[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t":3,"chapter-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-213":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Living Among All Heavens, Achieving Immortality Through Merit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2323781,4545,"Chapter 213: Outmaneuvered by Gu Qing","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-213",213,"\u003Cp>The Tianlong Temple was built in the early Tang dynasty, backed by Cangshan and facing Erhai Lake, housing three pagodas that stand as the crown of its treasures; emperors of the Dali Duan clan often abdicated to become monks here, and thus the imperial family reverently offered worship and donations, causing the temple to grow ever grander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xuanbei walked within the Tianlong Temple and felt that although Dali was a small state, the Tianlong Temple, as its national temple, exuded a majestic aura surpassing even Shaolin Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Zhengming led Gu Qing and Xuanbei through palace terraces and long corridors until they reached the Muni Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The abbot of Tianlong Temple, Benyin, stepped out to greet them and ushered Gu Qing and Xuanbei inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu bowed to Gu Qing upon arriving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing glanced at Duan Yu and said, “Perform well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the heir of the Prince of Zhen Nan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abbot Benyin introduced Duan Yu to Master Xuanbei: “It is he who will oppose the Great Wheel King’s demand for the sword manual.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xuanbei saw Duan Yu was barely twenty, handsome and refined, more like a scholar—but his gaze briefly fell on Gu Qing, whose complexion was like jade, and he sensed the master and disciple shared the same lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was Duan Yu too young to bear such a heavy responsibility?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Jin Yong’s martial world, under normal progression, one needed to reach thirty or forty to achieve mastery in internal energy and martial arts, truly entering the peak phase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Trust Duan Yu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said to Xuanbei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Wheel King arrived earlier than expected; barely had Gu Qing and the others seated when he arrived at the temple’s gate, and after being announced, led his entourage inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Holiness, please proceed to this Muni Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Abbot Benyin’s guidance, Kumārajīva arrived here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tibetan disciple Jiumo Zhi pays homage to the elder master: impermanence and permanence, the withering and flourishing of twin trees, north, south, east, west—all neither false nor empty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Wheel King, Jiumo Zhi, appeared with solemn dignity, first chanted a Buddha’s name, shattering the Withering-Florescence Chan of the Withering-Florescence Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Withering-Florescence Master turned and greeted Jiumo Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gu Qing also studied Jiumo Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi, around fifty, wore simple robes and straw sandals, radiating quiet splendor; as his gaze swept over Gu Qing, he gave a slight nod, then turned to the temple’s monks and said: “I had an old friend from Gusu, Song dynasty, named Murong Bo. In past years we met by chance; Murong Bo studied all martial arts under heaven, mastering them all. I spent several days instructing him, and many of my lifelong doubts were resolved…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Murong Bo’s name, Xuanbei sharply raised his eyebrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Yanmen Pass battle, Shaolin led the martial world in mistakenly killing Xiao Yuanshan’s family, a great calamity; Xianci had long dwelled on Murong Bo, the one who spread the false rumor—but each time he visited, Murong Bo avoided him; later, when Xuanbei went, Murong Bo suddenly died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before that, Xuanbei had insulted the Murong family and thoroughly investigated them, nearly certain they plotted rebellion; but since Murong Bo was dead, Xianci did not pursue further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master Murong Bo once spoke of the world’s sword arts, declaring the Six Meridians Sword as the supreme. He deeply regretted never seeing it—it was his greatest sorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the revised version of Tianlong Babu, Murong Bo’s story was expanded: after the Yanmen Pass battle, he fled in terror to the cellar of Yanziwu, hid for a time, then went to Shaolin to steal scriptures; masked entirely, Xiao Yuanshan mistook him for another Shaolin enemy and even guided him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Murong Bo and Jiumo Zhi met during this period; Jiumo Zhi taught Murong Bo the Flame Blade, while Murong Bo taught Jiumo Zhi over twenty of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Superior Arts; they agreed that once Jiumo Zhi obtained the Six Meridians Sword, Murong Bo would impart the remaining seventy-two techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since then, Jiumo Zhi devoted himself to martial study, believing himself accomplished, and now came to Tianlong Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Murong Bo reveres the scriptures, why did he not come himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abbot Benyin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Murong Bo knew the Six Meridians Sword is Dali’s state treasure, an untransmitted secret; to request it outright would be refused. He also knew Dali’s benevolence and dared not forcibly seize it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi said: “At that time, I told him I had no ties to Dali and could retrieve it for him.” As he spoke, recalling the past, tears fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately behind Jiumo Zhi, a servant brought a precious casket containing three scrolls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These three scrolls, written by Master Murong Bo himself, contain the secrets, methods, and countermeasures