Chapter 404: Esoteric golden needles; ordinary martial artists lose their ability to act upon being struck

"Benefactor, this poor monk will keep your words in mind."

After Master Kucheng finished speaking, he turned and headed toward the room.

Seeing this, Su Hang also felt relieved; he knew that Abbot Abbot Kudu had ultimately chosen to trust him.

Abbot Abbot Kudu had left, but the remaining men in black dared not act recklessly. They could be detrimental to the Shaolin Sect and others, but they had no qualifications to act against this master.

"Everyone!" At this moment, Master Kucheng's voice came over.

The middle-aged men in black all turned to look. Master Kucheng had already left, and they had missed the critical moment, so they could only return to the Demonic Sect to report.

Master Kucheng stood in place, hands behind his back, looking at the few disciples who had rushed over from the Shaolin Sect, and said in a deep voice, "Why have you come here? Return to your respective posts; if there is any further disobedience, you will be severely punished!"

"Abbot, you..." The leader, Kong Dugu Jian, widened his eyes upon hearing this, looking incredulous.

"Step down!" Master Kucheng frowned and growled, the sound like a thunderclap.

Kong Dugu Jian and the others trembled, hurriedly bowed in acknowledgment, and then slunk away.

"You all step down as well," Master Kucheng instructed the surrounding Shaolin disciples.

The disciples did not understand why Master Kucheng had suddenly changed his attitude, but they still executed Master Kucheng's order and all withdrew.

However, the Bright Cult had sent out a signal for the Shaolin disciples to go there, so they had no choice but to proceed.

Soon, the inn became quiet. Master Kucheng and Su Hang looked at each other from afar, their eyes meeting as if they could read a lot of information from each other's gaze.

Soon, the Shaolin disciples arrived at the Bright Cult, and they were greeted by Zhang Zhang Wuji, Yin Tianzheng, and others.

The Bright Cult and the Shaolin Temple had never had much enmity, and Zhang Zhang Wuji was the most outstanding prodigy of the Bright Cult. Coupled with the fact that the Bright Cult and Shaolin were already on friendly terms, all of this prompted the Shaolin Sect to come here.

"Amitabha!" Master Kucheng put his hands together and chanted a Buddhist name.

Zhang Zhang Wuji and the others hurriedly returned the salute; they were quite in awe of Master Kucheng.

"Master Master Kucheng, thank you for your hard work in coming from afar!" Yin Tianzheng said politely.

Master Kucheng shook his head. "Amitabha, this old monk came here this time because I saw the signal."

"Master Master Kucheng, at present, the Demonic Sect is powerful. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we joined forces to fight the enemy?" At this time, the elders of the Bright Cult began to suggest one after another. They were all martial arts fanatics, and fighting and brawling were simply a daily routine for them...

Master Kucheng shook his head. "This poor monk's cultivation is shallow; I'm afraid I am no match for the people of the Demonic Sect."

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this; these words were truly humble.

"Master Master Kucheng, you also know that these Demonic Sect thieves are extremely cunning. If they escape, there will be endless trouble," Yin Tianzheng reminded him.

Master Kucheng nodded, also deeply aware of the Demonic Sect's treachery. "This person's strength is high; although I have the heart to kill him, I am powerless to do so."

The people of the Bright Cult looked worried. They had spent a great deal of effort to trap this Demonic Sect disciple, and they had not expected him to run away. This was their shame.

"However..."

Master Kucheng's voice suddenly stopped.

Everyone immediately pricked up their ears.

Master Kucheng sighed and said, "However, this Demonic Sect disciple is severely injured and will likely be unable to recover in a short time."

"Oh?" Yin Tianzheng asked in surprise. "Is the Master certain?"

Master Kucheng nodded. "What this poor monk used were Esoteric golden needles; ordinary martial artists lose their ability to act upon being struck. That evil person has roamed the Jianghu for decades..."

