Chinese Superman

Chapter 101 The Radiant Heavenly Eye Seal, the Nine-Bend Robe and Immortal Branch

Upon hearing this, Xia Xinghan was about to marvel at the many mysteries of the military strategist's bamboo slips when he was stunned.

Something doesn't feel right!

He couldn't help but complain: "Grandpa Guo, aren't 'taking advantage of an opportunity,' 'substituting one thing for another,' and 'deceiving the heavens to cross the sea'—these are all part of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, aren't they?"

"The bamboo slips of the military strategist seem to be Sun Tzu's *The Art of War*, right? What's their connection to the later *Thirty-Six Strategies*?"

Old Guo paused in stroking his beard, then glared at him defiantly: "Xinghan, broaden your perspective. Look, it's called the 'Bamboo Slips of the Sage of War.' The Sage of War is the ancestor of military strategists. Which strategist in later generations dares to say they haven't been influenced by his ideas?"

"The principles remain the same despite all the variations! I, an old man, use the fundamental principles of military strategy to activate the bamboo slips and borrow the mystical tactics of later generations. What's wrong with that?"

Xia Xinghan was stunned.

Is that possible?

As expected—warfare is based on deception!

That's cunning enough.

"There's some truth to that. 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu is profound and comprehensive, full of ingenious strategies and all-encompassing knowledge, including the 'Initial Planning' chapter..."

The numerous chapters, including "On Waging War," "On Strategic Offense," and "On Military Formations," truly laid the foundation for later military strategy.

"Many schemes of later generations can be traced back to this."

that is----

You've taken all the mystique from the Thirty-Six Strategies. When the Thirty-Six Strategies revives, what mystique will others use?

It seems that any military treatises or related artifacts were likely completely suppressed by the bamboo slips of the military strategist.

Closer to home.

Xia Xinghan and Guo Lao got together to discuss the "visit" in detail.

An old man and a child were laughing happily.

The following day, night fell.

Wuyishan.

The magnificent Danxia landforms appear even more eerie under the cover of night, with the crimson rocks resembling the spine of a sleeping giant.

Since the spiritual energy has been restored, this mountain has not "chosen a master," so after the Lu family occupied it, they could only blockade and control it by force.

Outside Wuyi Mountain, barbed wire fences completely blocked the mountain climbing routes, and armed personnel with live ammunition were stationed there. There were also Lu family members who had cultivated the basic spirit forging method and had already entered the inner circle, patrolling around.

The mountain is filled with spiritual energy, and a huge golden Buddha phantom can be vaguely seen sitting cross-legged on the main peak, with chanting faintly in the background.

Further in, one can vaguely see an upside-down, golden alms bowl, suspended in mid-air, with golden light pouring down from its mouth, like a dazzling pillar of light standing between the dark cliffs.

Two figures, almost blending into the night, swept past the layers of blockade like wisps of smoke.

It was Xia Xinghan and Guo Lao, both wearing masks.

"Such a lockdown is only to prevent ordinary people from entering the country," Old Guo said in a low voice.

"It was originally designed to protect ordinary people."

Xia Xinghan was not surprised at all.

He donned a simple white silk robe, and a cloud-like aura enveloped his body, also covering Elder Guo, concealing not only his form but also his body temperature and scent.

The two moved about as if they were in an empty place, even brushing past armed security personnel without them noticing.

With the golden bowl in mind, Xia Xinghan and Guo Lao quickly ventured deep into the heart of Wuyi Mountain.

The scene before my eyes suddenly changed.

The peaks rise abruptly, the cliffs vie for beauty, and clouds and mist swirl around the mountainside like ribbons.

Most strikingly, a strange tree grows on a near-vertical cliff.

This tree is not tall, about three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

The tree trunk is gnarled and twisted like a dragon, dark red in color, almost blending into the Danxia rock formations, yet it is extremely winding, with nine turns and eighteen bends, just like the meandering Yellow River.

The bark is mottled, with natural cloud-like patterns, as if recording the passage of time and the rhythm of heaven and earth.

The branches and leaves are not lush, but extremely tender, as if they have just sprouted from the branches. Each leaf is like a piece of red jade, with crystal-clear veins that emit a faint red glow in the night.

This is the Nine-Bend Danxia Robe Immortal Branch.

Above the immortal branch, the phantom of a crimson gold alms bowl solidified and turned upside down, casting a soft golden light that formed a protective shield that enveloped the entire immortal tree.

On either side of the cliff where the immortal tree was rooted, there were protruding strange rocks. Four members of the Lu family, some old and some young, sat cross-legged, their eyes closed, waiting.

They were dressed in either ancient and sturdy attire, or casual wear, or simple clothing made from monks' robes. Their auras were deep and long, indicating that their cultivation was not weak.

