The official activities of the King of Four Nations were split into three parts. The first was to visit the famous Golden Buddha Temple in Fuluo, the second was to listen to the real living Arhat Zhao Wu preaching, and the third was to train with young monks and martial arts masters. Other than the places where filming was prohibited, the media followed the entire process.
In the afternoon, Lou Cheng and the others entered the temple under the scorching sun and the steamer-like atmosphere. They admired the exotic Zen Forest up close, which was very different from the Buddhist temples in China.
The buildings here were sharp and majestic, giving off the characteristics of primitive Buddhism. As the Theravada saw Mahayana as a heresy, they didn't recognize the Bodhisattva or the many Buddhas mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. The main hall here only enshrined Sakyamuni and his disciples, such as Maha Kasyapa and others.
Outside the main hall, there was an urn with Brahma, the God of Four Faces guarding the door. His golden body was heavy and glowing, his eight arms extended and holding objects.
As it was an official activity, Lou Cheng, Peng Leyun and the rest wore the representative martial arts suit with white background and red vertical stripes. It was a stark contrast to Kaori Karasawa, Mouko Yamashita and the rest who wore traditional clothes and didn't mind the heat.
Veigar, on the other hand, was still wearing his big brimmed hat and general uniform. He walked majestically and looked as domineering as ever. It was as though he had forgotten the scars of losing to Kaori Karasawa and the fact that he couldn't even force her to use the Quadruple Aerial Attack.
Banam was dressed in a typical Nanzheng martial arts suit. His hands and feet were wrapped in white bandages. He habitually walked at the back of the group, at a place where no one would notice. Wahku and Gusai, one thin and one fat, were dressed in eye-catching monk robes that complemented the surroundings.
During the visit, they were divided into groups of three to five according to the representative group. There was a clear boundary between each group. Lou Cheng took out his phone and acted like a responsible tourist. As long as there was a place to take photos, regardless of the quality of the photos, he would take them. He planned to share them with his wife at night. As for Ann Chaoyang and Ren Li, their only purpose was to wait for him to steal the photos!
Peng Leyun? A guy whose phone camera was broken and who was distracted from time to time was only fit to be a salted fish!
Just after 3: 30 pm, they ended their tour and entered a building that looked like a lecture hall. At the head of the hall sat a sallow, emaciated, and old monk. His eyes were half closed, and he looked plain and unadorned. There wasn't anything special about him. He was Master Zhao Wu, who had achieved the initial state of Luohan and was equivalent to someone who had just entered the physical invulnerability state.
Zhao Wu didn't even lift his eyelids. His attitude was calm. Seeing that everyone had gathered, he started to speak in the Pali language that Buddha used to write the scriptures. The four middle-aged monks standing on his left and right translated in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Shengxiang language at the same time. Their voices overlapped and echoed in the meditation hall. There was an inexplicable deep and distant, solemn, and enlightening feeling.
Lou Cheng listened with great interest, trying to broaden his knowledge. But as he listened, he began to have doubts.
Master Zhao Wu wasn't talking about Buddhist scriptures or stories, but the actual cultivation method of the Sixteen Insight Wisdom. Starting from understanding the body and mind, step by step, using metaphors to explain, it made people feel that they could really learn something from it.
"It can't be. Is the cultivation method of the Sixteen Insight Wisdom so worthless that he would just casually teach it to us?" Lou Cheng moved closer to Peng Leyun and whispered.
This was equivalent to the core strength of the Ice Sect and the Fire Sect!
Peng Leyun tilted his head and looked at him. His lips opened and closed. His voice was inaudible, but it went straight into Lou Cheng's ears,
"He's only talking about the basics. He won't talk about the more profound content of the Sixteen Insight Wisdom. If you're really interested and walk on this path, he'll definitely welcome you with open arms and legs. He'll personally guide you and teach you."
Seeing that Lou Cheng was enlightened, he continued, "It's not bad to listen to it. The Sixteen Insight Wisdom isn't recorded in any Buddhist scriptures. It's a practical cultivation method that was refined by the eminent monks after Sakyamuni who cultivated Arhat Buddhahood. Yes, they're called Saints. It's very interesting."
