Luminous Heaven, Azure Sea Cloud Light Palace.
Phoenix pushed open the palace gates, which were several zhang high, and stepped over the threshold inlaid with gold and jade. Before him unfolded an immensely high and wide hall paved with gold-inlaid copper bricks. At the very front stood statues of various Buddhas and gods, some smiling, some angry, their expressions varied. Their majestic golden bodies soared into the clouds.
The sheer height, dignity, and profound golden light of these statues, which seemed as if they could come crashing down at any moment, were enough to instill fear in anyone who looked upon them. It felt as if you did not kneel and devote yourself entirely, the next moment a Vajra’s wrath would descend with thunderous fury, crushing you to dust, your brains splattered on the ground.
Phoenix walked through the vast, intimidating golden-bricked hall and stopped before one of the Venerable’s statues. He offered incense, bowed, and took half a step back.
A golden light appeared before the Venerable’s statue, slowly outlining a lotus throne over a zhang high in the void. Seated upon it was Venerable Bhadra, his hands clasped together, his features dignified.
“You have finally come, Phoenix Wisdom King.” The Venerable sat with a collected demeanor, bowing slightly in greeting. “I thought you would never return to the Heavenly Dao. Is that Zhou Hui waiting for you outside?”
He used Zhou Hui’s name directly instead of “that demon,” which made Phoenix’s eyes flicker slightly. He returned the bow. “Yes. Some time ago, due to the Asura King’s rudeness, I misunderstood the Venerable’s decree…”
Venerable Bhadra waved his hand to indicate it was of no matter. “So, Your Highness has returned to Luminous Heaven to see me because you have discovered the abnormality in yourself?”
Phoenix was silent for a moment, seeming to find it difficult to speak.
“Lately, my temper has been volatile, and I have had sudden fits of losing my senses. One day, I even tried to kill Zhou Hui…”
It was late one night, in bed. Phoenix’s mind was hazy from the intense thrusts when, without warning, a strong surge of irritability welled up from the bottom of his heart. It instantly turned into a fiery current that coursed through his limbs, causing him to suddenly open his eyes.
In truth, Phoenix’s tolerance for pain was very high. In the fiery embrace of skin against skin, he could silently endure even the most intense pain without making a sound. But in that moment, the sudden eruption of rage was beyond even his own control. It was as if someone had taken control of his body, and in an instant, he shoved Zhou Hui away.
Zhou Hui, not understanding what had happened, immediately lunged forward and grabbed him, asking hoarsely, “Does it hurt? How much does it hurt?”
Phoenix stared at him blankly, desperately trying to say something, but in the next moment, he lost consciousness.
When he regained his senses, he saw the overturned bed and the room in utter chaos. The small wooden cabin was almost half-destroyed. He himself was holding a knife, his wrist tightly gripped by Zhou Hui, who was pressing him to the ground. A cold sweat had soaked through his robes.
“What… what happened?” Phoenix asked blankly. He then noticed several long scratches on Zhou Hui’s chest and abdomen, so deep they revealed bone. They had nearly disemboweled him. Blood mixed with torn flesh pooled on the floor.
Phoenix shot up. “Zhou Hui! What happened to you? What’s going on?!”
But Zhou Hui, one hand covering his wound, held him in his arms with the other, his hand trembling as he patted Phoenix’s back, which was soaked in cold sweat. “It’s nothing, you just fainted… It’s nothing, it’s alright now…”
Afterward, Phoenix learned that after losing consciousness that night, he had suddenly started attacking Zhou Hui like a madman. His moves were vicious, his face wooden, like a puppet controlled by someone else. Everything had been done while he was unconscious.
If Zhou Hui had reacted a moment slower, he would be a corpse now.
Zhou Hui took some time to recover but said nothing, trying to cheer up the sullen Phoenix in various ways every day. He seemed to have truly not taken the matter to heart. A few days later, he rebuilt the small cabin, hauling dozens of massive logs back from the Red Demon Forest to saw and build, as if to prove to Phoenix that the small injury was nothing and had almost healed.
With his behavior, Phoenix, though terrified inside, managed to maintain a semblance of calm on the surface.
Until a few nights ago, when the same thing happened again.
