Chapter 224 — Desperate Struggle (Part One)

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens lies an endless expanse of space, where the farthest corner of the world is but a hand's breadth away, and within the tiniest crevice of that space a whole great chiliocosm may dwell. Certain beings of vast divine power make their homes in such places, in serene and utter bliss—yet unless one is a familiar friend or a fellow cultivator of the Way, there is simply no way to find any particular immortal cave or manor.

The Daoist with the five-colored radiance behind his head emerged from the Crescent Moon Three-Star Cave on Slanting Moon Square-Inch Mountain, transformed himself into a five-colored rainbow, and traveled for half a shichen before he reached the Heavenly Realm, then descended further into the Earthly Immortal Realm. As he journeyed on, he suddenly heard someone calling out.

"Mahamayuri, where are you bound?"

Mahamayuri hastily halted his form, standing still in midair and revealing his true shape. He saw a beam of golden light, attended by a jewelled canopy and streamers, coming from the western sea, trailing fragrant winds, blazing with radiant halos, accompanied by celestial music and Buddhist chanting, solemn as the evening drum and morning bell.

The golden light halted not far off and likewise revealed its form. Kong Xuan saw a woman riding a golden-maned hou, set within a jewelled canopy, a boy and a girl standing to either side, and beneath her a lotus throne woven of auspicious clouds, each petal gleaming in the seven colors of the rainbow—all the more setting off the extraordinary bearing of the one who had come.

"What a grand display!" Kong Xuan muttered inwardly.

"So it is Bodhisattva Guanyin! Is not the Bodhisattva's blessed realm beyond the Southern Sea? How is it you come from the west—no doubt you were at Spirit Mountain to hear the Tathagata Buddha expound the Mahayana Dharma." Kong Xuan did not answer her question, but turned the subject aside.

"The Buddha expounds the Mahayana Dharma and convenes the Ullambana Assembly. Mahamayuri, you too are of our Buddhist fold—why have you not come to the Ullambana Assembly these several times, nor listened to the Buddha's preaching? Your whereabouts are ever uncertain, and you live at ease and in leisure; yet today you are in such haste. Where are you going?" Bodhisattva Guanyin dismounted from the golden-maned hou and stepped forward with a smile, still holding fast to the matter at hand. "The Buddha has somewhat missed you, Mahamayuri, and once specially instructed me that if I should see you, I was to ask you to make a journey to Spirit Mountain."

Kong Xuan had urgent business in hand and had meant to dismiss this tiresome Bodhisattva in a few words, but at the latter half of her speech, which mentioned the Buddha, his heart gave a start, and he said offhandedly, "Nothing much—just wandering about. I am making a trip to Mount Huaguo in the Eastern Continent of Superior Divinity."

"Oh? Mount Huaguo lies to the east, so why does Mahamayuri travel southwest?" Bodhisattva Guanyin said with a smile.

"I thought I would look about a while first and enjoy the scenery of the mortal world. There is no hurry, after all," Kong Xuan said vaguely.

"That I should chance to meet Mahamayuri this time brings me great joy. The Buddha has graciously bestowed upon me a share of the Eight-Treasure Jade Lotus Roots, and it would be just the thing to invite Mahamayuri to my cave dwelling to stay a couple of days—first to renew old acquaintance, and second to share them with you. Since Mahamayuri has leisure to spare, this is a fortunate thing indeed." Bodhisattva Guanyin was all warmth.

Kong Xuan had urgent business and could hardly disclose it; he had just misspoken, and it was awkward to decline. He thought: "I will just go and put her off a while—it won't take much time. And if I don't put this Bodhisattva off, there will surely be trouble."

"Excellent indeed!" Kong Xuan rose upon auspicious light, and together with Bodhisattva Guanyin they went all the way to the Southern Sea.

Meanwhile, great trouble had broken out at Black Wind Mountain. Poison Dragon had never paid the auspicious cloud any mind—there were so many gods and immortals in the Earthly Immortal Realm, and cultivators who had ascended to immortal rank were as numerous as carp crossing a river. Immortals often rode auspicious clouds abroad, and demons rode demon winds; immortals of some standing even kept their own mounts, so they need not expend their own strength in flight. There were also cultivators who wished to avoid notice and traveled underground by earth-escape—in any case, each had his own road, all very convenient.

The Earthly Immortal Realm is vast beyond measure. To speak of the Four Great Continents alone: to go from the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa to the Northern Continent of Kuru, aside from going around, one must cross the boundless Southern Sea—and even at the speed of an ordinary heavenly immortal's escaping light, a year or half a year of sleepless flight would be needed. As for cultivators who had not attained the immortal Way, they could simply never cross a single sea.

The Four Seas, though nominally under the jurisdiction of the Four Sea Dragon Gods, in truth occupy only a tiny fraction of their expanse. Far out in the waters, just as on land, giant demons and water monsters often hold sway, commanding aquatic armies, and the Four Sea Dragon Kings can do nothing about them; the two sides hold each other in check.

Without a mount, flying by one's own power is all very well for a day or two, but after a month or two even an immortal cannot endure it. So when Poison Dragon saw the auspicious cloud come flying over, he scoffed inwardly: "Just a poor immortal—flying about so brazenly. Should I consider giving him a taste of my might, so he learns what sort of power Black Wind Mountain commands?"

Poison Dragon laughed coldly to himself. Ever since he had followed Zhou Xuan and been taught the orthodox cultivation methods of the Daoist school, his strength had surged mightily, and he was full of swagger. Leading a band of elite demon soldiers, he had campaigned east and west, seized several mountain strongholds, and even slain a few demon kings who had once been mightier than himself, refining their primal essence into his Black Light Divine Halberd. Unrivaled and overweening, he had grown all the more arrogant.

Poison Dragon raised his Black Light Divine Halberd and was about to fly up to intercept the auspicious cloud, but little did he expect that the other side would act first. The cloud simply stopped—and settled right over the mountain where Poison Dragon and his hundred and fifty thousand demon soldiers were encamped.

Apart from the fifty thousand elite demon soldiers, the remaining hundred thousand were laborers, yet having followed Poison Dragon so long, they had sooner or later learned some skills and cultivated Daoist formulae, and their fighting strength was not to be underestimated.

The outer perimeter of Black Wind Mountain consisted of five peaks, within which were disciples of the Minglun Sect and the Great Ease Palace; beyond them, six great mountains were garrisoned by demon soldiers on guard, encircling the whole like iron hoops.

From afar the auspicious cloud had looked small, but once it drifted overhead one realized it blotted out the sky and sun. Before Poison Dragon could collect himself, a flash of radiance burst from within it, and at once a torrential rain came pouring down. This rain too was strange: amid it fell five-colored celestial blossoms, mingled with a rich scent of sandalwood.

"Wretched! My king, there is something wrong with this rain!"

The demons were highly sensitive to the smell of sandalwood. Several hundred lesser demons of shallow cultivation, touched by the rain, at once went limp and numb, and to their own astonishment reverted to their original forms, sprawling upon the ground.