Chapter 317: Kung Fu

Whether they can attain the Dao and become immortal is unknown, but Bai Lang knows that these guys practicing demonic cultivation are likely to achieve something—what kind of thing Great Dian Monk is, Bai Lang already sees through. Anyway, this big boss himself said he is top‑tier Heavenly Demon, and the tricks he performed on Bai Lang are now completely understandable as having doomed all the monks of the Jing Nian Zen Temple. The Four Great Holy Monks followed Kong, and their disciples who couldn't escape must have entered the demonic path.

With the big boss possessing at least a Bodhisattva‑level Heavenly Demon Dao Fruit, how could those entry‑level bandit‑baldies possibly resist? They have only cultivated up to an Arhat at most, and are far from reaching that stage— they are martial monks; in terms of Buddhist law, Bai Lang thinks they are somewhat better, about half a Arhat.

The big boss's actions are easy for Bai Lang to guess: he simply used his hand to set up a Demon Country, and because of this world's rules, the Demon Country became a malignant land that cannot spread, like a tumor—though with time it will eventually vanish into the flow of time. However, Bai Lang suffers; lately his flesh, skin, and bones intermittently go "Katz!" and crack or break, and that blind force constantly disrupts the flow of Qi in his body.

The world is targeting him; pressure constantly presses his body and spirit, and that's the price—presumably a price the big boss has already reduced a lot. The big boss gave him a benefit, demanding a price in return; Bai Lang says he can accept that, but can the time be shortened? Bai Lang wraps his body with cloth strips, and has to cut down on wandering about, focusing more on small‑scale movement and stillness practice to cultivate his own martial arts.

It is necessary, because when he activates the Demon Country tattoo, myriad wondrous methods circulate in his mind, and he must quickly organize them before they are forgotten. These wondrous methods cannot be put to paper; Bai Lang once tried to write down what flowed in his mind. But he found it indescribable, unnameable—"It's because my own cultivation is insufficient!" Bai Lang knows exactly why.

Insufficient martial cultivation and lack of martial wisdom are like this: even when one witnesses a peerless divine skill, one cannot describe or record it—fortunately, this wondrous method can be transmitted by heart, and Bai Lang forces a heart‑to‑heart insight, gaining at least some benefit.

Zhou Shubi had once, intentionally or not, reminded Bai Lang that the truly suitable martial art is the one one cultivates and comprehends oneself—this is how the strong are. And Bai Lang, upon reflection, realizes that indeed he has followed that path: at first he practiced the fist method step by step, then cultivated the basic Internal Force Qi likewise; when he reached the Golden Bell Shield he could be said to have entered the basics, but what truly makes him an innate strongman is probably the Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist that he gradually comprehended—though the Golden Bell Shield is indispensable.

The Buddhist Sect basically blew a huge pot; five top masters fell into it and even grabbed the Imperial Jade Seal, but that's fine—nuns can forge another one. In any case, most people don't even know that the He Shi Bi actually has this ability to affect the Qi circulation of martial artists. As for the missing masters, there's truly no remedy, but the good news is… the Demon Sect folks are also courting death.

The Jing Nian Zen Temple attracts not only ordinary martial artists; many Demon Sect masters are also drawn here. However, this Demon Sect has nothing to do with Great Dian's kind of Heavenly Demon, so there's no particular allure. The rumor is that this place offers a marvelous way to break free from the constraints of heaven and earth, so many hard‑headed martial masters come. Then, one by one, the skeptics go in; some emerge, some simply vanish.

Bai Lang never went, but he heard a pattern: of those who entered during the day, thirty percent disappear; none of those who entered at night ever come out.

With the Jing Nian Zen Temple incident, the whole world seems less eager to clash violently—though there is one thing: Yu Wenhua Ji, that damned fool, finally realized he's a useless piece of trash, because he can no longer control the Xiaoguo Army. The Xiaoguo Army demands to return to Guanzhong, and Yu Wenhua Ji can neither oppose nor guide them, so he can only go along with them.

The Xiaoguo Army is rapidly closing in on Guanzhong, first having to pass through the Wagang Village territory—this time Li Mi will face the Xiaoguo Army, the former personal troops of Yang Guang, also one of the strongest armies in the world. Oh, and Li Fa has also rebelled; despite them putting a Yang family member on the throne as "emperor", anyone with eyes knows that the Yang family is bound to meet a fatal end, probably right after Guanzhong is secured.

Bai Lang has indeed received several orders—each is an appointment document sent to him after different regions crowned various Yang family members as "emperor". Bai Lang has already been promoted: under Wang Shichong he is the Right Martial Guard Grand General of Great Sui, and under Li Fa he is the Left Martial Marquis Grand General, making him a senior officer of Great Sui. Of course, the highest offer comes from the still‑uncrowned Yu Wenhua Ji, who offers the position of Vice Minister of the Secretariat…

All sides want to recruit a fierce general like Bai Lang; some want to use him, others just want to embellish their image. Wang Shichong seems genuinely eager to have Bai Lang attack and kill Wagang Village for him, while Li Fa merely offers a convenient hand, without intending for Bai Lang to defect to them. Wang Shichong is rather cowardly; he doesn't plan to cooperate with the Xiaoguo Army to jointly eliminate Wagang Village, and Bai Lang, now absorbed in sensing martial arts, also has no desire to go to battle.

The insights left by the big boss's tattoo are almost all‑encompassing for Bai Lang, making him feel his head might explode. Yet, through effort, Bai Lang managed to obtain some things—mainly about his current tattoos. First, the White Tiger Seven Mansions can enhance the flow of his Qi, improving its quality so that the White Tiger Killing Qi becomes more fierce and terrifying—this is indisputable; each of the seven tattoos controls a set of meridian points, and as Qi circulates it naturally forms the White Tiger Seven Mansions.

And as Internal Force circulates, it also stores power, better suited to trigger Bai Lang's White Tiger Killing Qi—especially when he gives his all, with mind, body, and technique unified in a burst, the White Tiger Seven Mansions should be able to coalesce into a massive White Tiger covering Bai Lang's front and back, unleashing boundless murderous Qi, vastly strengthening his martial arts. This has already entered the divine path, equivalent to borrowing the Western White Tiger Qi formed by the heavenly White Tiger Seven Mansions, continuously converting the primordial Qi of heaven and earth into offensive killing energy.

And naturally there is a whole suite of killing techniques to match, from the Seven Mansions kills to the final White Tiger Kill; each surpasses the current killing moves Bai Lang first grasped in the Southern Dipper White Tiger Fist in both subtlety and power, effectively opening a brand‑new path for him…