Chapter 49

Under the bright moon and sparse stars, a cold wind pierced to the bone as Meng Qi and Zhenhui walked back to the martial monk hall.

"Little Junior Brother, thank you for pleading with Master to take me as a disciple," Meng Qi said after a moment of silence.

Although this was not what he truly wanted, the sentiment from Little Junior Brother still deserved gratitude.

Zhenhui walked with a light step, looking very happy and said carelessly, "It has nothing to do with me; Master has long wanted to take Senior Brother as a disciple."

"Ah? How do you know?" Meng Qi asked in surprise.

Zhenhui turned his head and gave him a strange look, "The two secret manuals were copied long ago."

Right! Why didn't I think of that! Meng Qi suddenly realized, looking Zhenhui up and down. Could this guy be wise in a simple way?

Zhenhui, feeling a bit uneasy under the gaze, shrank his neck and said, "Senior Brother, I didn't steal your food."

Huh? Meng Qi squinted his eyes. I thought I wasn't eating enough these few days when I was facing the wall! I thought that was just the punishment!

When facing the wall, meals were delivered to the room three times a day.

After Zhenhui took a few steps back, Meng Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it, you are at a crucial time for opening your dantian and need plenty of food."

"Okay!" Zhenhui nodded without any hesitation.

As they spoke, the two returned to the martial monk hall. Just as they entered the meditation room, Zhenyong came over, having heard the door open.

"Junior Brothers Zhending and Zhenhui, you are truly blessed by Buddha to be chosen as disciples by Uncle Xuanbei," he said with a congratulatory tone, though slightly envious.

Meng Qi smiled, "I didn't expect it either; I thought the reward would be one of the seventy-two ultimate techniques."

"Ah, I was scared at the time, otherwise... Ah, ah..." Zhenyong sighed deeply, deeply regretting his choice to avoid trouble.

After the incident at the back mountain, Meng Qi no longer got along as well with him, but he still comforted him, "I chose because of the reward, and Junior Brother Zhenhui was chosen for his good performance in both the martial monk hall and the service hall. Senior Brother Zhenyong, you also have a chance."

"Hope so, Amitabha, hope all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas open their eyes." Zhenyong sighed, putting away his envious and jealous expression, and said enthusiastically, "By joining Uncle Xuanbei, you can learn the seventy-two ultimate techniques. What did you two choose?"

"I chose the Golden Bell Cover, and Junior Brother Zhenhui chose the Finger of the Flower." There was no need to hide this, Meng Qi said while tidying up his clothes.

Zhenyong was taken aback, "Finger of the Flower, Junior Brother Zhenhui, you actually chose the Finger of the Flower?"

His tone was a bit strange. Meng Qi looked up, "Senior Brother Zhenyong, is there a problem?"

Zhenyong shook his head and smiled, "No, no, just thinking that the Finger of the Flower is difficult to cultivate and cannot be distracted by other ultimate techniques, I'm a bit worried for Junior Brother Zhenhui, but Junior Brother Zhenhui is usually very focused, so there's no need to worry."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhenhui and said enviously, "Junior Brother Zhenhui, the Finger of the Flower is directly derived from the 'Buddha's Palm,' the first of the seventy-two ultimate techniques of Shaolin. You must cultivate well and guide me in martial arts in the future."

"Okay." Zhenhui focused on tidying up his clothes.

Zhenyong, knowing his personality, was not offended and turned to Meng Qi, "Junior Brother Zhending, you have a foundation in the Iron Shirt technique, the 'Golden Bell Cover' is an excellent choice, but why didn't you choose the 'Indestructible Body of the Buddha'? It is superior and does not conflict."

Meng Qi, of course, would not repeat Xuanbei's words to belittle himself, and smiled, "My Master chose for me, I don't know why."

"Ah, Uncle Xuanbei is a great master, there must be a deep meaning," Zhenyong nodded and smiled again, "Junior Brothers, take care of me in the future."

"Definitely." Meng Qi did not want to dwell on this topic and looked out the window, "Senior Brother Zhenyong, did anything significant happen while I was facing the wall?"

Zhenyong thought for a moment, "The significant thing related to us is that the senior uncles and aunts came to choose disciples, which you don't need to worry about. Oh, and another significant thing, Senior Brother Zhenchang passed through the Bronze Man Alley and went down the mountain to travel."

"Senior Brother Zhenchang? Bronze Man Alley?" Meng Qi immediately thought of a tall and thin young monk. He was one of the three strongest of the 'Zhen' generation, Zhenchang, who also served as a teacher in the martial monk hall, but for the monks practicing the 'Luohan Great Formation.'

The first time Meng Qi met him, he only thought this guy should play Tang僧, with his rosy lips and white teeth, tall and thin figure, and weak appearance, which would be the type female demons like. However, after hearing Zhenyong's introduction, he learned that Zhenchang was the best in martial arts among the 'Zhen' generation.

Zhenyong nodded heavily, "Yes, after a period of seclusion, Senior Brother Zhenchang opened his ear acupoint, and the 'Luohan Subduing Demon Power' and 'Prajna Palm' reached a small level of accomplishment. Then he directly passed through the Bronze Man Alley, becoming the youngest traveling disciple."

"Opening just the ear acupoint can pass through the Bronze Man Alley?" Meng Qi remembered Jiang Zhewei mentioning that even with her four acupoints opened, she did not have a 60% chance of passing through the Bronze Man Alley. Zhenchang, who just opened his ear acupoint, could pass through? Could he be stronger than Jiang Zhewei? That doesn't seem right, as Jiang Zhewei dominated the martial arts competition without using 'Sword Without Self' and later improved in the cycle space.