Lou Cheng sized Peng Leyun up and smiled curiously, "It's normal for me to listen to it. You're a Taoist disciple, half a practitioner. Why are you here to listen to it?"
I've decided to give Peng Leyun a nickname. He'll be called 'Taoist'. A Taoist who's always in a trance!
Peng Leyun laughed softly, "Since the Song Dynasty, there have been many mutual interpretations of Buddhist scriptures, perfecting each other's philosophical system. Some of them also fused with each other's cultivation method. If I listen to Hinayana, I might be able to comprehend by analogy …"
As he spoke, he seemed to have thought of something. His eyes started to drift and his thoughts were no longer focused.
Lou Cheng's heart skipped a beat. He straightened his body and raised his head. Coincidentally, he saw Master Zhao Wu looking at him and nodding his head slightly. He wasn't angry, sullen, happy or smiling. However, that pair of half-closed eyes suddenly opened.
At the same time when they opened, Lou Cheng's eyes seemed to be filled with radiance. He saw Master Zhao Wu's skin turn golden. He grew three heads and extended six arms. His entire body was emitting flames, sacred and dignified!
It can't be? Is there really such a thing as the Golden Body of Arhat? Lou Cheng was deeply shocked. He subconsciously formed an Ice Mirror to reflect his surroundings. He suspected that his senses and spirit were affected by Master Zhao Wu's mystical abilities and that he was hallucinating!
In the Ice Mirror, the water shimmered. A Golden Body Arhat with three heads and six arms shone brightly!
It's real … Lou Cheng didn't believe in superstition. He simply did a Force Concentration to balance the rotation of ice and fire, forming a miniature "starry sky" where darkness and light, cold and high temperature coexisted. This was to maximize the subtle premonition that had merged with his body.
The surroundings seemed to have become empty. As Lou Cheng released his Force Concentration, he looked at Zhao Wu again. He discovered that his muscles had already bulged into a streamlined shape. His skin was emitting a dark golden glow. However, where were the three heads, six arms? Where were the flames emitting from his entire body?
No, in the void around him, his aura condensed as though it had materialized. Faintly, two blurry heads and four arms holding weapons appeared …
At this point, Lou Cheng understood the gist of it. The Golden Body Arhat he saw earlier was half real and half fake. It was formed by the aura condensed by Master Zhao Wu's physical body and his powerful spirit.
This is an expert of the same level as a physical invulnerability expert …
Thinking back to the scene of Master in the white world, he was really a land immortal …
As he thought about it, Lou Cheng's state of mind calmed down. He leisurely admired Zhao Wu's miraculous display.
His gaze swept past Peng Leyun. He discovered that his eyes were out of focus and his expression was blank. He didn't know where he was "wandering". He didn't care about the Golden Body Arhat at all.
Master Zhao Wu's coquettish eyes were thrown at a blind man … Lou Cheng criticized silently. He shifted his gaze and saw Ren Li looking at the seat of honor attentively. The light in her eyes flickered as though a storm was gathering. Ann Chaoyang was muttering to himself with a sentimental expression as though he was reciting a poem.
Reciting a poem? Lou Cheng tilted his ears in surprise. He heard Ann Chaoyang reciting softly,
"That year, I kowtowed and embraced the dust. Not for Buddha, but for your warmth …"
… Lou Cheng's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but curse silently,
Hehe, this bunch of salted fish!
They came here to listen to the scriptures for nothing!
Well, except for Ren Li …
I'll have to tell this to Ke Ke. It'll definitely make her laugh!
At 4: 10 pm, the lecture ended. The group walked out of the meditation hall. Lou Cheng casually sized up Kaori Karasawa, Veigar and the rest. He wanted to see any reaction from witnessing the "Golden Body Arhat" from their faces. However, they were all determined people. Their expressions had already returned to normal. He couldn't see any clues. On the other hand, the other boxing masters and samurai were still in a daze. They were obviously in a great shock and were about to doubt their lives.
