pappabearbooks Chapter 409 - 375: Grand Hall, Buddha Statues, Eeriness, and Azure Light!
Chapter 409 - 375: Grand Hall, Buddha Statues, Eeriness, and Azure Light!
"Hmm... how can I become proficient?"Looking at the proficiency progress of the [Brahma Prison Suppression] displayed on the panel, Meng Chuan felt a bit puzzled.
Back when he integrated the Five Elements Spiritual Breath Punch, he achieved instant perfection, only waiting to break limits.
In just a moment, he figured it out:
"The issue must lie in the aspect of the Great Brahma."
The martial logic of the previous Spiritual Breath Punch was all his own insights, combined with the integration of five ancient object punches.
Now that the four hard skills have "merged," with the blessing of the Great Brahma, the change is indeed significant.
There are many things he still needs to learn.
Thus, the panel records it from the beginning of proficiency onward, which is only natural.
After understanding the situation, Meng Chuan mused:
"However, this is also a good thing. With the addition of the Great Brahma’s aspect, the cultivation technique’s grade has improved considerably. In the future, I can gain more growth during body refinement.
Moreover, if it weren’t for the existence of the aspect, the upper limit of this technique wouldn’t be so high..."
The position of this cultivation technique on the panel, in the horizontal training skill section, is already above the Treasure Appearance Golden Venerable Skill.
Therefore, the horizontal training skill of [Brahma Prison Suppression] must certainly be an intermediate true skill at the start.
Master Dong told him, Treasure Appearance Golden Venerable is also the best among techniques of the same grade.
"Aside from Shaolin’s unrevealed secrets, Treasure Appearance Golden Venerable is the strongest, without exception."
Meng Chuan felt that this horizontal training skill, blessed by the Great Brahma, could likely be a more powerful high-grade true skill!
What surprised him the most, aside from the recent change to his physique akin to Easy Tendon Washing Marrow, is the limit-breaking trait of this technique.
"Advanced trait, observing the four faces and four aspects of the Arhat Golden Body..."
Just hearing it is quite intimidating...
But the difficulty of this technique surpasses that of Treasure Appearance Golden Venerable, which he practiced with Master Dong. However, the Brahma Prison Suppression will require him to explore on his own.
Thus, Meng Chuan feels that he might be even further from breaking the limit this trait than from the minor Tathagata false body.
Sweeping a glance at the panel again, Meng Chuan felt absurd.
"The two top-level hard skills I have are both from the Buddhist Sect..."
Could it be that my "Buddhist affinity" is deeper than my Daoist affinity...
"Treasure Appearance Golden Venerable was taught by Master Dong, and this technique was born out of today’s fortuitous coincidence, just pure chance..."
However, Meng Chuan knows in his heart, this is also a form of "serendipity."
Thinking of this, he mused to himself:
"Once my martial arts journey ends and I have time, I’ll visit Shaolin then..."
Martial arts aren’t created behind closed doors. His current martial logic related to the Buddhist Sect’s hard skills is clearly falling behind the increasing difficulty of the cultivation techniques.
As the Buddhist Sect’s techniques on him grow, it’s necessary to visit the Zen Sect’s ancestral court.
Learn Buddhist logic, feel Zen’s spirit, cleanse the heart.
Shaolin’s secret techniques and divine skills, like [Tathagata Divine Palm], [Easy Tendon Washing Marrow], and others, are well-known top martial arts among the Great Chu.
Meng Chuan has some ambitions. If he can learn a couple of divine techniques, then he can truly prove his connection with the Buddha...
"However, Tathagata Divine Palm and those were all told by Master Dong, Shaolin’s unrevealed secrets, how can I obtain them..."
Meng Chuan is caught in a mental storm at the moment, when he hears a cry and comes back to his senses.
Currently, he gazes around him.
The intense light recedes like a tide, darkness once again spreads and attacks. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ ????????????????????⟡????????????????⟡????????????
