“That monk is in Qinglong Temple. We’ll make our move tonight. The others will coordinate.” A voice suddenly rang out in the night, startling Li Yanchu. Inside the room were two people: an elderly Daoist holding a whisk, and a middle-aged swordsman, dressed like a jianghu wanderer. The swordsman's longsword was slender and a full chi longer than typical sabers. Li Yanchu recalled that Fang Qinglan, a disciple of a prominent sect, had once mentioned that people who used such long swords often had cruel and ruthless swordsmanship, favoring unpredictable, extreme styles. As for the old Daoist, he certainly looked like an immortal sage, but there was a cold sharpness in his eyes, suggesting he was not a kind or upright figure. Li Yanchu, still in his soul-projected state, moved in closer, hoping to hear more. But suddenly, the old Daoist's gaze shot straight toward his hiding place. “Which fellow Daoist dares eavesdrop here?!” the old Daoist barked coldly. A yellow talisman shot from his hand, glowing faintly with lightning energy. Li Yanchu was momentarily stunned, as he hadn’t expected this old Daoist to be so sharp-witted and to strike without the slightest hesitation. Immediately, he dodged to the side. Then he saw the old Daoist pull out an Eight Trigrams Mirror from his robes and raise it toward him. At this time, a beam of white light burst from the mirror and radiated intense heat. It was a force that had a great suppressive effect on spiritual souls! Li Yanchu didn’t try to fight back. Instead, he immediately retreated to a distance, choosing not to engage. But in his heart, his estimation of the old Daoist shifted. This old Daoist is ruthless and dangerous. If not for the Spirit Officer Summoning Talisman shielding his soul, that Eight Trigrams mirror might have seriously injured his spirit. “Qinglong Temple? Are they after Master Huizhen?” In a spacious monk’s chamber inside Qinglong Temple, Master Huizhen sat upright on the bed with a flicker of emotion flashing across his expression. His gaze was as sharp as a saber. Before him stood a tall and imposing young monk with strikingly handsome features. He wore a pure white monk’s robe, and his skin emitted a faint jade-like glow. His physique was sturdier than even those martial artists who practiced body-hardening techniques in the jianghu. And even just standing there, his presence was as dense and immovable as a mountain, radiating an overwhelming sense of danger. “Junior Uncle Huizhen, you're far too obsessed. Why must you insist on investigating Junior Uncle Huaixin’s death? Wouldn't it be better to just quietly chant scriptures and meditate in Lingxi Temple?” The young monk’s voice had a certain resonance, a captivating quality, but in this moment, it carried an air of mocking frivolity. Huizhen’s face darkened as he said with an icy tone, “Guanxin, you’re one of the most gifted disciples in the Buddhist sect. I never thought you'd willingly sink into depravity and collude with the Bare Body Sect.” The young monk named Guanxin[1] sneered faintly. “So what if I did? This is an era of great upheaval and fierce competition. Shutting oneself away in seclusion and meditating gets you nowhere. Wasn't Junior Uncle Huaixin also tempted by worldly desires? He went looking for the Elixir of Immortality and met his end because of it.” Huizhen’s voice dropped to a cold growl. “I knew it. There’s no way Huaixin died to a mere beast. Even that mandrill wasn’t his match. It was you, wasn’t it?” He fixed his sharp and unwavering gaze on the young monk. Guanxin gave a slow, smug smile. “Didn’t you already suspect as much? If not for my Great Hand Seal, how could Junior Uncle Huaixin have been so easily torn apart by that mandrill?” His voice carried a note of pride and satisfaction. Hearing this, Huizhen’s face twisted with sorrow, grieving not only for his junior brother’s death, but for the fact that he had been slain by a fellow Buddhist. “Very well! Since you dare admit it, then today I shall cleanse our sect of its disgrace!” But Guanxin remained calm, even amused. “Junior Uncle, aren’t you being a little overconfident? You already took a hit from my Great Hand Seal just now, so your internal meridians must be in quite the disarray, no? “Why not hand over the fragment of jade you're carrying, and help me secure first place in the race for Wei City's Grotto-Heaven and Blissful Land? That way you can at least avoid unnecessary pain.” As it turned out, Huizhen had not been on guard at all against the late-night arrival of Guanxin, or rather, he hadn’t expected the young