Wu Yazi fought against eight Shaolin masters single-handedly without being at a disadvantage, and his internal energy was becoming more and more abundant. However, the Shaolin side was constantly losing internal energy and was barely holding on with their willpower.
"Madam, you should go and rest first. Leave the rest to me." Wu Yazi blasted away Abbot Chengyi, whose internal energy was already depleted, with a single palm strike. He could tell that Li Qiushui was not in good condition.
"No, this brat! I want to defeat him with my own hands!" Li Qiushui said, and then unleashed another palm strike, but unfortunately, it missed.
Lingmen made a feint, intending to gamble everything and abandon Li Qiushui to fight Wuyazi, but Li Qiushui stopped him as well.
At this moment, Abbot Chengyi struggled to his feet, his eyes bloodshot as if he were going mad.
Why is the martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect so powerful? No, not powerful, but evil!
They're practicing evil arts! Otherwise, how could their internal energy be depleted so quickly!
Cheng Yi couldn't understand where he went wrong or why things had turned out this way. Could it be that it wasn't the Lesser Formless Skill that was destined for Shaolin, but rather the Seventy-Two Arts that were destined for the Free and Unfettered Sect?
Or is it that the Lesser Formless Skill and Shaolin have a tragic fate?
"We can't lose! We can't lose! If we lose, all 72 Shaolin skills will be lost to them! Let's fight! Everyone, attack together!" Cheng Yi roared.
The injured Shaolin disciples on the field endured their pain and stood up, ready to fight Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui to the death.
Even among the Shaolin masters on the viewing platform, many intended to join the battle, but were stopped by Qianxin. People from all sects were watching, so how could they be allowed to act recklessly?
Wu Yazi had already taken down the other seven masters of the Cheng generation. He turned to look at the monks who were seriously injured but still fighting to the death, and said, "Why are you doing this? Why don't you trouble the Beggar Clan leader to come down and smooth things over and repay that favor?"
Jiang Kuang, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, gave a wry smile, stood up, and shouted towards the viewing platform, "Abbot Qianxin, just say the word, and I, Jiang, will immediately help your temple defeat the powerful enemy!"
"Amitabha..." Abbot Qianxin clasped his hands together. "Shaolin is willing to accept defeat and show sincerity. I know you want to emulate the Beggars' Sect, but even if all thirty-six of you below die, you can only recover thirty-six copies of my Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts. It's not worth it. I'll just make a copy for you two. I've decided to concede."
"Old abbot, I deserve to die..." Cheng Yi raised his hand, intending to commit suicide in front of everyone, but...
Wu Yazi appeared before Cheng Yi in the blink of an eye, pointed a finger at him, and Cheng Yi froze in place.
“Abbot Chengyi, you can’t accept defeat and want to drag my wife and me down to hell. If you die, how will we survive? Elder Zhao of the Beggars’ Sect died in an accident, so why are you doing this? Think about it.”
After speaking, Wu Yazi took out several yellow pills from his pocket. "These are the Nine-Turn Bear-Snake Pills, a sacred healing medicine of my Xiaoyao Sect. They are extremely difficult to prepare, but their effects are quite miraculous, especially for metal wounds, which have the effect of bringing the dead back to life."
If you esteemed masters do not mind, please take one to heal your injuries. Abbot Chengyi, would you please take the lead? Let us turn hostility into friendship and forge a good relationship.”
Abbot Chengyi wept, saying, "My injuries are not serious. Please leave them for those who are more seriously injured. But please release my pressure points first so I can heal myself."
"I believe Abbot Chengyi will not do anything unjust again." Wuyazi released Chengyi's acupoints and then distributed the Nine-Turn Bear Snake Pill to several severely injured monks.
After the monks took the medicine, their injuries improved instantly, and they expressed their gratitude to Wuyazi.
Wu Yazi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In this way, there would be no one seriously injured or killed in this competition, which ultimately satisfied the mysterious old monk's request.