Phoenix’s account was vague; he didn’t mention the circumstances under which he lost his senses each time. Venerable Bhadra didn’t ask for details either. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “The last time I summoned Your Highness back to Mount Sumeru, it was because I remembered a related issue… If I’m not mistaken, when your soul is weakened to a certain extent, your mind may be controlled by another person.”
He didn’t say who, but Phoenix understood instantly, and his face changed. “He wants to kill Zhou Hui?”
Venerable Bhadra closed his eyes and did not answer.
“No, if Sakyamuni wanted to kill Zhou Hui, it would be as easy as turning his hand. Why would he use this method?!”
Silence fell in the great hall. The Venerable was silent for a long while, seeming to hesitate.
“…I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “I have cultivated Buddhism for ten thousand years and thought I had deeply understood the Buddha’s heart. But ever since the Buddha entered Mount Buzhou and brought you back to the Thirty-Three Heavens, I have felt more and more that the Buddha seems to be changing…”
The Venerable paused, then said, “Especially… in matters related to you, Your Highness.”
Phoenix was slightly stunned.
The scent of sandalwood lingered in the Buddhist hall like an invisible cloud of smoke. The Heavenly Dao’s Buddhist halls had always been magnificent and radiant, a stark contrast to the white mountains and black waters of the Four Evil Paths. Zhou Hui’s humble wooden cabin on Mount Buzhou probably wouldn’t even qualify as an outhouse before such a grand and solemn pagoda.
Yet, as Phoenix stood on the pure gold tiles that covered the entire hall, surrounded by the rare and precious scent of sandalwood, he felt a chill run through him.
“Forgive my bluntness,” the Venerable said gently, “but Your Highness has developed worldly affections. Is it true love for that hell demon, or is it because he is outside the web of karma, your destined person?”
In that moment, what appeared in Phoenix’s mind was not the eternal wind and snow of the temple on Xueba Peak, but the humble cabin on the desolate plains of Mount Buzhou, surrounded by blooming red Asura flowers, and the fiery, real embraces amidst sharp pain.
“…I don’t know,” Phoenix murmured. “I… don’t know yet.”
The Venerable looked at Phoenix on the floor. A person of such great wisdom and perfection, whose eyes had always been filled with great enlightenment and compassion, was now no less confused than Phoenix.
“Your Highness, if you insist on staying in Hell, it may lead to even more unforeseeable consequences. If you are controlled again, you might really kill Zhou Hui by mistake. And if Zhou Hui defends himself and harms you, he will be struck by heavenly retribution and turned to dust.” The Venerable sighed. “The best course of action for now is to return to Mount Sumeru to quell this disturbance. In the future, if a solution cannot be found, you can seal your six senses to isolate your soul, which would also prevent you from being controlled… What do you think?”
Phoenix stood there for a moment, his mind a blank slate.
After a long while, he said softly, “Let me think about it.”
·
Outside the Azure Sea Cloud Light Palace, on the nine-zhang-high platform.
Zhou Hui sat on the white jade steps, one hand propping up his forehead, the other resting on his blade, gazing absently at the sea of clouds churning below.
The Snow Mountain Goddess, dressed in brocade and with silver hair, walked slowly up the steps. She paused slightly as she passed Zhou Hui, her eyes flowing, and asked with a smile, “Waiting for the Phoenix Wisdom King?”
Zhou Hui recognized her as the woman who had been on the city tower on the day of the battle. He also knew she was said to be engaged to Phoenix. He lazily raised an eyelid. “What is it?”
“Nothing, just seeing what a hell demon looks like.” The Snow Mountain Goddess looked Zhou Hui up and down, her gaze lingering on his strong shoulders and arms. She smiled. “I’ve been to the Sea of Blood in Hell. I know that in the Asura clan, only the women are enchanting and alluring, while most of the men are ugly. I just didn’t expect a demon who cultivated a human form to be so handsome… Have you ever seen an Asura woman?”
“I have. Why?”
The goddess’s tone was slightly provocative. “And how do they compare to me?”
At this point, anyone who didn’t understand would be a fool.
Zhou Hui’s first reaction was actually absurdity. But then, the opportunism and cunning inherent in a demon’s instinct made an almost impossible plan flash through his mind.
“…The Asura Path is, at its root, a demonic path,” he paused, then said lazily, “You are a goddess of the Heavenly Dao. Why compare yourself to them?”
