The Shaolin Abbot Born in the 1980s

Chapter 48: Know Thy Enemy

Part One. Holding the first part of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art in his hands, Huo Yuanzhen’s heart was filled with excitement. Although he regretted not obtaining the first volume of the Jiuyang Scripture, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art was more than enough to make up for it. Back when the Jin Lun Dharma King entered the Central Plains, he had attained the power of ten dragons and ten elephants simply by mastering the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art. Armed with this tenth-level mastery alone, he was able to hold his own against the Five Masters of the Central Plains. Of course, the Jin Lun Dharma King’s external martial arts were also formidable, and specific offensive techniques remained Huo Yuanzhen’s current weakness. However, no matter how masterful a boxing style might be, it could not compare to the value of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art—after all, it was a miraculous text that fundamentally transformed a person’s power. Many people assume that the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art is an internal cultivation technique, but this is not the case. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art does not belong to the category of internal cultivation methods; rather, it is the supreme protective divine art of Esoteric Buddhism—a technique for unleashing potential and harnessing formidable power. At its core, it belongs to the Buddhist Order, which is why it appears in Huo Yuanzhen’s Abbot System. Although it is not internal energy, it possesses many subtle applications that internal energy cannot match. Anyone can practice this martial art; even a dull-witted person, with proper instruction, can master the first level within a year or two. If it were internal cultivation, not just anyone would be able to practice it. However, the second level is twice as difficult as the first. If it takes one year to master the first level, then it will take two years to master the second. The third level would take four years, the fourth level eight years, and so on. If calculated on a yearly basis, mastering the thirteenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art would take more than 8,000 years. And if you count the entire process from start to finish, it would take more than 16,000 years. Realistically, no one can truly master the thirteenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art; even the Jin Lun Dharma King, a martial arts prodigy, only managed to reach the tenth level. Back in the novel *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, Jin Lun Dharma King, relying solely on the tenth level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, had already surpassed even a peerless master like Zhou Botong in terms of raw power. So, after Huo Yuanzhen obtained this first half of the *Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art*, he was in a state of extreme excitement. Filled with excitement, he opened the *Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art*. It was labeled as the first half of the *Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art*, and according to the manual, one could cultivate up to the seventh level of the art using this manual. As Huo Yuanzhen studied it intently, a mystical force began to flow into his body, a sensation so pleasant that he almost felt like singing. After about one hour, the book’s mystical power faded, and it became an ordinary manual. Huo Yuanzhen, however, felt his hands brimming with power as he moved them—as if a single punch could shatter anything. This wasn’t internal energy; this was his true, innate power! Outwardly, however, there was no sign of it at all; Huo Yuanzhen was still the same fair-featured monk, showing no hint of the immense strength he possessed. Eager to test his newfound strength, Huo Yuanzhen picked up a teacup—a celadon one. With a slight squeeze of two fingers, the teacup shattered into a thousand pieces! “This is what true, innate strength looks like!” That guy Iron Ox has a thousand jin of strength in each arm, but Huo Yuanzhen felt that perhaps even his raw power now fell short of his own. Thinking of the Iron Ox, a thought struck Huo Yuanzhen: If the Iron Ox were to learn the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, just how terrifying would he become? Already possessing a thousand jin of strength, if he were to start from that point and cultivate all the way to the thirteenth level, wouldn’t he be able to lift mountains and chase the moon? He shook his head self-deprecatingly. With Iron Ox’s natural aptitude, if he wanted to master all thirteen levels of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, he’d probably have to start training all the