Only now did Zen Master Mingyue realize that Xingchen had referred to himself as "this old man." His eyes narrowed further with delight as he hurriedly said, "If Martial Uncle is unwilling, then please sit above while this disciple presides over the Buddhist sect! Either way, it will bring us glory!"
"What glory?" Xingchen snapped irritably. "This old man has never heard of a challenge among Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism being held on a platform built from a few wooden pillars. Such a platform is fine for ordinary people to spar on, but the moment cultivators step onto it, it will collapse! Not to mention anything else—one flying sword from a Confucian cultivator, one Buddhist seal from one of our disciples, and wouldn't your flimsy wooden boards be finished?"
"This disciple knows!" Zen Master Mingyue said with some embarrassment, forcing a smile. "But Little Gold Temple has only around thirty people. Where would we find the financial and material resources to make it perfect? This platform is only for unranked disciples to play around on. When Martial Uncle exchanges pointers with the scholars of Changsheng Academy, naturally you will fly through the sky for the common folk to admire. Why would you need this platform?"
"Even so, this concerns the face of our Buddhist sect and cannot be taken lightly! Xingkong, Xingmin, Xingfan, you three go reinforce that platform with Buddhist light, lest some mishap give others a laugh at our expense!"
"Yes, this disciple understands!" At the order, the three Buddhist disciples who had been standing with lowered eyes and silent voices answered. They rose to their feet.
"Martial Uncle, this way..." Mingfa glanced at Zen Master Mingyue and hurriedly spoke.
"Let us go out together," Xingchen said with a wave of his hand. "Dawn is almost here. There