In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 142 All the Masters Enter the Bodhidharma Academy

On the seventh day of the ninth month, the twilight was tinged with blood, at the foot of the thousand-foot cliff.

Two days and two nights of fighting have filled the air around Bright Peak with the stench of blood.

Starting from the foot of Bright Peak, along the mountain path, after walking a certain distance, one can always see traces of the battles between the six major sects and the Ming Cult disciples over the past two days. Severed limbs, blood, and broken blades all indicate the ferocity of the battles that took place in these locations.

The sounds of fighting, screams, and the clash of weapons, mixed with the mountain wind, echoed into every corner of Bright Summit.

The successive battles had already disrupted the unity of the five sects: Wudang, Shaolin, Kongtong, Huashan Sword Sect, and Kunlun.

Under the deliberate guidance of the Ming Cult, the five factions' forces evolved into numerous small, independent regions fighting their own battles.

Beside a slope on the southwest side of the mountainside of Bright Summit, a disciple of the Huashan Sword Sect had just pulled his longsword from the chest of a Ming Cult Hou Tu Qi disciple. As the blade left the body, it also left a trail of blood in the air.

However, before this disciple of the Huashan Sword Sect could charge at another disciple of the Ming Cult, a short, extremely sharp sound of air being torn apart suddenly ripped through the air and then precisely ripped open the flesh of his leg, until it was pierced through.

The sudden pain caused the Huashan Sword Sect disciple to show a pained expression and stumble forward on one leg, falling to the ground.

Looking down, he saw a short crossbow bolt, its tail adorned with a sharp barb, its dark, cold tip piercing his thigh.

The arrow had pierced almost halfway through his leg, leaving only the barb of the fletching and a small section of the shaft exposed in a gruesome manner. Blood instantly soaked through his trousers, flowing down and quickly staining the gravelly ground at his feet.
He was in so much pain that he almost fainted, his vision blurred, and he instinctively tried to support himself with his hands.

Just then, a seemingly ordinary patch of ground on the right, piled with rubble and broken pieces of weapons, suddenly collapsed without warning.

Amidst the swirling dust, a thick, muscular arm, covered in mud and bulging with veins, shot out like lightning.

What is striking is that on this arm is a steel claw made of fine steel, covered with fine barbs and hooks.

The moment the hand emerged from the ground, it grabbed the Huashan Sword Sect disciple's ankle, and the sharp iron claws on the back of the hand also dug deep into the flesh and pierced the bone.

"Senior Brother Zhou!"

A Huashan Sword Sect disciple who was entangled with the enemy nearby was furious and wanted to help, but was blocked by the Ming Cult's Sharp Gold Banner Blade user who was fighting him to the death.

He could only watch out of the corner of his eye as his fellow disciples were pulled into that deep, unfathomable, collapsed pit amidst screams and rising dust.

This was followed by several muffled screams and the dull thud of blades striking.

Meanwhile, on the east side of Bright Summit, there is a relatively narrow valley partially surrounded by huge, jagged rocks.

Dozens of Shaolin monks, with their backs against the steep, reddish-brown rock wall, wielded their staffs with lightning speed. Their refined Shaolin staff techniques created a terrifying golden light screen, and the strong winds forced back several Five Elements Flag Blade warriors who were trying to advance.

Just as their momentum was soaring and they were about to overwhelm the enemy, the Five Elements Flag disciples, who had been relentlessly attacking, suddenly retreated in unison.

Immediately afterwards, several inconspicuous gray-black spheres, no bigger than eggs, suddenly flew out of a low bush near a crevice in the rock wall to the right of these Shaolin monks without warning.

When these spheres were still two zhang away from the group of Shaolin monks, they suddenly exploded.

In an instant, an extremely thick, pungent, and acrid grayish-white dust poured out like a waterfall, instantly filling the entire narrow hollow! This smoke was exceptionally dense, and it was the blinding and bewitching smoke specially made by the Thick Earth Banner of the Ming Cult's Five Elements Banners.

"Be careful with hidden weapons!"

"The evil cult is despicable."

"Forming a formation"

For a moment, voices came from the thick smoke.

The next instant, at a higher point on the rock wall where the Shaolin monks were leaning, nearly a hundred disciples of the Five Elements Flag appeared.

Gazing at the thick, persistent smoke below, they all simultaneously drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

After the bowstring was stretched to its limit and then suddenly relaxed, the sound of the arrows falling from the bowstring was continuous, and the arrows fell like a rainstorm towards the smoke-filled areas below.

After several attempts to draw the bow, the smoke dissipated, and none of the dozens of Shaolin disciples were able to stand.

