161: Chapter 161 Zixiao's End
Within the Chaos, Lu Mingyuan walked. Leaving Zixiao Palace, he walked toward the world of Mortals, toward The Rift, toward those who stood, toward those who walked, toward those living beings, and toward those who had died. Wanxiang Heaven and Earth was in his heart, beneath his feet, and in every step he took.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped and looked back. Behind him was Chaos, a gray haze where nothing could be seen. Yet he knew that deep within that gray haze lay Zixiao Palace. It was the place where he had debated six sessions, the place where he had received the Seven Saints' Legacy, the place where he had established the Xuan-shu Path, the place where he had undergone the Spirit Severing Lightning Tribulation, and the place where his Wanxiang Heaven and Earth had blossomed.
He stood there, gazing into the depths of that gray haze. He watched for a long, long time, and then he smiled. "The Great Debate of Zixiao has ended. After six sessions, it is not that I have won, but that I have attained clarity. Clarity that there is no high or low in the Dao, clarity that humans have delusions and awakenings, clarity that the Heart as the Mysterious Pivot, and clarity that all laws share the same source. Now that I am clear, I can leave."
He turned around and continued forward. As he walked, he suddenly heard a sound behind him. It was not the sound of Chaos, but the sound of Zixiao Palace. It was the voice of the Ten Thousand Immortals. Those who had heard his debates in Zixiao Palace, those who had asked him questions, those who had watched him establish his Dao, and those who had witnessed him Undergoing Tribulation. Their voices merged into a single word—'Excellent.'
That single word came from Zixiao Palace, from the Ten Thousand Immortals, and from the Heavenly Dao. It fell upon him, into his heart, and onto the Dao he had walked.
He stood there as that word descended upon him. Then he smiled. That smile was very light, as light as the wind. But within that wind was something—the joy of finally being recognized, and the ease of finally being able to leave. He took a step and continued forward.
Inside Zixiao Palace, the Ten Thousand Immortals were silent. They watched the direction in which the young man had departed, watching that youth who had come from the Dharma-Ending Age, watching that practitioner who had crawled out of The Rift, watching that seeker of the Dao who had debated six sessions in Zixiao Palace, watching that establisher of the Dao who had received the Seven Saints' Legacy, watching that one who had undergone the Spirit Severing Lightning Tribulation, and watching that pioneer who had cultivated Wanxiang Heaven and Earth. No one spoke; they only watched.
Guangchengzi stood there, looking in that direction. He was the first to ask Lu Mingyuan a question during the first session of the Great Debate of Zixiao. He had asked what the Heavenly Dao was, and Lu Mingyuan had answered that the heart is the passage. At that time, he felt the young man spoke well, but did not think it was particularly profound. Now he knew that it wasn't just that he spoke well, but that he walked well. It wasn't an answer from the lips, but one walked out by the feet. He spoke, "He has gone." No one replied, yet everyone heard him.
Duobao stood there, looking in that direction. He was the second to ask Lu Mingyuan a question during the second session of the Great Debate of Zixiao. He had asked what to do if one stood on the wrong side, and Lu Mingyuan had answered that even if it's wrong, one must still stand. At that time, he felt the young man had spoken to his inner thoughts; now he knew that he hadn't just spoken to his thoughts, but had walked his path. It wasn't something thought up for him, but something walked out for those who had died. He spoke, "He has gone."
Jieyin stood there, looking in that direction. He was the third to ask Lu Mingyuan a question during the third session of the Great Debate of Zixiao. He had asked where the way to live was when people were dying one by one, and Lu Mingyuan had answered that it lay with the last person standing. At that time, he felt the young man understood that Emptiness and Existence are Not Two; now he knew that he didn't just understand it, but had walked through it. It wasn't realized through meditation, but by standing firm. He spoke, "He has gone."
Xuandu stood there, looking in that direction. He was the fourth to ask Lu Mingyuan a question during the fourth session of the Great Debate of Zixiao. He had asked about action versus non-action, and Lu Mingyuan had answered that action is also non-action. At that time, he felt the young man understood the Dao of Laozi; now he knew that he didn't just understand it, but had lived it. It wasn't learned, but practiced. He spoke, "He has gone."
Zhenyuanzi stood there, looking in that direction. He was the fifth to ask Lu Mingyuan a question during the fifth session of the Great Debate of Zixiao. He had asked about Xiao Yao or the lack thereof, and Lu Mingyuan had answered that when the heart is full, one does not need to think of Xiao Yao. At that time, he felt the young man understood Xiao Yao; now he knew that he didn't just understand it, but had walked through it. It wasn't imagined, but lived. He spoke, "He has gone."
