My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion
Chapter 206 - 185: Great Joy Followed by Great Sorrow

Chapter 206: Chapter 185: Great Joy Followed by Great Sorrow

The grand and towering pavilions stood amidst the picturesque mountains and rivers, the sound of cascading streams resembling melodies from a zither. This place should have inspired tranquility, yet it was now teeming with voices, unsettling the heart.

In the prime days of the Joyful Sect, the Practice Tower was a haven of silence. Cultivators who came here were often accomplished closed-door disciples. During their training, they required complete focus, immersing themselves entirely, without the slightest sound. Even a hint of disturbance indicated distraction, and such training would inevitably fail.

"The Four Heavenly Kings Realm, Trāyastriṃśa Realm, and Śuddhāvāsa Realm—the first three layers of the array have been broken. Only three layers remain before reaching the King Statues!"

"Don’t even think about it. Once inside the Śuddhāvāsa Realm, it becomes the embrace of Joyful Union—who can endure that? Breaking this array is nothing but a fluke."

"In the Tusita Heaven, the embrace forms completeness. That Tiger Staff wielder, Li Mang, a nine-foot man brimming with demonic energy and vitality, entered and emerged as a mere husk of a man. Without profound passion, the array is simply unbreakable."

Outside the Practice Tower, Jianghu guests came and went, discussing fervently. Ever since the Prince of Annan gifted the King Statues to the martial world yesterday, the gathering outside the tower had not dwindled. Countless individuals attempted to penetrate the array only to return unsuccessful. Though not perilous, the reason for failure boiled down to three words: "Couldn’t endure."

Witnessing numerous heroes faltering, barely managing to stand after emerging, gossipmongers spread a saying: "Entering invincible, leaving powerless."

In the six-layered Practice Tower, the higher the ascent, the greater the difficulty. The Four Heavenly Kings Realm was the easiest, resembling the mortal world, performing acts of desire to achieve unity. But upon reaching the sixth layer, the Heaven of Transformative Freedom, even a mere glance between man and woman forged unity. How could one possibly break such an array?

Two days had passed, and more people attempted the array each day. Among Jianghu guests, it was understood that as one ascended, the test shifted from physical endurance to mental fortitude.

"No matter man or woman, there’s always a moment of weariness. The so-called Joyful Zen teaching is that immense joy is followed by immense sorrow, leading to enlightenment in Buddhist Law."

A high monk from the Western Regions conveyed this explanation via secret transmission to Chen Yi as he passed by.

Chen Yi nodded slightly. This was familiar—wasn’t it just "sage mode"?

The high monk noticed Chen Yi’s nonchalant demeanor, as if guessing his thoughts, and added:

"What the benefactor imagines is similar, but also different."

"Oh? Different?"

"Joyful Zen teaches that the body is small, but the mind is vast. To illustrate: if an ordinary man enters a brothel and finds no favored maiden, he leaves within the span of an incense stick. Yet if he encounters someone he fancies, he might linger for half an hour.

The difference in time reflects the difference in the mind’s devotion. If affectionate enough, staying for half an hour or even an hour is possible.

However, no matter how favored she may be, there eventually comes a point of weariness. The saying goes, ’seeing each other too much breeds resentment’—no matter how fair the maiden’s jade skin and charming grace, she becomes no different than a roughfaced farm woman, or even a stark skeleton.

And this is the immense sorrow that follows immense joy."

Using an unusually plain analogy, the high monk explained the principle thoroughly. After hearing it, Chen Yi tried to imagine it in his mind, discovering it was indeed uniquely challenging.

Chen Yi also transmitted in secret: "Does the high monk have a way to break it?"

The high monk nodded slightly and said, "The Buddhist Scripture states that all laws are empty. The method to break it lies in the word ’emptiness.’ Once one attains enlightenment and realizes the heart is void, free of desires, even ten thousand or eighty thousand repetitions cannot deplete one’s spirit. In this way, the array can be broken."

Chen Yi froze momentarily—wasn’t this just not having a wife and therefore not fearing betrayal?

"Then, high monk, would you..."

Before the question was completed, the high monk shook his head and continued transmitting:

"This humble monk has not attained the fruit of enlightenment and cannot render the heart empty. Even if entering the array, I could at best halt at the fourth layer, Tusita Heaven."

As these words fell, Chen Yi noticed from afar a pair of highly intimate lovers, hand in hand.

The pair looked very familiar.

"Do not fear, everyone! Today, we, Zhang Shengdao and Li Luochun from Water Cloud Sword Pool, as husband and wife, will ascend the tower and rely on our bond to break the array for all."

The handsome swordsman made a fist salute to the gathered crowd, while his wife shyly smiled and tightened her grip around his arm.

