Chapter 81: One Step into the Celestial Phenomenon

The Grandmaster of Wudang Mountain, Wang Chonglou, passed away at Little Lotus Peak.

As this news spread from Beiliang to the east, west, and south, the Daoist world was stirred. "Didn't they say he could sever the Canglan River with a single finger? Didn't they say he had just cultivated the Great Yellow Court? How could he ascend to immortality just like that?" It was important to note that this "ascension" was not the Daoist ascension to immortality as certified by Longhu Mountain; rather, he died, just like an ordinary mortal, from illness or old age. Wudang Mountain made no attempt to conceal this. Moreover, after the world learned of Wang Chonglou's passing, the new Grandmaster of Wudang Mountain was not Chen You, the highly respected elder second only to Wang Chonglou, nor was it Song Zhiming, the most senior master of alchemy, nor was it the exceptionally skilled swordsman, the mute Wang Xiaoping. Instead, it was Hong Xixiang, the young Martial Uncle-Grandmaster of Wudang, who was less than thirty years old. Who was Hong Xixiang? Even many pilgrims from Beiliang didn't know his name. The most observant among them only knew that this junior martial brother, highly esteemed by Grandmaster Wang, had no great ambitions. He merely engaged in trivial activities such as riding an ox for relaxation, annotating scriptures, building furnaces, and refining elixirs. Whenever scholars, writers, or high-ranking officials came to the mountain to compose poems or offer incense, this young Daoist priest was never to be seen.

On Little Lotus Peak stood the Turtle-Backed Stele. A handsome young Daoist priest, who had grown up on this peak, changed into a new set of attire. He wore cloud-patterned shoes and white socks, and his topknot was secured with a purple sandalwood hair clasp carved with a Tai Chi symbol at its end. His wide, long-sleeved Daoist robe was exceptionally new and dignified, adorned with two sword-shaped long sashes sewn near the buttons, known as the Lotus Wisdom Swords. This was a unique Wudang decoration. Six hundred years ago, the Great Immortal Lü Dongxuan rode a crane to Wudang and, through the Dao of the Immortal Sword, created these two sashes for Wudang robes, symbolizing the severance of vexations and worldly attachments. For Wudang, after Grandmaster Lü, who was unrivaled in both the Way of the Sword and the Way of Heaven, ascended, each succeeding generation became less capable than the last. Especially in the past century, Wudang had lost its magnificent ancestral presence.

The young Daoist priest lightly leaped onto the Turtle-Backed Stele and gazed at the cloud-shrouded divine staircase leading up the mountain. He remembered ascending the mountain as a child: he was sickly, thin, and had weak legs. Wudang was blanketed in heavy snow, the stone steps piled high with it, and the Daoist priests couldn't clear it quickly enough. So, his elderly master carried him on his back. It was said that his senior martial brother had waited for him for a day and a night beneath the "Xuanwu Dang Xing" archway. As he ascended, he would sneak glances at his senior martial brother, who always greeted him with a smile, like a perfectly warm, but not hot, stove in a prosperous neighbor's home. He clearly recalled that at the time, his senior martial brother only had temples streaked with white; by the time he grew up, his senior martial brother's hair had quietly turned completely silver, just like their master's. His senior martial brother indeed didn't seem much like a Wudang Grandmaster. He did everything: chopping wood, making fires, pickling vegetables, cooking, building houses, and clearing snow. His good temper was learned entirely from his senior martial brother. That's why his senior martial brother called him Wudang's hope for the next hundred years. Although he was timid and avoided trouble, he never truly shied away from his responsibilities. He studied moral precepts and discipline with his second martial brother, Chen You; he sought guidance on alchemy theories from his third martial brother, Song Zhiming; he researched the Jade Pillar Heart Method with his fourth martial brother; and he watched his fifth martial brother practice swordsmanship. As for the Way of Heaven, his martial brothers, despite their diligent and lifelong studies, had never fully understood it, so he was in no hurry. He always believed that as long as he stayed on the mountain, he would eventually comprehend it. At fourteen, while riding an ox, he met the woman in red. He couldn't forget her, and his studies suffered, but his senior martial brother never scolded him. When he saw her again later, she said she was going to Jiangnan and they wouldn't meet again. He bravely told his senior martial brother that he wanted to leave the mountain. His senior martial brother asked if he would return, and he didn't say; he never lied. Yet, his senior martial brother still wasn't angry. He simply said, "Little martial brother, wait a while. Once I've cultivated the Great Yellow Court, you can go down the mountain. Our master lied to you when he said you could only leave after becoming the greatest in the world. It's really not right for a young man your age to stay on the mountain constantly associating with a bunch of old fogeys." Later, he patiently waited until his senior martial brother cultivated the Great Yellow Court. However, when his senior martial brother emerged from seclusion, he himself recoiled. Each time he walked to the "Xuanwu Dang Xing" archway, he would look up at the four large characters written by Lü Dongxuan with his sword, then silently turn around and return up the mountain. Finally, his senior martial brother sacrificed his cultivation of the Great Yellow Court, knowing he was about to die. On the cliffside of Little Lotus Peak, he gently rubbed Hong Xixiang's head and said with a smile, "Let the second martial brother be the Grandmaster. You should go down the mountain. If you don't go, I'll kick you down. As for 'Xuanwu Dang Xing' and all that, just let nature take its course; that's much better. There's no reason for you to bear this burden." On his deathbed, his senior martial brother finally understood a truth: "Heaven is not as high as it seems; the human heart is higher than heaven. The Dao is not as great as it seems; human connections are greater than the Dao. For us cultivators, cultivating the Dao is simply cultivating the heart."