In the next instant, the pulling force surrounding him, freed from constraints, abruptly intensified.
His body was lifted into the air like being sucked into a vortex, the surrounding scenery rapidly blurred.
Lastly, he glimpsed the Three-legged Golden Crow turn into countless golden spots and dissipate in the void, while he was thrown into chaotic uncertainty.
The subsequent scene, Meng Chuan could not see clearly.
The total amount of spiritual power and the foundation of "Blue Stone" are insufficient to support him in staying conscious.
Regarding his exploration of [Divine], he still has a long way to go.
...
Gulug...
In the next moment, Meng Chuan’s backside felt the hard grounding sensation.
He freed himself from the illusion, falling onto the stone bricks of the dim great hall.
With faint light, he saw the mottled wall, filled with claw-like cracks.
In front of the wall, two sides have golden Arhat statues standing around in eerie postures.
Some have twisted heads turned 180 degrees, others clasp their own throats making weeping poses.
All their gilded eyes seem to be flowing like black blood substances, staring straight at the throne above the hall.
Meng Chuan’s heart is tense, these Buddha statues, in his perception, are all dead objects.
What’s truly alarming is there in the hall at the top of the throne...
There is a "light."
And it resembles too closely with the painting described, the formless, substance-less thing in the hall.
Except for one thing, it doesn’t emit the black light Meng Chuan first thought upon seeing the unpainted mural, but rather a faint blue glow.
With his martial logic reserves, he cannot tell what energy source it is.
"Upon sensing... not quite like Demonic Qi..."
The blue light remained still, showing no reaction to his arrival.
Staying seated on the ground, Meng Chuan placed both hands on the floor, pushing up his body with force, trying to sneak out quietly...
No matter what it is, Meng Chuan doesn’t want to deal with it.
Today’s experience and gain are already shockingly enough, he just wants to get out now...
With one arm moving in front and the other behind, Meng Chuan gradually retreated to the edge of the threshold.
He glanced back once more, the light mass on the throne, before fiercely turning and sprinting away.
"Goodbye now!"
Meng Chuan felt a surge of happiness.
In the next moment, he stepped on emptiness instead as he kicked off the ground.
His body stumbled, his heart sank.
Disregarding everything else, Meng Chuan tightened his muscles, staggered towards the hall door.
Just before touching the red-lacquered threshold, it eerily slid three inches, making him miss again.
More frighteningly, despite sprinting over ten steps, turning back he finds the distance from the throne hasn’t shortened at all.
The hall door is clearly within reach, yet seems like an unreachable horizon.
Meng Chuan’s face turned stiff. This damned thing... doesn’t want to let me leave...
He turned around hesitantly, feeling that Principal Sui had acted prematurely inside the lotus bud...
Compared to setting the heavens afire and suppressing the prison, life is more important...
The root of stepping in place is obviously the work of this green light.
"Damn it... wasn’t it said that the strength of the Demon Nest was only level one? What’s going on..."
Still, he couldn’t sense the presence of demonic qi.
Maybe... there’s another chance.
Since he couldn’t leave, Meng Chuan stopped moving and just fixed his gaze on the green light.
Time passed...
After half a day, the other party did nothing. Just as he was about to try to escape again, he saw the green light suddenly shrink into a line.
At the same time, the halo on the throne collapsed and solidified, transforming into an old Daoist in a robe with crane-like hair and boyish carefreeness.
Although his beard was white as snow, there was not a hint of age in his features, standing like a green pine on a cliff, with a full celestial court reflecting the light of dawn.
"Young friend, my apologies. This old Daoist’s spirit just returned from the other side, and my physical body has yet to return. I wished to converse with you, hence the delay, not intended to tease."
"The other side? Which side? Are you referring to the human world outside the Demon Nest, or... the Celestial Demon Realm?"
Either way, the large rock in Meng Chuan’s heart fell.
It doesn’t matter much, as long as it’s human...
Wait a minute, no!
