Chapter 248: Advent of the Divine Dragon (4)

The foundation of Shaolin lies in an unwavering mind.

In Buddhist teachings, it is the progress towards nirvana that remains unshaken by any delusion, so they do not make a fuss over joyful things or get angry easily. Also, they do not get close to women for life and stay away from worldly pleasures, so joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure are mere illusions, becoming the delusion called “form”, this very world of samsara.

Thus, “form is emptiness, emptiness is form” – there is actually no delusion, and only when emptied does form (the world) fill the mind, according to Buddhist teachings.

That’s why Shaolin martial arts are like Mount Tai.

An unwavering mind unshaken by anything, and an indomitable body stubbornly holding its ground – the heaviest mountain in the world.

So Wuxue Dashi, the world’s greatest warrior monk, was just heavily holding his ground.

Even when his foolish disciple showed arrogant behavior out of conceit, he just quietly muttered Buddhist teachings to compose himself.

What can be done about the young hot blood first stepping into the world? Would such an immature child listen if admonished? He thought the disciple would realize his own shame later after enlightening himself.

But as the disciple only grew more foolish and recklessly scattered fist force, even Wuxue Dashi’s expression gradually hardened.

Of course, since Ximen Surin’s disciple had already shown her capabilities, it wouldn’t go as far as fatal attacks endangering life.

In fact, Wolbong also unleashed such fierce techniques because he was confident in Qing’s toughness.

But even if he wins like this, what exactly is gained?

Even if not life-threatening when hit properly, one would still be bedridden for months recovering. Moreover, the disciple was shamelessly aiming for the face, so if the nose caved in or jaw broke, it would create lifelong resentment.

Still, Wuxue Dashi endured.

He thought the disciple had probably never felt true frustration before, only training in the mountains with no peers his age.

But this time he couldn’t endure.

Wuxue Dashi’s eyes bulged as he suddenly stood up, hurriedly walked over, grabbed the railing, leaned his upper body forward and craned his neck.

The Shaolin monks in golden kasayas lined up on both sides of Wuxue Dashi in the same posture.

Wuxue Dashi muttered as if entranced:

“The majestic heavenly sound spreading throughout all dharma realms. Even the greatest giant under Brahma is on Buddha’s palm…”

It was a record of Shaolin’s lost supreme technique.

When Wuxue had seen this before, he thought they should have written down the characteristics of the martial art instead of this poetic Zen koan that seemed to grasp at clouds. But facing it now, it was so accurate that there could be no clearer explanation.

Brahma refers to all the heavens of the trichiliocosm, meaning the universe, so the sound of the Brahma bell is the Dharma of enlightenment resonating throughout the entire world at once.

Thus, no matter how great a person may be, they are ultimately just one of countless reincarnations, so how can they compare to the greatness of Buddha who transcends that realm?

Such a Tathagata’s palm is like the majestic will of heaven. It is proper and natural for heaven’s will to resound like the sound of a Brahma bell.

“How! Is, isn’t this the Buddha’s Palm!”

At the warrior monk’s cry, even those in the VIP seats were busy opening their mouths to talk to each other.

“The Brahma Tathagata Demon-Subduing Divine Palm! That is…”

“How could Shaolin’s technique be with that child…”

However, the most shocked and dumbfounded were the protagonists themselves, the Shaolin warrior monks.

It was like seeing the family register that was said to have been burned and lost due to ancestors’ mistakes shining brightly in someone else’s hands, so how absurd must it have felt?

Wolbong stepped back one step, two steps, three steps… finally after five steps he was able to resolve Qing’s True Qi shaking his meridians.

In contrast, Qing was just standing still with her palm extended.

It was a contrasting reaction making everyone watching realize the result of the clash.

While learning Shaolin’s 72 supreme techniques, Wolbong had also received all sorts of divine arts, so in terms of variety he was like a walking sutra repository (Shaolin’s library).

But learning broadly and not deeply, the achievement of each was not high, so even the peerless divine art called Hundred Steps Divine Fist was not yet mature.

However, though it was a trick eaten raw, Qing knew how to properly use all techniques at 12-star Great Completion, so this was the result.

Wolbong closed his eyes and took an endlessly long breath, huooooooop.

Qing watched this sight.

If it was the Internal Explosive Qi Strike, I’d just burst him. Since it’s a striking technique, he’s enduring that.

Still, it’s clear a big shock went in, so she was waiting for him to compose himself.

Because this was not a life-or-death duel but a martial arts match.

Wolbong finally exhaled huuuuuu as long as he had inhaled.

After his body shook with Buddhism’s majestic force, his internal organs ached and there was no joint without pain. But his mind was clear and lucid, as if washed clean.

“Amitabha. This humble monk showed an unsightly appearance. The patron-“

Wolbong stopped mid-sentence.

It was the sad fate of a man facing Qing’s harmful bare face with her face veil gone.

What, Mara, is this the temptation of Mara…!

Moreover, Wolbong had never even seen a woman, let alone touched one, in the 22 years since coming to Shaolin at age 5.

Even then, he couldn’t go outside until winning the martial arts competition due to his master’s orders to restrain himself.

He had worried because Qing was a woman, but when her face was covered he paid no attention and just treated her as another martial artist with a different body shape.

But now?

To Wolbong who had no immunity to women at all, suddenly a peerless beauty appeared, so his heart pounded and his mind that he tried hard to calm was in turmoil, yang energy naturally surged making him embarrassed and ashamed, and he could barely stand properly.

Qing pondered for a moment. What is this? Is he trying to make me angry? How to make people angry?

