A Way to Leave Shaolin

Hearing Meng Qi's question, Qi Zhengyan said frankly, "I want to switch my foundational technique as soon as possible."

"Senior Brother Qi, are you dissatisfied with both the Long River Sword Technique and the Sunset and Autumn Water Sword?" Jiang Zhiwei's question was like her swordsmanship—straight to the point.

Qi Zhengyan paused for a moment, not answering directly: "Given my talent and the impression of the sect's elders, unless I can break through all the way to Outer Scenery and become a strong enough figure to stand on my own, there's absolutely no chance I'll ever get to see the 'Immortal Bestowed Longevity Sword.' And if that day ever comes, it'll already be too late to switch to it—my foundation will have long since taken shape, naturally not as solid as others'. So I need to switch early to a peerless divine skill that points straight to the Dharma Body."

The implication was that both the Long River Sword Technique and the Sunset and Autumn Water Sword were too low-level for the Orifice Opening stage. The Long River Sword Technique was what the Flower Washing Sword Sect gave ordinary disciples to cultivate from the Qi Accumulation stage through Orifice Opening, while the Sunset and Autumn Water Sword was a decent sword technique even within Orifice Opening, capable of paving the way to Outer Scenery.

In the major sects, only those genius disciples who showed exceptional promise very early on and were highly anticipated could hope to receive the True Intent Inheritance of the foundational technique before Orifice Opening. The rest had to wait until they caught up later and demonstrated corresponding value to earn the qualification to switch. But by then, their foundations were already set, and switching often left them unstable, making progress difficult. Only a rare few could overcome this and break through again.

"If you're thinking long-term, switching now is the best course of action." Zhang Yuanshan thought it over carefully and surprisingly agreed with Qi Zhengyan's decision. "What do you want to exchange for?"

Qi Zhengyan's lips pressed together, their lines becoming sharp, as if he were both nervous and excited: "I've set my sights on a divine skill. It's divided into ten layers: two for Qi Accumulation, three for Orifice Opening, three for Outer Scenery, and two for Dharma Body. Each can be exchanged separately. And unlike other divine skills, it breaks convention by emphasizing Celestial Being resonance and the connection between oneself and the Outer World even at the Qi Accumulation stage, making it much easier to break through to Outer Scenery later."

Since he was switching foundational techniques, he naturally wanted one with great prospects and boundless power!

"I saw this divine skill in the exchange catalog. It can evolve into a very, very powerful sword technique." Jiang Zhiwei lightly patted the sword at her waist, a mix of surprise and delight in her thoughts. "It's called... called the 'Cosmic Mirror'!"

Pfft, Meng Qi nearly spat out his saliva. After coughing twice, he said, "Senior Brother Qi, is it really the 'Cosmic Mirror'?"

Damn it, if I hadn't "gone astray" and had to keep training in external hardening for now, I'd want to exchange for it too! Because compared to other Dharma Body-level ultimate arts, it's more finely divided and easier to exchange layer by layer.

The "Cosmic Mirror" was a peerless martial art from The Legend of the Emperor, created by the goddess Nuwa. Practiced to its peak, it could devour all things and destroy heaven and earth.

"You've looked into the 'Cosmic Mirror' too?" Qi Zhengyan asked casually. "Its first layer, 'White Cloud Smoke,' and second layer, 'Rose Haze Ripple,' are both at the Qi Accumulation stage, costing forty and eighty Merit Points respectively—not expensive. The third layer, 'Earth Kunlun,' which belongs to Orifice Opening, is only two hundred Merit Points."

"First, I need to exchange for a Heavenly Wisdom Pill and a bottle of Lingzhi Qi Replenishing Pills, so my Merit Points can only cover 'White Cloud Smoke' and 'Rose Haze Ripple' for now. Once I learn the Sunset and Autumn Water Sword, I can exchange it to the Lord of Six Paths Samsara next time. With the remaining Merit Points, that'll be enough for 'Earth Kunlun.'"

The Sunset and Autumn Water Sword, containing both a heart method and a sword technique, was worth three hundred and eighty Merit Points. Exchanging it to the Lord of Six Paths Samsara halved the value, yielding only one hundred and ninety. If Qi Zhengyan taught it to Meng Qi and they each exchanged it separately, they'd each get ninety-five Merit Points.

"That way, you'll have thirty Merit Points left as a safety net." Zhang Yuanshan didn't say much more.

Qi Zhengyan nodded slightly: "Mm, normally when one is weak, they should exchange for some ** or hidden weapons for self-defense. But since Junior Brother Zhending has the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle, I can feel safe exchanging for the third layer of the 'Cosmic Mirror.'"

"Senior Brother Qi, aren't you afraid of getting caught practicing a technique from another sect?" Meng Qi asked, turning to a concern he shared.

Qi Zhengyan's expression dimmed slightly: "If there were another way, why would I choose to take such a risk? But I'm just an ordinary disciple, so it's easy enough to slip through. Once I reach Orifice Opening, I can apply to go out on travels or guard the sect's external properties. Then the sea will be wide for the fish to leap, the sky high for the birds to fly—I won't fear practicing the 'Cosmic Mirror' no matter how. If I run into fellow disciples, as long as we don't spar too often, they won't be able to tell the roots of my internal technique."

He was already learning the sword moves and qi circulation paths from the Autumn Water Sword Technique and the Sunset Art, and with the foundation of the Setting Sun Heart Method, nothing would be revealed when he wielded his sword.

"You can go down the mountain to travel, but I don't know when I'll get the chance. Sigh, I wish I could just leave Shaolin right now, so I wouldn't have to be so nervous all the time." After saying this, Meng Qi added silently to himself, preferably after learning the Golden Bell Shield or the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill.

But then, Meng Qi felt it would be even harder to leave Shaolin.

