I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 775: Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Inner Door Roster

Without glancing back at Bu Lin, Tang Luo descended from the fighting stage. He took the jacket marked with the seal of victory from Xiao Ziyu and, along with three members from Longxi, he left.

In the eyes of martial artists, nothing rouses more stirring emotions than overcoming a stronger opponent, overpowering those standing above them. As the last fighting stage on Bifang Mountain was closed, all one hundred disciples at the external gate of Martial Saint Mountain admitted defeat.

The crowd spontaneously made way. The heirs of the world’s noble houses, standing solemnly on both sides, looked on with faces full of respect. This respect was not only because Tang Luo had dominated the stages of the Bifang Mountain, but also because he had proven to the human race’s holy land that the noble family martial artists were by no means inferior to their descendants.

As dusk fell and the fighting arena was extinguished, the platform of the main peak of Bifang Mountain had never been as dark as it was today. The group of Bifang Mountain’s outer sect disciples covered their wounds and watched the retreating figures of Tang Luo and his party, finding it hard to breathe.

The monument of the Martial Saint Mountain, a holy place of the human race that had stood high above for thousands of years, collapsed with a thunderous rumble, leaving only silence and pain.

Even after a hundred years, they would not forget that in the autumn of 1784, an heir of a noble family had left the human race’s sacred land gasping for breath.

Even after a thousand years, Martial Saint Mountain would not dare forget that there once was a man named Tang Luo who, with a single decisive fight and powerful strikes, shattered the pride of millennia.

Some people are destined to become the Saint Kings of the human race, regardless of whether they were born in ordinary families or in the heaven-born sects.

…

The inner hall of Bifang Mountain

Buddha Son Yankong, dressed in a monk’s robe and carrying a bamboo basket on his back, was bidding farewell to Dao Child Bu Xiao of Martial Saint Mountain.

“Since the master wishes to leave, I dare not detain you,” lamented Bu Xiao, “but the creatures in the back mountain will surely miss your teachings. I have tried to persuade Xu to revoke his order of eradicating Buddhism in Yuanzhou, but he is resolute in his decision. Unless the master is willing to remove the Chan thoughts from Tang Xing’s Sea of Consciousness, he will not recall the Divine Sword Decree. What does the Buddha Son think?”

“Thank you, Dao Child, for trying to mediate. However, all phenomena in the world are illusory; all conditioned phenomena are but dreams, illusions, bubbles, or shadows. They should be viewed as dewdrops or flashes of lightning. This is Xu’s karma, as well as the tribulation destined for Yuanzhou’s Buddhist temple. Neither the humble monk nor Dao Child can alter it. I only hope that Xu can turn back sooner than later.”

Yankong didn’t show any signs of sadness or joy. He was utterly indifferent to the offer proposed by Bu Xiao. He pressed his palms together and said lightly, “I have come to beg Dao Child for a favor.”

“Please speak, master.”

“Please convey my message to Tang Xing that I will be waiting for him at the Fuyun Temple outside Chaochang city.”

“Master, are you still unwilling to give up?” Bu Xiao could not hide his distress, “Are those hundreds of millions of Buddhists and believers in Yuanzhou not as important as a single disciple?”

“All phenomena depend on causes and conditions.”

Yankong said lightly, “As long as the Buddha exists in our hearts, even if the scriptures are destroyed, and the temples are dismantled, it will not hinder our cultivation. The extermination of Buddhism is just a formality. How can the holy land of the human race, the Xu clan of Yuanzhou, cause trouble to ordinary believers?”

It was hard to believe that such innocent words came from a Dao Child. At their level, how could they not know that, no matter how benevolent the Xu clan of Yuanzhou could be, the extermination of Buddhism would inevitably be accompanied by killings and bloodshed?

Was Yankong really unaware of this, or did he know but acted like he didn’t?

Bu Xiao stared intensely at Yankong’s eyes, trying to understand him, but the more he looked, the more confused he became. Yankong’s eyes were filled with boundless kindness, yet why did his heart feel colder the longer he looked into them?

Pushing the inexplicable thoughts out of his mind, Bu Xiao nodded and said, “Very well, I will definitely convey your message to Tang Xing.”

“Thank you, Dao Child. I shall take my leave.”

Shaking his head, Bu Xiao sat back in the center of the hall, on the seat reserved for Dao Children. Even though he had vowed to take on the consequences for Duan Qianchou, things had already involved the three holy lands. If the predecessors of the Wuxiang Zen Temple and Xu of Yuanzhou were to scrutinize the cause later on, he wasn’t sure if his identity as a Dao Child could bear it.

“My dear cousin, what have you done…” Bu Xiao let out a sigh. As a Dao Child of the sacred lands, such self-reproach and regret wouldn’t last long. As the secret technique of clear mindedness permeated his body, suppressing all negative emotions, he regained his perfect Dao Child self and solemnly said to the outside of the hall, “Come in.”

The courier who had been waiting outside for a while, came in upon hearing the call, carefully holding up a confidential letter, and announced, “Honorable Dao Child, all Four Quarters fights have ended. The three presidents have compiled a list of those eligible for promotion to inner sect disciples. Please view it.”

“This soon?” Bu Xiao furrowed his eyebrows, feeling somewhat puzzled. Previous contests usually lasted at least until midnight. It was unusual for it to end this early. Could something unexpected have happened?

“Present it to me.”

The courier held up the confidential letter gingerly and after presenting it to the Dao Child sitting on the central throne, he stood aside with his head bowed.

The opened letter was utterly blank. There was not a single name, nor even a stroke of a character.

“What is this?” With an impassive face, Bu Xiao tossed the blank letter aside and looked at the courier, his voice ominously cold. “Are you trying to tell me that not a single disciple made it to the inner sect this year?”

Even though the courier had expected Bu Xiao to challenge him, the cold tone of voice still sent shivers down his spine. He prostrated on the floor not even daring to lift his head, but quickly relayed the details of the day’s events on Bifang Mountain.

But the more Bu Xiao listened, the more bewildering his expression became. He didn’t take Tang Luo’s challenge seriously because, in his eyes, Tang Luo reasoned insolently about his prospects of ranking in the top three in the martial arts contest.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The subsequent stages could not merely be conquered with strength and natural talent. What he did not expect was that Tang Luo truly believed he could do it and was able to take things to such extremes.

Domination of the Four Quarters should not be a difficult task for a martial artist of Fierce Realm. Among the top hundred disciples of the outer sect, there was only one who had the ability to fight him, but how did Bu Lin lose?

Having been an opponent during the Dao Child’s Challenge, Bu Xiao had a lingering impression of Bu Lin’s cultivation. How could such a man have been defeated? It was impossible!

“Bu Lin, did he give up on himself because he lost the Dao Child’s Challenge? Did he rather lose completely than reveal his cultivation level and step forward?” Bu Xiao furrowed his eyebrows, seeing this as the only possibility. He could not imagine how Bu Lin, who was known for his indomitable physical cultivation, could be defeated by Tang Luo, who possessed only brute force.

“My lord, he did fight,” the courier explained hesitantly, “He was the only station master at the Four Quarters who was not defeated by one punch. However, after a prolonged battle which started in the sky and ended on the ground, he still ended up being defeated by Tang Luo. He was declared defeated under the Intervention of Master Wei.”

The courier spoke diplomatically, making it hard for listeners to understand. Bu Xiao gave orders to his courier, saying, “Bring the details of the fight!”

The prepared courier didn’t hesitate and brought out a confidential letter from his chest. He held it high, presenting it.