Chapter 24: The Seven Major Sects Finally Make Their Move

  As expected, Lin Ruochi and Gu Baiyun, Liu Chenfei were delighted to see this person and stood up to greet him.

  Lin Ruo Chi exclaimed from afar, "Brother Jian's elegant demeanor is truly a blessing for Mount Cang! I, your younger brother, was unable to welcome you in person, please forgive me!"

  He then deliberately sank his face and blamed Li Feng, saying: "Feng Er, your sword master has arrived, you only know to ask for advice from your sword master, and you and your fellow Kunlun masters' martial arts and swordsmanship, but have you forgotten the rules that must be reported first?"

  Gu Baiyun and Liu Chenfei also came over to greet each other, Gu Baiyun pulled up Jian Xiang's hand and said: "Jian Xiongdi, you are getting younger and younger!"

  Lian Tian heard the loud laughter outside the house and said to Lin Meng'er, "Little sister, aren't you going out? The Kunlun Sword Sect's sword has arrived, and Master and his fellow disciples have arrived!"

  Chiou also smiled and said: "Yes, little sister, I'm afraid the Kunlun Sect's seniors have also come up the mountain. Why don't you go take a look?"

  Lin Meng'er shook her head and smiled: "Now the front hall is full of seniors from the martial arts world, I'm afraid if I go out now, I'll be bowing for half a day, so I won't go out for the time being!"

  "On the ninth, he deliberately said: 'But if Sword Master Bo and others blame you, what will you say?'"

  Lin Meng'er smiled and said: "Haha, Master Jian is broad-minded, of course he won't blame me. Unlike Second Master and Young Master, who always make fun of me!" Even Yan Ruo, Lu Lun, and Yun Yuan couldn't help but laugh!

  Outside the main hall, Jian Xian laughed and said: "Lin Xiongdi, don't blame him, I still have a leg to walk with. I didn't want to trouble you all to come out and welcome me, so I stopped him from coming in to report first. The rules of our sect are strict, and all the disciples are well-behaved. If I hadn't spoken up to keep him here, he wouldn't have dared to disobey."

  He paused for a moment, then turned to Gu Baiyun and said: "It's been years since we last met, Brother Gu is still as elegant as ever, yet you say that I have changed, what logic is this?"

  After finishing speaking, several people burst into loud laughter. Jian Zeng swept his gaze across the grand hall with a raised eyebrow, and everyone felt their spirits lift, what bright eyes!

  Li Feng and the other disciples of Qingyun were indeed very familiar with Di Feng, who was one of Jian Wuchang's senior disciples. It had been a long time since they last met, so when they saw him at the mountain waist, they greeted Jian Wuchang and then chatted incessantly with Di Feng. They also listened to Jian Wuchang's strong request to stay behind without reporting to the main hall first. After hearing their master scold them, they hastily bowed their heads in apology and then continued on their way out.

  But Heng Fan's face suddenly turned gloomy, cold as dripping water, because the person who came was Kunlun Sect's "Flying Flower Sword Guest" Jian Zengwang, one of the four great elders and two great masters of the current Kunlun Sect.

  For hundreds of years, the Kunlun School has been renowned throughout the northwest. The history of its founding is even more distant than that of Wudang. They knew this, and even their own master's elder brother was wary of him by three points. Such an extraordinary person was not someone his fellow disciples could compare to.

  The master of the "Bai Dao Men" Wang Daozhan, and the head of the "Bai Wei Pai" Zhou Weimeng, had both heard of the reputation of the Kunlun "Fei Hua Jian Ke". They quickly got up to pay their respects. Zhou Weimeng had spent his life walking the jianghu, although he had only traveled in the southern regions, but he also knew of the reputation of Kunlun. To be able to get along with Kunlun was truly a fortunate encounter, so he naturally made an effort to make friends, and stepped forward saying: "I have long heard of the name of the Kunlun Fei Hua divine sword, today I have the chance to meet you, it is indeed a fortunate encounter for this old man!"

  While Jian Zeng went but also followed suit, and the crowd...

  People meet with courtesy, and Zhou Weimeng said: "Director Zhou's words are too serious, 'Baiwei Pawnshop' is credible, and Sword has also admired it!" There was no arrogance in his tone, and Zhou Weimeng was delighted that his "Baiwei Pawnshop" was known to the famous Swordsman.

  Everyone chatted for a while, then Xiang Zeng didn't wait for Lin Ruoqi's invitation and directly sat in the third seat of honor.

