Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 86 Linghu Chong, the Chosen One

To Xia Zuo's great regret, he could not find the Nine Yang Manual in the gaps of the Surangama Sutra, nor could he find similar martial arts in other Buddhist scriptures.

So he turned his attention to the Yi Jin Jing and mastered it completely in just a few days.

The Yi Jin Jing truly lives up to its reputation as the Shaolin Temple's signature martial art, surpassing even the Zi Xia Divine Skill. However, after memorizing and mastering the entire text, he immediately abandoned his cultivation and showed no intention of practicing this top-tier skill.

According to the knowledge of the Heavenly Demon Xia Zuo, one should not mix Buddhist and Taoist techniques before formally embarking on the path of cultivation.

In the following period, relying on his photographic memory, he memorized all the Buddhist scriptures in the library as part of his knowledge base.

A month later, Xia Zuo finished reading all the books in the library and then bid farewell to Master Fangzheng before heading down the mountain.

To send off the unpleasant guest, Fang Zheng not only offered him generous travel expenses, but also told Xia Zuo a story about Linghu Chong, the senior disciple of the Huashan Sect.

This news disrupted Xia Zuo's mind, prompting him to rush to Wudang Mountain as quickly as possible.

In just one day, Xia Zuo arrived at the foot of Wudang Mountain.

Wudang Mountain is the foremost blessed land of Taoism, and there are many Taoist sects on the mountain, not just the Wudang sect.

However, the founder of the Wudang School, Zhang Sanfeng, was extremely powerful and had an astonishingly long lifespan, remaining healthy through the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

During the Hongwu era, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty searched for Zhang Sanfeng several times without success. He then issued an edict to rebuild the Wudang School and officially designate it as a royal Taoist temple.

During the reign of Emperor Yongle, Wudang Mountain was even granted to the Wudang Sect, making them the leader of the Taoist sect.

You have to admit it.

If the Wudang Sect becomes the landlord and starts charging rent, everyone will really be unable to bear it.

To Xia Zuo's utter bewilderment, all the Taoist sects on Mount Wudang were called Wudang Sects, such as: Wudang Quanzhen Sect, Wudang Qingwei Sect, Wudang Shenxiao Sect, Wudang Maoshan Sect, Wudang Zhengyi Sect, Wudang Hunyuan Sect, and so on.

The more Xia Zuo inquired, the more confused he became, unable to distinguish who was who at all.

Finally, he simply ignored everything and ran towards the highest peak. In the end, he saw an old Taoist priest with a dignified and otherworldly air in front of the Golden Summit Taoist temple.

Behind the old Taoist priest were two burly men with simple faces. Their auras were powerful, like two guardian deities. Xia Zuo said with a forced smile, "Master Chongxu, it's really not easy to find your Wudang Sect. This junior, Xia Zuo of the Huashan Sect, greets you."

The two burly men didn't seem to notice anything, but Chongxu sensed a clear hostility from Xia Zuo's aura and knew that this young man had come looking for trouble.

He sighed and asked, "Young Master Xia, your Qi is perfectly balanced, and your true Qi is completely gone. You have actually cultivated to the point of returning to simplicity. This old Taoist is truly ashamed."

"I just don't understand why you, young hero, have chosen to visit my Wudang Mountain, and why you harbor such great hostility?"

Xia Zuo chuckled and said, "Master Chongxu, do you take me for a child?"

"Last month, I was studying scriptures at Shaolin Temple when I heard that you went to see my senior brother and said some things you shouldn't have."

The door "especially the line: Mr. Yue has a humble appearance, but his magnanimity is rather limited —"

Master Chongxu bowed and said, "That's not what I meant—"

Xia Zuo interrupted him with a laugh: "This is what Master Fangzheng told me. Are you saying he's lying, or are you trying to deceive me?"

Daoist Chongxu:

'

Xia Zuo chuckled for a while before continuing, "I think Master Fangzheng wouldn't dare to lie, because he knows me very well, while you, Daoist, don't know me well enough."

Xia Zuo reached out and a thorny branch flew up from the roadside bushes and landed in his hand. The thin thorny branch was very straight and looked very appealing, making him want to whip something with it.

He flicked his hand, and all the green leaves on the brambles shot out. Some flew into the bushes, scattering large patches of broken branches and leaves, while others splashed into the ground and embedded themselves deeply into the stone steps.

Although he did not practice the Yi Jin Jing, Xia Zuo read the scripture for a month and, through analogy, his inspiration surged, and he made further progress, his internal strength cultivation level rising by a significant margin.

"Flying blossoms and plucked leaves can all be used to make stones!"

The burly man behind Daoist Chongxu exclaimed in horror, and Daoist Chongxu himself also changed his expression drastically, drawing his long sword from his waist with a gloomy look.

Xia Zuo continued laughing, "Daoist Chongxu, now that you know my power, you still dare to draw your sword—"

"You think I lack the resolve to use my power? Do you really want to experience it for yourself?"

"People will die."

Master Chongxu's breathing became heavy, and after a moment he finally asked, "How many people died at Shaolin Temple?"

"How many people died?" Xia Zuo shook his head and said, "No one died at Shaolin Temple, only two senior monks, about ten junior monks, and about a hundred martial monks were injured."

Master Chongxu smiled: "Young Hero Xia is kind-hearted, I am humbled—"

"Don't praise me!"

Xia Zuo interrupted Master Chongxu and said, "I held back at Shaolin Temple because I attacked Shaolin Temple for my own selfish reasons. If I had caused heavy casualties at Shaolin Temple, it would have been impossible to resolve the situation."

"But why did I attack Wudang Mountain today? Is it because you, Daoist Chongxu, offended my master, or did you try to do something to my senior brother that threatens the safety of my Huashan Sect?"

"Therefore, I have a legitimate reason to fight this time. If Daoist Chongxu doesn't give me a satisfactory explanation, I will not let the Wudang Sect off easily."

Master Chongxu sighed, dejectedly sheathed his longsword, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply three times.

"Young Master Xia, I broke my vow of silence and offended your master, Sect Leader Yue Buqun. Please accept my apology."

Xia Zuo nodded slightly and said, "Since you are so sincere in your apology, I will accept your apology on behalf of my master, and let bygones be bygones regarding the matter of offending my master."

"But what was your purpose in approaching my senior brother Linghu Chong and saying those things?"

"Master Chongxu, please think carefully before you answer."

"When I heard about this, my first reaction was that you wanted to seduce Senior Brother Linghu Chong and create another rift within my Huashan Sect, causing internal strife similar to the Sword Qi dispute."

"If you cannot dispel my doubts, I—would not mind massacring Wudang Mountain."

"Please do not use the name of the Royal Academy to threaten me. My current strength is enough to impersonate a god."

"A royal Taoist temple established during the Yongle era, and a living, breathing deity, Master Chongxu—which do you think is more important to the current Jiajing Emperor?"

"You don't need to threaten me with the name of Zhang Sanfeng."

"I will massacre the Wudang Sect, but I will not annihilate its lineage."

"If Master Sanfeng is no longer here, then your deaths will have been in vain."

"Even if Zhang Sanfeng were still alive, he would only protect the Wudang tradition rather than each Wudang disciple, and he would not protect Wudang's power."

Master Chongxu was completely speechless.