The gentle mountain breeze could not dispel the fighting and bloodshed that lingered on Bright Summit.

From the back mountain, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan could vaguely see two groups of people fighting on another mountain in the distance.

However, they were too far away to see their faces clearly, and could only be identified as disciples of the Kunlun Sect and the Ming Cult by the color of their clothes.

Looking at the few dozen Kunlun Sect disciples, Zhou Zhiruo shook her head and said, "The Ming Cult is indeed cunning. If it weren't for the strength of Master, Uncle Juechen, and Junior Brother, we would probably have been forced to scatter like the other sects when facing the Demonic Cult's surprise attack today."

Yang Yan said with a solemn expression, "Not only that, these people from the Ming Cult are extraordinary. They actually knew to set up some traps on the spot and used the lives of Ming Cult disciples to force the people of the other five factions to not mix and were forced to change their mountain climbing route."

"Fortunately, my senior brother had the foresight to go ahead with Uncle Juejue yesterday and had already foreseen the new traps that the Ming Cult had added to our route."

Gu Shaoan said, "After all, the Ming Cult members aren't stupid. They realized that the news of the traps had been leaked when they discovered that none of the six major sects had triggered any traps along the way. They will definitely come up with new ways to deal with it."

The battle between the two factions was a life-or-death struggle.

Since this matter concerns their very survival, the Ming Cult would naturally not sit idly by and wait for their doom; they would certainly do everything in their power to stop the six major sects from attacking.

However, compared to the other five sects, the Emei sect had a much smoother experience.

With four experts—Gu Shaoan, Abbess Miejue, Abbess Juechen, and Abbess Juejue—at the Qi Condensation stage, if any Ming Cult members attack, elders will lead disciples who have been assigned to training within the sect to fight.

Meanwhile, Abbess Miejue, Abbess Juechen, and Abbess Juejue formed a triangle around them, keeping a close watch.

If a disciple is found to be in danger, take immediate action.

The remaining disciples were protected by Gu Shaoan.

Whenever a Ming Cult disciple tried to take advantage of the chaos, Gu Shaoan only needed to draw his Heaven-Slaying Sword and slash a three-zhang-long, one-chi-deep sword mark in front of him, and those Ming Cult disciples would turn around on their own.

These Ming Cult disciples were ruthless, but not stupid.

Fighting desperately and throwing your life away are two completely different things.

With four skilled guards protecting them, the Emei Sect disciples have only suffered minor injuries in the past few days.

The situation is much better than the other five factions.

Just then, Abbess Juechen's voice suddenly rang out from behind them.

"Don't let your guard down. We're almost at the forbidden area. If I'm not mistaken, after we pass through the forbidden area, we'll be facing not just ordinary disciples of the Ming Cult, but very likely experts from the Ming Cult."

Her deep gaze swept across the rugged, treacherous mountain path ahead, her tone becoming more serious: "The news of the six major sects attacking Bright Peak has leaked this time. I wonder how many of the former Ming Cult masters, such as the White-browed Eagle King and the Five Wanderers, who left the Ming Cult before, will rush back to protect the sect."

"If they all come back, the other five factions will likely suffer even greater casualties in the coming days."

Just then, Yang Yan's clear voice rang out with a hint of doubt: "By the way, Master, I've always been puzzled. Isn't Shaolin supposed to be full of masters, and the Bodhidharma Academy even more unfathomable? Why is it that among the people Shaolin sent this time, apart from the monk Kongzhi who has condensed his Qi into Yuan, most of the others who were holding the line and charging forward were masters at the Later Return to the Innate Realm? The Ming Cult is so dangerous, doesn't Shaolin know to send more top masters to protect them?"

Abbess Juechen did not stop walking, clearly having considered this issue beforehand. She spoke slowly, her voice carrying a calmness that reflected her understanding of the world: "Shaolin has its own ironclad rules. Once a disciple's cultivation reaches the Qi Condensation and Yuan Formation stage, they will automatically be promoted to the Bodhidharma Academy to devote themselves to cultivation and study more profound Buddhist and martial arts."

Zhou Zhiruo frowned slightly and asked, "Why does Shaolin have such a rule? Now that we are facing a formidable enemy, it is precisely the time to rely on masters. If the masters from the Bodhidharma Academy were to come down the mountain, wouldn't that be a great help?"

Instead of answering immediately, Abbess Juechen turned her gaze to Gu Shaoan, who stood calmly to the side, seemingly unperpetually composed, and asked, "Shaoan, what do you think?"

