Songshan Shaolin Temple.
Hearing the message brought by one of the monks, Monk Tianjian furrowed his brow slightly.
Monks from Putian Shaolin Temple were heading toward Mount Song? Was their destination supposed to be here?
Putian Shaolin Temple and Songshan Shaolin Temple shared the same name, but had entirely different origins.
The Songshan branch had been founded by Bodhidharma, while the Putian branch had been established during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the jianghu, it was also called South Shaolin. Aside from the name, it had nothing in common with Songshan Shaolin Temple.
"Inform Tianwen, Tianxing, and Tianming to come over."
Before long, the senior monks of the various halls arrived one after another.
Monk Tianwen asked outright, "Senior Brother Abbot, why have you suddenly summoned us?"
It was currently time for morning prayers. Under normal circumstances, the abbot would not disturb them; if he wanted to gather everyone, he would wait until morning prayers were over.
"Word has just come that people from Putian Shaolin Temple have appeared in our Henan territory. Judging by their direction, their destination is likely here."
Hmm?
Everyone was taken aback.
Putian and Songshan might both be called Shaolin Temple, but they were about as compatible as oil and water.
In truth, the two factions had once been at odds on a grand scale. It was no wonder. Even if the notion of copyright did not yet exist in this era, how could the people of Putian get away with using the name Shaolin Temple? Songshan had already been established for over a hundred years by then, and was gradually becoming the leading authority among the righteous factions. What was Putian trying to pull by barging in like that? Particularly among the lay disciples, who traveled the jianghu and naturally crossed paths—their arguments over which branch was the orthodox one had left rivers of blood in their wake.
Although things had eased later on, the rift had remained ever since.
"Putian Shaolin has come here without warning. What do you all think?" Abbot Tianjian asked bluntly.
Monk Tianwen sighed. "I'm afraid they haven't come with good intentions!"
The others said nothing, but their expressions spoke volumes.
Abbot Tianjian said, "Among their party is a young monk dressed in white. He should be the White-Clad Buddhist, who has become quite famous over the past two years. He is only seventeen or eighteen, yet he has already made a name for himself in the jianghu. This boy is exceptionally gifted. I hear he has mastered one of their sect's supreme arts, the Shaoyang Virgin Skill, and has also devoted himself to external martial arts. His Iron Cloth Shirt, Iron Head Skill, and other body-conditioning techniques have all reached an extremely high level."
As he spoke, Tianjian and the others' gazes sharpened, and the atmosphere grew even heavier.
The Shaoyang Virgin Skill might not compare to Songshan's Muscle Tendon Changing Classic, but it was still one of Putian Shaolin Temple's supreme arts. It could cultivate pure yang true qi, which was supremely hard and powerful.
More importantly, there was no one on the Songshan side who could match this White-Clad Buddhist.
Even the exceptionally gifted Xuancheng had been practicing martial arts for far too short a time. He was only about thirteen, while the White-Clad Buddhist was already seventeen or eighteen. The age gap was simply too great.
If they really had come looking for trouble, it would be difficult for the younger generation to compete with them.
Abbot Tianjian asked, "What do you all think?"
Monk Tianxing answered without hesitation, "If they've come to discuss scripture and the Buddha's teachings, they're welcome. Otherwise, we can only show them the door."
At this time, things were very difficult for Songshan Shaolin Temple.
The disciples had yet to mature, and the two preceding generations of Xuanzis had produced almost no outstanding talents. After more than a decade, outsiders had started to feel that Shaolin was in decline.
That was why the state of Shaolin Temple had given Abbot Tianjian such a headache. He feared they would follow the same path as their predecessors.
The appearance of Xuancheng and the others, though troublesome, had also been a tremendous relief. But it would still take at least five, six, or even seven years before they could command respect in the jianghu. If people branded Songshan Shaolin Temple as a place with no successors before then, trouble would never end.
Abbot Tianjian sighed. "Alas, the trees wish for stillness, but the wind will not cease."
The jianghu had seemed peaceful these past few years, but in truth, the winds and clouds were churning, the currents treacherous.
