Chapter 6: Chapter 5 Is This Human? Is This Even a Human?!

Great Zen Temple with ancient Buddha lamps.

Five years had passed without leaving a trace in this place.

Sutra Pavilion.

“Five years already…”

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his eyes deep and distant.

Unconsciously, he had already been in this world for five years.

One-quarter of the twenty-year sojourn term had elapsed.

During these five years, besides immersing himself in the practice of understanding and cultivating the law,

he had also gained some understanding of this world.

As for the source of his understanding, it naturally came from the Great Zen Temple.

As the sacred land of Buddha Gate and one of the Great Martial Sects,

the Great Zen Temple could not truly live in isolation from the world.

On the contrary, the intelligence network of the Temple

had infiltrated all aspects of the world.

Spreading intelligence under the guise of Buddhist beliefs, it was said to be omnipresent.

According to Lin Yuan’s knowledge,

the contemporary Dali Dynasty ruled over the Central Plains, in its prime.

All within the four seas and eight deserts submitted to its rule.

Even a thousand-year-old great sect like the Great Zen Temple

had to bow its head to the Dali Dynasty.

According to the information gathered by the Great Zen Temple,

there were at least six Martial Arts Grandmasters serving the Dali Dynasty.

Keep in mind,

there are estimated to be only a dozen or so Martial Arts Grandmasters in the entire world.

The Great Zen Temple, with a single Grandmaster in residence, could pressure the martial world.

The deterrence of the Dali Dynasty, commanding six Martial Arts Grandmasters, could be imagined.

The foundation of the Dali Dynasty was due to its founding ancestor,

who was a Great Grandmaster.

Grandmaster.

Great Grandmaster.

A difference of one word,

like heaven and earth.

Since ancient times, each era gave birth to certain Grandmasters.

At fewest, several to a dozen; at most, several dozens.

But a Great Grandmaster… one might emerge only every few hundred years.

The Dali Dynasty swept across the world and forced great martial sects like the Great Zen Temple to capitulate—

all because of that invincible founding Great Grandmaster.

So much so that today, many years after the demise of that founder,

they still had the means to command so many Martial Arts Grandmasters.

If Houtian, Innate, and even Grandmaster,

represented the physical and bodily transcendence,

then a Great Grandmaster… signified the sublimation of spirit and soul.

A living Great Grandmaster could, with a single glance, cause ordinary Grandmasters to tremble inwardly.

“Extraordinary mental force…”

Lin Yuan touched his forehead.

The founder of the Great Zen Temple a millennium ago, Patriarch Bodhidharma, was also a Great Grandmaster.

Therefore, the Temple was no stranger to descriptions of Great Grandmasters.

Compared to Grandmasters,

the biggest characteristic of a Great Grandmaster was the beginning to harness the power of the spirit and soul.

To break through to the Great Grandmaster, one must consolidate and master this extraordinary mental force.

However, how intangible and elusive is the spirit and soul?

Common Grandmasters, probably for decades, wouldn’t be able to feel such power.

Even if a Grandmaster did have an epiphany,

any minor error during the consolidation of the extraordinary mental force

could lead to irreversible calamities.

After all, while physical injuries could be slowly nursed back to health,

the spirit and soul… were unforgiving of any carelessness.

Normally speaking,

for every hundred Grandmasters,

eighty would never touch upon the level of spirit and soul in their lifetimes.

Nineteen would reach the level of spirit and soul and fail in consolidating the extraordinary mental force, leading to death.

Only one Grandmaster would manage to ascend to the realm of Great Grandmaster.

…

“The one hundred and sixty-third secret technique for breaking into the realm of Great Grandmaster is almost safe now…”

Lin Yuan pondered within.

Ever since four years ago, when he had successfully stepped into the realm of Grandmaster using the ‘Yi Jin Washing Marrow Tempering Body Exchanging Blood Refining Divine Skill’ to nurture his body,

Lin Yuan had been pondering on top of his practice, creating methods to advance to the rank of Great Grandmaster.

With Lin Yuan’s Against-Heaven’s Understanding, to perceive and even develop the spirit and soul was within his grasp.

The difficulty was how to consolidate the extraordinary mental force without any risk.

Being an essential strength related to the soul, even Lin Yuan had to be extremely cautious.

The Great Zen Temple’s Patriarch Bodhidharma did indeed leave behind methods for breaking through to the Great Grandmaster,

And they were kept on the third floor of the Sutra Pavilion.

However, these methods had a high mortality rate, reaching 96 percent.

A 96 percent mortality rate… even though it was already an improvement compared to the outside world’s 99 percent, it was still far from acceptable for Lin Yuan.

That’s why Lin Yuan intended to employ his Against-Heaven’s Understanding to create a risk-free technique for entering the realm of the Great Grandmaster.

After devising one hundred and sixty-two secret techniques,

the one hundred and sixty-third breakthrough secret technique created a few days prior had satisfied Lin Yuan greatly.

Not only had it reduced the risks of advancing to the Great Grandmaster to almost zero,

Even if some extreme condition were to arise, for instance, being disturbed by external forces during a breakthrough.

