The cold wind howled mournfully.
Li Wu, usually timid as a mouse, was currently shielding Chen Zui with his body, pointing the tip of his sword at the grey-robed old man hovering in midair.
The grey-robed old man looked down at the pair with playful mockery in his eyes.
“What touching brotherly affection. But in my eyes, it’s nothing more than two ants huddling together for warmth!
Trying to escape alive before my Inquiry Realm cultivation is laughably ridiculous!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his expression turned ruthless, preparing to strike a lethal blow!
However, right at that moment...
A deep, peaceful Buddhist chant resonated from afar.
“Amitabha.”
The grey-robed old man's face changed drastically. Before he could even react, a figure appeared silently between him and Li Wu.
The newcomer was a middle-aged monk dressed in a grey Buddhist robe beneath a faded kasaya. He wore straw sandals and held a string of prayer beads in his hand.
He released no pressure whatsoever, merely standing there quietly, yet the imposing aura of the grey-robed old man hovering in midair vanished into thin air instantly.
Li Wu froze for a second before letting out a long, heavy breath of relief.
“Brother, our luck is really good. We ran into a high monk of the Buddhist Order.”
In Grand Shuo, members of the Buddhist Order held an extraordinarily exalted status.
The common folk and martial artists on these plains might not submit to the royal court's rule or care for the imperial court, but toward Buddhist monks, they felt a reverence that came from the very marrow of their bones.
For in Grand Shuo, Buddhist monks would descend the mountains to redeem evil men and stand in front of battle lines with their own flesh and blood when two armies clashed.
Over hundreds of years, the prestige accumulated by the Buddhist Order in Grand Shuo was enough to make even the most unruly martial artist bow their head and press their palms together in respect before a monk.
The middle-aged monk pressed his palms together, his face serene. His unhurried voice rang out clearly across dozens of feet in every direction.
“Benefactor, when it is possible to spare someone, one should do so. It is merely a single secret manual—why must it cost two human lives?”
The muscles on the grey-robed old man's face twitched as a trace of apprehension flashed in his eyes.
Having spent most of his life in Grand Shuo, he naturally recognized that robe.
This was no ordinary monk from a common temple, but a martial monk from an orthodox Buddhist heritage.
Yet having run rampant across the plains for over half his life, he had finally obtained this 《Hunyuan Qi Gathering Art》 that could help him break through his bottleneck.
How could he be willing to give it up just because of a few words from a monk?
Forcibly suppressing the unease in his heart, he let out a cold snort.
“Master, I advise you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong.
Since this secret manual has emerged into the martial world, it belongs to whoever has the capability to take it!
If Master also wants this manual, you are welcome to fight me one-on-one in fair combat. Defeat me first before we talk.
If you intend to use the reputation of a high Buddhist monk to lord over me...
Forgive me, but I will not accept it!”
Before the middle-aged monk could speak, Li Wu exploded.
Jumping out from in front of Chen Zui, the lingering fear on his face was instantly replaced by rage as he pointed at the grey-robed old man in midair and barked in anger.
“Impudent! How dare you speak to a high Buddhist monk like that? Disrespectful! Utterly disrespectful!”
Li Wu's outburst was genuine.
In Grand Shuo, showing respect to monks was a rule carved into people's bones.
Even though he wasn't a devout believer—having engaged in plenty of petty thievery and climbing walls to peek at bathing widows in his daily life...
...when facing a monk, he would still properly press his palms together in salute.
This wasn't hypocrisy; it was the prevailing atmosphere throughout Grand Shuo for hundreds of years.
You might not believe in Buddha, but you could not disrespect a monk.
Hearing this, the grey-robed old man didn't care in the slightest.
He sneered and cast a glance at Li Wu.
“Monk or no monk!
I’ve lived for over sixty years, and what I believe in is the blade in my hand, not any Bodhisattva or Buddha!
I'll say it again—if you want this secret manual, beat me first!”
Hearing this, the middle-aged monk let out a soft sigh.
There was no anger in that sigh, only a near-compassionate helplessness.
Hanging his prayer beads around his wrist, he pressed his palms together once more, his voice remaining as calm as water.
“Benefactor misunderstands.
This poor monk did not come for the secret manual. I merely wish to prevent Benefactor from committing a fatal sin for the sake of a technique manual.
However, since Benefactor remains obstinate...”
He slowly lowered his hands, took half a step back with his right foot, kept his left hand raised vertically before his chest, and extended his right hand forward, making a “please” gesture.
“Then forgive this poor monk for his rudeness.”
The moment the word “please” left his lips, killing intent erupted in the grey-robed old man's eyes.
He was indeed a ruthless character; since this monk refused to back down, he would kill the monk along with the rest!
Stepping onto the void beneath his feet, his body blurred into a grey shadow. Five fingers curled into a claw, shooting straight for the middle-aged monk's throat accompanied by an ear-splitting whistle of rushing air.
If this claw strike landed solidly, even a millstone-sized piece of granite would be reduced to dust.
The middle-aged monk neither ducked nor dodged. Raising his left palm, he lightly deflected the force of the claw strike toward his side with the edge of his palm.
Though his claw strike missed, the grey-robed old man's attack did not pause for a second. Transforming his left claw into a palm blade, he slashed horizontally across the monk's waist while simultaneously kicking at his knee with his right foot.
Three consecutive moves, every single one aimed directly at vital spots!
The monk continued to defend without attacking, turning his body, stepping back, or raising an elbow.
Every single block was executed to perfection, as if he had seen through every move and stance of his opponent in advance.
His movements were not fast, yet he was always able to place himself in front of his vital spots right before the grey-robed old man's deadly blows landed.
After more than ten exchanges, the grey-robed old man grew increasingly alarmed the more he fought.
His attacks were like a roaring storm, yet the monk remained as immovable as a mountain rock.
And what chilled his heart even further was that from the moment they began fighting, the monk had only used a single hand.
His right hand was kept upright before his chest the entire time; he hadn't even taken off the string of prayer beads hanging on his wrist.
Blocking another claw strike, the middle-aged monk took advantage of the momentum to step back three paces, putting distance between himself and the grey-robed old man once again.
Looking down at the prayer beads on his wrist, he raised his head to gaze at the grey-robed old man, a tinge of solemnity added to his eyes.
“Benefactor carries far too heavy a karmic burden.
Observing your aura, this poor monk reckons that over the years, no fewer than dozens of human lives have fallen by your hands.”
The grey-robed old man did not answer, merely breathing heavily, his hands trembling slightly.
He had exerted his full strength in those dozen-plus moves, yet he hadn't even managed to touch the edge of the other man's robe.
He knew he was no match for this monk.
However, now that things had come to this, the matter could no longer end peacefully.
“Today, this poor monk shall cleanse these evil fruits for Benefactor.”
The moment the words fell, the peaceful, serene aura around the middle-aged monk underwent a sudden shift.
A surging, pure aura of true qi erupted from his body as faint golden light circulated around him, with a faint golden vertical mark appearing between his brows.
The grey-robed old man's pupils contracted violently.
He felt that aura.
Mountain-Viewing Realm!
This monk's cultivation had reached the Second Rank Mountain-Viewing Realm.
He had originally thought that although he was an Unaffiliated Wanderer without sect or school, relying on his Inquiry Realm cultivation, he could at least contend with this monk for a bit.
Only now did he realize that in those dozen-plus moves, his opponent hadn't used his full strength at all—he likely hadn't even shown half of his true power.
He was absolutely no match for this monk!
Rate on N.U.
