An hour later, Suzhou, Huanglongkou.
King Qin Guang stood on the first Yellow River dam built since the founding of the nation, watching the golden Yellow River water surge and leap like dragons, his thoughts filled with a multitude of emotions.
There was longing, confusion, regret, hesitation, and unease…
"Your Highness, this old subject is late."
As the voice sounded, King Qin Guang gradually withdrew these emotions, returning to his former coldness and cruelty.
"You sent for me, what is it?"
"Your Highness, do you truly intend to open that place?" A Flood Dragon raised its head from the Yellow River waves, bowed slightly to King Qin Guang, and spoke, "Know that once the plan is implemented, there will be no turning back."
"You weren't this hesitant when you offered your advice back then." King Qin Guang's eyes grew cold as he flung something towards the Flood Dragon. "The last sacrificial offering, the Soul of Extreme Resentment."
The Flood Dragon took the item and, at a glance, saw a stone disc sealing a soul.
"Good…" The Flood Dragon nodded. "Since Your Highness's mind is made up, this old subject offers this final stratagem for His Majesty."
"This stratagem can sow chaos throughout the realm."
…
Dunhuang Ruins, Mogao Caves, Land of Extreme Bliss.
"Venerable Sir, how did you know about my companion's injuries?" Mo Chuan continued to channel spiritual energy into Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, asking.
"Amitabha… your companion's injuries were caused by a golden ring, weren't they?"
"Yes!"
"Benefactor, look." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva pointed to his staff. Mo Chuan looked up and saw that the golden rings on the staff were shaped like four golden dragons. Each golden dragon should have two golden rings – except for one golden dragon, which had a slightly damaged ring, missing one.
"Ah… then… Venerable Sir," Mo Chuan rubbed the back of his head and spoke, "Can't you defeat everyone? Then why did you have to flee from here…"
"Benefactor, do not underestimate yourself." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled slightly and said, "The fact that I could defeat these demons is, in no small part, thanks to you. Just your confrontation with that Buddhist kingdom alone is something beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person."
"Then… Venerable Sir, since I have to wait for my companion to wake up, why don't you tell me what happened back then?"
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva nodded, tapped the ground with his staff, and a golden light flashed, enveloping the two.
Listening, Di Ting yawned and continued to protect Zhang Hanshan's lotus bud.
Mo Chuan opened his eyes within the golden light and found himself in a mountain brimming with spiritual energy. In the distance, the horizon shimmered with a seven-colored radiance, undeniably the boundless Buddha-light.
"Where is this… Spirit Mountain?" Mo Chuan asked, recalling carefully.
"Indeed." Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva casually summoned a white cloud, carrying them to the mountaintop.
Upon Spirit Mountain, the Grand Hall of the Great Heroes emanated brilliance, music played in harmony, auspicious clouds enveloped the area, golden lotuses covered the ground, and the air even faintly echoed with Sanskrit chants.
Flying celestial beings, holding musical instruments, danced and sang outside the hall, their joy palpable.
However, when Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva brought Mo Chuan into the hall, the scene was entirely different.
Within the hall, the Five Dhyani Buddhas were seated at the head, with Bodhisattvas and Vidyārājas standing on either side, and below them, Arhats and Sages of various appearances.
"The spiritual energy will completely deplete within a hundred years. Disciples, what are your thoughts?" Maitreya Buddha, seated on a lotus throne, spoke.
"…"
A profound silence fell over the hall.
Such a monumental event, the severance of all spiritual connections, was not something everyone could speak about.
"This disciple has a plan that, if all goes as expected, can allow my Buddhist lineage to overcome this difficulty."
Mo Chuan followed everyone's gaze, seeing a man in monk's robes, his eyebrows and beard tinged with gold and black, his voice exuding masculine vigor.
"Great Sun Arhat, what is your proposal?" Maitreya Buddha asked from his lotus throne.
"Venerable Sir, he is…" Mo Chuan's pupils contracted, and he turned to ask.
"Indeed, Vairocana Buddha," Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva replied with a hint of helplessness.
Great Sun Arhat then spoke: "We need only construct a place where spiritual energy can be relatively preserved, build temples of Buddha footprints, seal the majority of the Venerable Masters' souls into their statues, leaving only one or two to guard, and then await the resurgence of spiritual energy."
Everyone listened in silence for a long time. This was a viable method, but it was akin to sealing people in hibernation pods before a disaster, with a set time for awakening. However, if any accident occurred, all those in slumber would perish.
