The monastery in the clouds, where the most supreme Buddhist teachings are taught—this legendary Buddhist monastery was said to be the holiest land. Yet, even those in the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten knew little of it.
For Chu Liang, this was his first time laying eyes on the Buddhist Cloud Monastery, and even from afar, the sight left him breathless.
A vast and dense sea of clouds supported grand temples and pavilions above, glowing with golden light and exuding an air of solemn magnificence. The character 佛, meaning Buddha, was etched boldly on the front wall, radiating a sense of reverence that seemed to echo through the heavens.
Though he had heard countless tales of the monastery's wonders, only now, standing before it, did he truly grasp its breathtaking splendor.
Gazing at the floating sea of clouds, Chu Liang couldn't help but ask in amazement, "Is this really not the result of some divine ability or enchanted formation?"
Raising such an immense temple into the sky seemed impossible without extraordinary power. If this were purely natural, it would be truly incredible.
Pushan, standing beside him, chuckled. "Of course not. This place was discovered by one of our past grandmasters by chance. If divine abilities or formations could accomplish such a feat, wouldn't every immortal sect in the Divine Nine have done so already? Can you imagine the spiritual energy required to sustain such a formation for thousands of years?"
Hearing this, Chu Liang nodded in agreement.
Suspending a temple for a short time using formations was easy. Many sects could achieve this. But for it to hover, motionless, through the long stretch of countless years… such a feat could only be the work of primordial forces of heaven and earth.
"What lies within the sea of clouds?"Chu Liang gazed into the vast expanse, his mind wandering to the possibility of a powerful source of spiritual energy hidden within.
"No one knows," Pushan replied. "Many esteemed monks have tried to explore the depths, but even the most powerful grandmaster in our monastery's history could only reach the outer edges of the cloud's core. Through the chaotic mists, he caught a fleeting glimpse of what appeared to be… a human figure."
"A human figure?" Chu Liang's interest deepened. "In the very heart of the sea of clouds?"
"That's right," Pushan said with a nod. "But this sea of clouds has existed for countless millennia. Whoever lies within can't possibly still be alive. Our grandmaster speculated that this could be the celestial tomb of a Hallowed One, a ninth-realm being. Furthermore, this Hallowed One seems to have ties to our Buddhist sect, as the rich spiritual energy here carries the power of Buddha's light."
"But Buddhism only arrived in the land of the nine provinces… how long ago?" Chu Liang blinked, suddenly struck by a thought. "Could it be from before that…?"
Pushan smiled, confirming Chu Liang's deduction. Chu Liang was sharp—he understood immediately.
"Our grandmasters speculated the same. While Buddhism today was known to have come from the Far West, some believe that in ancient times… it may have originated in the land of the nine provinces. Aside from this sea of clouds radiating the Buddha's light, we have also discovered hidden realms left behind by ancient Buddhist sects. These realms have existed for at least ten thousand years, further supporting the theory."
Chu Liang said, "So, if that's the case, there was once a Hallowed One of Buddhism who emerged long ago and chose to bury himself within this sea of clouds, floating in the skies for eternity. Yet, for some reason, the Buddhist legacy was entirely lost in the nine provinces—almost as if it had been erased…"
The more Chu Liang thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
It reminded him of other stories—tales of fallen Hallowed Ones, ninth-realm figures whose very existence seemed to vanish from history. How did these powerful beings who stood atop heaven and earth meet such fates?
Who could possibly be responsible for something like this?
…
The wind howled around them as they approached the gates of Buddhist Cloud Monastery. Chu Liang and the others secured their airship and stepped onto the stone path, continuing on foot through the temple grounds.
At the front gate stood a thin, elderly monk draped in a wide robe, his long white eyebrows swaying in the breeze. Upon seeing the groups from the Mount Shu Sect and the Great Astral Sect, he stepped forward to greet them.
This elder was Dhyana Master Shenjie[1], the chief monk of the monastery and a renowned high monk of his generation.
The highest authority in the monastery was Dhyana Master Shenyou, Pushan's esteemed teacher. However, since Shenyou practiced silent meditation, the duty of hosting guests fell to Dhyana Master Shenjie, allowing Shenyou to focus entirely on his cultivation.
As the elders walked ahead, Pushan led Chu Liang and the others on a leisurely tour from behind.
Chu Liang asked, "Dhyana Master Shenyou has been practicing silent meditation for a long time, right?"
"Silent mouth, listening ears. My teacher seeks the Great Dao through this practice. Until he fully understands it, he must remain silent," Pushan replied.
"Will you be practicing silent meditation again in the future?" Chu Liang grinned.
"Heh." Pushan chuckled softly, casting a glance toward the gate. "I've never liked passing through the front gate. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Chu Liang asked cautiously, bracing himself for an onslaught of words.
"I never knew my parents. My grandfather raised me," Pushan began, his voice slow and steady. "When I was young, Dhyana Master Shenyou found me during his travels. He said I had a Buddhist nature and brought me to cultivate at this monastery in the clouds.
"For three years, I stayed within the temple grounds, never seeing my grandfather. The monastery sits high in the sky, and it's difficult for him to visit. I believed that once I progressed far enough in my cultivation, I'd be able to leave freely and visit him often.
"But one day, he came to see me. When my fellow disciples told me, I was stunned and rushed to the gate. He stood there, smiling as he spoke to me. But I was in the middle of silent meditation and couldn't say a word.
"I wanted to ask how he was, if his health was holding up, if he was still working hard… if he was tired.
"But for the sake of my cultivation, I said nothing. I didn't even address him as 'Grandfather' before he left. He knew that I was doing silent meditation, so he didn't make me speak. Instead, he simply gave me words of advice and said many things…
"Not long after he left, I received word of his passing. Only then did I learn how gravely ill he had been. Knowing his time was short, he begged at a temple below for days until a monk agreed to bring him here.