...must have suffered greatly. The golden needles used by this poor monk are sacred objects of the Esoteric Sect and possess great power. That evil person must have been hit hard and should be hiding somewhere to heal his wounds. He should not be coming out to make trouble again in the short term."

Hearing Master Kucheng's analysis, joy appeared on everyone's faces.

"Then let us go find him now!" Yin Tianzheng said impatiently.

Master Kucheng waved his hand. "This poor monk has already investigated his residence; he is no longer there."

Yin Tianzheng was slightly stunned. Master Kucheng made sense. He had been anxious just now and had forgotten this point. Now that he had calmed down to think carefully, the Demonic Sect had set up such a large formation; it was impossible for them not to leave themselves a way out.

Master Kucheng continued, "I observe that although this Demonic Sect person is powerful, he is not without flaws. This poor monk estimates that he should not have recovered yet. During this period, you all need to be extra vigilant."

"Master, do you mean that we don't need to track him for the time being?" Yin Tianzheng asked.

Master Kucheng nodded. "Mm, this poor monk feels that he should not appear again; you only need to guard this place."

Yin Tianzheng nodded in agreement.

Master Kucheng added, "This poor monk came here today, besides to inform your sect, for another matter I wish to request. I wonder if your sect has any miraculous pills?"

Miraculous pills?

Yin Tianzheng looked puzzled. Why did Uncle-Master Master Kuxing suddenly ask about miraculous pills?

"Miraculous pills are not exactly rare, but I wonder how many the Uncle-Master needs?" Yin Tianzheng asked.

Master Kucheng hesitated for a moment and slowly extended five fingers.

Yin Tianzheng was startled. "Does the Uncle-Master mean five?"

Master Kucheng nodded. "This poor monk hopes these five miraculous pills will help my Shaolin disciples master the Arhat Fist."

Even with Yin Tianzheng's sophistication, he couldn't help but gasp. The Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts consisted of nine volumes, including six realms: Body Refining, Qi Refining, Form Refining, Bone Tempering, Marrow Cleansing, and Washing Marrow.

It is rumored that once the Arhat Fist is mastered, one can reach a state of indestructibility. Back then, the founder of the Shaolin Temple had used the Arhat Fist to suppress Mount Huashan in one fell swoop, laying the foundation for the Shaolin Temple to be the leader of Chinese martial arts for over a hundred years after Mount Wudang, which could be said to be world-shaking.

However, the Arhat Fist had been lost for a thousand years, and only three styles of the fist had been passed down through the generations: first, the Arhat Subduing Tiger Seal; second, the Arhat Vajra Pestle; and third, the Arhat Subduing Tiger Sword. These three Arhat Fist moves were the essence of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts, and each move contained heaven-shaking power.

The Arhat Subduing Tiger Seal, when struck with one palm, could cause mountains to collapse and the earth to crack; the Subduing Tiger Fist, once unleashed, was like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey, fierce and domineering.

The Arhat Vajra Pestle, when swung, would cause the wind to howl, and in a trance, it seemed to possess the strength of a thousand jun.

As for the Arhat Subduing Tiger Sword, it is said that this sword was a precious blade used by the Buddha to slay demons and eliminate evil, capable of cutting iron like mud, with peerless power.

Among the Shaolin Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts, these three techniques possessed the greatest power. Anyone who learned even a move or two could look down upon the heroes. Moreover, the difficulty of practicing these three techniques was extremely high; even ordinary high monks might not be able to enter the door.

Therefore, the Arhat Subduing Tiger Seal, the Arhat Vajra Pestle, and the Arhat Subduing Tiger Sword were all techniques that Shaolin disciples dreamed of practicing.

However, the talent and comprehension of Shaolin disciples were far too poor, and these three techniques were even more obscure and profound. Without years or even a decade of effort, one could not fathom the mysteries.

Moreover, Shaolin disciples were dull-witted, and mastering these three techniques was even more difficult, which led to these three techniques being called techniques, but they could only be considered Shaolin secret manuals.