Li Qiushui, looking pained, took out a Nine-Turn Bear Snake Pill and swallowed it. "What are you looking at? This Nine-Turn Bear Snake Pill is very precious. You don't need to take it for your little injury."
"Uh, you misunderstand, benefactor. Now that you have taken the healing medicine, I am relieved." Lingmen had wanted to inquire about Li Qiushui's injuries, but now it seems unnecessary.
Li Qiushui chuckled, "What? Feeling guilty?"
Lingmen blushed. "This humble monk is going to check on Junior Brother Lingchong. Please excuse me."
At this moment, Abbot Qianxin spoke again, "The competition is over. Please leave quickly, as Shaolin will not be entertaining guests today. Lingmen, accompany the two benefactors to the Sutra Repository to retrieve the copy of the manual."
"Yes. Please, both of you." Lingmen sighed, never expecting this task to fall to him.
Upon hearing Qianxin's words, the martial arts practitioners watching the match fell silent and began to leave. Shaolin had lost the bet, so they were bound to be in a bad mood; it was best for them to leave quickly.
As soon as these people left Shaolin, they immediately went wild, discussing the matter in small groups. Some sighed with regret, while others gloated. Even Shaolin's Arhat Formation of thirty-six people couldn't defeat that mysterious couple. Who else in the world could stand against them?
Jiang Kuang, Wang Jiantong, and the other members of the Beggars' Sect did not stay at Shaolin Temple. However, after watching the battle, they felt much better. There are always people more capable than you, and their defeat was not unjust.
As for Li Qiushui using the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, Jiang Kuang didn't want to pursue it any further. If he found out that it was an older generation of Beggar Clan leaders who had secretly passed on the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, it would only make things worse.
Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui went to the Sutra Repository with Lingmen and successfully retrieved a copy of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Arts Manual. They then left Shaolin with the manual.
In fact, the secret manuals that Shaolin disciples usually see are all copied copies. The original manuals have not been touched for a long time. In fact, there are more than one copy of some popular skills.
After seeing Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui off, Lingmen returned to the Great Buddha Hall to report back. However, the hall was filled with weeping.
"Lingmen, has everything been taken care of?" Qianxin asked kindly.
"Yes." Seeing everyone crying like this, Lingmen felt a lump in his throat and wanted to cry too, but he held back. It was indeed a sad thing that Shaolin's secret techniques had been won by outsiders, but what good would crying do?
"From now on, Shaolin will rely on you to carry on its glory. This time, Shaolin suffered heavy losses, all of which is my fault. I will go and apologize to the founder. You must live well. Amitabha..." Qianxin said, then put his palms together and remained motionless.
Cheng Yi knelt beside him, sobbing uncontrollably, "The old abbot has passed away. We respectfully send the old abbot off to the Western Paradise."
"Waaah..." The crying erupted again in the hall. Lingmen knelt down with a thud, his head buzzing. How could this be!
“Senior brother, it was I who insisted on calling them back, how can you blame me? If anyone should apologize, it should be me. Amitabha…” After saying this, Qian Su also stopped breathing, just like Qian Xin.
"Grandmaster Uncle!"
“Master Qiansu has also passed away.” Abbot Chengyi smiled bitterly, his gaze sweeping over the Shaolin elites in the hall. “Shaolin has suffered such a great calamity, and in the end, it is because I, the abbot, am incompetent. I am no longer suitable to be the abbot. Who among you is willing to take over my position as abbot?”
"Waaah..." Only sobbing could be heard inside the hall; no one answered.
"Very well, then I will make the decision myself this time. Whoever I appoint as the abbot, no one else may object. Anyone who objects will have to compete with my appointee to determine the next abbot." After saying this, Cheng Yi looked around at everyone and finally fixed his gaze on Lingmen.
"Lingmen, the old abbot waited for your return before passing away. Do you know his expectations for you? I feel the same way. The responsibility of being the abbot of Shaolin is now in your hands. I hope you will be ashamed and then strive to make Shaolin flourish. Amitabha..." After saying this sincerely, he reversed his internal energy and severed his meridians, and immediately died.