Zhenyong looked out the window and lowered his voice, "I heard that Senior Brother Zhenchang's passage through the Bronze Man Alley was very risky, almost failing, and he relied on a bit of luck to pass."

"Is that so." Meng Qi said thoughtfully.

Zhenyong continued, "Moreover, Senior Brother Zhenchang is the first monk of our 'Zhen' generation to enter the acupoint opening stage. He could already open his ear acupoint, and his strength far exceeded Senior Brothers Zhenben and Zhenshao. He delayed his seclusion for the martial arts competition, but was defeated by Jiang Zhewei of the Sword Pavilion. Now, making a breakthrough and passing through the Bronze Man Alley is reasonable."

According to Shaolin rules, Zhenchang, the first to enter the acupoint opening stage, is considered the 'eldest senior brother' of the 'Zhen' generation.

Meng Qi pretended to be curious and asked in detail about the Bronze Man Alley, then left the meditation room with his luggage, satisfied.

With Zhenyong's repeated farewells, Meng Qi and Zhenhui slowly walked to the gate of the hall. Looking back, many meditation rooms still had candles burning, and many monks were watching them. Icicles hung from the eaves, shimmering in the moonlight, crystal clear and cold.

...

"Master, where are you taking me?" The next morning after the early service, Meng Qi was led by Xuanbei to the back mountain.

Could there be a special training place in some cave on the back mountain?

Xuanbei's robe fluttered in the wind as he looked ahead and said, "I have already asked Brother Xuanyin for leave. You don't need to go to the scripture hall for a while. Focus on cultivating the 'Golden Bell Cover' and quickly build a solid foundation. I will help you catch up on your reading."

"Yes, Master." Meng Qi looked at the increasingly familiar scenery and asked, "Are we going to cultivate the 'Golden Bell Cover' on the back mountain?"

"Not long ago," he was here, facing dangers, dealing with Tang Shun, the 'Palm of the Universe,' and obtaining the true meaning of the 'Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Technique' in a secret passage.

Xuanbei nodded gently, "Yes, you will know when we arrive. Did you read the 'Golden Bell Cover' manual thoroughly last night?"

"I have read it three times and started practicing," Meng Qi answered honestly.

He did not waste any time, practicing the first level of the Golden Bell Cover, recondensing his dantian.

Xuanbei did not speak further, walking silently. Meng Qi followed closely, passing through a narrow path between two cliffs, truly entering the back mountain for the first time.

The mountains were layered, with occasional peaks jutting out, but as far as the eye could see, there was no grass, the soil was red, as if irrigated with blood.

"Legend has it that before the Nirvana of Patriarch Bodhidharma, he fought a great demon here. His derived Pure Land was destroyed, and various barriers shattered, forming the current appearance." Sensing Meng Qi's puzzled gaze, Xuanbei slowly spoke, "Subsequent generations of holy monks have hidden relics in the relic towers here, using Buddhist law to transform this demonic land, allowing disciples below the outer realm to walk here."

Stepping on the "blood soil," Meng Qi felt a chill rise from his feet, as if surrounded by a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with dismembered bodies, decaying corpses, and evil ghosts and demons appearing before his eyes.

"Amitabha." A solemn Buddhist chant sounded, and the various illusions disappeared, leaving a sunny day with no greenery.

"Disciples coming to the back mountain for the first time often experience similar illusions. Calm your mind, and it will be fine," Xuanbei said kindly.

Meng Qi nodded, feeling both surprised and doubtful. This was similar to the feeling he had when touching the stone door inscribed with "Righteousness and Benevolence, Do Not Enter," but not as vivid or terrifying, and did not make him break out in a cold sweat.

Is there a connection?

After passing several peaks and checkpoints guarded by yellow-robed monks and elders, Xuanbei led Meng Qi to the highest peak of the back mountain. As they walked, Meng Qi gradually saw patches of green, with clear springs flowing down, forming pools, and strange golden lotuses blooming even in winter.

Walking through the mountains, Meng Qi felt his mind and body become pure, forgetting his worries.

After passing several more checkpoints, Meng Qi saw a colorful glass Buddha tower, divided into seven layers but not very tall.

"Amitabha." An elder in a robe chanted, inspected Xuanbei's token, and let them enter without asking more.

"The upper seven layers of the Buddha tower house relics, while the lower seven layers are for suppressing demons and monsters," Xuanbei said calmly, pushing open the stone door carved with swastikas.

As the stone door opened, a strong and peculiar smell rushed out, making Meng Qi's body tremble, his qi circulation difficult, and his whole body uncomfortable.

"This is demonic qi," Xuanbei explained as a teacher.

Meng Qi endured the discomfort, controlled his trembling, and followed Xuanbei steadily.

Xuanbei nodded slightly, and after turning a few corners, stopped beside a cell where a giant bird with fiery red feathers lay.

Just standing by the cell, Meng Qi felt as if he was being burned alive. Looking inside, the air seemed to distort, as if the entire space was shaking, while the cell in front emitted a cold aura, with a layer of light blue ice on the ground.

"This is a Fire Swan, with the bloodline of an ancient true phoenix. You will cultivate the first level of the Golden Bell Cover here, using its scattered qi," Xuanbei instructed Meng Qi to practice outside the cell.

Meng Qi gritted his teeth, pulled his robe to his waist, and sat cross-legged in front of the golden iron bars, bare-chested, feeling the heat, and began to practice the first level of the Golden Bell Cover.

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