Chapter 104: The Hundred-Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heavens

After Zhang Ke finished speaking, he paused. Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, he continued, "When the Daoist Ancestor Qingling returned from his travels in the Far North, he relayed everything he had seen and heard to my father. To propagate the Dao across the Divine Land, one must seek out those with exceptional talent. Over the past dozen years, he must have scouted many disciples, and Junior Brother Ye must surely have been one of his chosen!"

The group nodded in agreement, saying, "Senior Brother Zhang's words are likely true!" They discussed this for a while longer, but soon their attention was drawn to the increasingly fierce battles taking place, and they no longer brought up the matter of Ye Hua.

Ye Hua traveled at a swift pace. Given that the Xuanwu Arena was quite close to the Jinghua Martial Hall, he arrived in no time. After passing through the mountain gate and locating the Great Sutra Pavilion, it took him less than an hour. Just as he entered the pavilion, he heard someone call out joyfully from behind, "Brother Ye!"

Without turning, Ye Hua recognized the voice as that of Ma Sen. As he turned, he saw two middle-aged men walking toward him with beaming faces. Ye Hua smiled slightly and greeted, "Brother Ma, Brother Wang!"

Ma Sen and Wang Ting both laughed, "Brother Ye, you are truly punctual! Ha ha, from today on, we are 'colleagues'!" Ye Hua laughed heartily as well.

Ma Sen said to Ye Hua, "Brother Ye, from now on, you will reside here in the Great Sutra Pavilion! This place is renowned for its 'One Hundred Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heavens'; ordinary people rarely gain entry. You are truly blessed, Brother Ye, to have received the personal approval of the Pavilion Master himself! This is an extraordinary honor!"

Ye Hua could not help but smile, "You two brothers are surely joking."

Wang Ting said solemnly, "Brother Ye, this is no joke! Since Brother Ma and I have been managing this Great Sutra Pavilion, we have never seen anyone receive such favorable treatment from the Pavilion Master! Brother Ye, you are truly... heh heh!"

Ye Hua chuckled, shaking his head, neither confirming nor denying their words. Ma Sen and Wang Ting then added, "Brother Ye, when you visited the pavilion last time, you only had a brief look and did not grasp its profound essence. Since you have leisure today, let us old brothers show you around!"

Ye Hua smiled, "That would be troubling you both."

Wang Ting laughed, "Why be so formal, Brother Ye? This way!"

Wang Ting led the way, and as the three turned to the left on the first floor, a flash of iridescent light appeared before them. The scene shifted, revealing rows of neat bookshelves filled with various "books"—some were jade slips, some gold leaves, and others spherical orbs—all encased in shimmering restrictive light. Wang Ting gestured to these and said, "These cultivation techniques are not overly difficult to learn, but those who master them are few. While one is free to read them, they cannot be copied or passed on to others."

Ye Hua nodded and stepped forward. He reached out and picked up a gold leaf from the shelf. With a flicker of light, the leaf hovered before him. A golden glow shimmered, and the characters "Spring Grace Finger" appeared, followed by dense lines of tiny, fly-like text detailing the cultivation methods, levels, and insights. After a brief glance at terms like "Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Qi into Spirit, Refining Spirit into Void, and Refining Void to Merge with the Dao," Ye Hua looked away. As the golden light faded, the leaf returned to its original form.

Ye Hua set the leaf down and said to Wang Ting, "Brother Wang, the techniques here are truly profound."

Wang Ting smiled, "Naturally. The Great Sutra Pavilion has accumulated these over a thousand years to reach this scale. Every technique has been carefully selected, refined, and improved; each has its own uniqueness. Heh heh, all are extremely powerful!"

Ye Hua nodded, "Brother Wang's words are not empty; indeed, they are."

Wang Ting continued, "This is only the first floor. There are seventeen more above it, each with its own focus. The first to fourth floors focus on techniques for the hands—fingers, fists, and palms. The fifth to seventh floors focus on footwork. Above those are Daoist techniques, Buddhist techniques, the Hundred Schools of Thought, demon clan techniques, devil clan techniques, weapon forging, alchemy, formations, and talismans. You should take your time exploring them, Brother Ye. Let us go to the second floor!"

Ye Hua nodded, and the three slowly ascended to the second floor. Wang Ting provided detailed explanations again. They continued upward until they reached the eighth floor.

Ma Sen smiled, "The secret texts on this floor are quite special—they are formations. The 'One Hundred Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heavens' are located on this level." He waved his hand, and the scene before them shifted.

Ye Hua looked around; the surroundings seemed like a vast, starry cosmos, flickering incessantly, as if he were standing in the middle of a boundless universe. Ye Hua murmured, "Could this be the One Hundred Thousand Mustard Seed Heavens?"

Ma Sen shook his head, "Brother Ye, you are mistaken! Look at the stars in that sky; each one is an independently created sub-space, a world unto itself. Heh heh, why don't we go take a look?"

Before Ye Hua could answer, Ma Sen beckoned toward the starry expanse. A star flew toward them like a meteor, stopping just a few yards away. It appeared to be nothing more than a giant boulder.

Ma Sen gestured for Ye Hua to follow, "Brother Ye, let us go in for a look!" They stepped forward, and as they seemed about to collide with the boulder, a ripple of light flashed, and they found themselves inside it.

Ye Hua gasped in surprise. The world before him was indistinguishable from reality: the sky was a deep blue with drifting white clouds, majestic mountains stood in the distance, and beneath their feet lay a vast, lush green grassland. A stream meandered by, where dozens of antelopes and horses were drinking water.

Ye Hua exclaimed, "Is this the One Hundred Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heavens?"