A gilded bronze statue of Vajrabhairava rests horizontally on a person's lap. The Vajra has nine faces and thirty-four arms, with angry eyes and fangs, exuding a fierce and intimidating aura, as well as the power of Buddhism to subdue demons.

One person holds a small gold alms bowl with a Kalavinka pattern in their hand. The bowl is decorated with a bird pattern, and it seems that Buddhist chants are faintly flowing from it.

The other two also had belongings, all related to Buddhism.

"People from the Lu family."

Xia Xinghan transmitted his voice, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"The one with the Vajra statue on his knees is a Class A weapon bearer, mainly responsible for offense; the one holding a small alms bowl is a Class B weapon bearer, mainly responsible for defense. The other two are also Class B weapon bearers."

"Speaking of which, the Lu family has a deep connection with Buddhism."

Mr. Guo nodded but did not speak.

To communicate with one's mind or even entrust one's thoughts, one must further cultivate one's mental state, which currently only Master Zhang can do.

Xia Xinghan communicates entirely through his super brain, mimicking divine consciousness, but he does not rely on mental constructs.

After a moment of reflection, Xia Xinghan glanced at the branches of the immortal tree and frowned slightly: "According to intelligence, the Three Talents Dao-Nourishing Tea has the colors of sky blue, earth yellow, and human red, which are precisely the colors of the 'Three Talents'."

"These leaves on the branches now, though radiant with spiritual light, are only of one color; they are merely ordinary Dao-nourishing teas," their efficacy far inferior to true celestial treasures.

"No wonder only four guards, A and B, were assigned to protect the weapon; there was no heirloom."

"The Sancai Yundao Tea has been completely harvested by the Lu family."

Seeing that Elder Guo remained silent and extremely cautious, Xia Xinghan suddenly spoke up, "Grandpa Guo, you can speak. Actually, my plain silk robe can also block out sound."

"We speak inside the 'plain silk robe,' so people outside can't hear us."

"call----"

Old Guo let out a long breath, clearly having been holding it in for too long.

"Little Xinghan, your 'plain gauze robe' is truly wondrous."

"This saves me from having to use the 'enemy in the open, me in the dark' tactic. We still have several places to visit tonight, so we need to conserve our spiritual energy."

Xia Xinghan said, "That's right. All we need to do next is lure them away. Grandpa Guo, it's up to you now."

"Simple."

Master Guo grasped the bamboo slips of the military strategist, a flash of blue light appeared, and he uttered a low shout: "[Feint to the East, Attack in the West]!"

He flicked his finger, and a small pebble containing a special spiritual energy fluctuation shot out silently, landing among the rocks in a mountain stream several kilometers away.

"Bang"

The pebbles exploded, not with a loud bang, but with a strange vibration that was particularly clear in the silent valley.

"Who?!"

The one holding the small golden bowl with the Kalavinka pattern was the first to open his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, shooting towards the source of the fluctuation.

The small bowl in his hand trembled slightly and emitted a clear ringing sound.

"I'll go check; you stay here!"

He said something to his companion, and with a swift movement, he soared towards the mountain stream like a large bird.

"I'll go with you."

Under the mysterious influence of the feint attack, the remaining two Yi Zhi could not sit still and followed him away.

Only the old man with the Vajrabhairava statue on his knees remained on the rock.

He kept his eyes closed, but his aura became more solid, and the Vajra statue faintly glowed.

"We're one short," Xia Xinghan said.

Master Guo smiled slightly, and the bamboo slips of the military strategist floated up. He pointed his fingers like a brush and drew a line in the air. The ancient seal script character "tiger" shone with a blue light and took shape in an instant.

"go!"

The character "Tiger" transformed into a streak of azure light, moving with incredible speed, and silently disappeared into the brow of the armored elder.

Immediately afterwards, Guo Lao urged the bamboo slips again: "[Luring the tiger away from the mountain]!"

The old man in armor shuddered violently, his eyes snapping open with a flash of surprise and rage: "How dare you! You dare spy on the forbidden area behind the mountain!"

He seemed to sense the presence of a powerful group of enemies, who were secretly infiltrating a hidden forbidden area behind the Immortal Tree.

But in reality, there is no forbidden area in the back mountain.

It's all about the imagery of the character "tiger," combined with mysterious power to create a false sense of sensation.

A crisis arose suddenly. The old man in armor was filled with shock and anger. Without hesitation, he grabbed the statue of Vajrabhairava and shot towards the cliff behind the immortal tree like a cannonball. In a few leaps, he disappeared behind the jagged rocks.