way back in the Jurassic Period. However, even if he couldn’t reach such heights, mastering just four or five levels would still be an incredibly formidable feat. The problem was that Iron Ox was the mole Ning Wanjun had planted at Shaolin. Although this mole lacked the mindset of a true mole, as long as Ning Wanjun didn’t show up to set the record straight, Huo Yuanzhen could never fully trust Iron Ox. With the July raffle over, Huo Yuanzhen put away the manual for the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, thinking he’d find an opportunity to pass it on to Yijing first—after all, as his junior brother, Yijing’s loyalty was beyond question. News that Chen Dingchen, the “Great Hero” of Dengfeng County, intended to challenge the Shaolin Temple in a martial arts contest spread throughout the streets and alleys. Most of the common people were rooting for the Shaolin Temple, but in this instance, they were powerless to influence the outcome, as this had already become a matter of martial arts rivalry. A lay disciple of the Shaolin Temple had injured Chen Ding’s brother-in-law, and Chen Ding, in turn, had injured a Shaolin disciple—thus, a grudge had been firmly established between the two sides. If the Shaolin Temple were merely a secluded Buddhist Order, that would be one thing, but since it also teaches martial arts and recruits disciples, it is clearly a martial arts sect. Therefore, matters of the martial arts world must be resolved according to the rules of the martial arts world. The truth couldn’t be kept secret; people already knew that Chen Dinghe and Li Xuan had joined forces. Moreover, Chen Dinghe had no intention of hiding it—not only had he teamed up with Li Xuan, but he had also widely invited friends to come to Dengfeng County to lend a hand, preparing to defeat the Shaolin Temple in one fell swoop. In contrast, the Shaolin side appeared much more low-key; they did not issue a specific response regarding the arena match, acting as if these matters had nothing to do with them. Little did people know that Huo Yuanzhen also wanted to recruit reinforcements; after all, the Shaolin Temple currently had very few fighters they could field. Guan Shanyue was their final trump card, one not to be played lightly. Among the remaining fighters, Iron Ox was up to the challenge, Yijing was passable enough to step into the ring, and then there was himself. Lately, he had been practicing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, and if he combined it with the supreme lightness skill “Crossing the River on a Single Reed” and the “Lion’s Roar Iron Head Technique,” he might—by catching his opponent off guard—manage to win a match or two. But that would definitely not be enough. Come to think of it, I’m quite the oddball myself. I’ve already mastered the seventh level of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art, as well as the “Crossing the River on a Single Reed” lightness skill and the Buddhist Order supernatural ability “Lion’s Roar,” yet I don’t know a single real offensive technique. Even the most basic Shaolin Long Fist routine could unleash tremendous power in my hands, yet for some reason, I just can’t seem to master it. It’s impossible for me to learn them on my own. Huo Yuanzhen has average aptitude; no matter how long I practiced—whether it took a monkey’s year or a horse’s month—I’d see no results. Besides, since I can master anything just by extracting a secret manual, why would I put myself through that kind of hardship? Yet Chen Ding’s challenge letter had already been delivered to the Shaolin Temple, and he had formally accepted it. The challenge letter made it very clear: the tournament would be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, and he would face the Shaolin monks in nine bouts, with the one who won the most bouts declared the victor. Chen Dinghe and the Dharma King Temple formed one side, while the Shaolin Temple formed the other. Chen Ding further proposed that the losing side must completely withdraw from Shaoshi Mountain, as only one Buddhist sect could exist within its boundaries. However, Huo Yuanzhen did not agree to this demand, because the Dharma King Temple no longer had the capacity to compete with the Shaolin Temple; its continued presence on Shaoshi Mountain was merely a matter of clinging to life, so the risks faced by the two sides were not equal. Huo Yuanzhen added a condition: if Chen Ding wished to intervene in the conflict between the Shaolin Temple and the Dharma King Temple, he would have to pay a sufficient price; should he lose, Chen Ding would be required to surrender all his properties in Dengfeng County. Chen Ding had been in Dengfeng for many years and now owned quite a few businesses: two silk shops, a restaurant and inn, and a large blacksmith’s shop—all thriving enterprises of considerable