I am Jinshan Youxia

Apart from those who took away the original Murong Fu, most of the others were treated the same way.

Even setting aside their identity as 'monks,' the Xuan-generation monks are all martial artists. It would be a lie to say they had no interest in the Beiming Liangyi Gong, which could make people so much stronger overnight. Although they didn't make it public, they were all secretly studying and practicing it.

As a result, the monks harbored resentment towards each other.

Abbot Xuanci possessed extraordinary talent. He thoroughly understood the incomplete version of the Beiming Liangyi Gong and integrated it into his own learning. He left behind annotations on the Beiming Liangyi Gong and was the first to enter the realm of inner demons. After injuring Xuandu and Xuannan, he left Shaolin Temple and disappeared without a trace.

Not long after, a master infiltrated Shaolin Temple at night, ambushed and killed the wounded Xuan Nan and many other disciples, stole the notes left by Xuan Ci, and left without a trace.

Because of the previous deterioration in the relationships among the monks, and the fact that no one lived nearby to provide timely assistance, Xuandu angrily rebuked them and left Shaolin.

Xuan Tong went mad and died while trying to forcefully practice the incomplete version of the Northern Darkness Yin-Yang Technique, while Xuan Ku lost all his power and died twenty years ago.

Xuanji gave the fragmented version of the Northern Darkness Yin-Yang Technique and Xuanci's annotations to Xuzhu, the strongest person in the temple at the time, and went into seclusion to cultivate, hoping to overcome his inner demons and preserve Shaolin Temple in the turbulent future.

Unexpectedly, Xu Zhu, with a pure and innocent heart, mastered the incomplete version of the Northern Darkness Yin-Yang Technique even faster and successfully overcame his inner demon tribulation...

On the contrary, Xuanji has been haunted by Xuannan's death for more than ten years and has not been able to get over it.

"My time is running out."

Xuanji clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and said, "Xuzhu, you must go find him, find—" He suddenly opened his eyes again, his peaceful gaze now filled with murderous intent, and his arms rattled as he pulled on the iron chains.

"I apologize, Grandmaster Uncle." Xu Zhu apologized first, but the energy in his hand arrived before his voice.

Xuanji's eyes glazed over, and he fell asleep with his head down.

Xu Zhu walked out of the cave, looked up at the gloomy sky, sighed silently, and took out an invitation from his sleeve.

"Perhaps I don't need to go looking for him anymore..."

The invitation reads: "As the saying goes, 'In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second.' Next year on the Double Ninth Festival, we invite all heroes to a martial arts competition at Mount Hua."

Signed: Kingsoft Gamer.

Chapter 121 Origins

On the winding lake in Jiangnan, a small boat drifts.

Su Xinghe slowly rowed the boat, letting it drift gently. He said, "Suzhou City and the surrounding waters have been besieged by the Ming Cult for many days. The great battle must be imminent."

"The Four Seas Gang has invited heroes from Liangshan Marsh to help them out, and it is still unknown who will emerge victorious."

The group that had taken refuge in the Valley of Immortality had completely dispersed in the past few days. Wu Yazi personally went to the Western Regions to find Xiao Feng, who had disappeared without a trace, and to deal with the various "kings" who were causing trouble both openly and secretly. The disciples of the Deaf-Mute Sect, the disciples of the Lingjiu Palace, and the Nu Clan were running all over the world to inform the famous masters and martial arts sects.

Tianshan Tonglao, accompanied by her maid, went to the newly built Lingjiu Palace near the Great Snow Mountain to continue her tribulation against inner demons.

Who would want to stay in such a remote place for a long time if they had nothing better to do?

Zhang Chengyi lay lazily to the side, a sun hat covering his face, and said, "Does the Four Seas Gang have any connection with Liangshan Marsh?"

As a free spirit, since the Double Ninth Festival is still a long way off next year, he might as well go to Jiangnan to join in the fun. There was a big martial arts competition a few days ago, and now the Ming Cult is fighting against the heroes of Jiangnan. He can't help but experience it.

“Yes, this involves an old story.” Su Xinghe recounted the relationship between the two in detail.

“The Venerable Shenshan of Qingliang Temple on Mount Wutai was once invited to Leigu Mountain by you, Uncle Zhang. Later, Leigu Mountain was destroyed by fire, and they scattered. Qingliang Temple thus mastered many martial arts in the Jianghu. The Venerable Shenshan was quite talented and created a Luohan Golden Body Technique. He was invincible throughout the Central Plains in just three years after leaving the mountain.”

"The Master of the Divine Mountain was very enthusiastic about martial arts and power. After mastering martial arts, he challenged masters everywhere. After defeating them, he generously gave away his martial arts knowledge, thus gaining immense fame."

"After defeating all the heroes of Jiangnan, he returned to Wutai Mountain, and in the process, he formed a connection with the Sihai Gang."

