Chapter 105

The Shaolin Temple on Mount Song was built by order of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty at the northern foot of Mount Shaoshi. Initially, it was just a royal temple, and the monks did not practice martial arts.

However, in the midst of chaos, the royal temple’s reputation did not bring Shaolin Temple much good fortune. Instead, its abundant assets attracted countless greedy people.

Moreover, the Shaolin Temple on Mount Song is located in the Central Plains, with very convenient transportation. It has been a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times. Therefore, whenever the world is in turmoil, the Shaolin Temple is inevitably affected by the flames of war.

In order to survive the war, the monks who ate vegetarian food and chanted Buddhist scriptures began to practice martial arts on their own, and Shaolin martial monks gradually formed a system.

As their power grew, Shaolin Temple gradually developed ambitions.

Finally, during the chaos at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Shaolin Temple seized the opportunity and sent a large number of martial monks down the mountain to help Li Shimin’s Tang army capture Luoyang, leaving behind the legend of thirteen monks who saved the Tang emperor.

Shaolin Temple became famous throughout the world from then on, and after Li Shimin ascended the throne, he had the power to form his own monk army.

Through the tireless efforts of generations of monks, the Shaolin School grew stronger and stronger, eventually becoming the undisputed leader of the martial arts world in the Central Plains.

Although they have suffered setbacks, they have always risen again in less than a century after lying low and enduring hardship, and have always been the most powerful force in the martial arts world.

Shaolin martial arts have been continuously improved and refined by eminent monks throughout the ages, becoming a divine skill that everyone in the martial arts world yearns for.

As the saying goes in the martial arts world: all martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin, and Shaolin martial arts are the best in the world.

With such strength, the Shaolin Sect naturally shunned evil and no one dared to provoke it.

Especially since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Shaolin Temple has learned from the lessons of the late Yuan Dynasty, carefully planned and made moves in all directions, and in just a few decades, it has suppressed the Wudang School, which had risen to prominence.

After that, neither the Huashan Sect with Feng Qingyang nor the Sun Moon Sect, which produced two generations of outstanding figures, could shake the Shaolin Sect’s position.

In a secluded spot halfway up Mount Song, a young man was practicing a peculiar style of boxing.

He walked slowly, gesturing with his hands in front of him at an extremely slow pace; his posture resembled a dance rather than a martial arts exercise.

“Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail, Single Whip, Raise Hand Posture, White Crane Spreads Wings, Hug Knee and Hook Step, Play the Lute, Advance and Block Hammer as if Sealing and Closing, Cross Hands, Embrace the Tiger and Return to the Mountain…” The man kept muttering to himself, his palms sometimes as heavy as mountains, sometimes as light as feathers, seemingly soft and powerless, but the occasional palm wind he brought out blew the fallen leaves and withered grass around him all over the place.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the young man slowly brought his palms together in front of his chest to form a Tai Chi circle, stood still in place, and exhaled a long breath.

His eyes were closed, as if he was deep in thought. After a while, he opened his eyes, and a piercing light flashed across them.

“This Tai Chi Chuan uses speed to overcome slowness and stillness to control movement. Every move contains the changes of Yin and Yang, and it is profound and extensive. Each practice will not only not cause damage to the body, but will also regulate internal energy and strengthen the body. No wonder Zhang Sanfeng once said: ‘As long as this set of Tai Chi Chuan can be passed down to future generations, the name of my Wudang School will surely be remembered for eternity.'” The young man appreciated the wonder of this boxing style and praised it repeatedly.

This person was naturally Nie Yun, who had just come down from Wudang Mountain. After forming an alliance with Chongxu, he headed straight for Shaolin.

During his trip to Wudang, he not only learned the “Ladder Cloud Leap” and the Tai Chi sword technique, but also learned the unparalleled boxing method created by the famous martial arts master in his twilight years from Zhang Sanfeng’s handwritten “Tai Chi Boxing Classic”. He returned home with a full harvest.

Now, Nie Yun’s internal strength, weapon skills, lightness skills, and fist and foot techniques are all unparalleled in the martial arts world, but there is still one weakness, which is his body-refining techniques.

Both the Huashan School and the Wudang School belong to the Taoist lineage. Although they also emphasize self-cultivation and energy cultivation, they do not have very profound body-refining techniques.

Although the Xuanling Jade Disc also contains body-refining techniques, none of them are within his current capabilities.

I’m not qualified to cultivate immortality yet, so I can only learn martial arts.

The most powerful body-refining technique in Jin Yong’s novels is undoubtedly the “Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill” practiced by the Golden Wheel Monk.

However, since the death of the Golden Wheel Monk at the gates of Xiangyang, the whereabouts of this martial art have remained unknown.

