Chapter 1008: Withered-Glory

Great Buddha Temple.

The temple's buildings stretch on, occupying more than half of Taihe Mountain.

As the sect of Southern martial arts, Great Buddha Temple has always enjoyed flourishing incense; inside and outside the towering Mahavira Hall, the scent of sandalwood and burning lamp oil lingers at all times.

In the Hou Shan, inside the monks' quarters where tourists are not allowed to enter.

A young novice monk stands trembling, holding a tray with some vegetarian snacks, and enters a meditation room: "Master... Grand-Uncle Master, Jing Shan has come to deliver the meal!"

"Come in."

Inside the meditation room, there is only an old monk with white whiskers and white eyebrows, thin as a rail, with nine incense burn scars on his head.

"Cough, cough... I, Fang Yu, have come specifically to pay a visit to the mountain!"

"The Sky Net Bureau has already sent people to observe the ceremony; the Junior Brother has registered them as ordinary pilgrims and arranged for them to stay in the guest rooms..."

He is sitting cross-legged in meditation, barely opening his eyes to look at Jing Shan, and smiles: "Why is it not Jing Yuan?"

Xu Yuan's heart cannot help but tighten.

"Haha... Grandmaster Liu is too kind with his praise."

These Fist Masters are at least forty years old; none of them like modern decorations, so they wear Zhongshan suits or long robes and mandarin jackets, holding teapots to drink tea, with several disciples standing behind them to gain some experience.

And seeing Shengxin Chanshi like this, it is naturally because he has practiced the Withered-Glory Zen Meditation and has already suffered a deviation of cultivation!

Shengxin Chanshi smiles in a weird way.

The corners of Xu Yuan's mouth twitch slightly.

Xu Yuan follows Aaron to the mountain gate of Great Buddha Temple, looking at his Master with a face full of worry.

It has been completely suppressed by the weirdness of Shengxin Chanshi, becoming the other party's vassal!

Abbot Mingxuan swallows his last breath, his ashen eyes filled with a trace of unwillingness.

He suddenly thinks that the weirdness sealed by Shengxin Chanshi possesses an extremely terrifying ability; that is...

As a holy monk of Great Buddha Temple, Shengxin Chanshi's meals are naturally incomparable to those of ordinary novices; they are all carefully prepared by the head chef, rich in nutrition, and complete in color, aroma, and taste, which even holds an indescribable temptation for the young novice.

Jing Shan sees Shengxin Chanshi's gentle and kind face, and the various fears from before instantly dissipate, even faintly feeling that the rumors are not very reliable.

Abbot Mingxuan comforts him.

The guest-welcoming monk looks and a look of realization appears on his face: "So it is Senior Fang Yu of the White Bird Fist, please!"

"Abbot Junior Nephew... how are the preparations for everything?"

In the end, he only forms a hand seal; this hand seal is like a precious vase, and it also carries a sense of perfection.

Shengxin Chanshi looks up at this Abbot of Great Buddha Temple.

Several days later.

This is the final form of the Baoping Wanman Suoxinyin!

Back then, it was with this peerless divine art at the Great Success realm that Shengxin Chanshi imprisoned an extremely terrifying and complete weirdness within his own 'heart'.

"That is Fang Yu?"

In the hall, two rows of grandmaster chairs made of rosewood are placed.

Accompanied by the guest-welcoming monk's announcement, a series of gazes sweep over.

"Amitabha... this old monk can enter Nirvana, but the imprisoned Heavenly Demons must not be released into the human world..."

Xu Yuan steps out to meet the many gazes and says neither humbly nor arrogantly: "What does Head of the Family Liu want?"

His own Master's spiritual realm has not yet broken through, yet he has sealed a weirdness and is in a quite dangerous state.

What surprises Xu Yuan is that many old Fist Masters seem to recognize his Master, with various expressions of anger, jealousy, and hatred on their faces.

"I understand."

"Amitabha, these two benefactors, the temple is not open today; those who have bought tickets can request a refund online..."

