The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 47: The Most Thrilling Draw

Upon seeing the words “Jiuyang True Classic,” Huo Yuanzhen’s heart began to race. The Jiuyang Scripture! Such a martial art actually existed! Based on his experience watching movies and TV shows in his previous life, the Jiuyang Scripture was the most invincible, peerless martial art in Jin Yong’s novels. This cultivation method blends Buddhist and Taoist principles, combining strength and flexibility. While practicing it initially brings great benefits, the final major hurdle is a life-or-death ordeal. First, the practitioner must open all the acupoints throughout the body, then endure the unbearable heat of the Jiuyang True Fire—a suffering not everyone can withstand. One false move, and one could be incinerated to ashes by the Jiuyang Fire. However, this danger shouldn’t apply to me. Since every martial art I practice is generated by the system, I am able to master them instantly and seamlessly—a tremendous advantage. Once the entire Jiuyang Divine Art is mastered, inner energy regenerates at an astonishingly fast rate and is virtually inexhaustible—much like the automatic mana regeneration in online games, where a mage’s mana is limitless. Even against thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of horses, one person alone can hold the line. Moreover, the Jiuyang Scripture enhances one’s physical constitution, allowing even ordinary punches and kicks to deliver immense destructive power. Its defensive capabilities are unmatched—it’s as if a divine art shields the body, making it impervious to blades and spears and transforming it into an indestructible, diamond-hard form. Back when Zhang Wuji had just begun cultivating the Jiuyang Scripture, he was able to directly block the three palm strikes of Extinction—and it’s important to note that Extinction, that old nun, was not one to hold back. This clearly demonstrates the formidable defensive power of the Jiuyang Scripture. Furthermore, the Jiuyang Divine Art greatly aids in lightness skills. My own “Crossing the River on a Reed” technique relies heavily on technique and requires very little internal energy; however, technique alone is insufficient to cross a vast river. Once one has mastered the Jiuyang Scripture, crossing the river becomes as easy and pleasant as stepping over a small stream. Even more importantly, the Jiuyang Divine Art is a sacred text for healing; it renders one immune to all poisons and specifically counters all cold and yin-based internal energies. Haven’t you noticed how the cold poison of the Xuanming Divine Palm has absolutely no offensive power when faced with the Jiuyang Divine Art? The Jiuyang Scripture embodies the ultimate principles of martial arts; once mastered, one can utilize any martial art under heaven. This scripture also includes techniques such as the Bone-Shrinking Art and the Wall-Walking Art; if I were to obtain it, it would be a real bargain—like buying one and getting two free. It turns out that the versions of the Jiuyang Divine Art seen in TV dramas are all incomplete—yet they are still the supreme martial arts in the world. Legend has it that the *Jiuyang True Classic* consists of four volumes, each covering a vast range of topics; a single volume alone would be enough for a person of average aptitude to study for a lifetime. When Master Jueyuan passed away, he muttered portions of the Jiuyang Scripture in his final moments; Zhang Sanfeng, Guo Xiang, and Master Wuse each memorized a portion. These three individuals, having each inherited a portion of the *Jiuyang Scripture* back then, achieved vastly different levels of mastery due to their varying levels of insight. Master Wuse achieved the highest level of martial arts, while Guo Xiang’s knowledge was the most extensive. Zhang Sanfeng, who had absolutely no foundation in martial arts at the time, paradoxically attained the purest mastery precisely because of this. And yet, even with just the superficial knowledge these few individuals acquired, they later went on to establish the three major schools: Shaolin, Emei, and Wudang. From this, one can imagine just how formidable the complete *Jiuyang Scripture* must be. Legend has it that the original *Jiuyang Scripture* was created by Patriarch Damo, while the later volumes were authored by an unknown person. However, it no longer matters who created it. What matters is that since it has appeared in Huo Yuanzhen’s lottery system, it is certainly possible to practice it. “Unbeatable under heaven! Huo Yuanzhen’s lips trembled. He never imagined that after being transported to another world, he’d actually have the chance to draw the Jiuyang Scripture*. Damn it, if he obtained this supreme martial arts manual, becoming the leader of the martial arts world would be a breeze. He estimated that within all of Henan Province, only Hua Wuji, the Grandmaster of the Songshan School, could barely be considered his match. Although it was only the first volume, Huo Yuanzhen believed that where there’s a first, there must be a second, third, and fourth—the crucial part was simply drawing the first volume of the Jiuyang Scripture. It was highly likely that if he failed to draw the first volume of the Jiuyang Scripture, the second, third, and fourth volumes wouldn’t appear either. May the Buddha protect me! This truly is the Buddha’s blessing! Huo Yuanzhen looked up at the main Buddha on the ninth level of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda—Namo Amitabha Buddha—and felt a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite describe. After taking quite a while to collect his thoughts, Huo Yuanzhen glanced at the other prizes. Mad Demon Staff, you’re out of the running for now. Golden-Eyed Eagle—we’ll have another chance in the future. Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art—sigh, what a pity. Why must there be both Yu and Liang in this world? The “Pin” Grand Prize—even though you’re the grand prize, even if I were to draw you, it doesn’t mean I’d necessarily get the Jiuyang Scripture! Weighing the two against each other, Huo Yuanzhen would rather forgo the three random rewards than miss out on the Jiuyang Scripture. “Phew, just draw it—I’ll have to do it sooner or later.” Huo Yuanzhen had never been this nervous before; even he couldn’t stay calm in the face of this peerless martial art. He silently recited the incantation of the *Jiuyang Manual*: “Let him be strong—he is but a gentle breeze caressing the mountain ridge. Let him be arrogant—he is but the bright moon shining upon the great river. Let him be cruel and wicked—I am sustained by a single breath of true qi.” After finishing the recitation, Huo Yuanzhen opened his eyes and began to calculate carefully. On the day of the grand prize draw, Huo Yuanzhen calculated that there was a total discrepancy of fourteen symbols; if he activated the mechanism before reaching those fourteen symbols, he might be able to draw the item he desired. Of course, this method wasn’t guaranteed to be accurate, but the discrepancy shouldn’t be too great. Now, next to the *Jiuyang Scripture*, there were four items: the *Sutra of the Buddha’s Deeds*, five hundred taels of silver, a monk’s robe, and the first half of the *Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art*. The grand prize was five steps away from the Jiuyang True Classic*, so it certainly wouldn’t end up there. He counted from the front to the back, then from the back to the front, going back and forth four or five times, until Huo Yuanzhen finally determined that to draw the Jiuyang Scripture*, he would need to start at the spot marked with one hundred taels of gold. “One hundred taels of gold—may This Humble Monk bring good fortune!” After silently reciting a few phrases, Huo Yuanzhen finally confirmed that everything was correct. Gritting his teeth, he tapped “Start.” The light point shot out suddenly, spinning rapidly within the circle as it passed through one pattern after another. After spinning four or five times, the light gradually slowed down. As it passed the “100 taels of gold” symbol once more, the light point slowed even further, moving forward step by step. At this point, it was still ten steps away from the Jiuyang Classic*. Huo Yuanzhen watched closely, but he wasn’t overly anxious. Although it looked slow now, relying on its momentum, it was quite likely to travel another ten steps or so. After moving forward another five steps, the light slowed even further, advancing barely one step every two seconds. Three steps… Finally, the light reached the spot where the *Sutra of the Buddha’s Original Deeds* lay. Two more steps, and it would reach the Jiuyang Scripture*. As Huo Yuanzhen prayed, the light took another step forward, coming to rest on the five hundred taels of silver. And just beyond the five hundred taels of silver lay the Jiuyang Scripture*. Huo Yuanzhen’s heart leapt into his throat, and he let out a hoarse cry: “One step at a time!” “Snap!” The light spot took another step forward, landing on top of the Jiuyang Scripture. “Yay!” Since there was no one else in the room, Huo Yuanzhen let out a loud roar, not caring how he looked. But he didn’t dare let his guard down, because there was still no sound signaling the end of the draw—which meant the light spot might very well take another step forward, all the way to the monk’s robe. The monk’s robe was undoubtedly a treasure. Huo Yuanzhen knew that any Buddhist ritual object drawn in the lottery was never as simple as it seemed—just like the Wooden Fish he’d drawn a while back. Though it looked ordinary, its ability to calm the mind was something even many profound martial arts couldn’t match. This monk’s robe was certainly no exception, but compared to the Jiuyang Scripture, it was in a completely different league. The light flickered and wavered, then, under Huo Yuanzhen’s gaze, took another step forward! A monk’s robe? Did I really draw a monk’s robe? Huo Yuanzhen felt like crying but had no tears to shed. What on earth was going on? This drawing mechanism wasn’t entirely reliable, was it? How did it end up taking one extra step and drawing a monk’s robe? It gave me the White Horse, and now it’s given me a monk’s robe too—does it really want me to become Tang Sanzang? To have missed out on the Jiuyang Scripture like this—Huo Yuanzhen felt a deep sense of resentment. He bit his lip twice and forced himself to calm down. He remembered how he’d advised others: “Unfulfilled desire is a form of suffering,” and he couldn’t allow himself to sink into that sea of suffering. Fortunately, Huo Yuanzhen was generally an optimistic person who could take things in stride, so he quickly regained his composure. Although he hadn’t succeeded this time, he still had a chance. The *Jiuyang Scripture* was bound to reappear; sooner or later, he would get his hands on it—it was just a matter of time. "So be it with the monk’s robe," she thought. "Let’s see if it has any special functions." Just as Huo Yuanzhen was about to claim his reward, he found he couldn’t. What’s going on? He hurriedly looked at the system interface. Suddenly, the screen flickered—it was the end-of-draw screen. He hadn’t even had a chance to see what he’d drawn, but he heard the system prompt: “This draw has ended. Do you wish to claim your reward?” “Claim…” Huo Yuanzhen replied listlessly. After he spoke, the system automatically shut down. As the prize was about to appear, Huo Yuanzhen spread his arms wide, hoping the monk’s robe would automatically fall onto him. But the robe he’d imagined didn’t appear. Instead, with a “thud,” a book landed right in front of him. “What the heck? Where’s my robe?” Huo Yuanzhen lowered his head, muttering to himself as he picked up the book from the ground. “Huh! How could it be a book?” Huo Yuanzhen, who had been feeling a bit listless, suddenly became excited again and hurriedly picked up the book to examine it closely. As soon as he looked at it, Huo Yuanzhen’s mouth dropped open. It was truly a case of losing in one area but gaining in another—he hadn’t obtained the Jiuyang Scripture he’d dreamed of, but he’d unexpectedly come across this martial arts manual. This was the Jin Lun Dharma King’s supreme art from years past—an Esoteric Buddhism protective technique divided into thirteen levels. Reaching the tenth level granted the power of ten dragons and ten elephants. It was a thick, thread-bound book with a black cover, and emblazoned across the front were several large characters: “Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art.”