monk to strike so quickly and ruthlessly. Caught off guard, he had already sustained injuries. At this time, golden light surged around Master Huizhen’s body. A sheen of gold began to emerge at the top of his head, quickly spreading downward until his entire form was wrapped in it. He appeared like a man cast in gold. “Indestructible Vajra Body[2]?” A flicker of surprise flashed through Guanxin’s eyes. But in the next instant, he launched his assault. With every punch and kick, he unleashed a storm of violent shockwaves, each casual blow carrying the weight to split mountains and shatter stone! A strike landed squarely on Master Huizhen’s chest, emitting a deafening boom like a giant bell or a temple gong. Its reverberation echoed through the meditation chamber of Qinglong Temple. Huizhen swung his heavy monk’s staff, and gentle Buddhist power flowed into it, causing it to double in size. It now resembled a massive pillar as it swept toward Guanxin with the momentum of thunder and gale. Guanxin responded with a single palm, blocking the massive staff infused with the might of Buddhist power barehanded. The blue stone tiles beneath Guanxin’s feet cracked bit by bit, spiderwebbing outward from the impact point. Just then, a blast wave visible to the naked eye surged outward with layer after layer rippling like waves on water. The room’s windows and doors burst open in an instant, and a howling wind tore through the chamber! Thɪs chapter is updated by Nov3lFɪre.ɴet The two of them began to fight right there in the meditation room of Qinglong Temple, each turning into afterimages as they moved. The force of the battle was overwhelming, and the thunderous sounds of their clash echoed throughout Qinglong Temple. At this time, many monks were startled awake and hurriedly throwed on robes before rushing from their quarters. Just as several monks arrived at the scene, they witnessed a middle-aged monk with his body entirely covered in golden lacquer burst through the roof of the meditation chamber and soaring into the air. He hovered there motionlessly with his hands pressed together in prayer. His entire body was wrapped in a gentle yet vast aura of Buddhist radiance, like a living Arhat[3] descending into the mortal world. This Master Huizhen from Lingxi Temple had clearly reached an extraordinarily profound level of cultivation. After all, it was this very monk who had once faced off against that mysterious black-robed elder and forced the man to back down with his power alone. Within the Buddhist world, Master Huizhen was revered as a true martial monk of renown. Yet what shocked everyone was that the young monk Guanxin leapt out immediately after with his fists and feet infused with astonishing might, clashing blow for blow with the massive monk’s staff whirling through the air. “That's Master Huizhen! And... Guanxin?!” “Guanxin actually has such terrifying cultivation?!” “Why are they fighting?!” Whispers rippled through the Qinglong Temple monks. For a moment, no one dared step forward. Guanxin too was from Lingxi Temple, but with his extraordinary talent and innate strength, he had long since left to train at the prestigious Great Xiangguo Temple in the capital. He was already considered one of the most prominent young monks of his generation. Master Huizhen was a high-ranking monk of Lingxi Temple, and by seniority, he was Guanxin’s junior uncle. Why on earth were the two of them fighting?! As Guanxin’s fists clashed with Master Huizhen’s monastic staff, deafening impacts erupted with every strike. Dust billowed into the air, and the ground beneath them was repeatedly blasted into deep craters. The sheer force of their blows was terrifying to witness. The monks of Qinglong Temple looked at each other in disbelief, then quietly and quickly began to distance themselves from the area. 1. The name 观心 (Guān Xīn) carries a deeply philosophical and spiritual tone, rooted in Buddhist and Daoist concepts. 观 (guān) means to observe, contemplate, or reflect upon. 心 (xīn) means heart, mind, or consciousness “观心” can be interpreted as “Observing the Mind” or “Contemplating the Heart”. It suggests a practice of introspection, mindfulness, and self-awareness, which are key ideas in both Buddhism and Daoist inner cultivation. ☜ 2. "金刚不坏" is a Chinese term that metaphorically refers to the Buddha's body being firm and indestructible, like vajra, an unbreakable substance. ☜ 3. In Buddhism, an Arhat or Arahant is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved Nirvana and has been liberated from the endless cycle of rebirth. ☜