Under One Person: Starting with the Dual Cultivation of Body and Soul

Chapter 126 Lingyin Temple Competition

Li Chang'an continued, "Abandoning the methods is a step back, turning big problems into small ones, turning inner demons into knots in the heart, and then solving them one by one. This is indeed a way."

"But since it's a path, besides going backward, you can also go forward. If the root is the Reverse Life Triple Rebirth, then you should practice until the third level."

"Perhaps, once you reach that level, you'll stand higher, see further, more clearly, and more thoroughly?"

Li Chang'an gave an example: "It's like when we were in elementary school, if we forgot to bring our red scarf when we left home in the morning, we felt like the sky was falling. We were afraid that the teacher would scold us and that our classmates would laugh at us."

"When I got to junior high school, I didn't do well on the exams and felt like my life was over. If I didn't do well on the high school exams, I felt like my life was over."

"But at your age, is it really that bad to look into those things?" he asked Lu Jin.

"These are all trivial matters!" Lu Jin said.

"That's right!" Li Chang'an said, "Things aren't as bad as they seem. Grandpa, you're just taking your inner demons too seriously. Aren't they just like a primary school student forgetting to wear their red scarf?"

"Don't overthink it, just keep moving forward. The road ahead is long but bright. When you look back, it will all be just a few hardships!"

These words immediately silenced the meditation room.

"Just a little bit of hardship," Master Jiekong stopped turning his prayer beads and carefully examined the white-robed, white-haired boy, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Amitabha!"

Master Jiekong clasped his hands together and nodded slightly: "Benefactor Lu, your disciple's insight is even more profound than that of this old monk. Breaking through great attachments with great courage is indeed another path."

Lu Jin sat blankly in the armchair, her eyes glazed over.

The red scarf of a primary school student—he pondered the phrase repeatedly, though he felt that his own situation couldn't be described using the red scarf of a primary school student, but the third level of rebirth—

He recalled the time he spent training under high-voltage electricity, being constantly torn apart and then reassembled.

He could clearly feel that he was making progress.

Moreover, the finish line is not far away.

He didn't know the distance to the finish line, but he knew his current level.

Although he is not as good as his master back then, he is very close.

As long as we keep moving forward step by step, perhaps when we reach the final state that our master attained, we will understand what our master was thinking back then.

What I was thinking.

Thinking of this, Lu Jin let out a long breath.

He looked at Li Chang'an with a relieved smile, then clasped his hands in a respectful bow to Master Jiekong: "Master, I'm sorry to have bothered you so much today."

Master Jiekong smiled and returned the greeting: "If Benefactor Lu can see through it himself, that would undoubtedly be the best choice. This old monk is here at Lingyin Temple, waiting for Benefactor Lu's good news."

"Thank you for your kind words!"

Lu Jin laughed heartily.

Since she was already there, Lu Jin wasn't in a hurry to leave.

At the kind invitation of Master Jiekong.

The two stayed at Lingyin Temple and had a vegetarian meal.

During the vegetarian meal, many young monks from Lingyin Temple gathered in the courtyard.

They had long heard of Li Chang'an's reputation, his defeat of Zhang Lingyu at the Lu family's disciple-acceptance banquet, and his slaying of more than ten Quanxing demons at the foot of Sanyimen Mountain.

These achievements are unparalleled among the younger generation of extraordinary individuals, earning him the nickname "Immortal." Some even claim he is the reincarnation of the Great Ying Immortal, the founder of the Sanyi Sect, making the story incredibly mystical. Upon seeing the real person, the group of monks could no longer contain their curiosity.

One of them even stepped forward, hoping to exchange skills and learn from the opponent.

Master Jiekong did not object to his disciples' idea.

He simply turned his head, looked at Li Chang'an, and said with a smile, "This grand-disciple has just learned the Vajra Palm and has become quite arrogant. If Benefactor Li doesn't mind the trouble, please teach him a lesson for this old monk and let him know what it means to be outmatched."

This is also a common method used by mentors and elders in the industry.

Elders are always worried that their disciples will become arrogant and conceited after learning some real skills.

Therefore, when the opportunity arises, they will invite a peer of high skill to give them a lesson, in order to temper their character.

Back then, it was with this idea in mind that the old Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing and the Great Ying Immortal Zuo Ruotong brought together Lu Jin and Zhang Zhiwei for their competition.