The Snow Mountain Goddess caressed the corner of her eye with her slender fingers, seeming to have heard the answer she most wanted. She gave a seductive and charming smile.
“You certainly have a way with words. No wonder you moved the Phoenix Wisdom King… You know? You have good taste. The Phoenix Wisdom King’s soul essence of true flame is extremely pure, excellent for cultivation. Even a celestial being of my level is sometimes very envious.”
She leaned in, staring closely into Zhou Hui’s eyes. From this angle, a patch of her delicate chest was exposed, so white it was dazzling. “Because of this, Mount Sumeru will not let the Phoenix Wisdom King stay in Hell for too long. You should be prepared—seize the time and cultivate well, handsome.”
Zhou Hui’s gaze shifted slightly, but he only saw her give him a very provocative wink before she stood up and brushed past him.
Zhou Hui’s brow twitched. He suddenly turned his head and, sure enough, saw that Venerable Bhadra was gone from the distant Buddhist hall. Phoenix was looking back at all of this.
There was no expression on his face, but he must have seen everything just now.
The Snow Mountain Goddess walked with a graceful gait, crossing the high threshold of the Buddhist hall and gracefully approaching the Phoenix Wisdom King. She seemed to say a few words with a smile. Phoenix glanced at Zhou Hui and shook his head.
But the goddess’s expression did not change. She continued to persuade him with a smile. After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Phoenix nodded and gave a brief reply, then walked past her out of the Buddhist hall.
Zhou Hui looked past him and happened to meet the Snow Mountain Goddess’s gaze. She gave him a confident, sexually provocative smile.
“I was just…” Zhou Hui stepped forward to explain, but was immediately interrupted by Phoenix. “I may need to return to Mount Sumeru.”
Zhou Hui’s eyes, from the corner, caught sight of the Snow Mountain Goddess not far away, and his face changed slightly. “Why?”
His anxiety was obvious, but Phoenix, preoccupied, did not notice his reaction.
“…There are some things on Mount Sumeru…” he said softly. “I must resolve them before I can return to Hell…”
·
The year Phoenix returned to Mount Sumeru, many things happened.
In truth, for someone like Phoenix who could kneel and chant sutras for hundreds of years, a few days and a few years were no different. To him, time was both chaotic and still. He would often lose track of time in meditation. Anyway, he was the only one in the temple. Even if he didn’t appear for hundreds or even thousands of years, no one would notice his absence.
However, for Zhou Hui, the chaos and absurdity of that year were etched into his heart and bones.
His affair with the Snow Mountain Goddess, Shakti, happened in this year, and it quickly achieved the result he wanted—Shakti proposed to Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King to break off her engagement with the Phoenix Wisdom King and marry into the Sea of Blood in Hell instead.
Before Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King could become enraged, the news spread throughout the Thirty-Three Heavens. The Phoenix Wisdom King descended from the peak of the glaciers and, with a great show of force, brought down true fire, burning Shakti’s temple to the ground.
—This was completely unexpected by everyone.
The Phoenix Wisdom King, this person who resided high up in the forbidden land of the mountain peak, who only had a presence when clearing Hell; this person who, according to legend, was as silent, firm, cold, and emotionless as the eternal glaciers, who often went hundreds or even thousands of years without speaking a word; could actually descend in a rage over such a matter and, without saying a word, burn down the palace that symbolized the Snow Mountain Goddess’s status in the Heavenly Dao.
Subsequently, the Phoenix Wisdom King once again descended Mount Sumeru and resolutely left the Thirty-Three Heavens.
It is said that when the Phoenix Wisdom King left, Trailokyavijaya, with the Snow Mountain Goddess, cornered him on the surface of the Silver Sea in Aparagodānīya1. At that time, the sea surface was a vast expanse of mist and water, shimmering with silver light. Phoenix stood on a lotus, confronting Trailokyavijaya and the Snow Mountain Goddess, and asked coldly, “What do you intend to do?”
Zhou Hui took a step towards him, but Phoenix stopped him with a raised hand. “This does not concern you.”
