Xuan Bei's Reasons

Meng Qi's cheek twitched. This was a fate he could not escape!

Of course, fantasies were fantasies, and finding joy amid hardship was finding joy amid hardship. He knew perfectly well that, for now, he could only race down this "wrong path," running farther and farther away. When he had entered the Reincarnation World, he had possessed virtually no means of self-preservation. To survive, he had had no choice but to take this road.

And since he had chosen it, he had to cast aside complaints and laziness, and walk it earnestly.

Besides, continuing down this road might not necessarily betray his "ideal"!

Over this period, relying on his familiarity with most divine arts from outside this world listed in the "Exchange Catalog," Meng Qi had already mapped out the advancement of his primary cultivation method.

Going all the way down the Buddhist path was not what Meng Qi wanted, so he had set his sights on non-Buddhist supreme arts that could perfectly integrate techniques such as Iron Cloth Shirt and Golden Bell Shield.

Hehe, it didn't matter that Senior Brother Qi had beaten him to exchanging for the Cosmic Mirror. His true goal was the Eight-Nine Arcane Art!

Seeing Meng Qi's expression change again and again, Xuan Bei smiled and shook his head. "You are not like Zhenhui. His mind is single-minded, steady, and focused, secretly in harmony with the true meaning of Buddhist teachings. That is why I will have him learn the supreme art, 'Nian Hua Finger.'"

Zhenhui, standing nearby, had no awareness whatsoever that his master had mentioned him. He still gazed blankly at Meng Qi. Senior Brother had said before that he longed for supreme arts like Maha Finger, Nian Hua Finger, Wu Xiang Jie Finger, and Yi Wei Crossing River. No wonder he was a little unhappy.

"As for you, your nature is restless. When you travel the martial world in the future, you will inevitably encounter danger. Since you already have a foundation in Iron Cloth Shirt, cultivating Golden Bell Shield and Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill is the best choice." Without the slightest bit of a master's severity, Xuan Bei explained like a kindly father. "Of these two supreme arts, the superior one is naturally the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill, which can attain the Immovable Wisdom King Dharma Body. But your temperament is not yet settled; you are impetuous and flighty, with no attainment at all in Buddhist teachings. If you rashly cultivate the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill and walk the path of the 'Wisdom King,' it will be easy for the flames of wrath to become impossible to quell, and for you to fall into the Sea of Suffering of asuras."

"Therefore, cultivate Golden Bell Shield first and grind away the impetuosity and wildness in your nature. If you achieve success, it will not be too late to switch to the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill."

Seeing that Xuan Bei was entirely thinking of his sake, Meng Qi lowered some of his guard and asked curiously, "Master, why would it not be too late?"

Senior Brother Qi had changed his primary cultivation method now precisely because he feared that he would only have the chance to switch to a divine art after reaching the Outer Scenery Realm, leaving his foundation unstable and progress difficult.

Xuan Bei smiled and shook his head again. "It seems you truly have not put any effort into Buddhist teachings. Immovable Wisdom King, also known as Immovable Vajra, is an elevation of the Vajra Dharma Body attained through Golden Bell Shield. They come from the same lineage, so naturally it will not be too late."

Meng Qi suddenly understood and said with a hint of excitement, "Master, when can I begin cultivating Golden Bell Shield?"

Who knew when the next reincarnation mission would come? The sooner he cultivated, the better. His Lingzhi Qi Replenishing Pill was already **unable to wait!

"I have already copied out these two supreme arts for the two of you. You will begin cultivating them tomorrow." Xuan Bei pointed to the two thick stacks of paper on the table. "However, before reaching the Orifice Opening Realm, you may only view the contents of the first four stages of Golden Bell Shield."

In the vast majority of sects, the inheritance of divine arts and supreme skills was handled with extreme caution. Only upon reaching the corresponding realm could one be taught the content of the next realm, to guard against disciples rebelling or falling into depravity.

Meng Qi nodded heavily. "This disciple obeys."

Having clarified his own matters, Meng Qi turned his concern to his Little Junior Brother. "Master, what kind of Dharma Body can Nian Hua Finger attain?"

Whenever it came to martial world rumors, martial arts lore, and such matters, Zhenhui was always keenly interested. Now that Senior Brother's issue had been resolved, he stared eagerly at Master Xuan Bei, waiting for his answer.

