Chapter 84: Chapter 84: White Lotus Purifying Fire
Before dawn, Lu Chengfeng had already quietly gotten up.
In the pitch-black room, he got dressed, picked up the baggage Luo Suyi had prepared for him, and looked back at his wife, who was soundly asleep on the bed, feeling a momentary reluctance.
With a slight sigh, he shouldered the baggage, grabbed the Cold Cicada Sword, and left the room silently, not waking Luo Suyi, nor bidding her farewell.
When he stepped out of the room, the sky was still dimly lit. Lu Chengfeng descended the mountain, and upon reaching the stone horse tether outside the mountain gate, he saw Li Mo waiting for him, with two well-prepared Liangzhou stallions beside him.
Their coats were wholly black as satin, save for the snow-white fur on the tips of their ears and their hooves. These stallions were known as Liangzhou Snow Trampling Steeds, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day.
Lu Chengfeng mounted his horse, looked back at the mountains shrouded in clouds and mist, thinking of his two women and his junior sister, feeling a heaviness in his heart.
"Perhaps this is destined."
He lightly shook the reins, squeezed his legs, and the Blood Stepping Steed began to gallop. The sharp cold wind instantly made his long hair and robes flap violently.
"Junior Brother, let’s go!"
"Hmm!" Li Mo replied and followed him.
...
Meanwhile, at the Immortal Encounter Palace, in the Xiyun Hall, it wasn’t long after Lu Chengfeng had left that Luo Suyi opened her eyes and sat silently in the empty room for a long time.
In the days to come, she would no longer be able to wait for that man’s return, no longer be embraced to sleep by him, or act coy in his arms...
Only this somewhat cold and empty room remained, leaving her alone.
Luo Suyi’s eyes were slightly moist, yet she did not shed tears, but took a deep breath, stood up, changed into her robes, casually let her long hair down, and walked towards Yunxiao Hall.
In Yunxiao Hall, Zhu Yuxian was sitting cross-legged on the Cloud Bed. In the somewhat dark room, it seemed one could vaguely see a faint five-colored halo around her body.
"Master Zhu!"
Luo Suyi bowed respectfully before her.
Although Zhu Yuxian had taught her martial arts, she had not officially accepted her as a disciple, hence Luo Suyi addressed her respectfully as Master Zhu.
Zhu Yuxian slowly opened her eyes. Her pitch-black pupils, like abysses, seemed to devour one’s soul, yet there was a hint of rosy light around them.
The phenomenon flashed and vanished. She looked at Luo Suyi in front of her and said, "The White Lotus Joyful Zen you’re cultivating requires passing through the Nine Tribulations to reach perfection."
"Cultivating this technique often leads to being obsessed with carnal pleasures, becoming a slave to desire over time; few can maintain their nature, their True Spirit unfallen."
The key lies in the White Lotus Zen Skill.
Every once in a while, you must undergo closed-door cultivation, avoiding seeing others, refraining from desires. During seclusion, a purifying fire will ignite in your heart, only with a clear and calm mind, unmoved by the eight winds, can you pass this tribulation, using the purifying fire to refine the White Lotus Body, thereby significantly enhancing your power."
Luo Suyi listened silently. The reason she didn’t follow Lu Chengfeng was because she knew that once wandering the martial world, her strength would be a burden.
Moreover, her cultivation had reached a critical point, requiring long periods of closed-door cultivation to overcome the Purifying Fire Tribulation.
The so-called purifying fire is also known as the Fire of Six Desires. After cultivating White Lotus Joyful Zen for a long time, desires often become more intense than ordinary people. Once in seclusion, these desires rise like flames.
Ultimately, the desires trigger the cultivation technique, giving birth to the Fire of Six Desires, intensely stimulating one’s desires.
At this time, if one encounters people or objects outside, one would almost instantly lose control, become a slave to desires, and fall into depravity.
In the past, many monks from the Great Zen Temple purposefully taught this technique to virtuous women, then deliberately made them fail, turning them into debauched women indulging in pleasure.
A secret skill initially meant to cultivate the White Lotus Dharma Body from purifying fire thus became an evil skill, despised and denounced by the righteous in the martial world.
This is why Luo Suyi must undergo closed-door cultivation; once the purifying fire ignites, she cannot see anyone from the outside.
"If you can pass this tribulation, you’ll naturally break through the barrier of the Tenth Layer of cultivation, refining the White Lotus True Force. Whether you succeed or not is up to you."
Zhu Yuxian gave a final instruction and then said, "Go, I’ve prepared a quiet room for your seclusion. Once the door of the quiet room closes, no one can enter or leave. I’ll have Cai Xia send you food daily through a hidden compartment."
"If you can refine the White Lotus True Force, you’ll naturally open the stone door from inside, otherwise..."
Although the words were left unsaid, Luo Suyi naturally understood the consequences. She bowed again, saying, "Thank you, Master Zhu."
Then she slowly got up, without any hesitation, and followed Cai Xia to the quiet room for seclusion.
In the past, there was no opportunity, so she had to cultivate the Golden Thread Jade Robe Skill, becoming a plaything at the mercy of others in bed.
But now she had a secret skill dharma method, which perfectly matched her physique. Her previous cultivation of the Golden Thread Jade Robe Skill instead became her foundation and accumulation, how could she not be attentive?
When the White Lotus Joyful Zen reaches a deep level, dual cultivation brings more benefits to both men and women, and she herself would have ample self-protection power.
Even the Yuncang Sword Sect is now shaky, with people dispersed. In the martial world, where else is there a place to settle? She did not want to become a burden to her man.
With a loud rumble, the door of the stone chamber opened. Luo Suyi walked in without looking back and sat cross-legged on the cushion in the room, slowly closing her eyes.
The heavy stone door closed, blocking all outside light. In the dark and silent room, scenes of her time with Lu Chengfeng flashed through her mind.
"Guard one thought, and sever the six desires!"
Luo Suyi knew she was not a person without feelings or desires, so she tightly held onto the dharma method Zhu Yuxian had given her, guarding a single belief in her heart to resist the invasion of other desires.
The thought Luo Suyi held onto was her own husband.
In the darkness of the quiet room, a radiant glow appeared on her face.
...
Meanwhile, Lu Chengfeng and Li Mo had just ridden out a short distance when someone on horseback chased after them.
"Lu Chengfeng, stop for me!"
Lu Chengfeng recognized the voice of the pursuer and slowly pulled up the reins, his expression turning cold.
Soon, Zhou Tong came chasing up on horseback, angrily growling, "Didn’t you promise to duel me to the death at Bixiao Peak? Why leave without a word, betraying your promise to me?"
Lu Chengfeng slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Buzz!
In the pitch-black night, a cold glare flashed, leaving a shadow in the onlookers’ eyes; before they could react, they heard the clang of the sword returning to its sheath.
"This is the reason."
Lu Chengfeng spoke coldly and urged the Cloud Stepping Steed to move forward again.
Only to see a strand of Zhou Tong’s hair cut free, drifting down in the air, making his face turn from pale to livid.
"If I wanted to kill you, it would be like slaughtering a dog, but the master’s orders are hard to disobey. Knowing I couldn’t do it, why pretend again."
"Zhou Tong, take care of yourself!"
Lu Chengfeng’s voice resonated in the cold wind and his figure disappeared into the distance.
Zhou Tong sat dazed on horseback, only murmuring hoarsely after a long time, "I only seek death, if I could die by your sword, it would be fast, otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to face the master."
...