Shaolin of Buddhism, Shangqing of Daoism

The moment the four characters "White-Clad Buddhist" appeared, Xuancheng and the others furrowed their brows, a cold glint flashing in their eyes.

The visit to Putian had ended with the Shaolin Temple emerging victorious.

Yet, Xuancheng and his companions had never truly accepted that outcome.

Eight of them had attacked together, yet they hadn't even been able to force the opponent to reveal his full strength. For men who considered their own talents to be exceptional, this was undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow.

Xuancheng, in particular, had never known defeat since he began his martial journey; he had suffered for a long time after that encounter.

"Eh?"

However, as their gazes met, Xuanci was the first to look dazed. "You, why do you have long hair? Can a monk grow hair?"

The White-Clad Buddhist, who had been wearing a faint smile and preparing to speak, felt his mouth twitch uncontrollably. After taking a deep breath, he gave a wry smile. "Little Master Xuanci, ever since the battle at Shaolin Temple, I have already left Putian."

"I know."

Xuanci asked, confused, "You left Putian. But what does that have to do with you growing hair? You are a monk!"

The White-Clad Buddhist froze, standing there in a daze. After a long while, he murmured, "Is that so? Is that really the case?"

So, the reason Master told me to return to secular life was because he had already seen that I did not possess a heart devoted to the Buddha. Looking back on these past two years, although I sometimes missed the days as a monk, I felt more unrestrained and free. In truth, when I was in the temple, I preferred practicing martial arts over chanting sutras; that period of traveling after leaving the mountain was undoubtedly the happiest time of my life.

Having grasped the crux of the matter, the White-Clad Buddhist shook his head, mocking himself for the regret he had felt from the bottom of his heart over the past two years. Recalling the intense emotions that had surged within him upon seeing Xuanci and the others, he found it truly laughable now.

If one is not a Buddha at heart, why force oneself to play the part?

"After leaving Songshan, I returned to secular life."

Xuanci stood stunned, a giant question mark appearing over his head. Returned to secular life? He understood that term—it meant no longer being a monk.

But wait, what did leaving Songshan have to do with returning to secular life?

"Heh, Brother Li, are these the brilliant and talented disciples of the Songshan Shaolin Temple's Xuan generation that you keep talking about?"

Another voice rang out. A young man, also dressed in white robes, elegant and refined, descended from the second floor. With sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, he possessed an extraordinary aura, his expression carrying a hint of imperceptible arrogance.

He was equally dashing, yet in a way entirely different from the White-Clad Buddhist.

Beside the young man were two women.

One was dressed in green, as fresh as a lotus rising from the water. A pure white jade pendant hung at her waist, and she held a Han sword in her hand.

The other was younger, looking cute and naive with her hair tied in buns. Her eyes were exceptionally large, making her appear clever and eccentric.

"The Shaolin Dragon Capturing Skill—I have always heard Master speak of it, but this is my first time seeing it in person!"

"Na na, Brother Murong, the finger techniques of Shaolin Temple and the Gusu Clan are both world-renowned, ranking in the top three. I wonder which one is stronger?"

The young man called Murong smiled slightly. "Miss Yulong, the martial arts of Shaolin Temple are profound and vast, the pinnacle of Buddhism; it is hard for the martial arts world to find their equal. The Murong family's finger techniques are merely a hollow reputation in the jianghu. Even the Taiyin Profound Finger used by Miss Yulong is something Murong could never hope to match."

Taiyin Profound Finger.

Li Su raised an eyebrow. This was undoubtedly a finger technique he had never heard of during the era of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, though the monk Tianming had introduced it when they arrived. It was a unique martial art of the Shangqing Sect, notoriously difficult to master. Once achieved, its power was immense, not inferior to the Six Meridians Divine Sword, the Formless Calamity Finger, or the Canhe Finger.

And why introduce the Shangqing Sect? It was simple.

Among the orthodox schools of the world, Shaolin led the way for Buddhism, while the Shangqing Sect led the way for Taoism.

"Is that so!"

The young girl smiled, her eyes darting around before she said, "I wonder which of you little monks knows the Formless Calamity Finger? Brother Li has always talked about it, but I don't know the other person's name."

As these words fell, Xuancheng and the others couldn't help but shift their gazes toward Li Su.

"It's you!"

The young girl's eyes lit up. She hopped and skipped toward Li Su, stopping only a centimeter away to stare him in the face.

Li Su's mouth twitched. He felt as if he had been struck by lightning and immediately took two steps back.

Damn it. I was standing in the corner, not saying a word from start to finish, acting like a wooden statue, and you still found me?

Damn it all.

Xuanci, you jinx, nothing good ever happens when I'm with you.

It was like that two years ago, and it's the same now.

You're the one causing trouble and making a scene, so why am I always the one attracting the fire?

Did you not see the big, imposing Xuancheng standing right there?

If you're interested, shouldn't you go look at him first? That aura of his—he's clearly the strongest, the undisputed leader among them.

