These substances were used in excessive abundance over exhausting years until they manifested as a virulent neurotoxin that poisons the mind.. Specifically, the swordsmith surnamed Zhang utilized various alchemical mysteries, infusing the furnace with countless herbs and volatile powders from the initial forging until the regalia was fully molded into a complete suit.. This poison became so deeply imbued within the frame of the armor that anyone who touched it, or merely ventured near, would be afflicted until their spirit was eclipsed by madness, driving them to commit a multitude of ghastly and horrifying acts.
This truth was discerned by Master Zhi Kong (智空大师 : Zhì Kōng Dàshī), the "Venerable Grand Monk of Sunyata."
His mother hailed from a mysterious tribe of the South skilled in the arts of toxins, possessing a profound knowledge of crafting poisons from plants, beasts, and various sorcerous insects.Furthermore, his father was a master of poisons from the Dongyi (東夷) people who had come to reside within the Central Plains.Though both had formerly been ruthless and wicked in conduct, upon falling in love and giving birth to a son, they suddenly repented of their errors and retired from the Jianghu to raise their child in the path of virtue; yet, in the end, they were hunted down and murdered by their enemies.
The Master of Sunyata, originally obsessed with seeking a bloody vengeance, found his heart shrouded in a dark and mournful gloom.However, upon hearing a profound Dharma sermon from the Great Master Wu Chen Sheng (无尘圣 : The Dustless Saint), he achieved a sudden enlightenment.. He saw the light of truth, renounced all worldly affairs, and casting aside his desire for revenge, he shaved his head and entered the priesthood as a virtuous monk.
Upon hearing tidings of the Black Iron Armor's malevolent curse, he suspected it was born of a poison similar to those described in the secret teachings of his parents.He traveled great distances to retrieve it for study and confirmed that a lethal poison was indeed concealed within the metal—a dire consequence of the alchemical metallurgy used in its creation.He then sought a method to cleanse the toxin; yet, due to a slight oversight on his part in securing the seal, the tragic and wretched event involving the novice and the temple boy occurred.
The Venerable Grand Monk of Sunyata's path to purging the venom relied upon the primordial forces of nature to dissipate the toxin over an immense span of time.Initially, he had to harness the Yang energy of radiant light and the circulating force of the wind as the first stage of the purge.Thus, he fashioned a secret vault with apertures to admit light, installing reflecting mirrors to ensure the solar radiance struck the iron scales throughout the day, using heat and air to gradually evaporate the poison.Through air vents, he allowed the wind to enter and escape via a flue leading to the summit of the pagoda, ensuring the toxic miasma was vented upwards and never returned below.Consequently, though a faint trace of poison remained within the pagoda, a master of profound internal energy (Neigong) and focused concentration could still withstand it.The Master himself stood vigil and sought the path of purging the armor until he finally passed into Nirvana at an advanced age.
The process of detoxification devised by the Grand Monk was divided into three distinct stages.The first stage, purification by light and wind, required the longest vigil; as the work had to be performed with absolute patience, it would take a full century to dispel the initial toxins.Following this, the second stage involved cleansing through the power of the earth, burying the regalia in a region overflowing with natural vital energy (Qi) so the soil might absorb the impurities for twenty years.Finally, the armor was to be washed in waters of extreme heat and extreme cold for two additional months.Once these trials were completed, the Divine Power Armor would be purged of all venom, allowing one to venture near and don the regalia without peril.Yet the Master knew well that his mortal lifespan only allowed him to perform the earliest phase of the first stage; he committed the second and third stages to paper, hoping that disciples of future generations would carry on the sacred task.
The purification by wind and light was considered successful once the armor had been enshrined within the pagoda for a full century, yet the second stage of the purge was never undertaken.This was because the subsequent generations of disciples in the temple were pedantic men, consumed only by ritual and ceremony.The cursed armor, having been kept within the pagoda for over a hundred years, came to be viewed as a sacred relic of the monastery that must be preserved; thus, no soul set his hand to continue the detoxification.This stage required the black iron scales to be buried within the earth at a precise juncture where natural vital energy (Qi) surges forth unceasingly.Furthermore, the final stage—cleansing the regalia in waters of extreme heat and extreme cold as recorded in the instructions of the Venerable Grand Monk of Sunyata—was entirely neglected and forgotten.There remained only the ritual chanting and radiating of benevolence by the Abbot, treated as a form of worship to a holy object, and thus the armor's venom was never truly eradicated.It was by a stroke of luck that I discovered the records of these events within the monastery's scripture vault, and so I sought a path to liberate the armor from the temple for its final cleansing.