The consumptive ghost acts as if he cannot catch his breath and begins to cough violently.

The next moment, a small palm directly pierces through the golden Light of the prayer beads, reaching from behind into Abbot Mingxuan's lower abdomen, and grabs half a face out from within!

That is a middle-aged consumptive ghost with a pale face who seems to be dying at any moment, coughing every now and then.

Half an hour later, he suddenly forms seals with his hands; at first, it is the Fearless Lion Seal, symbolizing the majesty and power of the Buddha.

A guess emerges in Xu Yuan's heart, and then his ears twitch as some Secrecy conversations drift over:

Speaking of this, Shengxin Chanshi sighs again: "The Colorless Concentration is ultimately just the ultimate of mortals... the higher Arhat Concentration, Bodhisattva Concentration... and even Buddha... in the end, it is all just emptiness, a dream-like flower in the void!"

According to the scriptures, the evil body cultivated by the 'Withered-Glory Zen Meditation' is not a person at all, but rather closer to—a weird!

"It is indeed I!"

As soon as these words are spoken, the expressions of the surrounding Fist Masters change slightly.

The middle-aged Abbot 'Mingxuan' puts his palms together and says: "Presumably, even if some mishap occurs at the empowerment ceremony, it will be enough to suppress it."

According to the rules of the Jianghu, for such a challenge, either Xu Yuan beats the Liu family into complete submission and they retreat three steps whenever they see him from now on, or... he must lose his life there!

Shengxin Chanshi puts his palms together and silently recites scriptures.

"Please rest assured, Uncle Master... this time the temple has invited the Sky Net Bureau and a number of fellow martial artists to observe the ceremony, precisely to prevent danger. Junior Brother Mingyin has cultivated the Colorless Concentration before the age of thirty and has practiced the Lock-Heart Seal to the Small Success realm; he should not let that Heavenly Demon have a chance to escape... Even if Mingyin fails, there are Mingxuan and Mingde in reserve... plus the Artifact inherited by our temple, nothing major should happen."

"If he hadn't gone into seclusion early, I'm afraid he would have been beaten to death long ago!"

But looking at the man and woman following him, they are vigorous and full of energy, with traces of Through-the-Back Fist on them.

Shengxin Chanshi loudly proclaims a Buddha name.

This finger is caught by Jing Shan and thrown to the half-face.

He carefully finishes the snacks, bows again, and only then takes his leave, gently closing the door of the meditation room.

Master... this doesn't look like someone who only has a few months to live.

If a practitioner's good body can use supreme wisdom and supreme concentration to suppress the evil body, they can naturally suppress the weirdness completely, and even conversely absorb the power of the weirdness to possess supreme Dharma Power.

At this time, this consumptive ghost speaks.

……

Only with such cultivation can one be honorifically addressed as a "Grandmaster"!

But having lived until now, he had ultimately reached the limit of a mortal's lifespan.

Aaron took the opportunity to pick a chair in the corner to sit on, crossed his legs, and drank tea, while saying to Xu Yuan: "Disciple... that consumptive ghost is the current Head of the Family of the Liu clan—Liu Yihang! It is said that his fist technique cultivation is infinitely close to that of a Grandmaster; you must be careful..."

"Don't rush, eat slowly..."

"Fist Master Fang of the White Bird Fist has arrived!"

Jing Shan did not know what gatha this Chanshi was speaking, but nodding was always the right thing to do.

At this moment, Liu Yihang finally smoothed his breath, not wanting to look at the pitfall that was Fang Yu, and turned to look at Xu Yuan: "You are the Xu Yuan who beat Liu Qing and Liu Bai to death?"

Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and as he struggled to turn around, he saw Jing Shan, who was innocently sucking on his finger!

"In the past, the Buddha cut his flesh to feed the eagle; today, those who eat my flesh are all my Heavenly Demons!"

Of course, these were all minor details.

