Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

"Big brother, can you still hold on?"

"It's alright. Have you thought about an exit strategy?"

Lin Daochen's voice was calm, but his gaze had already swept across the entire void.

"I haven't thought it through completely, but there's a way—the space is inherently unstable, constantly breathing in and out. As long as we keep an eye on the gap when it 'breathes air' next, we can use that to escape."

To put it bluntly, it's a gamble: to wait for this void to crack open on its own.

But who knows if the next time they speak, it will be from above, below, or they'll simply throw you into an even deeper abyss of death?

"There's no time to dawdle. My spiritual power can only last for half a day at most."

He closed his eyes and sensed something. When he opened them again, his tone was firm: "If we can't get out within twelve hours, we'll really be buried here."

Despite this, there was no trace of anxiety on his face; instead, he seemed to be strolling leisurely, even revealing a hint of... anticipation.

He knew in his heart that the key to the Golden Core stage might be held in the hands of this chaotic realm.

What I didn't mention earlier is that he not only wasn't afraid of chaos, but actually thrived in it, growing stronger with each immersion.

That's the source of his unwavering confidence.

Wang Sanpang was so anxious he kept rubbing his hands together. He caught a glimpse of Lin Daochen's relaxed expression out of the corner of his eye, and his mind was filled with questions.

We're both dancing on the edge of a knife, so why do you act like you're just strolling through your own backyard?

He didn't have time to think about that. Actually, he had a plan ready—but he had only heard of the place in legend, and he couldn't guarantee whether it would work.

He produced a palm-sized bronze compass, its surface etched with crooked and indistinct star patterns.

"Fly this way! Maybe we can crash into the exit—but... I'm not sure."

Lin Daochen glanced at him suspiciously, but didn't ask any more questions, and walked away.

Not far ahead, a magnificent palace suddenly appeared, with soaring eaves and swirling clouds.

Lin Daochen paused, his pupils suddenly contracting—

Isn't this the ancient palace suspended above the sea of ​​clouds in the Kunlun Secret Realm?!

How did I end up here?

Could it be... that I was actually in the heart of another dimension? And that's why I encountered its projection?

This is the only explanation left.

But why was this temple built? What does it suppress? And why did it appear here of all places?

The mystery is so great that we have no choice but to go in and find out for ourselves.

"This is it. Once we're inside, at least we can catch our breath."

"You know this place like the back of your hand?" Lin Daochen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What cleanliness? This is my first time here! I heard the older generation mention it a few times years ago, but I only believe it now that I've actually been here—this godforsaken place is really unreasonable."

"Then what are you doing, waving that compass around like that?"

Something's off about this fat guy...

"Sanpang, tell the truth, where did you get this compass?" Lin Daochen stared at the faint blue light floating on the surface of the compass, his heart tightening—this thing was definitely not an ordinary item.

Wang Sanpang grinned and said in a light tone, "The old man gave it to me before he passed away. He said it was made by melting down a fragment of the ancient measuring ruler."

A measuring rod for the heavens?

Lin Daochen's Adam's apple bobbed, and his pupils suddenly contracted. That was a supreme treasure lost since the creation of the world, capable of measuring the energy of heaven and earth and deducing the changes in all things. It had vanished without a trace after the war against heaven a thousand years ago. Who would have thought that today it would be flaunted in the arms of a mere Golden Core cultivator!

Have the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce gone mad? Handing over such a deadly weapon to some greenhorn so casually? Aren't they afraid of attracting covetous eyes and having them slaughtered on the spot?

"The compass is moving—this way!"

Lin Daochen didn't think much of it and followed after him.

You can't trust this fat man, but you can trust the secret weapon he has hidden away.

The two walked for about half an incense stick's time, stumbling along the dark path, when a seven-colored streak of light suddenly tore through the inky darkness, striking them without warning. Lin Daochen's heart skipped a beat—this light...it seemed to have shone on his face before?

Curiosity pulled the two forward.

Pushing aside the layers of churning gray mist, a colossal palace stood out—its eaves soaring upwards, its glazed tiles gleaming, and its gates towering like an insurmountable chasm. A thought flashed through Lin Daochen's mind: This outline… is clearly a replica of the ruins deep within the Kunlun Mountains!

Looking up, a golden plaque hangs in the center, with four large characters shining brightly: Lingxiao Palace.

The Hall of Supreme Heaven?

The Jade Emperor's central authority in Heaven? How could it suddenly appear in this chaotic crevice?

Pure coincidence?

Looking further to both sides, a row of bronze warrior statues stood in a menacing array, each face taut with a sharp, ruthless aura, and even the air seeping from the cracks in the stone smelled of blood.

Lin Daochen felt a chill run down his spine, and his hand was already on the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, Wang Sanpang slapped his thigh and shouted, "Lingxiao Palace! We're saved!"

