Leaving A Legacy

Chapter 2/2 today. Go back if you missed the previous one!

With the transport sword slowing just a bit, Ren could afford to admire the scenery because he wasn’t the only one curious. All the disciples were looking around in anticipation of their arrival. Below him, Ren could make out vast fields at the foot of a single enormous mountain, laid out in orderly grids. At their height, he couldn’t make out the crops or the levels of qi, but he knew he was witnessing one of the Monastery’s specialties, their spirit rice, which is significantly better than most other spirit rice.

He could also make out small dots of disciples moving about and managing the fields. Caring for the vast fields was surely an arduous endeavor for which they enlisted their disciples. As they flew closer, Ren laid eyes on the Monastery itself.

It was built all around the middle of the monolithic mountain, and probably further up near the peak as well, hidden by the clouds. The closer they got, the more Ren realized just how colossal the mountain really was. It was expansive at the base, probably taking up as much space as all of the outer sect! His mind strained to appreciate its size.

Their vantage also let Ren take in the picturesque monastery. If he had to describe it in one word, Ren would pick 'structured.' It was laid out in well-planned, rigorously ordered shapes all around the broad mountain. He remembered his conversation with Subo, the young monk he had encountered by chance during the Blood Moon elder’s inheritance trial. How he had described life in the sect as disciplined and ordered. Ren could see those values applied everywhere.

Ren had hoped many times that he would be able to meet his strange friend once again. Apart from that evening of conversation, they hadn’t been able to meet again after the trial ended. They were only able to confirm each other's health and safety when it was time for Subo to depart. Ren looked forward to having many more enlightening conversations.

The transport sword slowed even further as they started to descend toward a grand courtyard where a great crowd awaited them. Ren could make out 3 distinct factions as they approached, meaning they were the last to arrive. The greatest in number were the monks. Then there was a similarly dressed group of nuns. Both the factions had a representative carrying a tall pole from which hung a banner.

The last faction was the Celestial Instruments Sect, the 3rd group in their sect’s alliance. Things had ended on a sour note when they suffered undue losses during the blood moon elder’s inheritance trial. The hostility displayed through their scowls and tightly grasped weapons clearly indicated that the incident had not been forgotten.

Ren obviously wasn’t privy to the decisions made by his sect’s leadership, but he had to wonder why an allied sect had been treated this way.

‘Perhaps the sect leader did not want to be blamed, or did he just not want to give reparations? Whatever the reason, why did they let relations with an ally get so bad that it looks to be on the verge of fracturing? Surely some reconciliation would be less costly than losing a valuable ally?’

Ren had to halt his musings as the sword came to a graceful halt. His fellow disciples gathered and followed behind their elders as they descended. Behind them, the treasure sword vanished, secreted away into the vice sect leader's spatial treasure, no doubt. Ren spotted Bao Hua after a month and was glad to see a friendly face after all those menacing looks he had been subjected to.

Speaking of menacing looks, Ren spotted his fellow young master, Jian Feng, not far away. He had 2 other disciples standing respectfully behind him. It made Ren reevaluate the young master.

“If he can nurture multiple followers talented enough to earn a seat in this trial, then Jian Feng must be a good leader. Hua, just be careful around him. Best to avoid giving him a reason to bother with us.” He quietly whispered to his brother.

Hua nodded seriously and replied, “He’s definitely better than that bastard Cheng Lei. His lackeys fell like rice to a sickle. Although I wouldn’t worry about internal conflicts too much. From the way things appear, we will probably have to band together against external forces.”

Ren had to agree with the assessment. To prevent losing face for the Heavenly Sword Sect, personal grievances would surely be set aside for the durations of this journey. He was just concerned about lasting consequences upon their return home. They already had the Cheng Clan to worry about. They couldn’t afford to pick another fight.

By then, the elders of all the sects had converged to exchange greetings. Even without hearing their words, Ren could spot the signs of aggression between their elders and those of the Celestial Instruments Sect. The frail-looking old elders of the Monastery interceded before any true conflict could arise. They wisely decided that the less time spent together, the more peaceful it would be and split up the welcoming ceremony quickly.

Ren and his fellow disciples were led in a different direction from the other sects. They had been assigned living quarters for the duration of their stay since the actual trial would only open in a little over 2 weeks. Ren and his fellow sect members followed their guide in a disorganized cluster.

“We really did cut it pretty close. I had hoped to have a month to explore this place. This is my first time out of the sect! I definitely want to see all I can. And I also have a lot of things to trade and sell.” Ren said even as his head spun left and right, admiring the beautiful buildings all around them.

Hua just laughed and patted him on the back. “There’ll be time for that after the trial as well. Don’t be so impatient.”

