novel bin Chapter 129 The Grand Competition Begins
Chapter 129 The Grand Competition Begins
The melodious sound of bells broke the silence of Jinding Mountain, and the morning bells, accompanied by the rosy dawn, awakened the sleeping Daruo Temple.
The solemn Buddha statue was surrounded by wisps of sandalwood incense and soft chanting.
A gentle breeze, a secluded ancient temple, swaying branches, and hopping birds all blend into this picturesque scene.
Yanwu Field
Inside the incense burner, the incense sticks, barely an inch thick, burned slowly. Banners and flags fluttered in the wind, and the high platform used for the competition shone brightly, as if the morning sun were shining down through the clouds.
Disciples of the Guang generation, dressed in indigo robes, and disciples of the Zhi generation, dressed in dark blue robes, were divided into two groups and orderly squeezed into the stands.
In the very center of the stands were six armchairs. On the far left was Abbot Huidu of Da Ruo Temple. To the right were Abbot Huiming of the Retreat Room, Abbot Huiwu of the Martial Monks' Academy, Abbot Huiyin of the Discipline Hall, Abbot Huiyuan of the Kitchen, and Abbot Huijing of the Dharma Hall.
Unlike before, two additional chairs were set up behind the six chairs.
All the monks in the room focused their attention on the two figures on the chairs.
Fang Hongxuan and Daoyuan were sitting upright in the middle.
"A clumsy attempt to kill with praise..."
As the heavy tolling of the bell echoed through the training ground, the bustling monks fell silent.
"All matters have already been announced to all academies through notices. Unlike in the past, this year's Five Branches Competition will have five more participants. Two of them are our senior brother Huikong's lay disciples, Fang Hongxuan and Zhineng. The other three are my own disciples, Zhifeng, Zhining, and Guangyan."
Hui Du called out loudly.
In an instant, all the monks below were shocked and then began to murmur amongst themselves.
"Senior Brother Zhifeng is truly the number one among the Zhi generation in our Great Ruo Temple! He has already cultivated three types of Devouring Seals in his 'Six Phases of Boundless Destruction Seal': the Spotted Tiger, the Giant Python, and the Yaksha. It is said that he has even made more than halfway through the cultivation of the 'Boundless Chaotic Devouring Seal.' And yet, he is only thirty-five years old... If he were to participate, how could we possibly hope to win the competition?!"
"Senior Brother Zhi Ning is not bad either. Although he joined the sect three years later than Senior Brother Zhi Yan, apart from Senior Brother Zhi Yan's unrevealed 'Boundless Wave Devouring Body Seal,' he has also mastered three types of Devouring Body Seals: the Ferocious Lion, the Fierce Elephant, and the Blue Tiger. In my opinion, his only disadvantage is his age. Otherwise, it's hard to say who would be the number one Zhi generation disciple at Da Ruo Temple..."
"No, no! Although Guangyan rarely appears in the various academies, there are rumors that he has already mastered the 'Six Phases of Boundless Devouring Body Seal' to perfection, and even the 'Prison Crossing Doro Locking Seal Curse' seems to have been mastered by him... He is only twenty-seven years old this year. If we really count it, he is the true number one among the disciples of the Great Ruo Temple."
Amidst the bustling crowd, everyone was discussing Hui Du's three disciples. However, the more they talked, the more timid they became. The monks, who had originally intended to fight for their abbot, suddenly lost their enthusiasm and became timid.
There was no other way; once they stepped onto the stage, they would surely perish. If it were other unfamiliar monks, they could at least try to compete and fight each other using their own methods. However, these three were like towering mountains, keeping everyone outside completely blocked.
"My mind is made up. If I encounter those three, I will surrender immediately. Even if it means cutting off my arms, it's still much better than dying on the spot."
"Are you out of your mind?! This is tantamount to drinking poison to quench your thirst. How can you survive in the Great Temple with your body crippled and destroyed? If it were me, I would gamble everything!"
"Exactly! Even in death, one should die a glorious death. If your abbot finds out, he'll probably rip out your heart and lungs before you even get a chance to go on stage, turning you into expendable material for your fellow disciples to cultivate with."
In an instant, fearful, worried, horrified, and bustling faces mingled together, making the already chaotic crowd even more hysterical.
An unspeakable fear quietly spread throughout the martial arts arena.
Suddenly
Guang Nian, who had sharp eyes in the crowd, spotted Fang Hongxuan and Dao Yuan on the stands.
He glared at the two of them through gritted teeth, his eyes overflowing with hatred and resentment.
"It's those two! Not only did they steal my supplies, but they also hid the Yaksha! When they take the stage, I'll definitely go up and take their heads!"
"Shh... They must be quite skilled to be able to sit behind the six abbots. Besides, they're said to be disciples of Master Huikong. Are you out of your mind to act so recklessly?!"
Guangzhan hurriedly tried to get up and cover Guangnian, but Guangnian just sneered.
"What skills do they possess? If they were truly comparable to Zhifeng, Zhining, and Guangyan, how could they have committed such a heinous act, not only stealing my Yaksha but also infiltrating Huaicheng to ensure its safety?! In my opinion, those two are nothing but incompetent charlatans seeking fame and fortune!"
Who is Guang Nian?
That was a renowned promising talent within the martial arts academy. If it weren't for his conversion to the Great Monk Temple last year, which required further evaluation, Hui Du would have already taken him under his wing. Although Hui Du didn't formally accept a disciple, he did bestow upon him the method for refining the "Boundless Yaksha Devouring Body Seal" using consumable materials.
Otherwise, the disciples of the Guang generation would not have been able to come into contact with the cultivation method of the "Six Phases of Unbounded Devouring Body Seal".
Once Guang Nian achieves a good ranking in the Five Houses Grand Competition, Hui Du will announce on the spot that he has been accepted as a disciple and bestow upon him the complete cultivation sequence of the 'Boundless Yaksha Devouring Body Seal'!
What such a person said naturally made some sense. In an instant, all the monks, whose minds had been dormant, came alive again as if withered trees had been revived in spring.
"That's right, if we can't beat those three rising stars, surely we can beat such a cowardly rat?"
Not only were the disciples of the Zhi generation tempted, but even the top few of the Guang generation were eager to try.
Although the monks below the stage were whispering, among the abbots on the stage, apart from Huijing, who had no cultivation, who could not hear clearly?
"Let's see what you two are made of. With Zhifeng, Zhining, and Guangyan backing you up, no matter how capable you are, you won't be able to cause any trouble..."
The group exchanged smiles, their eyes filled with satisfaction and anticipation.
As for Daoyuan and Fang Hongxuan behind them, they sat cross-legged on their chairs, looking like meditating old monks, with their eyes closed and their noses closed, completely still.
Hui Du slowly got up and headed towards where the two were.
"My two junior disciples, since you are fighting for Senior Brother Huikong, you must be fearless against the disciples of other branches. Why not take the lead first, so that these arrogant and ignorant monks can see that there are always people more capable than you, and that there is always something beyond your understanding... What do you say?"
"Since Uncle-Master Huidu has said so, then this humble monk will first ascend the Martial Arts Platform to dampen the arrogance of these disciples..."
Dao Yuan chuckled, then put his hands together in a gesture of respect before rising to his feet.
Unexpectedly, Fang Hongxuan, who had been resting and recuperating for a long time, suddenly opened his eyes. The sharp glint in his eyes made Hui Du subconsciously narrow his eyes, and a murderous aura quietly spread from the depths of his eyes.
"This is such a small matter, I will take care of it..."