In the Sutra Pavilion, two young monks were sleeping soundly on the eucalyptus, while Meng Xiuyuan and the sweeping monk were facing each other indifferently not far behind them.
Originally, due to the impurities in the lamp oil, the lights in the pavilion would flicker on and off slightly, but from the moment the sweeper walked in, the lights seemed to have some aura attached to them and immediately stabilized.
The soft light reflected on the faces of Meng Xiuyuan and the sweeping monk, making one look handsome and refined, and the other a kind and kind face, but neither of them seemed hostile.
"That's good, that's good. The donor doesn't have to be polite.
Lao Monk is just a serving monk in this Sutra Pavilion and does not deserve the title of Master.
On the contrary, the benefactor is young and has a high degree of internal cultivation. He has spent many days in the pavilion where martial arts classics are stored, and he can still uphold his true intention and not do anything that exceeds the rules. He is really a good martial artist and a good character.
I haven't left the Sutra-Tiding Pavilion for a long time, and I didn't expect that the Xiaoyao Sect would have such a young hero as the donor.
If the donor has anything to ask, please just ask."
The sweeping monk made no movement while speaking, but suddenly he saw a pair of futons in the corner trembling slightly about ten feet away, and then slowly slid towards the two of them as if being dragged by a pair of invisible hands.
When the futon slid in front of the two of them, they saw the old monk bowing politely again, indicating to Meng Xiuyuan to please sit down and talk.
Meng Xiuyuan heard that the sweeping monk revealed the origin of his martial arts as soon as they met, and he couldn't help but feel shocked when he saw such a miracle again.
But after all, he had known that the other party was unfathomable, so Meng Xiuyuan was not too surprised. He just nodded towards the old monk, then sat down comfortably and said:
“The master is able to do this with such sincerity and strength, without pretending to be anything external, his kung fu is truly amazing.
I just don’t know if the master has integrated all his martial arts and created a unique ‘artistic conception’?”
Meng Xiuyuan did not hesitate to admit his doubts, and wanted to seek answers from the sweeping monk.
He had just heard the old monk's heartbeat for the first time. When he breathed, he found that it seemed to be integrated with the surrounding environment, pulsating with the ground beneath his feet. His breath changed with the surrounding airflow, and he felt that the person in front of him was unfathomable.
No wonder I haven't noticed its existence for many days.
But after careful observation, Meng Xiuyuan saw some tricks in this sweeping monk.
This feeling between the old monk's breath and exhalation is somewhat similar to the "martial arts artistic conception" demonstrated by Master Zhang in his previous life through "Tai Chi", both of which seemed to integrate himself into the surrounding environment.
It's just that there are some subtle differences, and it seems to have less charm than Zhang Sanfeng.
Since Meng Xiuyuan had not yet reached this level in person, he couldn't explain it clearly, so he had to ask for advice.
When the old monk suddenly heard what Meng Xiuyuan said, he couldn't help but look slightly surprised, and turned to Meng Xiuyuan and asked:
"Since the donor was a student of the Xiaoyao sect, how could he recognize these things?
But have you ever received guidance from other experts?"
Meng Xiuyuan was stunned when he heard this. He didn't understand the meaning of the old monk's words, but out of politeness, he nodded and said sincerely:
"What the master said is true. I know this 'Martial Arts Concept' and it has nothing to do with the Xiaoyao Sect, but I saw it from another master.
I just don’t know why Master asked this question, but you look like you know the Xiaoyao Sect very well?”
Seeing that Meng Xiuyuan was so sincere, the sweeping monk didn't hide anything, nodded to him and said:
"When I was young, I had not yet fully understood many things, so I once traveled far away from the temple to seek proof of my martial arts skills.
At that moment, I got acquainted with Senior Xiaoyaozi from your sect..."
As he spoke, the sweeping monk briefly recounted how he happened to meet Xiaoyaozi when he was traveling.
According to what he said, although he had not yet achieved great success in martial arts at that time, he was highly appreciated by Xiaoyaozi because of his talent and understanding.
If it weren't for the shortcoming of "not being very handsome", Xiaoyaozi might have forced him to become a disciple.
It was during this process that he gained an understanding of the Xiaoyao sect's martial arts, and was inspired by many of Xiaoyaozi's martial arts concepts, and his own kung fu progressed further.
Speaking of this, the sweeping monk couldn't help but admire Meng Xiuyuan's martial arts:
"Donor, the abyss of your Beiming True Qi is as deep as the sea, but it is also very pure. It is obviously not taken from another person's body.
At your age, it is truly astonishing to have such a level of cultivation.
If Senior Xiaoyaozi is still here, you must be his favorite disciple.
It’s a pity that to practice the martial arts of your Xiaoyao sect, you need a lot of external things. If you don’t have fate, it will be difficult to reach the level of senior Xiaoyaozi..."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this old monk talking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little intrigued in his heart.
