Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 39 Li Zhaoting: The Six Meridian Divine Sword - Learn it in one go!

Kumārajīva strode into the reception hall.

Inside the hall, besides Ku Rong, who had his back to everyone, there were five bald old monks covered in sweat, two handsome young men, and a girl dressed in Miao clothing.

Kumārajīva was startled.

Why would there be a woman in a temple?

Miao territory and Tibet are adjacent areas, and the two countries often exchange goods. Kumārajīva was no stranger to the Miao people and could recognize which tribe they belonged to just by looking at their clothing.

Blue dress and silver ornaments, long whip around the waist, Moon Mountain?
Could it be that Dali and the Miao village of Moon Mountain have formed an alliance?

This is indeed a big deal.

Li Zhaoting looked up and sized up Kumārajīva.

Kumārajīva, dressed in simple clothes and straw sandals, was radiant and not yet fifty years old. His face shone with a faint radiance, his earlobes were very large, and his expression was respectful and dignified.

Judging solely from his appearance, Kumārajīva would be respectfully addressed as "a high monk" wherever he went.

This sparked a conspiracy theory.

As is well known, Kumārajīva came from the Tantric school, used martial arts techniques from the Shaolin Zen school, but his internal energy foundation was the Taoist Lesser Formless Skill, which is where the problem lies.

Where did the Lesser Formless Skill come from?
Who else is proficient in the Lesser Formless Skill?

Li Qiushui!
What did Li Qiushui do?

Li Qiushui was furious because her senior brother Wuyazi was obsessed with the jade statue. To make Wuyazi jealous, she found a group of handsome men and drank and played with them every day.

Some speculate that Kumārajīva was once Li Qiushui's male favorite in his youth, and that he learned some of her mental cultivation techniques from her.

This is obviously wrong.

The timing doesn't match!
At that time, Kumārajīva was less than ten years old.

Some speculate that after Li Qiushui married into the Western Xia and became the Empress Dowager, she couldn't stand the loneliness and took in some male lovers. When Kumārajīva was seventeen or eighteen years old, he was chosen by Li Qiushui.

This guess is somewhat plausible.

It wasn't until Jin Yong revised "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" that this ancient rumor was resolved: Kumārajīva's Lesser Formless Skill was found in the Langhuan Jade Cave of Mantuo Villa.

The Great Wheel King has finally been exonerated!
Kumārajīva looked up to the sky and sighed: "Although I am competitive and fond of martial arts, I am not so despicable. I have been a monk since childhood and have never violated the precept against lust!"
Thinking of this, Li Zhaoting couldn't help but chuckle!

"Why are you laughing, sir?"

"Seeing one's true nature leads to Buddhahood; even Buddhas smile upon seeing each other!"

“You are insightful and wise.”

"Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty. To tell you the truth, my father has scolded me since I was a child for not having any wisdom. He said that chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha is a waste of the purity of Buddhism, and he wouldn't even let me into a Buddhist temple."

"May I ask your esteemed name, benefactor?"

"Li Zhaoting".

"So you are Li Zhaoting, the one who defeated Murong of Gusu at the martial arts contest in Hangzhou and solved a major case in Luzhou. I am truly honored."

A glint of light flashed in Kumārajīva's eyes.

Li Zhaoting first distinguished himself in Hangzhou and became famous for his swordsmanship in Luzhou. He was renowned throughout the world for his handsome appearance and swordsmanship, which was so profound that no one knew the origin of his swordsmanship.

Rumors in the martial arts world say that Li Zhaoting's swordsmanship is no less than that of the Bashan Returning Wind and Dancing Willow Sword and the Thirteen Styles of Huashan Qingfeng. Given Kumārajīva's personality, he naturally harbors covetous thoughts.

"Why is Benefactor Li here?"

“I already know the purpose of Mingwang’s visit. This is a matter between Dalun Temple and Tianlong Temple. I am an outsider and have no connection with any of you. I can serve as a witness!”

“You are mistaken, Benefactor Li. This humble monk is here to fulfill a late friend’s last wish. It is a purely private matter. Even so, it would be best if Benefactor Li could act as a witness.”

Kumārajīva composed himself, tears streaming down his face, and began to express his deep affection for his old friend Murong Bo. He explained that Murong Bo's most admired martial art was the Six Meridian Divine Sword, and now that his friend had passed away, he wished to use the sword manual to commemorate him. He said he had three scrolls of secret manuals, all of which were top-notch finger techniques of the time. He asked Master Kurong to grant him this favor, as he could exchange the three scrolls for one scroll.

Frankly speaking, Kumārajīva has done his best in both acting skills and sincerity. His acting skills are superb, and the secret manual he uses for trading is even more captivating.

Just by looking at his tearful expression, one can understand his friendship with Murong Bo. He wished he could cry for Kumārajīva, and even the most hard-hearted person couldn't help but shed tears.

All three volumes contain Shaolin's unique skills.

