The Great Zen Temple, ancient and serene, showed no signs of the passing five years.
In the scripture repository:
"Five years have passed."
Lin Yuan sat cross-legged, his gaze profound. Unbeknownst to him, five years had elapsed since his arrival in this world. He was now a quarter of the way through the maximum residency of twenty years.
During these five years, besides immersing himself in understanding and practicing the insights he gained, Lin Yuan had also acquired a certain level of knowledge about this world.
The source of his understanding naturally came from the Great Zen Temple. As a sacred place of Buddhism and a major force in martial arts, the Great Zen Temple couldn't completely isolate itself from the world. On the contrary, its intelligence network extended throughout various corners of the world. Using Buddhist faith as a pretext, they had infiltrated nearly every aspect.
According to Lin Yuan's knowledge, the current Great Li Dynasty ruled over the Central Plains, enjoying a period of prosperity. The entire realm was under its control.
Even the millennium-old Great Zen Temple had to bow before the Great Li Dynasty.
According to the information gathered by the Great Zen Temple, at least six martial arts masters served the Great Li Dynasty.
It's worth noting that there were probably only around a dozen martial arts masters in the entire world today.
Having one master was enough for the Great Zen Temple to dominate the martial arts world. The Great Li Dynasty, with six martial arts masters, held immense deterrent power.
The reason for the Great Li Dynasty's profound strength was its founding ancestor, a grandmaster.
Grandmaster.
Martial Arts Grandmaster.
One word made a world of difference.
From ancient times, each era had its own masters. Some eras had a few, while others had dozens.
However, a martial arts grandmaster. was a rare occurrence, with perhaps centuries passing before one emerged.
The Great Li Dynasty's dominance over the world, forcing even the Great Zen Temple to submit, was due to the existence of their invincible founding ancestor, a grandmaster.
Even after the passing of many years, the techniques left by this grandmaster still controlled the six martial arts masters. The Great Li Dynasty's founder had been a grandmaster, a level of spiritual and martial prowess that set him apart from ordinary masters.
While later generations of martial practitioners focused on the transformation of their bodies, blood, and energy, martial arts grandmasters aimed for a spiritual refinement, a realm of their own.
One living martial arts grandmaster could make ordinary masters tremble with a single glance.
"Spiritual Anomaly."
Lin Yuan touched his forehead.
The founder of the Great Zen Temple, Patriarch Bodhidharma, a master from a millennium ago, was also a martial arts grandmaster. Therefore, the Great Zen Temple had detailed descriptions of grandmasters.
Compared to martial arts masters, the distinguishing feature of grandmasters was the initiation of the development of the spiritual soul's power.
To break through to the realm of grandmaster, one must gather and master spiritual anomalies. However, the realm of the spiritual soul was elusive and ethereal. Ordinary masters might spend decades without sensing this power. Even if a master did sense it, any slight mistake during the process of gathering spiritual anomalies could lead to irreversible consequences.
Physical injuries could be gradually healed and restored, but the same couldn't be said for the spiritual soul. Typically, out of a hundred masters, about eighty would never touch the level of the spiritual soul during their lifetime. Nineteen who did sense the spiritual soul might perish while attempting to gather spiritual anomalies. In the end, only one master would successfully ascend to the realm of grandmaster.
"The one hundred and sixty-third method to break into the realm of grandmaster seems to have almost no danger," Lin Yuan contemplated.
Ever since he had successfully crossed into the realm of master four years ago using the 'Body Refining and Spirit Purifying Technique,' Lin Yuan had been pondering ways to ascend to the realm of grandmaster.
Given Lin Yuan's extraordinary insight, understanding and developing the spiritual soul were within his capabilities. The challenge lay in how to condense spiritual anomalies without any risk.
Lin Yuan had been exploring the methods left by the Great Zen Temple's founder, Patriarch Bodhidharma, for the past few years, stored on the third floor of the scripture repository.
However, these methods had a high mortality rate, reaching ninety-six percent. Despite being lower than the ninety-nine percent mortality rate outside, it was still too high for Lin Yuan to accept.
That was why Lin Yuan decided to use his extraordinary insight to create a method to ascend to the realm of grandmaster without any risk.
After creating one hundred and sixty-two methods, the breakthrough method he formulated a few days ago, the one hundred and sixty-third, left Lin Yuan quite satisfied. It not only minimized the risk of ascending to the realm of grandmaster but also provided room for recovery even in extreme circumstances.
