Chapter 53

Dali is a great place!

Especially in the world of Jin Yong's martial arts, it was a holy land of the江湖 (jianghu) during the Song Dynasty!

The Dali Duan family! The Tianlong Temple!

No matter which name, they were all powerful forces well-known in the jianghu!

Regardless of whether the world of "Deer and Cauldron" and the world of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" are connected, Lin Sha couldn't help but want to pay homage to the great predecessors.

After a good rest at the inn for the night, he left early the next morning and inquired about the clues to the ruins of Tianlong Temple.

Unexpectedly, what he thought would be a troublesome task turned out to be very smooth.

The people of Dali were clearly very familiar with the ruins of Tianlong Temple, the former imperial temple. As soon as Lin Sha started asking, the old Bai man he inquired from enthusiastically pointed out the way for him.

Before coming, Lin Sha had done a lot of research and was not unfamiliar with Tianlong Temple.

Tianlong Temple, also known as Chongsheng Temple, was the imperial temple of the Dali Kingdom during the Southern Song Dynasty. Dali revered Buddhism, and many emperors retired to become monks at Tianlong Temple.

Chongsheng Temple was founded during the Tang Kaiyuan period (713-741 AD). According to historical records, it had a base area of seven li, 890 rooms, 11,400 Buddha statues, and used 45,550 hu of copper. It had a grand scale with "three pavilions, seven towers, nine halls, and a hundred rooms," and was the "imperial temple" and Buddhist center of the "Nanzhao Kingdom" during the Tang Dynasty and the "Dali Kingdom" during the Song Dynasty, earning the美誉 (meiyu) of "Buddhist Capital." These descriptions match those in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber."

In "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," Tianlong Temple played a pivotal role in Dali, almost serving as a guarantor of the stability of the Duan family's regime. When Prince Yanqing was being pursued, his first thought was to seek justice from the Great Master Krongrong of Tianlong Temple, which shows the temple's importance. The Six Pulse Divine Sword of Tianlong could also be considered the temple's signature martial arts.

The "Tianlong Temple" described in the novel is grand and solemn, known as the "Imperial Temple" and "Buddhist Capital." When the temple is first mentioned in the book, it is noted that "Tianlong Temple is located north of the Zhongyue Peak of Cangshan Mountain outside Dali City. Its official name is Chongsheng Temple, but the people of Dali are accustomed to calling it Tianlong Temple."

Cangshan Mountain?

After learning the location of the Tianlong Temple ruins, Lin Sha was drawn to the name of one of the mountains.

The headquarters of the Cangshan Sect was in Dali, and he had originally intended to visit. Now, hearing that the ruins of Tianlong Temple were also on Cangshan Mountain, could there be some connection?

If there was a connection, the story would be quite complex!

He remembered that in the "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" TV series, one of the four disciples of the Southern Emperor, the "Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer, and Scholar," was named "Cangshan Fisherman." Could this person be related to the Cangshan Sect?

It was getting more and more interesting...

With a mix of emotions, Lin Sha walked out of Dali City and headed towards the lush and undulating Cangshan Mountain.

"Stop right there!"

By the time he reached the foot of Cangshan Mountain, it was noon. It must be said that the endurance of those who have achieved success in internal martial arts is strong. After a morning of continuous walking, he was not even out of breath and could easily walk for another few dozen miles. However, he was stopped by two young men in martial attire holding swords on the only stone path leading up the mountain.

"Is the site of Tianlong Temple up the mountain?"

Lin Sha was inwardly very excited, but his face showed no signs of it. The two young men in martial attire exuded a special aura, giving him a sense of familiarity.

"The mountain is the headquarters of the Cangshan Sect. If you are not here to visit our sect, it's best to leave early to avoid unnecessary trouble!"

Lin Sha's clothes, though not luxurious, were not something ordinary people could afford. Plus, he occasionally exuded a killing aura, so the two gatekeepers did not dare to offend him and explained politely.

"Cangshan Sect?"

Lin Sha first feigned surprise and then asked curiously, "Is it one of those high-flying martial arts sects?"

"Of course!"

The two young men in martial attire puffed out their chests, showing unhidden pride.

Seeing that the two gatekeepers were not in a hurry to drive him away, perhaps out of boredom?

Regardless, he was delighted and approached them, trying to get closer, "Just by looking at the two of you, I can tell you are elite disciples of the Cangshan Sect!"

As he spoke, he nodded affirmatively without paying attention to their surprised expressions.

"You're joking, brother, you're really joking!"

Although they looked a bit embarrassed, being flattered felt good, and the two young men neither admitted nor denied it, just responded vaguely with increasingly friendly expressions.

"I've heard that Shaolin has seventy-two secret techniques, and mastering one makes one a rare expert in the jianghu. Wudang also has the Tai Chi Fist and Sword, which are divine skills. The Cangshan Sect must have something extraordinary. What famous skills and arts does your sect have?"

After flattering the two gatekeepers, he quickly pretended to be curious and got straight to the point.

When the two young men heard that Lin Sha had put the Cangshan Sect on par with Shaolin and Wudang, they felt even more pleased. They looked at Lin Sha with admiration, and one of them, with a proud chest, said, "Brother, you really have insight. Our Cangshan Sect is indeed on par with Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei!" Of course, he deliberately omitted the word "sword techniques."

"Wow, that's amazing, truly amazing!"

Lin Sha showed admiration, extending his thumb in admiration, "I didn't expect that our Yunnan Province has such a great martial arts sect, truly amazing!"

The two gatekeepers exchanged glances, seeing pride and self-satisfaction in each other's eyes.

"Do you accept new disciples?"

Lin Sha suddenly changed the subject, showing an eager and enthusiastic expression.

"Um..."

The two gatekeepers were taken aback, thinking that they had blown their cover and attracted this well-off and martially inclined man. What should they do now?

"Does your sect not accept outsiders as disciples?"

Lin Sha's heart sank, and his smile became forced.

"I advise you to save your effort!"

The two gatekeepers did not dare to speak recklessly. After carefully observing Lin Sha, they shook their heads. One of them frankly said, "Our sect does recruit a batch of talented disciples every year, but unfortunately, you are too old to have missed the best age for martial arts training. Even if you join and train, you will only be stronger and healthier than ordinary people, but becoming an expert is almost impossible!"

"Is that so?"

Lin Sha looked disappointed, and this time it was genuine.

"Indeed!"

"We, your brothers, would not lie to you!"

The two gatekeepers spoke in unison, then put on a serious gatekeeping demeanor, closing their mouths to avoid further entanglement with Lin Sha...