The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

Just now, Song Qingshu woke up and remembered his previous behavior. He was so frightened that he immediately knelt down to beg for forgiveness. He and his seventh brother were disciplining the boy when suddenly his seventh brother started to get angry at Xuan Nan, who was standing to the side.

Yin Liting is the sixth among the Seven Heroes, but because he is somewhat timid by nature, while the seventh, Mo Shenggu, is sincere and brave, Yin Liting usually seems more like the youngest of the Seven Heroes.

Normally, Yin Liting is rather timid when it comes to matters unrelated to Yang Xiao. It's not that Yin Liting is afraid of trouble, but rather that he is naturally unwilling to compete with others...

However, this kind of person is also stubborn. Because he always believed that Yang Xiao defiled Ji Xiaofu and killed her, Yin Liting also created a move that even his fellow disciples had never seen before - Heaven and Earth Live Together.

All for the sake of dying together with Yang Xiao!

However, Yin Liting was somewhat puzzled by his seventh brother's sudden attack, but he didn't understand. In the end, he wouldn't undermine his own seventh brother.

Mo Shenggu was still indignant—he had just clearly seen out of the corner of his eye that Xuan Nan, that bald monk, was sneering at him while he was teaching Song Qingshu a lesson!

Hearing Xuan Nan's feigned ignorance, Mo Shenggu was indignant, but he couldn't argue back. After all, it would seem petty to nitpick about someone laughing, and he had only made a sarcastic remark because he couldn't help himself.

but……

"Then why were you laughing just now? Did you think of something funny? Or were you mimicking Buddha's smile? Perhaps it was approval...? I clearly did a better job, so why weren't you smiling at me?"

Someone asked the question on his behalf!

"Guo'er," Yin Zhiping called out to Yang Guo helplessly—what's it to you?

Xuan Nan was taken aback by what he heard. He didn't know why this "child" from the Quanzhen Sect was also "accusing" him for no reason, since there was clearly no conflict between Shaolin and Quanzhen.

“The child is young and doesn’t know any better. He has just gained power and is bound to be a little arrogant... I have done my best to discipline him, Master Xuannan, please don’t take offense.” Yin Zhiping raised his palm to Xuannan, which can be considered a Buddhist and Taoist reciprocation.

Although there was no obsequiousness or nervousness, he appeared very frank.

Seeing this, Xuan Nan couldn't get angry. He simply made a Taoist bow and said, "Master Yin, you're too kind. It was just a child's innocent remark."

"Then what are you laughing at?" Yin Zhiping looked at Xuan Nan, then suddenly sneered. Feeling that something was wrong, he asked directly.

Xuan Nan: ? ? ?

Chapter 439 Lack of tact

"Oh no! It's 'Three Laughs of Carefree Powder'!" Xue Muhua exclaimed in alarm as soon as he noticed the situation.

"Three Laughs Carefree Powder?" Yin Zhiping asked, frowning.

Indeed, Yin Zhiping hadn't really come to interrogate him; he just felt that Xuan Nan's laughter was too abrupt, so he asked the question.

The question was so direct that even Xuan Nan was stunned on the spot.

Xuan Nan, needless to say, had no idea why Mo Shenggu and Yin Zhiping were suddenly targeting him...

"This is a strange poison concocted by that scoundrel Ding Chunqiu. It is colorless and odorless, and there is no reaction after being poisoned. At first, each time the poison takes effect, only the meridians in the face will be affected, causing the corners of the mouth to involuntarily turn up, resembling a cold smile. After three poisonings, there is no cure!" Xue Muhua was somewhat familiar with Ding Chunqiu's methods.

Although Xuan Nan did not fight Ding Chunqiu just now, this "Three Laughs Carefree Powder" is similar to "Sad Breeze" in that it is a type of area-of-effect poison.

When administering "Sad Breeze," the person administering the poison must be careful not to get involved, so it is usually administered upwind. "Three Laughs and Carefree Powder," on the other hand, is identified by internal injuries.

It has no effect on normal people, but it works immediately on people whose specific meridians have been damaged internally.

Originally intended to be used in conjunction with the Xingxiu Sect's martial arts—the "Three Yin Centipede Claw" could cause this kind of internal injury that would make the "Three Laughs Carefree Powder" effective.

However, Xuan Nan had just suffered a similar internal injury when he clashed with Kumārajīva using the "Formless Finger of Calamity".

"So you've already laughed twice? Master, please don't laugh anymore... Don't tease the master!" Yang Guo immediately shouted.

The others rolled their eyes – who would try to make someone laugh at a time like this? Besides, didn't Doctor Xue say that it wasn't a laugh, but a reaction of toxins in the facial meridians?

Being made to laugh doesn't count, right?

At the same time, everyone finally understood why Mo Shenggu had suddenly launched an attack...