You know, even Wu Yazi, a direct disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, failed to reveal such crucial information when he and Meng Xiuyuan discussed the martial arts of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Now I suddenly heard the sweeping monk mention it, which was really an unexpected joy. It was obvious that this old monk did have a lot of communication with Xiaoyaozi back then, and he knew the key points of Xiaoyao sect's Kung Fu very well.
Seeing this, Meng Xiuyuan would not let go of this opportunity and hurriedly said to him:
"Master, I practiced in a cave heaven a few days ago. When my skills became more advanced, I used the "Beiming Divine Art" again, and I felt that I could inhale a light and elegant air from the outside world into my body..."
With that said, Meng Xiuyuan began to talk at length with the sweeping monk about the "spiritual energy" he had inhaled during his exercise.
The old monk was not surprised when he heard this. He just nodded and said happily for Meng Xiuyuan:
"Senior Xiaoyaozi's Kung Fu was passed down from the Eternal Spring Valley in the southwest, and can be traced back to the Qi Refiners of ancient times.
If you have such an experience, it is obvious that you have entered the door and have the chance to find a treasure land suitable for practicing Qigong.
Under such circumstances, if we gather all the skills left by Senior Xiaoyaozi and break through the 'martial arts obstacles', it may not take long for you, the donor, to achieve great results."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this, he secretly communicated with the old monk and it was really useful. He couldn't help but hurriedly asked:
"What is the 'martial arts obstacle' mentioned by the master?"
Perhaps this old monk was compassionate because of his profound Buddhist teachings. Perhaps he was familiar with Xiaoyaozi and had some affection for Meng Xiuyuan, the successor of Xiaoyao sect. In short, he was not impatient after hearing Meng Xiuyuan's questions one after another. On the contrary, he became more impatient.
Fa explained to Meng Xiuyuan in detail and carefully:
“The term ‘martial arts disorder’ in common terms refers to the confusion caused by a martial artist’s lack of knowledge when practicing martial arts.
But at your level, things are different.
Once you have reached the top in martial arts, if you want to take another step forward and become extraordinary, there are only two ways to go.
Or you are like your Xiaoyao sect, seeking from the nature of heaven and earth from outside, and absorbing the essence of heaven and earth into your body.
Or you can use the methods passed down by my Shaolin Patriarch Bodhidharma, seek within yourself and your body, integrate Buddhism and martial arts, and refine and condense your true energy.
But in this process, it is different from regular martial arts training. There is a difficult barrier that needs to be broken through, which is what I call the ‘martial arts barrier’.”
After hearing what the sweeping monk said, Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel that it contained a lot of information and was quite consistent with some of his own experiences in his previous life. After thinking about it for a moment, he asked:
"Master, you said that you have tempered and condensed the true energy. Does the method taught by your temple compress the true energy into liquid?"
The sweeping monk nodded when he heard this, and without trying to hide anything, he calmly explained to Meng Xiuyuan:
"After saying goodbye to Senior Xiaoyaozi, I went back to the temple for meditation, and then I accidentally discovered in this Sutra Pavilion the method left by Patriarch Bodhidharma to break through the limits of martial arts, which was hidden in a copy of the Vimalakīrti Sutra.
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This part of the content is so cryptic that readers who are not martial arts students or have practiced Buddhism to a very high level will not be able to understand the deep meaning even if they see it.
At that time, I felt like I had found a treasure, and I devoted myself to studying it for more than ten years, but I made no progress. Instead, I became greedy, angry, stupid, resentful, and angry, which made me uneasy and damaged my body.
Until I realized that I was at the end of my rope, I went to carefully read the Buddhist scriptures in this Buddhist scriptures pavilion one by one. I finally became enlightened and overcame the 'martial arts obstacle'.
After gaining a thorough understanding of martial arts and Buddhism, the world seemed to have changed in my eyes.
And the true energy of the body is naturally tempered during this process, becoming thick and dense, like substance, and it is indeed quite appropriate to say that it is like water."
As he spoke, the old monk slowly put his hand on Meng Xiuyuan's shoulder, and injected a stream of solemn Qi into his body, allowing him to feel it intuitively.
Meng Xiu couldn't help but feel warm in his heart when he saw the situation, secretly thinking that this eminent monk really had a broad mind and was sincerely helping him to solve his doubts.
After carefully experiencing the true energy of the sweeping monk, Meng Xiuyuan felt that its quality was indeed extraordinary. It was pure, thick, and had an inherent aura. It was definitely far superior to the ordinary true energy in the world.
It's just that compared to the liquefied zhenqi he obtained from practicing in the deep sea in his previous life, the sweeper's zhenqi seems to be slightly less dense.
Thinking back to when they first met, he saw that the old monk seemed to have integrated himself into the surrounding environment, but his state was slightly worse than Zhang Sanfeng's "martial arts artistic conception". Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but have an instant enlightenment, and saw through the whole body of this sweeping monk.
Cultivation.
It turned out that the two otherworldly paths he and his master Zhang Zhenren tried in his previous life were not wrong.
