manynovel Page 171
Page 171
This was common knowledge, but I didn't expect him to only rank fifth.
Although Dugu Qiubai ranks low on the list of sword immortals in the Nine Provinces, he is, after all, a swordsman known for his physical strength, and even if he ranks last, he is still better than other terrestrial immortals.
The fact that such a person is only ranked fifth shows that the top four on the Song Dynasty's list of unparalleled masters must all be top-notch experts.
Everyone showed excited expressions, their eyes fixed on Bai Yutai.
Su Chen stopped beating around the bush, looked around the room, and said loudly:
"Next, let's comment on the next expert on the list."
"Ranked fourth on the list, the Sweeping Monk."
"Buddhists say that once one enters the monastic life, one forgets one's past life, so monks only have a Dharma name and no given name."
"But strictly speaking, having a Dharma name is also a kind of attachment, not a true purification of the six senses."
"Therefore, a hundred years ago, there was a high-ranking monk in the Shaolin School who was extremely proficient in Buddhism. He renounced everything and did not even have a Dharma name."
"Because he had been sweeping the floor in front of the library for over sixty years, people called him the Sweeping Monk."
"Many people in the martial arts world may not know much about this Buddhist master, and even few people within the Shaolin Temple know about him."
"Because he is so old, even if Master Lingmen, the master of Abbot Xuanci of Shaolin, were to be resurrected, he would still have to respectfully address him as Uncle-Master."
"Everyone in Shaolin Temple knows that a hundred years ago there was a Master Xuancheng who was extremely talented and mastered more than fifty of the seventy-two Shaolin skills. He was known as the number one Shaolin master in two hundred years."
"But few people know that there was an even more outstanding monk in Shaolin Temple during the same period, namely the sweeping monk who made the list this time."
"He was not from the upper academy of Shaolin Temple, nor did he pursue fame, so the senior monks of Shaolin Temple did not know of his existence."
"Xuan Cheng has mastered more than fifty unique skills, which is already very impressive."
"The Sweeper Monk was even more talented, mastering all seventy-two Shaolin skills and truly reaching a transcendent level."
"Later, Xuancheng's martial arts skills became more and more profound, but due to excessive effort, he failed to clear the internal evil energy in time, resulting in a qi deviation and losing all his power overnight."
After losing his cultivation, Xuancheng stopped practicing martial arts and devoted himself to studying Buddhist scriptures, eventually becoming a highly respected monk. Before his death, he met the Sweeper Monk and left his last words: "There are always stronger hands among the strong; even with divine skills dissipated, the spirit of Buddhism shines through."
Chapter 145 is really bad.
"The Sweeping Monk had a great awakening from this, realizing that the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts were not just martial arts manuals, but had to be practiced in conjunction with Buddhist scriptures, otherwise problems would definitely arise."
“His malevolent energy is even stronger than Xuan Cheng’s, but because of his higher cultivation level, he has been suppressing these hidden dangers.”
"If this isn't resolved, he'll end up like Xuancheng sooner or later."
From then on, the sweeping monk stopped studying martial arts and focused on practicing Buddhism. He spent all his time reading Buddhist scriptures in the library and eventually became a sweeping monk there, spending his days and nights with Buddhist scriptures.
A hundred years passed in this way, and the murderous aura within the Sweeper Monk had completely dissipated, having witnessed the vicissitudes of the world.
He witnessed firsthand how Murong Longcheng swept across the world with his sword a hundred years ago, and also saw the rise of Dugu Qiubai.
When Blood-Handed Li Gong committed evil deeds everywhere, he did not lift a finger; when Yan Kuangtu wreaked havoc in Shaolin, he merely stood by and watched.
When Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan, who followed Yan Kuangtu, ran amok in the Sutra Pavilion, he simply cleaned up the mess in silence.
He hadn't made a move for a hundred years, but his strength had already reached an extremely high level, integrating martial arts and Buddhism into one, almost approaching the peak of a terrestrial immortal.
Therefore, considering all factors, he is ranked fourth on the list of the most outstanding figures in the Song Dynasty.
As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the hall erupted in chaos.
No one expected that there was such a terrifying figure in the Shaolin Temple.
·············
A hundred years ago, he had already mastered all seventy-two Shaolin skills.
Such news sends chills down everyone's spine.
The Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts are renowned; mastering just one of them can lead to a state of unparalleled freedom.
Those Shaolin monks are lucky if they can comprehend two or three of the essential teachings in their entire lives.
Those who can master more than ten martial arts are already top geniuses and can leave a good name in the Shaolin martial arts world.
Xuan Cheng mastered more than fifty techniques and was regarded as the strongest in two hundred years.
It's terrifying to think that someone has actually mastered all seventy-two unique skills!
Especially after hearing Su Chen's last words, everyone in the hall couldn't help but shudder.
...............
Over the past century, countless major events have occurred in the martial arts world of the Song Dynasty, and numerous heroes have emerged, such as Murong Longcheng, Dugu Qiubai, Li Gong, and Yan Kuangtu, all of whom were once renowned.
But in the eyes of the Sweeping Monk, they were all just passing through. No matter how strong or invincible they were, even if they fought all the way to the gates of Shaolin, he would remain unmoved.
This is exactly the image of a reclusive sage in everyone's mind.
Immediately, the people in the hall began to discuss among themselves:
"This is terrifying! I never expected that there would be such a powerful master in the Shaolin Sect. He has mastered all seventy-two unique skills and his cultivation has reached the level of a terrestrial immortal."