Jiang Zhiwei chuckled at Meng Qi: "Leave Shaolin? Haven't you studied the Shaolin Precepts?"

"The precept book doesn't say how to leave Shaolin. It only lists punishments for violating different precepts, the harshest being having your martial arts abolished and being expelled from Shaolin." That was a method Meng Qi dared not use.

Jiang Zhiwei smiled lightly: "It doesn't say how to leave Shaolin because it's simply impossible to leave."

"Huh?" Meng Qi was shocked.

Jiang Zhiwei's smile faded: "Joining a sect is a very serious matter, witnessed by heaven and earth. If you want to leave, there's only one way: severely violate the precepts, have your martial arts abolished, and be expelled. I don't think you'd be willing to pay that price, would you?"

Before Meng Qi could ask, she continued: "Of course, I'm talking about formally leaving Shaolin. If you just want to go down the mountain and find an excuse to stay away, there are other ways. First, you can go out on a mission led by a senior monk and find a chance to escape along the way. But generally, only disciples who have reached Major Qi Accumulation might be chosen, and with a senior monk watching, escape would be difficult."

"Second, after you open your orifices, you can challenge the Bronze Man Alley and earn the right to travel and do missions alone. Then you can simply disappear or fake your death to leave Shaolin. But the Bronze Man Alley's reputation is fearsome—I don't even have a sixty percent chance of clearing it myself. You'd probably have to wait several years. After all, under everyone's watchful eyes, you can't rely on the Lord of Six Paths Samsara's infusion exchange to jump from just entering Orifice Opening or even lower to a level where you can clear the Bronze Man Alley."

"Third, make contributions and find a chance to become a lay disciple. Once you've learned enough, you can 'return home.'"

Listening to the three methods Jiang Zhiwei listed, Meng Qi frowned. None of them seemed achievable in the short term. Becoming a lay disciple looked the easiest, but the problem was that he had been forcibly sent to Shaolin, and with Xuanzang watching, would he agree to let Meng Qi become a lay disciple and "return home"?

Zhang Yuanshan listened quietly for a while, then suddenly sighed: "If Junior Brother Zhending were still a Sectarian Monk, he could have left the temple directly when his term ended. We made a mistake."

"It's fine. Others can leave, but I can't." Meng Qi knew this well. Xuanzang wouldn't let him leave when his term was up.

So for now, he could only focus on staying hidden, taking things step by step, and never missing a chance to learn the Seventy-two Unique Skills!

The group fell silent for a moment. Qi Zhengyan walked to the light pillar and exchanged for a Heavenly Wisdom Pill, a bottle of Lingzhi Qi Replenishing Pills, and two Heavenly Crystals containing the first two layers of the Cosmic Mirror: one with smoke like white clouds inside, the other with rosy light like blood, captivating to the eye.

I wonder if these are the original Heavenly Crystals... Meng Qi was quite skeptical, because the Heavenly Crystals that carried the 'Cosmic Mirror' were all unique. The Lord of Six Paths Samsara couldn't be so generous as to give them to Qi Zhengyan.

"Crystals bearing True Intent Inheritance? Truly a peerless divine skill pointing straight to the Dharma Body." Zhang Yuanshan praised.

Hearing this, a funny thought struck Meng Qi: maybe these two crystals were pirated copies replicated by the Lord of Six Paths Samsara.

Gazing at the Heavenly Crystals in his palm, Qi Zhengyan took a few deep breaths, his body trembling slightly. From today onward, he would welcome a new future!

After everyone finished exchanging, Meng Qi recalled their earlier conversation and asked, "Miss Jiang, have you made it onto the Human Ranking yet?"

Jiang Zhiwei smiled brightly: "I haven't formally started traveling the martial world yet, but thanks to that previous martial debate and my recent breakthrough to Four Apertures, I'm at the very bottom."

Speaking of the Human Ranking, her brows furrowed slightly: "If my guess is right, Xiao Zi and Gu Xiaosang are the same person. But why was she completely without martial arts at first? I couldn't have been wrong about that."

"Ah, split personality? No, One Body Two Souls?" Meng Qi was stunned.

Jiang Zhiwei pressed her lips together: "I don't know. Even with One Body Two Souls, the physical foundation wouldn't disappear. I couldn't have failed to see that she knew martial arts."

She was quite annoyed at her own oversight.

"The Luo Sect's 'Scripture of Wusheng Laomu Descending to the World' is known for its mystery. Maybe it's the effect of some divine skill within it." Zhang Yuanshan speculated.

Jiang Zhiwei puffed out her cheeks: "Maybe. Or it could be the mishap she mentioned herself."

"Regardless, Gu Xiaosang is deeply scheming, ruthless in her methods, and her martial arts have reached such a level. She'll definitely make the Black Ranking in the future." Zhang Yuanshan sighed.

"Black Ranking?" Meng Qi felt like a country bumpkin.

Jiang Zhiwei smiled: "It's a ranking jointly established by the major sects for the Demonic and Left Path, listing only the top hundred. Heh, it's really telling disciples that if you don't have Outer Scenery-level strength, you should immediately take a detour when you encounter anyone on that list."

Suddenly, the vast and icy voice of the Lord of Six Paths Samsara rang out:

"Exchange complete. Store your items and return to your own world."

Meng Qi thought for a moment and left the Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needle in his personal "room."

After a flash of black and then light, Meng Qi opened his eyes and saw Junior Brother Zhen Hui sitting cross-legged in focused meditation, faint white vapor rising from his head.

He smiled and began to recall and ponder the first stance of the Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art.

At this moment, someone knocked on the door and shouted loudly, "Junior Brother Zhending, Junior Brother Zhen Hui, Chief Monk Wu Si requests your presence at the Bodhi Courtyard."