Meanwhile, a few miles beyond Mount Song, in a small town.
The group from Putian Shaolin Temple had arrived at Mount Song three days earlier. Unexpectedly, they had not gone straight up the mountain but had instead settled in this little town. At first, it seemed they intended to rest for a day and regain their strength.
Who could have guessed they would stay for a full three days?
The White-Clad Buddhist entered his master's meditation room and said, "Master, they're here!"
"They've arrived?"
"Yes!"
"Chengkong, do you resent me?"
"I don't."
"Is that so? I understand now."
The monk Kuxin drew a quiet breath and fell silent for a moment.
"Gather everyone. We're going up the mountain."
"Yes!"
*********
Songshan Shaolin Temple.
"Take a look at this."
After reading the message his disciple had brought back, the monk Tianjian handed it to Tianwen and the others.
When he finished reading, Tianwen furrowed his brow. "They clearly arrived at Mount Song, yet stayed in town for three whole days. Now they've set out again. What exactly is this monk Kuxin planning?"
After more than ten days, they had naturally learned the identities of the visitors from Putian.
The abbot of Bodhi Hall at Putian Shaolin Temple: the monk Kuxin.
The monk Tianxing said, "I've heard stories about this monk Kuxin. He's devoted to the Buddha and hasn't fought anyone in over thirty years. You could say he's a true Buddhist practitioner."
For a moment, everyone in the hall furrowed their brows.
A man who shouldn't have appeared, leading a group that shouldn't have come—the whole thing grew more and more strange.
"Let's wait. They're already at the foot of the mountain. Whatever they have in mind, they're bound to come."
Silence fell over the Mahavira Hall. Everyone closed their eyes and waited quietly.
********
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Seeing the anticipation in Xuanci's eyes, Li Su finally nodded and agreed to his request for a match.
More than ten days had passed. The only two he hadn't fought yet were Xuanci and Xuancheng.
A broad grin spread across Xuanci's face. He sprang up and landed in the middle of the practice ground.
He set his hands, taking the opening stance of Dragon-Capturing Skill.
Xuannan and the others stopped as well, turning their attention to the center.
Leaving Xuancheng aside, Xuanci was undoubtedly the second strongest among them. And he wasn't just barely the runner-up. If Xuanci got serious, the others would have no chance of beating him.
Now Li Su had caught up with them. Though every match had ended in a draw, both Xuanji and Xuanbei could tell that Li Su rarely attacked and focused mostly on defense.
So in a sense, those draws were no different from defeats.
They couldn't help wondering just how strong Li Su was.
After all, among Master Tianming's disciples, the ones who drew the most attention were Xuancheng, Xuanci, and Li Su.
No—sometimes Master's performance put even Xuankong above those two. Xuanci needed no explanation, and everyone knew Xuancheng's talent spoke for itself. But what about Li Su?
Li Su walked to the center of the practice ground and drew a quiet breath.
He had already seen Arhat Fist, Vajra Palm, and Great Strength Vajra Palm.
Vajra Finger was a lethal technique, and there was no corresponding move for it, so Xuanji and Xuanku hadn't used it during their sparring matches.
That left only Xuancheng's and Xuanci's Dragon-Capturing Skill for him to face.
He took his stance, opening with Cotton Palm.
The instant their eyes met, Xuanci moved.
As expected of the strongest one beneath Xuancheng. The moment he began, Li Su felt immense pressure.
Xuanci spread his hands and unleashed two Dragon-Capturing moves at once, one after the other, lunging at Li Su.
Li Su drew a breath and cycled through the six forms of Cotton Palm, meeting him with two moves of his own.
Bang! Bang!
The moment they clashed, Li Su's heart tightened. Before he'd even completed half a move, he immediately changed his technique—binding hands, then pushing hands!
He shifted his force, refusing to meet Xuanci head-on.
Xuanci's eyes lit up. In an ordinary match, even with Xuancheng, the two sides usually met force with force. Li Su's refusal to clash head-on was an entirely fresh approach.
"Ha! This is interesting."
River-Blocking Dragon Lock!
Xuanci swept his elbows aside, circling his arms after Li Su had deflected them, then turned them back in a reverse arc and grabbed for Li Su's hands.
Hm?
Li Su's pupils contracted. In an instant, he redirected his force, using Cotton Palm's free-hand technique. Instead of his palms, he swept the backs of his hands toward Xuanci's claws!
Thud!
A muffled impact rang out as Vajra Strength from Xuanci's Dragon-Capturing Skill erupted.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Even Li Su couldn't withstand that tremendous force. He staggered backward, the backs of his hands aching fiercely.
"Hm?"
Xuanci raised his brows, surprise crossing his face. He didn't press the attack. Instead, he stopped and flexed his fingers again and again.
"Was that yielding force?"
He had intended to press his advantage, but Li Su had retreated, and a tremendous force had traveled through his fingers, leaving both hands slightly numb.
Li Su lowered his head and glanced at the backs of his hands. They were already red.
With the protection of Arhat True Qi and the force of Cotton Palm, the attack of Vajra Strength was still astonishing.
"Again!"
Grinning, Xuanci charged in once more.
Li Su drew a breath and raised his Cotton Palm, not daring to be careless for even an instant. He gave it everything he had.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
One was incomparably fierce, Dragon-Capturing Skill breaking through every defense.
The other shifted at will, Cotton Palm changing unpredictably, its movements hard to read.
After another dozen or so exchanges, Xuanci suddenly leapt backward and shouted, "I'm done! I'm done! Xuankong, what's the deal with your Cotton Palm? I've nearly finished a whole set of Dragon-Capturing Skill, but you're still coming up with new moves!"
Li Su let out a breath and slowly lowered his hands.
As expected of the future abbot of Shaolin Temple, his talent for martial arts was extraordinary. If the events of the Tianlong era hadn't unfolded, he would certainly have been a top-tier master.
He took out a charcoal pencil and was about to write.
But just then, a voice like thunder exploded overhead!!!
********
At the foot of Mount Song, Master Kuxin stood before the gates of Songshan Shaolin Temple with his group. Unexpectedly, he did not ask anyone to announce their arrival. Instead, he brought his palms together, and a surge of potent Shaoyang Virgin Qi burst forth.
"I am Kuxin, abbot of Bodhi Hall at Putian Shaolin Temple. I have come to challenge the mountain!!!"
His voice boomed like thunder, shaking the four directions.
In an instant, the abbot Tianjian and the others in the Mahavira Hall, as well as Xuancheng and the rest, all turned pale.
"Challenge the mountain" was no friendly greeting. It was a provocation—a declaration of war.
"Putian Shaolin Temple? How can that be?"
Confusion spread across Xuanci's and the others' faces.
"Amitabha Buddha!" The abbot Tianjian brought his palms together. Anger rose on the faces of Tianwen, Tianxing, and even Tianming.
"Master Kuxin, what exactly are you trying to do???"