Song Dynasty and Western Xia had been at war year after year. Western Xia First Class Hall watched the Central Plains martial world like a hawk; the moment a weakness appeared, they would undoubtedly be the first to pounce.
There were also rumors that Western Xia was connected to the Xiaoyao Sect. Though nothing had been confirmed, the words "Xiaoyao Sect" alone were enough to make it one of the most important matters in the martial world today.
This was not the time of Heavenly Dragon, fifty years later, when Wuyazi and the other two were already famous throughout the jianghu.
Wuyazi in particular was notorious. Whenever Tianjian and the others thought of him, they gritted their teeth.
How else had the Langhuan Blessed Land come to contain representative techniques from nearly every major sect of that era—One Yang Finger, Six Meridians Divine Sword, Dragon-Subduing Eighteen Palms, Muscle Tendon Changing Classic, and so on? They had either been stolen or snatched. Did anyone really think they had been given to him? Just look at Tianshan Tonglao, Li Qiushui, and even Ding Chunqiu. Birds of a feather flocked together. Wuyazi had been too pathetic in his later years, and the Langhuan Blessed Land had been glossed over in a mere sentence. But if you looked into it, you would find that Wuyazi had done plenty of bastardly things when he was young. He might not have been a crooked villain, but he was hardly a paragon of righteousness either.
What kind of martial art was the Northern Dark Divine Skill? It turned other people's true qi into your own. What respectable technique could possibly do that?
If that shameless Xiaoyao Patriarch hadn't been standing outside the gate back then, how could Wuyazi have so casually set foot in Shaolin Temple and made a name for himself by trampling on Shaolin's dignity?
The Ling generation's elders had been furious, and the Kong generation still remembered it vividly.
Well, that was getting off track.
Back to the matter at hand.
Tianjian and the others soon reached a consensus.
If they had come to discuss Buddhism, then all was well. If they had come for anything else, Amitabha...
To ensure the next hundred years of peace and stability for Shaolin Temple, they could not avoid a fight, even if they had no wish to compete.
"Have the disciples make preparations. By the way, Junior Brother Tianming, how are Xuancheng and the others?"
"Xuancheng and Xuanci are fine. As for Xuankong..."
"No rush. The time for Arhat Gong to take effect hasn't arrived yet..."
*******
"Xuankong, why did you choose this one?"
Xuanci looked at Xuankong, who was holding a manual, with a puzzled expression. The title on it read Shaolin Cotton Palm.
Although it wasn't an introductory martial art, Shaolin Cotton Palm wasn't particularly profound either. Monk Tianming had said as much before.
Hearing this, Li Su smiled.
Xuanci didn't say much more. With a somewhat mysterious air, he said, "Never mind. I can't figure you out. By the way, we're having a feast tonight."
Li Su paused, then immediately understood what he meant. Never mind the senior monks of Shaolin Temple—the young monks were a veritable scourge on Mount Song. Birds, rats, fish, and the like had all fallen victim to them.
Xuanci patted Li Su on the shoulder and laughed. "It's not as if you're practicing the Formless Calamity Finger anymore, so we might as well make it up to you."
Li Su's mouth twitched. He looked toward Xuannan and the others in the distance and let out a rather helpless sigh.
When it was Xuanku, you said the same thing.
When it was Xuannan, you still said the same thing.
When it was Xuandu, you said it again.
Just how had you become the abbot of Shaolin Temple?
That was what he thought, but Li Su nodded and didn't refuse. Meat? Then meat it was. After all, he was a fake monk.
A great man once said, "If you don't want to be ostracized, join them."
Someone who stood aloof from the world might have lived a different kind of life, but it was also terribly lonely. When they wanted to speak, there was no one to listen.
After night fell, they had their feast and returned to their rooms.
After chatting with Xuanci and the others for a while, Li Su took out the Lanka Sutra and drew a gentle breath.
So, was the Nine Yang Divine Skill in here or not?
He gently opened the pages, and Li Su lowered his gaze to them.
Buzz!
The World Book suddenly appeared on its own. To his surprise, it opened and flipped through four pages in quick succession before stopping. The fifth page immediately displayed its contents.
