Chapter 38 of 100

Chapter 38

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Chapter 37: Night Visit to Tianlong Temple

Zhang Wuji, after learning the divine skill, still left a note saying, 'Zhang Wuji buried the scripture here,' but Duan Yu's eating manners are truly too ugly." Song Qingshu grumbled inwardly, thinking of Zhang Wuji, his mood worsened.

"I seem to remember that the fairy in the scroll was naked, demonstrating the flow of the acupoints with her body," Song Qingshu thought, and immediately a smile of understanding appeared on his face. They are all men, after all; if it were him, he would definitely keep it as a treasure and not let others see it.

Since Duan Yu had already learned the Beiming Divine Skill and the Lingbo Microstep, Song Qingshu wondered if he had also learned the Six Pulse Divine Sword. Unwilling to have come all this way for nothing, he decided to visit Tianlong Temple.

The Yi Jing Forging Bone Chapter of the Nine Yin Manual could greatly accelerate the cultivation of internal energy compared to ordinary people. Now, with the Nine Yin Manual and the Shenzhao Scripture, Song Qingshu believed his internal energy was sufficient to wield the Six Pulse Divine Sword.

The people of Dali were devout Buddhists. Upon hearing that he was going to Tianlong Temple, passersby were all eager to give directions. However, when Song Qingshu arrived at the temple, it was already dark.

"These days, martial arts sects are very protective of their treasures. The Six Pulse Divine Sword is not even taught to lay disciples, so it's unlikely they will let me borrow it," Song Qingshu thought. Since his ability to learn at a glance was useless, he had no choice but to act as a thief. He had no qualms about stealing, as he was not taking anything away; he just wanted to take a look. Is it really stealing for a scholar to do this?

He began to circle around the walls of Tianlong Temple, looking for a secluded spot. He leaped lightly and landed silently inside. He moved stealthily, exploring and searching. Passing through the Qingdu Terrace, Wutian Realm, Sanyuan Palace, Doulv Bodhisattva Hall, Yuhua Hall, and the Prajna Platform, he came to a few pine-wood houses. The feeling was vastly different from the golden splendor he had seen on the way, and Song Qingshu's heart stirred. This must be where the withered and flourishing monks meditated, as described in the book.

He carefully jumped onto the roof and gently lifted a tile. Song Qingshu's brows immediately furrowed.

Inside the room, six monks were seated on cushions, their expressions serene, their breathing deep and steady, clearly indicating their profound cultivation.

"This is a problem," Song Qingshu exhaled involuntarily. "All six monks of Tianlong are here. Even Jumu Zhi couldn't force them, so I have even less hope."

"Why don't you show yourself since you have honored us with your presence?" The monk facing the wall spoke, raising his thumb, and a scorching sword qi shot out. Song Qingshu was taken aback, channeling his energy to his feet, breaking through the roof, and landing safely inside after a few rotations.

"I apologize for my late-night visit to your temple. I hope the senior monks will forgive me," Song Qingshu said, bowing as soon as he landed.

The monks inside had already opened their eyes and were watching him warily. Withered and Flourishing Zen Master, still facing the wall, sneered, "Your words are respectful, but your actions are sneaky. What brings you here at this hour?"

Song Qingshu hesitated slightly. It seemed that quietly obtaining the scripture was no longer possible. He decided to follow Jumu Zhi's example and bluffed, "Though I am humble, I have heard that the Six Pulse Divine Sword of your temple is the best sword technique in the world. However, I once saw the Lone Sword of Feng Qingyang on Mount Hua, which is truly a marvel of nature. I find it hard to believe that there could be a sword technique more powerful than the Lone Sword. I came to your temple to see the Six Pulse Divine Sword manual and compare it with the Lone Sword in my memory, to determine which is the best sword technique in the world."

The monks inside began to discuss his words. Feng Qingyang, the Sword Saint of Mount Hua, was renowned in the martial world as the greatest swordsman. The monks had long admired the Lone Sword, and now that Song Qingshu mentioned it, many of them were eager to make a comparison.

Withered and Flourishing Zen Master, however, remained unmoved, his voice hoarse and cold, "If you want to see the Six Pulse Divine Sword, why do you need to see the manual? Though our skills are modest, we can demonstrate the basics of the Six Pulse Divine Sword. I hope you can offer some guidance."

It seems Jumu Zhi has already visited Tianlong Temple, Song Qingshu sighed inwardly, realizing he was behind the plot. The monks took their positions, surrounding him in the center. He quickly smiled bitterly, "It seems the Great Wheel Vajra King has already visited your temple, and the rumor that the Six Pulse Divine Sword manual was burned is true. Though my visit has caused some disturbance, I have committed no evil deeds. I hope the venerable monks, out of compassion, will let me leave."

The monks looked at each other, their hearts filled with suspicion. How did he know such a secret? Bencen, who was once the Emperor of Dali, was worried about his nephew Duan Yu's safety and said anxiously, "Since you know such a secret, you must be involved with Jumu Zhi. Please stay."

As he spoke, he pointed his ring finger, and a Guan Chong Sword shot out.

Song Qingshu wished he could slap himself. He had just wanted to leave, but he had to boast about the plot, and now he was in trouble.