Ma Sen and Wang Ting stood behind him, laughing heartily, "Ha ha, Brother Ye, we thought you would look just like that! Indeed, this is the One Hundred Thousand Mustard Seed Sumeru Heavens, though this is but one of them! Ha ha!"

Ye Hua nodded, "Boasting a number of one hundred thousand—even if it doesn't reach that, it must be vast indeed!"

He secretly channeled his internal energy and felt as though every pore in his body were shouting with joy; the spiritual energy of heaven and earth permeating the air was being continuously drawn into his body.

Ye Hua said happily, "I did not expect the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within these Heavens to be so pure! This is truly incredible! No wonder the Great Sutra Pavilion has such a great reputation!"

Ma Sen smiled, "Brother Ye, these Heavens are no ordinary formation. Countless rare treasures of heaven and earth were consumed to achieve such efficacy! Heh heh, as I told you, not just anyone can enter here. Each space is extremely precious! To be able to cultivate inside one, not to mention a year, even a month is a blessing one would pray for!"

Ye Hua laughed, "In that case, I have truly been favored by immense fortune!"

Ma Sen smiled, "Naturally. It must be because your martial arts talent is outstanding that you caught the eye of the Pavilion Master!"

Ye Hua thought to himself, "If it comes down to it, my opportunity to cultivate here is because the Daoist Ancestor has something to ask of me! I have surely received a great grace."

The three talked for a long while before withdrawing from the space. Ma Sen waved his hand, and the starry scene vanished. Ye Hua suddenly grew thoughtful and asked Ma Sen, "Brother Ma, I would like to ask: how many people are currently cultivating within these one hundred thousand spaces, and who are they?"

Ma Sen smiled, "The number 'one hundred thousand' is an exaggeration, but there are indeed around ten thousand spaces. Arranged according to the Nine Heavens and Eight Trigrams Great Zhou Heavenly techniques, the eight hundred and eight superior spaces are occupied year-round by those old Daoist monsters. The remaining four thousand seven hundred and nine middle-tier spaces are occupied by the great commanders under the Holy Emperor and their trusted cultivators. As for the rest—the lower-tier ones—they are occupied by the various instructors of the Jinghua Martial Hall, the cultivators of the six departments of Yuan, Wang, and Beixi, and those under the eight ministers, the Hongming King, and the Wenzheng King. Therefore, there are not many left! Alas!" He sighed and shook his head slowly.

Ye Hua’s eyes flickered, "In that case, those cultivators are mostly of the Three Truths Realm or even the Jade Brilliance Realm!?"

Ma Sen smiled, "Exactly. Those of the Three Truths Realm are fine, but those old monsters of the Jade Brilliance Realm are a handful to deal with!"

Ye Hua nodded and smiled, "Heh heh, doesn't that mean I might often run into famous figures and be able to ask them about my cultivation difficulties? This is a rare opportunity!"

Ma Sen shook his head, "While that may be true, those famous figures are all talented and arrogant. Would they ever deign to speak a word to us, let alone discuss cultivation techniques?"

Ye Hua thought about it and realized this was true. However, since he hadn't yet encountered such an awkward situation, he let Ma Sen's words slide with a smile. The three ascended to the eighteenth floor. Ye Hua arrived at the spot where he had fought the pockmarked man named Kong yesterday and told Ma Sen and Wang Ting about the incident.

Ma Sen suddenly realized, "No wonder! Yesterday I saw a disciple leave as if injured, and then I saw you leave, Brother Ye! Heh heh, I didn't expect that! This pavilion strictly forbids fighting, but since that pockmarked man dared to insult the Pavilion Master, he deserved the lesson! Heh heh, if we had been there, we certainly wouldn't have let him off either!"

After talking for a long time, Ye Hua walked to the window and looked out at the vast, empty wilderness. The north wind blew into his collar, stirring his thoughts. In this setting, on this floor, amidst this wind, he could not help but recall the famous lines from Wang Can:

*I ascend this tower to gaze in the four directions, whiling away the day to dispel my sorrows. I survey this place where I dwell, truly spacious and free of obstacles. It leans on the passing currents of the Qingzhang, and rests upon the long shoals of the winding Ju. Behind it lie the vast plains of the ancestral graves, and before it the fertile lands of the marshes. To the north, it reaches the pastures of Tao; to the west, it touches the Zhao Hills. Crops and fruits cover the fields, and the millet fills the plains. Though it is truly beautiful, it is not my native land; how could it be enough to make me stay for long!*

*I have encountered chaotic times and moved away, drifting for more than a decade until now. My heart is filled with longing for home; who can bear such heavy sorrow? I lean on the railing to gaze afar, opening my collar to the north wind. The vast plains stretch to the limit of my vision, hidden by the high peaks of the Jing Mountains. The roads are winding and long; the rivers are vast and deep. I grieve for my old home, so far away; tears fall unchecked. Once, when the Sage was in Chen, he sighed with longing to return. Zhong Yi was a prisoner and played the songs of Chu; Zhuang Xi was a high official and sang the songs of Yue. Human nature is the same in longing for one’s homeland; how could it differ between the poor and the successful!*

*The days and months pass by, and I wait for the Yellow River to clear, yet it seems endless. I hope for the Way of the King to be unified, so I may use the high road to exert my strength. I fear being like the Gourd Star, hanging uselessly in the sky; I fear the well is clean but no one comes to drink. I pace back and forth, hesitating, as the white sun suddenly begins to set. The wind rises, cold and desolate; the heavens are dim and without color. Beasts look wildly about in search of their herds, and birds call to one another as they take flight. The wilderness is silent and empty; the traveler walks on, never resting. My heart is desolate and touched with emotion; my thoughts are filled with pain and sorrow. I descend the steps, my chest heavy with pent-up feelings. In the middle of the night, I cannot sleep, tossing and turning in restless melancholy.*