Ding Kong puffed out his chest and coughed softly. He then said in a pompous manner, "Mm, Junior Brother Ding Zhen, let me introduce you. This is Master's Junior Brother Hui Guang's newly accepted disciple, Chu Li."
The young novice monk Ding Zhen looked at Chu Li and was surprised. "Master Huiguang accepted a disciple?"
"Master Huiguang saw Junior Brother Chu Li's high aptitude and accepted him as a disciple without hesitation!" Ding Kong shook his head and sighed. "If I had such aptitude, I would've entered the inner temple a long time ago!"
He turned his head and smiled at Chu Li. "This is Junior Brother Ding Zhen, Master Huiwen's disciple."
"Senior Brother Ding Zhen." Chu Li bowed with pressed palms.
He felt awkward but when he thought about Ding Zhen's age, he felt at ease. No matter how young Ding Zhen was, he was much older than him. It was fine to call him Senior Brother. Moreover, Ding Zhen looked young but his cultivation level was not inferior to Chu Li's. He was just a young novice monk from the Great Mercy Temple!
He realized that he did not know enough about the Great Mercy Temple and had underestimated them. In such a chaotic world, they were able to make a name for themselves and have a transcendent status. Sure enough, they had their own unique characteristics. However, the reputation of the Great Mercy Temple did not match their actual strength. It was obvious that they had concealed their true strength.
"I've become a Senior Brother too." Ding Zhen grinned with a hint of naivety and foolishness. "You're Master Huiguang's disciple. You've offended him."
Chu Li raised his eyebrows.
Little novice monk Ding Zhen smiled and said, "Huiguang Shibo is very strict. Back then, Ding Jian Shixiong and Ding Shi Shixiong suffered too much, and we all sympathized with them. Now that their suffering is over, they have surpassed us."
"I'm a disciple. I won't be that strict." Chu Li smiled.
He saw that this young novice monk Ding Zhen had no heart and was innocent. He could not help but feel close to him.
"That's not necessarily true." Ding Zhen shook his head. "Master Huiguang is very serious. As long as you become his disciple, regardless of whether you're a disciple or an inner disciple, he'll have strict requirements. Don't think it'll be easy."
"Junior Brother Ding Zhen, don't scare Junior Brother Chu Li." Ding Kong chuckled and said, "If you want to learn, how can you not suffer? Someone like me can't even bear to suffer, so I should be content!"
Chu Li smiled and nodded.
Ding Zhen walked in and asked with a smile, "Does Junior Brother Chu want to stay in the inner temple?"
Chu Li shook his head.
Ding Kong said, "Let's stay in our outer temple first, at Tianxin Courtyard. Ding Zhen Shixiong, you can come here often to compare martial arts!"
"Alright!" Ding Zhen agreed readily.
He also sensed that Chu Li's cultivation level was similar to his, so Chu Li would be an excellent opponent to spar with.
The three of them passed through the temple gate and headed east. They didn't go to the main hall, but to a training field at the side.
On the spacious training field, there were more than twenty bald monks practicing martial arts. All of them wore short robes and had bare arms. Under the sunlight, their bodies shone with a faint light, as if they were made of copper. Some of them were soft as if they were dancing, some were methodical, some were elegant, and some were clumsy and slow.
Chu Li saw a visible ray of light flying out from their palms.
Chu Li became solemn. This was not an ordinary martial art. The ray of light that could be formed when energy left one's body was so pure that it surpassed the ordinary level of palm energy. It was completely different from the color of Chi.
The color of the protective aura was due to the blood qi. It was a unique cultivation method. Only its defensive ability was achieved by sacrificing its sharpness. If the palm force was like the protective aura, then it would be completely powerless.
Chu Li's current palm energy could not condense into color because it was not pure enough. Even if Palm Leaf Scripture was circulating and purifying his inner energy, it still could not achieve the effect of external manifestation.
"These are the senior brothers of the Ding generation." Ding Zhen turned his head and introduced them. "They practice our introductory martial arts."
