Chapter 298
Chapter 298
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 82
>Chapter Title: Shaolin Temple (4)
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"Yes. Those footprints are the traces from that very moment."
At Abbot Gongjeon's words as the head of the Scripture Pavilion, a glint appeared in Mok Kyung-un's eyes.
He didn't know exactly what the Hundred Eight Arhats Formation was, but from the name itself, he could tell it was a formation made up of 108 people.
Yet, a combined assault formation deployed by 108 people had been shattered by a single step?
It was quite an intriguing story.
At that moment, Cheongryeong's voice echoed in his mind.
-...This is absurd.
-Yes?
-The Hundred Eight Arhats Formation isn't just any ordinary formation. It's called the most perfect among all combined assault formations.
-So?
-It's not 'so.' For one supreme master to break it is impressive enough, but to do it with just one step...
She couldn't finish her sentence.
The experts deploying the Arhat Formation were all first-rate to peak-level masters.
A formation multiplies its power simply by assuming its positions.
For one to shatter that immense amplification from 108 people with a single step meant their realm was beyond imagination.
-The true Ruling Step.
Ruling Step.
There's a saying that one footprint, or one stride, can dominate everything.
As she said, if a single step could achieve that, the title was well deserved.
Mok Kyung-un approached the footprint and asked,
"To engrave a stele here to awaken vigilance in Shaolin, it seems the owner of this footprint was an outsider, not from Shaolin, right?"
"Amitabha. That is correct."
Shaolin's monks called this footprint a humiliation.
But they preserved it to set aside their pride as the orthodox pinnacle of Central Plains martial arts, to reflect on themselves, and to maintain vigilance.
'Just a single step...'
Then, with eyes full of curiosity, Mok Kyung-un placed his sole over the footprint and asked,
"Do you know who this person was, Elder?"
"...I do know, but it is bound by a vow of silence, so I cannot reveal it. Please understand."
"I understand."
At Abbot Gongjeon's words, Mok Kyung-un smiled faintly.
He could kind of see why.
Even Cheongryeong was in awe of this incredible formation that had been broken by one step, so no matter how much it was for vigilance, it wouldn't be easy to disclose casually.
"Then shall we continue?"
"Yes. Ah! May I ask if the one who left this was around six chi tall or something like that?"
"...It happened a very long time ago. Hundreds of years, in fact. So please don't worry about it, benefactor."
"My apologies. I'm weak to curiosity."
-Snap!
With those words, Mok Kyung-un aligned his sole with the footprint.
It was an action done without much thought.
In fact, Abbot Gongjeon, the head of the Scripture Pavilion, smiled lightly as if accustomed to such behavior from visitors.
But right then—
-Flinch!
The moment his sole touched it, Mok Kyung-un's vision went black.
As his entire field of view turned pitch black and he could see nothing with his physical eyes, Mok Kyung-un instinctively knew that a mind manifestation had unfolded.
'What is this?'
He furrowed his brow at the sudden phenomenon.
Then, unexpectedly, the power of the Three Eyes activated on its own, and with it, a bizarre scene unfolded before him.
It was this very place.
It felt slightly different, but 108 staff-wielding warrior monks were deploying a formation, surrounding someone.
That someone wore a demon mask with blood-red hair standing out.
'Blood-red hair?'
It felt familiar.
The moment he saw that hair, he thought of the six-chi-tall So Ye-rin.
At that time, an old monk shouted toward the surrounding warrior monks.
[Go fetch an incense stick that burns for one gak.]
[Yes, Head Abbot.]
Some warrior monks clasped their hands and were about to run off.
[No need for that.]
With those words, the unidentified figure in the demon mask, hands behind his back, lightly took a step forward.
-Boom!
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
In that instant, all 108 Arhat monks aiming their staffs flipped their eyes back and collapsed to the ground.
'!!!!!!!!!!'
It was an astonishing sight.
The hall fell into stunned silence in an instant.
Unlike them, however, in Mok Kyung-un's right eye, he could see countless repetitive energy flows spreading in all directions.
'This is?'
It wasn't ordinary energy—it was innate true qi, creating repetitive flows that induced a tremendous hypnosis.
This energy flow was similar to the hypnosis shown by the Six Blood Star Demon Hands, but on a far higher level.
Without the incantation to control this flow, even imitating it would be impossible.
-Flinch!
At that moment, the thirty scattered words of the Breaking Thought Eight Forms in Mok Kyung-un's mind began to combine.
The long-stagnant incantation of the Breaking Thought Eight Forms was taking shape.
'Form overcomes heart, immeasurable weight, extreme distance transforms form, no boundary no image no form, form overcomes heart... the Form of Subduing.'
As the incantation took form, it remained in his mind as a single entity.
At this utterly unexpected moment, having gained another Form of the Breaking Thought Eight Forms, Mok Kyung-un's eyes took on a strange light.
'Ah...'
If he hadn't seen this scene in the mind manifestation, he never would have recalled this incantation.
It was a form so hard to grasp intuitively.
Then, voices rang in Mok Kyung-un's ears.
-Benefactor?
"Benefactor?"
They were Cheongryeong's and Abbot Gongjeon's voices.
The moment he recognized them, the scene vanished, and he escaped the mind manifestation.
Returning to reality, Mok Kyung-un let out a small exclamation.
"Ah..."
-Benefactor, what's wrong?
"Benefactor, are you alright?"
To their questions, Mok Kyung-un lightly waved his hand as if fine.
But contrary to his words, the power of the Three Eyes was still active in his right eye, so in his vision, the faint weave of innate true qi lingered at the center of the footprint.
'Was it because of this?'
This weave had become an incantation, drawing Mok Kyung-un into the mind manifestation.