of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Superior Arts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi pointed to the scrolls, tears dripping, lost in memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three scrolls contained only over twenty of Shaolin’s superior arts—far short of the seventy-two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Xuanbei rose abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did this mean? Murong Bo admired the Duan clan of Dali, so he didn’t steal the Six Meridians Sword—but he could steal Shaolin’s martial arts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are these truly Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Superior Arts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanbei demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi, already aware of Xuanbei’s identity, remained calm—what did it matter if he offended Shaolin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi had relentlessly pursued Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Superior Arts solely to challenge Shaolin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xuanbei spread his fingers and lunged toward Jiumo Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi sat unmoved, neither raising hand nor foot; yet as Xuanbei neared, he suddenly retreated—his Buddhist prayer beads shattered, beads falling to the ground with sharp, popping sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wuxiang Jie Zhi?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanbei stared at the fallen beads, shocked and furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi had struck from within his sleeve; Shaolin’s Wuxiang Jie Zhi operates formlessly, so Jiumo Zhi’s hand didn’t move, his leg didn’t lift, even his sleeve showed no motion—the force of Wuxiang Jie Zhi had pierced through the fabric and struck Xuanbei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To counter this Wuxiang Jie Zhi, one must think of this master’s dharma name.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi, calm and composed, looked toward Master Benxiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Benxiang, of very high standing in Tianlong Temple and one of the few who could have practiced the Six Meridians Sword, thought briefly and said: “Using Benxiang to break Wuxiang—this intent is brilliant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Jiumo Zhi indeed possessed Shaolin’s superior arts and knew their counters, Xuanbei’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing slightly furrowed his brow—he noticed Jiumo Zhi had a habit, intentional or not, of showing off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was similar to Gu Qing himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi turned to the Tianlong masters, requesting to exchange Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Superior Arts for Dali’s Six Meridians Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanbei stood beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Withering-Florescence Master, the five Ben monks, Duan Zhengming, and others diplomatically shook their heads. Seeing Tianlong Temple delay handing over the scrolls, Jiumo Zhi’s expression changed instantly—he labeled the Six Meridians Sword “merely legendary,” demanded to see it, or else he would invoke his status as Tibet’s state preceptor to bring war between Tibet and Dali.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the master wishes to see Dali’s Six Meridians Sword, we shall use it to test your extraordinary skills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abbot Benyin had long prepared his response; calmly, he stepped back, revealing Duan Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi saw a young man appear, startled but composed; he signaled for incense to be brought—six sticks, planted five feet ahead. He rubbed his palms, then thrust forward; all six incense tips ignited at once. Amidst the crowd’s astonishment, a faint sulfur scent filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were specially prepared incense sticks, Jiumo Zhi’s signature for displaying his prowess; this Flame Blade technique indeed astonished everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint mist now lingered, giving form to the invisible blade and sword qi; both sides could see the mist shift, preparing in advance to avoid fatal missteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi swept his hand sideways; the invisible Flame Blade cut through the mist toward Duan Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu stood in the Muni Hall; seeing the blade qi approach, he pressed his thumb—sword qi erupted, startling and violent, like a storm descending; one finger struck, and the Flame Blade’s blue smoke split cleanly. Fortunately, Jiumo Zhi’s left hand had already been poised before him—he slashed the air, blocking the fierce sword force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu lightly tapped his fingers: thumb, index, middle, ring, little finger in sequence; a series of sharp “chii” sounds rang out as multiple sword qi pierced the mist, racing toward Jiumo Zhi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi saw these sword paths: some clever and nimble, some broad and open, some clumsy and ancient, some light and swift, some appearing and vanishing unpredictably. Normally, such invisible sword qi could only be anticipated by the fingertip’s point; now, with mist obscuring vision, Jiumo Zhi could see them clearly—easier to counter. But Duan Yu unleashed all five fingers simultaneously, fingers flicking in rapid succession, crisscrossing like ten swords striking at once, with no order or rhythm—how could he possibly fight this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi couldn’t fight it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi leapt backward, dodging left and right, slashing repeatedly with the Flame Blade, barely defending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Withering-Florescence Master, Benyin, Benxiang, Benshen, Duan Zhengming, and others watched Duan Yu display his divine power, faces filled with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prince of Zhen Nan, who had always disliked martial arts, had now risen as a genius, becoming Dali Duan’s pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu’s ten fingers spun like a kaleidoscope, sword qi crisscrossing; the Six Meridians Sword techniques grew more refined with each strike—all thanks to the divine art Gu Qing had taught him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Duan Yu, relying on the first two scrolls of