Chapter 247 — The Twenty Heavens

Only this mountain remained vast and boundless, peak after peak standing in ranks, encircling and guarding the main summit. Strange to tell, the peaks here formed tier upon tier of steps: at the lowest, three thousand peaks made a great circle; the second tier held nine hundred and ninety-nine peaks; the next above, ninety-nine; and the next above that, nine — each tier higher than the last, all guarding the central summit. Temples stood thick on the peaks great and small, enshrining one towering Buddha image after another. Some peaks had simply been carved into colossal Buddhas; some temples were built on a Buddha's palm, some in the hollow of his heart. "Truly lavish and imposing. " The blind elder said admiringly, "Lord Huo, why do your Buddhist temples always love to wear gold and silver?

So resplendent, so extravagant — would it not be better to use it to relieve disaster and succor the world? The monks hold that the four elements are all void, yet their hands alone are never empty.

" Lord Huo said mildly, "Without the grandeur, who would come to worship and make offerings? " Granny Zhu sneered, "Hypocrisy. . .

" "Shut up! " Shen Mu snapped. "In a moment the old Tathagata will refine you to death! " "You little wretch, you dare scold your own granny!

" Granny Zhu was furious. Shen Mu was at a loss, and stammered, "So it's you, Granny.

Don't take it to heart — I thought Cult Master Li had come out again.

" Granny Zhu sneered, "These thieving monks are plainly hypocrites — Lord Huo, I do not mean you. Look around you: where is there a temple that is not grand and extravagant, wallowing in luxury? Where is there a Buddha image not decked in gold and silver, its golden body built up at vast expense?

Of all the temples in the world, none are so sumptuous as these bald donkeys'!

These monks do no work, pay no taxes, and the moment their interests are touched they wag their tongues; they keep monk-soldiers, they rebel, they would manipulate the great affairs of the world.

" "Silence, demon!

" Suddenly an angry shout came from midair.

Shen Mu looked up and saw a monk wreathed in Buddha-light, most solemn, who had evidently heard Granny Zhu's words in passing and rebuked her in fury. Then the monk caught sight of Lord Huo, was startled, and fled in a panic, crying loudly, "Disaster, disaster!

The Horse King God has come up the mountain again! " In the temples on peak after peak the monks broke into an uproar, rising in swarms to hover in midair and form battle formations, as though facing a great enemy. Lord Huo said offhandedly, "When I came last time to take back my arm, I kicked up a bit of a fuss. Let us go up the mountain. " Fire-clouds sprang from beneath the dragon qilin's feet, and it raced toward the central summit.

That main summit hung high above a sea of clouds, and the sunlight above the clouds shone upon it so that it blazed with gold — and so it was called the Golden Summit.

To fly up to it would take even the dragon qilin some time; along the way were thousands of temples, and no few enlightened monks of accomplished cultivation and vast divine power — yet none dared step forward to bar the way, nor were they willing to let them charge straight to the Golden Summit of Mount Sumeru. More and more monks flew out, riding beasts of every kind, forming rings around the Golden Summit, layer upon layer, dense as can be, preparing to subdue demons and vanquish evil.

Shen Mu could not help but admire Lord Huo. "When Lord Huo came last time, he must have simply fought his way through, all the way to the main summit.

" Lord Huo halted the dragon qilin.

Before them tens of thousands of monks had formed a wall of bronze and iron guarding the Golden Summit.

He spoke: "I have come to see the Tathagata.

I have a favor to ask. " His voice shook the air, and at once the whole mountain was filled with marvels: golden springs welled from the earth, lotus flowers fell from the sky, and in the air appeared the phantom shapes of the eight legions of heavenly dragons; the phantoms of the gods of the twenty heavens descended into the high sky. Marvel followed marvel, splendor blazed on every side, and all together they chanted the Buddha's name. This single display of true word overawed countless monks.

Just then an aged voice laughed from the Golden Summit: "The Horse King God's cultivation surpasses even that of years past. Of the twenty heavens of the Tingming Mahayana Sutra, you must by now have cultivated to the realm of Mahabrahma; one step further and you will be a Tathagata.

Monks, withdraw and let him come up.

I have waited for him a long while. " "The twenty heavens?

" Shen Mu was slightly startled and looked at Lord Huo. The wall of bronze and iron the monks had formed dissolved, and Lord Huo set the dragon qilin walking up the mountain. "These are the twenty heavenly realms of the Tingming Mahayana Sutra.

Cultivate all twenty and you are a Tathagata.

When I left Great Tingming Temple in those years, I had already cultivated to the nineteenth, the realm of the Heaven of Shakra, Lord of the Gods — already a peerless strongman under heaven. "