With his mind manifestation far deeper than others, Mok Kyung-un could read the lingering intent in the incantation.
Coincidentally, faint energy still remained centered on the sole print, allowing entry into the mind manifestation.
'Who is it?'
The man with blood-red hair wearing the demon mask.
He must be the one who left this footprint, as Abbot Gongjeon described.
Yet, said to have happened centuries ago, for the energy residue to remain so vividly—it was impossible to gauge how extraordinary he was.
'...No wonder ancient martial arts were said to surpass the current era.'
Clicking his tongue, Mok Kyung-un lifted his sole from the footprint.
Then, pointing toward the cave with his hand, he said,
"I'm fine. Let's go."
"Amitabha. Understood."
Abbot Gongjeon, who had been worried by Mok Kyung-un's dazed, staggering appearance, clasped his hands and resumed guiding.
* * *
At the same time, in the Arhat Hall's plaza.
There, Seop-chun, Mong Mu-yak, Ja Geum-jeong, Mara-hyeon, and Saint Flower Spirit Lord waited with somewhat anxious expressions.
Originally, they had planned to follow Mok Kyung-un into the Demon Subduing Cave.
But at the Demon Subduing Hall Head's dissuasion, they had to stay here.
[The Demon Subduing Cave doesn't contain just one monster. If those who haven't learned spells, like the Demon Subduing monks, enter in large numbers, it will provoke them. So please wait here, benefactors.]
Having sent only Mok Kyung-un, they couldn't help but worry.
If he safely subdued that monster, they could leave Shaolin unscathed, but failure would complicate things further.
Honestly, abandoning this weird bird would have let them leave safely, so they felt a pang of regret for making things messy.
But they couldn't voice complaints.
Seeing Mok Kyung-un refuse to abandon even a mere monster had deepened their trust in him.
'For now, we can only trust our lord.'
They prayed he would succeed.
The precept-breaking monk Ja Geum-jeong glared discontentedly at someone.
It was Precept Court Head Abbot Dae-deok.
Always emphasizing rules, he was notoriously stubborn among Shaolin's elders.
He had never bent his will.
'Damn bald donkey.'
He always seemed to block his path, irking him for no reason.
Then his eyes met Abbot Dae-deok's, and perhaps because of his fallen status, Ja Geum-jeong stared him down coldly.
'Tsk tsk.'
At Ja Geum-jeong's attitude, Abbot Dae-deok clicked his tongue inwardly.
Though he had been defrocked, he was once an elder of the sect, yet glaring like he wanted to kill—good thing he was expelled early.
If Abbot Gongjeon hadn't intervened with talk of his Wusang Great Ability or whatever, he would have seized him and crippled his dantian, stripping his martial arts.
'Hmm.'
Still, such an opportunity was rare.
They had left him alone because he claimed to have mastered the unrestored Wusang Great Ability.
But now that he walked into Shaolin of his own accord, he needed to extract the incantation under some pretext.
If that arrogant benefactor who learned barrier arts failed to control the monster, there would be ample chance.
A benefactor going through this trouble to protect a mere monster would provide justification for suppression with a little prodding.
As he sorted his schemes,
A monk from the Precept Court entered the Arhat Hall.
"Amitabha, Abbot."
"What is it?"
The monk whispered something into Precept Court Head Abbot Dae-deok's ear.
Hearing it, Abbot Dae-deok glanced at Mok Kyung-un's group waiting in the plaza's center and the demon bird Hyeomwon.
"Hoh. Is that so."
A faint smile curled at Abbot Dae-deok's lips.
* * *
As they passed the entrance to the cave-like hall buildings, Abbot Gongjeon, head of the Scripture Pavilion, spoke up near the Repentance Prohibition Cave.
"Frankly, I'm surprised, benefactor."
"..."
"Though we are monks cultivating the Buddha's way, as a martial artist, I've never seen someone your young age with such profound cultivation."
At his sincere praise, Mok Kyung-un expressed thanks.
"You're too kind."
"If it's not rude, may I ask your age?"
"Seventeen... no, as of yesterday, eighteen."
He had completely forgotten, but yesterday was his birthday.
He wasn't sure if it was truly his birthdate, but it was the day Grandfather always celebrated.
"Pardon?"
Abbot Gongjeon asked in surprise.
'!?'
Mok Kyung-un realized his mistake.
On the way to the Demon Subduing Cave, he had been mentally preparing contingencies for failing to make the monster his food spirit or control it.
So he answered casually, but he was wearing the Human Skin Face Mask.
The mask's face looked mid-twenties, so this answer would seem odd.
Fortunately,
"Hahaha. Amitabha. My apologies. This monk's cultivation is still lacking. It's just another prejudice. Your profound cultivation made me think you were older."
"Ah... yes."
Rather than dwelling on the mismatch between face and age, he focused elsewhere.
Seeming impressed by reaching such a realm before even turning twenty, Abbot Gongjeon kept exclaiming.
"Oh. What a prodigy. A true prodigy."
He genuinely admired Mok Kyung-un's talent.
As they neared the Demon Subduing Cave, he asked,
"It's not right for an ordained monk to concern himself with worldly matters, but I wish to know the name of one who will surely shake the world. Could you tell this monk?"
At the question, Mok Kyung-un pondered briefly.
He had hidden his real name from the start, and having just escaped Huangdo Kaepyeong, even if Abbot Gongjeon was favorable, revealing his Heaven-Earth Society alias was tricky.
About to give a random fake name, something occurred to him.
[Shall I call you Jeong? No, that doesn't suit you either.]
Mok Kyung-un chuckled and said,
"Heavenly Demon... Heavenly Demon."