Next was the tutorial session. According to the arrangement of the organizing committee, they were divided into two groups. A few female contestants went to guide the younger female boxing masters. The rest went to the dining hall to taste the monk's rice and wait for their turn.
Worried that Ren Li would get lost, the leader Zhong Ningtao gave Lou Cheng a few words of advice before hurrying over. Mouko Yamashita watched quietly and nodded his head slightly.
Dining hall.
The monk's rice was served one by one. The water was clear and the rice was coarse. It was extremely simple. Lou Cheng, Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang each ate a few mouthfuls before stopping.
Why would they torture themselves when they weren't hungry?
Speaking of which, I'm starting to miss the various delicacies of my homeland … Lou Cheng swallowed his saliva.
After a short while, the monks started to clean up the tableware. Mouko Yamashita, who was not far away, glanced over from the corner of his eye. Seeing that the three of them had no objections and allowed the monk to take away the utensils in front of them, a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.
This monk had already been bribed. The utensils they used would be directly collected by Otake Momotori!
Although Lou Cheng and the rest had been eating out every day, they weren't pre-ordered. Hence, they couldn't be bribed in advance. Moreover, their leader would take care of things at the end.
This time, the leader had already been transferred away!
At this moment, Lou Cheng suddenly remembered something. He quickly stopped the monk who was about to leave with the utensils. He smiled at Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang and said, "You guys are too careless! Where is this place? This is Nanyang! Sorcery is rampant and curses are everywhere. You can't leave anything closely related to yourself behind to prevent others from using it to cast spells! "
Hmm, this was what he thought of according to the leader's instructions!
Seeing that Peng Leyun and Ann Chaoyang were in a daze, Lou Cheng proudly wiped the edge of the bowl he used and wiped the other utensils that were stained with his saliva. The dark flame flickered. It didn't burn the material, but it was slightly steaming.
"That's a good move," Peng Leyun praised.
To be able to use the flame to remove the traces without burning the utensils, this level of control was admirable!
Lou Cheng's transformation should be complete soon, right?
As he spoke, he stood up as well. A silvery white flame appeared in his hand. He wiped all the utensils that belonged to him and didn't leave anything else behind.
Seeing this, Ann Chaoyang was eager to start as well. He hadn't cultivated his supernatural ability yet, so he could only destroy with special waves. In the end, he shamefully took out wet wipes.
Mouko Yamashita, who was not far away, watched silently, dumbfounded.
…
While the female experts were giving guidance, a sudden gust of wind blew over, dispelling the dullness and teasing Ren Li's straight hair.
After reaching Sixth Pin, each strand of her hair was very sturdy. Without external forces, it would be hard for it to fall. During guidance training, there was no need to tie up her hair.
Just then, Kaori Karasawa, who was near her, quietly flicked her fingers. A twisting gust of wind was hidden in the natural environment, perfectly complementing the movements of the training girl. It "twisted" two strands of Ren Li's hair and silently tore them off, as if accidentally caused by the girl's moves.
No one could train Absolute Reaction to their hair!
Two strands of black hair with hair follicles fell. Although Ren Li felt it, she didn't find it strange and continued to feed the training girl.
Kaori Karasawa's expression became more relaxed, the smile on her face still as sweet as ever. After the guidance, she pretended that an item had fallen and rolled to the side. She walked over and bent down to pick it up.
…
When Ren Li returned to the canteen, Lou Cheng told her about the Nanyang Sorcery and Curse Voodoo and reminded her to be careful.
Ren Li replied confidently,
"That's nothing. I know curses too."
"You know curses too?" asked Lou Cheng, shocked.
"Yeah. There are some Voodoo curses in the Plague Sect. It takes a long time to prepare and there's no time to use them in battle. Also, the materials that can be gathered are usually useless and often fail. However, it's a hundred percent accurate for myself," said Ren Li thoughtfully. "I think I lost a few strands of hair just now. I can reverse the curse …"
At this point, she looked at Zhong Ningtao eagerly.