When he said this, his face was cold and expressionless. Zhou Hui immediately stopped, saying in vain, “I…”
—The Snow Mountain Goddess, at the side, stared at Zhou Hui, a nameless fire rising in her heart. Even if she had another brain, she could not have imagined that this handsome, cold, and unpredictable man would be like this in front of the Phoenix Wisdom King, almost like a completely different person!
Trailokyavijaya saw that something was wrong and immediately stepped forward to block the Snow Mountain Goddess, barely suppressing his anger as he looked straight at the Phoenix Wisdom King. “Phoenix! You burned Shakti’s temple without authorization. I am here today to ask how you plan to explain this! Do you think that because the Phoenix Temple is high up in the forbidden land, we five great esoteric Wisdom Kings cannot burn it back?!”
Zhou Hui wanted to say something again, but Phoenix interrupted him. “Yes, I do.”
“You—!”
“I burned it. So what?”
Phoenix’s tone was unrestrained, a stark contrast to his usual taciturn demeanor.
Trailokyavijaya, losing face in front of Zhou Hui, was momentarily flustered and enraged. “You left Mount Sumeru without permission and destroyed the Snow Mountain Temple. This matter cannot be settled so easily! If you dare to defy the Heavenly Dao and the Buddha’s decree again, today’s situation will surely not end well!”
“—Oh? And how will it not end well?”
Trailokyavijaya thought for a moment and said, “Unless you return to Mount Sumeru now and ask the Buddha for forgiveness for burning the temple, I can also bring down heavenly lightning. At that time, the Silver Sea for ten thousand li will be devastated. Don’t blame me for really—”
But a faint, slightly mocking smile flashed in Phoenix’s eyes.
He spread his hands. The sky was covered with dark clouds, lightning suddenly flashed, and the sea surface, which had abruptly turned gloomy, gave off layers of blood-red light. From the depths of the sea, the cry of an ancient phoenix echoed through heaven and earth. A huge black shadow slowly emerged from the bottom of the water, causing a terrifying, dull vibration.
“Really what?” Phoenix asked.
Countless black shadows appeared beneath his fair skin, like demonic chains crisscrossing within his body. A faint green light emanated from his eyes, so eerie and beautiful it made one tremble to see it.
Zhou Hui had never seen Phoenix like this and couldn’t help but show a look of unconcealed astonishment.
And Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King took half a step back.
“The aspect… the aspect of extreme evil…” he said softly, his voice tinged with clear disbelief. “You’re insane, you dare to manifest the aspect of extreme evil…!”
“I have tolerated for too long, to the point that you all thought I was weak, that you could take my things with impunity…”
Phoenix raised his head. In the wild wind, his long hair broke free from its ribbon, and his wide robes were violently whipped up like wings. Lightning struck from the sky, stirring up towering waves on the sea surface around him. In the white water, countless currents of blue light, like thousands of small snakes, hissed and spread, instantly covering the entire sea.
“What I deserve,” Phoenix raised his head slightly, his expression stubborn, “is mine.”
He pointed forward. Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King instantly pulled the Snow Mountain Goddess and flew back—
But it was too late. A torrent of lightning, following his finger like a ferocious dragon of light, poured out with the force of an avalanche!
The Phoenix Wisdom King, with his aspect of extreme evil revealed, greatly defeated Trailokyavijaya on the eastern sea of Aparagodānīya. The tsunami even shook the foot of Mount Sumeru, ten thousand li away.
Subsequently, Phoenix left the Thirty-Three Heavens and once again descended to Mount Buzhou in Hell.
·
When Phoenix returned to the small wooden cabin on Mount Buzhou, he had already calmed down. His white robes were soaked through with seawater, clinging to his body along with his tangled black hair, making him look very thin, his shoulders showing only bone.
He knelt on the bed, motionless, like a statue of ice and snow, beautiful and lifeless.
Zhou Hui handed him a dry cloth, but he didn’t react at all. So Zhou Hui gently removed his wet robes. He did not resist, very submissive and silent as he put on dry clothes.
It was Zhou Hui’s gray outer robe. It looked especially large on Phoenix, the neckline gaping to reveal a particularly prominent collarbone. Zhou Hui slowly dried his hair with a dry cloth, very careful not to pull the strands, and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Phoenix shook his head.
“You… have nothing you want to say to me?”