The Ten Thousand Immortals stood there, looking in that direction. One after another, they spoke. "He has gone." "He has gone." "He has gone." Those voices merged together, forming a river—a river of sound. That river flowed out of Zixiao Palace, into the Chaos, toward the man who was walking, toward the man who had walked far away.
High within Zixiao Palace, the illusory projection of Hongjun still sat there. He looked at the Ten Thousand Immortals and at the direction in which the young man had departed. Then he spoke, "The Great Debate of Zixiao ends here." His voice fell into Zixiao Palace, very light, as light as the wind. But within that wind was something—the relief of finally completing a task, the gratification of finally seeing someone walk out, and the ease of finally being able to close Zixiao Palace.
His illusory projection began to fade, becoming fainter and fainter. Finally, he smiled slightly. "Go. It is time for me to leave as well. Back to the depths of Chaos, back to the depths of the Heavenly Dao, back to where I belong. Zixiao Palace is closed." Then he disappeared. Zixiao Palace became empty, with only the words on the wall still glowing. Daoist Songyun's 'The Heart is the Pivot' and Lu Mingyuan's 'After the Heart as the Mysterious Pivot, it is still the heart. Excellent.' The words of two generations, separated by nine hundred years, glowed on the same wall. They glowed like a heart, like a pivot, like the Dao, and like the one who walks.
The doors of Zixiao Palace slowly closed. A rumbling sound echoed through the Chaos. That sound traveled far, reaching the ears of the Ten Thousand Immortals, the ears of the Seven Saints, the ears of those walking in the Mortal world, the ears of those standing before The Rift, the ears of those living in the Dharma-Ending Age, and the ears of the man currently walking through the Chaos.
Lu Mingyuan stopped and listened to that sound. Zixiao Palace was closed. He stood there, listening as the sound grew more distant and faint, finally vanishing into the depths of Chaos. He smiled. "Zixiao Palace is closed, but the road is not. The Great Debate of Zixiao is over, but the walking is not. The Dao is not in Zixiao Palace; it is in the Mortal world. It is not with the Saints, but with the Mortals. It is not in the orthodox lineages, but beneath the feet of those who walk."
He took a step and continued forward. As he walked, he suddenly remembered a sentence. It was something Master Xuanweizi had said: "Cultivation is walking. If you walk the path beneath your feet well, you will naturally know how to walk thereafter." He understood now. Zixiao Palace was closed, but the road remained. The Great Debate of Zixiao was over, but the walking continued. He had walked so many paths, stood for so long, done so many things, realized so many Daos, overcome so many demons, established the Xuan-shu Path, undergone the Spirit Severing Lightning Tribulation, and cultivated Wanxiang Heaven and Earth. Zixiao Palace was closed, the Ten Thousand Immortals had dispersed, and Hongjun had gone. But the road was still there, and it still had to be walked. Because walking is the Dao; standing is not the Dao, completion is not the Dao, arrival is not the Dao—walking is the Dao.
He smiled. That smile was very light, as light as the wind. But within that wind was something—the steadiness of finally knowing the road was still long, the clarity of finally knowing how to walk, and the ease of finally being able to think of nothing and simply walk.
He walked. Step by step, not fast, not slow, he simply walked.
As he walked, a light appeared in the Chaos ahead. It was not the faintness of Laozi, the azure of Tongtian, the gold of Jieyin and Zhunti, the radiance of Nuwa, the yellow of Houtu, the white of Yuanshi, or the purple of Zixiao Palace. It was the light of the Mortal world. It was the light from The Rift, the light of Zhongnan Mountain, the light of Heyin City, the light of those who stood, the light of those who walked, the light of those living beings, and the light of those who had died.
He looked at that light and smiled. That smile was very light, as light as the wind. But within that wind was something—the joy of finally seeing the world of Mortals. He took a step toward that light, toward that light of the Mortal world, toward the light of The Rift, toward the light of Zhongnan Mountain, toward the light of Heyin City, toward the light of those who stood, toward the light of those who walked, toward the light of those living beings, toward the light of those who had died, and toward the place where he should return.
The End of Zixiao. It is not the end of the road, but the end of Zixiao Palace. It is not that the journey is finished, but that he has walked out. It is not that he has arrived, but that he is walking.