Although the World Book had flipped by quickly, Li Su had still caught a glimpse of the pages.
The first page: Arhat Fist.
The second page: Arhat Divine Art.
The third page: Formless Calamity Finger.
The fourth page: Shaolin Cotton Palm.
And the fifth page—Nine Yang Divine Skill!
So he really had obtained it. That meant this wasn't the third-edition Heavenly Dragon setting.
But what was this Arhat Divine Art? Wasn't it supposed to be Arhat Gong? Also, the World Book even recorded what the techniques did? And he hadn't even practiced the Nine Yang Divine Skill?
Li Su was rather surprised and couldn't help looking closer.
The page shifted, returning to the second one.
Manual: Arhat Divine Art.
Nature: Internal cultivation technique.
Rank: First-grade.
True qi: Arhat True Qi.
Effects: Strengthens the meridians within the body and reduces the damage caused by external true qi. Achieves an Arhat's golden body. Once mastered, it can be used as a foundation for practicing the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic or the Indestructible Diamond Divine Art, with twice the effect for half the effort.
Cultivation status: Minor mastery. (Strengthens the body's meridians and reduces damage from external true qi by fifty percent.)
First-grade?
Li Su couldn't help but freeze. His gaze instinctively shifted to the fifth page.
Manual: Nine Yang Manual.
Nature: Fully develops the human body's potential.
Rank: Superior to first-grade.
True qi: Nine Yang True Qi.
Nature: The most powerful yang energy in the world, which counters all yin and evil forces.
Effects: Protects the body with true qi, increases the body's healing ability, wards off evil, and nurtures pure yang.
Cultivation status: Not practiced. (Incompatible with Arhat Gong. To practice the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Arhat True Qi must first be discarded.)
Ha!!!
Li Su's eyes widened, and his face turned green.
The cultivation status in particular left him feeling awful.
What the hell, he couldn't practice it? And he had to discard his Arhat True Qi? Never mind whether that was even possible. If he weren't at Shaolin Temple, the first-grade Arhat Divine Art naturally couldn't compare to the superior-to-first-grade Nine Yang Divine Skill. But he was at Shaolin Temple! In the future, obtaining the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic and Indestructible Diamond Divine Art clearly wouldn't be difficult. Under these circumstances, how could he possibly discard his Arhat True Qi?
Still, what caught Li Su's eye was the final line: "Possession attribute."
The Arhat Divine Art didn't have that.
Neither did Arhat Fist, Formless Calamity Finger, or Shaolin Cotton Palm.
Was that why, once someone learned a supreme technique, no one else could learn it?
But after thinking it over carefully, Li Su realized that although the Nine Yang Divine Skill was recorded in his World Book, its contents weren't in his head at all. He didn't even know the first character of its name.
In other words, if he wanted to learn it, he would still have to practice it himself...
The World Book had probably appeared out of nowhere because he had obtained the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
Li Su thought for a moment, opened the Lanka Sutra, and began to read. Before long, he found the contents of the Nine Yang Divine Skill.
There was no doubt it had been written in Chinese. Jueyuan could be explained, but Zhang Wuji definitely didn't know Sanskrit. It would be too absurd to claim Bodhidharma had written it. In other words, it had been created by some master from long ago.
The manual itself wasn't long, unlike the two volumes of the Nine Yin Manual, which Huang Shang had written after reading thousands of volumes in the imperial library.
The Lanka Sutra didn't contain much. It began with the circulation of the Greater Celestial Circuit. Although it was a martial art of supremely hard yang energy, it contained more Daoist principles than Buddhist teachings.
Seeing this, Li Su immediately understood why the technique had probably not been valued before the time of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre.
A Buddhist monk practicing a Daoist martial art? What kind of thing was that?
Besides, was Shaolin Temple's martial arts weak? What had been the result when Zhang Wuji fought the three divine monks? Perhaps someone would say that losing in a three-on-one fight wasn't surprising, but how many Zhang Wujis were there in the martial world? And how many sects could produce someone capable of defeating Zhang Wuji?