Su Xinghe emphasized the phrase "formed a bond," clearly indicating that in his view, it was probably similar to Jingfu Temple back then, with the Four Seas Gang also following the example of the Divine Mountain Master after being defeated.

After he finished speaking, he paused, giving Grandpa Zhang time to process the information in his words, and then continued, "In addition to the many martial arts he learned at Leigu Mountain, the Arhat Golden Body Technique, which he created himself, has an extremely high threshold."

"I heard that the martial arts manual is kept in the library of Qingliang Temple, where the monks can read it at will, but no one has mastered it in more than ten years."

"About ten years ago, there was a monk at Qingliang Temple who had already mastered the art. His secular name was Lu Da and his Dharma name was Zhi Shen. He entered the sect in three days, achieved minor mastery in a month, and within a few years, he had completely mastered the Arhat Golden Body Technique. After that, he did not abide by the rules at Qingliang Temple and caused a lot of jokes. Even the Venerable Shenshan himself could not subdue that monk Zhi Shen."

"Finally, the monk Zhishen broke out of the gate, traveled the world, and eventually became an outlaw. When he gathered at Liangshan, he ranked thirteenth, corresponding to the Lone Star in the heavens."

"Given this connection, the Four Seas Gang could naturally seek help from Liangshan Marsh through Qingliang Temple."

"I see." Zhang Chengyi took off his sun hat, turned his head to look at him, and asked curiously, "How good are the kung fu skills of the heroes from Liangshan Marsh?"

"Quite remarkable." Su Xinghe used a relatively cautious word.

“Back then, Uncle Zhang, you invited many martial arts masters to the mountain to jointly study martial arts. After they returned, the contents of the Martial Arts Classic spread, and the heroes of Liangshan benefited greatly. Even if I went up the mountain, I would probably only be able to barely be ranked among the Thirty-Six Stars of the Heavenly Gang.”

Zhang Chengyi was partly to blame. When he was slightly pleased with learning external martial arts, he bestowed upon his external martial arts master a profound internal martial arts skill. This resulted in the creation of many more masters, who were not like the unskilled martial arts practitioners in Suzhou's "Ten Thousand People Passing on Skills" program. They were extremely skilled in both external martial arts and combat.

To reiterate, unless you're like some cheater who endlessly spams the Six Meridians Divine Sword, internal strength is not equivalent to actual combat ability.

These masters scattered, causing the overall level of martial arts in the Central Plains to rise rapidly. The minimum skill level has risen so high that a martial arts master from thirty years ago would be beaten to death by a roadside bodyguard today.

Although the upper limit of most martial arts is not high, some people have come into contact with the Beiming Liangyi Gong to some extent, which has benefited many people. The overall level of martial arts is still much higher than the upper limit of thirty years ago.

Many of the masters in Liangshan Marsh were exceptionally talented individuals, having emerged from the intense competition in the Central Plains, making their martial arts skills truly exceptional.

It's at least three or four stories high.

Su Xinghe's martial arts skills are truly pathetic. Even now, he hasn't reached the level Zhang Chengyi was at over thirty years ago when his stats weren't locked. Because he hasn't used his skills for many years, his actual combat performance is even worse.

Look at Wu Yazi, he innovated and overcame his inner demons to a level that would make him a Buddha or patriarch in many martial arts worlds.

In a side-by-side comparison, Zhang Chengyi felt that if the Ming Cult hadn't been given extra reinforcements and Fang La was still at the level depicted in Jin Yong's novels, he would probably have been swept away.

The Ming Cult rebels should be considered the righteous side, right? Should we...?

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Old Su, speed things up."

"Yes." Su Xinghe responded, channeling his inner energy to row the small boat, which shot out like an arrow, splashing on the water and then leaping high into the air for more than ten meters.

This is a small boat that he specially built based on his experience back then, specifically to adapt to this kind of water travel.

-------------------------------------

Outside Suzhou city, on a hill.

"Wow, this doesn't feel like war at all."

Zhang Chengyi gazed at the distant siege battle and sighed rather boredly. Unlike the ancient siege battles on Earth, this siege battle in the enhanced version of the sequel to the Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils was entirely a contest between martial arts masters.

It's somewhat like an earlier duel between generals, except that instead of generals, martial arts masters are involved, with several experts capable of deciding the outcome of the battle fighting each other below the city.

Ordinary novices and ordinary soldiers would be useless against them. Even if a master of this level couldn't release his true energy as easily as Zhang Chengyi, he could still kill a dozen or so soldiers in the army without breaking a sweat thanks to his strong physique.

Several top fighters were selected from the army, each capable of defeating a thousand or ten thousand men. They were skilled in physical training and were all powerful enough to lift a cauldron.

If you're not a master of the same level, let alone a stalemate, you'll be beaten to a pulp and your flesh will fly everywhere if you get even a little close.

This Suzhou city was built later; the original one is long gone. The city walls are already very high, but for martial arts masters in this version, flying up is easier than eating or drinking.

