Chongming Xianzong

Chapter 436 Publication and Fame
"Zen Master, does that old bird of the Fei family really think that Kang Dabao of the Chongming Sect can defeat the little thief bald man of Benying Temple?" A middle-aged woman with an ordinary appearance asked curiously beside the Chief Secretary Buse.

Bu Se glanced at the woman with slight displeasure, ignoring her question, and instead whispered, "Is everything arranged?"

Upon hearing the question, the middle-aged woman abandoned her teasing tone and replied seriously:

"Master, please rest assured, I have already used my methods on that Yuan family member. Even if Fu Neng wins this time, he will have a hard time getting out of Shannan Road. Once he lands on any of the three locations below Zhaixing Tower, our hidden agents will be activated, and this kid will definitely be doomed."

Bu Se's expression remained unchanged; he simply nodded in agreement. In contrast, the woman, who had just spoken with such conviction, later showed a flicker of unease on her face.
“Zen Master, isn’t our approach a bit too cautious? Even if things really go wrong, Zhaixing Tower probably won’t take responsibility for this murder case. After all, if something really happens to Fu Neng, Ge Lie will likely have to personally intervene.”

Zhaixinglou has always prided itself on its secluded and detached lifestyle, but if it truly offends Benying Temple, it won't end well; those lewd monks aren't exactly known for reason.

Bu Se smiled faintly and shook his head, flicking the fat off his face. He didn't reply, but simply said, "Don't worry about anything else, just do it."

The moment the words "no lewdness" left her lips, the middle-aged woman realized she had said too much. Her face immediately darkened, and she silently sat beside the former, uttering no more words.

The portly monk paid no attention to the middle-aged woman's reaction, but instead looked at Fu Neng, who was recovering his spiritual power while exchanging greetings with Kang Dabao, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face:
“This Fu Neng’s abilities are indeed not bad. In fact, when it comes to fighting techniques, my Buddhist disciple’s skills at the Foundation Establishment stage are probably only on par with his.

This is not something to fear. After all, there are indeed many quick ways for heretical sects in the Snow Region to achieve the Core Formation, but once the Core Formation is complete, the drawbacks of practicing evil methods will all become apparent. This is exactly what the senior masters in the sect often say: "A child prodigy may not necessarily be a great adult."

However, the Pure Lotus First Stage that this little lewd monk has cultivated is indeed extraordinary. Throughout the entire Benying Temple, there are probably very few people who have such attainments in this path.

Reliable news has arrived from the snowy mountains: Gelenatha has indeed attained the Three Bodies of the Vidyadhara. In other words, this old scoundrel has mastered the cultivation method to reach the 'Vairocana Illusionary Body Vidyadhara' form and advance to the level of a deity.

No matter how serious the matter, even if that old scoundrel Gelé catches us red-handed, we cannot let that brat Fu Neng go to his grave. Who knows if Gelé's vigorous cultivation of this little lecherous monk is just a whim or if he already sees him as a potent tonic?!

The bait that Hon'o Temple used this time was too tempting. No matter which faction was hostile to Hon'o Temple, they couldn't resist taking the bait. As for whether they would lose everything or just cause old man Grell a pang of pain after taking the bait, that was up to fate.

Bu Se couldn't figure it out after reading half of it, so he simply put aside his thoughts for the time being and turned his gaze back to the two junior cultivators in the arena: "If that kid Kang is capable, he might not even know that I have to take action."
He had been hiding by Kuang Liuting's side all this time without being exposed. It would be such a waste if all his efforts were ruined because of this little lecherous monk. Ha, he had placed too much hope in him; that was something even the disciples of various sects found difficult to accomplish.

After shaking his head and chuckling, he noticed a change taking place in the training ground, which surprised him: "This kid seems to have some skills."

At this moment, not only was Bu Se, who was hidden in the crowd, slightly surprised, but even the group of Golden Core cultivators watching also showed surprise.