Or perhaps Lin Yuan himself suddenly no longer wished to make the breakthrough.

There would still be room for recovery,

At most it would take a few years to recuperate.

Unlike other secret techniques for breakthrough that leave no path for return.

“Stepping into the Realm of Great Grandmaster, happens today.”

After considering repeatedly for a while, Lin Yuan decided to begin the breakthrough immediately.

…

Meanwhile.

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple and Abbot Huiwen of the Martial Monk Institute, along with several other Heads, were chatting leisurely.

“Judging by the time, it has been three to four years since Huizhen last stepped out of the Sutra Pavilion, hasn’t it?”

The Head of the Discipline Academy pondered for a while before speaking.

Huizhen… that is, Lin Yuan.

Since becoming a disciple of Elder Long Eyebrow, a Grandmaster,

Lin Yuan’s seniority in the Great Zen Temple was now equal to that of the Heads and Abbots,

Belonging to the ‘Hui’ generation.

Normally, when the Abbot reckoned Lin Yuan, he would refer to him as junior brother.

“Indeed,”

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple nodded and said.

Ever since Lin Yuan moved into the Sutra Pavilion five years ago, except for the initial year when he occasionally came out to stroll around,

In the subsequent four years, he never once stepped out from the great doors of the Sutra Pavilion.

“They say Huizhen was a prodigy of the Martial Tao who nurtured Innate Qi at the age of three, a once in a millennium talent, but the brother’s dedication to the Martial Arts is not something ordinary people can compare with.”

The Head of the Miscellaneous Tasks Institute said.

The rest nodded in agreement.

Four years without leaving the Sutra Pavilion, constantly accompanied by martial arts scriptures,

Such focus and patience, many high monks do not possess.

“I wonder how junior brother Huizhen’s cultivation is progressing?”

A third Head revealed a hint of curiosity on his face.

Simply by observing a demonstration of the Arhat Fist, he smoothly entered the Innate Realm.

Now, after spending five years in the Sutra Pavilion, everyone was curious about what level Lin Yuan had achieved.

“With Huizhen junior brother’s talent, he might well be at the Innate Realm Peak by now,”

The Head of the Discipline Academy conjectured.

“Innate Realm Peak?”

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple hesitated for a moment.

Within this world, the Martial Tao is divided into the Postnatal, Innate, Grandmaster, and Great Grandmaster levels.

Although Lin Yuan, as a three-year-old child, had entered the Innate Realm,

A three-year-old’s vitality is naturally insufficient,

Foundationally entering the Innate Realm with such a constitution would surely require a lot of time to compensate.

Five years’ time… Lin Yuan might just have finished compensating, reaching the level of an ordinary Innate Martial Tao expert.

“Perhaps.”

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

He didn’t believe that Huizhen junior brother, after having replenished his foundational strength,

Would then cultivate to the level of the Innate Realm Peak.

Nevertheless, since Lin Yuan was a disciple of Elder Long Eyebrow and their contemporary, one could not be too negative in one’s words.

“You two old men, have so little faith in Huizhen junior brother?”

“Perhaps Huizhen junior brother is already a Grandmaster.”

The Head of the Martial Monk Institute glanced towards the Sutra Pavilion, a smile emerged on his face as he spoke.

He was the very first to recognize Lin Yuan’s martial arts talent.

“Grandmaster…”

The Head of the Discipline Academy and the Head of the Miscellaneous Tasks Institute exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly.

Even if the Head of the Martial Monk Institute spoke in jest, they did not echo the sentiment.

After all, that would be… a Grandmaster.

Those were the pillars of heaven you could count on one’s hands under the vast sky.

“Enough, let’s not speculate about Huizhen junior brother anymore…”

Feeling that the idle talk was getting out of hand, the Abbot of the Great Zen Temple immediately interjected.

However.

Just at that moment.

Boom!

An invisible force surged to the heavens, creating ripples that spread out in all directions.

“Is this a spiritual disturbance?”

“Is it a Great Grandmaster, the spiritual disturbance of a Great Grandmaster?”

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple and the Heads’ pupils contracted sharply.

They then felt as if their scalps were exploding, their faces full of panic.

When did a Great Grandmaster appear in the world?

And that Great Grandmaster had come to their Great Zen Temple?

“No, this spiritual disturbance, it originates from the Sutra Pavilion!”

“This is Huizhen junior brother’s aura!”

The Head of the Discipline Academy, as if realizing something, bulged his eyes wide.

“Huizhen junior brother’s aura?”

“Spiritual disturbance? Great Grandmaster?”

The Abbot of the Great Zen Temple and the Head of the Martial Monk Institute opened their mouths as if they had seen a ghost.

Considering the source and aura of this spiritual disturbance,

A possibility emerged within their minds.

Could it be that Huizhen junior brother, who had spent five years in the Sutra Pavilion, had stepped into the Realm of Great Grandmaster?

Realizing this, a sense of absurdity overcame them.

An Innate expert at three was one thing,

But now, a Great Grandmaster at eight?

Is this even human?

Is this even human?!!