Volume 2 Tian Nan ? Xuan Qing Volume Chapter 25: Offering Sacrifices, Sincerity Fills the Southern Sky

  Changkong joined his palms together and smiled, "The superior one's words are too serious. The great trend of the world has its own master in the dark, how can human power change it? What I did was just following the way of heaven! As for the killings in the world, can they be changed by my poor monk's power alone?"

  Cheng Man stepped forward, interrupting: "Master Changkong's words are indeed enlightening, and have opened my eyes! Moreover, Master 'One Slap Two Dispersals' is renowned throughout the land for vanquishing demons and protecting the righteous way. What nonsense is this talk of slaughter?"

  He thought that by flattering Changkong, he would be able to get a smile of praise from him. But unexpectedly, Changkong coldly laughed and didn't think much of it. Wudang, Kunlun, and Kongtong are the orthodox schools of Taoism, while Shaolin and Emei are the orthodox schools of Buddhism. How could they hear the phrase "Exterminate Demons and Protect the Tao" without changing it to "Exterminate Demons and Protect the Buddha"?

  Liú yún dào rén, jiàn céng wǎng děng què dōu gèng shì bù xì chéng mán zhè bān mú yàng, zhǐ shì xié shǒu, shàng qián miàn, qù zuò wèi zhī shàng.

  But the monk seemed to have not heard what Cheng Man had said, and only gently shook his head, saying: "And Master Changkong, please listen to my words. In this world, everything that begins will eventually end, and in the end it's all just a fleeting moment. You've already reached the realm of 'one slap two dispersals' with your 'one slap two dispersals palm', why must you continue to pursue it so painfully? Do you know that great wisdom is formless, but great calamity lies ahead?"

  He finished speaking and his eyes did not open again, as if among hundreds of people, he had already entered a state of meditation.

  The superior man and the abbot of Shaolin Temple have been discussing and verifying Buddhist teachings for decades, so they are quite familiar with each other. Therefore, he was not surprised to hear Master Changkong mention that the abbot often mentions himself, nor did he think it strange to speak directly to Master Changkong like this.

  Everyone listened, how to understand the meaning, thinking that Chongsheng Temple is dedicated to Buddhism, it seems to be a Buddhist holy temple in Dali. However, for people from the Jianghu, this monk's reputation and martial arts skills are mostly unheard of, and most are not top-notch! But why is he so arrogant towards the famous Changkong Master? It's really strange, but that Changkong Master's respectful attitude is absolutely genuine.

  Master Changkong himself was like a sudden awakening, his "One Pat Two Dispersal Palm" being one of the 72 ultimate skills of Shaolin, which he had practiced for thirty years and was the best in his school. For the past decade, it could be said that he was unbeatable under heaven, but he increasingly felt the emergence of demonic thoughts in his heart. He sought guidance from his senior brother, the abbot, who often advised him to propagate Buddhist teachings to resolve the evil energy generated by martial arts practice.

  However, he himself was infatuated with one of the seventy-two ultimate skills, "Great Wisdom Unfixed Finger", and had been searching for it painstakingly, practicing in closed doors, to the very end. Outsiders were completely unaware, but today this person could see through it at a glance.

  He thought to himself: "It seems that Shifu's words are completely correct, the Tian Nan Wulin is indeed a place where dragons and tigers hide, not inferior to the Central Plains. From now on, I must also study Buddhism carefully when I have time."

  On the side, in the Sword Testing Hall, Chu Jiu, Lian Tian and Lin Meng'er etc. only half understood what was said by the person at the back. Lin Meng'er stuck out her tongue and said: "Chu Jiu, junior brother, the person at the back spoke too profoundly!"

  Chiou nodded slightly and said: "We naturally can't fully understand, but Master, Great Master must be completely understood!"

  The siblings didn't speak a word, only faintly smiling at each other. On the other side, Shen Que and Lu Shao Xiang remained calm and meditated, among this generation of disciples, their willpower was the strongest.

  In the Cloud Smoke Hall, Master Changkong lowered his head to concentrate, slightly clasped his palms together, and bowed again "Amitabha Buddha!" After finishing, he retreated and sat down next to Daoist Flowing Cloud, with the two of them sitting in the first and second seats respectively.

  He Shaolin, Wudang's reputation is so loud, this time, however, even the most arrogant ones don't dare to have an opinion.

  They waited quietly until the commotion died down, then everyone went up to pay their respects. The master of "Bai Dao Men" (Hundred Knives Gate), Wang Daozhuan, and the leader of "Bai Wei Biao Ju" (Hundred Mighty Arrows Bureau), Zhou Weimeng, also known as "Iron Gallbladder Golden Gun", along with other famous figures from all over the land, came forward to pay their respects to Zhang Kong and Liu Yun. Everyone had a strong desire to make friends with them.