Qi Buxiu, standing beside Chu Yanran, was so shocked that he couldn't speak. He could only point at the plain, withered lotus in front of Fu Neng and stammer, "It's broken?!"

"Kang Dabao broke through the Pure Lotus Initial Stage of the Benying Temple's Protector Khenpo?!!"

Among the other cultivators watching, there were quite a few who reacted even more strongly than Master Qi, because this was something that even the eight brilliant figures in the previous formations had failed to accomplish.

If there were any people who had reservations about Kang Dabao being placed at the end of the line before, then after this moment, no one could remain dissatisfied or indignant.

For a moment, gasps of surprise rose and fell from the crowd outside the venue. Even Jun Tianqin, who was used to seeing all sorts of big things, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"This kid's eye technique..."

Fu Neng coughed lightly in the training ground. A large amount of golden blood flowed from the wound on his chest that Jiang Qingjian had cut, making him look disheveled and lacking his former glory for the first time.

The scene of those two beams of golden light striking and shattering the white lotus was still vivid in Fu Neng's mind. Even though he had personally experienced it, he still couldn't hide his astonishment.
"Where on earth did this guy come from? Kang Dabao, the sect leader of Chongming Sect? Mid-Foundation Establishment stage?! He's neither a Nascent Soul descendant nor a True Person disciple, yet he's mastered such a formidable eye technique?! Did that old bird deliberately leave this guy until last to scheme against me?!"

Fu Neng never expected Kang Dabao to be so uncouth. Before he could even greet him, the latter's pupil technique was already unleashed in an instant. Otherwise, even if the White Lotus Dharma Form could not protect him completely, he would not have been injured and ended up being passively beaten.

Even the sect leader Kang had never imagined that the Perfected Realm Golden Eyes of Truth-Breaking would possess such power. The look of astonishment in his eyes was no less than that of Fu Neng, who had just suffered a great loss.

He didn't know whether the latter had fought for a long time and he had gained the upper hand, or whether his pupil technique was inherently superior and was meant to break the lotus. In any case, seeing Fu Neng suffer a setback, Sect Leader Kang would not let go of this rare opportunity.

Kang Dabao's eyes gleamed with gold, his pupils heated up, and he urged two more golden lights to go ahead; he himself, carrying a butcher's staff, also chased after the trailing flames of the mysterious light towards the location of Fu Neng.

The latter changed his hand seals again, and the blood lotus beneath him shot out, causing the handy spiritual weapon to be knocked away by two golden lights, scattering countless bloody mud. Even the golden core phantom that had displayed great power in the fierce battle with Cao Xianlu could no longer maintain its form.

As the phantom dissipated into countless rays of light that fell to the ground and vanished into nothingness, Fu Neng managed to barely withstand the deadly blow by sacrificing the spiritual weapon's own vital energy.

The Blood-Leaf Mountain Lotus, as always, was a spiritual artifact nurtured by fortune and connected to the heart and blood. After its vital energy was suddenly damaged, it naturally caused the handsome monk's throat to feel hot.

Fu Neng's face turned as red as purple, and he still had a mouthful of blood inside him, unable to spit it out. By the time Kang Dabao's halberd slashed down, Fu Neng had already paid a heavy price to finally restore the white lotus beneath him to its original state.

"Chong"

"Fortunately, this fellow's halberd technique is still lacking in refinement, far inferior to that pupil technique which has already reached perfection." Seeing that Bai Lian was only scratched by the halberd's edge, and that Kang Dabao's powerful attack had failed, Fu Neng felt relieved and said, "This humble monk has long heard of Sect Leader Kang's reputation, and seeing him today, he is indeed extraordinary."

"You're too kind, monk!" Headmaster Kang didn't know if this bald thief was trying to seduce him or had some other purpose, so he just gave a rather stingy four-word reply. Then he urged the golden light again and flicked his halberd finger. The spiritual light on the body of the Tu Ji Halberd shone brightly, and the Seven Fiends Locking Spirit was contained in the halberd's tip. In the blink of an eye, it was almost fully formed.

