Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 545 You dare touch my food?

"Where? Where?"

Inside the library, the yellow-robed lama searched around, muttering to himself.

Where exactly is the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) hidden?

Perhaps out of anger or impatience, the lama threw the Buddhist scriptures from the bookshelf all over the floor.

But after he left, the scriptures on the ground silently returned to their original positions, as if time had reversed, without the slightest error.

The great lama seemed completely oblivious to this terrifying spectacle, as if he were blinded by greed.

Ding'an, perched on the roof beam, glanced at the sound but then paid it no further attention. As he grew hungry, he suddenly heard footsteps thumping down. Overjoyed, he craned his neck to look down.

Then Xu Zhu came upstairs with a silly grin, carrying a food box, and shouted loudly, "Hahaha, the rice porridge is here!"

As soon as they arrived on the second floor, they came face to face with the yellow-robed lama.

"Eh~?"

Xu Zhu was surprised. After regaining his composure, he could see clearly that there was indeed a tall lama standing between the bookshelves. He was tall and strong, with a sallow complexion, black eyebrows and beard, and sharp features, exuding an air of arrogance.

He was holding a volume of the "Miscellaneous Agamas" and reading it. Xu Zhu looked at the lama's dignified demeanor and didn't know what to say for a moment.

The lama put down the manual, glanced at him, and suddenly laughed, "Little master, you're out of luck." As he spoke, he flicked his sleeves, releasing a burst of energy.

Xu Zhu felt a tightness in his chest and leaped backward, food box in hand. He crashed into a pillar twice with a thud and screamed in pain.

"Ok?"

The lama suddenly turned around, his eyes gleaming, and said, "Impressive internal strength! You were completely unharmed by my 'Subduing Demon Robe Technique'!" He looked the ugly monk up and down, "What kind of skill are you using?"

Xu Zhu, disheveled and embarrassed, scrambled to his feet and angrily demanded, "Who are you? Why are you hitting me?" As he spoke, he ran over and placed the food box some distance away, then ran back. "The Subduing Demons Kasaya Skill is a Shaolin martial art. How did you learn it?"

The lama looked at him and laughed, "I am Kumārajīva, come and see the masters of Shaolin!" Before he finished speaking, his sleeves billowed again.

"You're coming again?!" Xu Zhu was startled and quickly parried with both fists, using the "Arhat Fist".

"Young master, are you humiliating me?"

Kumārajīva smiled, secretly hiding his right hand inside his sleeve. He flicked his middle and index fingers, and the force burst out of the sleeve like a gentle breeze, striking the little monk's throat.

Xu Zhu immediately felt as if he had been electrocuted, and cried out "Oh my god!" while covering his head with his hands.

The wind struck him squarely under the elbow, and the ugly monk spun around like a top, landing with a thud on the ground.

Kumārajīva was stunned for a moment, then frowned and thought to himself, "What's going on? This little monk clearly has some impressive internal energy, so why is his skill so crude?" Looking at the dumbfounded monk, he suddenly realized, "He's just a fool who practices brute force!"

He was born wise and had many extraordinary encounters since his youth. With his keen eyesight, he could see through Xu Zhu's true nature at a glance.

Xu Zhu rubbed his elbows, groaned twice, got up, and shouted, "Great monk, you've gone too far!"

Kumārajīva smiled and said, "Little Master, your internal strength is not bad, but your skills are lacking." He shook his head and said, "Too bad."

Xu Zhu was not good with words, and only said, "I have only learned the physical fitness boxing method, of course I can't beat you."

Kumārajīva shouted, "Very well, then I'll test your fitness boxing technique!" With a flick of his sleeve, he unleashed a sweeping motion with his cloth staff.

Upon seeing this, Xu Zhu instinctively bent down and stood upright, delivering a straight punch that struck the "cloth stick".

laugh!
A flash of fire appeared on the sleeve of the robe, and a piece of cloth flew out.

Kumārajīva felt a sudden heat on one side of his body and took a step back. Looking down, he saw a fist-sized tear in his robe sleeve, the edges of which were charred black, as if burned.

He was bewildered and exclaimed, "Little Master, your internal energy is not from the Shaolin style!" As he spoke, he raised his palms as if to pay his respects, but did not bring them together.

call!
A gust of wind shot out from between his palms, heading towards Xu Zhu; it was the "Valley Heavenly Wind" of the Prajna Palm.