"Abbot!"
"The abbot has passed away..."
"It was all our incompetence that caused us to lose the bet; I deserve to die!"
"Waaah... The decision to hold a duel was made by all of us. How can it be left to the three of you to handle? Amitabha..."
"Enough!" Lingmen suddenly stood up. "Abbot Chengyi has already passed the position of Shaolin Abbot to me. Anyone who disagrees can fight me now! If you all recognize me as the abbot, then you should all live well!"
Do you think the responsibility the old abbot talks about means dying? Going to apologize to the founder is enough! The real responsibility is to bear the shame and disgrace of Shaolin on your shoulders and live on with fortitude!
Shame should inspire courage and determination. Promoting the glory of Shaolin is the responsibility everyone should shoulder! It's not just my responsibility! Everyone shares this responsibility! Anyone who chooses to die is simply shirking their duty!
Do you understand? Answer me!
The monks in the main hall remained silent. Ling Chong slowly raised his head. "This disciple will follow the abbot's teachings!"
...
Bang, bang, bang...
The temple bell tolled for a long time. Shaolin Temple had lost three eminent monks in succession: Qianxin, Qiansu, and Chengyi. The entire temple mourned, and Lingmen succeeded him as abbot.
Behind Shaolin Temple, the devout old monk slowly opened his eyes. "Chengcheng, I have passed on the entire Yi Jin Jing to you. How well you learn it depends on yourself. As your master, I must fulfill my promise and seek justice for our fallen fellow disciples!"
"Master, why do this? When will this cycle of revenge end? Besides, can you even defeat Xiaoyaozi?" Chengcheng sighed.
Qianqian stood up. "Do you know how I got the title of 'Mad Monk'? Hahaha..."
Chapter 420 Destiny
Behind Shaolin Temple, Chengcheng patted the dust off his body and muttered, "Master will definitely go on a killing spree, but how could Xiaoyaozi not be on guard? Even if Master succeeds, how could Xiaoyaozi let it go?"
"Fine, I'll just focus on cultivating my Yi Jin Jing. Strange, why can't I enter the Dao? Is it because my Buddhist cultivation is insufficient? Or perhaps the opportune moment hasn't arrived yet?"
Chengcheng's eyes suddenly lit up as he thought of this. "How can one transcend the world if one has not yet entered it? How can one know the steadfastness of the Buddha's heart if one has never experienced the mortal world? In that case, I will go down the mountain to gain experience and verify my Buddhist teachings. I will never return until I have mastered the Yi Jin Jing!"
However, Chengcheng didn't know that this departure would last for a full sixteen years!
Hao Jiu grinned. He wasn't worried about Chengcheng going down the mountain to train, but it seemed that things were getting a bit off track.
Although he and Xiang Yu were very careful when they came to the Tianlong Babu world, trying their best not to interfere with the normal operation of the world, the butterfly effect cannot be completely avoided by being careful.
If Xiang Yu hadn't taken Xiaoyaozi under his wing and hadn't given him cultivation techniques, and Wuyazi and Li Qiushui had challenged the martial arts world—such a momentous event—as a teacher, he would definitely have secretly protected them.
But now, Xiaoyaozi is obsessed with cultivating immortality and has severed ties with the mortal world. Li Canghai, who has inherited the mantle, has also become more open-minded about the future of his other disciples, and didn't even come this time.
Therefore, Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui, these two hotheads, actually caused a ruckus in the martial arts world without any protection. The key point is that the three eminent monks of Shaolin passed away, which was an accident.
The mad monk Qianqian had already stated that even if three people died or one was seriously injured, Qianqian would still cause trouble for Wuyazi and Li Qiushui.
It is true that the three eminent monks committed suicide to atone for their sins, but if Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui had not gone to Shaolin, had not proposed the duel, had not tempted Shaolin with the Lesser Formless Skill, had not wagered such a great skill as the Seventy-Two Arts, and had not defeated Shaolin, would these three people still have died?