the Northern Dark Divine Art, had absorbed immense internal energy; after Gu Qing taught him the Yi Jin Jing, though unaware of its name, he felt the few thousand characters were profoundly complex—his breathing, qi circulation, inhalation, exhalation, and energy transport—all channeled the vast qi into pre-dug rivers, flowing in endless cycles, achieving great mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xiaolongnu explained the cold jade bed’s benefits to Yang Guo, she said internal energy flows against the blood; when one sleeps at night, internal energy ceases to circulate, blood flows normally, scattering the stored internal energy, causing it to dissipate; lying on the cold jade bed allows continuous cultivation day and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yi Jin Jing differed greatly from all other internal arts; once perfected, it was bound to the five organs and spirit, qi contained within the meridians, naturally rising and falling with the blood’s tide, allowing Duan Yu to control his qi as effortlessly as moving his own limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Duan Yu cultivated the Yi Jin Jing and channeled his qi into emptiness, Duan Zhengming still worried about his condition and brought him to Tianlong Temple for inspection by the masters; to their astonishment, Duan Yu’s internal energy surpassed even the Withering-Florescence Master and the five Ben monks—those who could not use the Six Meridians Sword, Duan Yu mastered instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Duan Yu’s swordplay shifted and changed, sword qi crisscrossing, making Jiumo Zhi regret coming to Tianlong Temple—he felt he had brought only humiliation upon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chii-chii-chii!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu’s fingers interwove, sword qi unleashed at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi called out to halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu ceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi narrowed his eyes and launched a sudden ambush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his exchange with Duan Yu, Jiumo Zhi had realized the Six Meridians Sword was truly invincible; once distance opened, he could only be beaten. He had delayed, watching Duan Yu’s sword qi seem endless, without fatigue—so he had Duan Yu stop, then launched a sudden ambush, aiming for close combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chii!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line of fire shot swiftly, sharp and fierce, clearly visible before his eyes; Jiumo Zhi halted his step, watching the fire line appear—then fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All followed the fire’s origin and saw Gu Qing seated on a cushion; some distance ahead stood an oil lamp, now lit, its oil nearly spent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, Gu Qing had suddenly acted—flicking oil from the lamp to form a fiery line blocking Jiumo Zhi’s path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oil’s precise control, the mastery of internal energy—unimaginable…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi watched the fireline extinguish, knowing he had been utterly defeated; he turned to Gu Qing, about to speak—then froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing’s oil lamp glowed brightly, casting his shadow large behind him, fully engulfing the painting of Sakyamuni; Gu Qing sat cross-legged on the cushion, identical to the Sakyamuni behind him—Gu Qing and the Buddha echoed each other; the shadow behind him seemed to radiate the supreme power of “In heaven and earth, only I am honored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Withering-Florescence Master, the five Ben monks, Duan Zhengming—all bowed to Gu Qing in gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu was Dali’s future—he could not be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Jiumo Zhi, this looked like worshiping a Buddha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lost!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi always preserved his dignity even in defeat—but in the Muni Hall of Tianlong Temple, he had to admit: he had been outmaneuvered by Gu Qing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Jiumo Zhi, this was more painful than outright defeat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yu, give the Shaolin sect’s supreme techniques to Xuanbei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing spoke calmly, giving his order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duan Yu bowed to Gu Qing, then walked steadily to Kumārajīva’s chest and handed Xuanbei the three scriptures copied by Murong Bo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your grace is compassionate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuanbei received the secret scrolls of Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Techniques, sincerely thanked Gu Qing for his virtue, and idly flipped through two pages—seeing they were indeed Shaolin’s supreme techniques, he was filled with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is no ordinary rebel—strong measures must be taken!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Xuanbei deeply admired Gu Qing’s noble character; who among all martial artists under heaven would not desire Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Techniques? Yet Gu Qing had not even glanced at them before handing the scriptures over…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ming King…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing called him softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The old monk has been defeated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi looked at Gu Qing and the shadow behind him, where the flickering lantern light made it seem as if a Buddha had awakened in his wake, and said sincerely: “Your divine skill, Master, I deeply admire.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiumo Zhi had also learned this posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing smiled; he had tested several angles to achieve this effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2350,"2026-06-20T17:04:27.745Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a3fd5f9fd67a65fe0d1d4b29c48f1c1e9dc7aaadaf3f5731e64ae554656e6ba5","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-214","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-212",449,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliving-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-cover.jpg"]