Chapter 280: The Shaolin Damo Shadow Wall

"The 'Eastern Depot Grand Overseer' Cao Zhengchun has been killed by the 'First Heavenly Venerable' Yu Liancheng."

On this day, no one knew how many carrier pigeons flew out, nor how many fast horses were run to death.

With the Capital as the center, this news was blasted out to the entire world.

When this news spread, it was like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky; whether in the martial arts world or the Imperial Court, all were shaken and in an uproar.

The prestige of the "First Heavenly Venerable" Yu Liancheng, following his integration of the Demon Sect, once again resounded throughout the world, and this time it was even more sensational than the last.

Although the Demon Sect was one of the Eight Great Sects of the martial arts world, it had long since declined, its experts withered away.

Moreover, when Yu Liancheng had originally charged into the Demon Sect's main altar alone, apart from the people of the Demon Sect, no one else had seen it. Even though he had struck a few times since then, not many people had truly witnessed him in action.

Yet this time, under the eyes of the multitude, he had single-handedly shattered the Eastern Depot.

That Cao Zhengchun possessed a deep "Tiangang Childish Skill" with fifty years of cultivation; among the world's experts, those who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him could be counted on one's fingers, yet he had been pierced through the chest by a single punch from Yu Liancheng.

The Five Poisons of Xiangxi, the Yin Yang Ghost Child, the couple Luo Jusheng and his wife, and others were all world-renowned figures, yet they had all met their deaths one after another. As for the usually arrogant and overbearing Eastern Depot agents, their casualties in this battle were heavy and beyond count.

What was even more terrifying was that this earth-shattering feat had actually taken place within the Capital.

Even when the "Invincible Playful Child" was at his most rampant, he had not dared to act so brazenly, simply treating the Imperial Court as if it were nothing.

After this battle, the prestige of the "First Heavenly Venerable" could be said to be peerless in the contemporary era, his demonic might overwhelming the world. He already showed a tendency to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the "Iron-Clad Divine Marquis" and rank among the world's top experts.

And since Cao Zhengchun was the Grand Overseer of the Eastern Depot and an official of the Imperial Court, now that he had been killed in broad daylight, the Imperial Court would naturally not let the matter rest.

The arrest warrant for Yu Liancheng had been posted all over the country; whoever could capture this thief would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold.

But anyone with even a little bit of discernment could see that the Imperial Court was all thunder and no rain, merely going through the motions and not truly exerting its full strength to pursue him.

This was not difficult to guess.

That Yu Liancheng's martial arts were too high; if he were truly provoked to anger, it was not impossible for him to come and assassinate the Emperor.

Even if they could truly capture and kill him, the Imperial Court would likely have to pay an unimaginably heavy price; it was better to give both sides a way out.

Amidst the clamorous rumors, Yu Liancheng had already set foot within the borders of Henan and arrived at the foot of the Shaolin Temple on Songshan.

Looking up, one could vaguely see rows of pagodas. A burst of ethereal Buddhist chanting was carried into his ears by the breeze, as if a great Buddha were chanting in a low voice, awakening the obsession of the world.

The mountain path wound its way up; watching the pilgrims who kowtowed every three steps and bowed every five, Yu Liancheng sighed lightly. The last time he came to Songshan was indeed the last time.

Now that time had flowed on and things had changed, apart from his martial arts being higher, he seemed not to have changed in the slightest.

"Flowers bloom and flowers fall, through a thousand years and all shapes, I am still my own self."

Yu Liancheng shook his head, unfolded his movement technique, and in an instant turned into a streak of light, passing through the mountain gate and entering the Shaolin Temple before long.

His lightness skill was peerless and exquisite, difficult for the naked eye of an ordinary person to capture, and coupled with the faint spiritual power lingering around his body, even if he swept past ordinary monks, they would never notice, thinking only that it was a wisp of ethereal breeze.

Soon, Yu Liancheng turned past the Buddha hall, the main hall, and the corridors, arriving at the Back Mountain Pagoda Forest, which was the burial place of the successive patriarchs of Shaolin.

Pagodas stood in the forest; these high monks of Shaolin were all figures who had been famous throughout the world during their lifetimes, and after death, they did not occupy more than a foot of space. Zen sounds were constant, and fallen leaves were scattered. No matter who arrived here, they could not help but naturally give rise to a feeling of severing worldly ties and being placed outside the mundane world.

Yu Liancheng's previously slightly restless heart had calmed down unknowingly, and recalling the more than half a year he had spent surveying the Seventy-Two Unique Skills, he suddenly felt a sense of melancholy.

However, this emotion came quickly and went just as quickly.

He bowed slightly toward the Pagoda Forest, then unfolded his movement technique again, ethereal and traceless, though before leaving, his gaze looked toward a certain direction.

After Yu Liancheng had disappeared for a while, two monks with white beards and white hair were seen walking out from the direction Yu Liancheng had previously looked.