"A mere mortal, untouched by cultivation, enduring the harsh winds of the sky—just to see me one last time. Yet, he never even heard me call him 'Grandfather.' I didn't even answer a single question."
"When my silent meditation ended, I ran to his grave and wept loudly. But by then, he could no longer hear me," Pushan said with a bitter smile. "Since that day, I vowed to always speak more with the people I care about. I know you all find me annoying sometimes… but who knows when the next time will be the last? Who knows when… I won't have the chance to speak at all?"
"…"
His story left everyone in silence.
So that's why…
Pushan's past explained his constant chatter. Now it all made sense. As friends, they really shouldn't have treated him that way.
Chu Liang recalled how he had treated Pushan differently from his other friends. As he continued walking, he really felt like slapping himself.
The others felt the same way.
All of them felt guilty about how they had treated Pushan.
A moment later, Chu Liang handed Pushan a token.
"What's this?" Pushan asked.
"The Circle of Immortal Friends," Chu Liang replied. "A place where someone will always listen to you."
"Ah? Does everyone have one?" Pushan asked eagerly.
"They will, eventually," Chu Liang said with a nod.
"That's wonderful."
Pushan accepted the token as if it were a priceless treasure, already turning it over in his hands as he walked away.
Watching Pushan's cheerful figure disappear into the distance, Chu Liang clenched his teeth.
Pushan is just a very friendly and loving person. He did nothing wrong! Ahh, I'm such an asshole.
…
As they stepped into the plaza bathed in Buddha's light, they found groups from other sects had already gathered. Among them were top-ranked members of the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten.
Yet, the atmosphere was far from harmonious.
At the forefront of the Celestial King Sect stood a burly, middle-aged man dressed in white robes lined with gold. He had a broad face, square jaw, and thick, muscular shoulders.
Chu Liang hadn't seen him before, but Lin Bei recognized him at a glance and told Chu Liang that this person was Zhang Kui, the cavalry commander of the Celestial King Sect[2]. Despite his status, Zhang Kui lounged lazily to the side, allowing the young Feng Chaoyang to take the spotlight.
It seemed the Celestial King Sect was putting all its effort into Feng Chaoyang.
At this moment, Feng Chaoyang stood face-to-face with a fierce-looking man—Wei Tiandi of Thunderbolt Stronghold.
The conflict between the two sects had begun with these two, escalating into bloodshed on both sides. Now, meeting under such circumstances only reignited the flames of their enmity.
Wei Tiandi's fury simmered beneath the surface, but he restrained himself. His glare, however, never wavered.
Feng Chaoyang was much more arrogant. With a smug expression, he said, "What happened to Du Wuhen? I'd call it karma. If you think I was involved, bring me proof."
"Heh." Wei Tiandi sneered coldly. "You know exactly what you did."
Rumors of the Celestial King Sect ambushing Du Wuhen had spread throughout the martial world. Du Wuhen's disappearance for many days only strengthened the rumor that he had been killed.
Wei Tiandi's hatred stemmed from this very incident.
"Gentlemen!" a few young monks from Buddhist Cloud Monastery softly interrupted. "Please restrain your anger."
"Hmph." Feng Chaoyang turned, casting a sideways glance. "Out of respect for the high monks of the Buddhist Cloud Monastery, I won't teach you a lesson here. But let me warn you—those who offend the Celestial King Sect rarely meet a good end."
Before his words had fully left his mouth, someone cut in.
"Not necessarily."
They all turned to see a tall, well-dressed young man approaching leisurely, a folding fan in hand.
"Yang Yuhu?" Chu Liang instantly recognized him.
The leader of the group from the Penglai Supreme Sect was Daoist Xuan Lu, but at the moment, Yang Yuhu stood at the forefront, smiling calmly at Feng Chaoyang.
"Your master's here to save you again?" Feng Chaoyang sneered, his words aimed at Wei Tiandi.
Wei Tiandi's chest heaved with anger, but he held back, remaining silent.
Everyone in the world of immortality cultivation knew that without Penglai Supreme Sect's intervention, Thunderbolt Stronghold would have faced total annihilation. Confronted with this accusation, Wei Tiandi had nothing to say.
"Penglai stands only for justice," Yang Yuhu said with a smile. "Only the tyrannical see us as foes."
"Don't you feel ashamed saying that?" Feng Chaoyang sneered.
While others held the Penglai Supreme Sect in awe, the Celestial King Sect refused to bow to them. If anything, the presence of Penglai Supreme Sect members only strengthened their resolve and stirred their excitement.
"I wonder who should really be ashamed," Yang Yuhu said, shaking his head. "We agreed to let the matter involving Du Wuhen go, but someone still set up a secret ambush for revenge. Luckily, Senior Uncle Xuanlu saw it coming and gave Du Wuhen a life-saving artifact."
"Eh?" Feng Chaoyang's expression darkened. He's still alive?
He had just made bold claims. If Du Wuhen survived, it would inevitably hurt the Celestial King Sect's reputation.
"Du Wuhen was badly injured, but Senior Uncle Xuanlu saved him. He has joined the Penglai Supreme Sect. From now on, he's one of us in Penglai," Yang Yuhu said, standing tall and meeting his gaze. "If anyone tries to harm him again, don't blame us if Penglai strikes back!"
1. Shenjie means Warning from God. or Divine Warning. ☜
2. Previously, we translated Feng Chaoyang's position (骁骑 Xiao Qi) as Cavalry Commander but I now realized that this 骠骑 (Piao Qi) should be the Cavalry Commander and Feng Chaoyang's position should be Cavalry Officer. ☜
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