Now, Lin Yuan felt confident that he could cross into the realm of grandmaster without any risk.
"Today is the day I step into the realm of grandmaster."
Lin Yuan contemplated for a moment and decided to immediately begin the breakthrough.
Meanwhile, in the Great Zen Temple, the abbot and the chief monk, Hui Wen, along with a few other leaders, were engaged in casual conversation.
"Let me think. Hasn't it been three or four years since Junior Brother Hui Zhen left the scripture repository?" The chief of the Vinaya Court speculated and asked.
Hui Zhen, also known as Lin Yuan, was addressed as a junior brother since he had taken the master Long Eyebrow Monk as his teacher. Lin Yuan's seniority in the Great Zen Temple was equivalent to that of the chief of the abbot's court.
"Yes." The abbot of the Great Zen Temple nodded.
Since Lin Yuan moved to the scripture repository five years ago, he only occasionally stepped out during the first year. For the past four years, he hadn't left the scripture repository at all.
"People say that Junior Brother Hui Zhen cultivated innate energy at the age of three, an unprecedented martial arts prodigy. However, the dedication Junior Brother has shown in martial arts is beyond ordinary." The chief of the Menial Labor Court commented.
Others nodded in agreement.
For four years, Lin Yuan hadn't stepped out of the scripture repository, dedicating himself to martial arts scriptures. Such discipline and patience were rare even among high monks.
"I wonder how Junior Brother Hui Zhen's cultivation is going?" The third chief showed a hint of curiosity.
Having entered the realm of innate energy after just watching the demonstration of the Luohan Fist, Lin Yuan had spent five years in the scripture repository. Everyone was curious about his current level.
"With Junior Brother Hui Zhen's talent, he might already be at the peak of the innate energy realm." The chief of the Vinaya Court speculated.
"Innate energy peak?" The abbot hesitated for a moment.
In this world, martial arts were divided into postnatal, innate, master, and grandmaster realms. Although Lin Yuan, at the age of three, entered the innate realm, his foundation was inadequate due to his young age. It would likely take considerable time to catch up to the level of an average innate martial artist. The abbot estimated that, in five years, Lin Yuan might have just compensated for his deficiencies and reached the standard level of an average innate martial artist.
"Perhaps." The abbot pondered for a while and nodded slightly.
He didn't believe that Hui Zhen had reached the peak of the innate realm after compensating for his foundation. However, since Lin Yuan was Long Eyebrow Monk's disciple, and they were of the same generation, the abbot refrained from making definitive statements.
"You two old fellows have no confidence in Junior Brother Hui Zhen? Maybe he's already a master."
The chief of the Martial Monk Court glanced toward the direction of the scripture repository, a smile appearing on his face.
He was the first one to discover Lin Yuan's martial talent.
"Master," the chief of the Vinaya Court and the chief of the Menial Labor Court exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly.
Even though they sensed a playful tone in the chief of the Martial Monk Court's words, they didn't echo his sentiment. After all, the title "Master" was significant, representing a rare few pillars in the martial world.
"Alright, stop discussing Junior Brother Hui Zhen." The abbot of the Great Zen Temple felt that the conversation was becoming more absurd and immediately intervened.
However, at that very moment, a rumbling sound echoed in the air, accompanied by invisible fluctuations rising into the sky, creating ripples that spread in all directions.
"Is this spiritual power?"
"Could it be the spiritual power of a grandmaster, a great grandmaster?"
The abbot and the other leaders widened their eyes, feeling a sudden shock.
When had a great grandmaster appeared in the world? Moreover, if such a grandmaster were to visit the Great Zen Temple, it would be an extraordinary event.
"No, this spiritual power is coming from the scripture repository!"
"This is Junior Brother Hui Zhen's aura!"
The chief of the Vinaya Court seemed to have sensed something, his eyes widening.
"Junior Brother Hui Zhen's aura?"
"Spiritual power? A great grandmaster?"
The abbot and the chief of the Martial Monk Court opened their mouths, their faces expressing disbelief, as if they had encountered a ghost.
Judging by the source and the characteristics of this spiritual power, they couldn't help but entertain a wild idea.
Could it be that Junior Brother Hui Zhen, who had spent five years in the scripture repository, had actually reached the realm of a great grandmaster?
Realizing this possibility, a sense of absurdity overwhelmed them.
Three years old entering the innate realm was one thing, but now, at the age of eight, a great grandmaster?
Was he still human?!
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