They wore blue monk robes, their brows carried a look of compassion, and their eyebrows were white; both had the appearance of enlightened high monks, only one was more burly in stature, while the other was shorter.

If one were to discuss the ten great experts of the current age, these two monks would certainly be able to rank among them.

They were precisely Abbot Liaokong and Master Liaojie of the Shaolin Three Liaos.

Liaokong was the abbot of Shaolin, a figure like the North Star of the martial arts world; whether in Buddhist dharma or martial arts, he was among the very top handful of people in the world.

As for Master Liaojie, he was the head of the Shaolin Three Liaos, a world-renowned Zen Divine Monk. Had he not been devoted to cultivating Buddhism, this position of abbot would have been his without question.

Abbot Liaokong pressed his palms together and said, "Senior Brother, that person must be the rumored 'First Heavenly Venerable' Yu Liancheng."

"Not bad, it should be him. This person's name resounds throughout the world; even an outsider like this old monk has heard his name." A faint, peaceful smile remained on Liaojie's face, making anyone who saw him immediately extinguish all restlessness.

Liaokong hesitated for a moment and said, "Looking at the route he is taking, it seems he wants to go to the Damo Cave. That is our sect's forbidden ground; should we step in to stop him?"

"Donor Yu deliberately increased his footsteps, which means he wanted us brothers to discover him. He is not acting as a malicious guest, so how can we, the hosts, be impolite?"

Liaojie first shook his head, then sighed lightly and said, "Moreover, even the Eastern Depot could not stop this First Heavenly Venerable, let alone our Shaolin Temple?"

Abbot Liaofan gave a bitter laugh: "Senior Brother, you are indeed carefree, but I am the abbot of this temple. Now that someone has trespassed into the Shaolin forbidden ground and I cannot stop them, what face will I have to see the patriarchs of the past in the future?"

Master Liaojie smiled and said, "Since that is the case, Junior Brother, you should kowtow to the ancestors. I imagine they can also understand your predicament."

Abbot Liaofan sighed and said, "There is nothing else for it."

After the words were spoken, Abbot Liaofan took two steps forward, knelt down with a "thump," and kowtowed nine times toward the Pagoda Forest, saying piously: "Patriarchs of the past, the Demon Sect Heavenly Venerable has broken into the Damo forbidden ground. This disciple is powerless to stop him and is extremely ashamed; I can only allow him to view the Shadow Wall, and I hope the patriarchs will forgive me."

Having finished, he kowtowed three more heavy times.

At this moment, he did not look like the steady and composed abbot of Shaolin, but rather like a little novice who spent his days chanting and praying to Buddha but had accidentally made a mistake.

Master Liaojie also bowed three times and smiled, "I hope that 'First Heavenly Venerable' can comprehend something from the Shadow Wall, otherwise your kowtowing, Junior Brother, will have been in vain."

Abbot Liaofan had already stood up and said crossly, "If you hadn't deliberately lost to me during the martial arts and Zen debate back then, this burden should have been yours to carry, Senior Brother."

Master Liaojie laughed heartily: "You're wrong, it's because Junior Brother's Buddhist dharma is profound and your martial arts are exquisite; this senior brother could never compare to you."

Damo Cave.

Legend has it that Damo Patriarch once faced the wall here for several years, meditating on Zen and the Dao. After he left seclusion, he created the Seventy-Two Unique Skills and widely accepted disciples, eventually founding the thousand-year glory of Shaolin.

And because he was too focused during his meditation, day after day, he actually left an imprint of his shadow on the stone wall, from which one could vaguely see his peerless demeanor.

Since the inheritance of the Shaolin Temple to this day, the number of people who have viewed the Shadow Wall is countless, among whom there was no lack of virtuous high monks, but most returned without success.

Yet it is said that there were a few high monks who attained enlightenment overnight, received the true teachings of Damo Patriarch, and became Divine Monks who shook the world for a time.

Of course, this legend naturally could not avoid having exaggerated parts.

Yu Liancheng had practiced the Seventy-Two Unique Skills; he naturally understood that the Shaolin unique arts were not created by one person, and that each one had been perfected and repaired of its flaws by generations of high monks, only finally becoming an unbreakable technique.

But this Shadow Wall is not fake.

When Yu Liancheng arrived in this Damo Cave, he indeed saw a shadow on a stone wall, clearly visible, yet it gave one a very blurred feeling.

Even with Yu Liancheng's keen eyesight, he was unable to see the details within this shadow, as if it were isolated in another layer of space.

Yu Liancheng's eyes narrowed, divine light flowing, and as he circulated the authentic Shaolin Dharma Internal Skill, the shadow seemed to become slightly clearer.

He observed for a moment, his heart seemingly pulled by some mysterious force, and he walked forward two steps to touch the shadow on the stone wall with his hand.

The stone wall transmitted a hard, solid sensation, and at the same time, an indescribable profundity surged up, as if a principle were flowing endlessly in his heart, forming a school of its own.

