Chapter 230

【8】

Better: "A Zi struck with surprising speed; no one expected it, and it seemed nearly impossible to dodge."

Note: A Zi's move is fast again; nobody expected it, and it should be extremely hard to dodge.

【13】

Translate: "But the God Mountain Elder and Abbot Xuan Ci, being equally renowned in the martial world, naturally possessed extraordinary abilities; he had already been provoked by A Zi into a fury, his white eyebrows flying, he let out a thunderous shout like a bolt splitting the sky, shook his arms, and pushed out the technique 'Opening the Window to Gazing at the Moon'."

"Open the window and gaze at the moon"

【17】

Translate: "He, still angry, attacked fiercely; the moment their palms met, there was a loud 'bang', a thunderous crash, strong inner force surged between them, and the robes of the Shaolin disciples on either side also fluttered."

A Zi and the Divine Mountain Senior each took a step back.

Translate: "A Zi and the God Mountain Elder each stepped back one pace."

【25】

Translate: "The monks looked on, both admiring and startled; A Zi's domineering inner strength undoubtedly exceeded everyone's expectations. They thought: 'People say Feng Yi is an unparalleled martial arts monster, his skill unmatched under heaven. When he kills, his smile never changes, earning him the epithet 'Smiling Yama'. Seeing this girl possess such supreme art, one can imagine his own cultivation!'"

Need to keep quotes: The inner thought uses Chinese quotes 「」. We'll keep them.

The Divine Mountain Senior's face turned ashen; despite his reputation matching that of the Shaolin abbot, he went all out and ended up evenly matched with a girl of sixteen or seventeen—who knows how the jianghu will judge him from now on!

Translate: "The God Mountain Elder's face turned ashen; despite his stature equal to the Shaolin abbot, going all out he could only match a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl. Who knows how the jianghu will judge him after today!"

【31】

Translate: "A Zi was ruthless and cruel; seeing no clear winner after the first exchange, she raised her palms to strike again. Abbot Xuan Ci, seeing that their initial clash had become a life-and-death struggle, found it hard to bear; he intoned a low 'Amitabha Buddha', flicked his sleeves, and darted to place himself between them."

Xuanci employed the Buddhist sect's Lion's Roar; everyone felt a loud buzzing in their ears, A Zi hadn't even had a chance to act, and the Divine Mountain Senior felt too embarrassed to make a move.

Translate: "Abbot Xuan Ci employed the Buddhist 'Lion's Roar' technique; everyone felt a loud buzzing in their ears. A Zi hadn't even had a chance to strike, and the God Mountain Elder felt embarrassed to make a move."

【37】

Translate: "In that instant, Abbot Xuan Ci turned his back to A Zi, faced the God Mountain Elder, and with palms together said: 'Senior Brother, with your steadfast nature, why bother to make things difficult for a girl?'"

The Divine Mountain Senior sneered: "Shaolin Temple is the Mount Tai and North Star of the martial world; how could I, a junior monk, possess the cultivated skill of my senior brother? I cannot let people think I am easy to bully."

Translate: "The God Mountain Elder sneered: 'Shaolin Temple is the pinnacle of the martial world; how could I, a humble monk, have your cultivation and tolerance? I cannot let people think I am easy to bully.'"

【43】

Translate: "A Zi laughed: 'Abbot, you saw it too—this monk is unreasonable, daring to discipline me in place of my parents; I didn't mean to cause trouble.'"

In A Zi's mind, everything she does is right; anyone who makes things difficult for her is wrong.

Translate: "In A Zi's mind, whatever she does is right; anyone who opposes her is wrong."

【49】

Translate: "Of course, Feng Yi is the exception."

The Divine Mountain Senior was so angry it could make a Buddha appear and another ascend, yet facing A Zi, he truly had no recourse.

Translate: "The God Mountain Elder was already furious enough to make a Buddha appear and another ascend, yet facing A Zi he truly had no recourse."

【55】

Translate: "Feng Yi smiled: 'A Zi, come back quickly; as the saying goes, 'guests are to be welcomed'. Fighting here makes the host lose face!'"

