Chapter 15

"People are all companions that help in your journey to reach enlightenment. To talk with people, resolve conflict and ensure prosperity, one needs wisdom. Spoken wisdom is not true wisdom, the Pen represents eternal wisdom used to connect people. On the path of enlightenment, one has to honour their teachers and those that give blessings, so the Incense Burner is for prayer and ceremony, to seek guidance on the path.

Land is the residence and home of all practitioners, they conquered and defended it, but they also need to feed themselves and the land they are on. The Sickle represents farming and harvest, to cultivate the land one lives on, and the Bow represents hunt, to protect the land one has gained and to enrich the land with every blood that has dropped from those that were hunted."

After saying this, Ran Deng became quiet, looking at Shoubi's movement.

Shoubi was in a trance for a long time, until spiritual power seemed to gather around him.

"Eight tools to reach the path…" he murmured. Eight tentacles formed around him, swaying in the water. Then, they transformed into eight hands, two pointing down, the sickle and the bow. Two pointing up, the pen and incense burner. Two pointing west, the shield and bagua diagram. Two pointing east, the sword and spear.

Ran Deng smiled at this, and golden light of merit materialised around him. He pushed it towards the eight illusory arms holding different tools.

The buddhist eightfold buddha dharma wheel formed behind them. The arms followed the design and aligned themselves together.

The eightfold path Ran Deng talked about was a true buddhist teaching, it was just not these eight tools, but eight noble characteristics. He hoped this octopus clan can follow the eightfold path and gradually create many different things with the number of eight.

Three virtues and five precepts, eight noble truths, eight blessings… it would go on like this until there are even some that haven't existed in the prior Buddhism.

This eightfold buddha dharma wheel is also part of the eight symbols of Buddhism. He didn't know whether his theory of the eightfold path, one that teaches others the path, is true, but he felt that with the significance of the number eight and its connection to order and discipline, it wouldn't be far off.

Regardless, he didn't plan to make the eight symbols the ownership of the octopi. This would be too much, as each symbol has significance. He intended to gradually fill the eight symbols with eight clans, making them the eight holy clans. Whether there are more than eight in the end as more and more joins don't matter.

The ancients like to number numbers together – two eight, three eight until eight eight, all fit together. It's just that when it crosses this number, the next eight won't be completed until a full eight are part of the eight.

As for beyond the eight eight holy clans, well, Ran Deng didn't believe there would be so many powerful clans that join them, considering the standards would be higher and higher, until at one point only the dominant race of a large world could become holy clan. Naturally he also planned various measures to ensure all eight are of similar strength.

Inner competition is good as long as it ensures no one is lazy. The moment it goes beyond competitiveness and becomes grudges, there will be ways to solve things.

At one point, after several years, Ba Shoubi finally advanced and become a peak great golden immortal. He was happy and consolidating his cultivation.

Meanwhile, Ran Deng just thought 'The names for the cultivation stages should be renamed. We can't always follow the example of immortals…'

After thinking so, he stopped and waited once more, this time only a short while. When time finally passed, Ba Shoubi woke up from his enlightenment and bowed towards Ran Deng.

"Good!" Ran Deng smiled "From now on, your Octopus Clan will be renamed the Eightfold Path Holy Clan. The symbol of the eight-sided wheel will be your clan's symbol from now on. You can call yourself Eight Tools Buddha. In the future, every of your clan members that follows the Eightfold Path may include 'Eight' in their name and become a buddha when they reach the primordial golden immortal stage, the Buddha."

"I will follow the enlightened one's guidance!" As he said this, his body started changing. He didn't have hair before either, but now his bald head was smoother. His robes turned into cassocks of gold, brown, red and blue.

When he formally accepted the light of Buddhism, it was the great dao's laws that approved of the sect and rewarded it even, that gave it the inheritance. This inheritance included the clothing, behaviour, mannerism and other basic laws set at this stage. Every Buddha was unique and could pretty much choose what they wanted to wear, they were only given guidelines.

Such as Ba Shoubi's cassock which has the colours of wealth, land, opportunities and people.

"For now, you shall remain low, don't expose yourself before we announce the establishment of the eight holy clans on the ancestral buddhist land, mount Sumeru. Remember to teach your clan members the same.

As for the fanged fish and eels, they won't do anything. The fanged fish and their devouring law requires them to devour much, but the devouring law loves devouring itself the most. They are bound not to unite together.

The eels themselves aren't warlike, they are reclusive who seek enlightenment. If you meet them, you can convert a few, but they won't become a holy clan. If they still want to join, you can promise them a seat in the second eight holy clans.

Their status isn't any different, they just have to create their own unique symbols instead of getting them, like the first eight holy clans. However they do it is their own work, they have to create their own significance in the sect."

After doing all this, Ran Deng smiled and said "I will leave, then. I enlightened you and assigned you a path and symbol. From now on, you are formally the leader of the eightfold path. Remember to live up to your name, honour your three ancestors and stride with a heart of greatness in the world.

Help the suffering and educate the ignorant. Reach enlightenment and become a true Buddha, become an eternal being that walks alongside the world!"

Then, Ran Deng's figure disappeared from the spot.

Well, in fact, he just influenced their minds to make them think he did, but in fact, he was just walking away leisurely, thinking 'What a hassle, spent so many years to convert a clan… we have to at last do this another seven times.

The eight symbols… each of you will have their significance, especially when… the day isn't as far away as one would imagine.

Just wait and see how we, the buddhist sect that was always laughed about in the forecast future, become the strongest! Hmph! I want to see how you promote your immortal way if your beloved disciples become Buddha!'