The Silent Capital
That night, following the upheavals before the imperial court, Giang Long and his fellow practitioners retreated to a dilapidated Taoist sanctuary on the outskirts of the capital. Hazy moonlight draped over moss-covered roof tiles, and the night wind whistling through ruined doorways echoed like a somber melody of the Final Age.
The youth bearing the ancient covenant gently opened the scriptures of the Great Fa hidden within his robe. Instantly, each golden character upon the pages shone like the morning sun, emitting a luminescent glow that swept away the surrounding darkness.
Each sentence within the scriptures flowed like a clear stream, permeating deep into every layer of his consciousness. Giang Long’s mind opened in brilliant illumination, as if celestial gates sealed since primordial times had swung wide before the ultimate Truth.
Immersed in deep samadhi beneath the illuminating radiance, his Wisdom Eye perceived a profound celestial mystery: the persecutions and ruthless trials sown across the Three Realms by the malevolent deities of the Old Forces were never intended to help practitioners sublimate. In truth, it was a sinister coercion. They sought to use worldly violence to force the Fa-Rectification onto the obsolete paths they had predetermined, plotting to transform the Holy King’s salvation into a tool for their own selfish nature. These violent obstacles were not the will of heaven, but the frantic resistance of a decayed world.
Absolute Non-Recognition
Giang Long half-closed his eyes, his breath slowly harmonizing with the heartbeat of the cosmos. Deep within his mind, a sacred reminder from his ancient vow resonated with staggering power:
“The magnificent Fa-Rectification absolutely does not recognize the evil, selfish arrangements of the Old Forces. Light never follows the failed tracks of darkness, and an undying faith shall never bow.”
He saw their degenerate intent with absolute clarity: to distort celestial mysteries and force practitioners onto a path of selfishness, only to be eliminated during purification. Yet, the Great Fa is absolutely upright—the eternal law that constructs the new cosmos—and can never be swayed by any obsolete worldly sovereignty or divine authority.
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Within Giang Long’s chest, a surge of Righteous Thoughts burned fiercely, crystallizing into an iron will:
“I am a disciple of the Righteous Fa; I absolutely do not recognize nor compromise before these arrangements. I shall walk majestically upon the grand path guided by the supreme Great Fa!”
The Invisible Reminder
In the absolute stillness of the night, a gentle breeze stirred the ancient pines around the sanctuary, rustling like whispers from heaven and earth. Giang Long felt an invisible resonance echoing through his soul:
“Undying faith is the only path to eternal Consummation.”
The sacred sound did not roar, yet it pierced through layer upon layer of cosmic structures. It was a grand resonance from the depths of the new cosmos—a reminder for the children stepping into the battle between Good and Evil. Giang Long opened his eyes, his gaze bright as night stars. He understood this reminder was the validation of the Righteous Fa for his ancient vow.
The Eternal Vow
The imperial capital remained immersed in a deceptive tranquility, noble and commoner alike adrift in dreams of fleeting fame and profit. Yet within that profound silence, Giang Long felt an invisible, celestial energy field quietly envelop the sanctuary. It bore neither the violence of mortal blades nor the oppression of worldly dominion, but possessed an unparalleled majesty crystallized solely from righteous faith.
The youth reverently closed the scriptures of the Great Fa, placing his hand over his chest where the Jade of Celestial Whispers pulsed with a subtle warmth. Rising to his full height, he lifted his gaze toward the expansive vault of heaven besieged by storm clouds, his steadfast eyes piercing straight into the void:
“I shall uphold this faith until my final breath, walking majestically even though the path ahead be wrought with tempests, fire, and blood!”
In that sacred instant, heaven and earth seemed to hold their breath to witness the oath. Moonlight sundered the black mist, casting a brilliant silver radiance upon his solitary figure. The night wind grew gentle, as if the cosmos itself were murmuring in profound accord, safeguarding his vow. The grand journey of saving sentient beings had entered a monumental new chapter—fraught with perilous trials, yet overflowing with the inextinguishable light of hope.
CANTO XXXVI: REMINDERS IN STILLNESS
In the deep night temple, the Dharma-sound flows,
An undying faith, as the ancient vow glows.
Steadfast in the Fa, the evil schemes we defy,
With heaven as witness, the Dao-heart is high.
The primordial vow, engraved in the bone,
Righteous Thoughts shine, through the ten directions known.
The capital faces the storm’s fierce advance,
Compassionate light, for ten thousand years' dance.