  On the ninth day of the lunar month, Er Tong heard Wang Dao say: "I have always been living in seclusion in the south, and today I can meet two distinguished guests with friends from all over the world. It is truly an honor!"

  Changkong Dashi remained silent, while Liuyun Daoren said: "Wang Zhangmen's words are too serious, we're all from the same martial arts lineage, no need to be so polite!"

  At this moment, the Cloud Smoke Grand Hall was bustling with people coming and going, talking and laughing, but only three people from the Congtong Sect saw that everyone in the Tiannan crowd was surrounding Lin Ruochi and Liu Yun, Changkong Dashi, Jianceng Wang, and they were quite angry, but also helpless. However, He Zhuobao, the "Three-Handed Fire Sword" of the Qingcheng Sect, was calm and chatting with Jianceng Wang.

  Liu Chenfei looked up at the sky, which was cloudless and had a bright red sun almost directly overhead. He took a big stride forward and said in a loud voice: "Thank you to all the fellow martial artists, seniors, and friends who have come to our humble mountain to witness the memorial ceremony of the Qingyun Sect and the sword-conferring ceremony for the seventh generation disciple!"

  Everyone saw him speak, they all turned their heads to look at him. Liu Chenfei continued: "Also, there are Emei and Huashan friends who couldn't come up the mountain due to something, but they also sent congratulatory letters. On behalf of the entire sect, I express my deepest gratitude!" After finishing speaking, he bowed deeply in all directions.

  For over a decade, he has been in charge of the Xuán Qīng Guān, training his disciples, making a name for himself outside, and cultivating his inner self. His body and mind are all focused on Diǎn Cāng. That's why today, with great joy in his heart, there are already over a hundred people in the grand hall, all chattering and noisy, yet everyone is listening to what he has to say, clearly and distinctly, which is due to his strong inner power.

  Liu Chenfei finished speaking, and the crowd stopped discussing it. Everyone chimed in, "Liu Daxia, you're too polite!" "Don't mention it, don't mention it!" they said, declining excessively.

  On the ninth day, in the Sword Testing Hall, he let out a breath and said, "The grand ceremony of offering sacrifices is finally about to begin!"

  Lin Meng'er nodded and said, "En, year after year, the time has come!"

  On the ninth day of the first month, I was also slightly excited in my heart. My fellow disciples and I were about to go out into the grand hall!

  Outside the main hall, the crowd was in an uproar for a moment before completely quieting down. Then, they continued to listen to Liu Chenfei say: "Now that the auspicious time has arrived, I invite the ancestral spirits of the Jianpai lineage to take their seats!"

  Everyone only heard the sound of "hiss" coming from the north side of the main hall, and they all turned their heads to look. The red cloth on the north side of the main hall was slowly pulled open, revealing six rows of spirit tablets.

  The crowd began to discuss again, looking forward and seeing that the one at the very top was the spirit tablet of Yue Zu Shi, the founder of the Dongjiangpai sect. Below it were the second, third, fourth, and fifth generation masters and ancestors, with some having three or five tablets, all of whom were heroes and chivalrous scholars from a hundred years ago or several decades ago who had made a name for themselves throughout the land.

  Dian Cang San Zi saw the spirit tablet of the fifth generation leader, Tian Peng: "Spirit Tablet of Tian Peng, the Fifth Generation Leader of Dian Cang Sect" and couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, tears falling like rain. Jian Xiang hurriedly stepped forward to console him, saying: "Bai Yun brother, Lin Zhang Men, please restrain your grief, there's no need to be so overcome!"

  And the bottom row of spirit tablets, the middle position of the gatekeeper's spirit tablet was left vacant, with four spirit tablets on either side, which were exactly the most outstanding great disciples of Diancang who died in the battle between the Devil Sect and the orthodox martial arts eighteen years ago.

  However, the strangest thing is that among these four spirit tablets, three of them are inscribed with the names "Second Master Brother Ba Li Wu Xing", "Third Master Brother Zhang Wan Bo", and "Sixth Master Brother Zhong Zai Jie". But the one on the edge doesn't have a single word? What's the reason for this?

  At this moment, the masters of various factions on the grand hall had all participated in the eighteen-year-old Wushan War. Seeing the familiar names on the bottom row of spirit tablets, for a moment, the scene of that fierce battle appeared before their eyes, and they remembered the righteous faction comrades who were by their side back then, but now separated by life and death, and couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

  Liu Chenfei yielded the hosting duties to this point, then stepped back and bowed to Lin Ruoqi, saying loudly: "I invite the sixth generation leader of the Diancang Sect, Master Lin, to host the memorial ceremony!"

