Sword Rises with the Five Elements: Chapter 118: Advancing the Lotus Seal

On the journey from Ci'en Temple to the summit of Mount Putuo, Su Ye was still uncertain whether he could head to Yunjing.

Once he left the cave where ancient sages had meditated, the fog obscuring his future cleared, revealing a sky as vast and unobstructed as an endless horizon.

It was time... time to go to Yunjing and complete the final trial.

Looking back at the spot where he had entered the meditation cave, he found no trace of an entrance. Though no one had told him, a crystal-clear realization surfaced in his mind: he would only ever have that one chance to enter the cave, and it would never come again.

Facing the cave dwelling, which existed in some unknown realm, he pressed his palms together in devout reverence. Then, he turned and walked away from the summit with effortless grace. Whether in sorrow or joy, Su Ye always processed his emotions in the shortest possible time before setting off on his path. For him, the road ahead was still long, and he had no time to squander.

As he descended the mountain path, leaves blown from the branches of the Bodhi trees by the wind drifted onto the ground once more. Three or five monks in azure robes, holding brooms, patiently swept the fallen leaves away. Su Ye paused for a few breaths before turning onto the small trail leading to Jingshui Nunnery.

Because of the dense Buddhist energy permeating Mount Putuo, the Bodhi trees on both sides remained evergreen throughout the seasons. Sunlight spilled from the sky, dappling the shaded path. At the end of the road, Su Ye saw the most beautiful sight in the world.

A smile, illuminated by fragments of sunlight, met his gaze and stole away his breath and heartbeat. Time, which never ceases, came to a momentary standstill. In her eyes, he saw the entire world.

"Your gaze seems even deeper now," Luo Jinghong said, her words not disturbing the atmosphere brewed by the stillness. It was like a gentle breeze closing the final page of a book.

Su Ye smiled softly and replied, "I attained a new technique while on the summit."

"What a coincidence," Luo Jinghong laughed, her dimples brimming with tenderness. "While I was meditating and chanting in Jingshui Nunnery, I also gained a new understanding of the Lotus Seal."

Su Ye walked to her side and said with a light smile, "I still have a Guanyin statue in my gourd that needs to return to its rightful place. Once that is settled, I shall certainly ask for your guidance."

Luo Jinghong nodded with a smile, and they walked side by side.

The main entrance of Jingshui Nunnery, unlike the spacious grandeur of Ci'en Temple, possessed a sense of refined elegance. The porch was about twelve feet high, with a slanted eave tiled in blue-gray. On both sides hung wooden plaques inscribed with a couplet in regular script:

"The heart melts into wondrous truths, making the void small; the Way accords with true suchness, making the Dharma realm vast."

The black double doors were adorned with two lotus-shaped bronze rings, devoid of even a speck of rust. Stepping onto the stone stairs, they passed through the three-wide main gate and descended again. The courtyard was paved with bricks and stones, not a single leaf to be seen.

Abbess Cixin, dressed in a cassock, pressed her palms together and said, "Benefactor Su is blessed with great fortune; this humble nun offers her congratulations."

"I must thank you, Abbess, for setting aside sectarian boundaries to teach Hong'er the Guanyin Sutra," Su Ye replied, returning the gesture.

After some polite, customary exchanges, they followed Abbess Cixin into the impeccably clean main hall. The central lotus pedestal stood empty, waiting for its master. The nuns of the nunnery, dressed in neat azure robes and wearing lay-practitioner caps, struck the wooden fish placed before their cushions. Amidst the purity, a sense of Buddhist resonance deepened.

Su Ye respectfully presented the jade gourd containing the golden Guanyin statue to Abbess Cixin. The Abbess received it with devotion, holding it high with both hands, and walked with firm steps to the lotus pedestal. With a gentle wave of her right hand, golden light flew from the mouth of the gourd.

The two-meter-tall Guanyin statue settled onto the golden lotus base. Her right hand held a willow-branch nectar vase, and her left hand formed the Guanyin Abhaya Mudra. The eyes of the statue, previously closed, slowly opened to the rhythmic, soft sound of the wooden fish.

Ripples of Buddhist energy, like spreading water, washed over the mountainside protected by Jingshui Nunnery. The Bodhi trees, already revitalized by the spring, grew even more lush. The vitality of all things thriving soaked into his heart.