  The abbot of Chongsheng Temple, Master Chenlun, remained silent throughout, only murmuring Buddhist scriptures in a low voice, as if the worldly affairs had nothing to do with him, and he was only in his own world.

  Cheng Man bowed his head and made a gesture of respect, saying with a forced smile: "Sword Great Hero, what a pleasant surprise! It's rare for you to come to this remote place!"

  Jian Zeng had gone and laughed as he replied, "I've heard that the leader of your sect's fierce palm has re-emerged in Jianghu. I'm itching to do so too, so I'll also be heading out into Jianghu again!"

  Gongsun's eyebrows furrowed, wondering who the top two seats should be left for. Before he could make a decision, urgent voices were heard from outside the hall. This time it was Li Feng and Guan Wai, responsible for the tenth junior brother Chai Song, who entered the hall together, kneeling down to say: "Reporting to Master, Great Master, and all seniors in the hall, Shaolin's Changkong Grandmaster and Wudang's Liu Yun Daoist have arrived at the foot of the mountain!"

  The two men's voices were trembling, naturally intimidated by the reputation of Shaolin and Wudang sects in the current martial arts world! And Shaolin's Changkong Dashi, Wudang's Liuyun Daochang, were also famous throughout the land.

  Everyone listened, and it was a loud noise, discussing in an uproar. For hundreds of years, Shaolin and Wudang have been the leaders of the martial arts world. Even today's emperor has to send a letter of introduction before meeting the masters of these two schools. Who would have thought that today we would be lucky enough to see the elder master Changkong of Shaolin and the famous master Liuyun of Wudang? It is truly an honor, and the opportunity is not shallow!

  That "Bai Dao Men" master Wang Daozhan, although the power of "Bai Dao Men" is not weak in Dali City, knows that without the protection of the Wudang Sect, it would be difficult to survive. Today, he came with a sincere heart to congratulate, but did not expect to see Shaolin's Changkong and Wudang's Liuyun, such senior figures in the martial arts world. The joy in his heart is hard to bear, so he said to Lian Feng: "Master Lian, I didn't expect that today would be a lucky day, and I would have the chance to meet the seniors of Shaolin and Wudang!"

  Lian Ri Feng just smiled and nodded, the minds of all people were like Wang Dao's sharp blade.

  Lin Ruo Chi and Gu Bai Yun bowed to everyone, saying: "Everyone, please wait a moment, I'll go and come back right away!" But the two of them were also quite excited in their hearts. They left Liu Chen Fei to entertain the guests in the main hall and quickly rushed out of the palace.

  Only Gong Sunli, Cheng Man and Heng Fan's faces looked increasingly ugly, thinking: "The Tiandi point Cangyi sect has always been a small sect that is not in the limelight of the martial arts world. I thought it was just a small sect that was content with its own corner. But unexpectedly, among the seven major sects, even Shaolin, Wudang and Kunlun are so concerned about him. This small seventh-generation disciple's sword-granting ceremony can actually bring both Master Changkong and Daoist Flowing Cloud to attend?"

  Gongsun Li thought: "Could it be that this Lin Ruopu is really formidable, even Shaolin and Wudang have to give him three points of face?"

  In the grand hall, everyone suddenly fell silent, and for a moment...

  The hundred people suddenly became quiet, it seems that Shaolin and Wudang, although far away in the Central Plains and northern Hubei, their prestige is also prominent in southern China, and the crowd could only quietly sip tea.

  Just a moment later, Jian Xiang suddenly raised his head and smiled: "Brother Liu Yun is indeed elegant, isn't it that the moon of Wuhu Lake reflects the snow of Cangshan, truly a wonder of the world? It's actually attracted Brother Liu Yun to come from afar to watch."

  His voice was calm and gentle, as if speaking to someone sitting across from him, yet it carried far away.

  Everyone was astonished and turned their heads to look at each other in dismay.

  Lian Ruo and Ye Lan Mo exchanged a shocked glance, the couple seemingly only heard footsteps coming from afar, but they were extremely faint and unclear. As for this kind of internal force transmission, the two couldn't achieve it.

  "Haha, it turns out that Kunlun Sword Brother has also come to the mountain, please forgive me for not knowing earlier. The beauty of the wind and moon is indeed intoxicating, but I know even better, Gu Baiyun's Qin Gui Mu Xiang wine fragrance wafts far and wide, making it even more worthwhile to come, it seems that this time, we'll have to suffer a loss, but it's a bargain for me and Sword Brother!" A voice also slowly came from the other side, yet it seemed as if it was right next to one's ear, clear and distinct.