Second martial brother Chen You had arrived at the peak at some unknown point. He chuckled softly, "Grandmaster, next time you read banned books, be a little more open about it."

The new Wudang Grandmaster, standing on the Turtle-Backed Stele, turned around, squatted down, and asked with a pained expression, "Second martial brother, Senior Martial Brother originally intended for you to be the Grandmaster. Are you angry with me?"

The old Daoist, Chen You, burst out laughing. "Me, the Grandmaster of Wudang? Senior Martial Brother must have been dreaming! It's obvious I can't beat the four Heavenly Masters of Longhu Mountain in a fight, and I certainly can't win an argument against that Master Bailian. Wouldn't that bring shame upon Wudang? Don't just ask me; go ask Song Zhiming and Yu Xingrui—who among us would be willing to be the Grandmaster?"

The junior martial brother, still squatting on the stele, rubbed his cheek and sighed, "Second martial brother, I don't seem to be very good at fighting or arguing either."

Chen You, who was usually stern, chuckled heartily and teased, "Master once said that all five of us put together aren't worth as much as you alone. Besides, Wudang has never aimed to contend with others. Whether it's being a National Preceptor or a high-ranking official, Wudang, since its establishment as an ancestral temple, has never been interested in such things. For a thousand years, Longhu Mountain has constantly tried to get into the capital, but we have repeatedly refused to enter. Grandmaster Lü Dongxuan made it clear long ago: the places with the most worldly and negative energies in all the world are the imperial palaces—you absolutely must not go there. Although the incense offerings on the mountain are meager now, no one ever starves. The mountains are clear and beautiful, and everyone lives in harmony. Those young Daoist apprentices, some of whom even have to call you Great Martial Uncle-Grandmaster, do they fear you? No, they simply respect you. Who wouldn't be happy to help you herd cattle? You wouldn't see that at Longhu Mountain. There, the Heavenly Master's Residence is separate from Longhu Mountain, clearly distinct. We Wudang Mountain are much more harmonious. Senior Martial Brother privately said that the principle down the mountain is 'harmony brings wealth,' but on the mountain, it's 'harmony produces the Dao.' I think Senior Martial Brother's cultivation was indeed high, but he could never win an argument against me, even when we were little. However, this one saying, I believe, makes perfect sense."

The young Grandmaster worried, "I wonder how junior martial brother Wang's swordsmanship is progressing during his travels down the mountain? I hope he doesn't actually go fighting at the Wu Family Sword Mound or Longhu Mountain. Alas, junior martial brother Wang's sword focuses too much on divine essence rather than sword techniques."

Chen You consoled him, "Fifth martial brother's talent and mastery in swordsmanship are the best on the mountain. He might not be as good as Senior Martial Brother at saving people, but he's even more formidable at harming enemies. Before he left, you also gave him the *Cantong Qi*, so I believe if he puts some effort into transforming Dao into technique, it will greatly benefit him."

Now the Grandmaster, Hong Xixiang, who had previously been known as a junior martial uncle to the younger Daoists, awkwardly said, "My copy of the *Cantong Qi* was just something I scribbled down haphazardly."

At that moment, the evening drum echoed through the mountain, and the mist, as if by telepathy, dispersed, revealing the full scenery of both Little and Great Lotus Peaks.

Hong Xixiang stood up, gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

Chen You smiled faintly. "What does it matter if we call you Grandmaster? Does calling you that mean you're no longer our junior martial brother? What does it matter that Senior Martial Brother has passed away? Does it mean Wudang Mountain will collapse? What does it matter if 'Xuanwu Dang Xing' hasn't flourished for five hundred years? Does it mean you are no longer Hong Xixiang? When Master brought you up the mountain back then, he naturally harbored the thought of you bearing the responsibility for Wudang's prosperity. But more than that, he simply wished for you to live freely and at ease. Senior Martial Brother felt the same way. For all these years, little martial brother, you've been riding your ox backwards, with books hanging from its horns, living like an immortal, carefree and untroubled. We old fellows have watched with envy. Every day you cast a divination, and each time you wore a worried expression, which secretly delighted us. So, whether you go down the mountain or not, we don't care."

There was Chen You's strict discipline, Song Zhiming's mastery of alchemy, Yu Xingrui's Jade Pillar method, and Wang Xiaoping's profound sword intent. And above all, there was Senior Martial Brother, who cultivated martial arts while pursuing the Dao even further.

Beyond the "Xuanwu Dang Xing" archway, everyone on the mountain lived in harmony.

This was Hong Xixiang's home.

Riding his ox, reading books; refining elixirs was merely for relaxation. His "Eight Steps Chasing Cicada" technique was only for catching a spider web. He would move with the strong winds on the mountaintop simply to see the scenery beyond the mountains. Feeding and talking to the yellow cranes was just for fun.

This was his Dao.

I do not seek the Dao; the Dao comes naturally to me.

The youngest Grandmaster in Wudang's history said nothing, only exhaled a long breath.

He took a step.

This single step covered a distance of ten zhang.

He stepped directly off the Turtle-Backed Stele and off Little Lotus Peak.

Wudang's seventy-two peaks bowed towards the Great Summit.

Clouds and mist billowed over the seventy-two peaks, all surging towards Little Lotus Peak.

Hong Xixiang stood on the back of a yellow crane and ascended into the azure sky.

Chen You looked up at the extraordinary phenomenon and murmured, "Master, Senior Martial Brother, you really should see this. Our junior martial brother has entered the Heavenly Manifestation state in one step."