Chapter 1043: Defying the Natural Order
Master Mingyu froze at the sight. To pass this trial, the monk must not cry out during the whipping.
Of course, the secret domain would not let the foreman whip indefinitely. Eventually, a rock would fall from the statue and crush him to death.
As the foreman had committed many evils, he would meet his end by a falling rock, aligned with the Buddhist principle that good is rewarded and evil is punished.
Master Mingyu had overseen the Xitian Secret Domain over a thousand times and witnessed the choices of countless monks within it. The greatest challenge of this trial was enduring pain. Ninety percent of monks couldn’t hold out until the foreman met his comeuppance, crying out in pain. Among those who did persist, all had gritted their teeth through it. That was why he believed Xinzhen had a chance when he saw the latter enter a state of forgetting both the self and all things.
Buddhism advocated understanding pain through mindful contemplation, thereby attaining a realm that transcended it.
But someone like Xinding, who immediately fights back, is a first. Judging by the foreman’s shrieks, Xinding is putting considerable effort into the beating.
“Wait, why are you hitting him?” Master Mingyu couldn’t help but reveal himself. He had some control over the Xitian Secret Domain. After a while, Xinding would forget he had ever appeared.
“He was going to hit me,” Xinding replied calmly. In fact, his expression had also remained placid while he was beating the foreman just now.
Within the secret domain, the monks displayed their most instinctive reactions. They were unable to lie.
“Don’t you know that Buddhism advocates maintaining composure in the face of pain and contemplating it?”
“I know. If it were my fault, I would have accepted the beating. But these foremen made us work beyond our limits. I was exhausted from carrying the rocks, which led to the rocks falling. It was the foreman’s fault, so why should I be the one getting hit?” Xinding spoke with righteous conviction. Even the abbot has to be reasonable.
“Then do you know that Buddhism teaches that good is rewarded and evil is punished? This foreman whipped others wantonly, so he will face retribution.”
“Isn’t being beaten by me his retribution?”
“I...”
Master Mingyu choked, unable to find any words to refute it.
This trial tested “endurance.” As long as one didn’t cry out in pain, one would pass. Since Xinding hadn't cried out in pain even once, he passed with ease.
Borrowing the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s immortal consciousness, Lu Yang witnessed all the monks’ performances within the illusion. Xinding’s performance stands out the most.
“What a promising talent.” Lu Yang lavished Xinding with praise. With such performance, even passing the Dao-Seeking Sect’s trials wouldn’t be a problem.
After watching the first trial, a question occurred to Lu Yang. He consulted one of the five founders of Buddhism. “Immortal Fairy, does Buddhism advocate being beaten?”
“Oh, I once noticed that when the Qilin Immortal was beaten by Little Ling and Lianyi, he always pretended to be in pain, but in fact, he was secretly smiling. I asked him why, and he said it was a Buddhist cultivation: experiencing suffering, comprehending suffering, and transcending suffering.
“So I asked why I didn’t remember there being such a principle in the Buddhist stories we made up. He said there is one now.”
Hearing this, Lu Yang quickly distanced himself. “Hey, hey, hey, I didn’t hear anything.”
Why couldn’t I control my curiosity? Now I’ve learned yet another ancient secret.
“You didn’t hear? Then let this immortal repeat it...”
“No, no need.” Lu Yang dared not hear it a second time. Who knows what other ancient secrets the Immortal Fairy might recall?
“By the way, is this illusory domain derived from some era during the Great Qian Dynasty?” Lu Yang changed the subject.
All illusions must be based on reality. Cultivators couldn’t imagine things they hadn’t seen. The creator of the illusion was likely a Buddhist cultivator from Great Qian.
The entire illusory domain depicted countless slaves carrying rocks uphill to construct a divine statue. The conditions were hellish, and the slightest slip-up would earn them a lashing from the foremen.
The divine statue was mostly complete, and Lu Yang happened to recognize what it was modeled after—the Demon-Subduing Divine Lord and the Devil-Vanquishing Divine Lord who had attacked the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace.
In the early Great Qian Dynasty, extensive construction projects were undertaken to build statues of various divine lords, spreading faith to receive incense offerings.
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy analyzed, “Probably. The Buddhist aura here belongs to Buddhist cultivators from the Great Qian era. Many of them were likely performing purification and deliverance rites here. That’s why the secret domain contains such a dense Buddhist aura.
“Why can I sense traces of the Heaven Mandate Immortal and the Epoch Immortal from deep within the secret domain? Could it be an immortal artifact they forged together?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy vaguely sensed something. It felt like a familiar immortal artifact, but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
As in all previous trials that Master Mingyu had presided over, ninety percent of the monks were eliminated, and ten percent passed, including Xinding, whose method of passing was rather unique.
Under the influence of the Buddhist aura, those eliminated would groggily exit the Xitian Secret Domain and leave the forbidden zone shrouded in a mist of chaotic energy. Outside the forbidden zone, monks were already ready to receive them and handle follow-up matters.
The second trial was also an illusion.
Xinchen, a monk who had entered the Martial Vihara alongside Xinding, found himself before a wide river. Beside it stood two figures—an old monk, who was his shifu, and a beautiful but timid woman.
The woman didn’t dare to cross the river.
The old monk stepped forward and carried the woman across the river on his back, while Xinchen followed closely behind.
After crossing the river and parting with the woman, Xinchen frowned in puzzlement, filled with doubts. Unable to contain his question any longer, he finally asked, “Shifu, wouldn’t this break the precept against lust?”
The old monk affectionately patted Xinchen’s head. “Xinchen, I have already let go. However, you have not.”
Xinzhen of the Disciplinary Precepts Courtyard witnessed the entire event without a word. When the old man set the woman down and let her go, Xinzhen likewise let it go.[1] He held no doubts at all.
Xinchen failed; Xinzhen passed.
Master Mingyu smiled. Xinzhen is indeed a promising talent. I’m pleased with his performance in both trials.
The theme of this trial was “letting go.”
Buddhism advocated that female beauty was nothing more than a skeleton of rouge. A true monk should regard it as nothingness. If one could achieve it, one wouldn’t ask questions.
Under the influence of the Buddhist aura, one couldn’t conceal one's true feelings. Having witnessed the process of carrying the woman across the river, if the monk harbored any doubts, he would certainly voice them. Voicing it would mean that he had not let go of the matter, and he would be deemed to have failed the trial.
“I wonder how Xinding is faring.” Recalling Xinding’s unconventional performance in the previous trial, Master Mingyu couldn’t help but grow curious about him.
He entered Xinding’s illusory domain. Once again, Xinding’s choice defied his expectations.
Xinding had acted first, carrying the woman across the river before the old monk could. However, since he was still a minor and not tall enough, carrying her on his back would get her shoes wet. Hence, he simply picked her up in his arms in quite an unseemly posture.
In the past thousand years of holding the trials in the secret domain, no one had ever done this.
Master Mingyu was bewildered. He waited until Xinding had crossed the river, then revealed himself again to get a clear answer.
“Xinding, why did you carry that woman across the river?”
Xinding was astonished to see Master Mingyu appear.
“Abbot, why haven’t you let go of this matter?”
1. The same term in Chinese can be used to refer to putting something/someone down or letting something/someone go. ☜