"Picking Flowers with Fingers"

The Finger of No Form

Dorothea Leaf Finger

Each technique is a top-tier finger technique of its time, each technique is the culmination of the hard work of generations of Shaolin disciples and dozens of martial monks, and each technique can be considered an indestructible ultimate skill.

The strongest is "Picking Flowers with Fingers".

When this martial art is practiced to its limit, it connects with heaven and earth, resides in the mind, and transforms the external into the internal, without any hindrance.

From the perspective of martial arts skills, the Three Finger Techniques are by no means inferior to the One Finger Divine Skill. From the perspective of Buddhist teachings, each of the Three Finger Techniques follows a different path, allowing one to experience Zen principles during martial arts training, and cultivate the body, method, and spirit simultaneously.

The only pity is that this is a Shaolin secret manual.

Stealing martial arts skills is a major taboo in the martial arts world.

Although martial arts techniques from famous sects like Shaolin and Wudang are leaked out every year, they can only be traded privately and cannot be displayed openly, otherwise they will be hunted down.

This applies to both righteous and demonic sects.

Li Zhaoting's master stole a secret manual from the Demonic Sect and clearly told Li Zhaoting: The Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect will use this as a reason to hunt you down; this is your trial.

Therefore, even if Kumārajīva offered the Yi Jin Jing and Tai Chi Chuan as bargaining chips, Tianlong Temple would never agree, and the verbal contest would quickly turn into a physical one.

In the original storyline, the five senior monks of the Tianlong Temple, whose names begin with "Ben," were no match for Kumārajīva in a one-on-one fight. Many people underestimated their martial arts skills, but this is actually a misunderstanding.

Benyin and the others first transferred their true energy to Duan Yu, but it was fiercely absorbed by the Beiming Divine Art, causing severe depletion of their true energy. Subsequently, they only had less than a day to comprehend the sword manual and barely managed to master a lineage of divine swordsmanship. When they made their moves, they could only recite the manual mechanically and follow the steps of the sword manual. They could only unleash at most 50% of their strength, and naturally, they were no match for Kumārajīva.

If given three days to recover his true energy, familiarize himself with the sword manual, or use the One-Finger Divine Skill to defend himself, even if Kumārajīva were to win, he would be utterly defeated.

The more profound the martial art, the harder it is to master.

The fact that Benyin and the others were able to master a single line of divine sword techniques in such a short time demonstrates their impressive foundation. However, in terms of combat experience, Kumārajīva was clearly superior. After exchanging less than three moves, Kumārajīva discovered the strengths and weaknesses of the "Six Meridians Divine Sword Formation."

The strongest point is Duan Yanqing, who has the deepest skill, the most combat experience, and the most profound understanding of swordsmanship.

Duan Yanqing's weakness is also that he is physically disabled, moves slowly, needs to use a cane to get around, and is not familiar with the other four, making it difficult for them to form a tacit understanding.

Between his moves, Kumārajīva keenly sensed that Duan Yanqing was out of place with the others, possessing an indescribable sense of alienation, like a surrendered general who had just surrendered.

"Hu! Hu! Hu!"

Kumārajīva unleashed three consecutive palm strikes.

The fiery blade energy blasted towards the three old monks, Benyin, Benxiang, and Benguan. Duan Yanqing tried to stop it, but Kumārajīva quickly changed his move and struck Bencan with a palm.

Bencan's skill was inferior to Kumārajīva's, and he was forced back by Kumārajīva's palm. Duan Yanqing seized the opportunity and attacked Kumārajīva's back with his sword energy. Kumārajīva had eyes in the back of his head, and with his left hand, he used the Su Qin carrying sword move and launched a series of attacks with the Flower-Picking Finger.

This turn of events was swift and agile, forcing the four old monks to retreat. Duan Yanqing, being slow-moving, could only fight head-on and was repeatedly forced to retreat.

Kumārajīva plucked a flower with three fingers, a smile on his face, his movements extremely gentle, as if flicking away dewdrops from a flower while being afraid of shaking off the petals, demonstrating a profound understanding of finger techniques.

The four men were somewhat wary of Duan Yanqing.

The response was somewhat slow.

Seeing this, Kumārajīva intensified his attack, making a tantric hand seal with his right hand, pressing his left thumb against his four fingers, and then flicking his four fingers to shoot out four powerful finger strikes.

Dorado's Leaf Fingers!

If one were to use the One-Finger Divine Skill to block, these four finger strikes could be easily neutralized. However, it was agreed before the battle that only the Six Meridians Divine Sword could be used in this fight, which inevitably weakens the opponent somewhat.

Just as Duan Yanqing was about to be severely injured by the finger force, a domineering and brilliant sword aura shot over, causing the robe on Kumārajīva's left shoulder to burst open, but without damaging his skin.

The one who made the move was none other than Ku Rong.

The Six Meridians Divine Sword can only be used by five meridians.