Over the years, Nie Yun had tried to find out more, but to no avail.

Over time, he lost hope.

Unable to find a solution for Tantric martial arts, Nie Yun naturally turned his attention to the Shaolin School, which was also a branch of Buddhism.

Putting everything else aside, his coveted infamous Vajra Indestructible Body was something he couldn’t resist.

Kong Jian, who practiced this martial art, actually withstood Xie Xun’s twelve Seven Injury Fists without a scratch. If it weren’t for the Golden Lion King’s self-inflicted injury, this monk probably wouldn’t have died at all.

After making up his mind, Nie Yun disguised himself as a traveling scholar and headed straight for Mount Song.

He first asked an old farmer at the foot of the mountain about the weather and learned that it was going to rain in the next few days, so he found a place to hide on the mountainside.

“Judging from the sky, it’ll probably rain tomorrow morning.” He smiled slightly as he looked at the already somewhat gloomy sky and strolled up the mountain.

He arrived at the temple and told the guest monk that he wanted to transcribe Buddhist scriptures for his deceased mother.

Now his internal energy cultivation has long reached the realm of returning to simplicity and inner light, making him look like an ordinary person without any martial arts skills, so the guest monk had no doubts.

“Please, Master, take pity on my filial piety. I have traveled a thousand miles to get here. Please do me a favor!”

Nie Yun handed over a stack of silver notes with a smile.

After offering a generous donation, the monk led Nie Yun into the Sutra Repository, clasped his hands in prayer, and said, “Benefactor Long, this is the Sutra Repository. All the Buddhist scriptures of our temple are collected here. Please feel free to use it. Only disciples of our temple are allowed to go up to the second and third floors. Please do not enter by mistake.”

“Thank you, Master. I will keep that in mind.”

Nie Yun smiled and returned the greeting, then turned and walked towards the wooden frames around him.

Although the monk in charge of reception did not follow closely, he remained at the door, clearly intending to keep watch.

After walking around the pavilion, Nie Yun had memorized its layout. He picked up a few Buddhist scriptures and went to a table and chairs to the side, where he began to pretend to copy them.

The library has three floors. The first floor contains Buddhist scriptures, while the stairs leading to the second floor are guarded by martial monks. Nie Yun guessed that the martial arts manuals were on the upper two floors, and the representative of Shaolin martial arts—the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts—should be on the third floor.

Although there were martial monks guarding the place, it wasn’t particularly strict, and Nie Yun didn’t sense any extremely powerful experts hiding in the shadows.

Nie Yun was puzzled, but his face remained expressionless.

He focused intently on copying the paper until the sun was about to set, at which point he put down his brush and followed the monk to the guest quarters to rest.

The next morning, he first went to the Buddhist hall to burn incense, and then asked the guest monk to show him around the temple.

Since he had already donated money, the monk in charge of the guest service naturally did not refuse and took him sightseeing.

“This Shaolin Temple truly lives up to its reputation as an ancient temple with a history of over a thousand years; it is so magnificent and imposing! Here, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility in my heart, making it a place I never want to leave!”

Nie Yun had memorized the layout of the many halls and rooms, and kept praising them. Hearing the guest monk’s goodwill increase, he became more attentive when explaining.

As he walked, Nie Yun suddenly saw a somewhat deserted and dilapidated hall.

Not only was there no incense burner in front of the main hall, but the ground around it was also covered with fallen leaves, indicating that it had not been maintained for a long time.

However, it far exceeds the surrounding buildings in both area and height, making it look quite out of place.

Curious, he pointed to the building and asked, “Master, why is this hall so different from others?”

The monk’s expression changed, and he said in a low voice, “Benefactor, you may not know this, but that is a forbidden area of ​​our sect. No one is allowed to enter, not even our disciples.”

“Oh? It’s unbelievable that the Buddha’s abode would have such a place!” Nie Yun was even more puzzled. “Master, could you tell me about the origin of that great beating?”

The monk who was in charge of the guest service did not want to speak, but Nie Yun presented him with another silver note.

He turned and looked around, then said to Nie Yun, “This main hall was first built during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. The abbot who built it left a will stating that future disciples must carefully protect it and not damage it, or they would be expelled from the sect. Inside the hall are six stone statues, but their appearances are completely different from the Buddha statues enshrined in many temples around the world, and their placement is also very strange. The entire hall exudes an eerie atmosphere. Ordinary disciples cannot enter at all; only the abbot and head monks of the sect can go in. However, previous generations of predecessors would faint after entering, and when they woke up, they were insane.”

“Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin? Six huge stone statues? Could it be…” Nie Yun’s heart skipped a beat, but he showed a look of fear on his face and shivered. He quickly said, “If that’s the case, let’s leave quickly.”

Just as the two were preparing to head to their next destination, the heavy rain that Nie Yun had been longing for finally began to fall.

He quickly pretended to be in a sorry state and ran back, even “accidentally” slipping and falling heavily to the ground.

That evening, Nie Yun developed a fever. An elderly monk in the temple, skilled in medicine, prescribed him some medicine, for which Nie Yun expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

“Master, I have suffered from insomnia since I was a child, and it is even more difficult for me to fall asleep when I am sick. Please prescribe some calming and sleep-inducing medicine so that I can rest in peace.”

Nie Yun looked pitiful at the old monk and handed him another silver note.

“Benefactor Long, you are too kind. Helping those in distress is what we Buddhists should do. How could we let you go to such lengths?”

The old monk declined verbally, but his hand swiftly took the silver note. “I will have the night patrol disciples not disturb you tonight, so please rest assured.”

“Then thank you very much, Master!” Nie Yun smiled slightly, but inwardly he was full of sarcasm.

As the night wore on, the rain intensified, and the monks on night patrol in the temple became somewhat lethargic.

Nie Yun listened to the sounds around him, then changed into a masked night outfit and gently pushed open a small crack in the window to look outside.

The entire Shaolin Temple was shrouded in a curtain of rain, and the lanterns under the eaves swayed in the night wind, while lamps burned eternally in several halls.

Nie Yun opened the window completely, darted out of the room with a whoosh, gently closed the window, and then silently leaped onto a large tree next to him.

He did not head towards the library, but instead rushed towards the strange hall he had seen during the day.

The rain lashed down on him relentlessly, but it did nothing to hinder Nie Yun’s movements. He channeled his full power into the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his feet moving with incredible speed, as if riding the wind and clouds.

In no time, he arrived outside the main hall. There, he saw an iron lock hanging on the door, its surface covered in rust.

Nie Yun gripped the lock and gently twisted it. With a “click,” the already flimsy lock ring snapped. He pushed open the door and stepped into the dark hall.

The moment Nie Yun stepped inside, he felt a solemn and imposing aura wash over him. Although it was formless and intangible, it made him involuntarily take a step back.

“Good heavens, what kind of place is this? It can stop people in their tracks just by its aura?” Nie Yun was shocked and quickly stopped in his tracks, looking ahead.

Although there were no lights here, his internal strength was so profound that he could still see the scene inside the hall clearly.

The building was in a state of disrepair, but one could still vaguely discern its former splendor.

It is clear that this hall was originally a very important place, but for some reason it has fallen into disrepair.

There are six huge stone statues in the main hall.

It is much taller than the bronze Buddha statue in the main hall.

These six stone statues are not placed against the wall like in other temples, but rather form a six-pointed star shape, facing inwards in a circle.

Feeling the powerful aura, Nie Yun hesitated, unsure whether to retreat or continue forward.

“When a person dies, their body is turned upwards!”

After a moment of internal struggle, Nie Yun’s adventurous nature from his previous life prevailed.

He took a deep breath and walked forward, focusing all his attention on what lay ahead.

The further he went, the stronger the oppressive aura became. In the end, he could barely move forward, taking one step at a time.

Large beads of sweat kept pouring from his forehead. Nie Yun bit his lip tightly, feeling the overwhelming pressure that seemed to be crushing him, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

“This should be a kind of selection process. Ordinary people from Zhunlong can’t get in at all. Just this aura alone is unbearable.”

Nie Yun circulated all the true energy within his body, rapidly flowing through his meridians, and immediately felt much lighter. “The stronger the training, the greater the rewards will be. I must go in!”

With unwavering determination, he walked step by step into the circle formed by the six statues. As soon as he entered, Nie Yun felt a sudden dizziness, as if his brain was being simultaneously struck by a sledgehammer and pierced by fine needles.

“Holy crap!”

Nie Yun knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his hands, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

In that brief moment, he felt that he had endured a thousand times more pain than he had in both of his lifetimes combined.

He bit his lip hard, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, trying his best to keep his mind clear.

But the pain seemed endless and relentless, like a tsunami constantly crashing against Nie Yun’s brain.

Just as he was about to faint, the Xuanling Jade Disc inside his body suddenly began to spin rapidly and emitted a dazzling golden light.

The golden light instantly filled his entire body, and his head, which was in so much pain it felt like it was about to split open, felt a cool and refreshing sensation. The sudden pain then disappeared.

Nie Yun swayed twice and then collapsed to the ground, his clothes completely soaked with sweat.

