Chengcheng naturally knew that Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Bo had entered the Sutra Pavilion to secretly learn martial arts over the years, but he didn't care. This was also Qianqian's style in the past, only sweeping the floor.
“Junior Brother Xuancheng, you should make the first move,” Xuanci said with great poise.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Senior Brother Xuanci, be careful!" Xuancheng had sparred with other masters in the temple over the years and won against them all, but Xuanci was the only one he was unwilling to spar with.
This time, Xuan Cheng finally got his wish and was extremely excited. Without any probing, he immediately unleashed his full power with the Mighty Vajra Palm.
Xuan Ci dared not be negligent. He took a lunge stance, thrusting out with both palms, and shouted, "Drink!"
boom!
The palms collided, producing a deafening sound, like two pieces of metal hitting each other.
The two men each took a step back, and surprisingly, they were evenly matched!
Abbot Lingmen nodded inwardly. These two disciples had truly mastered his Vajra Palm technique. Xuanci's talent was not as good as Xuancheng's, and he wondered how much hard work he must have put in to reach this level.
But Xuancheng is a universally acknowledged master; to have such martial arts skills at just over thirty years old is truly a gift from heaven. The revival of Shaolin Temple largely depends on these two.
After exchanging blows, Xuan Ci and Xuan Cheng did not stop, but continued their fierce attack. However, as time went by, Xuan Ci, with his profound inner strength, gradually gained a slight advantage, and Xuan Cheng's supporters were on tenterhooks.
However, Xuan Cheng remained completely calm and, after a change of position, switched from palm to fist, catching Xuan Ci off guard.
"That's the Vajra Fist! When did Xuancheng master another Shaolin skill?" The abbot of Lingmen immediately saw the clue. Although the Vajra Fist and the Vajra Palm differ by only one word and are equally powerful, their techniques are completely different. Mastering both of these skills is much more difficult than mastering Shaolin Long Fist and other unique arts.
Moreover, the Vajra Fist is somewhat effective against the Vajra Palm; when fists and palms collide, the palm usually suffers a slight disadvantage.
Xuan Ci's expression turned solemn. Just the fact that his opponent had revealed his second ultimate skill already showed that his martial arts skills were superior to his. However, he did not want to admit defeat. Knowing more ultimate skills did not necessarily make one invincible.
Snap snap snap...
The two fought fiercely, truly a battle of equals. Xuan Cheng, who used the Vajra Fist, was evenly matched with Xuan Ci, meaning that at this stage, Xuan Ci's Vajra Palm was more powerful than Xuan Cheng's.
However, this difference is only about five years of internal energy cultivation, which can be considered negligible.
"Senior Brother's Vajra Palm technique is profound, and I admire it greatly. Now I'm about to unleash my ultimate move. If you can break it, I'll admit defeat. Senior Brother! Be careful!" Xuan Cheng said, opening his fists wide and throwing them out simultaneously. What seemed like a simple and unadorned strike was actually the strongest move of the Vajra Palm, Subduing Dragon and Tiger!
This move has a do-or-die mentality; it's all or nothing!
Chapter 435 Breaking the Rules
Ultimate move, subduing dragons and tigers?
"Good timing!"
Xuan Ci transformed his palm into a blade, aiming directly at Xuan Cheng's opening. Both fist and palm have their advantages; the fist's power is more concentrated, but the palm's attack range is greater. As long as Xuan Cheng is hit first, this move, Subduing Dragon and Tiger, will be broken.
However, it's easier said than done. The so-called "open door" is just a matter of a blink of an eye. Whether you can seize the opportunity depends on your strength and a little bit of luck.
Fortunately, Xuan Ci succeeded; unfortunately, Xuan Cheng's ultimate move was not the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Technique.
Clang!
Xuan Ci's palm strike landed on Xuan Cheng's chest first, but it caused Xuan Cheng's expression to change drastically. It was as if the blow had hit a block of iron.
There's no way armor would be worn under such thin clothing, so the answer is obvious: it's a Shaolin martial art focused on defense, the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it the strongest of the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts. When mastered to its highest level, this art makes one invulnerable to swords and spears, and allows one to move freely even amidst a vast army. Perhaps only one can kill oneself.
Although Xuan Cheng's Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill was only at a minor level, it was still enough to deal with Xuan Ci's Mighty Vajra Palm and remain invincible.
"I concede!" Xuan Ci knew that continuing the fight was pointless; he only had offense, but Xuan Cheng was good at both offense and defense.
Bang! Bang!
Xuan Cheng quickly withdrew his strength, but still managed to knock Xuan Ci back several steps. "Senior brother, you're too kind."
"I never imagined that my junior brother had mastered three great skills, and even possessed the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art. I admire you, I admire you!" What else could Xuan Ci do but express his sincere admiration?