Fu Neng originally intended to use Yuan Xiyue's matter as a way to exchange pleasantries. After all, the Grand Master Chongming Zongkang had a great reputation in the surrounding area, and everyone knew that he was a master of the pleasure quarters. His skills were also very compatible with the joyful Zen practice of Benying Temple, so he should have plenty to talk about with Fu Neng.

Unexpectedly, the latter's methods were so ruthless that anyone could easily see that Kang Dabao had no intention of backing down and was clearly trying to make things difficult for the abbot of Benying Temple!
“Om!” Fu Neng dared not be negligent. As soon as the Buddhist chant came out, Kang Dabao’s mind was shaken and could no longer be clear.

"Oh no! Oh no!!" When he was offstage, Kang Dabao had thought that the bewitching power of Fu Neng's Dharma Image should not be underestimated, but after he tested it himself, he realized that the defeat of the people before him was indeed justified.

In the midst of his chaotic mental state, Kang Dabao's fingers froze in mid-air due to the sound of the Buddhist chant. The evil energy in his seven acupoints, which had just been released, surged back into his body, tearing half of his meridians to shreds.

Fortunately, the Golden Eyes of Truth, which had reached the perfect realm, were unaffected. However, after breaking through a corner of the Pure Land White Lotus that Fu Neng was preparing for, the destruction of the Dharma Form was no small matter. The handsome monk was immediately severely injured and his face turned pale. Many of the female Daoists watching from the sidelines showed some heartache.

Jiang Qing stood with his sword in his arms, looking at the unsatisfied expressions of the people around him. He couldn't help but smile, his smugness almost impossible to conceal: "That's my senior brother up there!!"

Fei Nanying was not like Jiang Qing, who became overjoyed because Kang Dabao had gained a slight advantage.

Although his face remained calm, his heart was in turmoil. This was understandable; no one could have predicted that Kang Dabao and Fu Neng would fight to such an extent.

Even Jun Tianqin, who has a keen eye for talent, only felt that Kang Dabao had some ability and might bring some unexpected surprises.

In fact, after eight consecutive defeats, even the most respected elder of the Fei family in Yingzhou never expected that Kang Dabao would be able to step up and turn the tide.

"A Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator under a hundred years old can cultivate a perfected Cosmic Rank high-grade pupil technique? In all my years of cultivation, I've only known a handful of Golden Core cultivators with such achievements! How could such a talent exist in this remote border region? Could it be that the Earl of Nan'an has resided here for too long, bringing with him a dragon aura that nourishes people?!"

After muttering to himself for a while, Juntianqin saw Fu Neng's disheveled appearance and sighed.

Everyone has a love for beauty, and this wicked monk Fu Neng was so handsome that even the rough and straightforward Kang Dabao exclaimed, "He is so beautiful that I feel pity for him!"

However, despite saying so, Master Kang's actions did not stop. Even though the Golden Eye of Truth-Breaking was overexerted and difficult to use for a short time, Kang Dabao still had other methods.

With a tremor of his halberd, countless sharp lights burst forth, and a large swath of black flames surged forth, turning all the jade bricks on the ground into black mud.

"Cough," Fu Neng finally couldn't hold back the mouthful of hot blood he had been pressing into his chest and it spurted out as a blood arrow. The Karmic Fire Evil Bead broke through the blood arrow and fell back into his hand, and the color of the bead became even more vibrant.

Seeing the massive black flames rushing towards him, Fu Neng showed no fear. He changed his hand seals, and the karmic fire and evil beads were coated with a layer of shimmering Buddhist light, radiating outwards. Fu Neng then chanted a Buddhist incantation, his face contorted with rage, and he shouted in a low voice, "Buddha fire forges demons!"