A Zi stole the limelight; Feng Yi called out to her softly, and she immediately took advantage of the moment, reined in her momentum, and jumped back to her seat.

Translate: "Having made a scene, hearing Feng Yi's gentle call, she immediately seized the moment, retracted her posture, and leapt back to her seat."

【61】

Translate: "Then a clear voice sounded from afar outside: 'Songshan Shaolin, truly a renowned ancient temple, magnificent in aura. This lowly monk often dwells in wild mountain temples; today I am fortunate to witness this gathering of experts. Might I have the fortune to be an uninvited guest, respectfully listening to your lofty insights?'"

His tone was calm and harmonious; though he was far outside the mountain gate, it sounded as if he were whispering directly into one's ear, without shaking the eardrums—indicating how high and pure his internal energy must be. Moreover, since he was stationed far from the mountain gate, how could Feng Yi have heard him? His ability is simply beyond that of an ordinary mortal.

Translate: "His tone was calm and harmonious; though he was far beyond the mountain gate, it sounded as if he were whispering in one's ear, without shaking the eardrums—indicating the speaker's inner energy is exceptionally pure and high. Yet, being far at the gate, how could Feng Yi hear him? His ability far surpasses that of ordinary mortals."

【168】

Translate: "Feng Yi clicked his tongue in admiration: 'The pretentiousness of the Great Wheel Ming King—Feng cannot help but be impressed!'"

As soon as the words were spoken, we heard Jiumo Zhi's laughing voice, soft and repeated: "What does this 'forcing the style' mean? Please instruct me."

Just as the two were speaking, Xuan Ci and the others also heard a faint sound of sleeves cutting through the air.

Xuan Ci said, "The Bright King is a fellow practitioner of the Buddhist faith; please honor us with your presence." He then said, "Junior Brothers Xuan Ming and Xuan Shi, please receive the guest on my behalf."

All the monks knew that the Great Wheel Bright King mentioned by Feng Yi must be the State Protector Dharma Master Jiumo Zhi of the Great Wheel Temple on the Great Snow Mountain of Tubo, who had been conferred the title of Great Wheel Bright King.

He is a renowned high monk in the Buddhist world; every five years he opens an altar at the Great Wheel Temple on the Great Snow Mountain to lecture on sutras and teach the Dharma, where eminent monks and laypeople from all directions gather to listen, to hold the scriptures and raise questions, and all praise him.

Today, having come to Shaolin, he is naturally an honored guest.

Xuan Ming and Xuan Shi bowed and said, "Yes!" Turning to leave the hall, Jiumo Zhi already said, "To receive you is not something I dare presume; today I am truly delighted to meet such worthy persons."

It turned out that Jiumo Zhi had come to Shaolin, taking advantage of the monks gathering in the Main Heroic Hall, sneaking in quietly, eavesdropping outside the hall on the conversation between Abbot Xuan Ci and Master Shen Shan and others, waiting for a suitable moment to then make his appearance.

Who would have expected that the profound force of A Zi's palm strike would catch him off guard, making his breath hitch slightly, yet Feng Yi detected the clue and exposed him on the spot.

Jiumo Zhi felt that, having been prompted to speak, being discovered eavesdropping was truly unbecoming of his stature as the Great Wheel Bright King.

He then employed his lightness skill, rushing to outside the Shaolin monastery's mountain gate, and then transmitted his voice via internal energy, making it seem as if he had just arrived.

The eminent monks did not hear the sound of his sneaking in or running; they all thought that transmitting sound from afar was easily done with deep internal energy and was nothing remarkable. Yet, though many were deep inside the hall and heard none of his voice, Feng Yi, from over half a li away, not only heard his arrival but also identified his identity—this is a rare and extraordinary skill in martial arts, possessing the might of the Buddhist 'Heavenly Ear' divine ability, which only increased their astonishment and admiration for Feng Yi.

Jiumo Zhi, however, felt deeply vexed in his heart.

No one knew that, in the original plot, Jiumo Zhi had first eavesdropped on the monks' conversation outside the hall, then run off to speak from a distance, actually repeating Abbot Xuan Ci's words verbatim, which directly shocked everyone immensely, having put on a good show and displayed the power of striking first to overwhelm the opponent.

