Chapter 361 - 332: 500 Arhats
Time flowed like water, and over a month had passed unknowingly in the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.
「On this day.」
The sky was clear and bright, and the mountain mist wound about like a sash.
Qi Yun sat cross-legged before a natural stone cave at the base of a secluded cliff.
Ancient vines hung down outside the cave. Inside, the stone walls were smooth and densely carved with ancient Sanskrit Scripture, inscribed by someone using only their finger strength. The script was powerful, and despite the ravages of time, it still emanated a distinct Buddha’s Will.
It was one of the many Zen Stone Walls within the Saint Realm, available for disciples to meditate upon.
A plain white Scripture Scroll was spread open on the low table before him. He held an ordinary bamboo brush, its tip dipped in ink mixed with gold powder, and was copying the scripture from the stone wall, stroke by stroke.
His calligraphy was stately and concise, faintly exuding the unique, pure, and bright aura of the Great Brightness Sect. It blended with the ancient will of the stone wall, showing not the slightest hint of incongruity.
However, Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit was not entirely focused on the tip of his brush.
For the past month, under the pretext of ’familiarizing himself with the Saint Realm and contemplating his Previous Life,’ he had used the Token given to him by Hui Jue to travel through nearly every accessible area in the lower levels of the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.
From the major Revolving Wheel Temples, bustling with incense and worshippers, to the quiet, secluded caves for meditation.
From the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, which housed a sea of scriptures, to the Guest Reception Hall and Manufacturing Institute, which handled worldly affairs and the coming and going of personnel.
He had even stopped to ’meditate’ in seemingly ordinary mountain forests, by streams, and among ancient pagodas and stone tablets, where the flow of Spiritual Qi was in fact uniquely profound.
At every stop, he would either sit in quiet contemplation or make small talk with the monks he encountered. Secretly, however, he used his Heart Thought to communicate with Cai Shen in his Purple Mansion, urging him to do his utmost to sense the location of his main body.
But the results only confirmed his worst suspicions.
"It’s no good..." Cai Shen’s voice carried a hint of resignation.
"The connection is intermittent, as if separated by a thousand curtains of water and ten thousand golden mountains!
I can only confirm that my main body is definitely somewhere within this Spirit Mountain.
Forget pinpointing the exact location, I can’t even get a remotely clear directional bearing!
This is no ordinary Array. It’s a Celestial Net cast by a True Monarch using Supreme Divine Techniques, combining the immense Buddhist Will Power of this place with the great power of its Earth Veins!"
He had found nothing.
The main body of the Imperial Soldiers was as if it had been swallowed into the belly of the colossal Buddha that was Spirit Mountain, enveloped layer by layer in the densest Buddha Light and Law.
With the areas he could currently access and the means at his disposal, Qi Yun simply couldn’t reach the core.
The tip of his brush paused. He steadily completed the final stroke of a Sanskrit "Swastika" character, and a golden light flowed from it.
Qi Yun gently set down his brush and gazed out at the roiling sea of clouds beyond the cave, his eyes dark and profound.
Just then, the sound of calm footsteps approached from the path behind him.
"Junior Brother Fa Hai, you are truly diligent. You can make a place of cultivation anywhere."
Hui Jue Arhat’s gentle voice rang out. He was still dressed in his white lotus kasaya, holding a Glazed Bead Rosary, his face bearing a smile as pleasant as a spring breeze.
"I hope I am not disturbing your cultivation, Junior Brother?"
Qi Yun rose and placed his palms together in a respectful salute.
"Senior Brother, you jest. Cultivation is to be practiced at all times, in all places.
To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Senior Brother?"
"I wouldn’t dare presume to offer guidance," Hui Jue Arhat said with a smile. "Today happens to be the start of the ’Arhat Dharma Assembly.’