Gu Shaoan replied softly, "Perhaps... he doesn't want to become the target of public criticism." "I knew it."

A hint of approval flashed in Abbess Juechen's eyes. "When you look at things, you always need to be more thorough. A few simple words can get straight to the point."

Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo, who were standing to the side, initially looked slightly confused, but then carefully considered what Gu Shaoan had said.

Both of them were extremely intelligent. Thinking of the Shaolin Temple's thousand-year heritage, its unfathomable treasure trove of martial arts, and the countless top masters who have emerged throughout the ages, their expressions gradually became more enlightened.

Taking in the two women's reactions, Abbess Juechen finally spoke, "Shaolin has existed for too long, and its foundation is too profound."

"For hundreds of years, when it comes to masters and the foundation of a sect, who in the world would dare to claim to be second or first?"

"If there were no such rule, what a terrifying situation it would be if the top experts in the Bodhidharma Academy who had reached the Qi Condensation stage could roam the martial world and interfere in its affairs at any time, just like the experts in ordinary martial arts sects?"

"At that time, will this martial arts world belong to all people, or to the Shaolin family alone?"

"What will other martial arts factions think?"

Yang Yan nodded and said, "That's true. If that's the case, I'm afraid Shaolin will be in danger."

No sect or faction would willingly remain subservient to such a colossal figure that looks down upon all living beings for long.

At first, there might be some apprehension, but as time goes by, apprehension will turn into rejection, and rejection will gradually turn into resistance.

Later on, the entire martial arts world will unite to target Shaolin.

At that time, Shaolin will face annihilation.

However, if Shaolin could exercise self-discipline, the situation would be completely different.

With the rule that "all Shaolin masters must enter the Bodhidharma Academy and are not allowed to leave the mountain at will," it is equivalent to clearly separating extraordinary power from worldly disputes, limiting top combat power to the scope of research and protection of inheritance, avoiding their direct and frequent involvement in the struggle for supremacy in the martial arts world, and eliminating suspicion from all.

While appeasing various forces in the martial arts world, it also allows the strongest masters and combat power to be left in Shaolin for deterrence purposes.

This deterred petty thieves from easily provoking Shaolin, and its hidden strength also prevented it from being attacked by a group of people.

The rules of the Bodhidharma Academy are less of a restriction and more of the optimal solution that Shaolin has found between "power" and "survival" over the past thousand years. They represent the ultimate survival wisdom of retreating to advance, concealing to reveal, and sacrificing some freedom of action in exchange for long-term peaceful existence.

It is for this reason that Shaolin has been able to remain among the top powers for hundreds of years, and its foundation has remained unshaken.

Let's not even talk about Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan.

Even Gu Shaoan couldn't help but secretly admire Shaolin's action.

At the same time, near the back mountain in the northwest of Bright Peak, more than a dozen disciples of the Kongtong Sect moved at high speed using their lightness skills. In front of them were another dozen or so disciples of the Ming Cult's Five Elements Flags.

However, these Five Elements Flag disciples were all covered in dust and dirt, and the leaders even had broken shoulders, clearly Ming Cult disciples who had suffered a defeat.

Just then, a figure rapidly approached from a distance.

In just a few breaths, it had already traversed dozens of feet and landed in front of everyone.

It was Abbess Miejue who had left half an hour ago.

Abbess Juechen stepped forward to greet her: "Sect Leader Sister."

Gu Shaoan and the others also bowed in turn.

After Abbess Miejue gave the signal, Abbess Juechen asked, "Did you meet with the leaders of the other five sects, Senior Sister?"

Abbess Miejue nodded: "They have already met, and they brought bad news."

Abbess Miejue did not hide anything and said directly, "According to the Huashan Sword Sect's informants, the Five Wanderers and the Eagle Sect appeared in Luyang Prefecture two hours ago. It seems that they have come to support the Ming Cult."

Upon learning that the Five Wanderers and the Sky Eagle Sect had all arrived, Abbess Juechen frowned and said, "It really is true that what you don't want to see comes to pass. With the Five Wanderers and the Sky Eagle Sect helping us, the pressure on the other five sects will probably be even greater."

Abbess Miejue nodded and said, "Thanks to Shao'an's arrangements this time, our Emei side suffered almost no casualties, but we did take a shortcut this time, so we shouldn't go too far."

"After resting for another half an hour, we will set off. After arranging for the disciples to go to the forbidden area, we will arrive at the rendezvous route as soon as possible, and then we will take the opportunity to help the Wudang Sect."

Master Juechen and Master Juezhu, who walked up from the side, nodded in greeting.

