Chapter 54

"What?" Even with Xuanbei's composure, he was now shocked into silence, his face full of disbelief.

Clang!

He had intended to return the precept knife to the weapon rack and comfort Mengqi properly, but his hand trembled, and the precept knife hit the weapon rack and fell to the ground, failing to lodge as intended. This was absolutely abnormal for an outer-scene expert!

Mengqi fully activated the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover technique, his skin faintly showing a dark golden hue, and repeated his words: "Master, I have mastered the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover."

"What happened to you?" Xuanbei regained his composure but could not hide his surprise and doubt.

Yesterday, his disciple had just broken through to the third level, and today he had already mastered the fourth level. This speed was like listening to a myth!

Mengqi had prepared his explanation before entering the room. He did not look up and said in a muffled voice, "Yesterday, as I watched Master practice the knife, I vaguely felt a sense of the world being like a furnace, severing my purity."

"When I practiced the fourth level technique today, cold and heat attacked me simultaneously, and there were noisy birds chirping nearby. The triple torment was extremely painful, almost unbearable. At that moment, I suddenly recalled this feeling and gained insight. The world is like a furnace, the universe is like a furnace. The current torment is precisely the fire of the furnace, forging my body, defiling my soul, and destroying my purity."

"Later, I somehow mastered the fourth level."

All the feelings and insights Mengqi described were true, except for the source of the knife intent, which was nine parts true and one part false, making it hard to doubt.

But he knew his master was an outer-scene expert, and it was difficult to hide changes in his body and expression. Therefore, he controlled his heartbeat, kept his head down, and did not let his master see his expression.

After listening to Mengqi's explanation, Xuanbei's surprise and doubt diminished. These insights, if not genuine, would be hard to describe perfectly and would certainly have flaws.

He pondered for a moment and smiled with a sense of satisfaction, "You seem to have a special connection with this knife technique. You grasped its essence and gained insight just by watching once."

Grasping the essence is not difficult; after observing a technique for some time, as long as one is not dull, one will have some sense. The hard part is understanding the true meaning and grasping the essence of the technique.

"Thanks to Master's demonstration of the technique." Mengqi seized the opportunity to shift the focus to his master's practice of the "Ananda Breaking Precepts Knife Technique."

Xuanbei frowned slightly and said solemnly, "Do not spread this matter. You are still in the启蒙 stage, and according to the rules, you are not allowed to observe me practicing another advanced technique, even with my permission."

"Although you only grasped the essence and did not learn the changes and true meaning of the technique, the Discipline Hall may not believe that you merely observed once unintentionally."

Normally, one would need to observe many times intentionally to have the foundation for such an insight.

"I understand, Master." Mengqi was in the stage of carefully concealing and looking for opportunities to leave, so he did not want to deal with the strict discipline monks, "But when I mastered the fourth level today, Uncle Xuan Ku and Senior Zhen Chang saw me..."

Xuanbei nodded kindly, "No problem. There are precedents for mastering the first four levels of the Golden Bell Cover in less than three months, all by monks with a solid foundation. As long as Uncle Xuan Ku and Senior Zhen Chang do not know you only mastered the third level yesterday, they will at most praise you for being suitable for the Golden Bell Cover."

"I am relieved." Mengqi let out a long sigh, a genuine reflection of his true emotions.

"Go and meditate to consolidate your gains." Xuanbei said with a gentle smile.

In the meditation room, Zhenhui, who was in the resting phase, asked curiously, "Brother, why are you so early today?"

"Hehe, I have mastered the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover." In front of his familiar junior brother, Mengqi did not pretend and said with a sense of pride, almost in shock, almost in disbelief!

Zhenhui said "Oh" as if it was a normal thing, smiling, "Brother, you always wanted to practice techniques like the Finger of Plucking Flowers and the Formless Seizing Finger. Now it seems the Golden Bell Cover is the most suitable for you."

This guy has no common sense! And isn't he saying I don't want it verbally but my body is very honest? Mengqi secretly cursed Zhenhui, "Maybe I will master other advanced techniques even faster?"

"I don't know." Zhenhui answered honestly, showing no awareness of flattery.

Mengqi coughed, "Of course, mastering the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover in one day, I am truly unprecedented and unmatched."

"Brother, you are so amazing!" Such a description was like a martial arts legend, and Zhenhui became excited immediately.

Mengqi sighed and covered his face. This guy really needs to be told in an exceptionally clear way to understand, and there's no point in expecting any subtlety.

...

More than half a year later, it was late autumn again, with leaves falling and the air crisp and clear.

On a night with a gentle moon, Mengqi and Zhenhui walked around the temple with lanterns in hand. They were on patrol tonight and were assigned a relatively remote route.

"Such a life is truly wonderful!" Mengqi took a deep breath of the cool air and sighed contentedly.

No reincarnation mission for ten months was truly a pleasant surprise!