Seeing the ferocity of his palm strike, Xu Zhu immediately stepped forward, drew an arc with his left hand, and slashed at Kumārajīva's arm, while holding his right fist across his chest in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Kumārajīva saw that he had an innocent smile on his face, and his moves were simple, like a child playing. Every move he made was a clever move that combined defense and offense.

Even though he had only taken half a step, a great force had already flowed from his feet to his arms.

boom!
Kumārajīva felt that his palms were as heavy as lead, and it was hard to tell whether they were soft or hard.

The next moment, a burst of internal energy, like thunder and lightning, struck, and both palms were thrown back, leaving the center wide open.

Kumārajīva, skilled and composed, remained calm despite his surprise. He moved with his palm, his legs striking in rapid succession, delivering over ten kicks that landed heavily on Xuzhu's chest and abdomen with a series of "bangs."

It is the "Shadow Following Leg," one of the 72 Shaolin Arts.

Xu Zhu trembled like a leaf and was immediately kicked to the ground.

Kumārajīva landed with a somersault, and seeing that he had knocked him over, he laughed loudly: "Little master, it seems that I have won!"

Xu Zhu was dizzy and disoriented from the fall, his blood rushing to his head. Hearing Kumārajīva's words, he felt both ashamed and anxious, and his blood continued to gush out.

Kumārajīva chuckled and said, "Little Master, please tell me about the internal energy you cultivate." He raised his sleeve, looked at the charred fist mark, and praised it highly, "Where this true energy flows, it is like being burned by raging fire or pierced by ten thousand needles, domineering and unparalleled. Yet it is also the strongest, most resilient, and most tenacious internal energy in the world."

"Cough cough."

Xu Zhu took a few breaths, his eyes gradually rolling back, and said, "I...I don't know."

"Don't know?" Kumārajīva leaped in front of him, grabbed his ear, and shouted, "You practiced your own martial arts, and you say you don't know them?"

Xu Zhu cried out in pain, struggling desperately, and shouted, "My ears are going to be shattered!"

Kumārajīva stepped back and coldly asked, "Who taught you this internal energy?" But in his heart, he was filled with doubt and suspicion. "This stupid monk hit me more than a dozen times and I was almost dead just now. How did he recover in just a few breaths?"

Xu Zhu took a few more breaths, his face turning rosy, and exclaimed, "This humble monk truly does not know!"

As he spoke, he looked ahead, a look of surprise and doubt gradually appearing in his eyes.

Kumārajīva was startled and suddenly slashed backward with one arm.

laugh!
A flash of crimson light appeared in the void, followed by a burst of flames that slashed straight behind him. It was none other than his renowned "Flame Blade," famous throughout the heavens and myriad realms!
Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind: "Excellent swordsmanship!"

Then a loud "bang" was heard, shaking the entire library and making the books rattle and rustle.

Kumārajīva quickly leaped forward, creating several meters of distance, and turned to look. He saw a majestic and imposing black-clad monk standing in the same spot. He used to have thick eyebrows and large eyes, and a handsome appearance, but now his eyebrows were droopy and his expression was weary.

Even standing seemed a bit strenuous, so she leaned slightly against the bookshelf next to her.

"Master Ding'an!" Xu Zhu exclaimed happily.

Ding An waved his hand and sighed, "Xu Zhu, I'm starving!" He was better off not speaking, because once he started talking, he seemed rather simple-minded.

But when his half-closed eyes swept over them, both Xuzhu and Kumārajīva felt a sudden tightness in their hearts for no apparent reason.

"Who are you?"

Kumārajīva stared intently at Ding'an's prosthetic hand and asked in a deep voice.

Ding An then pulled Xu Zhu up, muttering, "Is there anything to eat? I'm almost out of energy."

Xu Zhu nodded repeatedly: "I brought it, I brought it!" He hurriedly ran towards the food box.

Ok?
Kumārajīva's eyes lit up, thinking, "This black-robed monk hasn't eaten enough?" His face hardened, "I can't let him eat his fill!" He immediately unleashed another palm strike.

Boo!
Xu Zhu was hit in the right arm and cried out in pain, "Ouch!" He loosened his grip and the food box flew up.

Kumārajīva channeled his true power into the edge of his palm, and this strike was no less powerful than a divine weapon, capable of severing limbs. However, Xu Zhu, struck in the right arm, only felt excruciating pain.

In his astonishment, his mind raced, and he thought to himself, "This little monk's kung fu is too powerful, and that black-robed monk must be even more powerful. I can't let them join forces!" He suddenly raised his hand and slashed at the food box.

With a crack, the food box shattered, and the rice porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables inside scattered and spilled out.