Xuan Bei's melancholy seemed ingrained in his bones, yet at this moment, he unexpectedly let out a chuckle, as though looking upon children joyfully gathered at his knees. "Nian Hua Finger is the foremost of our Shaolin Seventy-Two Unique Skills. It was directly derived from the third move of Buddha's Palm. Patriarch Damo relied on it to attain the Kasyapa Dharma Body among the fruition of the Great Arhat."

"It has exacting requirements. Its practitioner must be single-minded and may not divide his attention among other supreme arts. Even so, it is extremely difficult to master, which is why few monks throughout the generations have chosen it. But I believe Zhenhui's temperament is well suited to it. Learning other cultivation methods would instead be inappropriate. Zhenhui, what do you think? If you object, I will not force you."

Before Meng Qi could speak, Zhenhui's eyes lit up. "This disciple is willing! Martial Uncle Xuan Xin said that the Great Arhat, like the Great Bodhisattva, is a Dharma Body only second to the fruition of the Buddha."

This fellow was always like this! Meng Qi looked helplessly at the ceiling beams.

Xuan Bei shook his head with a smile. "Then you must prepare yourself to remain as steadfast as a single day for decades."

On this point, he was rather reassured about Zhenhui.

Once both had settled on their primary cultivation methods, Meng Qi was relieved. He then asked curiously, "Master, many of the Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques were created by Patriarch Damo. Then how was he able to cultivate Nian Hua Finger, which demands single-mindedness?"

"Some of them were insights Patriarch Damo gained while contemplating Buddha's Palm, rather than techniques he cultivated himself. Only after attaining the Kasyapa Dharma Body did he return to deduce and perfect them. Some were created after he attained the Dharma Body, while others had already been mastered before he obtained Buddha's Palm." Xuan Bei looked every bit the master resolving his disciple's doubts.

"So That's How It Is." Meng Qi knew that he was actually just like Zhenhui, fond of tales from the martial world and all manner of secret lore. "No, wait. Didn't Patriarch Damo also cultivate the Muscle Tendon Change?"

Xuan Bei showed not a trace of impatience. "The Muscle Tendon Change is a peerless miraculous art, capable of turning decay into wonder. When cultivated alongside most methods, it can raise their quality, allowing the final achievement to surpass their original limits. Moreover, it can multiply the cultivation speed of that method. Yet cultivating the Muscle Tendon Change alone cannot attain any Golden Body, nor can it produce palm techniques or Lightness Skill. Its nature determines that it may be cultivated together with Nian Hua Finger."

No wonder... Meng Qi's "no wonder" referred to how the many copies of Muscle Tendon Change in the "Exchange Catalog" did not state, unlike Shaolin's other supreme arts, that they could be elevated into corresponding martial arts within his own world. So their nature was fundamentally different.

At this moment, Zhenhui, whose voice had not yet changed and still carried a childish lilt, asked, "Master, can Nian Hua Finger ultimately become Buddha's Palm?"

Meng Qi lowered his head to look at the ground. Standing beside this guy was far too embarrassing!

Xuan Bei was not annoyed in the least. Smiling, he said, "Any Buddhist supreme art can be elevated into Buddha's Palm so long as one 'beholds' the true meaning of Bodhi."

"Master, when Martial Uncle Xuan Xin previously spoke of martial world lore, he mentioned Shuiyue Nunnery's Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva Golden Body. He said it belonged to the Great Bodhisattva Dharma Body and was second only to the Tathagata Golden Body and Bodhi Golden Body. This disciple has always wondered what our Shaolin possesses that could rival it. Only today have the doubts in my heart been resolved. By the way, what other supreme arts in the temple point directly to the Dharma Body realm?"

Meng Qi changed the subject, intending to gather information and prepare for future exchanges—Xuan Bei's explanation would certainly be more detailed than that of the Lord of Six Paths Samsara.

After pondering for a moment, Xuan Bei said, "Speaking of Dharma Bodies, the foremost is the third move of Buddha's Palm, 'Nian Hua Smile.' Unfortunately, the nine palm moves are incomplete and the general outline has scattered, so one cannot attain the Tathagata Golden Body through it. The Maha Demon Subduing Fist I cultivate exhaustively investigates the cycle of life and death, pointing directly to the Ksitigarbha Golden Body. It too belongs to the fruition of the Great Bodhisattva. Unfortunately, without the assistance of the Ksitigarbha Soul Crossing Scripture, it can only reach the realm of Half-step Dharma Body."

Ksitigarbha Soul Crossing Scripture? Meng Qi vaguely remembered seeing it in the Exchange Catalog. It was not one of the missing ones!