And you lot, why are you looking at me? Shouldn't you have the tacit understanding to look at no one, so the opponent can't find their target?

"Hee hee!"

The young girl stared at Li Su for a moment, then her small face blossomed like a flower. She raised a palm as white as jade.

"Little monk, take this!!!"

At the shout of "take this," Li Su's face turned green.

The opponent hadn't used her full strength, but this finger strike was extraordinary. The moment she pointed, the surrounding air grew heavy, and he felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.

Most importantly, her strike was incredibly sudden. Given her formidable strength, those around her had no time to react.

To the side, Wang Jiantong's expression changed abruptly.

Damn it, this is going to be a disaster.

The Taiyin Profound Finger—this girl had no sense of restraint.

Even if she wasn't using her full strength, so what? Advanced finger techniques possessed power far exceeding ordinary martial arts.

Why did Wang Er break into a cold sweat just from a glance at the Dragon-Capturing Skill? Because the gap between the martial arts he mastered and his opponent's was too vast to be bridged by age alone.

Although he had heard the White-Clad Buddhist mention that there was a little monk in Shaolin Temple who knew the Formless Calamity Finger, the reality of the situation remained unclear.

To strike so suddenly—even if the little monk truly knew the technique, how much experience could he possibly have? If he failed to react in time, it would be a catastrophe.

Yes, a catastrophe.

These eight little monks were clearly the future backbone of Shaolin Temple; could the temple accept it if something happened to them?

"Junior Sister Yulong, don't..."

Standing where he was, Li Su felt helpless, frustrated, and weary.

Damn it, why is it that Xuanci goes out to fight, yet I'm the one who has to clean up the mess?

Not only that, but the graceful-looking fellow standing on the stairs—Murong? Who could one think of from the Gusu Clan? Naturally, Murong Bo!

That old scoundrel who had sabotaged Xuanci his entire life and ruined his own son's life as well. A lunatic who, in order to rebel, was actually willing to surrender once he learned Xiao Feng was the Southern Court King of the Liao Kingdom. This guy had no good intentions either; he was deliberately claiming his Canhe Finger was inferior.

He drew a breath, raised his hand, and extended a finger.

Two-Finger Formless!

Compared to two years ago, Li Su's Formless Calamity Finger had naturally improved.

Thud!

The two fingers collided, exploding with a roar.

One was cold enough to chill the heart, the other scorching like fire.

These two diametrically opposed forces, like incompatible water and fire, triggered an incredibly violent turbulence.

The two currents of energy burst outward, sending immense power surging into the surroundings.

The little girl's eyes lit up. With a sidestep, she drifted back to Murong's side, completely untouched by the shockwave.

She was fast, but Li Su was faster. Just as he had done in his duel with the White-Clad Buddhist, he retreated the moment his finger energy was released, instantly pulling back to the foot of the stairs.

Clearly, the two combatants were in perfect, unspoken sync.

Wang Jiantong and the others were the ones who suffered.

They were too close, and they hadn't expected the finger energy of both parties to be so overbearing. The resulting shockwave was beyond imagination, and to make matters worse, it was simultaneously freezing and scorching.

In an instant, the entire staircase shuddered, unable to withstand the intersection of the two opposing forces, and shattered with a crash.

"Hah!"

With a low shout, Wang Jiantong didn't make many movements, but a flash of sword light swept out, shattering the incoming energy. He then retreated, landing on the main hall floor.

As for Xuancheng and the others, they silently circulated their Qi, wrapping their bodies in Vajra True Qi and Iron Cloth Shirt, and were pushed by the blast until they landed in the hall as well.

As the outcome became clear, Wang Jiantong and the other martial artists in the hall couldn't help but exclaim in their hearts.

Damn it!

Xuanci's appearance had already shocked the crowd.

The Dragon-Capturing King's strike and the previous display of the White-Clad Buddhist's Demon-Subduing Sleeve had already left most people speechless.

They had assumed Xuanci was the leader of this generation of Shaolin Temple.

Yet, someone even more ruthless had popped out.

The Mystic Maiden of Shangqing, Ming Yulong!

Having debuted only a year ago, she was renowned as a super-genius the likes of which the Shangqing sect hadn't seen in a century. At sixteen, she had already reached the upper echelons of the second-rate experts, a monstrous talent destined to enter the first-rate within thirty years.

And the result?

A monk who looked even younger than her—never mind his cultivation, that Formless Calamity Finger... hiss, just looking at it was enough to make one anxious.

Wasn't Shaolin Temple supposed to be an upright and honorable sect? How could this Formless Calamity Finger be so insidious?

One had to realize that the little monk's strike had been silent and traceless; the finger force was completely invisible, and it was only at the moment of the explosion that one realized what a terrifying heat it contained.

Upstairs, the little girl looked at Li Su, her large eyes filled with delight.

"To think you run even faster than me. Little monk, Yulong is interested in you."

Li Su pressed his palms together and took a deep breath. Amitabha, a monk is supposed to be compassionate, and this Seat does not associate with women. Can't you go find someone else?