It seems as if light clouds are veiling the moon, and drifting like swirling snow in a flowing wind.
For a moment, words failed him. Looking at Abbess Jingwen standing before him, only this line of poetry came to mind.
"Master..."
Lu Zhaozhao murmured softly, while Master Jingwen, who was standing in front of her, smiled and opened her arms.
She flew into his arms like a bird, into that warm, familiar embrace.
Master Jingwen lovingly stroked her hair, gently and tenderly.
Lu Zhaozhao's nose twitched, and she shrugged, saying in a muffled voice, "I thought the nun was just an illusion, but I never expected it to be a real scene."
Master Jingwen sighed and said slowly, "Strictly speaking, I do not actually exist."
She lifted her head from her embrace and looked at her with confusion.
The nun smiled gently, a smile that contained so much heartache and helplessness.
"My true identity may surprise you."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "A thousand years ago, I was Nüba."
"How is that possible?" Lu Zhaozhao asked incredulously, her eyes wide.
"Surprised, isn't it?" Her reaction seemed to be exactly what Master Jingwen had expected.
"According to legend, Nüba was not depicted as having a withered body and a emaciated appearance. But you..."
"I look like a normal person, right?"
Lu Zhaozhao nodded hesitantly.
“I am not a true Nüba in the true sense. The Nüba clan has been declining year by year, which is why they chose to hide from the world to conceal their existence. However, the inheritance of Nüba is strange. For every Nüba born, there is a Nüba who dies, but the rate of birth is far slower than the rate of extinction. Therefore, by now, I am the only Nüba left.”
She sighed, still feeling a pang of reluctance even after so long.
"Since I'm the only one left, I think I'll go out and see what this world is like. Nüba's territory is close to the Northern Region, so the first person I met was Huizhen, who is a good person."
Because of my unique constitution, wherever I went, only barren lands remained. He saw me but didn't subdue me; instead, he took me to a Buddha statue where I chanted scriptures for years. During that time, my nostrils were filled with the scent of sandalwood. Several years passed like this, and I truly became no different from ordinary people. Just then, someone broke into the Northern Region and brought Zen Buddhism out, so we went out as well. Unfortunately, the outside world is ultimately a place of trouble…”
She looked out the window; all she saw was a vast expanse of white, just like the day she decided to leave.
Lu Zhaozhao also knew what happened next.
Heretics, taking advantage of Zen Buddhism, joined forces with demons to stir up war and cause widespread suffering.
That great battle was a catastrophe for both the cultivation world and the Zen sect. Afterwards, the Zen sect retreated to the Northern Region and never reappeared, and the cultivation world also blurred that period of history.
"After that catastrophe, the Zen sect was basically destroyed, and Huizhen also passed away. In the face of imminent danger, I had no choice but to take action, using my identity as Nüba to protect the remaining monks and lead them back to the Northern Region. However, after that, my body also began to dissipate. Perhaps it was heaven's mercy that allowed me to eke out a living in this Mirror Lake. A thousand years later, I was fortunate enough to enter an illusion, where I returned to that short but pleasant time and met you."
Tears welled up in Master Jingwen's eyes as she reached out and wiped away the tears that Lu Zhaozhao had already been unable to hold back.
"The young disciples of Zen Buddhism like to talk to the snow-capped mountains and lakes, so I already knew that there is a young novice monk in Zen Buddhism named Shikong, who is the reincarnation of Huizhen. And the moment I saw you in the illusion, I knew that history from a thousand years ago might repeat itself. Your nature is exactly the same as that person's. So what can I do? You have done nothing wrong. You are so pure and kind. It seems that I can do nothing but teach you to the best of my ability. Fortunately, you and him are ultimately different."
She smiled faintly, idly stroking Lu Zhaozhao's hand, and continued, "During that time, I truly regarded you as family. A thousand years of loneliness seemed to vanish in that moment. It's so wonderful."
She released Lu Zhaozhao, looked into her eyes, placed her hands on her shoulders, and said earnestly, "The hairpin I gave you contained most of my remaining energy. It brought you here at the moment you perished, but it was you who truly gave you another life."
“I know why you’ve come here. Mirror Lake is a sacred place in the snowy region. You just need to enter it, and you don’t need to worry about anything else.”
"Guan Nan, I have only one sentence: Do not let the world suffer."
Lu Zhaozhao was stunned. So much information was flooding her mind at once that she couldn't process it all. But the abbess's expectations were too high, and she couldn't possibly not answer.