value. The Shaolin Temple itself was currently thriving, with a large following of devotees, so making money was no difficult task. However, Huo Yuanzhen was not one to be taken advantage of. If Chen Ding wanted a piece of the pie, fine—but he’d have to pay an entry fee first. Huo Yuanzhen wouldn’t tolerate anyone trying to get something for nothing right in front of him. Chen Ding likely believed his side was certain to win, so he quickly agreed to Huo Yuanzhen’s terms. Both parties signed and sealed the agreement, specifically inviting officials from the county magistrate’s office to witness the transaction, thereby finalizing the arrangement. Afterward, news kept coming in from outside that Chen Ding was inviting martial arts masters to lend him a hand. “The Twin Ghosts of the Northern Wastes—mid-Post-Heaven-level masters skilled in wielding ghost-head swords. They are hideously ugly and possess a unique combined combat technique; if they join forces, they can even hold their own against late-Post-Heaven-level masters.” In Huo Yuanzhen’s room, Guan Shanyue held a report listing all the martial arts masters Chen Ding had invited recently. He read them off to Huo Yuanzhen one by one: “Chai Xian, the ‘Sword that Cuts Through Water,’ the youngest of the ‘Four Young Swords of Jiangnan,’ a late-stage Post-Heaven master. He is Chen Ding’s junior master and one of the two late-stage Post-Heaven masters Chen Ding has now invited.” “The Four Young Swords of Jiangnan… late-stage Posthuman.” Huo Yuanzhen rubbed his temples. The turn of events was somewhat unexpected. With only a dozen or so days left until the fifteenth day of the eighth month, martial arts masters kept arriving at Chen Ding’s side—especially the arrival of those two late-stage Posthuman experts—which finally put a bit of pressure on Huo Yuanzhen. “Does Chen Ding have a master?” “Yes, Abbot. In fact, most martial artists in the martial arts world have a master. Chen Ding’s master is He Daoming, the ‘Whirlwind Sword’—ranked second among the Four Famous Young Swords of Jiangnan. All four of them wield precious swords and have always conducted themselves according to the principles of the righteous path; they’re quite well-known in Jiangnan.” “The Four Minor Famous Swords—does that mean there are also the Four Great Famous Swords?” Huo Yuanzhen asked offhand. “Yes, there really are the Four Great Swords of Jiangnan. Those four are truly formidable. Any one of those old monsters could send me, your junior brother, fleeing in disarray. They are…” “Stop. Let’s not talk about the Four Great Swords just yet. Get back to the present—who is this late-stage Posthuman expert they’ve invited?” Huo Yuanzhen didn’t want to put that much pressure on himself just yet. If there really were the Four Great Swordsmen of Jiangnan, defeating the younger ones would lead to the older ones, and defeating the older ones would lead to even older ones—it was quite possible that these Four Great Swordsmen even had a master of their own. He’d put that aside for now. Guan Shanyue understood Huo Yuanzhen’s thoughts and didn’t press the matter further. He picked up the document in his hand and began reading again: “There’s another Late Post-Heaven-level master named Yue Shan, who calls himself the Iron Wanderer. This man possesses extremely formidable external cultivation skills and wields a high-carbon steel staff. It is said he once sought to become a monk, but because his thirst for combat was too strong, no temple would take him in. So he took an iron band with him, styled himself the ‘Wanderer,’ and his strength has already reached the peak of the late Post-Heaven realm. Coupled with his physical training, to be honest, even an old man like me—who has attained the Perfect Post-Heaven realm and is about to enter the Pre-Heaven realm—finds him a real headache.” “How does this man compare to that ‘Water-Severing Sword’ Chai Xian?” Guan Shanyue replied, “Chai Xian’s swordplay emphasizes speed, but his sword cannot pierce the Iron Wanderer’s external cultivation. If the two were to clash, Chai Xian wouldn’t last even the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.” Huo Yuanzhen nodded. It seemed that this Iron Wanderer, Yue Shan, was the enemy’s top expert at the moment. By that reckoning, the opposing side already had two late-stage Posthuman Realm masters. Even if Guan Shanyue were to step in on their side, they’d only be able to secure a single victory. Just as he was agonizing over this, a sudden flash of insight struck him: “You mentioned earlier that this Iron Walker tried to become a monk but failed, didn’t you?” “That’s right… Abbot, could it be that you’re thinking of—?” Guan Shanyue’s eyes lit up as well. “We’ll have to plan this carefully.” Huo Yuanzhen’s eyes darted back and forth; a vague plan was already taking shape in his mind.