"My grandfather uttered these words before he passed away: 'If one mistakenly enters the chaos and suddenly sees the Heavenly Palace, it means Heaven has left a glimmer of hope!'"

"Where is the exit?" Lin Daochen pressed. He remembered that in the Kunlun Ruins, the walls of this hall were completely sealed, and there wasn't even a mouse hole to be found.

The fat man pointed his finger directly to the highest point of the dome: "There!"

"But no one has actually gone inside to explore—it's all just legend."

Lin Daochen remained silent for a moment, then uttered, "Let's give it a try."

The two arrived at the palace gate and pushed it open to enter.

The floor is paved with gold bricks, their brilliance reaching the sky; the walls are inlaid with reliefs of divine weapons, their cold light so dazzling that one cannot open their eyes; the beams and pillars of the main hall are all cast in pure gold, making one dizzy.

Just as Wang Sanpang was about to step over the threshold, Lin Daochen suddenly blocked him with his arm.

"Don't move! That's not a stone sculpture—it's alive! The weakest of them are stuck at the threshold of the Integration Realm. The two of us combined are no match for them."

"What should we do then?"

"Are there other ways?"

Wang Sanpang shook his head: "This is the only way to survive."

The two stood frozen at the doorway. Lin Daochen gritted his teeth and led the way back—following his old memories. But after wandering around for five or six minutes, the surrounding scenery remained unchanged: the Lingxiao Palace still stood in the same place, like a coffin lid nailed to the chaos.

No matter how you turn left or right, or run backwards at full speed, you're always stuck in a vicious cycle.

Looking at the magnificent, radiant palace in the distance, Lin Daochen suddenly felt a chill run down his spine: This was not the original, but a mirror image—a completely replicated empty shell!

He shared his speculation, and Wang Sanpang immediately nodded: "Let's try again!"

Returning to the front of the hall, Lin Daochen held his breath, his fingers gripping the scabbard tightly. Last time he almost got stuck inside, so this time he even breathed very softly.

Wang Sanpang suddenly rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms: "I'm going to die anyway, might as well go all out and try my luck—maybe God will be a little lucky today!"

He tiptoed over the threshold, inching his way toward the nearest bronze warrior statue. Lin Daochen clung tightly to the doorframe, his fingernails almost digging into the wood grain.

After a long while, the hall was so quiet that only the sound of heartbeats could be heard.

The statue did not move.

Wang Sanpang looked up and examined it for a moment, then stomped his foot hard on the gold brick ground—thump!

Seeing that there was no unusual activity around him, Wang Sanpang grinned at Lin Daochen, who was waiting at the door.

"Brother, come in quickly! It's perfectly safe here, there's absolutely no risk."

Lin Daochen was skeptical, but he tentatively stepped in with one foot—the moment his toes touched the blue bricks inside the hall, all the stone statues in the hall suddenly trembled, their joints snapping and dislocating, their necks, hips, and fingers twisting and turning, shaking off years of grime.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of statues sprang forth like snakes from their holes, arching their bodies and lunging straight at the door! Lin Daochen's scalp tingled, and he quickly retreated. The moment his boots left the ground, all the stone statues froze, and even the dust particles floating in the air were suspended in mid-air.

He took a breath, a surge of anger rising within him—this dilapidated palace clearly recognized its inhabitants! The moment he stepped inside, all was calm, but as soon as he took a step, chaos erupted!

Wang Sanpang also figured it out and slapped his thigh, laughing heartily.

"So what do we do now?" The fat man swaggered out of the palace gate and tilted his head to look at Lin Daochen.

Lin Daochen's face was so cold it could freeze. Fine, you won't listen to reason, will you? Do you really think he's a pushover?

He ripped open the storage bag at his waist, his fingers flew, and a deep incantation burst forth from his mouth. In an instant, a golden light shot out, buzzing and swirling in the air. A few breaths later, it transformed into a giant cauldron, its legs crashing to the ground, causing rubble to scatter everywhere.

"What are you doing?" Wang Sanpang's eyes widened.

Lin Daochen's lips curled up slightly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"You won't let me in? Then don't blame me for tearing the roof down!"

Before the words were even finished, all sorts of rare and precious materials poured down upon them—the Nine Heavens Profound Iron gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light, the Myriad Beasts Water surged within the jade bottle as if alive, and the thousand-year-old paulownia wood floated with pale golden patterns…

"My God!" Wang Sanpang's throat tightened. "This is Nine Heavens Profound Iron!"

"The Water of Ten Thousand Beasts? A legendary treasure for refining the soul and tempering the spirit!"

"The phoenix tree? The sacred tree where the phoenix once perched!"