She nodded, and was pulled into a tight embrace.
I felt warmth on my neck. Was it the nun's tears?
Why are you crying? Are you sad about something?
"I'm sorry, Guan Nan, I'm so sorry. Such a heavy responsibility has been placed on your shoulders at such a young age."
The nun choked up as she spoke, and Lu Zhaozhao's tears also fell. She hugged the nun back and comforted her as she had been comforted before.
“At first, I might not have felt it, but as I've come this far, I can roughly guess. I came here for something, it's my destiny, but how to do it is up to me to decide. So, don't say sorry, because in my heart, you are also my family.”
The nun hugged her even tighter, as if she wanted to meld her into her very bones, or as if she wanted to protect her in her arms and hold up a safe haven for her.
But no matter what, she still walked into Mirror Lake.
The lake water is frigid, and the snowmelt that flows in makes it even more icy, yet incredibly pure.
Lu Zhaozhao slowly closed her eyes.
"It's about to begin."
Master Jingwen spoke softly, and Lu Zhaozhao nodded.
The next moment, incomparably pure spiritual energy poured in from all directions.
The dormant dantian was activated at this moment and immediately began to operate.
The familiar feeling returned; her body circulated, and the heat she emitted dispelled the chill, causing her body temperature to soar.
Such a feeling should not be very pleasant, but perhaps due to Master Jingwen's intervention, Lu Zhaozhao only felt relaxed and comfortable throughout her body, without any discomfort.
Qi cultivation and foundation building proceeded smoothly and naturally. A golden core formed in the dantian, fuller and purer than before. Then, it immediately dissolved, and the Nascent Soul stage arrived.
The speed gradually decreased, but it was still frighteningly fast.
Early stage, middle stage, late stage, and final stage – breakthroughs are achieved step by step.
If there were other cultivators nearby at this moment, they would probably be so frightened that they would faint.
Thunderclouds appeared overhead, but no lightning tribulation descended; instead, seven-colored thunderclouds flashed.
Upon reaching the Out-of-Body Realm, the true energy within the body reached an unprecedented abundance.
A voice came from beside my ear.
"Is this the way of ruthlessness, devoid of sorrow and joy, severing all emotions and love?"
It is the Heavenly Dao, and one of the necessary conditions for breaking through to the Out-of-Body stage is to inquire about the Dao.
"No, this is not my path!"
Lu Zhaozhao replied resolutely, "My path is still the path of ruthlessness, but it is by no means a complete severing of emotions and love. The path is ruthless yet compassionate. Only by experiencing all aspects of life and tasting all human emotions can one truly understand the path of ruthlessness. To be true to oneself, to express one's true heart, and to pursue that path—this is my path!"
"Then follow your path and continue on it."
A thousand years have passed in vain; we hear no news of the ancients, nor see any successors.
Jingwen, kneeling by the lake, squinted at Lu Zhaozhao, who was enveloped in seven-colored light.
Asking the Way is an insurmountable barrier.
One's previous level of cultivation could be achieved through talent and hard work, but beyond that, comprehension is also necessary. Many people spend their entire lives without finding their own path, and can only wander aimlessly, never finding their way back.
What is the path of this girl who is not yet twenty?
A great light appeared, illuminating the night as bright as day.
Jingwen suddenly stood up and looked at her in surprise.
The spiritual energy flowing from all around had already slowed down, but then suddenly surged again, entering Lu Zhaozhao's body at a speed hundreds or thousands of times faster.
She's going too fast! If this keeps up, she'll explode and die!
Jingwen wanted to interrupt, but stopped when she got close to her.
Lu Zhaozhao's face was calm, showing no signs of pain despite the sudden increase in her cultivation level.
Jingwen lowered his hand that he wanted to touch her, sat down beside her, and continued to protect her.
The dantian becomes increasingly full, reaches its limit, then becomes empty again, and is filled up once more, repeating this cycle.
Lu Zhaozhao didn't know exactly how much spiritual energy she had absorbed, but her body was like a bottomless pit, never able to stop.
His cultivation level surged dramatically, reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, with faint signs of a breakthrough.
wrong!
Her brow furrowed; she couldn't continue.
Too much is not enough.
Consciously, she began to compress the internal energy within her body.
The true energy was compressed more and more tightly until it could no longer be compressed.
His breathing gradually became steady, and his state of mind also stabilized.
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