Up close Ren could see just how different the two sects were in their approach. The Heavenly Sword Sect gave an untamed feeling, where the disciples lived in harmony with wild nature on their mountains. The Golden Light Monastery was civilization conquering nature, establishing order everywhere.

The trees and gardens were meticulously trimmed and maintained. Every stone and every plant was placed with great deliberation. Even the buildings themselves were pristine in appearance. Back home, the buildings showed their age, standing in defiance of the slow erosion of time. Here they were pristine and ageless as though they had built yesterday.

It wasn’t just the buildings; disciple monks everywhere were constantly going about cleaning and maintaining the place. They treated every flaw as an affront and addressed it immediately. Then a sonorous gong resounded through the monastery, and almost as one, the disciples stopped whatever they were working on and proceeded to head in the same general direction. Ren was intensely curious about what was going on but couldn’t abandon his group just yet.

They were given a large building with many identical rooms inside. The rooms themselves were extremely austere, with just a cot and a meditation mat. Before Ren could decide if they were being insulted or whether the guests were being given the same treatment as their own disciples, he noticed the arrays.

It was no ordinary mediation mat. It was the most intricately condensed array to gather qi Ren had ever seen. His gripes immediately forgotten, he was enthralled.

‘Wait, if this section completed the qi gathering array, then what about this whole other section? What is that for? I can barely identify half of these arrays!’ Ren was enraptured with the puzzle before him.

He made sure to memorize all of it in the hopes of replicating it on his own one day, but even as he continued his examination, he came to learn just how difficult it would have been to lay out such a complex and detailed array. He certainly didn’t possess such a degree of control over his qi, but instead of being disheartened, Ren could only look forward to training to reach such heights.

When he concluded his examination, the sun was already starting to set. He still hadn’t figured out the purpose of certain arrays but was ready to approach it differently. The simplest way to find out was to just use it! With all his complaints of forced meditation for the past month, no one would have expected such glee from Ren as he sat on the mat with eager anticipation!

The mysterious array's purpose became clear right away. Normally, it would take a while to calm his mind and get into the right mindset, but this time his mind felt unnaturally quiet. Though his cultivation didn’t need him to actively draw in qi from his surroundings, Ren still used the time to refine the pathways of all his techniques.

Under that assisted calm, he even made progress on his half-formed offensive technique involving divination. Ren continued meditating without pause and completely lost track of time. It was only when he felt his poor mental state did he force himself out of the state. For a scary moment, he couldn’t grasp the urgency to wake up, but the mat’s arrays slowly lost their hold on him.

“Gasp! Haah! Haah! What was that?!” Ren felt a cold sweat bead his forehead as he leapt off the mat as though it had scalded his bottom.

The mat was hiding a terrifying secret! That altered mental state was not to be underestimated. Comparing it to his past experiences, it most closely resembled his epiphanies! It was a hundred times weaker, and the gleaned understanding was definitely diluted, but it was an incredible achievement to recreate that feeling.

“They provided something like this for each of their guests? These monks sure know how to make a statement while appearing modest! Huu…”

It was still dark out, so Ren couldn’t estimate how long he had been sitting on the mat. Unlike regular meditation, he didn’t feel rested and refreshed. On the contrary, his mind was sluggish, as if he had severely exerted it. Which, in a way, he had. It took Ren a few breaths to calm down, and then he collapsed into the cot and entered a deep, if brief, slumber.

---

The next morning, Ren wasn’t the only one appearing sleep deprived when he joined the others. Only a few disciples looked like they had slept well. Surprisingly, Bao Hua was one of them. The vice sect leader addressed them.

“Come, come, straighten your backs. Don’t look so defeated. You are still proud disciples of my sect! Now, everyone has likely experienced the Golden Light Monastery’s terrifying depths for themselves so my warning should be received with greater appreciation.

You have 2 weeks until the trial begins, and you may choose to spend that time however you please. You will only be told the details of the trial on that day, as preparations can actually have adverse effects. We will also stay for another 2 weeks after the trial concludes to allow for time to recover. These identification tokens will let you know the basic rules to follow and will warn you about areas you are not permitted to enter.

They may be our allies, but you should know their strength has already been proven many times over. Look down on others at your own peril. Be courteous, comport yourselves with honor, and watch carefully for any dangers, and you will do well. Dismissed!”

At that, over half the crowd decided to go explore their new surroundings. Hua chuckled heartily as he was pulled forward by an eager Ren in a rush to sightsee. Which is why Hua didn’t notice when Ren came to a sudden halt and bumped into him hard.

There before them stood an extremely muscular young monk wearing a broad smile on his face.

“Amituofo, Daoist Ren. It is an honor to meet you again. Would you like to accompany me to slay some demons?” asked Subo with a mischievous grin.