Under the influence of Master Troinis’s energy, Dragon’s Eye slowly floated towards a position about a foot above Madame’s head.
Following that, Master Troinis extended his left hand and gently pointed at Dragon’s Eye with the Buddhist lotus gesture, and the golden glowing Dragon’s Eye began to spin.
Although Leo did not use his divine sense, he could clearly feel three forces intertwining within the Celestial Sovereign Hall.
These three forces were Master Troinis’s own Buddhist power, the collective Buddhist power of the forty-nine monks, and the dragon energy from Dragon’s Eye, which seemed restless under the control of the Buddhist power.
The moktak stopped, and the forty-nine monks simultaneously formed a Buddhist seal with their hands, chanting the Buddhist mantra at a faster rate. Then, they pointed their right hands towards Dragon’s Eye above Madame’s head.
Forty-nine beams of golden light entered the spinning Dragon’s Eye, causing it to slow down. Now, Dragon’s Eye had drastically changed from before. It looked like a round stone initially, but now it had turned into an actual eye, about the size of an adult’s fist, though more resembling the eye of a lizard than that of a human.
“The true Dragon’s Eye, grant illumination!” Master Troinis uttered softly. The Dragon’s Eye above Madame’s head blinked, then ascended another two feet.
Diamond-like light points cascaded from Dragon’s Eye, landing on Madame’s head, shoulders, and hands. Soon, Madame’s entire body shone with a bright, diamond-like luster.
The dragon energy, attempting to break free from the Buddhist force, began to consolidate around Madame.
At this moment, Master Troinis swiftly changed the Buddhist seals with both hands, projecting them towards Madame’s body. With each seal’s placement, ripple-like patterns appeared on the surface of Madame’s body, similar to small stones being thrown into water.
After projecting a total of one hundred and eight Buddhist seals, Master Troinis finally ceased his actions. By now, sweat was visible on his forehead. Rapidly projecting one hundred and eight seals was not easy even for a young monk, let alone for an old abbot nearing his age.
“Illumination, manifest!” Master Troinis exclaimed lightly.
The dragon energy swirling around Madame’s body was completely absorbed by Dragon’s Eye, and a beam of golden light from Dragon’s Eye’s pupil shot into Madame’s crown.
The shimmering light points on Madame’s body disappeared, merging into her body. The golden light that shot into her crown vanished swiftly, and Dragon’s Eye closed, its golden shimmer fading, returning to its original gray state.
Under Master Troinis’s guidance, Dragon’s Eye floated back into a gilt box. The chants from the forty-nine monks also ceased.
Exhibiting difficulty, Master Troinis stood up, closed the lid of the box, and softly spoke, “Madam, you may open your eyes now.”
Madame slowly opened her eyes a fraction, the sudden influx of light making her slightly uncomfortable.
After adjusting for a moment, she fully opened her eyes. The clearly visible scenery before her brought a look of joy to her face, and she stood up from the meditation cushion.
“Leo, I can see! I can see!” Madame turned to Leo, her face unable to hide her excitement as she ran over and embraced him, joyously exclaiming. Her vision restored, Leo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, though he felt somewhat embarrassed given the many monks around and the inappropriate situation.
Realizing her error, Madame’s face blushed, and she quickly released Leo. Turning to face Master Troinis, she pressed her hands together in a respectful salute, “Thank you, Master Troinis.”
She then turned towards the forty-nine monks who had started to rise from the floor, saluting them as well, “Thank you, esteemed masters!”
Master Troinis intoned a Buddhist chant with a low gaze.
The forty-nine monks gradually departed from the Celestial Sovereign Hall. At that moment, the portly monk appeared again, approaching Leo with narrowed eyes and an indifferent tone, “Leo, can you now return the Dharma’s Ancient Scriptures?”
“Yes,” Leo nodded, extending his left hand and pulling out the Dharma’s Ancient Scriptures from a spatial storage talisman, then handing it over to the portly monk.
The monk received the scroll with devout respect, carefully opening it to verify before turning to Master Troinis and saying, “It is indeed our temple’s Dharma’s Ancient Scriptures.”
Master Troinis nodded, “Put the ancient scripture and Dragon’s Eye back in their place.”
Exiting the Jewelbloom Temple, Leo and Madame wandered around the temple’s various scenic spots outside. Their mood now starkly different from before they arrived, particularly Madame, appeared very excited and happy. She looked around everywhere, as if trying to take in all the scenery.
For someone who had previously been blind, nothing could be more thrilling and joyous than seeing the flowers and plants again. Being blind had brought them physically closer, and regaining sight, though it distanced them physically, had brought their hearts closer in an intangible way. The events from the previous night to today revealed another side of Madame to Leo.
The cold and distant policewoman had vanished, replaced by a woman retaining her childlike innocence and filled with joy, like a leaf butterfly shedding its disguise, dancing among the flowers.
Perhaps after today, Madame might once again wear the mask befitting her role. But in this world, who isn’t living behind a mask?
“Leo, come over, let’s ring the bell,” said Madame, unaware they had approached a bell tower. Madame pulled the bell rope, striking the bell once.
“It’s your turn,” she gestured for Leo to take over.
Leo shook his head, smiling, “Striking the bell should be done three times, you still have two more to go.”
“Why three times?” Madame asked curiously.
Leo explained, “Striking the bell three times symbolizes blessings, wealth, and longevity. Blessings for good fortune, wealth for a high position and great prosperity, and longevity for a prolonged life.”
“So, everyone who comes to the temple to offer prayers and incense strikes the bell three times, praying for health, prosperity, peace, and spiritual growth.”
“You know quite a lot,” Madame complimented, then pulled the hammer to strike the bell again. The bell’s sound was deep and rich, resonant and clear. After Madame struck the bell, Leo also took his turn to strike three times. Afterwards, they continued to tour the scenic spots until they had a vegetarian meal in the temple in the afternoon before returning to Langstel.
Not long after their return to Langstel, Abel called to inquire about the events, and Leo briefly recounted what had happened.