The story of Twelve-Ranked Golden Lotus of Merit

While Jieyin Daoren cultivated at his western seat, the Twelve-Ranked Golden Lotus of Merit went with him as the throne beneath him. When its petals opened, golden light spread outward from the heart of the flower and shielded the altar around it.

Late in the Investiture war, Jieyin and Zhunti came before the Zhuxian Formation. Jieyin sat on the golden lotus and passed the gate, and as the sword-qi fell from every side the golden light of the throne closed layer on layer about him.

While the four sect-heads each entered a gate and held Tongtian, the Chan disciples took the moment to lift the four swords away. Jieyin left the formation still borne on the golden lotus and went with the rest to the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation.

Within that formation Jieyin opened the Jieyin Banner on his lotus throne, with the disciples of the west ranged behind the golden light. As the array scattered, a number of Jie disciples were carried west, and the golden lotus went always at the head of the column.

When the Investiture war was over, Jieyin returned west with the golden lotus. Later Buddhist genealogies took over the image of the lotus throne, and the Twelve-Ranked Golden Lotus of Merit is still counted the treasure that anchors the fortune of the Western Sect.