After the bluish-purple karmic fire was generously illuminated by the white lotus Buddha light in the pure land, it spread along the golden blood that flowed down from the blessed energy, and its power became even greater!
After a brief standoff between the karmic fire and the attacking black flames, the karmic fire finally managed to engulf and overwhelm the latter, then pounced on the approaching Headmaster Kang.

The latter summoned a cloud of insects to block, but the lion-insects, which were usually impervious to water and fire, were burned beyond recognition by the karmic fire in just a moment, and pitifully fell down in a flurry.

Kang Dabao felt so bad that he immediately withdrew the chessboard and then threw it out.

This top-grade spiritual artifact has been in my possession for quite some time, and Sect Leader Kang has nurtured it diligently for many years. However, under the erosion of this Buddhist fire, its spiritual light has dimmed and it has shown signs of defeat.

Seeing himself being pushed further and further away from Fu Neng's true form by the karmic fire, Kang Dabao couldn't help but feel anxious. After all, his spiritual power was far more profound than that of his peers, almost unparalleled in the world. However, after only a few breaths of fighting against Fu Neng, a top Foundation Establishment cultivator, the sect leader Kang already felt somewhat powerless.

If the stalemate continues, and once Fu Neng gains a foothold, given the latter's resources, turning the tide is by no means impossible.

After considering the pros and cons, a faint light flashed from the spirit beast pouch at his waist, and the long-dormant Xiao Qi appeared in the arena.

In terms of lineage, even among second-tier demonic beasts, the Qi Tuo Yuan is not considered particularly noble. However, after his trip to Guanshan Cave, Xiao Qi has benefited greatly from the abundant resources he obtained, and his cultivation over the years has progressed by leaps and bounds.

Upon its arrival, this mid-grade second-tier spirit beast demonstrated to its owner that it had not wasted its resources over the years.

Several ring-shaped water patterns emerged from the bluish-gray carapace behind it, bearing a resemblance to the ancient Hetu and Luoshu diagrams. As the karmic fire surged forth, Xiao Qi's right claw suddenly pierced the ground.

Countless jade bricks in the training ground were broken, and the water elemental energy from the earth's veins beneath them rose up, forming a water vapor barrier that finally contained the fierce karmic fire, making it difficult for it to advance.

When the karmic fire was blocked, Fu Neng remained calm and composed. His anger turned into compassion, and he formed the lotus-finger mudra again with his hands. His pearly teeth parted slightly, and the red lotus pattern under his tongue moved continuously. The chanting of Sanskrit arose again. Kang Dabao, who was opposite him, could only hear the fragrance of lotus flowers permeating his heart and soul as Fu Neng chanted the mantra. It was so strong that it was extremely annoying.

The sect leader, Kang, was constantly thwarted by the flames, repeatedly trying to break them down but failing to maintain their power. In a fit of rage, he abandoned the method altogether and personally took the butcher's knife, leaping once more before the karmic fire.

Xiao Qi understood its owner's intentions. With a sharp cry, a large amount of turbid water seeped out from the gaps in its carapace. The ring-shaped water ripples floating in mid-air invigorated and, with the support of the turbid water, the originally rampant karmic fire was quickly subdued.

Kang Dabao activated his Primordial Body and sped over with the Chess Immortal Disc on his back. Even though his muscles were as tough as steel and he had a handy spiritual weapon to protect him, large areas of his skin were still burned by the residual heat wave, sticking to his robes and becoming indistinguishable.

As Master Kang approached Fu Neng, the smell of burning food wafted from the chessboard. But he seemed oblivious, dodging the flying petals of the broken blood lotus, and quickly moved closer to Fu Neng, unleashing a powerful punch with the Eight Desolations Mountain-Suppressing Fist.

This fierce attack caused Fu Neng to frown, and his compassionate expression turned bitter. The Pure Land White Lotus closed again. Although Master Kang's fist was explosive and unstoppable, it only left a shallow mark on the lotus petal before falling silent.