Xuan Bei continued, "The Great Dream Scripture is the same. Lacking its later portion, it can only attain the Sleeping Dream Arhat Golden Body. If it were completed, I suspect it would be one of Buddhism's highest methods, the Great Law of Attaining Enlightenment in Dreams, capable of attaining the Amitabha Golden Body."

"Among the Seventy-Two Ultimate Techniques, only eighteen can point directly to the Dharma Body realm; they are known as the Inner Eighteen. The other fifty-four are either moves and techniques, or are of lower rank. The latter can all be elevated into their corresponding art among the Inner Eighteen... The Inner Eighteen include Nian Hua Finger, Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill, Golden Bell Shield, Wu Xiang Jie Finger, Withered Wood Divine Skill..."

After listening with relish as his master finished introducing the Inner Eighteen supreme arts, Meng Qi thought of himself and casually asked, "Master, is the Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art purely a set of saber moves?"

"Yes." Xuan Bei looked at Meng Qi in puzzlement. "Why do you ask?"

Meng Qi had long prepared an excuse. With a grin, he said, "Master, this disciple has always loved saber arts and even learned several sets in the past. Later, after hearing Martial Uncle Xuan Xin mention this supreme art, my heart grew unbearably itchy, so I asked out of curiosity."

He would inevitably have to practice saber arts in the future, and there was no way he could hide it from a master approaching the peak of the Outer Scenery Realm. Better to "confess" it now while he had the chance.

Still, when he spoke of having always loved saber arts, his heart truly ached!

He had already run farther and farther down the wrong road!

Xuan Bei nodded lightly. "The Saber Intent of the Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art conflicts with Buddhist teachings. For monks of this temple, cultivating it is exceedingly difficult; the higher one's cultivation, the more so. Thus, throughout the generations, only a handful have truly mastered this saber art. Most of the time, it is merely used temporarily during the Orifice Opening Realm. If you are interested, once you have opened your apertures and may freely enter the third and fourth floors of the Scripture Depository, borrow it and read it yourself."

"If you encounter difficulties while practicing saber arts, you may come ask me. Though I am not skilled in this, in matters of martial arts, understand one principle and a hundred principles become clear."

Under the Shaolin Precepts, before opening one's apertures, one was only permitted to cultivate a single supreme art. After opening them, most monks chose few supreme arts because they needed to concentrate on their primary cultivation methods. Throughout the generations, apart from Dharma Body Masters who had nearly reached the realm where understanding one principle made a hundred principles clear, the person who had cultivated the most supreme arts at once was Baihui Divine Monk, who mastered thirty-seven. Yet precisely because his learning was so broad and mixed, he ultimately failed to attain a Golden Body.

After sincerely thanking Master, Meng Qi put on a curious look and asked, "Master, was Zhen Guan caught afterward? Where did that secret tunnel lead?"

What similarities and differences were there between the secret tunnels of the two worlds?

"We were one step too late. He had already descended the cliff and was taken away by hidden accomplices. If you encounter him in the future, you must be careful—his body may have undergone a Half-demon transformation." Xuan Bei did not conceal anything. "The tunnel led beneath the Sarira Pagoda that suppresses demons and monsters. Several demons and monsters have already escaped, fortunately it was discovered early."

"I never imagined they could secretly dig a tunnel right under the noses of the eminent monks guarding the place." Meng Qi deliberately steered the conversation in that direction.

Xuan Bei suspected nothing and shook his head. "That was not the case. They merely made use of a Ruins Secret Tunnel."

"A Ruins Secret Tunnel?" Meng Qi's heartbeat suddenly quickened.

With Xuan Bei's strength, how could he fail to sense the change in his heartbeat? He said gravely, "It is not a place for you to stumble upon a fortuitous encounter. Unless you possess the strength of Outer Scenery, you must never approach it. Enough—this concerns a secret. Do not ask further. We shall speak of it when you are qualified."

Meng Qi suppressed the urge to press further. "Master, do you have any other instructions?"

Xuan Bei nodded. "Return to the Warrior Monk Institute and pack your things, then move here. Zhending, tomorrow your master will take you to a special place to cultivate. With your foundation in the Iron Cloth Shirt, you should be able to use that place to quickly master the first three stages of the Golden Bell Shield."

Ah? What special place? Meng Qi was intensely curious, but Xuan Bei merely smiled without speaking, making him return to the Warrior Monk Institute with Zhenhui in frustration.