I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Five white-browed old monks arrived gracefully, their apricot-yellow robes fluttering even without wind.

It was clear that these five were all unparalleled masters; their aura, as vast and unfathomable as the sea, instantly overwhelmed all the noise in the arena.

Many experienced martial arts practitioners present exclaimed in surprise upon recognizing the newcomer.

"They're actually the Five Patriarchs of the Bodhidharma Academy? The five eminent monks Huizhen, Huiming, Huikong, Huijing, and Huiji!"

"All five of them are over a hundred years old, and they're still alive?"

"Wasn't it rumored that they had already passed away? The Shaolin Temple's foundation is truly terrifying!"

Luo Zhantian was breathing heavily, his eyes flickering slightly. As the abbot of Shaolin Temple, he naturally knew.

These five old monks were Shaolin's most treasured secrets, having long since withdrawn from worldly affairs and spent years in seclusion meditating. Now, however, Xuancheng had invited them out of the mountains!

What kind of bewitching potion did Xuan Cheng give them?

The five Shaolin monks moved slightly, surrounding Ning Chen at the core.

The old monk in the center, with a withered face but eyes as clear as an ancient well, clasped his hands together and slowly bowed.

"Amitabha, young benefactor, you have such profound cultivation. This old monk advises you to let go of your attachments and surrender. We can chant sutras for you day and night to wash away the violence in your heart, convert your murderous intent, and restore your pure heart. Shaolin is compassionate and can save all those who have lost their way."

Ning Chen looked at the five old monks, whose auras were long and their inner strength had almost reached the peak of the mortal realm, and shook his head and chuckled.

"Five masters, it is already remarkable that you have lived to such an old age and cultivated yourself through arduous practice. Why bother with the grudges between the younger generation of martial arts practitioners? With your mindset, you should be seeking a glimmer of transcendence in quiet cultivation, rather than becoming pawns in the hands of others."

A slight ripple finally appeared on the usually calm and composed faces of the five old monks.

After a moment of silence, the old monk spoke again, his voice slightly lower.

"What you say makes sense. We did not intervene in the feud between Xuancheng and Juezhan. This is an internal entanglement of karma within our temple, and it should be resolved by the younger generation."

The old monk then changed the subject.

"However, our Shaolin Temple, with its thousand-year-old heritage, also has its own difficulties. If Jue Zhan returns alone, all grievances will be handled according to the temple rules. But if he brings along extraterrestrial demons, coveting the very foundation of our temple's martial arts... this would shake the very foundation of our ancient temple and wreak havoc on the martial world! We, the old monks, have been entrusted by our ancestors to protect our heritage. It is our duty to intervene and stop him. We hope you will understand!"

Upon hearing this, Ning Chen shook his head, his smile becoming even more sarcastic.

After all that talk, it all boils down to sectarianism.

Even the all-powerful Bodhi Patriarch in the Journey to the West didn't care about my background, so what right do you have to care?

"ridiculous!"

Ning Chen, with his hands bound behind his back, gazed at the endless night sky and said softly.

"You people are like frogs in a well, clinging to outdated and incomplete knowledge. You treat your meager skills as treasures, hiding them deep in the mountains, afraid that others will learn them. With such selfishness and self-imposed limitations, how can you not decline and die out?"

He pointed to the tens of thousands of martial arts practitioners present.

"No wonder the martial arts of this world have made little progress for hundreds of years. Martial arts manuals, which should be passed down from generation to generation and inspire progress, have become shackles that imprison you and the root of conflict in your hands!"

"Amitabha!"

The five old monks chanted Buddhist prayers in unison, their tone carrying a hint of solemnity.

"As expected of a demon from beyond the realm, bewitching people and spouting fallacies and heresies with ease. Those who walk different paths cannot work together! Benefactor, your obsession runs too deep; you have already fallen into demonic possession. Since that is the case, further words are useless; please take action!"

The five old monks simultaneously channeled their inner energy, and golden light shone from their bodies.

Five streams of solid, pure internal energy intertwined, faintly forming an array that firmly locked onto Ning Chen.

It's an extremely rare five-in-one combat tactic!

"Fine!"

Ning Chen sighed.

"Your perspective is too limited; you wouldn't understand even if I explained!"

