548 Master Qishan (1/2)

Chapter 548: Master Qishan

Translator: TransnEditor: Transn

There were many elders in the Lanke Temple. There were elders who were in charge of laws, and elders who were in charge of the meditation courtyards. Long Qing had once gained the admiration of an elder when he excelled in his debate here. However, the only true elder of this ancient temple required no other description for anyone to know his status.

Master Qishan ranked the highest in the Xuankong Temple, and even in the entire cultivation world. He ranked higher than Quni Madi, and it was rumored that he ranked even higher than the Hierarch of West-Hill. Other than the Academy, which was a special place, most others in the world had to bow when they came before him.

Nobody knew how old this Bhadanta of the Buddhism Sect was. Someone had predicted that he was over a hundred through his conversation with the West-Hill Divine Palace's Hierarch. What was interesting was that the conversation between Master Qishan and the Hierarch Lord was about the Headmaster's age.

It was rumored in the cultivation world that Master Qishan was the illegitimate son of the previous chief monk at the Xuankong Temple a century ago. Of course, no one dared to ask him for confirmation and no one dared to mention it. So the rumors remained as rumors.

However, Master Qishan did not earn the respect of the cultivation world with merely his rank or his parentage. It was because of his virtue.

Decades ago, a terrible flood hit the southern part of the mainland, the rivers roared and turbid waves inundated numerous fertile fields. River banks in various countries collapsed one after another. The flooding of the Great Lake was extremely dangerous.

At the time, Master Qishan was still the abbot of the Lanke Temple. He led the monks in the temple and brought with them food and medicine that they had accumulated over the years. He brought over ten carriages full of these supplies out of the Wa Mountain and dispensed food and medicine along the way, saving countless of victims. Master Qishan fell ill from exhaustion and was infected when he dealt with the remains of the victims. He was so sick he almost could not get up.

The Great River, burdened by the waters flowing from countless tributary rivers was about to collapse. The embankment in the Kang County, especially, was failing and showed signs of breaking.

Master Qishan was in Kang County then. When he saw what was happening, he shed his monk robes and entered the lake even though he was ill. Through an unimaginable cultivation state and willpower, he stood before the embankment that was about to collapse for the entire night.

On the morning of the second day, the Sword Garret of South Jin Kingdom, and the Divine Talisman Masters of the West-Hill Divine Palace arrived in Kang County. The situation had grown less urgent and Master Qishan emerged from the turbid waves. He collapsed on the banks and fell unconscious.

That night was the most important night in the flood that year. Master Qishan had replaced the embankment with his own body. The most important fields of Kang County and South Jin Kingdom behind it were saved. That meant that the entire South Jin Kingdom, as well as half of the mainland, had been saved.

After that night, Master Qishan was known through the land. His willpower and the powerful cultivation state that he had displayed were all looked upon in awe by all.

However, he had also paid a heavy price for it. He had only gained such power through decades of penance in the Lanke Temple and had used it all. He had been severely injured and even if he continued cultivating anew, he would never be able to return to his peak state.

In the legends of the cultivation world, before Liu Bai's appearance, it was said that Master Qishan was whom every one had thought would go beyond the five states. It was thought that he could even cross the human realm and become a Grand Cultivator. It was a pity that he would forever stay outside that particular threshold of Haotian Taoism and could no longer touch the world beyond that of the human realm.

The cultivation world, and even the millions of people in the world, respected him for his deeds. Their respect did not diminish over the years, but grew even more sincere even decades later.

Master Lotus of the Kingdom of Song had lost his wife and wrote an essay of bereavement that night in the rain. He began to travel the world and came to stay at the Lanke Temple. After meditating in the temple, he heard an old monk talking about stories of the Buddhism Sect and began to learn about Buddhism.

That old monk was Master Qishan.

Several years later, Lotus returned from the Western Wilderness and was immersed in the Spirit of the Xuankong Temple. He declined the invitation from the West-Hill Divine Palace and shaved his hair before an old monk, thereby formally joining the Buddhism Sect.