  Everyone listened carefully again, and only then did the sound of footsteps start to emerge. It turned out that Jian Zeng's internal strength was far superior to everyone else, so he had heard it first and asked politely before sending out his words with a calm and peaceful tone. This kind of cultivation was not a problem for Heng Xuan and Cheng Man, but for the two of them, it was absolutely unattainable.

  Liu Yun Dao Ren finished speaking in one voice, and he, Jian Zeng, simultaneously burst out laughing loudly both outside the temple and inside the grand hall.

  Everyone heard it in their ears and also burst out laughing. But then they realized that there was a third person outside who was also laughing, Luo Zhihan was puzzled, who was the other person, and how did he have such profound internal strength? Just as he was confused, he heard Ye Lanmo ask Lian Feng: "Feng brother, why is Bai Yun also laughing so happily?"

  Lian Ri Feng smiled and said, "Not bad, this is indeed Bai Yun's laughter. He has stored the Qin Gui Mu Xiang wine for over a decade, and today he can open the jar to entertain the famous Wudang master Liu Yun Dao Ren and the Kunlun expert 'Fei Hua Jian Ke' Xian Zeng. It's naturally a great story in the martial arts world, so he is also joyful!"

  On the ninth day, he heard Jian Zeng's words from behind and was also stirred in his heart. The Shaolin and Wudang schools have joined forces to come, which is truly a rare sight in the world.

  Lian Tian's eyes sparkled slightly as he said, "It seems I've heard Wu Shi Shu mention it before. The last time our mountain and Shaolin, Wudang two schools' seniors met was over twenty years ago when Master took over as the leader of our school!"

  At that moment, Lin Meng'er, Chu Jiu, Lian Wanrou, Lu Lun, Yun Yuan and Xiao Sheng were all excitedly chatting in the Sword Testing Hall.

  In the front of Yunyan Hall, another small gathering took place. Everyone's eyes lit up as Lin Ruochi, Gu Baiyun and others entered the grand hall. The first two were particularly eye-catching, one a monk and the other a Taoist.

  Of the two, the one in his fifties with a Taoist robe and long sword, and hair tied back with a black pin, was naturally the world's number one master of the Wudang Sect, Flowing Clouds Taoist. The other monk was only around forty years old; if not for Li Feng and Chai Song reporting earlier, who would have thought that this person was actually the Shaolin high monk, Master Changkong, famous in the past decade for his "One Slap Two Dispersals Palm"?

  Behind them, apart from a few disciples of the two sects, there were more than ten people following, all of whom were fellow martial artists who had met on the road to Tiān Nán. These dozen or so people and the two...

  People on the same road up the mountain, feeling proud and glorious, with a flush of red light on their faces.

  Jian Zeng Wang had already risen and was standing in front of him. He bowed his head to Liú Yún Dào Ren and said, "Brother Dao, how have you been?"

  Liuyun Daoist laughed and said, "Of course, without Sword Brother in the northwest, I am always carefree! But I'm a busy person all my life!" Gu Baiyun interrupted, "No matter how busy, tonight we have time, let's three of us have a good drink!" Xian Zeng said, "Have a drink? So stingy, if you want to drink, you should drink until you're drunk!"

  After finishing, the three of them burst out laughing, and everyone in Tiān Nán also stood up to catch a glimpse of the famous Lóng Kōng Dà Shī and Liú Yún Dào Cháng's demeanor. They all came forward to pay their respects and exchange greetings.

  "Amitabha!" Master Changkong loudly chanted the Buddha's name, his eyes seemingly oblivious to anyone else. As soon as he entered the grand hall, he saw the Abbot of Chongseng Temple, Shenglun Shangren, with half-closed eyes, turning the Buddhist beads in his hand, sitting quietly on a chair, lost in his own world. Even when Master Changkong and Daozhang Liuyun entered, he didn't open his eyes.

  Changkong Dashi hurriedly dispersed the crowd, rushed forward and said: "It's better if Master doesn't come, but it's a good opportunity to meet at the Xuanyi Temple on Mount Diancang."

  After he finished speaking, the person in front of him didn't react at all. The Great Master Changkong continued, "My poor monk's Shifu often mentions you, saying that your Buddhist teachings are exquisite and have already broken through the suffering of worldly attachments. I wonder when this humble monk will have the opportunity to listen to your grand exposition of the Buddha's teachings?"

  His attitude was respectful and reverent, bowing his body down, and when everyone saw him, they couldn't help but be shocked.

