Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Divine Monk (3)
There was one reason Se-woon was stunned.
'The monk's condition...'
Abbot Gongseong's appearance was the complete opposite of his oceanic aura.
His complexion was ashen, and his body was withered like a dried-up tree.
Even without being a physician, anyone could tell at a glance that Abbot Gongseong was in a critical state, teetering on the brink of death.
But Se-woon couldn't understand.
Because in his memories before the regression, the Divine Monk had entered Nirvana—but certainly not at this point in time.
'Ah!'
At that moment, fragments of realization flashed through Se-woon's mind.
Why the Eight Great Protectors had turned hostile toward him.
Why Abbot Gakgong had accused him of stealing his master.
The mystery was solved.
The old monk's lifespan had been cut short because he had helped Se-woon.
"......Abbot. Is your current condition... because of me?"
When Se-woon asked with a grave expression, Abbot Gongseong scolded him in reply.
"Tsk, you've finally set down your burdens, yet you insist on shouldering them again?"
"That's not—"
"My life is shaped solely by my own choices. Therefore, none of it is your doing."
"......!"
Se-woon was left speechless by the monk's resolute words.
Seeing his expression, Abbot Gongseong chuckled softly and continued.
"Hoho, it seems my teachings were of some use."
"I am truly grateful. The grace you've bestowed upon me is so immense that I don't even know how to repay it."
"Hehe, what grace? Those trifles hardly qualify."
Though the monk spoke as if he truly meant it, Se-woon shook his head solemnly.
"If my assumptions are correct, what you've given me is something I can never take lightly."
"How amusing. Very well, tell me what you believe I've given you."
Se-woon took a deep breath before speaking slowly.
"The Great Return Pill. And... the Marrow-Cleansing Scripture from the Muscle-Tendon Change and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture left behind by Bodhidharma at Shaolin."
The revelation was nothing short of earth-shattering.
The Great Return Pill.
Among all elixirs crafted by human hands, it was hailed as the supreme pinnacle—a pill among pills.
If consumed by the sick, it could cure even illnesses at death's door. If taken within moments of death, it could restore a departed soul to the body.
For martial artists, ingesting it granted at least thirty years of internal energy—a divine elixir beyond mortal reach.
'...Even the Blood Cult couldn't surpass the Great Return Pill in pill-making.'
The ingredients required were exceedingly rare, and the refinement process was so arduous that Shaolin could produce only one pill every thirty years.
Moreover, after the Divine Monk left Shaolin, it was said they hadn't managed to properly craft even a single pill.
Such a supreme elixir had entered Se-woon's stomach!
'But what's even more astonishing...'
Compared to the latter item, the Great Return Pill seemed almost laughable.
The Muscle-Tendon Change and Marrow-Cleansing Scripture.
It was the peerless martial art left behind by none other than Bodhidharma, the founding patriarch of Shaolin.
Even the abbot of Shaolin was forbidden from laying eyes on it unless deemed worthy—a divine technique representing Shaolin's pinnacle.
The Muscle-Tendon Scripture was the ultimate external martial art, forging an indomitable physique, while the Marrow-Cleansing Scripture was the supreme internal cultivation method, unchallenged among Buddhist sects.
The only commonality between these two peerless techniques was their extreme difficulty and slow progress.
Yet throughout martial history, mastering even one of them was enough to earn the title of the world's greatest in that era.
And now, such supreme techniques were etched into Se-woon's mind.
If Abbot Gakgong and the Eight Great Protectors learned of this, they would never stand idly by.
They would either forcibly induct Se-woon into Shaolin or, if they deemed him unworthy, immediately seek to cripple his dantian.
As Se-woon stared at the Divine Monk with grave eyes—
"Hehe, I thought you were just a brute who knew how to move. But it seems you've got a sharp mind too."
"—!!"
The monk confirmed his speculation.
Hearing the affirmation, Se-woon exhaled sharply without realizing it.
Of course, he was overjoyed beyond measure, but that only deepened his confusion.
"But why would you bestow such priceless treasures upon someone like me, who had no prior connection to you?"
Abbot Gongseong answered without hesitation.
"What is the Great Return Pill? What is the Marrow-Cleansing Scripture?"
"......."
"The Great Return Pill is merely a pill crafted from herbs. The Marrow-Cleansing Scripture is but a line of words left by the patriarch for the sake of sentient beings."
"......!"
"The teachings of the thousand-year Shaolin exist solely to save and deliver sentient beings. If they were used to save a single life, they have fulfilled their purpose."
"!!"
"Do not worry, child. They were used where they were needed, received by one who was meant to receive them."
