I Have the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye in the Storm Riders

"So, you went to Tianmen to seek revenge?" Master Yuanjue suddenly sighed.

Huai Kong remained silent.

Waves of violent, intense heat pounded against Master Yuanjue's monk's robes.

The master remained seated on the futon, motionless, simply watching the young man before him.

Looked for a long time.

The look in his eyes slowly changed—from scrutiny to understanding, and finally, a silent sigh.

"...Very well. Your heart is full of hatred, yet it is completely clean, without a trace of self-interest."

Master Yuanjue slowly stood up and walked to the side of the Buddha statue.

A long, golden staff stood against the wall, its shaft covered in Sanskrit inscriptions, gleaming as if new.

"I'll lend you the holy staff." Master Yuanjue took the long staff with both hands, handed it heavily to Huaikong, and his tone became exceptionally solemn.

"But you must remember what I said. You can only knock on the Heavenly Gate a maximum of ten times."

"If one's heart is not sincere and is mixed with greed and selfishness, all ten attempts will be in vain."

"I'll remember that." Huai Kong reached out and gripped the staff tightly.

It was extremely heavy, but the moment it touched the skin, the Sanskrit characters on the staff shimmered with a warm golden light, as if sensing the wielder's determination to perish.

Without any hesitation, he clasped his hands in a deep fist salute to Master Yuanjue, then abruptly turned and rushed out of the main hall.

Stepping into the snow in front of the door, that tall and slender figure transformed into a streak of light, plunging into the vast, murderous snowstorm without looking back.

Master Yuanjue stood at the entrance of the hall, watching him leave.

The heavy north wind made the hem of his wide monk's robe flutter loudly.

After a while.

"Master!!" A desperate and piercing cry tore through the wind and snow.

With hurried footsteps, a petite woman in a plain white fur coat strode through the snow, rushing up the steps in two quick steps, and suddenly stopped in front of the palace gate.

She was panting heavily, and her lips, which had turned purple from the cold, trembled uncontrollably.

It was Bai Ling.

"Master! Has Huai Kong been here?" Bai Ling stared intently at Master Yuanjue, her voice trembling sharply.

"He has already gone to Tianmen," Master Yuanjue replied calmly, glancing at her.

"Tianmen?" Bai Ling's eyes instantly reddened, and in her haste, she rushed forward.

"What kind of place is that?!"

"The Heavenly Gate is a stone gate erected by Heaven upon the human world," Master Yuanjue said slowly.

"The one who knocks will see the heavens, their wishes will be fulfilled, and all will be granted."

Bai Ling was stunned.

"Tianmen...is it really that magical?" Her voice carried a hint of disbelief.

"Those who have entered can all serve as witnesses."

As these words weighed on her, Bai Ling felt a sudden sinking in her chest.

She knew better than anyone the deep-seated hatred Huai Kong carried on his shoulders—

In that instant, all the details and events became connected.

Bai Ling looked up, the surprise in her eyes had mostly faded, but her voice was still tense:

"Which direction is Tianmen in?"

Master Yuanjue looked at her, slowly raised his hand, and pointed to the north outside the hall.

"Going north from the temple, just one mile away, there is a sheer cliff overlooking the sea. The Heavenly Gate is located on the cliff face."

He paused, then added, "Huai Kong is extremely fast. If you try to catch up now, you might not be able to."

After listening, Bai Ling didn't utter a single unnecessary word. She simply lifted the hem of her fur coat and turned to leave.

As she reached the door, she uttered, "Thank you, Master."

The next instant, the figure in pure white had already plunged into the wind and snow, speeding away towards the north.

Master Yuanjue stood there watching without interfering, simply pressing his palms together and letting the sound of the wooden fish echo through the hall.

……

One mile outside Tianwen Temple.

The gale was like a knife scraping to the bone, and the ice and snow were like needles pricking the face, but Huai Kong held the Brahma Holy Staff in his hand, and his steps did not falter for a moment.

Finally, he stopped.

A strong wind swept in, carrying with it a heavy, fishy smell.

There's no road ahead.

Below them was a steep cliff, thick water mist churning and howling, raging waves crashing against the precipice, and a raging torrent of water crashing in.

Rows of towering waves crashed against the rocks with a deafening roar, sending up a cloud of salty, bitter foam.

Right in front of him—on the cliff face—was a towering, bluish-gray stone gate, three zhang high.

The stone gate seemed to have grown together with the entire mountain peak, exuding a desolate and imposing aura that seemed to coexist with heaven and earth.

A huge yin-yang symbol on the lintel flickered faintly in the wind and snow, while ancient, mottled runes on either side shimmered with a chilling light.

Scattered on the rocks directly below the stone gate are piles of white bones, long since fused with the stone itself.

Those were all failures who had tried to knock on doors but died tragically.

Huai Kong stepped on the withered bones beneath his feet, one step, two steps, until he reached the front of the stone gate.

Before them was the tightly closed Heavenly Gate, and behind it, the raging sea crashed against the sheer cliffs.

The cold wind whipped his hair wildly behind his head. He gripped the Brahma Staff tightly with both hands and looked up at the yin-yang symbol high above.

The master died tragically.

My elder brother's fate is unknown.

"Master..."

"Big brother..."

Huai Kong took a deep breath, pushed off with his feet, and soared into the air like an eagle. In mid-air, he twisted his waist and lowered his arms, gripping the Brahma Holy Staff tightly with both hands, and slammed it hard against the stone gate!