Fellow cultivators from every Dharma Lineage who have attained the Arhat Fruit Position will gather to discuss scriptures, debate the Dharma, spar using Divine Techniques, validate one another’s Cultivation, and jointly contemplate the profound principles of the Buddhist Skill.
It is a grand event, and also a rare opportunity to learn and observe.
I thought that since you have only recently returned, Junior Brother, you could use this opportunity to form good relations and broaden your horizons. Would you be willing to accompany me and spectate?"
’Arhat Dharma Assembly?’
’Foundation Establishment Arhats from every Dharma Lineage will be there?’
Qi Yun’s heart stirred. He had been about to politely decline. Participating in such a large-scale assembly would require him to be even more cautious in his words and actions.
If he were unfortunate enough to have his cover blown by one of the Foundation Establishment Arhats, all his prior efforts would be for nothing.
But on second thought, ’Isn’t this also a perfect opportunity for observation?’
’Not only can I get a direct look at the core strength of the Overseas Buddhist Cultivators gathered in this world,
I can also glimpse the characteristics and legacies of the various Dharma Lineages. I might even be able to pick up clues about the heart of the Saint Realm, the World Honored One’s Zen Assembly, and their deeper intentions from their conversations and debates.’
Risk and opportunity went hand in hand.
He adopted a timely expression of curiosity and longing, mixed with a hint of humility.
"For such a grand event, I would not dare to impose.
But your invitation is most gracious, Senior Brother, and it is indeed a fine opportunity to expand my knowledge. If you would have me, I would be honored to accompany you and listen quietly to the profound words of the great masters."
"You are too modest, Junior Brother. Please, follow me." Hui Jue Arhat’s smile widened as he turned to lead the way.
The two of them left the secluded cave and proceeded along a wider and smoother mountain path, one that clearly led to an important location.
The number of monks they encountered along the way grew noticeably. Most of them had profound, condensed auras and solid Light Appearances behind their heads. They walked with hurried steps, seemingly all heading in the same direction.
Upon seeing Hui Jue Arhat, they would all bow respectfully, their gazes toward Qi Yun filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
This young monk, personally escorted by Hui Jue Arhat and possessing a unique and ancient aura, had recently made a small name for himself in the lower levels of the Saint Realm.
Before long, the view before them opened up dramatically.
An enormous White Jade platform, so vast it looked as if half a mountain peak had been sheared off to create it, appeared before their eyes.
The platform was circular, perhaps a thousand zhang in diameter. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the sky, the shapes of the clouds, and the towering mountains all around.
At the platform’s edge stood eighty-one massive golden pillars. Atop each pillar, a lotus-shaped lamp burned with a steady flame, casting a soft and eternal radiance.
This was the Demonstration Platform.
At this moment, there were already numerous figures on the Demonstration Platform.
Or more accurately, numerous "orbs of light."
Monks wearing kasayas and robes of various colors were steadily gathering from all directions. They had diverse appearances: some were as burly as mountains, others as slender as bamboo; some had solemn, regal miens, while others wore faces of pure Compassion.
They made no effort to show off their power, yet a majestic Buddha Light naturally flowed from each of them.
Behind their heads floated Arhat Golden Wheels, Treasure Lights, and Dharma Aspects of various colors and forms!
The intangible pressure they emitted wove together, causing the Spiritual Mechanism above the Demonstration Platform to subtly distort and thrum. An ordinary Cultivator would likely find it difficult to even remain standing here.
Hui Jue Arhat led Qi Yun onto the Demonstration Platform through an entrance at the edge, finding a spot that was relatively close to the front but inconspicuous.
"The assembly has not yet officially begun. Our fellow cultivators are still arriving," Hui Jue explained in a low voice, his gaze sweeping across the platform.
"You may observe quietly, Junior Brother. Later, the presiding Elder will open the assembly. After that will be a time for open discussion of scriptures, demonstrations of techniques, and debate.
If you have any insights, you are welcome to join the exchange. Do not feel constrained."