"The Shaolin Sect is indeed hiding its true strength. With so many masters in hiding, who would have thought there were such unfathomable experts if it weren't for the Heavenly Mystery Immortal revealing this?"
"This sweeping monk is the real master. He is dedicated to Buddhist practice and combines Buddhist teachings with martial arts, unlike other eminent monks who only know how to practice martial arts."
"No wonder that back then, Blood-Handed Li Gong roamed the martial arts world and killed all the major sects, but he never dared to set foot in Shaolin. He must have known that there were masters in Shaolin."
"Thinking back now, although Yan Kuangtu caused a great disturbance at Shaolin Temple, he only stole the martial arts manuals and did not harm any Shaolin monks."
"It can only be said that Yan Kuangtu and Li Gong were lucky. If they had really threatened Shaolin, and the Sweeper Monk had to teach them a lesson, then things would have been terrible."
"What was the meaning of the Heavenly Mystery Immortal's last sentence? After Yan Kuangtu, Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan also caused trouble in the Scripture Pavilion? How come I've never heard of that before?"
It's in the fifth private room on the south side of the thirteenth floor.
The Shaolin monks looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock.
Xuan Nan suddenly stood up and said excitedly, "What? There is such a high monk hidden in our Shaolin Sutra Repository?"
A hundred years ago, he had mastered all seventy-two Shaolin skills. His talent was even greater than that of the legendary Shaolin master Xuancheng, and his cultivation had reached the level of a terrestrial immortal.
Such a secret is enough to shock the entire Shaolin Temple, and even the entire martial arts world of the Song Dynasty.
"Does anyone know about this?"
Overwhelmed with excitement, Xuan Nan turned to the other monks and asked them questions.
The monks who came with him all shook their heads, except for one young monk who frowned, as if he had remembered something.
Xuan Nan quickly asked, "Xu Zhu, do you know this sweeping monk?"
Xu Zhu lowered his head and said, "I often go to the Sutra Repository to borrow Buddhist scriptures. There is indeed an old monk in blue robes sweeping there, but I don't know if he is the sweeping monk that the Celestial Immortal mentioned."
Xuan asked, "Then it must be him."
The other monks looked at Xuzhu with expressions of envy and jealousy.
This is a rare opportunity. If I could be taken in as a disciple by the Sweeping Monk, it wouldn't be impossible for me to break through to the Land Immortal Realm in the future.
Xuan Nan then remembered something else and said softly, "The Heavenly Mystery Immortal said that the Sweeper Monk of Shaolin can see through the world's affairs. The people he mentioned, such as Murong Longcheng, Dugu Qiubai, Li Gong, and Yan Kuangtu, can all be traced. However, no one has ever heard of Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan. I wonder what the deeper meaning is behind this?"
The monks present looked at each other, but none of them could give an answer.
This matter concerns the reputation of the Shaolin Sect, so Xuan Nan dared not be careless. He immediately stepped out of the room and loudly proclaimed:
"Xuan Nan of the Shaolin School of the Great Song Dynasty pays respects to the Celestial Mystery Immortal."
"This humble monk is willing to offer ten of Shaolin's most treasured martial arts techniques, plus two million taels of silver as a divination fee, to seek guidance from the Celestial Mystery Immortal."
"You just mentioned that Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan were causing trouble in the Sutra Pavilion. What exactly happened?"
As soon as he said this, the previously noisy hall fell silent.
This is also the question everyone most wants to know.
The things that Murong Bo and Xiao Yuanshan did were comparable to those of great figures like Murong Longcheng, Dugu Qiubai, Li Gong, and Yan Kuangtu, which clearly shows they were no ordinary people.
However, no one had ever heard of the name "Xiao Yuanshan"; and although Murong Bo was very famous, he had already passed away and there was no record of him having any connection with the Shaolin sect.
No one could understand what these two people had done to harm the Shaolin School.
So everyone looked towards Bai Yutai, hoping that Su Chen could give an answer.
Su Chen was not surprised by Xuan Nan's question and immediately brought up the system to check.
The system responded quickly:
"Successfully told Xuan Nan's fortune."
"Congratulations, host, on obtaining the divine weapon [Demon-Subduing Pestle]!"
Su Chen was unsure of its power upon hearing the name, but since it was a Buddhist artifact, it shouldn't be bad.
As he thought about it, his mood improved somewhat. He opened his folding fan and said loudly:
"This issue has to start with the Yanmen Pass massacre thirty years ago."
Chapter 146 Success
"This bloody incident is probably familiar to everyone in the martial arts world."
"It was this bloodshed that shattered the peace between the Liao and Song dynasties, leading to the invasion of hundreds of thousands of Liao troops and the suffering of the people."
"But regarding the details of the massacre, almost no one in the martial arts world knows anything about it, not even who did it or who was involved."
"The leader is none other than Xuanci, the current abbot of the Shaolin Temple, and the second is Wang Jiantong, the former leader of the Beggars' Sect."
"And the real mastermind behind it all is Murong Bo!"
"As for Xiao Yuanshan, he can be said to be the most innocent person in this case."
As soon as Su Chen finished speaking, the hall erupted in chaos.
All the martial arts figures of the Song Dynasty stared wide-eyed, never expecting Su Chen to bring up the "Yanmen Pass massacre".
The world of martial arts changes rapidly; even the most powerful figures will be forgotten by time.
But there are always some people and events that have a profound impact, and even decades later, they are still talked about with great interest.
The massacre at Yanmen Pass is one of them!