Phoenix was silent for a long time. Just when Zhou Hui thought he would not speak again, he heard him ask softly, “Do you like Shakti?”
Zhou Hui put down the cloth, knelt before Phoenix, looked up at him, and said seriously, “I hope you don’t marry her. I love you. I don’t want you to go back to the Heavenly Dao…”
The corners of Phoenix’s eyes were long and slightly upturned. When his gaze moved, they looked very captivating. But when he stared quietly at something, he was often very focused, as if at that moment, nothing else in the world existed.
Not a trace of worldliness, not a hint of killing intent.
Such a gaze made it easy for people to forget that he had cleared the Sea of Blood, flattened Hell, and killed the Great Asura King with a single arrow. That focused and tranquil gaze made it easy for people to fall deeply into it, as if their very souls would drown within.
Zhou Hui stared at him intently, holding his wet hands, as solemn as when he had proposed that day, and asked, “Do… do you love me, my lord?”
Do you love me? Phoenix thought.
That thing called love, how long could it last in a bleak reality filled with chaos?
A deep sense of powerlessness suddenly washed over him, just like the weariness of fate that had clung to him like a shadow in the lonely cycle of his life, day after day, before he met Zhou Hui.
Phoenix gently closed his eyes.
Manifesting his aspect of extreme evil before Shakti had been an impulse, a ‘smash the pot and break the jars’ kind of act. After coming to his senses, he had wanted to test Zhou Hui’s opinion, but suddenly, he felt it was no longer necessary.
Zhou Hui watched Phoenix’s expression closely. At this moment, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Are you still bothered by the matter with the Snow Mountain Goddess? If so, I can go to Mount Sumeru right now—”
“…No,” Phoenix paused, then said in a low voice, “It doesn’t matter.”
Anyway… it won’t be mine forever, he thought.
·
Phoenix finally gave up the slow process of cultivating his soul. After returning to Mount Buzhou, he began to use the method of sealing his six senses to resist the mental control from the Formless Heaven.
Until much later, that was a memory that Zhou Hui could not bear to look back on.
It wasn’t that Phoenix was completely non-communicative with him like a corpse. In fact, Phoenix sealed his six senses mostly when they were in bed. Although his spiritual platform was still there, he was in a muddled state, like an obedient puppet, letting Zhou Hui do as he pleased.
Zhou Hui said nothing, but he felt very bad inside.
He didn’t know why Phoenix had agreed to him, why he had descended from the high temple on the mountain peak to the Four Evil Paths for him, why he had endured the scorching, chaotic, sunless life of the Sea of Blood in Hell for him; just as he didn’t know today why Phoenix would rather seal his five senses than silently and meekly endure his obviously unwelcome intimacy.
The only comfort was that Phoenix was still very dependent on his embrace, even more so than before, craving the heat of skin against skin.
Sometimes, watching him sleep deeply with his eyes closed, Zhou Hui would even get the illusion that he actually wanted him by his side very much. As if he even cherished the little bit of pain he gave him.
·
Phoenix revealing his aspect of extreme evil on the eastern sea of Aparagodānīya unexpectedly did not attract heavenly retribution, not even a ripple.
After Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King returned to Mount Sumeru with the Snow Mountain Goddess, the matter was as if suddenly covered up, and there was no further news.
However, Zhou Hui was not naive enough to think that the matter was over—he was even mentally prepared to wander the world with Phoenix from then on. But when he cautiously probed Phoenix’s thoughts, he felt that Phoenix didn’t really care what kind of heavenly punishment he would attract.
He really didn’t seem to care.
It wasn’t until much later that Zhou Hui realized Phoenix’s level of attention to his surroundings was very low. He didn’t seem to have any particular interest in anything, only immersed in his own secret and quiet inner world. He had been puzzled by this, had been irritable, and had tried to forcefully pull Phoenix out of that invisible world with very intense, even violent, methods. But the situation had only slightly improved and had not been fundamentally resolved.
—He tried to recall when this situation had begun, and he thought of this time.
Phoenix’s emotions, after a brief outburst, quickly turned to cold ashes. It seemed that one outburst had burned up all his passion. What little remained was carefully hidden away in a place in his heart that no one knew, carefully, for no one to see.