"Now, this humble monk has successfully completed the purification by earth, having spent no small amount of years tracking down a location where the vital Qi flows as it does in this very valley," the monk recounted.
"I then entombed the Divine Power Armor within the soil for twenty full years, allowing the earth element in this Qi-rich sanctuary to absorb nearly all of the toxins, until at last it can be touched and donned once more."
"There remains only the purification by waters of extreme heat and cold, which requires a journey to the realm of the Great Snow Mountains to seek a spring where the hot geyser melts the ice."
"By immersing the armor where the natural elements of scorching heat and freezing cold converge for but two months, the grand achievement will be completed!"
"However, this old monk is advanced in years, my physical strength is waning, and at times my mind is besieged by senility."
"I believe this to be the work of the residual poison from the armor, which occasionally causes me to fall into a deranged state..."
The elderly monk heaved a long sigh and gazed upon Chen Shuyuan's face with a benevolent smile. "It is truly by Heaven's mercy that I am reunited with a young disciple and benefactor of former days like you," he said."I must now rely upon you to lead me to the aforementioned ice mountain. Once the purification is complete, we shall be the first to possess this Divine Power Armor—coveted by men for hundreds of years—with full pride. And thereafter, it shall rightfully belong to you, my disciple..."
Upon hearing this, Chen Shuyuan was inwardly astounded.So, in truth... this armor was never cursed; rather, it was the act of donning the regalia without first purging the toxins from its forging that caused men to meet such bizarre and ghastly ends.
"A divine treasure requires the destined hour to be rightfully claimed..." Chen Shuyuan murmured softly to himself.
He was elated by this revelation, yet he maintained a masterfully crafted masquerade of profound gratitude.Showing unwavering devotion to his teacher and the mystical regalia, he fell to his knees and kowtowed until his forehead struck the earth, offering a chorus of praises—lauding the monk as a "transcendent being" and a "venerable master" of supreme stature.The deranged monk erupted into hearty laughter, filled with immense delight.
The Master of the Divine Eagle Sect remained in attendance, serving the monk for several more days, feigning the role of a filial disciple.Yet, in his heart, he was merely biding his time.Furthermore... Chen Shuyuan did not believe that this deranged monk—who was heartless enough to slay his own teacher, the Abbot—would spare his own life.He was certain that once the elderly monk completed the armor's purification and truly possessed the Divine Power Armor, he would surely kill him to silence his tongue.Therefore, he must strike first!
As several days transpired, the trust of the elderly monk—whose mind oscillated between brief clarity and deep senility—gradually intensified.Chen Shuyuan attended to his every need, managing his food and quarters with such meticulous care that not the slightest oversight could be found. One evening, as the pair hastened northwards towards the Great Snow Mountains, the night air grew piercingly cold. Chen Shuyuan obtained hot tea from a waiter at the inn, sipped from the cup in the monk's presence to prove its safety, then poured another and respectfully presented the tea to the one he addressed as "Shifu"...
Scarcely a few breaths after draining the cup, the elderly monk's eyes bulged, his frame convulsed, and he vomited a copious mass of fresh blood!He glowered at Chen Shuyuan with eyes of intense hatred and lunged forward, realizing at last that he had been sneakily poisoned in that very cup! The wretch intended to slay his treacherous disciple so that both might perish together; however, Chen Shuyuan was a master of high station. He merely dodged and parried, refusing to launch a direct attack, for he knew well that any strike against the Divine Power Armor would be in vain.He needed only to wait for the "Peacock Gall Poison" (Kongque Dan Du : 孔雀胆毒) to take its lethal effect.
After a short while, the elderly monk collapsed, his breathing reduced to a faint and weary rasp. Beholding this, Chen Shuyuan did not draw near, fearing it was a ruse to lure him into a desperate trap. He simply sat upon a chair, watching as the monk's symptoms reached their zenith; soon the aged frame convulsed violently, his eyes staring wide as blood surged forth from his nine orifices.The monk remained in agonizing torment for nearly two double-hours before he finally breathed his last.
"Such a tenacious life, so difficult to end..." Chen Shuyuan murmured to himself.He drew forth deerskin gloves and donned them, then slowly began to unfasten the Divine Power Armor from the monk's corpse.A series of light metallic "ga-ga" sounds resounded as the iron scales moved like a living thing upon his touch. This was the very object he had deemed a "toy" in his childhood, and now that peerless treasure was in his hands once more!