This time, however, the prestige he displayed ended up serving as a wedding dress for Feng Yi.

With each sentence Jiumo Zhi spoke, his voice drew nearer by several zhang; just as he finished uttering the two words 'zhi xi', a gentle breeze swept the ground, and all saw Jiumo Zhi's robes fluttering as he stood poised at the hall's doorway.

Jiumo Zhi pressed his palms together, his countenance solemn and dignified, and smiling toward Abbot Xuan Ci said, "I am the mountain monk Jiumo Zhi of Tubo; I pay my respects to the abbot of Shaolin Temple." As he spoke, he stepped forward.

The monks, upon hearing Feng Yi speak, were already astonished to the extreme; upon seeing his ghostlike movements, they secretly gasped, all thinking, "The Tubo master truly lives up to his reputation!"

Abbot Xuan Ci rose, pressed his palms together and bowed, saying, "Master, your journey from afar to the eastern lands is truly a matter of fate."

He then introduced the visiting masters Shan, Guan Xin, and Dao Qing, as well as the senior Shaolin monks Xuan Nan, Xuan Ji, and Xuan Du, one by one.

After the monks had greeted each other, Jiumo Zhi's gaze finally fell on Feng Yi, and he smiled, saying, "Great Hero Feng, you are still as carefree and flirtatious as ever."

Feng Yi also smiled and said, "There's no helping it—if one is not flirtatious, one's youth is wasted. If the Master aspires to it, this way of carefree flirtation is by no means a secret not to be passed on."

"Not at all!" Jiumo Zhi gave a slight smile, pressed his palms together and bowed.

Abbot Xuan Ci had his disciples set up a seat in the center of the hall and invited Jiumo Zhi to take it.

Jiumo Zhi flicked his robe sleeves and immediately sat down.

Master Shen Shan, seeing his brazen manner, felt annoyed and thought, "You monk, putting on airs of mysticism—you may not have any genuine ability; later I will put you to the test."

But he knew the purpose of today; having just had his prestige diminished by A Zi, if he could not subdue Shaolin, the prestige of both himself and the Qingliang Temple would surely be lost. He therefore pressed his palms together and said, "Abbot Xuan Ci, my fellow monk Xu has violated a major taboo of the jianghu, and is now being disciplined by the Beggars' Gang according to their rules; indeed, it was my oversight, too careless, and I hereby apologize to all of you."

Abbot Xuan Ci pressed his palms together and said, "Not at all!"

Master Shen Shan then said, "However, Shaolin is the leader of the martial world, and we too are Buddhist practitioners. At the Villa of Gathered Worthies, every man, woman, and child—dozens of souls—had either their heads severed or blades lodged in their shoulders and backs, none spared. Some who examined the corpses of the You brothers saw that their chests, backs, and ribs were all broken, their hearts and lungs shattered, killed by an extremely fierce fist force; some say this is your school's Great Vajra Fist. Should not your school give an explanation to the martial world and to all under heaven?"

"This was not done by Shaolin!" Abbot Xuan Ci shook his head and said, "In our Shaolin sect, only I, your humble self, can perform the Great Vajra Fist, and furthermore the Great Vajra Fist does not shatter a person's heart and lungs."

Master Shen Shan gave a cold snort: "Then what about the woman that Qiao Feng brought to the Villa of Gathered Worthies to seek treatment? The Divine Doctor Xue once declared before heroes of the world that she had been struck by Shaolin's Great Vajra Fist—is it that his medical skill is inept, his judgment unclear, or that he spoke recklessly, deliberately slandering Shaolin's reputation?"

Xuan Shi rose and said, "Brother, are you implying, in other words, that Qiao Feng killed people, and that I and my fellow monk Xuan Gou have borne false witness for him, with the entire monastery covering up for him?"

Xuan Gou said, "The day the Villa of Gathered Worthies was destroyed was the sixth day after the Heroes' Convention; at that time Qiao Feng, Great Hero Feng, and that little miss Ah Zhu were still together nursing their wounds—how could they have been in two places at once to commit murder?"

