In the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm, the night was deep and silent.
Deep within the heart of the mountain, the gates to a secret hall were sealed shut.
The windowless hall was lit solely by the soft, milky-white halos of eighty-one Night-Bright Treasure Beads embedded in its walls. At its center, they illuminated a nine-foot-square White Jade Lotus Platform.
Atop the platform sat two Buddhist Cultivator Arhats, facing each other, draped in brocade kasayas.
The one on the left, named Vast Power Arhat, was burly with a pale golden complexion, a curly beard, and round eyes.
The one on the right, named Jue Yi Arhat, was slim with a compassionate face, three long strands of a beard, and eyes that gleamed with wisdom.
A Bronze Buddha Lamp of a strange, ancient design floated before them.
The lamp had no wick or oil, yet a pure, blazing white flame churned ceaselessly within its core.
