Chapter 2902: The Next Step

Published Mar 10, 2026, 06:38 PM

Meng Bai leaned closer, speaking between bites of fluffy spirit rice buns. "So… what do we do next?" Lin Mu chewed slowly, eyes drifting to the star-lit sky above. "I'm not sure. I was hoping for guidance here. About my True Gold Body Forging Art. And while I've learned more about its origin… I still lack the piece to advance it." Meng Bai furrowed his brow. "The Dominator's Breath?" Lin Mu nodded. "Without it, the technique will remain incomplete. I can't bring it into the Immortal Realm. But I won't give up. Somewhere, someone must know of a trace of it. I'll keep searching." The abbot, who had overheard, leaned forward. "If it is truly a relic of the Immovable Vajra Temple, then perhaps… your next clue lies in the old realms of the Vimana." Lin Mu glanced toward him. "You mean the one that fell?" The abbot gave a solemn nod. "Yes. Though its fate was tragic, remnants must remain. The Immovable Vajra Temple was not the only one from that realm. Seek them… and you may yet find what you seek." Lin Mu's expression sharpened slightly. He now had a direction. A whisper of purpose. He smiled at Meng Bai and picked up his clay cup, raising it once again. "Then let this banquet be a promise. We rest today, but tomorrow, we plan anew." The boy grinned and clinked his cup to Lin Mu's. The monks continued to chant gentle sutras in the background, and the stars above shimmered like silent witnesses to the gathering. For one night, there was no burden. Only warmth, peace… and resolve. The dawn after the banquet was a gentle one, with golden light spilling through the monastery's ancient eaves. A rare peace had settled over the mountain as the Heart of Gravity lay sealed, no longer dragging the world into silence. Lin Mu spent the day recovering further, seated quietly in one of the side gardens shaded by a swaying fig tree. The wind was soft, the qi in the air pure and light for the first time in decades within the Great Burden Monastery. Meanwhile, the monks—now hale and clear-minded—had begun working on reestablishing contact with the Green Lotus Temple. Using one of their long-range Bodhi Call Bells, the abbot and two other senior monks gathered around the formation etched into the monastery's central court and chanted in unison. A pale golden lotus appeared in the air, pulsing with a subtle glow, and a familiar voice rang through—calm, authoritative, and kind. "This is Elder Mingye of the Green Lotus Temple. Who calls from the Great Burden Monastery?" The abbot stepped forward. "Elder Mingye, this is Abbot Dakong. We had been out of contact due to… complications. But we are well now, thanks to the aid of Benefactor Lin Mu." The voice paused. "Bearer Lin Mu? He is with you?" Lin Mu stepped forward, clasping his hands with a slight smile. "Elder, yes. I arrived here as per the mission assigned to me by the abbot. I've done what I can to help. The crisis is averted, but they're still in recovery." Relief echoed through the lotus projection. "Thank the heavens. We feared the worst. I will inform the Abbot. We shall dispatch several monks to support them in stabilizing the monastery and aid in reconstruction. They should arrive as soon as possible." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 Abbot Dakong bowed deeply to the flickering lotus. "Amitabha. Your support will help us rejoin the path in fullness." As the call ended, Lin Mu remained thoughtful. Though the Great Burden Monastery was now safe, there was still an elephant in the room. "Senior Abbot," Lin Mu began as they walked back toward the inner halls, "once the monks from the Green Lotus Temple arrive… will they be able to assist in the cultivation of the Great Burden Sutra? They don't have the Heart of Gravity here, after all." The abbot stroked his white beard with a troubled expression. "That is indeed a concern. The Great Burden Sutra is not just a method—it requires conditions. Without the Heart, it is incomplete. However… the Green Lotus Temple has many resources. Perhaps they can help us locate another treasure aligned with the Dao of Gravity. We will search." Lin Mu slowed his steps as something clicked in his memory. Something he'd almost forgotten in the chaos of the past few months. He reached into his ring and took out a palm-sized crystal shard—midnight black with specks of swirling silver and purple within it. The shard pulsed faintly, as though its heart contained a collapsed star. Xukong had sealed its power so it no longer exuded the gravitational force like before. "Would this… work?" Lin Mu asked, holding it out carefully. The moment the Gravity Star Shard emerged, the abbot's eyes widened. He reached forward instinctively, but stopped himself, his hands hovering just above the crystal like a worshipper before a relic. "Th-this… this is…" His voice shook. "Is this truly a Gravity Star Shard? One of the mythical remnants of a dying star?" Lin Mu nodded. "I obtained it some time ago at the Great Meteor Wall back in the Rust Sky World. It radiates concentrated gravity energy. I had kept it but had no use for it until now, but I think you need it more right now." Abbot Dakong trembled as he slowly cupped the shard, reverently accepting it into his palms. For a moment, silence hung in the air, thick with wonder and emotion. "I cannot believe this… After everything… it is as though the heavens have not forsaken us after all." His eyes turned moist, but he steadied himself with a deep breath. "Benefactor Lin Mu, you were not simply passing by. It is fate that brought you here." The shard floated above his hands slightly, as if weightless despite its terrifying internal force. "With this… we can forge a substitute Heart of Gravity. It will not be as potent as the original rift, but far more stable—and less dangerous."

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