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

Lin Daochen stopped thinking and moved with lightning speed, instantly landing in front of the waterfall where sprays of water like pearls and jade. The child was still sitting on the blue stone, smiling and waiting for him.

Seeing him arrive on a cloud, the child flicked his wrist, and the bamboo branch in his hand suddenly soared into the air, growing thousands of feet long and as thick as a mountain, crashing down with the force of wind and thunder!

Lin Daochen had no choice but to raise his arm to block, but the bamboo shadow suddenly shrank and floated back to its original shape. With a crisp "smack", it hit him on the shoulder, and he was sent flying backward.

He steadied himself in mid-air, rubbed his numb shoulders, and looked helplessly at the grinning little guy.

He knew this was Chen Hao's son. As for why he was guarding this place—it was probably because Old Chen had secretly sent him here to ambush him.

"What are you doing here? Did you come all this way just to wait for me? Just say what you want to say."

Lin Daochen frowned as he stared at him, the spot on his arm where the bamboo stick had struck was still burning hot—the blow was crisp and ruthless, completely bypassing his spiritual energy protection and penetrating straight through his skin.

The child grinned, revealing two small tiger teeth, and pointed behind Lin Daochen.

"Tsk, you're so oblivious. The moment you stepped in, someone was right next to the back of your neck, and you didn't even notice."

"If he overhears something important... we'll be in big trouble."

Lin Daochen whirled around, his heart skipping a beat—sure enough! A dark shadow was clinging to his shoulder, shaped like a withered leaf, so thin it was almost transparent, its breath barely audible. If the child hadn't pointed it out, he probably wouldn't have noticed until the person was right next to his ear. Truly chillingly insidious, as slippery as an eel.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, flicked his sleeve, and sent the "fallen leaf" flying into the air. In a flash of inspiration, the withered leaf suddenly straightened, stretched, and solidified—in the blink of an eye, a living human figure landed and staggered.

It was none other than Chen Hao, the rogue cultivator who had failed in his quest for enlightenment and was casually dismissed by Lin Daochen! Shouldn't he have gone back to the fishing village to mend his nets long ago? Why has he come back like a ghost?

Chen Hao, however, showed no shame. Instead, he laughed loudly, his eyes gleaming with fervor: "Senior! The magic hidden within that monkey hair you bestowed upon me is too powerful! I grasped it for no more than three breaths, and I've already touched the threshold of 'Thousand Transformations'—look!"

Before he finished speaking, his form changed: first, a gray sparrow fluttered across the treetops, then suddenly transformed into a lion with its mane bristling, and then, in a flash, it became an old wooden stool with three crooked legs, swaying precariously on the bluestone.

Lin Daochen shook his head, his tone turning somber: "It's good that your magic has improved, but you followed me here and trespassed into forbidden territory. This place is a secret; if an outsider glimpses even a fraction of it, there's only one path left—" He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, "to send you to your death."

After he finished speaking, he stood still, staring intently at Chen Hao's face. Unexpectedly, the man's face remained completely expressionless; he simply looked back calmly, like a clay statue that had long since stopped breathing.

Lin Daochen's fingertips twitched slightly, but he ultimately did not unleash his killing move. He sighed, and suddenly a palm wind arose, a heavy force sweeping out, which with a "bang" sent Chen Hao flying to the ground, his back hitting the mountain rocks, causing rubble to tumble down.

"Consider this a warning. If it happens again, don't blame me for being ruthless. Now that you've barged in—" He stepped aside, "then come with me and see for yourself what this place holds."

Before he finished speaking, he had already passed the children and walked straight towards the waterfall cascading down from the sky. The roar of the water was like thunder. In his eyes, this endless silver ribbon was the very key to his seventh Golden Core transformation and his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.

……

He wanted to test it out: what would happen if an ordinary person faced a real waterfall? Chen Hao, standing before him, was the perfect catalyst.

"Hey! Seriously? You're really going to push this rough guy into the waterfall? Are you crazy? What if he's a spy? Our entire world in the painting will be exposed! If there's a major battle later, and the enemy launches a surprise attack right here, we won't even have a way to retreat!"

The child stamped his feet in anxiety—Chen Hao had repeatedly warned him that this small patch of land was their secret haven, where they, father and son, had made their living, and where everything was discussed and decided. If this place were exposed, it would be tantamount to tearing down their own roof.

"What's the panic? It's just a painting containing a universe within a painting. Your father's skill in wielding his brush and ink is so great that recreating an illusion is no more difficult than cooking a bowl of noodles!"

"Don't worry, I'm just testing him. The rest is none of your business."

Lin Daochen moved with lightning speed, grabbing Chen Hao's arm and leading him to the waterfall. A spray of water hit them, and he pointed to the cascading, snow-like spray, his voice unusually calm:

"See? Sit down, close your eyes, and think about what you care about most. When the sound of water seeps into your bones, you'll hear something different. Later, tell me your thoughts exactly—I want to know, what exactly is the difference between the heart of a mortal and the path of a cultivator?"

Chen Hao didn't respond, only nodded silently. His face remained expressionless, like an old piece of wood soaked in rainwater for a long time, neither surprised nor afraid, as if even life and death were nothing more than a blade of grass floating on the water.

He strode forward and stood directly beneath the waterfall. The curtain of water crashed down with a deafening roar, like a thousand-pound hammer striking his shoulders. He swayed violently, his knees almost buckling. But he gritted his teeth and sank inch by inch, settling cross-legged in the center of the roaring water curtain, letting the white waves pelt him.

