Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 289 Infiltration, Bronze Cauldron

"Ok?"

Chen Zhan stopped in his tracks. He truly knew nothing about this matter, nor did the martial arts practitioners in the small town at the foot of the mountain.

It seems that Guangyuan Temple had a private connection with the imperial court.

"This matter has not been announced to the public yet, but it will be soon. People sneak into Guangyuan Temple every day. Even though the masters are highly skilled, they are still disturbed. We can only resolve this matter openly."

"Is it the same old thing again, the winner of the martial arts competition gets it?" Chen Zhan asked.

"Well, I don't know, but it certainly won't be a simple contest. Guangyuan Temple won't give up. According to its origin, the Buddha Relic was originally made by eminent Buddhist monks. If it were taken away by outsiders, it would be a disgrace to Buddhism."

"Hmm, the abbot of Shaolin and Master Huayan have already arrived at Guangyuan Temple, right?" Chen Zhan asked.

"Yes, these two must have arrived. The three sects of Buddhism have always been closely connected," Shen Tong replied.

"I see."

Shen Tong, who clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and bowed his head in response, looked up again to find that Chen Zhan had already left.

Inside this makeshift garrison, there were many Imperial Guards, yet not a single one noticed Chen Zhan.

At dawn, a yellow hemp notice was posted on the huge stone tablet outside the gate of Guangyuan Temple. The ink was not yet dry, but it was already surrounded by a swarm of martial arts practitioners.

The inscription was personally written by Master Xuan Kong, with powerful strokes and each character exuding Buddhist solemnity.

"The Buddha Relic is a sacred object of Buddhism, bearing the karma of a hundred years and bringing blessings to all living beings. Recently, the martial world has been in turmoil, and the temples have been restless. To avoid bloodshed, we hereby invite two people from each martial arts sect to enter the temple three days later at Chenshi (7-9 AM) to discuss the ownership of the relic. Anyone who carries weapons and causes trouble or harbors malicious intent will be expelled from the temple and killed without exception."

Below are inscriptions by the abbot of Shaolin Temple and a master of the Huayan School, two eminent figures in Buddhism, whose calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, flowing like dragons and snakes.

It is immediately apparent that the three schools of Buddhism are closely related.

The announcement caused an uproar at Yunqi Mountain.

The martial arts practitioners who had been lying low in the town were suddenly thrown into an uproar.

"Discussing ownership together? Is this a competition to determine the champion?"

"Two people each, that's just right, that's enough for me and my senior brother, the sect leader!"

"Hmph, the Buddhist sect wants to keep the relics in their own hands. All three sects have sent out experts, but we can only send two people from each sect. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Amidst the discussions, a murderous intent lurked, and greed and ruthlessness were already evident in the eyes of many.

For the past month, life at Guangyuan Temple has been unbearable.

Every night, martial arts practitioners would try to sneak in, including martial arts masters at the Acquired Realm, experts at the Innate Realm, and even old monsters who had been living in seclusion for many years.

The monks took turns on guard duty, day and night, with the two chief monks, Yuanjue and Yuanmie, personally patrolling at night, but it was still impossible to guard against them all.

A few days ago, a master of the Hengshan School managed to sneak outside the Sutra Repository. If Master Xuankong hadn't arrived in time, the Demon Subduing Formation would have been broken!
Now that the notice has been issued, although it is said to be for "discussing ownership," it is actually a helpless move by Guangyuan Temple. Rather than passively defending, it is better to put the situation out in the open and use the contradictions between the various factions to check and balance each other. Perhaps this will preserve the relics or entrust them to a relatively righteous force.

As the news spread, various sects began to make frequent moves.

Abbot Xuanhe of Shaolin Temple and Dharma Master Fayuan of the Huayan School were having a private conversation with Master Xuankong in the meditation room at this moment, their expressions solemn.

“Senior Brother Xuan Kong, this is a risky move. We don’t know how this matter was leaked and spread throughout the entire martial arts world. There must be someone behind it,” Xuan He sighed.

“There is no other way.” Xuan Kong shook his head.

"If this continues, the monks will eventually run out of energy. If a powerful old monster at the Tongxuan Realm were to forcefully break the formation, the relic might not be able to be preserved."

The monk Fayuan said, "This matter needs to be handled by others to send the 'relics' out."

The three exchanged a glance, understanding each other's meaning.

From the day the notice was posted, the discussions in the town never stopped.

Inside the teahouse, a square table was surrounded by martial arts figures. Leading them was a burly man with a full beard who called himself "Soul-Severing Blade" Li Gang. He was a lone swordsman from the north, possessing the cultivation of the Acquired Extreme Realm, and was quite famous in the martial arts world.

He gulped down a mouthful of strong liquor, then slammed the bowl down on the table, making the teacup vibrate.

"Send two people each? That's utter nonsense! The three Buddhist sects have joined forces, and they've already gone up the mountain without following the rules. The rules were set for us, so how can we possibly win? This is clearly the Buddhist sect trying to embezzle the relics!"

Sitting opposite him was Li Mu, a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect. He was dressed in a blue robe and held a folding fan. He shook his head and said, "I think it may not be about winning the martial arts competition. Perhaps there is another way."