  Lin Ruo Chi is the current leader of the Diancang Sect, so it's only natural that he would be in charge of such a large-scale memorial service.

  Lin Ruo Chi nodded slightly, suddenly took two steps forward, and slowly bowed to the surroundings. Without saying a word, she straightened her body and rose into the air, shooting up three zhang high. At the top of the great hall was suspended a large bronze bell - the Dian Cang Xuan Yang Bell.

  This ancient bronze bell was cast by the great master craftsman Ling, who was invited by our ancestors. It is made of pure iron and weighs over a thousand catties. Its loud and clear sound serves as a signal to gather all members of our sect. In the past, when our sect was ambushed by enemies, this bell played a crucial role in rallying all members to join forces against the enemy, thus helping us overcome the crisis. That's why this ancient bronze bell has been preserved until today.

  "Dong...... dong...... dong......" Lin Ruochi's toes tapped on the bell in a series of rapid double beats, with one pause, and her palms also borrowed momentum to strike out in a series of rapid double slaps, hitting the bell exactly seven times, meaning to summon all seventh-generation disciples.

  Of course, there are nearly a hundred disciples of Diancang now, and they all gather at the Yunyan Temple. It is absolutely impossible to do so, but the entire 19 peaks of Diancang can hear the sound of the Diancang Xuan Yang Bell. Once you hear the bell, all Diancang disciples who are not in the Xuanclear Hall must face and worship in the direction of Malong Peak Xuanclear Hall.

  Everyone only saw that his body method was like a soaring dragon, and his palm strength was also very powerful. The bell sound echoed far away, and the crowd below was already full of praise. Suddenly, Cheng Man couldn't help but think: "Brother Lin's swordsmanship is indeed divine, and his Taoist skills are profound. I didn't expect his lightness skill to be so superb, and his internal strength is also so deep. It seems that Brother's concerns are also quite reasonable."

  In the Jianjian Hall, Lin Ming'er hurriedly asked: "Second Master Brother, Xiao Shi Xiong, where did this bell sound come from?" They were all young and had grown up on Mount Diancang since childhood, but they had never heard such a bell sound before!

  Lian Wanrou had never heard such a bell sound on Diancang Mountain before, and she asked: "Yes, I often come to the mountain, but I have never heard it before! This bell sound is like ringing in my ears, urging people to strive!"

  On the ninth day, he was also puzzled. He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, then burst out laughing and said: "I guess it must be someone hitting that old bell on top of the main hall!"

  However, he thought to himself: "This bell is at least three zhang off the ground, yet this person can float in mid-air and strike it seven times, with each of the seven sounds being loud and clear, not a single one muffled. This person's lightness skill, internal energy, and fistwork are truly unimaginable; I'm afraid he must be one of the three masters."

  He thought so, and then heard Yun Yuan say: "The one striking the bell in front must be either our Master's brother or our Master himself!"

  Shen Que and Lu Shao were also surprised in their hearts, but they didn't speak. Lian Tian was meticulous and exclaimed: "It must be the master! In previous years' memorial ceremonies, this bell has never been rung. This year should be exactly when our seventh generation disciples are awarded swords, so Master rang this bell!"

  Yun had been busy arranging the grand hall, making it sound easy on the surface but actually putting in a lot of effort. For the past few days, he had been tidying up every nook and cranny of the hall, including the courtyards, tables, and chairs, until everything was spotless. He recalled that two days ago, his junior fellow disciple had asked, "Elder Brother Yun, the big bell on top of the grand hall is so high off the ground, it's also covered in dust, should we clean it?"

  Yun Yuanwei thought for a moment and said, "Well, this bell is an object in the main hall of our sect, so it's only natural that we clean it up!"

  He then saw that the bell was too high off the ground, and fearing that his fellow disciples might slip up, he personally moved a ladder to wipe down the bell. As he wiped it down, he discovered that the outside of the bell was covered in small characters written in a bold script. He was the only disciple on Mount Diancang who had received Lin Ruopu's true transmission of calligraphy, so naturally he recognized what was written.

  "Little brother, sister, the inscription on the surface of this bell reads: 'Dian Cang Xuan Yang Bell', its origin is ancient, it was cast by our sect's founder, Master Moon!"

  At the beginning of the ninth watch, unexpectedly, Lin Meng'er and Lian Wanrou exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, sticking out their tongues. Who would have thought that this bell had such an extraordinary origin!