The overwhelming pressure almost crushed his spine into a crack in the ground.

But the man still managed to muster a fierce determination through gritted teeth, forcefully propping himself up—the force was like a mountain crashing down, making his eardrums ring and his blood vessels swell.

Suddenly, my shoulder felt light, the roar of the cascading waterfall stopped abruptly, and even the water droplets, suspended in mid-air, fell to the ground with a soft patter.

His pupils contracted slightly, his heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized: someone had made a move. He turned his head sharply and, sure enough, saw Lin Daochen standing quietly behind him.

Lin Daochen's palms firmly rested on his shoulder blades. His palms did not touch his skin, but a layer of warm, jade-like invisible energy quietly spread out, separating all the torrents. The water lines automatically slid off when they hit the energy, as if they were hitting a glass wall.

The man's Adam's apple bobbed as he gave Lin Daochen a deep look, his eyes filled with undisguised shock and confusion—it was clearly a trial, so why had he offered help? But the debt of gratitude had already been repaid, and further arguing would only seem pretentious. He shook his head, strode up to Lin Daochen, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed.

"Senior, you are truly wise! If I can truly understand even a fraction of this, I will follow you and serve you without hesitation from now on."

Lin Daochen waved his hand, his brows furrowed not with smugness, but with a hint of serious inquiry. What he wanted was never loyalty, but to use this body to unlock the most fundamental secrets of the real waterfall. His gaze swept over the man's head—the moment the waterfall touched his forehead, the man swayed, his eyes instantly becoming unfocused, and he sat stiffly in the center of the pool, letting the water wash over him, yet he remained unresponsive like a clay or wooden sculpture.

Lin Daochen chuckled twice, leaned down and pressed his finger to Lin Daochen's forehead. A faint light flashed at his fingertip, and his consciousness, like a fish breaking through the waves, plunged straight into the depths of his mind.

Between life and death, there exists a sea of ​​consciousness. When the soul enters it, it is as if sinking into a boundless ocean.

When I opened my eyes again, the world had changed.

Last time I entered someone else's consciousness, it was a scene of peach blossoms and willows in full bloom, with a gentle breeze on my face; but now, looking around, there is only yellow sand swirling, withered grass lying on the ground, and the sky is as gray as an old, dusty silk, so desolate that it makes one's heart clench.

Lin Daochen paused, then caught sight of a lone figure in the distance, walking unsteadily, directionless, like a paper doll with its bones removed, spinning around in the empty space.

He strode forward, stopped, and turned to look closely—it was indeed the man! The waterfall of truth had caused his soul to tumble into his sea of ​​consciousness, now trapped in this deathly silence, utterly bewildered and lost.

Lin Daochen called out to him, his voice clear, but the other person seemed not to hear him and continued to drag his feet forward.

As he walked, Lin Daochen suddenly felt his aura weaken, and his soul trembled slightly, as if a candle flame were about to be extinguished by a breeze. A chill ran through him—this was an ominous sign that his soul was on the verge of collapse!

Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and formed a hand seal, sending out a beam of azure light to stabilize the man's spirit. However, the spell struck the man's back and vanished without a trace, not even causing a ripple.

Lin Daochen's pupils shrank sharply. Just as he was about to try again, he saw the man's figure suddenly tremble, and his entire body suddenly lifted off the ground. His soul light surged and soared into the sky! In an instant, he had leaped to the top of the sky, his entire body bursting with thousands of golden rays, majestic and awe-inspiring, like an ancient god descending to earth.

Lin Daochen looked up and gazed at the scene, then slowly exhaled and gently shook his head: "So that's how it is... No wonder Chen Hao's words that day were loaded with meaning."

Beneath this mortal body, there may be a true supreme deity sealed away.

He stood silently, watching the golden light slowly recede and finally land steadily on the ground. The man rubbed his temples, looking bewildered, as if he had just woken from a deep dream.

Looking up, he saw Lin Daochen right in front of him. He scratched the back of his head, grinned, and said with a slightly embarrassed and simple-minded look.

"Senior, I had another attack just now—it's not the first time, it's been a recurring problem for a long time, and I have no idea what's wrong with me."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daochen suddenly realized: it turned out that this person had no idea what was happening to him and thought he was suffering from a strange illness.

He raised his hand and pressed it firmly on his shoulder, offering no further explanation. Some things, he had to figure out for himself and savor the experience; others interfering would only ruin the opportunity.

The two floated in that void for a long time, and sure enough, within a hundred miles of their eyes, it was completely empty, barren of any vegetation, and not even a breeze could blow.

It wasn't until Lin Daochen led him out of the real world that he suddenly came to his senses—what he had just been doing wasn't a casual stroll at all; he had clearly taken a detour deep into his own consciousness!

The man froze on the spot, then his heart tightened: this was the only chance in his life to face enlightenment directly; if he missed it, it would be a permanent loss.

When they opened their eyes again, the two were standing back before the real waterfall that cascaded thousands of feet down. The water roared, and white mist surged, but Lin Daoxuan remained motionless.

To help or not to help? The thought had barely formed when reality slammed it down—now that things had come to this, there was no room for him to choose.

"To be honest, we're complete strangers, and I shouldn't get involved in this mess. I have important matters to attend to right now, and if I delay things for you, it will jeopardize my own future."

The man was stunned, then speechless. How could he not know that Lin Daoxuan was unwilling to lend a hand? But what could he say now? Lin Daoxuan's resolute expression left no room for negotiation. His knees buckled, and he knelt down with a thud in the damp moss.