Chapter 397: Buddha, I Alone Supreme

This old man really knows how to hide.

Looking at the drunken, blurry-eyed Jing Shuhu, Li Yuan silently scoffed—he suspected that if he hadn't become a Divine Artisan, this old man would never have revealed his secrets.

"Let's talk inside."

Jing Shuhu burped out a gust of alcohol, drunk in body but clear in mind—he was far too cautious when it came to the secrets of forging weapons.

"Fine."

Li Yuan casually slung Old Lei's body into the room; he was deeply curious about the next steps of forging art, and had many theories.

From the former owner of the Mysterious Whale Hammer—could it be the Nourishing Weapons Scripture?

"Hmm, this is our forging lineage's most guarded secret. I can teach it to you, but you must never reveal it to outsiders!"

Jing Shuhu's expression turned grave.

"Disciple always keeps his mouth shut."

Li Yuan naturally agreed without hesitation—he wasn't afraid to exchange martial arts knowledge with others, but once he gave his word, he would never betray it.

For example, Lin Tingfeng had begged him for the forging art a hundred times, at least, and he'd never revealed a single detail.

"Hmm."

Jing Shuhu naturally trusted him; after a brief pause, he dispelled the alcohol fumes clinging to his body.

With a soft *whoosh*, the alcohol vapor scattered—and the little mouse in the corner let out a tiny *burp* and collapsed.

"..."

Why not expel the stench outside, Li Yuan thought, suppressing the urge to open the window; he shifted his breathing to internal respiration—a technique called "Turtle Breathing."

One of many martial arts he'd exchanged for in the Scripture Tower, now perfected—he could sustain internal breathing for extended periods.

"Anjing Patriarch was an unparalleled genius of our Divine Weapon Valley. At the founding of the Great Yun Empire, he stood against all opposition to join the Yun side—and ultimately received the reward of a provincial fief…"

As always, when transmitting teachings, one must first recount lineage and the founder's origins; Li Yuan listened intently.

"Anjing Patriarch traveled the mountains and gained enlightenment at our Divine Weapon Mountain. The Mysterious Whale Hammer was but a myth—what he truly obtained was the 'Art of Forging and Refining Treasures.'"

"Forging and Refining Treasures?"

Li Yuan froze—he'd assumed it would be the Nourishing Weapons Scripture.

"To forge is to combine the properties of various metals into weapons. To refine treasures requires mastering forging to its peak as one of its prerequisites."

Jing Shuhu whispered the words.

Mastering forging was only one condition?

Li Yuan's heart stirred: "What are the others?"

"Spirit Form."

"Spirit Form?"

Li Yuan was taken aback—this requirement was impossibly high.

Only upon entering the Dao could one form a Spirit Form—meaning one needed to be at least a Master-level Pretender to Divine Artisan to even begin this Refining Art.

He ran through the names in his mind—and could recall only a handful of such people…

"Yes, Spirit Form."

Jing Shuhu sighed: "This Refining Art has been passed down through generations, but few have ever practiced it. How many of our Divine Weapon Valley's Patriarchs ever achieved a Spirit Form?"

Not one in the past seven hundred years.

"With your talent and Master Fulong's guidance, you should be able to master this Refining Art."

Jing Shuhu whispered:

"This Refining Art is never written down. It is passed only from one Forge Master Elder to the next. Memorize it carefully."

"Yes."

Li Yuan's spirit sharpened; he switched his palm control combination—his memory was flawless, whether seen or heard.

"Forging art uses various methods to combine the properties of different metals into weapons. But Refining Art…"

Jing Shuhu whispered:

"The core of Refining Art is Divine Patterns."

"Divine Patterns?"

Li Yuan's mind stirred—he'd heard the term before. When the Divine Fire Forging Platform activated, he'd received fragmented information that mentioned them.

It had spoken of Divine Patterns.

"Refining Art teaches: man is a microcosm; the cosmos is the macrocosm. The Divine Patterns hidden within celestial treasures resemble human meridians and spirit."

"Using forging as the method and Spirit Form as the medium, one extracts these Divine Patterns from celestial treasures, arranges them into arrays, and transforms the mundane into the miraculous—forging divine weapons…"

"Here is the overarching doctrine of Refining Art. Memorize it first!"

…

Tens of thousands of words.

Jing Shuhu spoke for half the night, reciting it all in one breath; Li Yuan listened intently, silently memorizing.

He realized this Refining Art was profoundly intricate—it involved forging, visualization, breathing, various Spirit Form techniques, and even cultivating a "Fire Seed."

This Fire Seed was no ordinary flame—it took root within the Spirit Form, used to strip and smelt the Divine Patterns within celestial treasures.

Even more complex was the "Combination of Divine Patterns."

Different combinations produced entirely different divine weapons…

"Refining Art records three hundred thirty-nine Divine Patterns and thirteen combinations. According to Anjing Patriarch, these were left behind by the former owner of the Mysterious Weapon Hammer…"

Jing Shuhu's throat was parched, his true qi heavily depleted.

Li Yuan poured him tea and asked about the terminology.

In any martial art, the hardest part is the jargon—without a master's guidance, self-study would be agonizing.

Jing Shuhu answered every question without hesitation, speaking until dawn.

"Yawn!"

A voice came from the next room—Lei Jingchuan.

Jing Shuhu paused: "That's enough for now. I'll come every three days to instruct you. Within half a year, you should have it memorized."

