Chapter 48

Meng Qi's face twitched. This was an inescapable fate!

Of course, dreams are dreams, and making the best of a bad situation is just that. He clearly understood that for now, he could only sprint down this "wrong path," getting further and further away. Who could blame him for entering the cycle world with virtually no means to protect himself? To survive, he had to choose this path.

Since he had chosen it, he had to discard complaints and laziness and walk it earnestly.

Moreover, walking down this path might not necessarily deviate from his "ideal"!

In recent days, Meng Qi, relying on his familiarity with most of the non-native world's divine skills listed in the "Exchange Catalog," had already planned the improvement of his main cultivation techniques.

Going all the way down the Buddhist path was not what Meng Qi wanted, so he set his sights on non-Buddhist supreme techniques that could perfectly integrate skills like the Iron Shirt and the Golden Bell Cover.

Hehe, it doesn't matter that Senior Brother Qi redeemed the "Heavenly Treasure Mirror" first; my true goal is the "Eight-Nine Mystic Skill"!

Seeing Meng Qi's expression change repeatedly, Xuan Bei smiled and shook his head. "You are not like Zhen Hui. His mind is single-minded, steady, and focused, in line with the true meaning of Buddhism. Therefore, I will let him learn the supreme technique 'Finger of the Flower.' "

Zhen Hui, standing beside, was completely unaware that his master had mentioned him. He still looked at Meng Qi with a puzzled expression. Senior Brother had once said he aspired to learn supreme techniques like the Maha Finger, the Finger of the Flower, the Formless Devastation Finger, and the Crossing the River on a Reed. No wonder he was a bit unhappy.

"And you have a restless nature. When you walk the world, you will inevitably encounter danger. Since you have the foundation of the Iron Shirt, cultivating the 'Golden Bell Cover' and the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha' is the best choice." Xuan Bei, without any of the sternness of a master, explained like a kind father, "Of these two supreme techniques, the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha,' which can achieve the 'Acala Vidyaraja Dharma Body,' is the best. However, your mind is not yet settled, and you are restless and impulsive. You have no understanding of Buddhism. If you rashly cultivate the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha' and take the path of the Acala Vidyaraja, it will be easy to be overwhelmed by anger and fall into the sea of suffering of the Asuras."

"Therefore, you should first cultivate the 'Golden Bell Cover' to temper your restless and impulsive nature. If you succeed, then you can switch to the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha' later."

Seeing that Xuan Bei was genuinely concerned for him, Meng Qi put down some of his guard and asked curiously, "Master, why not later?"

Senior Brother Qi was afraid that by the time he reached the outer realm, he would have no chance to switch to a divine skill, leading to an unstable foundation and slow progress. Therefore, he changed his main cultivation technique now.

Xuan Bei smiled and shook his head again. "It seems you haven't put much effort into Buddhism. Acala Vidyaraja, also known as the Indestructible Vajra, is the elevation of the 'Vajra Dharma Body' achieved by the 'Golden Bell Cover.' They are of the same lineage, so it won't be too late."

Meng Qi suddenly understood and said with a bit of excitement, "Master, when can I start cultivating the 'Golden Bell Cover'?"

Who knows when the next cycle mission will be. The sooner I start, the better. My Ginseng Qi Pills are already hard to bear!

"These two supreme techniques, I have already copied for you. You can start cultivating tomorrow," Xuan Bei pointed to two thick stacks of paper on the table. "However, before you 'open the acupoints,' you can only see the first four levels of the 'Golden Bell Cover.'"

In most sects, the inheritance of divine skills and supreme techniques is handled with great caution. Only when a disciple reaches the corresponding realm can they be taught the content of the next realm, to prevent rebellion or corruption.

Meng Qi nodded heavily. "Disciple will comply."

After clarifying his own matters, Meng Qi became concerned about his junior brother. "Master, what kind of Dharma Body can the 'Finger of the Flower' achieve?"

When it came to martial arts legends and anecdotes, Zhen Hui was always very interested. Since his senior brother's issue was resolved, he looked at Master Xuan Bei eagerly, waiting for his answer.

Xuan Bei, who was usually melancholic, laughed for the first time, as if looking at a child playing at his feet. "The 'Finger of the Flower' is the foremost of the seventy-two supreme techniques of Shaolin, directly derived from the third form of the 'Buddha Palm.' Bodhidharma used it to achieve the 'Kasyapa Dharma Body.'"