"This Shadow Wall indeed hides a profound mystery, but it is by no means easy to comprehend."

Yu Liancheng sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed on the Shadow Wall.

Although the traces of this Shadow Wall were faint and blurred, they were incomparably real.

He looked carefully for a long while, but without the slightest enlightenment, he simply closed his eyes, recalling the state of mind he had when studying martial arts in the Cangjingge.

At that time, his mind was completely immersed in Buddhist martial arts, forgetting both himself and the world, while his Buddhist cultivation was also progressing rapidly.

Soon, Yu Liancheng opened his eyes, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes, with compassion hidden deep within, looking at the stone wall, a flash in his gaze. It seemed that at this moment he had understood many things, yet it also seemed as if he had understood nothing at all.

……

Outside the cave, the mountain wind brushed past, white clouds drifting leisurely, moving according to a natural, inherent pattern.

Inside the Damo Cave, however, there was an indescribable tranquility, forming a world of its own, isolating all the troubles and clamor of the mortal world. But this tranquility also carried a loneliness and solitude that seeped into the marrow.

For an ordinary person, in such an environment, perhaps after staying for two or three days, they would collapse.

Yet Damo stayed for many years, from which one can imagine how remarkable this patriarch's Zen meditation skills were.

From the moment Yu Liancheng arrived at the Damo Cave, he had been sitting here for a full fifteen days.

He had long since opened the Heaven and Earth Two Bridges, the internal and external heaven and earth interacting, and with every breath, he could absorb the essence of heaven and earth; even if he had not reached the realm of "those who consume Qi are divine and long-lived," he was not far off. Furthermore, with his vigorous Qi and Blood and powerful physical body, even if he sat still for another fifteen days, it would be of no great consequence.

At the same time, in the forest, a pair of deep eyes were firmly watching Yu Liancheng.

The owner of these eyes was none other than Master Liaojie, the head of the Shaolin Three Liaos.

Yu Liancheng had been observing the Shadow Wall here for fifteen days, and Master Liaojie had guarded Yu Liancheng here for fifteen days.

Yu Liancheng was, after all, a Great Demon who shook the world; how could Master Liaojie be at ease?

If the other party, unable to comprehend the secret of the Shadow Wall, were to become angry from embarrassment and destroy the Shadow Wall, it would be too late for regrets.

But what shocked Master Liaojie was that Yu Liancheng had gained enlightenment so quickly.

One must know that among the high monks of Shaolin through the ages, to gain insight from the Shadow Wall, one must not only have high-level martial arts but also deep Buddhist cultivation.

Could it be that this Donor Yu, despite his seemingly monstrous demonic power, had a Buddha heart hidden deep within?

Yu Liancheng had not only gained enlightenment but had also entered a mysterious and indescribable, wonderful realm.

This profound realm is something that, for any expert, is something to be encountered by chance but not sought, a heaven-sent opportunity.

But this opportunity also represented a heaven-sent danger.

Just like now, Master Liaojie only needed a light palm strike to end the other party's life. He naturally would not do so, but he could not imagine why the other party would trust him so much, or perhaps he still had other means?

Hum!

Just at this moment, a grand, majestic energy permeated the air, Buddhist chants singing clearly, as if a Buddha had descended into the world, surging in all directions like a tide.

And the center of this energy was, surprisingly, Yu Liancheng.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is."

Yu Liancheng's eyes were already open, smiling as he held a flower, his eyes calm and unruffled, yet carrying a different kind of compassion, as if looking down at all living beings from the Divine Palace.

Even with Buddhist Dharma as profound as Master Liaojie's, at this moment, he could not help but feel a sense of reverence toward him. But then, realizing something was wrong, he hurriedly gathered his mind.

Yu Liancheng had already walked out of the Damo Cave, his footsteps not stopping; every step he took seemed slow in speed, yet it was as if he were chasing the wind and lightning.

In an instant, he had arrived before another giant rock. He flicked a finger, thrusting it out like a sword, splitting the clouds and mist, layers of stone powder falling down with a rustle.

Between the Iron strokes and Silver Hooks, characters that were heavy as ten thousand jun and precarious as a mountain appeared.

"These three hundred-plus characters contain my summary of Buddhist martial arts to date; if there is a person with affinity, it is not impossible for them to derive their own martial arts from them."

Before long, Yu Liancheng lowered his sleeves, looking at the three hundred-plus characters on the giant rock, muttering to himself.

During the fifteen days he spent observing the Shadow Wall, he had gained huge benefits. Especially at that very moment, inspiration struck, breaking through the cage and shackles, comprehending unprecedented principles, and both body and mind seemed to have gained a huge liberation.

"Master Liaojie, you are the number one Divine Monk of the present age; why not come and see if these three hundred-plus characters of mine are worth the price of a glimpse at the Shadow Wall."

Suddenly, Yu Liancheng's gaze shifted, smiling as he looked at where Liaojie was hiding.