Xuan Ji then said, "As for who the murderer is, our monastery has some clues, but we do not know the specifics; how then can our temple give an account?"

Monks Xuan Ji, Xuan Gou, and Xuan Shi have enjoyed a reputable name in the martial world for decades, being upright and selfless; it is well known that, since they spoke thus, Master Shen Shan and the other monks had no doubt whatsoever.

Master Shen Shan then said, "But the venerable monk Zhiguang of the Zhiguan Temple, a great virtue of Buddhism, met his demise at the hands of your Shaolin sect's Mahā Finger; I do not know what explanation Abbot Master has for this."

Only then did Master Xuan Du rise and say, "Upon learning of Master Zhiguang's demise, Abbot Master had sent a junior monk to Mount Tiantai to investigate. Master Zhiguang had killed himself by ingesting arsenic, and his corpse was struck on the left and right sun spots by an extremely fierce finger force; as to who the murderer is, our temple is also pursuing the inquiry."

Master Shen Shan snorted, "What else is there to investigate?"

"As long as the killer is not a lunatic, he must have a motive!"

Master Zhiguang once took part in the battle at Yumen Pass, and furthermore in the Apricot Forest he tore off the name from the secret letter that the chief elder brother had written to Chief Wang; whether Qiao Feng seeks to uncover his origins or to avenge his birth parents, he must needs learn the chief elder brother's name, and will surely press Master Zhiguang for it.

If he refuses to speak, Qiao Feng will injure the master with the Mahā Finger—his eyeballs protruding, his skull shattered at the back; is that not exactly what happens when one is struck by the Mahā Finger?

"Amitabha!" Xuan Ci said solemnly: "The murderer is not Qiao Feng."

Shanshan said: "Abbot Senior Brother, you are so certain; please explain the reason."

Xuan Ci said: "How can we know that Master Zhiguang was not struck by Qiao Feng's Great Finger power? Because Qiao Feng learned martial arts in the Young Forest School; he studied the Subduing Demon Palm, so he cannot also study the Great Finger—these two arts are opposed and cannot coexist in one body."

Shanshan shook his head and said: "Could it be that the Young Forest martial arts actually have such a subtle difference?"

Xuan Ci said: "This difference is indeed recorded. The Subduing Demon Palm and the Great Finger are both listed among our temple's Seventy-two Supreme Skills; one is gentle, the other fierce, making it extremely difficult to study and practice both together."

Xuan Sheng, junior brother, please go to the Sutra Pavilion and fetch the essentials of these two arts; please ask Senior Monk Shanshan and the other venerable masters for guidance.

Senior Monk Shanshan is intelligent and perceptive, outstanding talent, a marvel in the martial world; he became abbot of the Pure Cool Temple at only thirty. However, the martial arts lineage of Pure Cool Temple is far inferior to that of the Young Forest Temple; the boxing manuals, sword scrolls, and internal cultivation secrets stored there are not only few in number, but most are crude and rudimentary, not first-rate skills.

Over the past forty-plus years, his internal strength has deepened, far surpassing what is recorded in the martial arts texts passed down by previous generations of Pure Cool Temple; yet his fist and sword skills remain lacking. Whenever he thinks of the Young Forest School's Seventy-two Supreme Skills, he cannot help but feel both envy and resentment.

Therefore, using Elder Xu as a pretext, he came to the Young Forest Temple to raise troops and question crimes; his true purpose was entirely to obtain the martial arts secrets.

At this moment, hearing Abbot Xuan Ci order someone to fetch the manuals of the two supreme skills, the Subduing Demon Palm and the Great Finger, he felt delighted, secretly thinking that today he would have a chance to see the Young Forest Temple's supreme skills; after memorizing them secretly, he would return to his temple, study them diligently, make slight modifications, and in the future would they not become the supreme art of his Pure Cool Temple?

Xuan Sheng replied: "Yes!" and was about to turn and leave the hall,

"Hold on!" Yet Feng Yi's soft voice came: "Abbot Xuan Ci, the principle that the accuser bears the burden of proof is an unchanging truth. If others say something, one must then prove one's own innocence—heh, it would go on endlessly, and no one could ever clarify things clearly."