"Introductory martial arts?" Chu Li smiled bitterly.
Ding Zhen smiled. "A truly profound martial art requires a profound dharmic base and cultivation level. It's not enough to just rely on hard cultivation. Without enough dharmic base, one will go astray, so one can only practice introductory martial arts. I've been chanting scriptures now, and I still have to go to the outer temple for morning and evening lessons every day."
"That's right." Ding Kong chuckled. "Ding Zhen is worried to death."
Ding Zhen frowned. "I'd rather practice martial arts for a day than stay in the temple hall and chant scriptures for two hours!"
"Humph," Ding Kong said, "Your mortal heart has not faded yet, you still have to suffer. When you like to attend morning and evening classes, only then will you truly understand the Buddhist dharma, only then will you be able to practice more profound martial arts."
"Sigh … Master said the same thing." Ding Zhen sighed helplessly. "I really don't know when this will end! … Junior Brother Chu, you're the best. As a layman disciple, you don't have to practice dharmic base like us. "
Chu Li smiled and did not say anything.
Whether it was in the lower realm or on First Heaven, Buddhist martial arts focused on dharmic base cultivation. It was the same for the Tempest Temple back then. Without dharmic base cultivation, their martial arts could not reach a profound realm.
If it was martial arts cultivation level, Chu Li would not dare to boast. However, he was very confident in dharmic base cultivation level.
He stared at the monks on the martial arts field. He watched as their every movement emitted rays of colorful lights. His face was full of smiles, and he looked forward to the martial arts of the Great Mercy Temple.
However, he was a layman disciple, so he might not be able to practice the top-notch martial arts of the Great Mercy Temple. He might only learn some beginner martial arts, but even these martial arts were powerful enough.
He turned to look at Ding Zhen. "Senior Brother Ding Zhen, what are the top-notch martial arts of the Great Mercy Temple?"
"There are many." Ding Zhen smiled. "It depends on one's aptitude. Some practice Dragon and Elephant Wisdom, some practice Celestial Dragon Power, some practice Crouching Tiger Seal, and others … Every martial art of the Great Mercy Temple is top-notch. It only depends on one's cultivation level, comprehension, and aptitude. If one cultivates it well, he or she will be invincible. If not, it's useless no matter how powerful the martial art is."
Chu Li nodded slowly.
He had heard of Dragon and Elephant Wisdom from the outside. It was a unique martial art that maximized the strength and speed of one's body. One's speed was as fast as lightning, and one's strength was infinite. No one could block it, and one could only avoid it.
What was even more shocking was that this ability increased one's intelligence. Once it was used, even a fool would immediately become a calm and intelligent person. With one glance, one could see through the opponent's weakness and kill them with one blow. No one could defeat it.
Unless one's cultivation level was far higher than his, there was no way to win.
Such a unique martial art was famous in the martial arts world. Unfortunately, this martial art had high aptitude requirements. There were only a few people in the Great Mercy Temple who cultivated this martial art. However, every one who cultivated this martial art was a top-notch master.
As for Celestial Dragon Power, Crouching Tiger Seal, he had never heard of it.
But if Ding Zhen said so, then it must be a wondrous skill that was no less powerful than Dragon and Elephant Wisdom Skill. He guessed that the Great Mercy Temple had always kept a low profile and purposefully did not let others know about it.
"It's a pity that you can't cultivate these martial arts." Ding Zhen chuckled.
Chu Li shook his head helplessly.
Ding Kong scoffed. "Ding Zhen, you're really bad. Since you know you can't cultivate them, why are you still talking!"
Ding Zhen smiled. "However, layman disciples can also cultivate profound martial arts. There are many unique martial arts that depend on Junior Brother Chu's aptitude."
"Tell me about it," Ding Kong hurriedly said.
He was most envious of these martial arts and envied Chu Li for being able to cultivate them. Listening to them could satisfy his craving.
Ding Zhen said, "For example, the Void Dragon Catcher Palm and the Three Stabilizing Palm are extremely powerful."
"Only these …?" Ding Kong was disappointed.
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