The subsequent confrontation between Zhang Zhiwei and Zhang Huaiyi stemmed from the same consideration.

Lu Jin naturally understood Master Jiekong's intention.

He looked at Li Chang'an: "Since Master Jiekong has said so, Chang'an, why don't you go up and give it a try?"

"Sure!" Li Chang'an agreed with a smile. He wasn't averse to this kind of thing. He had cultivated the methods, so he had to use them when necessary. Besides, the methods he used at Lingyin Temple were quite effective.

The group moved to the training ground.

Both sides stood still in the middle of the field.

The person who invited Li Chang'an to the duel was a burly monk in his twenties.

He stepped forward, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "I am a disciple of Lingyin Temple, my Dharma name is Huineng. Please enlighten me, benefactor."

Li Chang'an returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Sanyi Sect, Li Chang'an, please."

The competition officially began.

The monk Huineng took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance with his palms facing forward and backward.

His palms turned dark gold at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This is the Vajra Palm, a superior martial art among the 72 Shaolin Arts, known for its unparalleled ferocity, powerful force, and composed demeanor.

"Watch out!"

Huineng let out a low shout, pushed off with his feet, and lunged at Li Chang'an, his right palm whistling as it struck straight at his chest.

Faced with this incredibly powerful attack, Li Chang'an remained calm and raised his hand to meet it with a palm strike.

The two palms collided with a dull thud, contrary to expectations of a stalemate where they were evenly matched.

Huineng felt an overwhelming force surging up his arms.

His prized Vajra Palm technique was like hitting an unshakeable iron wall in the face of this terrifying force.

He had no chance to resist. Like a kite with a broken string, he was thrown out, arcing through the air before crashing heavily into the wall of the training ground.

His master, Baowen, a burly middle-aged monk, appeared behind him in a flash, gently supporting him from behind to catch him steadily.

Huineng landed on both feet, still somewhat unsteady, and staggered a couple more steps before finally managing to stand.

He looked at his palm, then at Li Chang'an, his face blank.

"Master—Master—what's wrong with me?"

He didn't know how to describe it. How could his Mighty Vajra Palm be so powerless? He couldn't even withstand a single move from his opponent.

"Don't you understand yet?"

Bao Wen said, "In the contest just now, Benefactor Li didn't exert any force at all, let alone use any real strength. He simply reached out, caught your palm, and then pushed you away."

"Remember, it's a push, not a hit. If he had slapped you like that, you wouldn't be alive."

Bao Wen was Master Jie Kong's eldest disciple and Xiao Zizai's senior brother. He was quite powerful and could clearly see what Li Chang'an's palm strike was all about.

His words shocked everyone present. Although the Vajra Palm was not the most advanced palm technique in Zen Buddhism, it was still a superior skill known for its fierceness.

Huineng's full-force attack was easily countered by Li Chang'an with a simple push, without Li Chang'an even needing to use his true abilities!

It's important to understand that pushing and shoving are two completely different concepts from a concentrated strike.

If a casual push has such terrifying power, how terrifying would it be if the opponent struck with a serious palm?

Upon realizing this, the younger generation of monks present no longer looked at Li Chang'an with the same challenging spirit as before; all that remained was deep awe and complete admiration.

Not only the younger generation, but even some of the older monks standing nearby were astonished.

They secretly pondered: if they were in that situation, facing Huineng's full-force Vajra Palm strike, could they possibly...?

How can someone do something like Li Chang'an, effortlessly sending someone flying more than ten meters?

The answer is, it's difficult.

At this moment, Li Chang'an stood in the center of the arena, looking down at his own technique, savoring the feeling of exchanging blows just now.

So that's what the Vajra Palm is all about? He thought to himself.

But then, a pure joy welled up within him, a joy that came from the depths of his heart.

He looked around and realized that he was being watched by pairs of eyes filled with awe and admiration.

A slight smile appeared on Li Chang'an's lips. His genuine nature made him enjoy this feeling.

Nourished by this joy, his spirit grew stronger little by little.

This feels really good.

Li Chang'an sighed inwardly.

However, perhaps because the strength he had just displayed was too astonishing, the entire training ground fell into a deathly silence for the next period of time.

Those young monks who had originally wanted to go up and learn a few moves all shrank back, not daring to challenge them anymore. They were not even in the same league, and going up would only be humiliating.

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