So even if Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui were killed by Qianqian, it was their own fault. They were arrogant, conceited, and looked down on the martial arts world. How domineering and awesome were the two of them to have collected all the martial arts secrets in the world?
Even knowing that Shaolin had a master like Qianqian in charge, they still came and won. They were truly fearless young calves.
How important are the supreme and secret techniques of each sect to their respective sects? Even after the Beggars' Sect incident, they didn't take it seriously.
Of course, if you're strong enough, you can do whatever you want, but it's clear that Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui got carried away after fighting the Beggars' Sect. They became arrogant and thought they were very strong and invincible.
Tragically, Xiaoyaozi, who could have protected them and reasoned with Qianqian, dismissing her with a simple "I'm not as skilled," is currently busy cultivating immortality in the Wuliang Jade Wall Cave.
More importantly, Xiang Yu is currently using the Xiaoyaozi card to prevent aging, so he cannot use the alternate dimension to teleport with Xiaoyaozi, and Hao Jiu does not want Xiaoyaozi to know about this.
And so, Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui met their tragic end!
However, since Hao Jiu already knows about this, it means that Wu Yazi and Li Qiushui are truly destined to survive, and that fate has its own plan.
Stopping Qianqian while concealing Xiang Yu's secret of teleportation isn't actually that difficult. Xiang Yu now has a strong and well-equipped army; he can simply have his secretary handle things.
"The God of Wine said my senior brothers and sisters are in danger?" Li Canghai asked nervously.
"The reclusive master, the mad monk of Shaolin, wants to avenge the three dead eminent monks. His Dharma name is Qianqian, and he is the master of the little monk who showed up during the Beggars' Sect martial arts competition. He is a master who has learned the Yi Jin Jing, and his strength is not much worse than that of the original Xiaoyaozi. Wuyazi and Li Qiushui are definitely no match for him," Hao Jiu said truthfully.
Li Canghai gasped. She knew Xiaoyaozi's strength better than anyone. Even though she had also learned the Free and Easy Wind Control Technique and made rapid progress in her cultivation, she would most likely still lose if she faced Xiaoyaozi before she began cultivating.
"Go and reason with Qianqian and ask him to let Wuyazi and Li Qiushui go. It would be best if they could avoid a fight. But if they have to fight, don't be afraid. Bawang will help you in secret." Hao Jiu glanced at Xiang Yu's divided soul beside him.
"Yes, Canghai understands." I'll set off now.
...
A carriage leisurely travels along the road leading to the Qingcheng Sect.
"Truly worthy of being called a Shaolin manual, nine out of ten of the seventy-two unique skills are extremely powerful and yang-like divine skills." Li Qiushui and Wuyazi relied on these manuals to pass the time along the way.
“The remaining ten percent is also unsuitable for women to cultivate, since there are no women in Shaolin Temple anyway.” Wu Yazi put down a manual and rubbed his temples.
"What is troubling you, my husband? We've already dealt with the strongest Shaolin sect. The only remaining sect that's troublesome is the Dali Duan family, but they're certainly not as difficult as Shaolin," Li Qiushui said with a smile.
"I am somewhat worried. In the past, those sects were not strong enough, and after losing to our sect's secret techniques, they didn't dare to have any wicked thoughts. But Shaolin is different. Not to mention that mysterious master, even with Shaolin's current combat strength, it's not impossible for them to ambush us and snatch back the secret manual." Wu Yazi had a bad feeling after leaving Shaolin.
"My lord, you are overthinking it. Shaolin has always considered itself a prestigious and righteous sect, and it is a Buddhist sect. How could they act like this, unless those monks have gone mad. As for that mysterious high monk, he must know our master and be quite wary of him. Otherwise, it would not be as simple as a warning to me. A senior of his status would not possibly ambush us."
Li Qiushui recalled the monks' behavior and thought it shouldn't be that bad.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it," Wu Yazi sighed.