"Dr. Xue, please save my senior brother quickly!" Xuan Tong, who had come with him, immediately said.

The martial arts practitioners who had been waiting for Xue Muhua to treat them spoke up at this moment, "Dr. Xue, please treat Master Xuannan first! I'm not in a hurry..."

Xue Muhua frowned and said, "This... it's not that I'm unwilling, but this 'Three Laughs of Carefree Powder' is something I can't treat unless the poisoning has just started and there haven't been any symptoms yet."

"Amitabha." Xuan Nan's face turned pale, but he only uttered a Buddhist chant.

However, Xuan Nan's cultivation level was clearly not high enough. He was not truly fearless of death, nor was he truly indifferent to face. If he were not afraid of death, he would not have this expression. If he could be indifferent to face, he would have already humbled himself to beg Chu Luren!

Xuan Tong ignored all of this and went to plead with Chu Luren: "Benefactor Chu, Senior Brother Xuan Nan has been poisoned by Ding Chunqiu and is in critical condition..." This was the first time Xuan Tong had met this "Red and White Tai Sui".

"Oh? Could it be that Shaolin is begging me?" Chu Luren deliberately asked in return.

“If Benefactor Chu is willing, this old monk can plead on behalf of Shaolin,” Xuan Tong said, seizing the opportunity.

As the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism, Shaolin Temple has become burdened by its great reputation in the martial arts world, resulting in many mercenaries among its monks, and there are very few monks who can truly be considered to have achieved mastery of Zen.

However, as a senior monk of the Xuan generation, Xuan Tong was not so concerned about saving face—after all, it wasn't for his own sake, and he had never met Chu Luren directly before.

As long as Chu Luren saves people, what's wrong with me asking him for help on behalf of Shaolin?

"I wonder how much that Kumārajīva helped Shaolin, that he actually received the Seventy-Two Arts..." Chu Luren first made a veiled criticism, and then took the opportunity to express his gratitude.

However, he still walked up to Xuan Nan and said coldly, "Sit cross-legged!"

Xuan Nan still wanted to live, and although he also wanted to save face, since Chu Luren hadn't mentioned Juxianzhuang, he wouldn't risk trouble for himself, so he immediately sat down obediently.

Chu Luren deliberately placed his hand on the top of his head—actually, it didn't have to be on the top of his head, he just wanted to touch the bald head and see what was different about the bald heads of the Xuan generation…

A moment later, Chu Luren stopped practicing his internal energy, but his expression was very serious, with his brows tightly furrowed.

"Benefactor Chu, how is it?" Xuan Tong asked anxiously.

On the surface, Xuan Nan remained calm. Because the "Three Laughs Carefree Powder" was too concealed, he didn't know if the poison had been neutralized. Although he hadn't fully grasped the great fear between life and death, he wasn't at the point of hysteria in this great fear either. He simply chanted the Buddhist mantra, "Amitabha."

There's a hint of mystery about it, like someone about to break through the illusion of life and death and achieve enlightenment...

But just then, Chu Luren suddenly said, "Xuan Nan, are you poisoned? I don't feel anything! You're not just trying to laugh, are you?"

Xuan Nan: ? ? ?

When Xuan Nan saw Chu Luren wink at him, he was so angry that he almost choked. What a load of rubbish about understanding life and death! He just felt that his anger would rise up as soon as he saw Chu Luren!

"Hahaha, just kidding. The poison has been cured. Master Xuannan, can you have a laugh now?" Chu Luren's wicked sense of humor sent shivers down many people's spines.

"Thank you... for saving me, Benefactor Chu." Xuan Nan still expressed his gratitude.

"I wonder how much of a favor Kumārajīva did for Shaolin that he was given the Seventy-Two Arts..." Chu Luren repeated.

"The seventy-two unique skills of the National Preceptor Kumārajīva are indeed... masterful! Perhaps they were obtained from India. After I return to the temple, I will also look up the scriptures and discuss this with the abbot and my fellow disciples." Xuan Nan was indeed thinking about this matter, but he avoided the topic of Chu Luren's words.

Seeing that Xuan Nan had no sense of propriety whatsoever, Chu Luren took the initiative and said loudly, "Since that's the case, if I have the opportunity, I would also like to discuss 'Indian martial arts' with Kumārajīva. I also have quite a few unique skills that I can exchange! Hahaha..."

Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong glanced at Chu Luren, but neither of them spoke.

From the perspective of "rumors," Chu Luren said such things in front of so many people in the martial arts world, and it will probably not be long before it reaches the ears of Kumārajīva.

Judging from the fact that Kumārajīva once wanted to exchange several important techniques from the "Seventy-Two Ultimate Skills" for the Tianlong Temple in Dali for the "Six Meridian Divine Sword", Chu Luren's "conditions" were very likely to be able to move Kumārajīva!