"It has strict requirements. The cultivator must have a single-minded mind and not be distracted by other supreme techniques. Even so, it is very difficult to master. Therefore, few monks have chosen it throughout the generations. However, I think Zhen Hui's nature is very suitable. Learning other techniques would be inappropriate. Zhen Hui, what do you think? If you oppose it, I won't force you."

Before Meng Qi could speak, Zhen Hui's eyes lit up. "Disciple is willing! Uncle Xuan Xin said that the 'Great Arhat' and the 'Great Bodhisattva' are both Dharma Bodies second only to the Buddha."

This guy is always like this! Meng Qi looked at the ceiling helplessly.

Xuan Bei smiled and shook his head. "Then you must be prepared for decades of consistent effort."

On this point, he was relatively confident about Zhen Hui.

After both of them determined their main cultivation techniques, Meng Qi felt relieved and asked curiously, "Master, many of the seventy-two supreme techniques were created by Bodhidharma. How could he master the 'Finger of the Flower,' which requires a single-minded mind?"

"Part of it was what Bodhidharma understood while observing the 'Buddha Palm,' but he did not cultivate it. After achieving the 'Kasyapa Dharma Body,' he deduced and perfected it. Another part was created after he achieved the Dharma Body, and some were mastered before he obtained the 'Buddha Palm.'" Xuan Bei explained like a master guiding his disciple.

"I see." Meng Qi realized that he, like Zhen Hui, loved to hear martial arts legends and various secrets. "But didn't Bodhidharma also cultivate the 'Sinew Metamorphosis Sutra'?"

Xuan Bei showed no impatience. "The 'Sinew Metamorphosis Sutra' is a world-renowned divine skill that can transform the mundane into the miraculous. When combined with most cultivation techniques, it can enhance their quality, and the final achievement will surpass the original limits. Moreover, it can double the cultivation speed of the technique. However, cultivating the 'Sinew Metamorphosis Sutra' alone cannot achieve any Dharma Body or palm techniques. Its characteristics allow it to be cultivated alongside the 'Finger of the Flower.'"

No wonder... Meng Qi's "no wonder" referred to the numerous "Sinew Metamorphosis Sutras" listed in the "Exchange Catalog" that did not, like other Shaolin supreme techniques, indicate that they could be elevated to corresponding techniques in his own world. It turned out they were fundamentally different.

At this moment, Zhen Hui, who had not yet reached the voice-changing period, said with a childish tone, "Master, can the 'Finger of the Flower' eventually become the 'Buddha Palm'?"

Meng Qi looked down at the ground, feeling embarrassed to stand next to this guy!

Xuan Bei showed no anger and smiled. "Any Buddhist supreme technique, once it 'sees' the true meaning of Bodhi, can be elevated to the 'Buddha Palm.'"

"Master, when Uncle Xuan Xin was telling martial arts legends, he mentioned the 'Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Dharma Body' of the Water Moon Nunnery, which belongs to the 'Great Bodhisattva Dharma Body,' second only to the Buddha and Bodhi Dharma Bodies. I have been thinking about what Shaolin has that can compare. Today, I finally resolved my doubts. By the way, are there any other supreme techniques in the temple that can directly point to the Dharma Body realm?"

Meng Qi shifted the topic, preparing to gather information for future exchanges—Xuan Bei's explanations would certainly be more detailed than those of the Master of the Six Realms.

Xuan Bei pondered for a moment and said, "If we talk about Dharma Bodies, the foremost is the third form of the 'Buddha Palm,' the 'Finger of the Flower.' Unfortunately, the nine forms of the 'Buddha Palm' are incomplete, and the main principles are scattered, so it cannot achieve the 'Buddha Dharma Body.' The 'Maha Subduing Demons Fist' I cultivate explores the cycle of life and death, directly pointing to the 'Ksitigarbha Dharma Body,' which belongs to the 'Great Bodhisattva' realm. Unfortunately, it lacks the 'Ksitigarbha Soul Crossing Sutra' to assist, so it can only reach the half-step Dharma Body realm."

The 'Ksitigarbha Soul Crossing Sutra'? Meng Qi vaguely remembered seeing it in the "Exchange Catalog," and it was not lacking!