The gap between the two was too great. If Xuan Cheng had gone all out from the beginning, he wouldn't have had a chance at all.
"Indestructible Vajra! Indestructible Vajra! Hahaha..." Abbot Lingmen was overwhelmed with excitement. "Our temple has finally had another person who has mastered the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill! May Buddha bless us!"
The Shaolin monks were all shocked, and then incredibly excited. Among the seventy-two Shaolin arts, the Vajra Indestructible skill represented invincibility!
The only way to break this skill is to use poison or immense internal energy to shatter the internal organs. However, if one also cultivates the Yi Jin Jing, internal energy will no longer be a problem, and most poisons can even be forced out of the body.
However, the Yi Jin Jing is even more difficult to learn than the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill. Very few people in the history of Shaolin have mastered both of these unique skills. But Xuan Cheng is already proud enough to have learned the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill.
Xiang Yu naturally learned this unique skill as well. Following the route Hao Jiu designed for Xiang Yu, Xiang Yu could never be a fragile character. True masters are always those with extremely strong defenses.
If one day, at any time, anyone could successfully launch a sneak attack on Xiang Yu, or even face an overwhelming attack capable of destroying an entire plane, and Xiang Yu were to remain completely unharmed, then he would truly be a hegemon capable of dominating all realms.
At present, Xiang Yu is powerful enough in the low and middle planes to run rampant in any low plane. However, if he goes to a relatively powerful middle plane or a high plane, he will probably have to fight a tough battle against a cheater with a system.
However, even if you are caught in a tough battle, it means you have the strength to fight back, which is the advantage of focusing on defense.
If you put all your attribute points into attack, you'll become a squishy character with high attack but low health. You'll have to live in constant fear, and you'll have to be the first to strike in every battle, since there are just too many people who can kill you.
Moreover, if you fall into a dense encirclement, you might be hacked to death by a hail of blades. What use is being able to defeat everything in sight?
However, this problem doesn't exist for tanks with high defense and health. No matter how many attacks you launch, they won't be able to break through Xiang Yu's defense. In addition, with healing potions, he will be invincible.
Of course, the above was just Hao Jiu's rhetoric to brainwash Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu also understood that the main reason Hao Jiu made this arrangement was probably that the higher his defense, the less medicine he would need.
But Xiang Yu didn't think there was anything wrong with this. He believed that he could only fight the enemy if he could protect himself first. People only saw the Hegemon-King conquering the battlefield and being invincible, but they didn't know that if the Hegemon-King hadn't had the ability to protect himself, he would probably have died in battle long ago, having led the charge in more than seventy battles throughout his life.
However, Xiang Yu now possesses numerous defensive techniques, including Overpowering Aura, Armament Haki, the Northern Darkness Divine Art, the Yi Jin Jing, and the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, but he also has even more offensive options, making him a well-rounded individual in both offense and defense.
Dozens of miles away, a caravan was robbed and murdered by bandits, and coincidentally, one of them was from Jiangdong.
"Almighty Xiang Yu! Save your devout followers!"
"Hahaha, Xiang Yu the God? There are no gods in this world! You can't even call Buddha!" the bandit leader sneered.
Just then, a transparent sphere floated over, then transformed into a small, transparent sword that slashed across the ground, and the bandit leader's head fell to the ground.
Inside the Shaolin Temple, Xiang Yu smiled slightly, thinking, "Within a radius of fifty miles, I am a god."
At this moment, Shaolin Temple was filled with jubilation, with countless people surrounding Xuan Cheng like stars around the moon.
Xuan Ci silently left the arena, went to the storeroom and took some rice and flour, then quietly went down the mountain. He really wanted to find someone to confide in, like Qiao Sanhuai.
Perhaps teasing Qiao Feng would cheer me up.
But as Xuan Ci walked, he unexpectedly arrived at the Ye family's residence. Immediately afterward, he heard a mournful cry from inside. It was Miss Ye!
Xuan Ci rushed inside and saw Miss Ye lying by the bed, crying her heart out.
"Xuan Ci, I'll be all alone from now on, sob sob sob..." Ye Er Ya threw herself into Xuan Ci's arms for comfort.
Xuan Ci tried to break free, but in the end she let him hold her like that.
After a while, Xuan Ci slowly placed his hand on the other person's back and softly said, "You still have me."
Ye Er Ya's delicate body trembled, and the feelings that had been suppressed for many years were finally released. She had long wanted to repay him with her body, but that would be an insult to Master Xuan Ci.
Xuanci now wants to leave the monastic life, marry her, and elope with her to live in a strange new place. Shaolin Temple no longer needs him; presumably, his master, Abbot Lingmen, will choose his junior brother Xuancheng to succeed him as abbot.
That night, Xuan Ci, in the prime of his life, finally experienced the pleasures of love between a man and a woman. The two wounded souls comforted and warmed each other.