"Leader, I'd like to apply to go out and buy some materials."
Damn, I didn't expect you to be this kind of Ren Li … I can't afford to offend you … Lou Cheng couldn't help but wipe his cold sweat.
She knows how to curse!
That's not right. I think I can reflect curses …
At this thought, he didn't say anything else. Together with Peng Leyun, Ann Chaoyang, and the rest, they headed to the square to guide the pugilists and acolytes who were at most twelve or thirteen years old.
Lou Cheng couldn't help but feel a little emotional when he saw their youthful but devoted expressions and their skillful but fierce movements.
In China, this age was the first time they came into contact with martial arts. They were still at the stage of building the foundation and training their bodies. They were still a few years away from forming combat strength. It wasn't that long, but the whole society had come to a consensus that practicing martial arts at such a young age would interfere with their development and cause various negative consequences. It could also affect the child's mental health.
During this process, quality education would be supplemented to prevent one or two of them from becoming illiterate. If their martial arts path was cut off in the future, they wouldn't become handicapped.
However, this wasn't the case in Shengxiang. Most of them were poor and led a tough life. Although it wasn't to the extent that they didn't have a proper meal, they weren't much better off either. They had to work hard to support themselves from a young age. If they were lucky enough to be chosen to practice martial arts, it was a great thing. The earlier they could master it, the earlier they could have combat strength, and the earlier they could serve the Nurturer. This was the common wish of all parties.
Due to the lack of high-level experts, many of the referees here weren't up to standard. Fights were often out of control, and the smell of blood and cruelty permeated the air. However, such boxing matches were unusually popular. Many people loved them and were willing to spend money for them.
According to the reports he had read, the boxing masters in Shengxiang were a group with a high rate of disability. If they hadn't reached the inhuman stage and had their root pulp mutated, they would often suffer from illness and pain after they passed their prime. They might not even live past 50.
Of course, compared to many other professions, this was already very fortunate. Not only was the income good, but they could also bully the weak with their martial arts and seize some resources. As for transvestites, they were glorious for a moment, but painful for many years.
The reason why there was such a difference between the two countries was because other than martial arts, China was developing well in other aspects as well. For children, practicing martial arts was mostly a dream and a future, but for people of the same age in Shengxiang, it was only a matter of survival.
Lou Cheng guided them with all his heart. There was no discrimination, only sighing.
The qualifications of the child opposite them were only average. In China, he wouldn't be able to pass the first distribution. He had to study …
At 5.30 pm, the event ended. Lou Cheng and the rest didn't encounter any trouble. They successfully found a place to eat and returned to the hotel.
…
At night, at the place where the Japanese representatives were staying, the researcher, Masai Otake, held back his excitement and started the preliminary treatment of Ren Li's hair, intending to separate the hair follicles.
He was concentrating on the operation when a dim light suddenly lit up in front of him. He saw the two strands of hair burning rapidly, turning into ashes in an instant, giving off a faint fruity fragrance.
"How did this happen?" Masai Otake was dumbfounded.
After a few minutes, the phone in the room of the Japanese representatives' leader rang. He picked it up and realized it was Masai Otake. He was shouting with difficulty,
"Help, help …"
Help? The leader hurried out and called for help. He opened the door of Masai Otake's room and saw him lying on the floor, curled up like a shrimp, vomiting non-stop. He seemed to be in pain.
"It's … it's poisonous!" Masai Otake struggled to say after seeing the "help".
…
"Seems like a mistake …" Ren Li stared blankly at the dazzling array of decorations in front of her and muttered to herself.
"There shouldn't be anyone around, right?"
"Forget it, I won't really hurt anyone. I'll just feel uncomfortable for a while."
"Yes, yes. That's settled!"
Ren Li clapped her hands and walked to the bathroom happily, intending to take a good bath.
…
The next day, August 27th, Lou Cheng, who had mostly recovered from his injuries, felt that he would be able to complete his transformation in another two to three days and truly enter the Inhuman stage.