Ning Chen casually glanced at a low, lush mountain peak beside Shaolin Temple's Shaoshi Mountain, and said in a flat tone.

"The martial arts treasure trove you regard as your life's work, the so-called foundation of Shaolin... In my eyes, it's no different from the clamor of a frog in a well, or the delusional attempt of an ant to shake a tree. Today, I will show you what the true path is!"

A golden light flew out of Ning Chen's ear on its own. This golden light was particularly conspicuous in the night sky and soared straight up to ninety thousand miles.

Seeing that the altitude was about right, Ning Chen silently chanted in his mind!

Big!Big!Big!

The golden light swelled as it faced the wind, instantly transforming into a colossal pillar with a diameter of over ten zhang and a length that could not be estimated by the naked eye!

"What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Nearly ten thousand martial arts practitioners at the scene all looked up at the starry sky, their pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints!

The iron pillar rose to its highest point and began to turn downwards. Initially, its speed was slow, but it accelerated continuously, and a deep, muffled whistling sound echoed through the heavens and earth!

Boom!Boom!Boom!

The iron pillar tore through the sky, carrying a terrifying force as powerful as if it could shatter stars, and crashed down with a deafening roar!

The Ruyi Jingu Bang (Golden Cudgel) weighed 13,500 jin (approximately 6,250 kg) and fell from the sky, its target being the low mountain. Its power was comparable to that of a nuclear bomb!

Rumble! ...

The ground trembled violently instantly. The booming sound that rang in everyone's ears was not a loud explosion, but a terrifying muffled sound as the deep structure of the earth was instantly destroyed and the mountain was completely flattened by that absolute force!

In an instant, smoke and dust rose into the sky like a tsunami, obscuring the entire night sky!

The entire mountain peak vanished completely the instant the massive iron pillar touched the ground, as if struck by the giant hand of a god!

As the smoke and dust dissipated, only a huge circular basin, deeply sunken into the ground, remained in the original location!

The enormous iron rod that reached the heavens and the earth was stuck diagonally in the center of the ruins, its body buried deep in the earth, but the exposed part still towered into the clouds.

The iron rod, its surface covered with mysterious runes, exuded an ancient and rustic aura, as if it had stood there since time immemorial!

The scene was deathly silent!

The allied forces of the Hundred Sects, who had just been swaggering and ready to make a move, along with the five Shaolin monks, were all frozen in place, as if under a spell!

No one, including Luo Zhantian, had ever seen such a display of power.

Their eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets, as they stared intently at the colossal pillar that had replaced the mountain peak, their minds completely blank!

Hallucination? Sleight of hand?

The thought had just crossed my mind.

hum!

A shockwave, visible to the naked eye and incredibly violent, carrying rubble, dust, and broken wood, suddenly spread out from the point where the golden cudgel landed!

"what!"

"Help!"

The screams and cries of agony were instantly drowned out!

The martial arts practitioners who were the first to be hit were blown away like leaves in a hurricane!

Those a little further away also lost their balance, staggering and tumbling about, rolling around in a disheveled mess.

Dust filled the entire Shaoshishan Square, making people cough incessantly and unable to open their eyes.

However, amidst this chaotic scene of flying sand and stones, and people and horses falling over, there was only one exception.

Ning Chen's foothold!

Centered on Ning Chen, the ground within a radius of about ten feet was spotless and dust-free!

He stood with his hands behind his back, his blue robe fluttering slightly, calmly watching the scene before him that seemed like the end of the world.

As the dust and smoke gradually dissipated, they revealed the horrified, disheveled, and utterly exhausted state of everyone present.

The five Shaolin monks were highly skilled. Although they were not blown away, their hair and beards were disheveled, their robes were covered in dust, and their faces were ashen. Their eyes were filled with unprecedented fear and confusion as they looked at Ning Chen.

What kind of power is this?

Can humans really cultivate themselves to this level?

A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of the withered old monk's mouth; this was an internal injury he had sustained while trying to stabilize himself.

He raised his hand tremblingly, pointing to the colossal pillar reaching to the sky, his voice hoarse and dry, filled with despair and resentment.

"No...impossible! How did you do that? Is it some kind of illusion?"

But he couldn't finish his sentence.

That earth-shattering power, that massive shockwave, that completely vanished mountain peak—how could it be achieved with mere illusions?