But in that brief moment when Fu Neng was able to perform the transformation, in that instant when the chanting stopped, Kang Dabao's hands had already formed a hand seal, and his small eyes suddenly widened, bright as torches, like golden lamps.

Two beams of golden light appeared in an instant, giving Fu Neng no time to react.

Having suffered two major losses, it's impossible that this direct descendant of the Benying Temple was unprepared.

Countless Sanskrit characters emerged from the lotus petals formed by the Buddha's light, and lotus seeds leaped out from the lotus core, transforming into handsome novice monks holding wooden fish.

As the sound of the wooden fish drum rang out, it brought a sense of tranquility and peace, dispelling any murderous intent. The novice monk closed his eyes and chanted incessantly, and suddenly the even louder chanting of Buddha's name arose.

All that could be seen was that the lotus petals in front of Fu Neng began to crystallize from the inside out, and in an instant they turned into a circle of colorless glass.

Fist-sized golden Sanskrit characters formed countless tight chains on the glass lotus petals, seemingly forming a Sanskrit protective shield around Fu Neng, dazzling and making the handsome monk appear like a golden Buddha.

Chu Yanran frowned upon seeing this.

Yuwangdao is considered one of the most Buddhist-oriented Dao sects besides Jingji and Xueshan Dao. In her early years at Yuwangdao, she spent a lot of time with Buddhist disciples and could see how profound Fu Neng's Buddhist teachings were.

Therefore, even though Kang Dabao's pupil technique had already been effective, she still did not think the latter had much of a chance of winning.

"Fortunately, Fei Nanying is in the field as the referee. As his father-in-law, he won't let that kid Kang lose his life!"

As the beautiful woman bowed her head and sighed softly, a sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the woman below the stage. The middle-aged woman beside him also sensed something and couldn't help but ask:
“Zen Master, we probably underestimated this little lecherous monk. This boy Fu Neng seems to have not only mastered the first stage of the Pure Lotus Realm, but also grasped its true meaning. He is only lacking the 'Vajra Wisdom Ocean Realm,' which can only be cultivated by the Golden Elixir, and he is just a little bit short of it!”

"Yes, this was unexpected." Bu Se nodded in agreement, glanced at the Juntian Bird in the clouds, and immediately understood. He simply murmured, "Kang boy won?!"

"A Zen master?" The middle-aged woman asked in confusion, but Bu Se had no time to pay attention to her. He just sneered at the vast emptiness around him: "After this battle, I'm afraid many major sects' plans will fall through. I don't believe any true master could have foreseen such a change!"

Jun Tianqin's reaction was even slower than Bu Se's. It wasn't until the golden light in Kang Dabao's eyes touched the Sanskrit chain array that Fu Neng had summoned that he gasped in shock: "My Fei family actually has such a son-in-law?!"

Just as the veteran bird exclaimed inwardly, a sudden change occurred in the arena.

The Sanskrit chains formed by the Buddha's light melted away like hot water when they met the golden light. Large pieces of the glassy lotus petals cracked and peeled off, their edges curling up withered wrinkles, making them difficult to regain their vibrant color.

One by one, the lifelike chanting novices were pierced by golden light, vanishing like bubbles.

The lotus petals collapsed layer by layer from the outside in, turning into grains of diamond sand, with only a few wisps of lotus fragrance outlining the shape of the remaining petals in the void—just like the moment when the incense burner in front of the temple was overturned.

The fragrance of lotus blossoms had faded without anyone noticing, and the Buddhist chants had lost their tranquility, unable to suppress the murderous intent in the heart of Master Kang.

As the golden light pierced through the core lotus pod, the entire sacred lotus throne resounded with a delicate, shattering sound of crystal. The extremely annoying Buddhist chanting finally subsided. Kang Dabao's hands moved swiftly, his fingers forming hand seals with ease, and he swung his sword repeatedly, extinguishing all the remaining Buddhist light.