"There are other rules?" Li Gang sneered. "In the martial world, it's always a matter of strength. Who wouldn't want to snatch a relic that can prolong life and break through barriers? If Buddhism were truly fair, it should open its gates and let everyone compete based on their own abilities. Why all these rules!"

Many lone travelers around them chimed in, "Master Li is right! The Buddhist sect just wants to take advantage of everyone." In the crowd, Jin Yichuan and Shen Lian, disguised as ordinary martial arts masters, watched coldly from the sidelines.

Shen Lian said in a low voice, "These people are blinded by greed. Do they really think Guangyuan Temple is so easy to break into?"

Jin Yichuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He noticed that many Imperial Guard sentries were quietly setting up defenses, ready to act as soon as a conflict broke out.

As night falls, the town remains brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The streets were crowded with wandering martial artists who were unwilling to leave. Some were arguing loudly outside the tavern, some were queuing at the entrance of the inn, and others were gathered in twos and threes, chatting about how Guangyuan Temple would respond after they entered the temple the day after tomorrow.

At the same time, deep in the dense forest at the foot of Guangyuan Temple Mountain, Chen Zhan's figure darted out like a ghost.

He was dressed in black, and some of the charred skin on his face had peeled off, revealing unhealed wounds beneath.

The Buddha's relics' ability to "restore flesh and bones" was a true lifesaver for him.

Although his old injuries have been suppressed and the burns on his body surface are relatively minor, the carbonization of his meridians and internal organs is extremely difficult to recover from. In two months, he has only recovered about 30-40% of his injuries. It will take another six months for him to fully recover.

But he needs to quickly plunder the luck points and return as soon as possible.

Killing King Yama has given me a lot of luck points, but I'm still far from being able to cross realms. Moreover, whether it's increasing my destiny or crossing realms, the direction is uncontrollable and depends entirely on my own condition.

When he traveled to the other world last time, he thought he would return to the small bookstore he had in the past.

Chen Zhan did not choose to take the mountain path, but instead ran directly towards the wall of Guangyuan Temple.

His footwork seemed ordinary, but every step he took was solid, and although he was extremely fast, he made no sound.

As they approached the wall, they could hear the sounds coming from inside. With a sudden burst of speed, they leaped up like an arrow and landed silently on top of the wall.

Inside the temple, warrior monks patrolled along the walls, holding iron rods, their steps synchronized, and chanting Buddhist scriptures in hushed tones.

Their auras were calm and steady, clearly indicating that they were all at least at the Acquired Realm level, and they had formed a formation, so they could immediately surround the enemy if they detected anything unusual.

This formation clearly indicates a major Buddhist sect, with a large group of experts possessing acquired internal energy.

Even within the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Zhenfu Division, none of the Embroidered Uniform Guards had such a display. Those who had cultivated internal strength were almost all prominent figures, at the very least a captain or a junior officer.

Chen Zhan pressed himself against the shadow of the wall, his aura completely concealed, like a ghost blending into the night.

He observed the monks' patrol route with sharp eyes, memorizing every detail.

After the patrol team passed by, he swayed and landed on the grass inside the temple, his movements as light as a falling leaf.

Ancient trees tower within Guangyuan Temple, meditation rooms are scattered in an orderly fashion, and lights are sparse, with a lone lamp shining in the direction of the Sutra Repository.

Using the shade of the trees, Chen Zhan moved quickly toward the Sutra Repository, carefully avoiding pebbles and dead branches without making a sound.

Just as he approached within a hundred meters of the Sutra Repository, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark figure darting across the roof of the meditation room on his right.

The dark figure moved with incredible speed, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. It was dressed in black and its face was covered, revealing only a pair of piercing eyes.

Their movements were even more unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, Chen Zhan felt that the opponent's path was filled with overlapping afterimages, making him dizzy.

This person bypassed the patrolling monks and headed straight for the Sutra Repository, clearly also aiming for the Buddha's relics.

"Interesting." Chen Zhan's lips curled into a smile.

It's easy to fish in troubled waters!

He thought he would be the only one taking the risk tonight, but he didn't expect there to be someone else with him. The shadowy figure's movements carried a hint of yin and softness, unlike the methods of a righteous sect, but rather like a master from the Eastern Depot or an evil sect.

Chen Zhan didn't make a sound, but instead swayed and followed.

He was faster, yet he remained extremely stealthy, following the shadowy figure like a shadow, completely unnoticed by his opponent.

The guards outside the library were even more stringent.

The chief monk, Yuanjue, was seated in charge, with eighteen Arhats standing beside him, each in their respective positions in the Sutra Repository.

The man in black stopped behind the artificial hill in the distance, without forcing his way in or sneaking in.

Instead, he took out a small bronze cauldron from his bosom, muttered some incantations, and a layer of black mist immediately rose from the cauldron, drifting up to the upper floor of the scripture pavilion and entering it without any hindrance.

The man in black seemed somewhat puzzled. He stood there for a moment, then put away the bronze cauldron and turned to leave.

(End of this chapter)