"Then this Junior Nephew will take his leave." Seeing this, Ming Xuan could not help but feel relieved, and was about to take his leave.

"Master... are you really alright?"

Shengxin Chanshi smiled and pointed at his vegetarian snacks: "You must be a martial monk of this temple; there are traces of practicing Arhat Fist on your body. Practicing this set of fist techniques requires daily wood-chopping and water-carrying to polish the muscles and bones. Over time, traces will inevitably be left on the shoulders and elbows."

"Yes, yes, you are as vigorous as a dragon and as fierce as a tiger..."

But this time, it was clearly different.

"This kid was a flirtatious playboy back in the day, chasing after flowers and grass... I don't know how many times he was hunted down by various lineages, but he ended up still jumping around, and instead, he angered and outlived several old Fist Masters; he is truly an anomaly..."

……

"Reporting to Great Uncle-Master Shengxin, Senior Brother Jingyuan has been unwell for the past two days, which is why I am here to serve you, Great Uncle-Master."

'Could it be that my White Bird Fist had a glorious period in Master's hands? Could these enemies of Master all be his defeated opponents?'

Aaron replied without ceremony: "This old man has had no hope of becoming a Grandmaster in his entire life, but in my twilight years, this disciple of mine has made a breakthrough; it can truly comfort my ancestors... I wonder how your aunt is doing now? Is she in good health?"

"Indeed, who doesn't know that the Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters of various sects are the exclusive property of the Great Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers? He, an outsider—he, an outsider... actually plucked their hearts with such ease; it infuriates this old man!"

Thinking of his Master's performance along the way, Xu Yuan expressed doubt about his own guess.

Speaking to the end, Ming Xuan had already assumed the posture of a lion's roar, issuing a head-on blow!

"Good... worthy of being young and frivolous! My Liu family will sweep the couch and wait!"

Ming Xuan was startled.

The so-called "empowerment" is a unique ritual in Buddhism, signifying the handover of inheritance, power, and so on.

"The invitations have all been sent out, and most of the southern fist lineages have accepted. Many experts of the Through-Back Fist, Five Elements Fist, and Iron Wire Fist have already arrived..."

Or had he already given up on himself?

Aaron went forward on his own and arrived at the main gate of the Great Buddha Temple.

In the confrontation of the Weird, Ming Xuan was in a state of total defeat!

"What?"

Inside the meditation room, more chewing sounds arose...

The door of the meditation room was opened again, and a monk wearing a bright red Demon-Subduing Kasaya walked in, performing a salute first: "Great Uncle-Master Shengxin!"

It is even more terrifying than the Weird revival, because the Evil Body possesses human intelligence, not the kind of Weird that acts according to certain laws!

Shengxin's eyes were warm and moist, looking kindly at the little novice monk, and he continued: "Your Arhat Fist already has three parts of heat, but if you want to achieve something, the literary work of daily meditation and scripture recitation cannot be left behind... Reading the 'Diamond Prajna Sutra' more often will be of great benefit to your future Zen meditation practice... I observe that your aptitude is not bad; if you persevere, perhaps you can enter the 'Formless Concentration' before the age of thirty..."

——The Treasure Vase Seal!

Two rows of martial monks holding sticks stood guard in layers, and a guest-welcoming monk stepped forward and saluted.

"Withered-Prosperous Zen Concentration, the body divided into two, one withered and one prosperous, one good and one evil..." A string of golden Buddhist beads appeared in Ming Xuan's hand, spinning rapidly and emitting golden Light: "Great Uncle-Master is the Good Body; you realized that this method is difficult to succeed and did not want the living beings of this temple to be plunged into misery and suffering, which is why you told me the Secrecy... but I do not know where your Evil Body has gone?"

Ming Xuan could serve as the abbot of the Great Buddha Temple, so he was naturally also a Grandmaster, and had perfectly imprisoned a Weird!

But at this moment, this half of the Weird face seemed dead, grabbed by a small palm.

Before the empowerment ceremony.