Frankly put, this was a gamble, a gamble with everyone's lives.
"World-Honored One, this disciple feels this matter is not suitable," Guanyin Bodhisattva, sensing something amiss, voiced her opinion.
"Then do the other Venerables have any better strategies?" Maitreya Buddha nodded and asked, for he too felt this was not the best approach and could not be used directly.
Following this, the disciples proposed many suggestions, some feasible, others outright foolish.
After collecting all opinions, Maitreya Buddha dismissed the attending monks, leaving only the Five Dhyani Buddhas and five Bodhisattvas in the hall.
Shakyamuni Buddha remained silent for a moment before speaking, "We must accomplish three tasks simultaneously: increase the reserve of spirit crystals, find a location to guide spiritual energy, and begin preparations to find a place to store spiritual energy and construct Buddhist caves."
"World-Honored One… this…" Maitreya Buddha and Medicine Buddha simultaneously frowned, clearly disagreeing with the last measure.
"My fellow esteemed ones, this is a crisis unprecedented in our Buddhist lineage for a thousand years. If Buddhism were to vanish from this moment, causing immense suffering and loss of faith among sentient beings, then this world would be no different from hell."
After much deliberation and twists and turns, the Buddhas finalized their respective tasks and began preparations.
However, an "accident" completely disrupted the Buddhist order.
The Nansang Dynasty, already struggling against the Mongol cavalry, was further weakened by internal corruption and a depleted army. Within months, they lost several cities, vast territories falling to the enemy. To make matters worse, after breaching the cities, the Mongols engaged in widespread destruction, burning and looting. By unfortunate coincidence, they destroyed the spirit energy collection towers of the Great Wall.
The widespread damage to the spiritual脉 and the ensuing spiritual energy riots accelerated the depletion of spiritual energy.
Finally, Shakyamuni Buddha, with no other recourse, had to immediately order the implementation of Great Sun Arhat's plan.
"Fortunately," the newly constructed Mogao Caves were completed before the complete depletion of spiritual energy. The Buddhas began to gradually channel their souls into the statues to preserve themselves.
But as is often the case, an accident did occur.
After three of the Five Dhyani Buddhas and most of the Bodhisattvas entered dormancy, Great Sun Arhat, leading the Qingchi Eagle tribe and demons, ambushed the remaining monks. Maitreya Buddha and Medicine Buddha, unable to resist, were tragically killed.
The Buddhas sealed within the statues were long since lost, their whereabouts unknown. Instead, the Golden-winged Great Peng, who proclaimed himself Great Sun Buddha, ascended the high lotus throne.
However, his reign was short-lived.
Golden-winged Great Peng's merit was too shallow, and his karmic obstacles insufficient to bear the immense wish for Buddhahood. Ultimately, he left behind a wisp of residual soul during his slumber, while his true form sought methods externally.
As time flowed, a thousand years passed. Just as the Buddhas who were dislodged from their positions began to disappear, a woman entered the ruins and carried the statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, which was about to turn into dust, out of the ruins.
As the woman's robes gradually vanished into the vast sand sea, the surroundings slowly succumbed to darkness.
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva glanced at Mo Chuan, who was still unable to recover, and gently shook his head. With another wave of his hand, he brought them back to reality.
"How do you feel, Benefactor?"
"Venerable Sir… were you rescued from the Buddhist caves during the Qian Dynasty?"
"I suppose so… after all, I did not have a strong perception of time while in slumber."
"Venerable Sir…" Mo Chuan wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to remain silent. "What do you plan to do next?"
"I intend to wander outside the ruins, searching for my fellow disciples lost to the corners of the earth," Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva smiled slightly and said. "During this time, I would trouble you to look after this little fellow, Di Ting."
"Venerable Sir…" Mo Chuan attempted to speak.
"Benefactor should wait here for your companion to awaken," Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva clasped his hands together. "Do not shed tears; I will return soon."
With that, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva lightly tapped the Bodhi tree with his staff. Then, he and the tree transformed into a ball of light and vanished into the Buddhist caves.
Mo Chuan watched the scattered specks of light and suddenly heard a sound from the lotus behind him.
"Hum—"
Mo Chuan looked towards the lotus bud. Di Ting had already retreated to the side, and the lotus within began to open layer by layer, each petal gently releasing the Zhang Hanshan within.
However…
Mo Chuan looked at Zhang Hanshan, who appeared at least ten years younger, and silently sighed:
"Venerable Sir… no wonder you left in such a hurry… you were afraid of being embarrassed…"