Xuan Bei continued, "The 'Great Dream Sutra' is also like this. Without the latter part, it can only achieve the 'Sleeping Arhat Dharma Body.' If it were complete, I suspect it would be one of the highest methods of our Buddhist sect, the 'Dream Enlightenment Great Dharma,' which can achieve the 'Amitabha Dharma Body.'"

"Among the seventy-two supreme techniques, only eighteen can directly point to the Dharma Body realm, known as the 'Inner Eighteen.' The remaining fifty-four are either techniques or of a lower level. The latter can all be elevated to the corresponding techniques of the 'Inner Eighteen'... The 'Inner Eighteen' include the 'Finger of the Flower,' the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha,' the 'Golden Bell Cover,' the 'Formless Devastation Finger,' the 'Withered Wood Dharma Body'..."

After listening with great interest to his master's introduction of the 'Inner Eighteen' supreme techniques, Meng Qi thought of himself and asked casually, "Master, is the 'Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Technique' purely a saber technique?"

"Yes." Xuan Bei looked at Meng Qi with confusion. "Why do you ask about this?"

Meng Qi had already prepared a reason and said with a smile, "Master, I have always loved saber techniques. I learned a few in the past. Later, when Uncle Xuan Xin mentioned this supreme technique, I couldn't help but be curious."

In the future, he would inevitably practice saber techniques, and it would be impossible to hide it from his master, who was close to the peak of the outer realm. It was better to "confess" now.

However, when he said he had always loved saber techniques, he truly felt heartache!

He was already sprinting further and further down the wrong path!

Xuan Bei nodded lightly. "The saber intent of the 'Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Technique' conflicts with Buddhism. For the monks of this temple, it is quite difficult to practice, and the higher the cultivation, the more so. Throughout the generations, only a few have truly mastered this technique. Most of the time, it is only used temporarily during the acupoint opening period. If you are interested, after you open your acupoints and can freely enter the third and fourth floors of the scripture hall, you can borrow it yourself."

"During your regular practice of the saber technique, if you have any difficulties, you can come to me for advice. Although I am not skilled in this, in martial arts, understanding one principle can lead to understanding many others."

According to Shaolin rules, before opening the acupoints, one can only cultivate one supreme technique. After opening the acupoints, most monks, due to the need to focus on their main cultivation techniques, choose very few supreme techniques. Throughout the generations, apart from those who have reached the realm of understanding one principle leading to understanding many others, the monk who cultivated the most supreme techniques was Baihui, who mastered thirty-seven. However, due to the complexity of his studies, he ultimately failed to achieve a Dharma Body.

After sincerely thanking his master, Meng Qi pretended to be curious and asked, "Master, did you catch Zhen Guan later? Where does the secret passage lead?"

What are the similarities and differences between the secret passages of the two worlds!

"Too late, he had already descended the cliff and was taken away by hidden accomplices. If you encounter him in the future, be cautious. His physical body may have undergone a half-demon transformation." Xuan Bei did not hide this. "The secret passage leads to the base of the stupa that suppresses demons. Fortunately, it was discovered early, and a few demons have already escaped."

"I didn't expect them to secretly excavate a secret passage under the watchful eyes of the high monks." Meng Qi deliberately guided the conversation.

Xuan Bei did not suspect anything and shook his head. "Not so. They utilized an ancient secret passage."

"An ancient secret passage?" Meng Qi's heart suddenly raced.

With Xuan Bei's strength, how could he not feel the change in Meng Qi's heartbeat? He said solemnly, "It is not a place for you to have a stroke of luck. If you do not have the strength of the outer realm, do not approach it. This matter is confidential. Do not ask more. You will have the qualifications to know in the future."

Meng Qi suppressed the urge to ask more. "Master, is there anything else you need to instruct?"

Xuan Bei nodded. "Go back to the martial monk hall and pack up. Move here. Zhen Ding, I will take you to a special place to cultivate tomorrow. With your foundation in the Iron Shirt, you should be able to quickly master the first three levels of the Golden Bell Cover using this place."

Ah? What special place? Meng Qi was very curious, but Xuan Bei only smiled and said nothing, forcing him to return to the martial monk hall with Zhen Hui, somewhat reluctantly.

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