What is on the Wanzhang Mountain

At the foot of the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain.

Yuan Kong tore a strip of cloth from his sleeve and used it to blindfold himself.

From the moment he gained awareness, Yuan Kong had understood that his eyes were different from others'.

These eyes had granted him countless advantages—whether dealing with people or matters.

Whenever Yuan Kong focused his gaze, a faint clarity would arise in his heart.

This was why he had trusted Chu Xingchen and revealed the legacy of the Kāla Buddha to him—because he had seen through Chen Baiqing.

He had also witnessed the trust in Chen Baiqing’s eyes when he looked at Chu Xingchen.

For a child like that to place his faith in someone, only sincerity could have earned it.

Yet, these very same eyes had also begun to cost him something.

This Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain was one such example.

The myriad phenomena of the world could never be fully comprehended by a single pair of eyes.

Yuan Kong was wise, but he was still young, his experiences too few. At first, he hadn’t realized it.

But now, upon reflection, Yuan Kong suddenly understood—he had placed too much trust in these eyes.

If all was but a manifestation of the mind, then faith should lie in the heart, not the eyes.

With the cloth securely tied, Yuan Kong silently recited a Buddhist scripture, calming his mind before slowly rising to his feet.

Staggering slightly, he reached out toward the illusory Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain.

Chu Xingchen gazed at the mountain, where at its base, a young monk—blindfolded—was slowly scaling the sheer cliffs.

Seeing this, Chu Xingchen then glanced at the unconscious Yuan Kong lying on the grass nearby.

A faint thread of spiritual energy connected the two.

So that’s how it is.

Li Yingling also noticed Yuan Kong climbing the mountain. His small figure moved cautiously along the rugged cliffs, blindfolded and slow.

With a hint of worry, she asked, "Master, isn’t this a bit dangerous for him?"

Chu Xingchen chuckled lightly. "Since Yuan Kong is putting in such effort, it’s only right for this master to lend him a hand."

Li Yingling looked at her master with curiosity.

"The great wind rises, the clouds soar!"

With a flick of his wrist, Chu Xingchen unleashed a surge of spiritual energy, sending the unconscious Yuan Kong soaring into the sky.

Yuan Kong wasn’t foolish—just inexperienced.

If the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain was a test of the mind, why was he stubbornly climbing it like a fool?

If the heart envisioned ten thousand zhang, the mountain would be ten thousand zhang.

If the heart saw but an inch, the mountain would be but an inch.

Since this silly monk hadn’t grasped it, Chu Xingchen would give him a push!

Midway up the mountain, Yuan Kong suddenly felt a powerful gust surge beneath him.

No matter how tightly he clung to the cliff, the wind wrenched him free, hurling him upward at terrifying speed.

On the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain, Yuan Kong flailed wildly as he shot toward the summit.

Li Yingling couldn’t hear his screams, but she could see his small mouth moving rapidly, his face twisted in terror as he soared higher.

Compared to his earlier crawling pace, this was undeniably faster.

But once he reached a third of the way, Chu Xingchen ceased the wind, conjuring a platform of spiritual energy beneath Yuan Kong before dropping him onto it.

Then, Li Yingling fully understood her master’s lesson.

As Yuan Kong’s physical body landed on the platform, his spiritual counterpart on the mountain slammed into the peak.

The moment he touched the platform, the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain suddenly transformed—shrinking drastically the instant Yuan Kong tore off his blindfold.

In a flash, Yuan Kong stood atop the summit.

Li Yingling nodded slowly. So this was it. Mere book knowledge couldn’t solve every problem. Sometimes, witnessing it firsthand was the only way to truly understand.

Her master had just given her a vivid lesson.

At the peak, Yuan Kong tore off his blindfold in shock, frantically scanning his surroundings—only to realize he had already reached the summit.

Hah!

This must have been the Buddha watching over his disciple in secret!

That gust of wind had been terrifying, but since he was unharmed, all was well.

Yuan Kong climbed to his feet and turned toward the Bodhisattva statue at the edge of the peak.

The Bodhisattva faced him, its back to the cliff, its expression serene and devoid of emotion. The statue was nearly identical to the Avalokiteśvara head Chu Xingchen had blasted out of the riverbed earlier.

Its hands were outstretched before its chest, as if cradling something—yet they held nothing.

After scanning the peak and confirming there was nothing else of note, Yuan Kong approached the statue with small, reverent steps.

Clasping his hands together, he bowed deeply and spoke earnestly:

"Great Bodhisattva, this humble monk Yuan Kong has come to seek alms—your treasure."

From afar, Li Yingling could only make out Yuan Kong’s faint silhouette, unable to hear his words.

Chu Xingchen, however, could hear them clearly with his Nascent Soul senses—and wished he hadn’t.

You’re trying to take alms from the dead?

And from your own Buddhist lineage at that! If the Buddha heard this, he’d smack you upside the head!

Fortunately, Yuan Kong was merely being polite. He soon straightened and examined the statue.

The Bodhisattva statue was sizable, standing several meters tall.

It was the only notable object on the peak.

The treasure hidden here likely lay within it.

Yuan Kong frowned as he ran his hand over the statue—its texture was ordinary, just plain stone.

He then inspected it from every angle but found nothing unusual.

Still, he remained patient.

Sitting cross-legged before the statue, he fell into deep thought.

Chu Xingchen observed for a moment. If this were merely a test of comprehension, he might have pondered it further. But given the circumstances, it was clear this was a safeguard left by the Bodhisattva.

The Buddhist sects surely believed in keeping their treasures within the family.

This likely required knowledge of Buddhist methods or scriptures.

Now, they could only hope Yuan Kong, as a true Buddhist disciple, had some insight.

Li Yingling, too, grasped the situation and watched Yuan Kong silently.

Time passed slowly.

Suddenly, Yuan Kong’s face lit up with joy. He bowed to the statue once more before stepping forward.

With a few light steps, he climbed onto the Bodhisattva’s outstretched palms.

Settling into a meditative posture, he sat upon the statue’s hands—his left finger pointing skyward, his right toward the earth.

Closing his eyes, a Buddhist scripture surfaced in his mind.

As Yuan Kong began chanting, a pure white energy emerged from the Bodhisattva statue.

First, a pristine kasaya, luminous as moonlight, draped itself over Yuan Kong’s shoulders.

Then, a relic emerged from the statue’s forehead, hovering above Yuan Kong’s head. Golden light cascaded down, enveloping him in a radiant glow.

As the chant reached its conclusion—

The Ten-Thousand-Zhang Mountain began dissolving from its base, transforming into streams of emerald light that surged toward Yuan Kong.

In moments, the entire mountain had vanished, its essence coalescing into a single object—

A jade-green willow branch.

Translucent and shimmering with inner radiance, it floated before Yuan Kong.

Though the mountain had disappeared, the Bodhisattva statue remained suspended in midair.

As if sensing something, Yuan Kong reached out and grasped the jade branch.

Boom!

The statue shattered into motes of light, vanishing without a trace.