Since mastering the fourth level of the Golden Bell Cover, Mengqi resumed his morning and evening prayers and returned to the Sutra Hall for studies. However, every afternoon, he still went to the relic tower to practice "Zen meditation and qi accumulation" in the harsh environment. Since accumulating true qi and refining acupoints is a gradual process, his progress slowed down.

However, with the reasonable use of "Lingzhi Qi Supplement Pills" and the pills provided by Xuanbei, he managed to accumulate qi to a great extent and refined six acupoints related to the eye in seven months. Therefore, he hoped the next reincarnation mission would be delayed by two months, so he could complete the refinement of nine acupoints and only need the Heavenly Wisdom Pill or arduous training to open the acupoints.

Of course, if the reincarnation mission started now, Mengqi would not be discouraged or afraid. Compared to ten months ago, his strength had improved dramatically, as if he had become a different person.

Zhenhui, who was beside him, had long gotten used to his brother's occasional strange behavior and was not surprised by his praise. Instead, he echoed, "Yes, such a life is truly wonderful, with plenty to eat, sleep, and practice."

His slightly childish face smiled genuinely.

In these ten months, although his Finger of Plucking Flowers had not yet reached the "great qi accumulation" stage, his progress was significant, making Xuanbei both surprised and delighted, thinking he might break through in another half year.

Moreover, during his growth phase, with no lack of food, sleep, and exercise, he had grown a head taller, his features more mature and handsome.

Putting eating and sleeping first, are you a pig? Mengqi glanced at Zhenhui.

After ten months, he had also grown significantly, no longer looking like a child. He had a more youthful appearance, with a bit of fine fuzz on his upper lip. His appearance had not developed poorly, and when sitting quietly, he looked refined and handsome. The only thing Mengqi was not entirely satisfied with was that his eyes were slightly elongated, giving him a more delicate and less masculine look.

As they walked, Zhenhui suddenly said, "Brother, I think Senior Zhenyong is acting strange."

"What's wrong?" Mengqi asked in confusion.

The surrounding trees stood like monsters in the darkness.

Zhenhui complained, "Senior Zhenyong often takes me out and tells me stories, but his stories are not interesting. He always asks about my progress with the Finger of Plucking Flowers, saying he is very interested in this hardest-to-learn advanced technique."

Hearing the first part, Mengqi thought Zhenhui was overthinking, but when Zhenhui finished, his expression became serious, "He asks you about the Finger of Plucking Flowers? In detail?"

"In detail, always asking what obstacles I face when accumulating qi, what routes I take, and why I progress so quickly..." Zhenhui chattered, not realizing the severity of the matter, just confiding in his trusted brother.

Master said not to tell outsiders, but Senior Zhenyong keeps asking, which is really annoying, and it often distracts me from practice!

Mengqi suspected Zhenyong was trying to steal the "Finger of Plucking Flowers." As a monk in the Martial Monks Hall who had not yet made a name for himself, having such thoughts was normal, but why would he target the hardest-to-learn "Finger of Plucking Flowers"?

Moreover, now that he thought back, some details of his interactions with Zhenyong seemed a bit strange.

"Did you tell him the method of the Finger of Plucking Flowers?" Mengqi had to confirm this first.

Zhenhui shook his head, "Master told me not to."

"Good, we will report this to Master tomorrow morning." Mengqi did not want to investigate himself, as he might uncover enemies he could not handle, leading to trouble. At that time, he might be accused of making false accusations. Therefore, reporting to Master, who was an elder, was the best choice.

Zhenhui did not doubt his brother's suggestion and nodded happily. At that moment, he turned his gaze and pointed to a few trees nearby, "Senior Zhenyong once went behind those trees."

"What? How do you know?" Mengqi was both surprised and suspicious.

Zhenhui answered honestly, "After we separated, I suddenly remembered a part of the story that wasn't clear, so I turned around to catch up with Senior Zhenyong and saw him go behind the trees."

"Then what?" Mengqi's lips twitched.

Zhenhui answered without any awareness, "I was afraid Senior Zhenyong was relieving himself, so I waited for a while. When he didn't come out and it was time to practice, I went back."

Mengqi nodded slightly. Since they were nearby, his curiosity arose, and he held the lantern and approached the trees to look inside.

There were many trees inside, layer upon layer, blocking the view and making it hard to see clearly.

Mengqi listened for a while, hearing no movement, and then carefully entered the space between the trees, leaving no traces.

Zhenhui, excited, followed his brother's actions and movements.

After walking about ten steps, Mengqi's eyes brightened, and the trees no longer blocked his view.

This was a protruding cliff, with heavy clouds below, making it impossible to see the bottom—Shaolin Temple was built on a mountain, and many places were cliffs rather than walls.

"Cliff..." Mengqi looked around in confusion, not understanding why Zhenyong would come here.

Just as he looked around, Mengqi suddenly froze, his heart racing. He listened carefully and then pulled Zhenhui, extinguished the lantern, and hid behind a tree.

Light footsteps sounded, and a figure in a gray monk's robe sneaked in furtively.

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