The Great Buddha Temple at night became even more tranquil...

Xu Yuan followed Aaron and was invited to a side hall.

Heavenly Demons is a Buddhist term; in reality, they are the Weird!

And Shengxin Chanshi's empowerment was naturally to select a monk with profound Buddhist Dharma and deep spiritual cultivation to replace himself in sealing that Weird!

This technique combines Zen and martial arts; only a Grandmaster can attempt to practice it. It has completely surpassed the "Formless Concentration" of mortals and is the Arhat Concentration!

It is rumored that those who succeed can conversely absorb the power of the Weird, and even extend their own lifespan, becoming an Arhat in the world!

"In this way, this old monk can also leave with peace of mind..." Shengxin Chanshi smiled, with the radiance of a Great Awakened One, and closed his eyes.

But if the Evil Body gains the upper hand, then it is—the most thorough Weird revival!

"Junior Nephew, wait!" Just at this moment, various expressions of hesitation, struggle, and indecision appeared on Shengxin Chanshi's face, yet he still spoke firmly: "Throughout the ages, only death is difficult... This old monk, when the time comes, always has unwillingness. I previously attempted to practice the Withered-Prosperous Zen Concentration, hoping to advance to the Arhat Concentration and absorb the power of that Heavenly Demon to extend my own lifespan!"

"Yan Wuxu once wanted to guarantee for the Liu family, but he is already dead..."

On the chairs sat the Fist Masters of the various southern lineages.

Aaron rolled his eyes: "This old man's body is sturdy; I can still fight for another eight hundred rounds..."

Buddhism emphasizes the Great Hand Seal, believing that one can communicate with the mind through hand seals and eventually cultivate to become a Buddha.

"Ying'er, go tell your Senior and Junior Sisters to stay away from that old guy, and his disciple is probably not a good thing either... If you don't want your fiancée to run off with someone, then pay attention!"

In Shengxin Chanshi's hands, various hand seals representing the Supreme achievements of the Great Buddha Temple appeared one after another, as if he were just picking them up.

"My Evil Body, didn't the Abbot just see it?"

"Great Uncle-Master has eyes like torches!" Jing Shan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, took a piece of snack, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Aaron took out a gold-stamped invitation.

"Cough, cough... of course I, this old man, wish to value harmony above all..." Liu Yihang coughed after every sentence, gasping for breath: "After all... every life-and-death struggle for us Grandmasters consumes our lifespan... Is there anything in this world more precious than life? What do you think of the suggestion I entrusted young friend Yan, the Zombie Fist, to pass on to you?"

This Grand-Uncle Master is clearly a very kind person!

"Very well, but I haven't been fond of eating lately... You should eat these."

'Master... when you were young, exactly how many Fist Sect true seeds did you cuckold?'

"Old Fist Master Fang, your disciple is truly better than his teacher!"

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes: "On the day I entered the sect, Master told me that the Taoism of Wu lies in one horizontal stroke and one vertical stroke; the winner stands, the loser lies down. The fist is power, and everything is just that simple... After this Dharma assembly, I will visit the Liu family in person! The past grievances must finally be settled!"

What truly made his hair stand on end was a gaze coming from the very first seat on the right.

"Cough, cough..."

Withered-Prosperous Zen Meditation is a Secret Transmission of the Great Buddha Temple, an extremely Weird profound art!

Shengxin Chanshi revealed a look of compassion and snapped off one of his own fingers.

The Weird face on one side chewed the finger with a large mouth, then suddenly opened both eyes!

Liu Yihang cupped his fists and performed a salute.

At this moment, another group was invited into the hall; it was none other than Zhuge Shan, followed by Su Bingbing, who was carrying a Red Tassel Spear!

After the people from the Sky Net Bureau were also seated, a middle-aged monk draped in a bright red monk's robe walked out: "Amitabha, Mingxuan welcomes everyone to our humble temple to attend the empowerment ceremony of Uncle Master Shengxin..."

(End of this chapter)