However, the gains from this battle were also enormous.
Before this battle, Lin Yang's strength was roughly at the bottom of the Heavenly Ranking, similar to Lu Xiaofeng. But now, in just two hours, Lin Yang has fought against many top Heavenly Ranking experts, including Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue, Dugu Yihe, Zen Master Dabei, and the old man.
Whether it was the exquisite double-wielding sword technique, the Heavenly Immortal Sword that could be called a sword of heaven and man, the Great Compassion Palm that had been cultivated to perfection, or even the old man's invincible aura, all of these brought Lin Yang a lot of inspiration.
It can be said that if Lin Yang is given some time to digest and refine his skills, his martial arts will undoubtedly reach a new level. Furthermore, if he adds advantages in weaponry, inner armor, and physical strength, he wouldn't be intimidated even by the old man and Jade Rakshasa.
"Haha, old swordsman, here I come!" Lin Yang laughed, then drew his sword and charged at him again.
Meanwhile, he secretly observed the situation of the others. By now, the little girl who possessed the Martial Ancestor's secret scroll had jumped off the cliff, her fate unknown. The scroll in her hand was left behind beside the cliff.
The secret scroll covered an area of several dozen feet, a place where anyone who entered was certain to die. Even someone as invincible as the old man could only obediently leave under the combined attack of Lin Yang, Mu Daoren, Yu Luosha, and many other experts. Otherwise, he would face certain death.
As for the martial arts practitioners, they suffered heavy casualties. It can be said that today's battle has changed the entire landscape of the martial arts world.
Of the nine chief monks of Shaolin, four have already died in battle. Of the three great monks, one is dead and two are wounded. The Shaolin abbot, Master Dabei, has also lost an arm.
Of the nine Wudang masters, four had died in battle. Even the sect leader, Master Shi Yan, sat to the side, appearing gravely wounded and on the verge of death. If it weren't for Wudang's Pure Yang Limitless Skill, which could prolong life, he might already be in the underworld.
The Emei Sect was also in dire straits, with half of its six elders killed in battle. The sect leader, Dugu Yihe, now only had one sword left in his hand.
Ye Gucheng, who had a handsome face, had already used the Heavenly Flying Immortal technique three times, and there was a large gash on his chest and abdomen.
As for the younger and more handsome Ximen Chuixue, he was more seriously injured than Lu Xiaofeng and had already left the battlefield with Lu Xiaofeng's help.
The Flying Jade Tiger of the Western Demonic Sect, as well as the three elders of Pine, Bamboo and Plum, were all killed in battle. Only the sect leader, Jade Rakshasa, was still alive and kicking, fighting against experts from all sides.
What could Lin Yang say about this? Ha! It just so happens that all the ambitious people are dead. What a coincidence!
Seeing everyone's condition, Lin Yang knew it was time to use his backup plan.
With a loud bang, he clashed palms with Old Knife Handle again. This time, using the momentum of the blow, Lin Yang floated away like a piece of duckweed, soaring into the distance. He stepped through the air, transforming into a majestic eagle, and arrived high in the sky.
Without warning, he arrived directly above the Martial Ancestor's Secret Scroll. Then, with a sudden movement, he descended from the sky. At the same time, his right hand extended, forming an eagle claw. As he channeled his inner energy, a powerful attraction was released, causing the scroll, which had been motionless on the ground, to fly up into the air.
"not good."
"Thief!"
Seeing this, Old Knife Handle smiled slightly, and directly used the sword in his hand as a hidden weapon, turning into a streak of light and heading towards Lin Yang's landing point.
At the same time, various hidden weapons, including orthodox flying locust stones, blood droplets, and temporarily found bodhi seeds (Buddhist beads), as well as jade pendants and other miscellaneous items, all attacked Lin Yang from all directions with the support of his profound internal energy.
Seeing this, Lin Yang frowned and dodged to the side. However, at this moment, his little friend, who had been motionless until now, moved.