I have heard that Senior Monk Shanshan's words are all for the sake of martial justice, wishing to uphold fairness for those who have tragically died in the martial world; such a benevolent and righteous act is truly admirable.

Fortunately, I have an appointment with Qiao Feng; on the day of the heroes' gathering, he will surely not be absent. Then let the Subduing Dragon Arhat and his Subduing Dragon Palm meet and see who can truly subdue the dragon—why bother with verbal disputes here?

A Zi laughed: "Yes, using my elder brother's words, aren't you monks just engaging in moral coercion, bullying honest people?"

"Moral coercion?" Senior Monk Shanshan's mouth twitched several times, and he snorted: "Honest people? Qiao Feng, this Khitan barbarian, treats human lives as grass—does that count as honest?"

A Zi snorted: "You're nothing but a coward; all your talk just shows you dare not face Qiao Feng, so you keep pressuring the Young Forest Temple, hoping others will fight to the death with such masters as Qiao Feng, while you sit back and reap the benefits."

Senior Monk Shanshan coldly said: "Children's words— in the martial world, when sects undergo changes, should they not be cleaned up on their own?"

"Amitabha!" Xuan Ci pressed his palms together and said: "What Master Feng Yi and Senior Monk Shanshan said are both reasonable, but although our temple has upheld discipline for hundreds of years, unworthy disciples are still common."

I myself once erred in a single thought and made a great mistake; therefore, even if disciples commit faults, without concrete evidence I will never blame them groundlessly, but if the facts are proven, I will certainly not shield them." Xuan Ci then looked around and said: "As everyone knows, our temple possesses the Seventy-two Supreme Skills, yet each of these arts is extremely difficult to master; even a person of extraordinary talent would not easily master even one in a lifetime, let alone that mastering any of them to the highest level merely gives a slight edge in martial learning."

If one can defeat others with the first martial art, there is no need to also learn the second; as for the third and fourth, there is even less need to study them.

Therefore, our temple's successive patriarchs, in transmitting the Dharma and teaching disciples, always place Buddhism first and martial arts last; if monks devote themselves exclusively to martial training, their understanding and cultivation of Buddhism will surely be hindered.

Even for lay disciples, our temple has never taught them to train in more than one supreme skill, lest they become greedy for many and fall into the poison of greed.

Qiao Feng received the Subduing Demon Palm from Junior Monk Xuan Ku; Xuan Ku himself does not know the Great Finger technique, and Qiao Feng has never studied martial arts with any other Young Forest monk—I know this well, and there is no mistake.

Furthermore, the Subduing Demon Palm was created by the Eighth Generation Abbot Yuan Yuan of the Young Forest Temple; its palm is gentle, as if present yet absent.

The Great Finger technique was created by the Seven-Finger Monk who had lingered in the Young Forest Temple for forty years.

Since he was an outsider monk, his method differs greatly from the traditional martial arts of the Young Forest School, focusing purely on the fierce path.

The text earnestly warns that anyone who has already practiced the Young Forest Buddhist gentle arts must not practice this, lest their internal energy easily go awry; if the teacher's guidance is inadequate, vomiting blood and severe injury that is hard to heal may result.

I have previously sparred with six fellow monks from the temple or exchanged moves with Qiao Feng, or witnessed his skills; he is indeed astonishing in martial ability, his palm power unmatched, yet he wishes to combine the Subduing Demon Palm and the Great Finger technique in one body—with his current martial cultivation, he still cannot achieve that.

Xuan Nan, Xuan Ji, Xuan Du, Xuan Yin, Xuan Zhi, and Xuan Sheng, the six monks, spoke in unison: "Abbot Senior Brother, your words are absolutely correct; we six have carefully examined Qiao Feng's martial arts, and we have no doubt about this conclusion."

=9+book_ba

Suddenly hearing Ju Mou Zhi say: "Master Xuan Ci's grand discourse on the Dharma, I, the humble monk, have greatly benefited; however, there is one point I dare not agree with."

