Inner Qi

"The Abbot has arrived!"

About another two or three quarters of an hour later, a resonant voice rang out from outside the great hall. Immediately after, a group of yellow-robed monks escorted seven elderly monks draped in crimson kasayas as they filed in one after another.

These seven were the Abbot of Treasure Pearl Temple in Fangnan Prefecture, Great Yan Kingdom, along with the six heads of the temple's four institutes and two halls.

"Amitabha! Yuanyin, the hour is nearly upon us. Have the disciples who need to receive their precepts and enter the order today all arrived?"

As the seven entered the hall, the leading monk—black-browed, white-bearded, with twelve scars on his crown—pressed his palms together, intoned a Buddha's name, and then asked a young yellow-robed monk in the hall.

"Your reply, Abbot, they have all arrived."

Upon hearing this, the yellow-robed monk Yuanyin immediately stepped forward, pressed his palms together, gave a slight bow, and answered respectfully.

"Mm! Since all the disciples have arrived, let the precept ceremony formally begin!"

The black-browed, white-bearded Abbot nodded at this, then led the six heads into the formal precept ceremony.

At Treasure Pearl Temple, accepting disciples into the order was a major event, generally held only once a year. Thus, the rites were extremely elaborate.

From burning incense, offering prayers, and chanting sutras, to paying homage to the Buddha and announcing to the patriarchs—a full set of rituals took over an hour.

This kind of intense exertion might not be much for adults, but for a group of young novices who had just turned twelve—still elementary school age by modern standards—it was sheer torment. If not for the fact that the novices of Treasure Pearl Temple had been reciting sutras and strengthening their bodies since childhood, their physiques and wills far surpassing ordinary children, they would have long since collapsed.

But even so, after this grueling set of rites, the novices were groaning inwardly, their earlier excitement about entering the order long gone.

Fortunately, after over an hour of torment, the tedious rituals of Treasure Pearl Temple finally drew to a close.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As three resonant bell tolls sounded from outside the hall, the monks of Treasure Pearl Temple all stood in unison, intoned a Buddha's name, and the precept ceremony officially began.

"Amitabha!"

A clear, loud Buddha's name rang out again. The white-bearded Abbot, draped in his kasaya with a solemn, majestic bearing, held three large incense sticks in his hand. He walked to the novice standing at the very front of the formation and spoke with a grave expression:

"Jingding, today I bestow the precepts upon you, accepting you into the order of Treasure Pearl Temple on behalf of the Buddha and all the patriarchs. From now on, you must remember the five precepts of Buddhism: no killing, no stealing, no sexual misconduct, no lying, and no intoxicants. Do you remember these five precepts?"

"Your reply, Grandmaster, Jingding remembers!"

Hearing the Abbot's words, the young novice Jingding quickly bowed, pressed his palms together, and answered respectfully.

"Mm! The child can be taught!"

The Abbot nodded in satisfaction, then placed the three incense sticks on Jingding's bald head.

"Sizzle!"

The high heat seared his skin. In the next moment, three round scars formed on Jingding's crown. At that instant, it signified that Jingding had formally received the precepts, severed his worldly ties, taken refuge in the Buddha, and entered the order of Treasure Pearl Temple.

"Disciple Jingding has formally received the precepts and is now a disciple of Treasure Pearl Temple. His bone structure and aptitude are both excellent; he may enter the Dharma Institute!"

As soon as Jingding's scars formed, a resonant voice rang out again. Gu Han looked closely and saw a yellow-robed monk holding a scroll, his voice clear and loud. Jingding, his expression ecstatic and overjoyed, quickly walked over to stand beside a yellow-robed monk behind the head of the Dharma Institute.

The other novices looked at Jingding, unable to hide the envy in their eyes.

"The Dharma Institute!"

Hearing that term, Gu Han was startled, and a surge of memories flooded his mind.

Since the founding of Treasure Pearl Temple in Fangnan, Great Yan, a thousand years ago, the temple had established four institutes and two halls: the Dharma Institute, the Discipline Institute, the Medicine Master Institute, the Dao Proving Institute, the Arhat Hall, and the Prajna Hall.