"Haha, Supreme Taoist, today is your death day."
After speaking, dozens of palm strikes shot out, completely sealing Lin Yang off from all directions. Moreover, each palm strike was no less powerful than a full-force attack from a top-ranked expert. Caught off guard, Lin Yang was knocked off the cliff.
"No!"
Strangely, Lin Yang, who had fallen off the cliff, gave a strange smile...
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Chapter Thirty-Seven: The True Colors Revealed
Soon, in just a few breaths, Lin Yang had already fallen dozens of feet below the cliff. Then, Lin Yang's inner energy surged, and his clothes immediately bulged. Then, with a flick of his right hand, an outer garment was taken off.
As he exhaled and exhaled his inner energy, accompanied by the tearing sound of cloth, a poorly made parachute appeared. Immediately, his descent slowed. After a few more breaths, Lin Yang's speed visibly decreased dramatically.
A moment later, Lin Yang's feet touched the ground. As soon as he appeared, thousands of fully armed martial artists, like an army, came to stand before him.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, all 1,120 men of the Imperial Guard of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion are here," said Chen Yun, the Left Commander, happily upon discovering Lin Yang's landing.
The so-called Dragon Guard is actually an army directly under the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion. Of course, this army is entirely composed of cannon fodder warriors.
In other words, even an ordinary soldier possesses the strength of a beginner third-rate fighter. Every squad leader is a second-rate expert. Every centurion is a first-rate expert. As for the four commanders of the four ranks, they are among the best of the best.
Now, under Lin Yang's orders, the Left Commander has laid an ambush below the cliff. The Right Commander, led by Cai Yan, is going to attack Shaolin. The Front Commander, led by Shi A, is going to attack Wudang. The Rear Commander is Li Yanbei. At this time, he remains in the capital, keeping a watchful eye on all sides.
“Good, very good. But no need to rush, we have a secret passage that can take us directly to the front and block them. So, don’t rush, get some rest first. After all, there’s still a long time before this battle ends,” Lin Yang said with a smile.
At that point, I'll lead my army to block the road and then push my way through. The only way out will probably be to jump off the cliff.
To escape by jumping off a cliff hundreds of feet high while utterly exhausted requires at least top-tier martial arts skills. This means that the hundreds of first-rate masters remaining on the cliff will all be doomed. Their only fate will be surrender or death.
...
Meanwhile, Cai Yan had already led her troops into the Shaolin Temple. As for the hundreds of monks, most of them were either dead or had surrendered, and even those who remained were mostly scattered and disorganized.
Using their familiarity with the terrain to wage guerrilla warfare and occasionally inflict sporadic casualties is acceptable, but to directly confront the Dragon Guard and stop the army's advance is simply wishful thinking.
"Oh, so this is the legendary Sutra Repository?" Cai Yan said casually, looking at the pavilion in front of her.
Upon hearing this, the guide, a monk from the Arhat Hall, quickly lowered his head and said, "That's right, this is the place. There are four floors in total."
"The first floor contains all kinds of Buddhist scriptures, but no martial arts techniques. The second floor contains many third-rate, or even second-rate, martial arts techniques. Among them, even several of the famous Seventy-Two Arts are not very powerful and are placed on the second floor," the monk said with a look of reminiscence.
"As for the third level, it records the vast majority of the Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills. Next to each skill are many Buddhist scriptures and annotations from predecessors."
"Only the nine chief monks can enter this level. As a junior like me, unless I perform an extraordinary feat, I can only stay on the second level at most," the monk said with dissatisfaction.
"And the highest, fourth level, is said to be accessible only to the abbots of successive generations. I suppose it contains something like the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic)." The monk's eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of the Yi Jin Jing.
"Oh, really?" Cai Yan said indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Jin Jiuling immediately smiled and said, "Reporting to the Lord, the other monks said the same thing. It seems that this young monk was not lying."