Xuan Ci said: "Please, National Teacher, give your guidance."

Ju Mou Zhi smiled slightly and said: "Abbot Master Xuan Ci said that even for lay disciples, the Young Forest Temple often does not teach more than one supreme skill, lest they become greedy for many and fall into the poison of greed."

But in my humble opinion, this rule of the Young Forest Temple is probably too rigid, restricting those of outstanding talent from pursuing profound martial arts.

Under this rule, the Young Forest Temple's Seventy-two Supreme Skills may struggle to flourish; even after thousands of years, they will likely remain as they are. Take the Great Finger and the Wisdom Palm, for example—actually mastering both is not difficult at all.

Even if one person were to master all seventy-two supreme skills, it is by no means impossible.

Although his tone was plain and ordinary, everyone could hear his contempt for the Young Forest martial arts.

Several senior outer-sect monks exchanged glances, while the Young Forest monks collectively felt indignant.

A Zi interjected: "Hey, Great National Teacher, listening to your meaning, could there really be someone in this world who masters all seventy-two Young Forest Supreme Skills? And according to Abbot Xuan Ci's words, those skills were also created by later eminent monks—wouldn't such a person be even more formidable than the Bodhidharma ancestor?"

Ju Mou Zhi nodded slightly and said: "Miss, though you are young, you are truly extraordinarily wise—no wonder your martial arts are extraordinarily exceptional!"

Xuan Sheng asked: "May I ask, National Teacher, who is this great hero?"

Ju Mou Zhi said: "The title of great hero is not something I dare to claim."

Xuan Sheng's face changed as he said: "Could this person be the National Teacher?"

Ju Mou Zhi nodded, pressed his palms together, his expression solemn, and said: "Exactly."

As soon as those two words were spoken, the hall fell into dead silence.

Thousands of gazes shot toward Ju Mou Zhi—some with surprise, some with anger, and many more with bewilderment; the monks couldn't help but think: "This person speaks grandiose words to such an extent—could he be a madman?"

A Zi also didn't find it strange: "This monk was so polite when he met my elder brother; why does he come to the Young Forest Temple and spout grand words?" She turned her head to look at Feng Yi and whispered: "Elder brother, this monk is very courteous toward you, yet he acts so arrogantly in the Young Forest Temple—could he, like that old man Shanshan, be merely seeking an excuse to cause trouble?"

Feng Yi gave a light smile: "You can see this layer—I am truly pleased." He lowered his voice and said: "This is what I meant—strength invites disaster."

This Young Forest Temple has been the leader of the martial world for several hundred years; certainly there are those who admire it, but it is also inevitable that some will resent it.

If not for fear of the martial prowess of these twenty-plus Xuan-generation senior monks, who knows how many would wish to see Shaolin's reputation ruined.

If you want to found a sect and call yourself the patriarch, the easiest way is to discuss martial arts and Dao, challenge Shaolin; then you'll be number one under heaven, and your sect will be the orthodox lineage of martial arts under heaven!

A Zi let out an oh, pursed her lips and said: "Oh, I see. Then why are these people fussing over these superficialities? Why not just fight directly?"

Suddenly Jiumozhi laughed and said: "Master Feng, you overpraise me. If I were to challenge Shaolin, even borrowing this monk's immense courage I wouldn't dare; if that were the case, not to mention the entire Shaolin monastery would devour me, you wouldn't stand by and let this foreign monk show off; I have no such intention."

A Zi laughed and said: "National Teacher, you can rest assured; I've heard Shaolin monks eat vegetarian, so how would they eat your flesh? As for my elder brother, you're so tactful, you've already obtained the Star Sect's indispensable true transmission for establishing oneself; how could he bear to beat you?"

The monks, hearing her equate Jiumozhi, the National Teacher, with the Star Sect's heretical ways, and seeing her lovely and charming, couldn't help but smile.

Jiumozhi's face twitched slightly, and he said: "So-called there are times to advance and retreat, circumstances have strength and weakness; this monk intends no difficulty with anyone; today I only wish to discuss martial arts with the supreme leader of the Central Plains martial arts, Shaolin; if I fear losing and cannot tolerate it, I would not say so!"