"Oh dear!" Xu Zhu exclaimed with distress, "Why are you wasting food!"

Ding'an was also stunned: "My food!"

Kumārajīva laughed heartily: "If you want a full meal, go find Buddha to eat!"

Xu Zhu's expression suddenly turned horrified: "Great Lama, you'd better run! Master Ding'an isn't getting enough to eat, he's about to lose his temper!"

"Losing his temper?" Kumārajīva turned to look at Xuzhu, bursting into laughter. "He can't even get enough to eat, what's there to lose his temper about?"

Xu Zhu cried out anxiously, "I'm not lying to you! Before, Master Ding'an beat up all the heads of the various academies because he wasn't full. He even knocked Abbot Xuanci to the ground!"

"What?!" Kumārajīva's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"You were too fast!" Xu Zhu muttered, startled. "I didn't even have a chance to say anything."

"you"

"Bald monk, how dare you not let me eat?" A loud shout suddenly rang out, like a muffled thunderclap, "Even the Great Sun Tathagata dared not do that back then!"

A figure flashed, raised a prosthetic arm made of steel, and struck at the face.

Before Kumārajīva could react, everything went black, his mind went blank, as if he had fallen into an abyss. He felt dizzy and disoriented, as if in a dream, and could not make out any objects in front of him.

Just then, a hand struck his chest, and a fiery energy surged in, spreading throughout his body like a volcano erupting.

Amidst Xu Zhu's exclamation, Kumārajīva, like a bird leaving its nest, leaped into the sky with a bang.

With a crack, a large hole appeared in the roof, and bricks and tiles flew everywhere.

Kumārajīva was like a kite with a broken string, thrown more than ten feet away, and crashed to the ground with a thud. He struggled to get up and kept spitting out blood, which splattered the snow with crimson.

"Oh no, I'm going to die!" Kumārajīva felt as if his whole body was a tattered sack, leaking air everywhere. He struggled to get up and limped away from the temple.

Inside the Sutra Repository, Ding An, having finished delivering two blows, sighed, looking like a deflated balloon, his face drooping with dejection.

"So hungry~" He tucked his hands into his sleeves, plopped down on the ground, and yawned. "I really want to sleep~"

"Master Ding'an, I'll go get you some more food!" Xu Zhu got up.

Ding An glanced at him casually and said lazily, "It's past lunchtime, is there anything else?"

"The chefs at Xiangji Kitchen know you have a big appetite, so they always reserve some for you."

"Really?" Ding An's eyes lit up for a moment, then he waved his hand, "Go and come back quickly!"

"okay!"

Xu Zhu smiled and replied, then ran downstairs with a "thump thump thump".

After the young monk left, Ding'an suddenly lay down on the ground with his limbs outstretched, staring at the large hole in the roof, and lazily said, "Master, it's time to wash the floor."

In a corner that had been deserted, an old monk in gray robes appeared out of nowhere, saying helplessly, "You lazy lad." His voice was deep and ancient.

Ding An chuckled sheepishly, "I'm so tired, otherwise I wouldn't be holed up in the Sutra Repository!"

The sweeping monk shook his head and said, "This is your affinity with Buddhism."

“Swish, swish!”

The sound of sweeping resumed, and the scattered scriptures on the ground jumped back to their original positions. The huge hole above also had its tiles jump back on their own, sealing the hole perfectly without any flaws.

Seeing this strange situation, Ding'an did not react much, but instead smiled and praised, "Master, your Mind Sect skills are truly amazing!"

The sweeping monk shook his head and smiled, then suddenly asked, "Ding'an, look at the road where pedestrians and carriages pass by, crushing countless insects and ants. Is it the fault of the pedestrians or the carriages?"

Ding An sighed: "I don't know."

“You know,” the sweeping monk said, clasping his hands together, “that even though you are weak now, you are still like a pedestrian or carriage passing by in Shaolin, and you could accidentally run over an ordinary person.”

Ding'an licked his lips and said, "According to you, it's neither the pedestrian's fault nor the carriage's fault." He laboriously raised his hand, "It's your fault!"

The sweeping monk was taken aback: "What wrong have I done?"

Ding An laboriously raised his hand and waved it, half-closing his eyes, and said lazily, "Pedestrians hurrying on their way, cart drivers making a living, insects hiding in their bodies—these are all unintentional actions. Since they are unintentional, how can there be any fault?"

He yawned widely and muttered, "You're just making things up out of nothing, fussing over these things. Aren't you just wasting your time?"

(End of this chapter)