Qi Yun nodded slightly, but his gaze was already sweeping across the entire Demonstration Platform, as precise as the most sophisticated Magical Artifact.
One, two, ten, fifty, one hundred...
His pupils contracted imperceptibly.
The number of people far, far exceeded his estimate!
The Demonstration Platform was vast, and the monks appeared to be scattered sparsely across it.
But as he focused his mind and carefully counted the figures—some standing still, some walking slowly, others gathered in small groups—
each one an existence exuding the distinct, solid aura of Perfection unique to a Foundation Establishment Arhat...
One hundred... two hundred... three hundred...
Qi Yun’s hand clenched unconsciously.
Four hundred...
Finally, as he counted the last monk—a gray-robed figure sitting alone in a corner, faint, illusory lotuses flickering around his body—a number that shook his Heart and Spirit to its core surfaced in his mind.
Five hundred!
Five hundred Arhats?!
What did that even mean?
The total number of Foundation Establishment Masters in the entire Northwest Land and the Southern Orthodox Dao combined probably didn’t even reach five hundred.
These Overseas Buddhist Cultivators had, without anyone’s notice, managed to accumulate such a profound foundation of power.
It was simply unbelievable!
With five hundred Arhats gathered in one place, even with them deliberately restraining their power, the immense fortune, Wish Power, and Law resonating in the air transformed the Demonstration Platform into what felt like an independent Little World, blazing with Buddha Light.
Auspicious phenomena such as Golden Lotus Falling Shadow, Celestial Maidens Scattering Flowers, and Miaoyin Light Performance naturally manifested in the air, yet they were constrained within the bounds of the platform by some invisible force field, adding to the sacred and solemn atmosphere.
Qi Yun stood in silence, his deep blue monk’s robe stirring gently in the pervasive, majestic Buddha’s Rhyme.
The clear Light Appearance behind his head did not seem particularly conspicuous among the many blazing, majestic, or bizarre Arhat Dharma Aspects present. Yet it possessed its own ancient and orthodox air of brightness and was not completely overwhelmed.
Hui Jue Arhat seemed to sense something and glanced sideways at Qi Yun. Seeing him calmly observing the assembly with no change in his expression, he nodded slightly and sent a telepathic message:
"Are you daunted by this scene, Junior Brother?
Do not worry. All of these fellow cultivators are pillars of our Buddhist Sect. You may speak your mind freely during the assembly.
Our Buddhist Dao came east to enlighten those with whom we share a karmic bond. Now our grand undertaking is taking shape, and we need true heirs of the Ancient Sects like yourself, Junior Brother, to contribute to the construction of our Spirit Mountain."
Qi Yun reined in his Heart and Spirit, placed his palms together in salute, and replied in a steady voice:
"The Cultivation of my senior brothers is profound, their Dharma Aspects solemn. Seeing them, I am filled with nothing but admiration and yearning.
I will be sure to listen attentively later and comprehend the boundless nature of the Buddhist Skill."
His gaze once again swept over the five hundred figures, each different in form but all exuding a powerful aura. He rapidly memorized and analyzed their features, the likely leanings of their respective Dharma Lineages, and the relationships of closeness or distance between them.
’This Arhat Dharma Assembly... I was right to come after all.’
’Otherwise, I never would have imagined that such a massive power was hidden here on Spirit Mountain.’
In the center of the Demonstration Platform, a White Jade Lotus Platform slowly rose. Atop it sat an old monk with a gaunt face, wearing a golden patchwork kasaya. His eyes, however, seemed to contain swirling galaxies.
He did not radiate a particularly powerful aura.
But the moment he appeared, the conversations among the five hundred Arhats on the platform naturally subsided, and all eyes gathered on him.
The assembly was about to begin.
Qi Yun held his breath and focused his spirit, suppressing all distracting thoughts.
Every moment from now on was a potential opportunity to obtain crucial information.
...