Feng Yi laughed and said: "King Ming, frankly speaking, the depth of your scheming, the height of your martial arts, and the tenacity of your endurance are unmatched in my experience. Today you discuss martial arts with Shaolin; Shaolin's Buddhist teachings are boundless; what am I to worry about? Just don't overthink it!"

"Good!" Jiumozhi laughed and said: "Master Feng's word is as weighty as nine tripods; this monk also hopes that Song Mountain's Shaolin won't need to seek outside help, only fearing that you might not be able to bear it, your chivalrous heart moved…"

Xuan Nan coldly snorted and said: "National Teacher, with Master Feng of such caliber and all these senior monks present, you utter such big words—do you have proof? Could it be that you, a foreigner, are also versed in the Mahakala finger, Prajna palm, and Great Diamond Fist, among other skills?"

Jiumozhi turned around calmly, looked at Xuannan, and smiled: "Then please, Master Xuannan, give me your guidance."

Translate: Kumarajiva? Actually we need pinyin: Jiumozhi. So "Jiumozhi turned around calmly, looked at Xuannan and smiled: 'Then please, Master Xuannan, give me your guidance.'"

【175】

We need to keep punctuation? Probably fine.

His body shifted slightly, his left palm suddenly raised flat, and his right fist shot straight out, with a whooshing sound.

Translation: "His body shifted slightly, his left palm suddenly raised flat, his right fist thrust forward, with a whooshing wind."

【182】

Translation: "A surge of fist power shot straight toward the incense-burning bronze cauldron before the Buddha Shakyamuni's seat, with a clang, the cauldron leapt up right where it stood."

Note: the Buddha's seat, the incense-burning bronze cauldron, with a clang, it leapt up right where it stood.

【186】

Translation: "Xuanci's face changed slightly, Xuannan looked left and right, and said in a low voice: 'This truly is the Great Vajra Fist!'"

All the Shaolin monks were astonished, their hearts pounding wildly; though the fist did not touch the cauldron, the bronze cauldron sounded—this is not yet particularly difficult. This punch, the Luoyang Bell Eastern Response, clearly struck forward, yet the bronze cauldron jumped upward, showing the skill of the force; indeed they have deeply grasped the secret of the Diamond Fist.

【192】

their hearts pounding wildly,

【196】

this is not yet particularly difficult,

【200】

clearly struck forward,

【204】

showing the skill of the force,

【210】

Combine: "All the Shaolin monks were shocked, their hearts pounding wildly; the fist did not strike the cauldron yet it sounded, which is not yet particularly difficult—this punch, 'Luo Zhong Dong Ying,' clearly struck forward, yet the cauldron jumped upward, showing the skill of the force; indeed they have deeply grasped the secret of the Great Vajra Fist."

Luoyang Bell Eastern Response

【221】

We'll translate the technique name as "Luoyang Bell Eastern Response". We'll keep quotes.

Now continue.

And everyone had just heard clearly; this supreme skill is known only to Abbot Xuanci of the entire Shaolin Temple.

Translation: "And everyone had just heard clearly that this supreme skill, only the Shaolin Temple's Abbot Xuanci alone possesses."

And everyone had just heard clearly,

this supreme skill is known only to Abbot Xuanci of the entire Shaolin Temple.

Combine: "And everyone had just heard clearly that this supreme skill, only Abbot Xuanci of the entire Shaolin Temple possesses."

【230】

Translation: "Azhi's face showed a strange expression, and she exclaimed: 'Elder brother, look.'"

Azhi's face showed a strange expression, and she exclaimed: "Elder brother, look."

【237】

Feng Yi smiled and said: "Today's this good show, we will just take responsibility to watch it well, don't interfere!"

Better: "Feng Yi smiled: 'Today's this fine show, we'll just watch it properly, no meddling!'"

Feng Yi smiled and said: "Today's this fine show, we'll just watch it properly, don't interfere!"

【242】

Translation: "Azhi stared, seeing Kumarajiva not waiting for the cauldron to fall, he slapped his left hand outward, striking the cauldron, clearly leaving a handprint."

