officials alike.
Who could it be?
Curious, the young Daoist simply smiled and said: “Yes.”
“It seems Uncle Master was mistaken.”
All the way back to Lianyang Temple, the sky had already darkened into dusk. At noon, he had merely made do with a bowl of sour soup noodles from a roadside stall. The young Daoist had seen a man in a sheepskin jacket skewering a green chili pepper with an iron stick, roasting it over the fire until its skin wrinkled. Then, he sprinkled some salt on it and took a bite, finishing half in one go. He then ate his plain, brothless noodles with large mouthfuls, savoring the simple meal as if it were a delicacy.
Qi Wuhuo glanced at the chili but decided against trying it.
Back at Lianyang Temple, he had a simple dinner with the old Daoist.
Little Daoist Mingxin, who had thought he had escaped both morning and evening lessons, was promptly dragged away. With a sorrowful face, he stretched out his hands and called, “Uncle Master Qi, save me!” But under the young Daoist’s gentle gaze, he was still taken away. Qi Wuhuo chuckled, got up to sweep the courtyard, cleaned up the dishes, and planned to try channeling Qi directly into the peacock egg when he returned.
Since spiritual resonance targeted the essence of life itself, it would still work even through the eggshell.
Qi Wuhuo returned to the temple’s scripture hall.
He lit an oil lamp.
From his sword case, he took out a jade bottle and then stepped toward the peacock egg.
He placed his palm gently on the egg, sensing the spirit within.
Just as he was about to transfer his energy, his wooden hairpin unexpectedly slipped from his hair, landing lightly on the floor. His hair tie loosened, and black strands cascaded down. Qi Wuhuo bent down to pick up the hairpin. When he raised his head, he caught sight of his reflection in the Eight Trigrams mirror hanging in the scripture hall. Amid his dark hair—there was a single strand of a different color.
Qi Wuhuo was slightly surprised. He raised his hand and pinched the odd strand between his fingers, then gently plucked it out.
Under the glow of the oil lamp, the single strand of black hair gleamed with an unusual golden hue—translucent like glazed glass.
“Hmm? What is this…?”
Before he could understand, the strand of hair suddenly shone brightly.
In an instant, it dissolved into radiant light.
In that moment, the entire scripture hall was bathed in resplendent brilliance—vast, luminous, and magnificent.
The young Daoist slowly lowered his hand, watching as an aged monk emerged from the divine radiance before him. Yet, he remained unhurried.
Only after calmly tying his hair back into place with the hairpin did he finally ask: “Master, from where have you come?”
Earlier, Qi Wuhuo had shattered the Heart Image of the Old Yellow Ox.
Naturally, the radiance of Buddhist light flowed forth, following that mirror to this place.
Other Buddhist lineages might not be able to achieve this.
However, the Dharma of the Pure Glazed World traversed through the flowing light of mirrors, arriving and departing in a mere instant. At this moment, this translucent Buddhist light seemed to have lost its self-awareness. It was clad in monk’s robes, though the fabric could not conceal the sword marks upon it. Yet, with hands pressed together in a solemn gesture, it chanted the profound sounds of the Buddhist path. As it spoke, heavenly flowers descended in chaotic splendor, golden lotuses sprouted from the earth. Qi Wuhuo sat at one side of the table, a single oil lamp burning before him. On the opposite side, a Golden Radiance Buddha was present.
The young Daoist listened attentively.
Once the Buddha finished reciting the sutra, it then began to chant the [Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata’s Original Vows and Merits Sutra], speaking of the Twelve Great Vows.
“It is declared: When I attain Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi in the future, my body shall shine with boundless, infinite radiance, illuminating immeasurable worlds. My form shall bear the thirty-two marks of a great man, adorned with the eighty auspicious signs, allowing all sentient beings to be no different from myself…”
“When I attain Bodhi in the future, my body shall be like flawless glazed crystal, clear within and without, without any defilement or stain; my radiance vast and boundless…”
These words were indescribably wondrous. Each vow carried an unfathomable power, causing the entire world to tremble faintly. The Buddhist light upon the figure grew ever purer and more translucent, flawless as if cast from glass. His words and voice seemed to stir the Dao of Heaven and Earth itself, guiding and enlightening all beings.
He recited each of the Twelve Great Vows, one after another.
Then, amidst the grand vows, a gentle voice suddenly questioned: “Great Master, could it be that you are mistaken?”
The figure reflected within the stream of glazed Buddhist light—the Medicine Master Glazed Light Tathāgata—lowered his gaze.
The young Daoist had been listening with utmost sincerity, and after careful thought, he pondered deeply before speaking candidly:
“The Third Great Vow states that all sentient beings shall attain [limitless provisions], ensuring that no living being suffers lack or deprivation.”
“Yet, the Buddhist path also teaches that the world is full of suffering, and that suffering arises from desire.”
“If you use boundless divine powers to satisfy the endless desires of all beings, then by the principles of Buddhism itself, would this not go against the very essence of the Dharma?”
“The Buddhist path of refining the heart follows the Four Noble Truths—the third, [Cessation of Suffering], speaks of extinguishing harmful desires to attain a state of serene purity and liberation. But if your grand vow is to fulfill all desires, does that not include malevolent ones as well?”
“Furthermore, when one is reborn into the Pure Glazed World, they may enjoy [jeweled adornments, fragrant unguents, celestial music, and countless pleasures, indulging as they wish].”
“Would this not be tempting sentient beings with desire?”
The young Daoist’s voice was calm as he voiced his doubts.
Seated beside the oil lamp’s glow, he gazed at the Buddhist light before him. Reaching out his right hand, he inquired:
“Monk—”
“Do you know the [Four Noble Truths]?”
