Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 2894: The Heart Of Gravity

Lin Mu's gaze remained fixed on the central pit, from where a faint but intense pull emanated. The sheer gravity of the place weighed down on his bones, yet his interest only deepened.

"I have questions," Lin Mu said finally, turning to the abbot. "I need to understand what this place truly is… and what you all are doing here."

The old monk gave a slow nod. "You deserve that much. Especially if you carry the White Jade Ruyi."

He gestured for Lin Mu to sit, and though the ground was like a slab of lead beneath him, Lin Mu lowered himself without issue.

"We are cultivators of a special Buddhist body cultivation technique," the abbot began, his voice stronger now, reverberating faintly despite the heavy air. "It is called the Great Burden Sutra. Unlike most cultivation paths that revolve around Qi or spiritual enlightenment, this Sutra tempers the body—specifically, by enduring the weight of existence itself."

"Weight?" Lin Mu echoed.

"Gravity," the abbot confirmed. "A force most beings take for granted. But for us… it is our forge, our whetstone. Our burden."

He closed his eyes briefly, as if recalling an ancient memory.

"Practicing the Great Burden Sutra requires an environment saturated with gravity Dao, either through natural formations or extremely rare treasures. Without it, the body cannot be tempered, and the Sutra cannot progress. That is why… we cannot cultivate this anywhere else."

Lin Mu nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "Then this place was chosen because of the Heart of Gravity?"

"Yes," the abbot said. "But it goes deeper."

He opened his eyes again and looked directly at Lin Mu.

"We did not build the monastery here originally. Long ago, our predecessors came from another world—the Vimana Domain. A calamity tore through it, one we had no means of resisting. We were forced to flee… leaving behind our sacred lands. We lost many of our kin."

Lin Mu's expression darkened. "A calamity?"

The abbot nodded slowly. "Something born of avarice and hatred… something that swallowed the sky and scorched the ground. We do not speak of it often."

The younger monk beside him bowed his head in silence, the weight of history heavy even beyond the gravity of the place.

"This monastery was once one of our strongholds, built ages ago," the abbot continued. "It had been abandoned after our primary temple was founded. But when we had nowhere left to go… we returned here. It was the only place where the Sutra could still be practiced."

"I see…" Lin Mu murmured.

A part of him resonated with the tale. He had seen many cultivators displaced by war, calamity, and greed. The world—and even the heavens—were not kind.

"And the Heart of Gravity?" he asked. "What exactly is it?"

The abbot turned toward the pit again, eyes narrowing.

"It was always here," he said softly. "Even before we arrived… before the first stone of the monastery was laid. We only discovered it after exploring the depths. A mysterious node of gravity, so dense and ancient, it bends space itself. We built the temple around it because it was perfect for cultivating the Sutra."

"So the monastery was founded because of the Heart," Lin Mu said thoughtfully.

"Yes. But we did not understand its true nature until it was too late."

The abbot gestured subtly to the monks still in deep meditation, the sweat on their brows a testament to their eternal struggle.

"We thought it a gift," the abbot murmured, "but it is both a boon… and a seal."

"A seal?" Lin Mu's eyes narrowed.

The old monk nodded gravely.

"There is something beneath. Something that predates even this world. A primal mass of gravitational will… or perhaps, a sentient force that embodies burden itself. When we disturbed the Heart, it stirred. We do not know if it is sleeping, wounded, or simply waiting… but we know one thing: if we stop, if we loosen our focus even for a moment—it might awaken."

A chilling silence settled between them.

Lin Mu looked down at the ground, sensing the deep, ancient pulse through his feet. It was unlike any Dao source he had ever encountered… but it was familiar in feeling.

He recalled the Great Meteor Wall, where he had once found the Gravity Star Shard, a Dao treasure of similar pressure and oppressive density. That had been intense… but this?

This felt deeper, older… more aware.

"It feels a bit like the Great Meteor Wall," Lin Mu murmured aloud, "where I found a Gravity Star Shard once. But this is far beyond that."

The abbot's brows rose slightly. "You've encountered other sources of gravity Dao?"

"Some. But none with this kind of presence," Lin Mu admitted. "That one was just a shard… a fragment of Dao. This is something else entirely."

"Yes," the abbot agreed. "This is not just a manifestation of Dao… it is closer to a heart. A core of existence. Its influence warps the very laws of reality. And we now live upon it… guarding it."

"You said before that if you stop, it could break free," Lin Mu said. "What would happen then?"

"We don't know," the abbot admitted. "We only know that the last time it stirred, several monks collapsed from the pressure. Some never woke up. Others… lost their minds. A few simply crushed under the weight. Since then, we have redoubled our focus and woven a binding field of consciousness and spirit."

He tapped his head gently.

"It is not just our bodies that hold it back… it is our minds, our will. If even one falters, the balance tips."

Lin Mu looked around once more.

Hundreds of monks. Thousands of years of silence.

All for a burden no one else could see.

He tightened his grip on the White Jade Ruyi.

"I'll help," he said quietly. "But first, I need to learn more. There must be something in your records—anything that might explain where this… heart came from."

The abbot nodded slowly.

"Perhaps… it is time we opened the scroll vault."