Putting the two together, and then weakening them a little bit, is the current state of the sweeping monk.
Integrating one's own martial arts, condensing the "martial arts artistic conception", and compressing one's own true energy into a liquid state. In fact, these two paths can coexist, and both can be classified as the method of "seeking within oneself"
go.
But unlike the sweeping monk who had the detailed guidance left by Bodhidharma and could practice step by step, both Meng Xiuyuan and Zhang Sanfeng relied on their own unique talents and groped in the unknown to finally achieve such achievements.
In particular, master Zhang Zhenren, who was an abandoned disciple who was expelled from the Shaolin Temple, actually created a complete martial arts system in a hundred years with a set of Luohan Boxing and a little bit of the incomplete "Nine Yang Magic".
In the end, he integrated it all and condensed his own "martial arts artistic conception".
Based on this artistic conception alone, Zhang Sanfeng's original work is more suitable for himself than the sweeping monk who inherited the wisdom of his predecessors.
Moreover, Meng Xiuyuan believed that with Zhang Sanfeng's healthy body, it would not be a problem to live for another few decades. During this time, he might also be able to research the method of "compressing the true energy".
It can only be said that Zhang Zhenren’s martial arts achievements throughout his life are indeed the same as those of Shaolin’s Patriarch Bodhidharma, which can be regarded as unparalleled.
For a moment, Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel proud of his master, and many memories of his past life could not help but appear in his mind.
From when he was six years old, his master led him up the mountain, to when he was sixteen years old, his master taught him "Purple Sky Sword Qi", to when he was twenty-six years old, his master reluctantly sent him away from that world.
Without his master's guidance along the way, he would never have achieved what he has achieved today.
Thinking about this, Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel moved in his heart, secretly thinking that he didn't know where his luck came from to be able to worship such a good master.
However, the opportunity to seek knowledge was rare, so Meng Xiuyuan did not express any emotion. He immediately put himself in a good mood and asked the sweeping monk for advice:
“Master, do you know what ‘martial arts obstacles’ the Xiaoyao Sect will face when these three magical skills are combined?”
Meng Xiuyuan thought that if he could know in advance, he would be better prepared.
Unexpectedly, the sweeping monk shook his head after hearing this and replied to Meng Xiuyuan:
“This martial arts disorder is so mysterious and unpredictable that you have to encounter it yourself to fully understand it.
I have never practiced Xiaoyao sect’s martial arts, so I don’t know much about it.”
Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel a little regretful when he heard this, but thinking that he had gained a lot from chatting with the sweeping monk for a while today, he didn't want too much, and raised his head to say thanks to the old monk.
Unexpectedly, before he could say his thanks, the sweeping monk seemed to have not finished what he just said, and continued to say:
"However, I heard from Senior Xiaoyaozi that the Kung Fu of their lineage requires relatively high qualifications from their disciples when they first start practicing it. But when they reach the highest level of cultivation, they also have higher requirements for their disciples' character.
To put it simply, it is to achieve the word "free".
Follow your heart's desires and not be bound by worldly dogma. But you can also uphold your own heart and not be enslaved by desires.
Senior Xiaoyaozi once said that the reason why he accepted three disciples, one male and two female, and divided the magical skills into three and taught them three respectively was to temper their character.
In the thinking of the Xiaoyao sect, it is natural for handsome men and beautiful women to have mutual affection and admiration, and it is also a process that must be experienced.
But because of this, a lot of hatred and resentment will inevitably arise, making the three people entangled.
When one day, the three of them see through all this, let go of their resentments, and return to freedom and ease, they will naturally be able to practice to the highest depths by combining the three skills..."
At this point, the sweeping monk glanced at Meng Xiuyuan for a moment, then lowered his head slightly and remained silent.
Meng Xiuyuan knew in his heart that the old monk should have told everything he knew and held nothing back.
Although he was grateful in his heart, Meng Xiuyuan still couldn't help but ask again and finally said:
"Master, thank you for clarifying my doubts. I have benefited a lot from this.
But I have one last question to ask you.
"I wonder if you know that there is a Khitan man who has been secretly learning Shaolin skills from you all year round. Where is he now?"
Hearing this, the sweeping monk still replied calmly:
"In the Sutra Pavilion, there are indeed two laymen who come and go, borrowing martial arts secret books all the time.
But recently, perhaps they have copied all the seventy-two special skills hidden in this pavilion, so it has been a long time since I saw them come back.
So, donor, I'm sorry, although I made you waste several days in this pavilion, I don't know their whereabouts at this time."
Meng Xiuyuan heard the sound and quickly waved his hand, saying it didn't matter.
The sweeping monk revealed everything he knew in the middle of the night, which solved many confusions in Meng Xiuyuan's mind and pointed out the way forward. It was indeed a rare opportunity.
Therefore, after Meng Xiuyuan solemnly bid farewell to the sweeping monk, in addition to thinking about the so-called "martial arts disability" in his mind, he could not help but also think about:
How can we find an opportunity to return this favor to Shaolin Temple?