In an instant, the forbidden area, which was originally guarded by four weapon-wielders, was now left with only the Nine-Bend Crimson Robe Immortal Branch standing alone.

"It's done!"

"Bringing along a national governor is like blasting a fishpond."

Xia Xinghan's eyes lit up.

If Zhenguo Zhi attacks both Jia Zhi and Yi Zhi, wouldn't that be a complete rout?

Old Guo chuckled softly: "A feint to the east while attacking in the west, combined with luring the tiger away from the mountain—a series of stratagems! But they'll soon realize something's wrong; a swift and decisive battle is needed!"

"No problem!"

Before Xia Xinghan could finish speaking, his figure shot out like lightning, heading straight for the immortal tree on the cliff!

He moved with incredible speed, arriving before the inverted golden bowl phantom in the blink of an eye.

Without saying a word, he raised his hand and first used the [Plain Silk Zen Robe] to cover the illusory image of the immortal tree and the golden bowl, isolating everything, and then he threw a punch!

"clang-"

The fist collided with the illusory image of the alms bowl, producing a deafening sound like a great bell!

The phantom trembled violently, flashing with golden light, before bursting like a bubble.

Xia Xinghan landed on the edge of the cliff where the immortal tree was rooted. Looking at the tree full of bright red tea leaves, shimmering with spiritual light, he smacked his lips and said, "Not a single piece of Three Talents Dao-Nourishing Tea, just ordinary Dao-Nourishing Tea—oh well, every little bit helps, and there's plenty to go around!"

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly curled up, palm facing upward.

Spiritual particles surged and converged, unleashing the essence of martial arts!

"Buzz"

A strange, illusory image rapidly solidified above his palm.

That's a teacup!

The bowl's walls are pitch black and deep, yet countless beautiful and ever-changing iridescent spots emerge from within.

Blue, purple, gold, silver—the colors flow and swirl, as if a miniature universe and vast nebulae are contained in a bowl, beautiful and magnificent, yet carrying the feeling of devouring everything.

Yohen Tenmoku: Universe in a Bowl!

This is precisely the martial art that Xia Xinghan created after observing the [Yohen Tenmoku Tea Bowl] and combining it with his own understanding of space and gravity.

The luminous spots in the bowl are cosmic nebulae; the bowl contains a universe that can encompass everything!

"receive!"

With a flick of his wrist, Xia Xinghan turned the teacup in his palm upside down, its rim pointing directly at the tea leaves on the tree.

The "cosmic nebula" inside the bowl suddenly began to rotate, forming a miniature gravitational vortex at its center, and a dazzling, hazy "flare of light" swept down!

Wherever the light passed, the red leaves on the branches detached, but instead of falling, they transformed into streaks of crimson light, which were absorbed into the "universe within the bowl."

Inhale it all.

In the blink of an eye, the entire Nine-Bend Danxia Robe Immortal Branch became completely bare, with only the trunk swaying slightly in the night breeze.

"The Yao Bian Tian Mu Seal and the miniature gravitational field are still different."

Xia Xinghan withdrew his hand with satisfaction, and the illusory image in his palm disappeared.

At the same time, the Yao Bian Tian Mu Seal was compared with its own miniature gravitational field.

To be precise, the Yao Bian Tian Mu Seal is divided into two parts: one is the flare of light, which is similar to a miniature gravitational field; the other is the universe in the bowl, which forms its own artistic space.

However, this space, ultimately a product of artistic conception, cannot last long.

Xia Xinghan sensed something and saw that the pile of crimson tea leaves, stacked like a small mountain, was emitting a rich Taoist spiritual energy within the "Universe in a Bowl" immersive space.

He immediately transferred the Yundao Tea to the "treasure box".

He turned around, moved again, and was back beside Master Guo.

The entire operation, from drawing away the Lu family's servants to collecting all the tea leaves, took no more than half a minute.

Old Guo watched in disbelief from afar. It wasn't until Xia Xinghan returned that he snapped out of his daze, pointing at Xia Xinghan and stammering, "You—you brat—you didn't hold back at all?!"

The Nine-Bend Danxia Robe Fairy Branch on the cliff is bare, without a single leaf.

Xia Xinghan said matter-of-factly, "Anyway, the Lu family definitely still has stock of these ordinary teas, even if they don't have the Three Talents Dao Tea. I'm just helping them reduce storage pressure and promote the metabolism of the tea trees so that they can grow better ones next year."

Old Guo stared at Xia Xinghan for several seconds.

His expression shifted from shock to speechlessness, then to barely suppressed laughter, and finally he gave a thumbs-up, squeezing out a single word through gritted teeth: "Awesome!"

It was truly a case of bandits leaving nothing but desolation in their wake!

(Vajrabhairava statue)

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