However, Xiao Yuanshan outside the Ye family had a gloomy look on his face. What a high-ranking monk, what a compassionate man, it was all a lie!
And that Ye family girl, she actually did something shameful with a man on the very night her father passed away, she's no good either!
However, Xiao Yuanshan did not disturb their good time. Instead, he kept this score in mind and waited to see what would happen next, especially with Xuan Ci.
If he can truly renounce his vows for the sake of the Ye family's daughter and elope with her, then let them go. But if not, then the old score from Yanmen Pass should be settled!
Chapter 436 Incense Scar
After helping with the funeral arrangements, Xuanci went to the Qiao family and brought Qiao Feng back to Shaolin Temple. He then presented Qiao Feng to his junior brother Xuanku and asked Xuanku to accept Qiao Feng as his disciple.
In fact, Xuan Ci originally planned to take on his own disciples, since he had watched Qiao Feng grow up and he had excellent martial arts talent, making him a very suitable disciple.
But considering that Qiao Feng's mother's death was related to him, and that he was about to leave the monastic life and go far away, it was better to entrust Qiao Feng to someone else.
Among the masters of the Xuan generation, the strongest in martial arts is naturally Xuan Cheng, but Xuan Ci simply couldn't bring himself to say that. The second strongest is himself, and the third is Xuan Ku, with whom he has a very good relationship.
Xuan Ku initially disagreed, believing it would be better for Xuan Ci to take on the disciple himself. However, after Xuan Ci revealed Qiao Feng's true identity, Xuan Ku was able to understand Xuan Ci's good intentions.
Therefore, Qiao Feng became Xuanku's disciple.
If it weren't for such a renowned teacher, Qiao Feng wouldn't have become the leader of the Beggars' Sect, nor would he have learned the Twenty-Eight Subduing Dragon Palms.
After handing Qiao Feng over to Xuan Ku, Xuan Ci took a bath, dressed neatly, and went to his master Lingmen Abbot's meditation room. He wanted to say goodbye to Lingmen, as he had broken the precepts and was no longer suitable to stay in Shaolin.
Moreover, Xuancheng is indeed more suitable to be the abbot than him, at least Xuancheng has not broken the precepts or made any major mistakes.
"Xuanci, you've gone down the mountain to do good deeds again these past two days," Lingmen said with a smile.
Xuan Ci blushed slightly and lowered his head, saying, "Yes."
"You've come to see me, is it about the next abbot?" Lingmen gestured for Xuanci to sit down.
Xuan Ci clasped his hands together, took a deep breath, and said, "This disciple believes that Junior Brother Xuan Cheng is more suitable to be the abbot than this disciple. This disciple thinks, this disciple thinks..."
Lingmen interrupted Xuanci with a laugh, "Haha, Xuanci, neither you nor Xuancheng want to take on the abbotship, which puts me in a difficult position. Xuancheng said he wants to focus on martial arts and doesn't want to shoulder this heavy responsibility, so I grant his request."
Actually, that competition was just a simple competition. Losing it was no big deal. Who says that the abbot of Shaolin Temple has to be the one with the highest martial arts skills?
Besides, the strength you displayed that day was more than enough to qualify you for the position of abbot. Even if someone comes knocking on your door in the future, you can let Xuancheng make the first move.
I've witnessed your progress over the years, especially after your return from Yanmen Pass; you've truly come to a profound understanding. Whether from my perspective as your teacher or from the perspective of the Shaolin Abbot, you are perfectly suited to succeed him as Abbot.”
Xuan Ci was somewhat bewildered. "Master means that I will take over as abbot?"
“Indeed,” Lingmen laughed.
Xuanci kowtowed to the ground with a thud, "Please reconsider, Master. This disciple is not capable of serving as abbot. This disciple wishes to return to secular life. Master, please..."
"Foolish! How can you so easily say something about returning to secular life? Even if you don't want to be the abbot and want to give the abbotship to Xuancheng, you still can't return to secular life!"
Others will think that you left the monastic life because you lost the martial arts competition and the position of abbot. Your lifelong reputation will be ruined, and I will lose all face as your teacher!
"Do you really intend to return to secular life, get married, and have children? Where do you intend to place your teacher?" Lingmen roared angrily.
"This disciple wouldn't dare! This disciple can keep my departure from the monastic life a secret, and I can live in anonymity from now on. People will only think that I've gone to travel the world. Actually, this disciple originally wanted to leave without saying goodbye, but I couldn't bear to part with Master." Xuan Ci was so ashamed that he couldn't lift his head. He hadn't just wanted to, he had already done it!
"Alas!" Lingmen sighed, "Xuanci, why are you doing this? Did I say nothing at all? Don't think that Xuancheng gave you this abbot position. It's true that his martial arts are better than yours, but I have never thought that he is more suitable to be the abbot than you."