Chu Luren indeed meant it that way—in total, Kumārajīva possessed at least twenty or thirty martial arts techniques out of the seventy-two unique skills that could truly be considered "unique skills."

In the original novel, Kumārajīva possessed both the Yi Jin Jing and the complete set of the Seventy-Two Arts, and even went mad because he wanted to combine the Seventy-Two Arts into one, which led to his downfall. In the revised edition, this has been weakened; he only knows twenty or thirty of them, and practicing them will result in him going mad...

Chu Luren originally wanted to ask Shaolin directly, but Xuan Nan didn't respond, so Chu Luren decided to just accept that Kumārajīva's martial arts were "Indian martial arts".

Xuan Nan and Xuan Tong guessed Chu Luren's intentions, but they didn't say much. Xuan Nan added, "Benefactor Chu's martial arts are superb, so he shouldn't care about these things. Moreover, with Benefactor Chu's comprehension, if he were to become obsessed with martial arts, it would be a waste of his talent. If Benefactor Chu wishes to discuss Buddhist teachings, Shaolin will certainly welcome him with open arms..."

Chapter 440 Guidance

Chu Luren killed Ding Chunqiu, finally putting an end to a matter on his mind, and was in a great mood—it seemed that if an opponent like Ding Chunqiu was not killed in one blow, he would have a lot of headaches in the future!

Even after killing him, the "cleaning up" on Leigu Mountain was enough to give anyone a headache—it was so pungent it gave them a headache...

People were poisoned from time to time, but fortunately, Xue Muhua and Chu Luren were there, so at least no one died after Ding Chunqiu's death.

After a long day of commotion, and with darkness falling, the martial arts practitioners gradually dispersed.

The "Deaf and Mute Gate" clearly had no intention of welcoming guests. The Eight Friends of Hangu Pass were all all smiles, but when they greeted outsiders, they all acted as if to say, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

The skilled craftsman Feng Asan was very understanding. Seeing so many wounded people, he managed to assemble several semi-self-propelled stretchers in one afternoon!

Therefore, even the wounded were sent down the mountain overnight...

"Have you noticed that they seem to be hiding something?" Murong Jiu frowned as she watched the Shaolin people leave and asked Chu Luren.

"They're probably discussing something important. I saw the two from Wudang were involved, so it's definitely not aimed at me." Chu Luren wasn't worried that it was anything targeting him.

Since it had nothing to do with him, Chu Luren was only slightly curious.

Chu Luren also discovered that Xuan Nan, representing the Southern Shaolin Temple, Duan Tianya, representing the Dragon Guard Manor or rather the Song Dynasty, and another group of people seemed to be plotting something, with even Wudang involved...

Their appearance at Leigushan seems to be not only a coincidence, but also an opportunity for them to legitimately "collude" with each other.

Because Wudang was also involved, Chu Luren wasn't worried that it would be anything detrimental to him.

Upon hearing this, Murong Jiu rolled her eyes – you really dare to think that way. So many major sects, and even people from the Song court, are involved. How could they possibly be plotting against you?

After the Eight Friends of Hangu Pass had all politely seen off the various figures from the martial arts world, Wu, the painting madman, also came to find Chu Luren and invited him into the mountain's interior...

It's clear that the Free and Unfettered Sect truly intends to remain secluded from the world, showing no regard for its relationship with other sects. What they call a "farewell gift" is actually a way of reminding everyone—if you have nothing else to do, just leave...we won't provide meals!

Since the relationship between Chu and Lu was quite close, it did not fall under the category of "gifts".

Apart from Duan Yu, only Duan Yu was not "driven away".

"Lord Chu, the Ancestor requests your presence inside." Commander Wu had already addressed him as "Ancestor" again.

Although there is no formal ceremony yet, since Ding Chunqiu is already dead, it is only a matter of time before they return to their sect.

At this moment, the Eight Friends of Hangu Pass became quite "important," and even though no one knew anything about the Free and Unfettered Sect, it did not affect their pride.

Chu Luren followed Wu's army into the mountain's interior, where they found only Wang Yuyan, Su Xinghe, and another old man—undoubtedly Wu Yazi!

Su Xinghe looked like a white-bearded, venerable old man, while the other old man, judging by appearance alone, even seemed younger than Su Xinghe.

Although his beard and hair were white, they were not only crystal clear like jade without a single speck of white, but his face was also free of any wrinkles.

His overall demeanor gives off a sense of old age, but his outward appearance is full of vitality.

At this moment, the old man sat cross-legged and could not get up. Su Xinghe also knelt down in front of him, seemingly talking about something. His face was full of joy and excitement. Wang Yuyan was beside the old man and patted his back, probably worried that he was too excited...

Upon seeing Chu Luren enter, the old man also looked over, not just casually, but genuinely scrutinizing him. After a moment, he said, "Hmm, at least he looks rather fortunate."

Chu Luren: ? ? ?

What does "at least" mean?