  Now, the ten great disciples of Trial Sword Pavilion and Lin Meng'er, Wan Rou, Chu Jiu heard the bell ringing, hastily lined up in two rows, Shen Que, Lu Shao Hang at the head of each row, Lian Tian, Yun Yuan followed closely behind, Chu Jiu and Lin Meng'er were at the end, proceeding to the great hall one after another.

  Lian Wanrou, however, was not a disciple of Dian Cang. As soon as she came out of the side hall, she smiled and said to Lian Tian, "On the ninth day, Lian Wanrou shook her head and returned to her parents' side in the main hall." Luo Zhihan asked anxiously, "Are Lian Shixiong and the others ready?"

  Lian Wanrou's face turned red, but she didn't say a word. In Luo Zhihan's eyes, however, her heart was fluttering with shyness!

  The other disciples, in two rows, from the spirit tablet to the outer courtyard of the Grand Hall, knelt down one after another behind the three sons of Di Qing and the ten great disciples, with a total of more than sixty people inside.

  Lin Ruochi turned around and knelt down, with both hands clasped together in a salute. Gu Baiyun and Liu Chenfei did the same.

  The crowd fell completely silent, and then they heard Lin Ruochi say in a loud voice: "The ancestors of the Diancang Sect are above, the unworthy sixth generation master Lin Ruochi leads the seventh generation disciples to pay their respects!"

  He finished speaking and then performed three bows and nine knocks, followed by Gu Baiyun and Liu Chenfei.

  For a moment, the three finished their kowtows and stood up. Behind them, Shen Que, Lu Shaohang, Yun Yuan, Lian Tian, Chu Jiu and other disciples of Dongfang Bubai performed the triple bows and nine knocks in unison.

  Finally, after the kneeling and worship were finished, Dian Cang Sanzi led the way in offering incense, followed by the ten great disciples and then all the other disciples, who went up one after another to offer incense. The whole process was solemn and dignified, with not a sound from the crowd of people from Dian Cang. Even Chu Jiu and Lin Man Er were solemn and no longer mischievous.

  Among the crowd, it was also known that this was a major event in the life of the Master of the Qing Dynasty, and there was no longer any discussion. The entire hall was quiet, with only a wisp of incense smoke lingering, the fragrance of sandalwood wafting through the air.

  The superior being and the great master of the vast sky both put their palms together in front of their chest, murmuring to themselves, silently reciting the Buddha's name "Amitabha!"

  At this time, the Xuan Qing Temple outside, at the intersection of each peak of the nineteen peaks of Cangyan Mountain, such as Zheng Lin and others under Xiayang Peak, also knelt down and bowed three times, with a sincere heart.

  After a brief ceremony, all the disciples bowed to Lin Ruoji and Dian Cang Sanzi again, and Lin Ruoji nodded and said, "You can go down first!"

  Then all the little disciples withdrew one after another in order.

  Lin Ruo Chi and the others returned to the middle of the main hall, while Shen Que, Lu Shao Hang and the other ten great disciples, as well as Chu Jiu, were now kneeling in the middle of the main hall before their three masters.

  Chu Jiu was not among the top ten disciples, but early this morning, Liu Chenfei had already told him: "Chu Jiu, after the memorial ceremony, you will come to the main hall with your ten senior brothers. The master and the eldest senior brother have instructions!"

  Although he could guess a little, he still bowed his head and asked: "Fifth Master, do you know what this is about?"

  Liu Chenfei smiled and said: "Won't we know when the time comes? It shouldn't be a bad thing, right?"

  Lin Meng'er, having already obtained the sword a few days ago, didn't need to kneel this time and also didn't need to retreat. Along with Lian Wanrou and Luo Zhihan, she stood behind Lian Dayong and Ye Lanmeng, still excitedly gazing at the crowd of senior brothers, momentarily forgetting to speak.

  Ninth disciple Li Feng and tenth disciple Chai Song stood behind Liu Chenfei, each holding a long sword in both hands, saying: "Master Uncle, please!"

  One by one, they presented to Liu Chenfei, and the eleventh disciple Wu Jinfai also finished preparing the gifts for the guests who came to congratulate them. He led a group of younger disciples to stand respectfully outside the hall, waiting for orders from their three masters.

  Liu Chenfei solemnly handed the sword over to Lin Ruochi one by one.

  Everyone was quiet and holding their breath, looking at Lin Ruopu and Dian Cang's ten great disciples in the middle of the grand hall!

  Because they all know now, the solemn ceremony of mourning for the death of Master Pai Yu-ching has come to an end after several hundred years.

  And then, today is the day when the entire martial arts world will gather at Mount Tiandu to witness the grand ceremony of the 7th generation disciple of the Diancang Sect, which will affect the Jianghu for a whole era - the new generation of the top 10 disciples of the Diancang Sect's swordsmanship, has begun!