He forced himself to look up and see in all directions. He saw that these six stone statues were indeed very different from the other Buddha statues, just as the monk had said. Each of them had a fierce appearance and a ferocious face.

Strangely enough, although these stone statues look fierce, they exude an aura of righteousness, inspiring not fear but reverence.

Although the Xuanling Jade Disc relieved Nie Yun of the pain, he still felt that the impact had not stopped.

Although his head no longer hurt, it still felt numb from time to time, and the Xuanling Jade Disc was still spinning and glowing, indicating that the danger was not over yet.

After an unknown amount of time, Nie Yun finally felt the impact completely stop. However, before he could recover, his vision blurred, and when he opened his eyes again, he was in another place.

“Where…where is this?”

Nie Yun looked around blankly and found himself in an endless void.

Above were countless stars, below was an impenetrable white mist, and he was trapped in the middle by a strange force.

Just then, the scenery suddenly changed, and Nie Yun saw a figure appear directly in front of him.

His face seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, obscuring his features. He moved through the void with peculiar steps, leaving trails of lightning behind him that resembled silver snakes.

“Is this speed even possible for a human to walk at?” Nie Yun opened his eyes wide, trying his best to capture the figure. Tears streamed down his face as he watched, but he could only see afterimages.

Then, the scene before him slowly shattered, turning into streaks of golden light that rushed rapidly toward Nie Yun.

Nie Yun tried to dodge, but his body was completely immobilized, and he could only watch as they rushed straight into his head. Golden light emanated from his brain, and a cultivation technique suddenly appeared in Nie Yun’s mind.

Thunder God’s Swiftness: As swift as thunder and as fast as lightning. He can leap across rooftops and walk on water and earth.

“I knew it! It’s the Six Gods Technique!”

Nie Yun felt the power of this cultivation technique and trembled with excitement.

The Six Gods Technique is a martial art in “Legend of the Emperor 4: The Great Tang Dynasty”. The protagonist, Li Shimin, relied on this technique to dominate the world, eliminate all rivals, and eventually ascend the throne as emperor, creating the prosperous Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty.

Legend has it that Shakyamuni comprehended his own Six Forms of Tathagata Palm through the World-Illuminating Lamp, a magical artifact left behind by the previous ancient Buddha, Dipankara Buddha. He also created five magical artifacts: Thunder Sound Staff, Heart Light Decree, Ruyi Zhenchan, Brahma Sound Camel Bell, and Subduing Magic Cone. These five magical artifacts, along with the World-Illuminating Lamp, are the Six Magical Artifacts, each wielded by one of the Six Holy Envoys.

These six holy messengers came from different social classes in India, and all of them became guardians of the sacred artifacts by chance.

There were divine healers, warriors, Zen practitioners, farmers, and even members of the royal family.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period in India, three of the ritual implements were stolen by a follower of Bliss who disguised himself as one of the Six Holy Messengers and fled to the Central Plains.

The compassionate monk Shifa, carrying a magical artifact, chased the followers of the Blissful Land a thousand miles to the Central Plains and retrieved the artifact from the southern barbarians.

Seeing that the local people were ignorant and living in poverty, the Buddhist monk Shifa taught and spread the Dharma there, eventually spending his final years in southern Xinjiang.

The Six Gods Technique is a Buddhist secret art that the Buddhist monk Shifa Shenseng comprehended from the Buddha’s palm.

Besides the Thunder God’s Swiftness mentioned earlier, the Six Gods Technique also includes five other techniques:

Vajra Release: Domineering and powerful, with strength like a drill. It can split mountains and shatter rocks, and heal poisons and wounds.

The Bodhisattva’s Extinction: Absorbing the power of fire and transforming it for his own use. Burning mountains and boiling seas, melting iron and gold.

Guanyin’s Chaos: A thousand hands strike simultaneously, chaotic and formless. Attacks are like a sudden rainstorm, defenses are like an iron wall.

Arhat’s Unloading: Strong yet flexible, capable of unloading heavy loads. Its energy is projected outwards, controlling all things.

Tathagata’s Break: Earth-shattering, the strongest among the six gods. Combining strength and gentleness, indestructible.

“We’ve struck it rich! We’ve really struck it rich! I never imagined that martial arts from Legend of the Emperor would appear in Jin Yong’s martial arts world!”

Nie Yun was almost overwhelmed by this sudden surprise. “Since there’s the Six Gods Technique, does that mean there will also be the Hun Tian Bao Jian and the Xiantian Qiankun Gong in the future…?”

As Nie Yun was lost in thought, his vision blurred, and he found himself back in the main hall. He looked around blankly, only to find that it was still pitch black outside the window; the experience just now felt like a dream.