Among these four institutes and two halls, the Discipline Institute, Medicine Master Institute, and Dao Proving Institute need not be mentioned for now.

But the functions of the Dharma Institute, the Prajna Hall, and the Arhat Hall were similar—all were places for intensive martial arts study and training the temple's warrior monks.

Among them, the Dharma Institute and the Prajna Hall were on par with each other. The former specialized in staff and fist techniques, the latter in finger, claw, and palm techniques. The backbone and top-tier strength of Treasure Pearl Temple's warrior monks generally came from these two institutes, so their entry requirements were extremely high—only disciples with outstanding aptitude and bone structure could enter.

As for the Arhat Hall, it was far inferior. Though it claimed to specialize in martial arts, it actually taught a bit of everything—a hodgepodge of techniques without depth. It essentially served as a backup for the Dharma Institute and the Prajna Hall, taking in the disciples those two institutes rejected.

Now that Jingding had entered the Dharma Institute, it meant that in the future, he would at least achieve some minor success in martial arts and become a pillar of Treasure Pearl Temple. Such fortune naturally made the other novices burn with envy.

"Alas, when I chose my identity, I didn't have enough Simulation Points. My original body's aptitude, while not completely trash, isn't anything special either. The chances of entering the Dharma Institute or the Prajna Hall are slim to none. I'll probably end up in the Arhat Hall."

Gu Han sighed inwardly.

As a novice who had grown up in Treasure Pearl Temple, his original body's aptitude had long been tested, so Gu Han could judge from his memories what level his aptitude was at and which hall or institute he could enter.

Sure enough, after the Abbot branded the scars on Gu Han's crown, a clear voice rang out once more in the Great Buddha Hall.

"Disciple Jingming has formally received the precepts and is now a disciple of Treasure Pearl Temple. His bone structure and aptitude are ordinary; he is assigned to the Arhat Hall!"

"As expected!"

Hearing this, Gu Han felt helpless but could only walk over to stand beside the head of the Arhat Hall, a plump yellow-robed monk.

At Treasure Pearl Temple's Great Buddha Hall, the disciples' precept ceremony proceeded methodically, and soon it was all finished.

Afterward, whether sad or happy, the disciples gradually accepted their fates and followed their respective heads away, intending to return to their institutes and begin formal training.

"Senior Brother Jingming! Senior Brother Jingming!"

Just as Gu Han was about to follow the head of the Arhat Hall away, a voice stopped him. Gu Han looked closely and saw that it was the young novice Jingyuan.

"Oh, it's Junior Brother Jingyuan! I was a bit distracted just now. I forgot to congratulate you on entering the Prajna Hall this time. Soon you'll be taught the temple's divine arts. With success in martial arts ahead, becoming a pillar of the temple is all but certain."

Gu Han smiled lightly and offered his congratulations.

Compared to his original body, Jingming, the young novice Jingyuan had far superior aptitude. This time, he had been selected by the Prajna Hall and would be able to specialize in its martial arts.

"Heh heh! Many thanks for the praise, Senior Brother—I'm unworthy of it. This time I merely got lucky and entered the Prajna Hall; it's nothing to boast of. Senior Brother, don't lose heart either. Even if you've entered the Arhat Hall, it doesn't mean you can't become a Martial Arts Master someday.

I once read in a miscellaneous book from the Sutra Library that several hundred years ago, there was a senior monk in our temple much like you, Senior Brother. Though his talent was ordinary and he started out in the Arhat Hall, in the end he cultivated Inner Qi through sheer perseverance, outshone countless monks from the Dharma Institute and Prajna Hall, contended with the abbots of each hall, and roamed the world, building a name that resounded through the ages!

I think you've been cleverer than me since we were young, Senior Brother. If you work hard, who's to say you can't achieve the same as that predecessor?"

The young novice Jingyuan first smiled and humbly deflected a few words, then sincerely comforted Gu Han.

"Oh? Inner Qi?"

Hearing that term, Gu Han's heart stirred.