"Where did you find this? Selling just one of these would be enough for you to live a carefree life for ten lifetimes!"

"This is outrageous...it's insane!"

He squatted down and examined them one by one. Some of them he couldn't even name, but just by looking at their flowing spiritual energy and compelling aura, he knew they were no ordinary items.

"Brother! Say something! If you really want to sell, it's on me, name your price!"

Lin Daochen ignored it completely, quickly forming hand seals, and white flames suddenly ignited at the bottom of the cauldron, intense yet not scorching, instantly enveloping the entire cauldron. He grabbed the materials and threw them all in, wielding a hammer to smash them, splashing water to quench them rapidly, and repeatedly forging them, his movements ruthless, precise, and steady, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Three hours later, the cauldron was covered with dense array patterns, one circle upon another, nested layer upon layer, making Wang Sanpang's neck hair stand on end—ordinary cultivators would struggle to refine even one main array, but this guy had actually carved in hundreds of layers!

Only divine beings can withstand this oppressive force, and only divine hands can control this madness.

"Brother, what exactly are you making?"

Lin Daochen didn't respond, but instead suddenly raised both palms upwards, his words like thunder:

"Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Zhen Lie Zai Qian—Cai!"

The cauldron lid was violently thrown off, and a pillar of fire shot into the sky. A two-meter-long diamond drill bit burst forth from the flames, its entire body jet black with silver veins, so heavy that even the ground groaned. Lin Daochen picked up the drill bit and slammed it to the ground, sparks flying everywhere.

"Can't go up there? Then we'll go through the ground!"

"If we don't break out of here today, I, Lin Daochen, will change my name!"

Wang Sanpang rolled his eyes, his heart clenching – so many priceless treasures, all wasted on this lump of iron! The words "what a waste of resources" echoed in his mind! But the things belonged to someone else, so no matter how itchy his mouth was, he could only grit his teeth and swallow it.

"Can we walk now?"

Lin Daochen nodded, and the two returned to the main gate of the Lingxiao Palace.

The scenery remained unchanged, not even a single spiderweb was missing from the eaves. This time, Lin Daochen didn't hesitate and swung the drill bit deep into the ground.

Sure enough, it was silent underground, but the deeper you went, the more disoriented you became, surrounded by damp earth and stuffy air...

"Right here! Push upwards!"

The two men exchanged a glance, and the drill hummed faster, shredding the rock layers and breaking through the soil.

"Something doesn't feel right..." Lin Daochen frowned and looked up, feeling a strange sensation in his palm—neither the softness of soil nor the hardness of rock, but rather like a warm and slippery barrier.

The next instant, sunlight poured in.

But when they looked up, they both froze.

"What exactly did we just dig through?"

Wang Sanpang stood frozen in place, his lips pale, unable to even speak coherently. Lin Daochen glanced at the outside of the cave, and his calves began to tremble uncontrollably.

The place they emerged from was actually the throne of the Jade Emperor—and on that golden throne with coiled dragons sat a stone statue.

Even more terrifying, the stone statue had come to life! Its eyes were wide open like copper bells, and its pupils seemed to be churning with magma, fixed firmly on the two people.

It's obvious without even guessing that the wildly spinning drill bit must have pierced someone's lower back.

The entire set of puppets was sculpted according to the real person's physique, without any discrepancy—the necessary cavities and acupoints were all present.

"Um...actually, I can explain!"

Lin Daochen's voice was strained, and his palms were sweaty. He should have been alert earlier—this location was never right! Now, surrounded by dozens of stone golems, his heart sank: "Run!"

He grabbed Wang Sanpang and rushed towards the cave entrance, but as soon as his feet left the ground, the cave entrance snapped shut with a "click," perfectly sealed.

He hurriedly gripped the magic weapon in his hand, wanting to split it open again, but unexpectedly, the surrounding stone statues all raised their arms, and a clear light curtain suddenly rose from the ground.

Wherever the light passed, the blue bricks instantly transformed into black iron, impervious to knife cuts and fire.

Suddenly, the stone statue of the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King raised its left palm, and the exquisite pagoda flew out of its hand, bursting forth with a dazzling silver light that precisely enveloped the two of them.

As the mist inside the tower dissipated, an old monk slowly emerged. His figure was ethereal, and his feet left no shadow; he was clearly a spirit of the artifact.

"Amitabha Buddha, greetings to the two esteemed benefactors who have graced the Linglong Pagoda!"

"This tower has seven passes; only by passing through them can one escape."

"This old monk will only ask three questions in this test—answer one correctly and you will advance to the next level."

"Here's a question: If the laws of Heaven are flawed, how can they be remedied?"

Is there a flaw in the way of Heaven?

The two men stared at each other, their minds blank. After asking his question, the old monk lowered his eyes and remained silent.