However, if they sneak into the city without defeating their opponents, it will turn into street fighting. Traps, hidden weapons, and poisons are difficult to defend against. It is also impossible to kill all the enemy's experts after seizing the gate. Switching between offense and defense will still cause trouble.

It would be better to focus on expert cricket fighting, and if one feels outmatched, immediately retreat. Such childish warfare is actually quite popular in the modern era.

The Ming Cult's siege of Suzhou was clearly aimed at wiping out the Four Seas Gang in one decisive battle.

Su Xinghe suddenly pointed to the man who walked out in front of the tent and said, "Uncle Zhang, that is Fang La, the leader of the Ming Cult."

Chapter 122 The Notorious Troublemaker Enters the Scene

"Watch..."

"Not very good."

Having grown accustomed to the handsome men and beautiful women of the Xiaoyao Sect, Zhang Chengyi felt that this leader of the Ming Cult was rather mediocre.

His appearance and physique were rather average, but his temperament was quite striking. He was dressed very imposingly, wearing a dragon-patterned robe over heavy armor. Yet, he moved with a light and airy gait, crossing from the front of the camp into the battlefield in just two steps. His lightness skill was quite good. He subdued an enemy who was entangled with his subordinates with a wave of his hand, demonstrating his high level of internal strength and physique.

In summary, ordinary masters have absolutely nothing memorable about them.

Su Xinghe remained silent. The dignified leader of the Ming Cult was already a figure of great prestige simply because of his status. His martial arts skills were so strong that they drew Su Xinghe's attention, and his combat prowess was honed through countless battles. He would be praised as a hero anywhere, at least in Zhang Daye's words...

Well, what can you expect when the one giving the evaluation is Grandpa Zhang?

Fang La had no idea that someone was criticizing him. After easily subduing several enemies, he was about to climb the city wall when a monk's staff suddenly appeared. He lightly touched the edge of the city wall with his toes and was sent flying into the air.

"Where do you think you're going, you thief!"

With a roar, the fat monk holding the staff leaped off the city wall, his legs crossing in mid-air.

The entire process proceeded without the slightest leakage of energy, as if it were nothing short of effortless. This remarkable level of control over one's own power has been demonstrated in only one person—

Wu Yazi.

Moreover, during the operation, he also mobilized the surrounding spiritual energy, making it easier for him to fly and reducing his energy consumption.

[This guy has overcome his inner demons.] Zhang Chengyi recognized the source of this control ability at a glance.

[No, compared to Wu Yazi, he's still too weak. He doesn't seem like someone who has properly practiced the Beiming Yin-Yang Technique and overcome his inner demons.]

If it were Wu Yazi instead, there would be no need to use the Zen staff to attack. He could simply stir up the spiritual energy and strike with his palm, which would shatter the city wall and prevent Fang La from escaping.

"call!"

The fat monk launched a series of attacks while seemingly standing on thin air, brandishing his staff and stirring up a fierce wind around him. His moves were incredibly powerful, making him appear like a madman.

Fang La was even able to fight while standing in the air. He struggled quite a bit with his bare hands, but the spiritual energy he carried with his every move ensured that he could still attack his enemies.

The two exchanged blows, maintaining excellent control over their internal energy during the fight, causing minimal damage to the outside world, and were evenly matched for a short period.

[Another one, and this one is even weaker. When did the inner demon tribulation become so common?]

Zhang Chengyi suspected there was definitely something wrong. He could control his body and spiritual energy, but his strength was getting weaker and weaker. Could it be that someone had come up with a way to skip class by escaping the inner demon tribulation?

His eyesight was absolutely accurate. The two, who had seemed evenly matched just moments before, were clearly at a disadvantage after thirty rounds of fighting.

"Master, I'm here to help you!"

Another monk rushed out of the Ming Cult's tent, carrying a staff. He leaped into the air and with a powerful, heavy blow, forced the fat monk back.

The two bald monks quickly got into a fierce battle, and now it was truly difficult to determine a winner.

Then, several experts poured out of the city, and all the experts in the Ming Cult's main tent came out together. The two sides started a big melee outside the city, while Fang La was protected and retreated back to his tent.

Most of the fighting involved hand-to-hand combat with weapons, while a few were skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Not everyone could control their internal energy well. The ground was plowed with furrows, and the city walls were riddled with holes. Dust swirled like dragons, and visibility dropped sharply. Before long, the sky even seemed to turn yellow.

Honestly, with improved control but not much strength, the fights are quite entertaining, filled with various strategic maneuvers and close-quarters combat.

"Not bad, not bad, a groin kick! Hit his balls! Gouge his eyes! Ouch, gouge his eyes! Three against one and still got killed, do you even know how to fight?"

Zhang Chengyi watched with great interest, occasionally offering a few words of comment. With his close-combat skills, which were only slightly better than those of ordinary martial artists, it was as if that lousy chess player was standing by watching someone play chess and insisting on giving pointers.