At this sight, the crowd erupted in cheers. Everyone knew the couple from Water Cloud Sword Pool were childhood sweethearts and deeply in love. Could they finally succeed?

The excitement surged, heads bobbing in anticipation, watching the affectionate couple climb the tower. Various gambling wagers began to circulate like beads scattering—one coin, ten taels, twenty taels—all placed eagerly.

As Chen Yi observed the Practice Tower, the fourth layer, Tusita Heaven, glowed faintly, brightened momentarily to its peak, and then extinguished completely.

Exclamations filled the air, eyes alight with astonishment. The array at the fourth layer, Tusita Heaven, had broken just like that?!

The eccentric monk muttered "Amitabha Buddha" and declared:

"This couple’s profound bond is true to their reputation—reminiscent of my prime."

Chen Yi nodded slightly. He had encountered this couple multiple times, and they were always inseparable like mandarin ducks.

Watching the scene unfold, Chen Yi asked:

"High monk, could it be that deep affection alone suffices to break the array?"

The high monk didn’t display the same surprise as others but remarked:

"Perhaps. Yet this couple would be hard-pressed to overcome the sixth layer, the Heaven of Transformative Freedom. No matter the depth of affection, there’s an ultimate limit. A single glance there can bind the heart and soul into hundreds or thousands of unions—beyond human capability."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi furrowed his brow.

He knew himself to be deeply emotional, and if Zhou Yitang were present, perhaps it could work. But with his master absent, only Yin Tingxue by his side—he truly cared for her, that much was certain. Yet could they ascend past the Heaven of Transformative Freedom?

Chen Yi felt uncertain. Even if he could endure, Yin Tingxue might not.

Lost in thought, the crowd suddenly gasped again. As the fifth layer dimmed to silence, the couple from Water Cloud Sword Pool had astonishingly broken through Śukhabhava Heaven!

The wagers multiplied, with more Jianghu guests betting fervently on the couple, the atmosphere completely reversed from before.

Many saw victory for the couple, yet the high monk shook his head.

The sixth layer, Heaven of Transformative Freedom, shimmered endlessly. Before long, the pair who had entered inseparably emerged one after the other.

Both were fully dressed, but the distance between them grew vast, as though they had never met. They were no longer intimate but seemed enlightened, chanting Buddhist Scriptures.

"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form..."

The crowd roared in astonishment. This couple’s love, once celebrated across Jianghu, had broken two layers but ultimately fell short at the Heaven of Transformative Freedom.

In light of this, who could possibly break the array?

"Alas, immense joy leads to immense sorrow. The deeper the love, the deeper the despair.

This pair of lovers shall likely never again feel the threads of affection."

The high monk sighed, then chanted softly.

Watching the pair leave as if mourning their fate, Chen Yi felt a swirl of thoughts.

He tightened his grip on Yin Tingxue’s hand.

The young fox felt a wave of panic. Was he truly thinking of bringing her inside? If so, she was doomed! He was so lustful he might endure, but how could she? In the end, she would lose her soul, left as hollow and empty as a puppet.

Yin Tingxue’s delicate hand trembled in his palm, her heart almost leaping into her throat.

She glanced repeatedly at Yin Weiyin, hesitating and refraining from speaking.

The female crown felt a strange unease—why was the young lady of Annan staring at her like this?

Yin Tingxue’s trembling hand rested in Chen Yi’s palm. Chen Yi glanced at her, then followed her gaze backward.

The female crown felt her knees weaken—this was beyond strange.

Why was Chen Yi also looking at her?

Chen Yi lowered his eyes in thought for a while.

Should he bring Yin Tingxue inside, or Yin Weiyin?

He did feel affection for Yin Tingxue, and it was deep enough—bringing her along wasn’t out of the question...

A sudden thought raised his suspicions, which he quickly suppressed.

He remembered Yin Tingxue had recently mentioned the Heaven of Transformative Freedom.

And now conveniently, they encountered this Practice Tower.

Furthermore, she had met a bhikkhuni in Yintai Temple, who told her to emulate Shakyamuni by detaching from the mundane through the mundane—detaching from him while by his side.

Thoughts brewed as cold sweat formed on Chen Yi’s forehead.

Even without considering the scheme, if he took her up the tower, immense joy would follow immense sorrow. The hard-earned bond he formed with Yin Tingxue would be entirely shattered.

He had painstakingly brought a sliver of happiness to this young woman, who had known only the misery of being relegated to a concubine.

Thinking of this, Chen Yi cast a profound glance at Yin Weiyin.

Soon after, the female crown heard something that sent a chill down her spine:

"Immortal Yin, would you accompany me into the tower?"