Azhi stared, seeing Jiumozhi not waiting for the cauldron to fall, he slapped his left hand outward, striking the cauldron, clearly leaving a handprint.

【248】

"Prajna Palm!" Xuannan suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Subdue the external path!"

"Prajna Palm!" Xuannan suddenly narrowed his eyes: "Subdue external heresy!"

Jiumozhi smiled: "Not bad!"

Translation: "Jiumozhi smiled: 'Not bad!'"

【254】

Translation: "Everyone saw the cauldron spin half a turn in the air, with a pop, something fell down."

Moreover, incense ash scattered inside the cauldron, smoke filled the air, and for a moment it was impossible to tell what the object was.

Translation: "But the cauldron contained much incense ash that scattered, smoke filled the air, and for a moment it was unclear what the object was."

【262】

Translation: "At that moment, the remaining force of the Great Vajra Fist's 'Luoyang Bell Eastern Response' was exhausted, and the cauldron fell swiftly."

Jiumozhi thrust his thumb forward, a sharp finger force shot out, and the bronze cauldron suddenly shifted left by half a chi.

Translation: "Jiumozhi extended his thumb forward and pressed, a sharp finger force shot out, and the cauldron suddenly shifted left half a foot."

【269】

Thus we will output "half a chi". Good.

"Great Finger!"

Translation: "'Maha Finger!'"

【274】

Jiumozhi pressed his thumb three times, and the bronze cauldron moved one and a half chi before landing.

Translation: "Jiumozhi pressed his thumb three times in succession, and the cauldron shifted one and a half chi before landing."

Note: one and a half chi.

Xuantong's eyes shifted: "Three Entries into Hell!"

The Young Forest's senior monks knew that his three presses seemed ordinary and unremarkable, but the power hidden within had already transcended the mundane and entered the sage realm.

This move is named "Three Entries into Hell" because, while practicing it, each press feels as bitter as entering hell once.

At that moment, the incense ash gradually fell away, revealing a palm-sized object underground; upon seeing it, the monks could not help but exclaim in surprise.

That object turned out to be a brass palm, its five fingers distinct, the edges of the palm and fingers flashing with light, brilliant as gold, while the back of the palm was grayish-green; Xuanci and the others could see that the edges were neat, as if cut by a knife.

Jumozhi lightly flicked his robe sleeve, smiled slightly, and said: "There are still imperfections in my practice of the Kasaya Subduing Demon Skill; I hope the abbot senior brother can offer guidance."

Feng Yi's lips curled slightly; he knew Jumozhi had come to show off his might, and he looked forward to seeing it—only to see the cauldron seven feet away seem to come alive, spinning rapidly and stirring up a wind.

After the force subsided, the side of the bronze cauldron that had faced inward turned outward, its middle carved into the shape of a palm, the cut edges also shining with yellow light, as if carved by a knife or axe; such power was truly astonishing.

In the eyes of the lower-ranking Young Forest monks, Jumozhi's methods seemed like magic; staring intently, they let out a gasp of astonishment.

It turned out that Jumozhi had just used the move "Intimidate and Subdue Heretics"; his palm force was like a sharp blade, carving a palm-shaped piece from the bronze cauldron.

Although brass is much softer than steel, such palm power left many Young Forest disciples unable to believe it; they stared blankly, then rubbed their eyes—this was an indisputable fact.

Azhi also stuck out her tongue, thinking: "This monk is actually so formidable; I had underestimated him."

In an instant, the monks fell silent, their shock beyond words; the senior monks of the Young Forest Temple were no different.

One must know that the techniques Jumozhi had just displayed were all Young Forest's secret arts, yet they themselves lacked such mastery.

Feng Yi clapped and laughed: "Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous! The National Preceptor's divine skill truly opens one's eyes!"

Jumozhi smiled and said: "Sir Feng, you overpraise me."

He said that, but he could not hide his pleased expression.

Seeing Jumozhi so smug, Azhi's upturned nose let out a soft hum; she wanted to speak, but Feng Yi held her down. (End of chapter)