  Just now, Changkong Dashi and Kunlun "Fei Hua Jian Ke" did not know each other well, so he didn't use internal force to transmit his voice earlier. It's not that he wasn't capable of using internal force, but rather Lin Ruo Chi and Gu Bai Yun were surrounded by the other martial artists who came with Changkong Dashi and Liu Yun Dao Zhang, congratulating them, and had no time to respond. Gu Bai Yun could only laugh loudly and didn't speak up, not because he was unable to use internal force.

  Chen Lun, the abbot, had always been neighbors with Dian Qing. This generation of young monks, such as Lian Tian, Lu Lun and others, had grown up under his watchful eyes. Especially those two mischievous ones, Chu Jiu and Lin Xiao Er, who were like honored guests in his solemn Chong Sheng Temple, enjoying a warm relationship with their master. The atmosphere within the temple was filled with laughter.

  So he came to attend the grand ceremony of granting the sword with a lot of feeling today. He is meticulous in Buddhist teachings and doesn't pay attention to other matters. Now seeing Master Changkong, he also didn't think much of it, not arrogant, opened his eyes, and looked at Master Changkong lightly, then closed his eyes again: "Amitabha! Master's martial arts have indeed made great progress, but unfortunately, Master has abandoned the ten forbearances and broken the seven precepts!"

  Changkong Dashi is the youngest master of the "Chang" faction of Shaolin, and all his senior brothers are older than him. However, he has a noble status, being of the same generation as the abbot of Shaolin. In the martial world, only the abbot of Wudang, Liuxing Daoren, is of the same generation as him. The first goddess of Emei, Dust Ice Goddess, is also of the same generation as him. Calculating their ages, he is even half a generation older than Kunlun's abbot, Chu Jingxi, and Lingjiu's abbot, Lin Ruoqi. Therefore, although he is not the abbot of Shaolin, his young age has earned him a noble status in the Jianghu.

  Lian Wanrou in the side hall heard this sinking upper person's words, and asked Lian Tian, on the ninth day of the first month, Lin Ming'er said: "Big brother...

  "Hey, Little Shixiong and Ming'er Shijie, what are these 'Ten Endurances' and 'Seven Precepts' of Buddhism?"

  On the ninth day, Yu Ru and Lin Meng'er often went to Chongsheng Temple on Diancang Mountain to play. They were used to listening to Shilian Shangren's lectures, but now they just said: "Little Ruo sister, I'll tell you later, this is one of the ten Buddhist stories, let's listen to the situation in the front hall first!"

  The Great Master of the Vast Sky, although not as refined in Buddhist Dharma as his senior brother, the Abbot of Shaolin, has also delved into it for decades and deeply understood the Ten Endurances: 1. Cutting flesh to feed eagles; 2. Throwing oneself into a hungry tiger's den; 3. Chopping off one's head to thank Heaven; 4. Breaking bones to extract marrow; 5. Piercing the body with a thousand lamps; 6. Plucking out eyes for alms; 7. Flaying skin to transcribe scriptures; 8. Stabbing the heart to make a vow; 9. Burning one's body as an offering to Buddha; 10. Sprinkling blood on the ground.

  These ten classic Buddhist scriptures were still the teachings of his master, Shaolin's old abbot Ruzi Dashi, when he first entered the temple, advising him to work hard on cultivating the virtue of "endurance"!

  But Changkong Master let out a long sigh! In these ten years, he had been running around, for the righteous path of Wulin, for the blessings of Shaolin, and had killed countless evil people. The heart that pitied heaven and sympathized with men was gradually fading away, while his restless heart grew stronger. His cultivation in "endurance" became even more neglected, yet he didn't expect to be seen through by Tiannan Buddhist Master Sunken Shangren at a single glance.

  He still didn't understand and continued to ask: "Master, you have awakened, but the masses are foolish. Sometimes it is necessary to break the precepts. What's wrong with that?"

  Only then did Chen Lun slowly open his eyes and said, "The root of the world's calamities is the love of killing in people's hearts. If everyone can abstain from killing and set free lives, then everyone will preserve their compassionate and loving hearts, and the disasters caused by knives and swords will naturally disappear without a trace. This is the greatest movement to change the destiny of the world! I deeply hope that the great master will promote this, and it will definitely have an extraordinary effect!"

  He sighed and continued: "The master is not present, in today's world, the struggle between schools of thought, the battle between orthodoxy and heresy, the dispute between Taoism and Buddhism, the scramble for power under heaven, all are caused by the evil spirit of killing!"