Meng Chuan suddenly realized that Celestial Demons can take human forms to "deceive," and he’s witnessed this many times!
So he continued to quietly move backward...
The old Daoist saw through his slight movements and said speechlessly:
"What are you afraid of? I’m a human, not a Celestial Demon!"
With those words, he waved his hand, and the surroundings changed drastically.
Mountains became clear, waters were picturesque, streams trickled, and Meng Chuan found himself in a valley.
Another illusion...
Clearly, whether the other party was human or ghost, Meng Chuan couldn’t resist, so he decided to go with the flow...
While imagining, the elder spoke calmly:
"This place is too close to the Celestial Demon Realm. With me here, I must perform some magic to conceal.
Now it’s safe. I wish to ask you, young friend, what is your relationship with the Great Brahma Heaven?"
"... This junior practices several hard skills of their sect, but other than that, there’s no other relationship."
The old Daoist summoned a stone table and benches with one hand, inviting Meng Chuan to sit down.
He poured himself a drink of fine wine, signaling Meng Chuan to help himself.
After taking a sip, the elder continued to ask:
"Did you discover this temple by chance?"
"That big hall... was originally called a temple."
Meng Chuan thought to himself, while revealing the entire trial episode.
"Oh..."
The old Daoist seemed thoughtful, and Meng Chuan bravely asked:
"May I ask, senior, what is a temple..."
The elder did not answer directly but looked at himself with intensity and then said:
"Which United University are you from?"
"Northern United University."
"Oh, no wonder you don’t recognize me."
A thought sparked in Meng Chuan’s mind, and he asked:
"May I ask, senior, your title? So this junior can admire in the future..."
"Admire what? My lifespan is longer than yours."
"..."
The old Daoist chuckled and said leisurely:
"This old man was formerly nicknamed ’Divine Dragon Taoist,’ now added as Great Saint."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chuan was startled and sat upright.
The other party was the former senior principal of Southern United University, the true leading figure of the Elephant Form Sect’s Dragon Form Boxing.
The Seven Limits [Divine Dragon Great Saint · Xun San]!
The true pinnacle existence of Martial Arts, more formidable than Principal Sui!
The Great Saint’s visage never circulates among the internet or the common people, only his disciples and successors can comprehend it.
Just like the Northern United University’s old Sword Saint, though Meng Chuan hasn’t seen this person, he has admired the life-sized figure within the Ten Thousand Volume Martial Arts Pavilion.
Today, it’s his first time to meet a Great Saint in person.
An opportunity, it must be seized!
"Junior Meng Chuan, pays! respects! to! the! Great! Saint!"
The old Daoist was unmoved by this and dug his ears, saying speechlessly:
"... Why are you shouting so loud?"
"Seeing the Great Saint’s heroic spirit today, Meng’s feelings are difficult to suppress!"
"You little brat, you really change faces fast..."
The elder shook his head with a laugh and continued to speak:
"Fine, since you’ve seen the temple, there are things that I must tell you according to the requirements."
"Thank! you! senior!"
"...You just asked what a temple is, this old Daoist tells you, a temple is a place those who can’t come to the human world, Celestial Demons, set up for stealing and converting faith."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chuan grew even more perplexed...
"May I ask, senior, why would the Great Brahma Heaven..."
The elder frowned and said:
"The Great Brahma Heaven has been exterminated, the thing of incense which can become divine, that is what you call Immortals and Buddhas, will attract some powerful Celestial Demons deeply restrained by the dual world rules, coveting and stealing their faith.
These Celestial Demons are restricted in the deepest place, unable to manifest power to collect faith, they can only do so through ’theft.’
But the rules of the human world and the Celestial Demon Realm are separate, the faith obtained must be ’converted’ to make it usable for oneself.
You were able to enter here, surely you must have seen those creatures that resemble humans with demonic qi but no demon core, right?
These things are doing exactly that, for the demon lord behind them to convert the power of faith."