*I've already memorized it…*

Li Yuan didn't speak aloud, only bowed in thanks—he still needed clarification on many terms, especially the types of Divine Patterns.

"Go back. I'll rest a bit, then pay my respects to Master Fulong…"

Jing Shuhu yawned too—he was tired.

"Disciple takes his leave."

Li Yuan stepped out, slowly digesting everything.

"Divine Patterns…"

As Li Yuan murmured the words, he suddenly felt something and turned back.

At the mountain gate arch, clouds spread in layers—a white tiger shadow surged skyward like a hurricane, letting out a roar that shook the entire city, stirring chaos everywhere.

"Another expert arrived?"

Li Yuan walked to the cliff's edge, gazing far off—wind howled, the tiger's roar thundered; many had been startled and rushed toward the gate.

"Which sect is this?"

Curious, Li Yuan joined the crowd.

In the past year before and after the preliminary selection, countless sects had come to Hengshan City—but only a few had triggered changes at the mountain gate arch.

After Pei Jiu, there had been only two: ten days ago, Yan Jiugong, the First Disciple of Sanmei Cave Truth; and before that, the former Martial Tournament Champion, Zhongli Luan.

This was the fourth.

Li Yuan's eyesight was sharp—he didn't get too close, but already saw a group of warrior monks outside the arch.

They wore neat, uniform monk robes.

"Is this the Heart-Mind Sect?"

Li Yuan's gaze sharpened.

The Heart-Mind Sect wasn't among the Five Great Dao Sects, but its power rivaled theirs—they were unofficially called the Sixth Dao Sect.

His mind turned, and he spotted the one who had summoned the white tiger.

A tall, broad monk, thick and round—not muscular, but plump and prosperous, with an unmistakably rotund appearance.

His loose golden warrior monk robe was stretched taut by his bulk.

"Good fortune, good fortune!"

Li Yuan heard a booming voice—then a flash of swordlight landed. Nie Xianshan appeared before the gate, glancing at Li Yuan as he touched down.

*Figures—I've been drafted again. *

Li Yuan shrugged and stepped forward to greet him.

He was deeply interested in the Heart-Mind Sect—mainly because it was the only sect that worshipped a deity, with extraordinarily vibrant incense offerings; its home, Leiyin Province, was called the Buddha's Pure Land.

But the Heart-Mind Sect didn't worship any deity listed on the Great Yun Divine Roster—it worshipped the "Buddha Lord," a figure without physical form in their doctrine.

Their sect's supreme martial art, the "Buddha I Alone Supreme Art," ranked among the very top martial arts in the world.

"Master Dading!"

Nie Xianshan's voice rang out as Li Yuan hurried forward.

The old Daoist bowed from afar: "Forgive my tardy greeting, Venerable Master."

Master Dading!

Another Divine Roster Grandmaster—Li Yuan bowed along, his peripheral vision catching the monk: he looked plump and youthful, his skin as white and lustrous as jade, with veins and meridians faintly visible beneath his skin.

'So pale.'

Li Yuan muttered to himself.

'It is this old monk who has intruded.'

The Great Ding Chan Master smiled and bowed to Nie Xianshan.

His eyes were small, his earlobes large; from afar, he bore the look of the great Buddha enshrined in temples. On him, Li Yuan sensed a heavy scent of incense.

Yet upon sensing further, it felt hazy, as if veiled by mist.

'He carries much incense, and also... a supreme divine weapon...'

With the Divine Realm between them, Li Yuan could not see the weapon's glow, but he faintly sensed something.

'Is this young friend Li Yuan?'

The Great Ding Chan Master turned his gaze toward him. Li Yuan felt his heart sink—this old monk's gaze carried actual weight. He quickly bowed:

'Li Yuan, pays homage to Great Ding Chan Master.'

'Li Yuan? The Dragon Tiger Temple has an heir! The Dragon Dao Master has an heir!'

The Great Ding Chan Master stared several times longer before Nie Xianshan stepped between them, then turned to introduce:

'This is my disciple, Leokong.'

'This humble monk Leokong, bows to Master Nie.'

The large monk beneath the archway bowed respectfully.

'Excellent physique. Excellent martial skill.'

Nie Xianshan praised him effusively—and sincerely.

Li Yuan glanced a few times. The fat monk appeared soft with excess flesh, yet beneath it was lean, powerful muscle—his appearance seemed the result of some peculiar martial art.

'Master Nie is too kind.'

The Great Ding Chan Master smiled slightly and inquired after the Dragon Dao Master.

'To be frank, Chan Master, the Dao Master and Brother Long are currently refining a spiritual elixir in the back mountains and cannot spare the time. Had it been otherwise, they would have come to greet you personally.'

Nie Xianshan apologized.

'Nonsense, nonsense.'

The Great Ding Chan Master chuckled: 'This old monk has come merely to accompany the younger generation on a tour of the city's sights. How could I dare trouble you all to welcome me?'

'What manner of person is the Chan Master...'

The two elders exchanged formal bows at the mountain gate, exchanging pleasantries.

Li Yuan did not join in. He observed the monks of the Heart Doctrine, noticing each carried traces of incense.

Especially the fat monk, Leokong.

In his eyes, the fat monk glowed faintly golden—seventh-rank incense.

'Chan Master, please.'

After much polite exchange, Nie Xianshan walked side by side with the Great Ding Chan Master into the mountain.

Li Yuan lagged a few steps behind when suddenly a deep voice resonated in his mind:

'Young friend, you have great karmic ties to the Buddha!'