Su Ye’s causal ties to Mount Putuo, which had begun with the life-extending pill, came to a close at this moment.

...

Madam Zheng had seen through the vanity of the world and taken refuge in the Dharma. Her monastic name was Jingchen.

"Benefactor Su, this humble nun has learned the full story of the Weilan City affair from the Abbess," Jingchen said, specifically detaining Su Ye. "A life must be paid for with a life, and debts must be repaid. All sentient beings in this world suffer; I hope you will not forget your origins and will use the Eight-Turn Yin-Yang Mirror with wisdom."

Seeing Madam Zheng in a nun’s habit, Su Ye was momentarily overcome with a flood of emotions, but he quickly returned to his usual state. The past had turned to dust and mud; it was not meant to tether his feet any longer.

"This junior has gradually come to see himself and the path ahead. I will certainly not fail the trust placed in me, and I will use the skills I have learned to benefit the world and save its people."

"If that is so, then this humble nun can rest easy," Jingchen said. "The path of cultivation is long; I wish you reach the other shore soon."

Having said this, she turned and stepped onto the corridor, the hem of her robe fluttering. After turning a corner, she vanished from sight.

————

"The Lotus Seal is too soft; it is suitable for women to cultivate," Luo Jinghong said, her right hand condensing a spiritual seal. "Your attributes are firm and fierce, which slightly conflicts with it. I have infused it with Buddhist energy to weaken the softness, making it better suited to your physique..."

Golden light flew from her fingertips, slowly merging into his brow and sea of consciousness. The techniques for cultivating the Lotus Seal were drawn out, surfacing from a deep, unreachable layer. The new method taught by Luo Jinghong acted like a wedge, filling in what had seemed complete but was actually lacking.

However... compared to the perfection he perceived, something was still missing.

The feeling from the meditation cave lingered in his heart. Seeing Su Ye’s expression freeze, Luo Jinghong asked with concern, "Brother Su, is something wrong?"

Su Ye replied softly, "The origin of the Lotus Seal is pure softness... to make it too firm now causes it to lose some of its true essence. If we continue to practice it this way, it is highly likely to lead to a misalignment of the meridians."

"In your opinion, Brother Su, how should it be adjusted?" A hint of helplessness and anticipation flickered in Luo Jinghong’s bright eyes.

Su Ye frowned, pacing back and forth in the courtyard where they practiced. The technique Luo Jinghong had created followed the eight extraordinary meridians and the principles of Heaven and Earth, without a single error. Yet, the added "wedge" clashed with the original flow of the Lotus Seal. It was called harmonization, but in reality, it was mutual interference. Applying such a thing to a cultivation technique was a grave taboo.

But... how to adjust it?

Su Ye pinched his chin, pacing the courtyard. Perhaps because his spiritual sense had been opened in the meditation cave, his thinking was sharper than usual. The fundamental problem with the Lotus Seal was that it was too orderly. Any redundant addition was like painting a snake and adding feet. Even for the creator of the technique, making adjustments felt like a form of destruction.

A bronze bell hummed and rang out.

Su Ye couldn't help but stop, dropping his arms and turning to look toward the source of the sound. The bell rang again.

The confusion in his sea of consciousness was shattered by the tolling, slowly peeling away to reveal a clear path forward. Two strands of Buddhist energy, not belonging to ordinary mortals, surged into Su Ye’s consciousness like a bubbling stream.

The highest good is like water...

He slowly raised both hands, palms upward, and two sword-qi lotuses drifted forth, containing the essence of both ultimate softness and ultimate firmness. The flames dancing on their surface flickered in his clear, deep eyes.

Su Ye looked up in astonishment toward the clouds in the distant sky. Then, he withdrew his gaze and wore a radiant smile:

"Hong'er, your Lotus Seal has ascended to an Immortal-grade technique."

Watching Su Ye’s act of creation and hearing his words, Luo Jinghong felt as if she were in a dream. When the Lotus Seal returned to his sea of consciousness, she stood there in a daze.

Between a genius and a madman, there has never been a clear boundary since ancient times. A crazy idea is also an irreplaceable inspiration for a genius. In the realm of technique creation, he was both a madman and a genius.