With only the thought of breaking the formation in his mind, Kumārajīva unconsciously neglected the withering and flourishing, only remembering now that the opponent had only used five meridians and there was still one last meridian.

"King Ming, you have lost!"

Ku Rong's voice was unusually cold.

On the one hand, he was annoyed by Kumārajīva's relentless pressure.

On the one hand, he practiced the Zen of Withering and Flourishing, which resulted in half of his face being white-haired and youthful-looking, while the other half resembled a skeleton. His vocal cords were also affected, causing him to speak in a cold tone.

Ku Rong always turned his back to others because he didn't want his ugly appearance to frighten them. One day, Ku Rong had a sudden realization that he was neither dead nor flourishing, and could control his qi and blood at will. He no longer needed to turn his back to people!

Kumārajīva sneered, "Is that so? This humble monk wishes to see the Six Meridians Divine Sword manual, not the sword formation. The Six Meridians Divine Sword is all talk and no action; no one can actually master it."

“Your Majesty is mistaken.”

Li Zhaoting interrupted him.

"What advice do you have for me, Benefactor Li?"

“The Ming King just said that no one knows the Six Meridians Divine Sword, which is obviously wrong. Just now, I saw you guys sparring and you have already learned the Six Meridians Divine Sword.”

"Is Benefactor Li joking?"

"How dare I speak nonsense before the King of Light?"

"Does Benefactor Li wish to stand up for Tianlong Temple?"

"I'm just describing a fact."

"In that case, Benefactor Li, please accept the challenge!"

Kumārajīva's eyes narrowed, and as he opened and closed his hands, a ball of flame condensed, from which he unleashed a flaming blade.

With eyesight as sharp as Kumārajīva's, how could he not see that Benyin and the others' true energy was weak and their moves were rigid? If they could still defend themselves with a sword formation under such circumstances, how powerful would the Six Meridians Sword Formation be if everyone were in good health and had mastered the moves? If there were one person who was proficient in the Six Meridians Sword Technique, wouldn't they be invincible?
Whether Li Zhaoting knew the Six Meridian Divine Sword or not, Kumārajīva would definitely give it a try.

Li Zhaoting did not know the Six Meridians Divine Sword Technique.

Li Zhaoting has mastered the Six Meridians Divine Sword techniques.

Because Benyin and the others were unfamiliar with sword techniques, they could only perform them in a rigid and methodical manner. However, as the saying goes, "the onlooker sees more of the game," and Li Zhaoting, with his photographic memory, easily memorized the sword techniques.

As for the Finger Flicking Sword Qi, the sword finger technique that Master created based on a literal interpretation of the text should be enough to fool Kumārajīva.

Seeing the flaming blade coming, Li Zhaoting flicked his right middle finger, shooting out a powerful and majestic sword aura. The move was steady and heavy, like a thousand troops charging forward, or like a spear, halberd, battle axe, or giant hammer. Although it was a sword aura, it was like a siege ram.

With three soft "snap" sounds, the Flaming Blade was shattered by the sword energy. Li Zhaoting flashed and gently flicked his left little finger at Kumārajīva's ribs.

Shaoze Sword!
It appears and disappears in an instant, its changes are subtle and intricate!
Strangely enough, Li Zhaoting wasn't very familiar with the Six Meridians Divine Sword, and his use of the moves was somewhat ambiguous.

However, as the two fought fiercely, Li Zhaoting incorporated the sword techniques his master had taught him in recent years into his sword finger technique, and with the addition of the Six Meridians Divine Sword moves, his power grew stronger and stronger.

It seems that this is how the traditions of a master-disciple lineage are supposed to be.

It seems that this is the master's true swordsmanship.

Could it be that Master is an ancestor of the Duan family?
Ninety-nine percent of the Duan family members are Buddhists, so the sudden appearance of an old Taoist priest is indeed unorthodox.

The thought flashed past.

Li Zhaoting was completely absorbed in the battle.

The whistling of blades filled the air, and the sword energy emanating from my fingers was like a rainbow.

At first, one could see the traces of the change in moves, but after thirty or forty moves, even someone as strong as Ku Rong could not tell whether Li Zhaoting was using the Six Meridians Divine Sword or something taught by his master.

Li Zhaoting felt increasingly comfortable as he fought.

The Yin and Yang energies circulate continuously within the body, with Yin giving rise to Yang and Yang giving rise to Yin, endlessly and inexhaustibly. Using only two streams of sword energy is enough to sustain one for an entire day.

Kumārajīva's moves were ever-changing, unleashing seven or eight Shaolin techniques with a wave of his hand, dazzling the eye. But when his sword energy arrived, all his moves were neutralized.

Kumārajīva abandoned his underestimation and used his most refined and skillful Flaming Blade to defend himself. His right hand unleashed a series of palm strikes, while his left hand formed a half-formed hand seal, clearly a direct descendant of the Tantric school:
—The Nine Syllable Mantra Hand Seal!

(End of this chapter)