Though annoyed, his movements were swift, dodging Bencen's sword. The monks, seeing Bencen attack, joined in, and the room was filled with sword qi, the sound of the air splitting like thunder.

Song Qingshu was forced into a desperate situation. Though the Six Pulse Divine Sword was intangible, he could still guess its trajectory from the monks' fingers.

Since light travels in a straight line, Song Qingshu noticed the angle of each monk's fingers when they used their swords, allowing him to predict where the Six Pulse Divine Sword would strike. Thus, though he was rolling on the ground in a desperate state, he managed to avoid danger, thanks to his junior high school physics teacher...

"Good kung fu!" Withered and Flourishing Zen Master, who had not moved, praised, raising his thumbs, and the Shaoshang Sword technique followed.

Withered and Flourishing Zen Master's cultivation was indeed much higher than the other five monks. Though the other five monks created a storm of sword qi, they could not injure Song Qingshu with the Nine Yin Manual's Snake Form Rolling Body technique. Withered and Flourishing, without turning around, aimed his two swords at the gaps in Song Qingshu's movements, when his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated.

Because he had to dodge the other five monks' sword qi, Song Qingshu's movement angles were sealed by Withered and Flourishing's two swords. With no choice, he risked leaping into the air.

Withered and Flourishing smiled slightly, as if he had anticipated this, and two more swords shot out. In mid-air, Song Qingshu had no place to borrow force from, and if he were hit by one of the swords, he would be seriously injured and captured.

Song Qingshu's expression was serious, but he remained calm. He stepped on his right foot with his left foot, rising several feet in the air, just in time to dodge Withered and Flourishing's two swords. Knowing that if he let them continue shooting, he would eventually be hit, he quickly launched a counterattack.

He drew a half-circle with his left hand and pushed out a palm with his right, using the "Repentant Dragon" move from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Withered and Flourishing felt a powerful wave of energy rushing towards him. Having just released his sword qi, he had not fully recovered and dared not block it directly, so he quickly moved aside. The cushion where he had been sitting was scattered by the palm wind, and he was shocked, "Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms?"

Song Qingshu used the rebound force from the palm to move several feet to the side, dodging the sword qi from the other five monks. Taking advantage of their recovery time, he used the "Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to strike from above. The monks hastily blocked with their palms, but upon contact, they suffered serious internal injuries.

Song Qingshu was relieved. Fortunately, these monks had insufficient internal energy, and after each sword strike, they needed a few seconds to recover. Though they could cover each other with the sword formation, from his vantage point above, his palm power was more than twice as strong. Thus, he managed to seriously injure five of them, though he was also feeling the effects of the battle and quickly focused on recovering his energy.

"Stop!" Withered and Flourishing Zen Master finally turned around, his face as described in the book, half as smooth as a baby's and half withered and gaunt. "What a powerful Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. Are you Northern Qiaofeng?"

"I have long admired the grace of Southern Xiao, the King of the Southern Court. My meager skills are far from his." Song Qingshu spoke the truth. The same "Repentant Dragon" move, if used by Xiao Feng, would be much faster and more powerful under his self-created Dragon Wave technique, leaving Withered and Flourishing no choice but to block it directly. In that situation, the "Dragon in the Sky" move would have shattered the monks' hand bones, not just causing serious internal injuries.

"You are right. The way you leaped several feet in the air must be the Wu Dang skill, 'Cloud Ascending Ladder.' The way you moved on the ground seems to be the 'Snake Form Rolling Body' technique from the Nine Yin Manual," Withered and Flourishing said solemnly, clasping his hands together. "You are young but possess so many extraordinary skills, which is truly rare."

"Master is indeed well-informed," Song Qingshu said admiringly. "My visit was not malicious; I only wanted to see the Six Pulse Divine Sword of Dali." In his heart, he sneered. If they had not seen his strength, he would have been captured and humiliated by now. No matter how much they talked, in this world, strength was the ultimate rule.

"Since you have achieved your goal, please leave," Withered and Flourishing Zen Master said, his face expressionless, as if dismissing a guest.

"Master, you already know I possess the Nine Yin Manual. I believe you have heard of its legend. To be frank, the Nine Yin Manual is perhaps even more esteemed in the martial world than your Six Pulse Divine Sword. If you are willing, I am prepared to exchange the Nine Yin Manual for a glimpse of the Six Pulse Divine Sword manual. Rest assured, I will not take it; I only wish to see it to fulfill my long-held desire." Song Qingshu's voice was full of temptation. What set him apart from other martial artists was that he did not have a narrow-minded attitude of keeping treasures to himself. Besides, the Nine Yin Manual was not his, so he did not feel any pain in exchanging it.

The monks looked at each other, seeing the temptation in each other's eyes. The Nine Yin Manual, along with the Shaolin Manual's Yi Jin Jing, the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and the Blackwood Cliff's Huahua Baojian, were known as the four great divine skills of the martial world. In the past, the Five Greats of Central Plains had disregarded their status and even competed at the Huashan Sword Summit for the Nine Yin Manual.

"Since you have achieved your goal, please leave," Withered and Flourishing Zen Master said, his face expressionless, as if dismissing a guest.