After Master Kang finished doing all this, Fu Neng's entire chest was soaked with blood, his eyes were filled with disbelief, his pearly teeth were stained with blood, and the pink miasma that had appeared when he spoke had disappeared.

"How...how is this possible?!"

Master Kang ignored them completely, turning a deaf ear to the pleas and cries of the ignorant female Taoists on the sidelines.

After many years, when his eyes were wide open, two lines of black blood flowed down again. The pain made Kang Dabao squint his eyes slightly, and at the same time, a fierce light burst out from the gap, and a large ray of light bloomed on his executioner's blade once again.

Anyone with eyes could foresee that if Fu Neng had taken that blow, he would have been reduced to a mangled, fleshy corpse.

An ordinary person could understand this clearly, and Fu Neng was even more clear-headed, but at this moment of life and death, he was caught in a dilemma.

"Raise your hand to admit defeat?!" Fu Neng dared not do so. If he did, when he returned to Benying Temple, he would only regret why he hadn't died at that time.

Fortunately, Fei Nanying was not so shocked by the scene before him that he forgot his duty and also took out his short halberd to block.

The crisp, metallic clang was deafening. After Fei had completely separated the two sides, his tone of voice had become much more relaxed than before.

Fei Nanying then casually unleashed a burst of spiritual light in front of Fu Neng, saving his life. Only then did he speak, saying, "The victor of this round is Fei family son-in-law, Kang Dabao, the head of the Chongming Sect!"

The surroundings were silent at first, then became noisy again.

Seeing the prestigious direct descendant of the great temple utterly defeated by their own cultivators, even the onlookers felt a sense of pride.

Fu Neng looked as dejected as a defeated dog, but the cultivators in the arena had no time to care about him. They just kept shouting the name of the Great Master Kang, their voices shaking the heavens and continuing without end.

Fu Neng was defeated, and Bu Se no longer had to disappear. He was delighted to have been lurking in front of Kuang Liuting, and laughed out loud:

That crystal tree was a wonderful gift back then; I thought I could use it to curry favor with the Black-Shoeed Taoist and earn his favor. So when he gave it away to someone else, I was actually quite unwilling.

Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a stroke of good fortune. Now it seems that even if this young Kang's future prospects are far inferior to those of the Black-Shoeed Taoist, he is definitely a promising talent. It's a pity that I shouldn't have acted when I first met him; I should have shown him great kindness and encouraged him to cultivate Buddhism!

The outcome was now decided, and Jun Tianqin, unable to contain himself any longer, burst into wild laughter:
"Have you kept a close watch on the thieving monks at Benying Temple? If you still find this little monk useful, hurry up and come to me, your old master, to discuss the price. I can't let your family suffer the hardships my son-in-law has endured today for nothing!"

After saying that, the old bird pointed at Fei Nanying as if to give an explanation: "Post a notice! Post a notice! I want all the cultivators in the entire David Immortal Dynasty to know about today's events!"
From Liangxi Wuji Pass to the Outer Sea Lanmeng Palace, from the Liaoyuan Ten Thousand Bones Pagoda to the Shannan Zhaixing Tower, the Ancestor wants all those old fogies to know clearly that today, my Fei family's son-in-law has defeated this Benying Temple's protector abbot!

"Ancestor?!" Fei Nanying seemed to sense something was amiss and asked in a doubtful voice.

"Go do it! Go do it!! The ancestor wants them to know that even if Fei Yeyi's lifespan is not long, in the future there will not only be Fei Nanying who can support the family, but also Kang Dabao, a rough gem worth looking forward to!"

My Fei family has produced countless outstanding talents generation after generation; our lineage must never be severed! We will continue to enjoy the trust of the imperial family and the favor of the current emperor! Ancestor, I want those scheming and despicable individuals to never again harbor any ill intentions and to extinguish their despicable thoughts as soon as possible!!

(End of this chapter)