The first strike should have resounded throughout the surrounding area, but the sound was instantly swallowed up by the north wind and the crashing waves from the towering peak.

The wind howled, the waves roared, and the world was in chaos and clamor. The knocking sound disappeared into the void, like a clay ox entering the sea, without even the slightest echo.

Huai Kong landed back on the ground, his expression changing slightly.

But he did not hesitate. Instead, he gripped the staff tighter, and the unyielding determination in his heart was aroused even more by the power of heaven and earth.

"Again!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already leaped up again.

The second time, the third time, the fourth time...

Huai Kong rose up again and again, waving his cane and knocking on the door.

The stone staffs struck the Heavenly Gate, which should have produced a loud bang, but without exception, they were all swallowed up by the raging wind and the tide.

By the time the ninth strike landed, veins were bulging on his forehead, muscles in his arms were bulging, and his tiger's mouth had been cracked open. Blood trickled down the staff, quickly congealing into dark red bloodstains in the cold wind.

But Tianmen remained silent, as if dead.

The howling north wind seemed to mock the mortals' overestimation of their abilities, and the swirling snowflakes stung Huai Kong's face like knives.

The solitary, towering gate before them seemed to be a manifestation of the will of heaven and earth, standing majestically amidst the wind and snow, coldly scrutinizing this mortal who dared to attempt to knock on the heavens.

Huai Kong slowly raised his head, but there was no sign of retreat in his eyes.

"The last one."

He squeezed out those four words, one by one, from between his teeth, his voice hoarse yet heavy as a thousand pounds.

If this final blow still fails to open the gates of heaven, then he will have nowhere else to go.

The blood feud between the sect and the master is hard to avenge, and the master's legacy is hard to carry on. All the so-called hard work and faith are in vain in the end!

"Duh——!"

Suddenly, Huai Kong roared like thunder, his true energy surging wildly around him, his robes billowing in the wind.

He stomped his feet hard on the ice rocks, causing the frozen ground beneath his feet to crack inch by inch. He used the momentum to soar into the sky, leaping even higher than before!

This leap almost pushed all his life's cultivation, beliefs, and resentments to their peak.

In mid-air, Huai Kong's arms trembled simultaneously, and the golden light of the Brahma Holy Staff surged, as if a blazing sun had suddenly exploded in the wind and snow.

This staff, carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, and with an indomitable determination, crashed down towards the Tai Chi diagram in the center of the stone gate!

"BOOM—!!!"

This strike was earth-shattering!

In the instant that the earth-shattering roar shook the heavens and the earth, a slender figure braved the wind and snow, rushing from the end of the mountain path and finally reaching the summit.

The person continued running without stopping until he was dozens of feet behind Huai Kong before suddenly stopping.

As soon as she looked up, she saw Huai Kong leaping high into the air, his holy staff carrying immense force, crashing down towards the Heavenly Gate!

The moment the staffs clashed, a blinding golden light suddenly erupted, and a dazzling pillar of light, visible to the naked eye, shot into the sky from the point of impact, piercing straight into the heavens!

The thick, leaden clouds were torn open, and golden light pierced through the wind and snow, illuminating the entire northernmost peak as if it were daytime.

For a moment, even the wind seemed to freeze.

One mile away is Tianwen Temple.

Master Yuanjue, who was chanting sutras in the hall, suddenly stood up, flicked his robe, and walked to the door.

He gazed at the pillar of light shooting into the sky, a flicker of emotion crossing his usually calm face, which quickly turned into an indescribable regret.

"Amitabha……"

Master Yuanjue clasped his hands together, let out a long sigh, and a hint of compassion was faintly revealed between his brows.

"Yet another person deeply obsessed, blinded by the word 'heaven'."

"Benefactor Huai, with your talent, why bother knocking on that door?"

Above the towering peak of Tianmen.

As this earth-shattering blow landed, the massive stone gate, which had been perfectly sealed and almost integrated with the mountain, finally emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound.

"Clang...clang clang clang—"

The voice was deep and ancient, as if something that had been asleep for countless years was slowly awakening behind the door.

Stone chips fell in a flurry, and the accumulated snow was shaken apart.

Then, under Huai Kong's extremely solemn gaze, the Heavenly Gate finally opened slowly inward.

When the door was first opened, there was no celestial light or any unusual phenomenon, nor was there any hidden paradise revealed.

Beyond the stone gate, there is still towering peaks and snow-covered cliffs, as if this gate has always been a manifestation of the will of heaven, standing here to be questioned.

However, once the gate was fully open, a figure emerged from the wind and snow, standing with his hands behind his back before the stone gate.

The moment she appeared, she exuded a cold and dignified aura, as if even the snowstorm had quieted down for a moment.

She wore a golden robe, the hem fluttering slightly in the dark air. Her face was covered by a colorful and eerie mask, revealing only a pair of chilling eyes.

His eyes held no trace of worldly concerns as he looked down at Huai Kong as if he were truly looking down on ants.

Huai Kong's heart skipped a beat, his five fingers instinctively tightening around the Brahma Holy Staff, and he said in a deep voice:

"Who are you?"

"I am a messenger of Heaven." The newcomer slightly turned his head, his voice icy and devoid of any warmth.

"Mother of Gods."

As the wind and snow swept by, her robes fluttered gently, but her voice pierced through all the noise, clearly reaching Huai Kong's ears.

"Mortal," the goddess asked calmly, looking down at him.

"What do you seek when you knock on the gates of heaven?"