My concern is that monks have learnt this skill in the past. Openly from the sounds of it. They had access to Shaolin resources and yet they all still eventually fell which is why the tech is forbidden and was thought destroyed.
I do not see how Xuxian will be different. Meditation and peace does not seem to have protected his predecessors. I think he needs something more. I think that if he progresses with his tech without first learning some of the WQS he will eventually go mad though of course I can not be certain.
Well, Xuxian
nearly has a grip on the technique, perhaps he needs just a bit more time to mature. On the one hand, we have WQS and Xuezi to help him, but on the other, Jing and most of his crew have no qualms about killing. A trip with us will truly test the limits of his mercy, as Fangci's test did, but then again, that might be precisely what Xuxian needs. If he cannot
protect the Empire use the Xiaoming Divine Skill properly, then
it deserves to die he deserves to go mad.
But seriously, the thing that concerns me the most is in the description:
You will bring Xuxian with you on your travels, and guide him best as you can. As a practitioner of Wuxiang Qiankun, you would be able to connect with him better than the Abbot could. You could use a helping hand on your journey, and he is a rather strong martial artist despite his flawed spirit.
...
Xuxian will remain at the temple, but not in confinement. He should be accorded the same rights as any of the other monks. You think it would be better if he spends some time in the peaceful environments of Shaolin Temple, rather than going on another dangerous trip so soon. You can always visit him or seek his help later if you really need it.
The bolded part is what troubles me. Even in the choice in which we bring him with us, it's acknowledged that he has a flawed spirit. I mean, everybody has their sins, as Abbot Fangci says, but with this sort of technique, you "must aspire to be as a
bodhisvatta." There are times when a trial by fire is the best way to grow and test yourself, but for Xuxian, I'm not sure that this is one of those times. He's just come from a dangerous trip already, and I think he needs a bit of a break and some time to get his head straight before going off on another adventure.
But I think that there must be a precedence of someone using the technique in a controlled manner before.
treave, do the Shaolin have any records in their library that indicate that one of their own has managed to use the Xiaoming Divine Skill without going mad?