“Let the heavenly punishment come, if it must,” he said, only lowering his eyes when facing Zhou Hui’s inquiries. “At worst, it will kill me. I can still be reborn through nirvana, so… it doesn’t matter.”
However, Zhou Hui could not face this matter with such a negative attitude.
After nirvana, Phoenix would form a jade embryo and be born and grow up all over again. All the events of his past life would turn to ash, and he might not even recognize who he was anymore.
Zhou Hui protected Phoenix very tightly. Whether he was muddled with his six senses sealed, or clear-headed and capable of acting on his own, he was forcibly tied to his side. If he was out of sight for even a moment, Zhou Hui would immediately go looking for him, as if afraid he would suddenly get lost one day and never come back.
Phoenix didn’t resist. Much of the time, he would just sit on the wooden platform at the doorway, his head tilted, watching Zhou Hui busy with this and that. His gaze would quietly follow the man, sometimes for a whole day.
Zhou Hui was afraid he would get bored. After all, the sky in Hell was gloomy, the air was pungent, and Mount Buzhou was close to the Sea of Blood. Ugly, bizarre monsters would often run up, tearing at bloody chunks of meat. However, Phoenix was very indifferent to all of this. He was only very focused when watching Zhou Hui, as if he was very interested in everything he did.
Once, Zhou Hui caught a Pao Xiao to roast. Phoenix sat on the side, propping up his head. After a long while, he suddenly asked, “Why don’t you eat raw food?”
Zhou Hui was still a hell demon at his core, and hell demons all ate raw meat directly. But eating too much raw demon meat would make his whole body reek of blood, a very unpleasant smell like rust. Later, after Phoenix came to Mount Buzhou, he learned to make a fire and eat cooked food like in the human realm.
“I’ve always roasted it,” Zhou Hui lied. “Eating raw meat is something only low-level hell demons do.”
Phoenix gave a silent “oh” and nodded.
His gaze was on the raw meat turning over and over on the fire, looking a little curious. Zhou Hui remembered that since he had come to Mount Buzhou, he hadn’t drunk a single drop of water or eaten a single thing. A faint worry suddenly arose in him, and he asked, “Do you want to try some?”
Phoenix seemed to hesitate.
“Pao Xiao meat is very tender. It’s okay, just try a bite. If you can’t swallow it, just spit it out.”
Zhou Hui picked a piece of the tenderest meat with a good mix of fat and lean from the Pao Xiao’s belly, cut a small piece with his knife, and held it out to him. But Phoenix didn’t reach out to take it. He sniffed it with the tip of his nose, seemed a little unable to adapt, and only after a moment of hesitation did he tentatively take it into his mouth with his teeth.
The next second, he spat the meat directly out, covered his mouth forcefully, and buried his face in his knees.
Zhou Hui rushed over, tilted his face up, and brought him water to rinse his mouth, but Phoenix shook his head, his face flushed, refusing. It took a long while for the taste in his mouth to dissipate. He looked at the meat on the ground again and said sadly, “I’m sorry, I can’t get used to this…”
A heavy feeling suddenly sank in Zhou Hui’s heart, but he said nothing. He leaned over and kissed Phoenix’s temple.
I have to move out of the Hell Path, he thought.
However, Zhou Hui had lived in the Hell Path for many years. Moving was not something that could be done in a few days. What was more troublesome was that the environments of the Hungry Ghost and Animal Paths were not necessarily better than Hell’s. The human realm was plagued by war and strife, and the people were destitute. The Asura Path would absolutely not accept a hell demon who had unprecedentedly cultivated a human form. The only place left to go was…
—The Heavenly Dao.
There were many spatio-temporal rifts at the border between the Heavenly Dao and the Four Evil Paths. For example, in Luminous Heaven, the lowest level of the Thirty-Three Heavens, the area outside the heavenly palace was deserted, a good place to hide.
So Zhou Hui made the decision to move north to Luminous Heaven, and Phoenix accepted without any objection.
Later, recalling this move, it should have been the first step in a compromise between Zhou Hui and the Heavenly Dao. The thinking was not incorrect. However, at the time, it made Zhou Hui regret it deeply, because it nearly brought a fatal disaster upon Phoenix.
—Because the Snow Mountain Goddess, Shakti, immediately followed them.
- One of the four continents surrounding Mount Sumeru. ↩︎