The Wudang and Emei sects have supported each other over the years. The Emei sect doesn't need to pay too much attention to other sects, but it has no choice but to help its ally, the Wudang sect.

at the same time.

Behind Bright Summit, less than five miles from the forbidden area, on a narrow dirt road, dozens of elite disciples of the Thick Earth Banner were working efficiently and silently, just like pangolins.

The leader was a burly man with a dark complexion, yet exuding shrewdness and ruthlessness—none other than the junior flag leader, Chai Shaofei. His face was covered in fresh mud and sweat, and his eagle eyes scanned the setup of the traps.

The trap was not a deep pit, but a narrow tunnel dug along the inside of the mountain wall, close to the edge of the dirt road.

The tunnel entrance is extremely well hidden, cleverly covered by a giant, flip-up stone slab that closely resembles the color and texture of the surrounding mountain rock formations. Several sturdy, greased wooden shafts are embedded beneath the slab and in the tunnel's side walls, ensuring that it can be flipped open silently when needed.

The tunnel extends about ten feet underground, with its inner walls rammed. At this moment, more than twenty disciples of the Thick Earth Banner are lurking inside, each holding a poisoned dagger, a short spear, or a claw-like blade that is easy to use in a confined space, holding their breath and concentrating intently.

The soil above the tunnel was dug very thin, leaving only a thin layer of camouflaged soil and loose grass barely enough to support a person's weight. Once the camouflaged stone slabs were lifted, or this thin layer of soil collapsed, anyone who fell into the tunnel would be instantly killed by ambushes that pounced out from both sides like demons!

A subordinate who was inspecting the tunnel's internal support structure approached Chai Shaofei, a worried look on his face.

“Brother Chai, none of the brothers from our sect who went to deal with Emei have come back these past few days. Moreover, we’ve heard that the old nun Miejue of Emei is incredibly powerful. What if we go and they don’t fall for our tricks?”

Upon hearing this, Chai Shaofei's lips curled into a confident smile. He lightly brushed the dirt off his fingers and said, "The people from the Six Major Sects? They have the words 'reputable sects' engraved in their bones. They're all arrogant. When they see us in this 'utterly defeated' and 'mortally wounded' state, what are they going to think? They'll definitely chase after us like dogs smelling meat."

He paused, his eyes gleaming with fervor. "These past few days, our Hou Tu Banner and the other banners have indeed suffered several setbacks at the hands of Emei. None of the brothers who went to confront Emei have returned alive. Leader Yang is currently having a major headache over the Emei Sect's problems. If we can kill a batch of Emei people and slow down their ascent up the mountain, it will surely be a great achievement."

"Once the six major sects are dealt with this time, our brothers in this banner will surely be rewarded. Not to mention gold and silver, they might even be promoted and learn more advanced martial arts from the sect."

Hearing Chai Shaofei's words, everyone's faces showed excitement.

A moment later, seeing that everyone was almost ready, Chai Shaofei suddenly waved his hand: "Alright, run immediately after you see the Emei Sect members."

As soon as he finished speaking, a ruthless glint flashed in Chai Shaofei's eyes. He suddenly pulled out a dagger and slashed a deep gash in his left arm, not in a vital joint, causing blood to gush out.

Someone nearby immediately took out a thick cloth strip that had been prepared and tightly wrapped it around the wound. They then applied a large amount of specially made dark red ointment to the wound, which emitted a strong bloody and slightly rotten smell, making the wound look extremely gruesome and tragic. Blood continued to seep out from the gaps in the cloth strip.

Next, he untied his scabbard, fixed it to the lower part of his left arm with a strip of cloth, and then tightly wrapped and bound his left arm and scabbard together with a large piece of blood-stained rag, making an extremely realistic "severed arm" that looked as if it had been severely injured and cut off and then barely fixed with a strip of cloth.

After doing all this, his originally rosy complexion turned ashen and pale under the suppression of his internal energy, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his breathing became heavy and difficult.

The other disciples followed suit: tearing their clothes, using special medicine to create "wounds" and dripping "blood" on their arms, chests, and thighs, smearing mud and water all over their bodies, messing up their hair, and some even slapping each other's chests with hidden force to force out blood that choked on their mouths. In an instant, the dozen or so people around them all looked like wounded dogs.

Led by Chai Shaofei, the group jogged forward along the mountain path.

At the same time, a man and a woman slowly made their way up the mountainside.

If Gu Shaoan, Yang Yan, and Zhou Ruo were here, they would immediately recognize that these two were none other than Zhang Wuji and Yin Li, whom they had met at the Luyang Mansion Inn some time ago.

(End of this chapter)