After the morning sparring session, he rested, watched the videos, and waited for the next match to experience the Six Paths of Reincarnation Punch.
As for whether Peng Leyun or Kaori Karasawa would be the final champion, he would definitely stand on his teammate's side!
At 7: 30 pm, they arrived at the Shengxiang stadium after a full meal. They entered the changing room to make the final adjustments before the match.
Outside the door, there was a sea of people and the heat was overwhelming. It didn't seem like they were watching the finals, but rather a festival. Inside the door, Peng Leyun was holding his phone horizontally. It was playing the battle video between Lou Cheng and Kaori Karasawa. However, his eyes weren't focused on the screen, as if he was thinking of something.
Ren Li, who had nothing to do, was also playing with her phone. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed from time to time as if she wanted to argue with someone. However, she controlled herself in the end. Ann Chaoyang, on the other hand, had his headphones on, listening to music quietly as if he was in a deserted place.
As for Lou Cheng, he was, of course, chatting with his little fairy.
"If you lose, I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life ~ [Cover Mouth Snicker Emoji]"
For the rest of my life … Lou Cheng's lips curled as he typed, "This feels so scary … I have to think about how much I should lose!"
Just like that, time ticked by. Lou Cheng put away his phone, intending to close his eyes and rest for 15 minutes.
At this moment, he caught a glimpse of Peng Leyun's "return" from the corner of his eye. His eyes were rejuvenated, and he couldn't help but remember something. He asked in a low voice, "What's with the curse? It feels weird and scary. Is it based on the principle of quantum entanglement? "
He guessed with his half-baked knowledge of physics.
Peng Leyun turned his head to look at him and chuckled.
"That's a blind spot in my knowledge. I'm just an undergraduate …"
"Eh, you know this joke?" Lou Cheng blurted out in surprise.
"I'm not a caveman." Peng Leyun shook the phone in his hand, amused.
Both he and Lou Cheng were rather relaxed.
…
In the Japanese representative's area, the leader took a deep breath and threw all the distracting thoughts to the back of his mind. He looked at Kaori Karasawa and asked,
"How do you feel?"
Next up was the battle for Japan's honor!
Kaori Karasawa moved her limbs and smiled. "Not bad. My injuries should be fine now."
"Good." The leader nodded in satisfaction.
…
In another changing room.
Gusai, who was preparing, saw the leader walking over and heard him say in a deep voice,
"Lou Cheng defeated Mouko Yamashita, Banam, and even forced Kaori Karasawa to use the Quadruple Aerial Ace. He's publicly recognized as one of the top four experts in this competition. If you can defeat him, you'll be able to clear your name and Shengxiang's name. You'll be praised by everyone and receive all the glory!"
Gusai was also an accomplished monk. He wasn't agitated when he heard that. Instead, he replied calmly,
"He's a true expert. There's a certain gap between us. It's unlikely that I'll win."
Besides, he was also injured in the battle with Peng Leyun!
"Don't worry. We've already contacted Wu Sheng from Miluo. He'll be the referee for the match between you and Lou Cheng," said the leader proudly.
"Lou Cheng will find out and be suspected by everyone." Gusai shook his head slowly.
"No, because he won't affect your opponent or interfere with your battle. It's just that his mutated ability can help you perform better at crucial moments without attracting attention! Fight with all your heart and show everyone what the right way is! "The leader waved his hand passionately.
Entering the finals would be too eye-catching. Third place was just right!
After a moment of silence, Gusai replied,
"I only know how to be myself. I didn't hear anything else."
"Very good." The leader left, satisfied.
Wahku, who had followed along, watched quietly without saying a word.
Perhaps this was the hurdle of Junior Gusai's cultivation. He would only understand after experiencing it for real …
When he won against Lou Cheng, he would often feel guilty and troubled because of this matter. Unable to see through it, he would then understand the falseness of his body and mind. He would hate everything in this world and develop the intention to leave …
Gusai sat there motionless for a long time. Only when the announcement was made did he suddenly stand up like a mountain, his terrifyingly fat jiggling.
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