But since the match wasn’t over yet, Qing immediately stomped forward on the arena floor.

Qing’s fist extended. And thwack, Wolbong was hit above the side and stepped back. Qing’s fists kept extending thud! thwack, thud. smack!

Where did all the momentum from before go, Wolbong was busy blocking, deflecting and retreating.

Far from counterattacking, his stance was unstable from the start. Then his gaze didn’t meet, looking far up or down, and even when his focus came close he absolutely wouldn’t make eye contact, looking at the brow or nose tip.

The corners of Qing’s eyes shot up to the sky.

This bastard, playing around until the end?

Qing’s hand also shot up high to the sky.

Slap!!!

A very crisp sound rang out.

It was the sound of her wide open palm striking down on Wolbong’s bald head.

Soon, rather than Buddha’s hand, Qing’s handprint would be deeply imprinted on the bald head.

Wolbong stepped back while covering the point where his forehead and head were indistinguishable.

At this, Qing raised her voice:

“Monk. What are you doing now? Why aren’t you facing me properly?”

“Th-that. Umm, this humble monk, this humble monk will forfeit.”

The noisy arena became quiet.

“Hmm. The winner by the opponent’s forfeit is-“

“Wait a moment.”

Qing stopped the judge declaring the match result.

“Monk Wolbong. Can you speak precisely? You didn’t surrender, you didn’t admit defeat, did you just say you’re forfeiting now?”

“But, patron. Isn’t this a situation where we can’t determine victory or defeat?”

“A situation where we can’t determine victory or defeat? Why exactly? Did you perhaps run out of Inner Qi? If so, shouldn’t you declare defeat rather than forfeit?”

“That’s not it! It’s just, how can the patron.”

“Did I do something?”

Qing’s voice was sharp.

Then Wolbong cried out with a voice full of indignation:

“Sorcery! This is sorcery! Like an incarnation of Mara, no, Mara itself, a demon! How, Amitabha, Amitabha…”

“…?”

A deep furrow formed between Qing’s eyebrows.

“Sorcery? What did I do for you to say such an unreasonable thing?”

“How can this be a fair match in this situation! Using outstanding looks and beauty to cast delusions, isn’t this sorcery! Moreover, how can this humble monk attack a delicate woman!?”

At this, the audience collectively lost their words.

It was extremely odd coming from the Shaolin monk who had been pouring out fierce attacks as if about to completely destroy the arena.

“Your words are very strange. When this girl was just covering her face to focus on the match, you drove me with techniques close to fatal attacks as if facing a mortal enemy, but now you say you can’t attack?”

“Then and now are different! What man could attack a peerless beauty like the patron! An ordinary man couldn’t even make eye contact, how can this be called a fair match!”

Since the arena was so wide, even if Qing’s face veil came off, ordinary commoners couldn’t immediately recognize Qing’s beauty.

They just thought she might have pockmarks or severe scars, but unexpectedly even from afar her skin looked clear, her head small, and her features distinct.

They couldn’t confirm up close, but she looked like a beauty.

But when Wolbong called her a peerless beauty, curiosity suddenly exploded.

A peerless beauty that even a Shaolin warrior monk who views women like stones wants to give up the match because he can’t bear to touch her.

“Monk, your words are truly appalling. Then are you saying you had no hesitation in freely attacking and striking the chest and face of a woman with an ugly appearance, but suddenly the same woman becomes a delicate beauty you can’t bear to touch just because her looks are outstanding?”

“Th-that…”

Wuxue Dashi couldn’t bear to watch anymore and covered his face.

Because Qing asked like that, Wolbong ended up saying that it’s okay to hit ugly women, but not okay to hit beauties.

It was something that shouldn’t be said proudly even by worldly men, let alone a Buddhist disciple. Even appearance is just the physical body used while staying in the world of samsara.

Ximen Surin inwardly praised her disciple, thinking “My disciple spoke well, she really gave a sharp rebuke!”

In reality, people treat women with ugly looks or disabled bodies roughly by hitting, pushing, and cursing them, but act very kindly to beauties as if they would give their liver and gall.

The watching audience strongly sympathized with Wolbong’s opinion. They thought it was okay to hit ugly women.

But separately from that, the fact that he was now calling it sorcery after eagerly beating her up until now was, honestly, ugly. Very ugly.

Meanwhile, when everyone in the arena was jokingly calling out “Ugly Veiled Sword Woman”, there was one section that remained quietly silent.

It wasn’t by some miraculous coincidence that particularly well-mannered and enlightened people had gathered.

It was just because of one group that exuded killing intent and fiddled with their weapons if just the two words “ugly face” were mentioned, clearly showing the intention to kill if one more word was said.

The vagabonds nodded contentedly.

With Miss Ximen’s beauty worthy of being called the world’s greatest, it was natural even for a Shaolin monk to be unable to maintain an unwavering mind.

As the ship arena gradually grew quiet like that, finally the martial artist serving as judge stepped forward.

“Haah. Wolbong. How much True Qi remains in your dantian? You used so much Force, it must be almost depleted. Do you have even 10% left?”

“That… No.”

“What about Miss Ximen?”

“I haven’t even emptied half yet.”

“You still have that much strength to spare?”

“Hmm. Would you like to check my pulse to confirm?”

Qing politely extended her wrist.

The judge shook his head at this. What clearer evidence could there be than offering to check?

“Judging by the depletion of Inner Qi, even if it had continued normally, the outcome is clear. Therefore, I declare Ximen Qing of the Divine Maiden Sect the winner!”