The more the monk spoke, the more Se-woon found himself speechless.
The shock of realizing that the Divine Monk's enlightenment had reached a realm he couldn't even fathom left him stunned.
Abbot Gongseong watched him quietly before offering a faint smile.
"However, if this truly weighs on your heart, repay Shaolin in the future by returning the teachings when it falls into turmoil."
"......!!"
Se-woon's eyes widened as he looked at the monk.
He had grasped the hidden meaning in those words.
"......You already know that the mortal world will soon become hell."
"How could I not? The dawn is not breaking—only darkness spreads over the world."
The old monk knew more than just Se-woon's regression.
He was aware that an unprecedented calamity would soon descend upon the world at the hands of the Blood Cult.
For the first time since his regression, Se-woon had met someone he could confide in.
"The enemies I must face are far too powerful for me alone. Please, won't you lend me your aid a little longer?"
"......Amitabha."
Though Se-woon pleaded desperately, the monk softly chanted the Buddha's name.
"I am sorry, child. My ties to this world end here."
"Ah."
"But do not despair. To avert the coming calamity, I have left behind one thing."
"What have you left?"
At Se-woon's question, Abbot Gongseong let out his signature chuckle.
"Hehe, do you truly not know?"
"Huh?"
"I have left you."
"!!"
A shiver ran down Se-woon's spine like a bolt of lightning.
Only then did he understand why the Divine Monk had bestowed such treasures upon him, a stranger.
[All things will flow as they should.]
Feeling the monk's warm gaze, Se-woon slowly closed his eyes.
Whoosh—
The profound energy that had been emanating from the Divine Monk now surged from Se-woon instead.
An auspicious aura reminiscent of dawn's first light swirled around his body before ascending.
Gathering at the Baihui point atop his head, the energy dispersed and reformed repeatedly, gradually taking on a new shape.
Whoosh—
Finally, three blossoms bloomed above Se-woon's head.
Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit.
The flowering of energy—symbolizing the full maturity of the Hua Realm—had manifested within Se-woon.
Whoosh—
The resonance of the completed energy quickly subsided.
When Se-woon slowly opened his eyes, his outward appearance remained unchanged, yet he was undeniably different.
Abbot Gongseong looked at him with pride and spoke.
"The path you have chosen will be fraught with greater trials and darkness than you can imagine."
"It's alright."
Se-woon's eyes held neither hesitation nor fear.
Meeting the monk's gaze squarely, he replied:
"It's a path I've already decided on. I will walk it with a smile."
"......!"
For the first time, a glimmer of admiration appeared in Abbot Gongseong's eyes.
The monk nodded slightly.
"Good. That is a fine smile."
Just as a serene atmosphere filled the room—
Abbot Gongseong suddenly covered his mouth with one hand.
"Cough, cough!"
"Are you alright!?"
Se-woon rushed forward in concern at the monk's violent coughing.
A trace of blood stained the old monk's lips.
"Hoo... I wish to rest now. You may leave."
"But—"
Though Se-woon's eyes were filled with sorrow, the monk shook his head as if to say there was no need to worry.
That gesture carried profound meaning.
Suppressing the lump in his throat, Se-woon forced out his words.
"......I will take my leave."
After bowing deeply to the monk in final respect, Se-woon clenched his teeth and exited the Cloud-Dwelling Pavilion without looking back.
The old monk watched his retreating figure silently.
"......May the Bodhisattva watch over you."
Avalokiteshvara.
The monk's mantra echoed softly in the tranquil room.
The next day.
News like a bolt from the blue spread through the Martial Alliance.
"Sob... Divine Monk..."
"Is Heaven truly so heartless? Must it take even the Divine Monk from us?"
"......Ah, what will become of the martial world now?"
Abbot Gongseong, the Divine Monk, had entered Nirvana.
The news that he had peacefully passed away in the lotus position within his Cloud-Dwelling Pavilion plunged not just the martial world but all of the Central Plains into mourning.
Shaolin, having lost both its grandmaster and its foremost disciple, was steeped in grief.
Rumors spread that once the funeral rites were complete, Abbot Gakgong would lead Shaolin in exacting due retribution against the Blood Fiend Sect.
But amid the sorrow, another bizarre rumor surfaced.
"Honestly, at least make it believable."
"This is beyond absurd. What? The last heir of the Tang Clan received teachings from the Divine Monk?"
"The Righteous Blade Hero has no connection to Shaolin, let alone the Divine Monk!"
The ludicrous tale claimed that before his passing, the Divine Monk had met with the Righteous Blade Hero, Tang Se-woon, and imparted his teachings.
Even those who usually praised Se-woon's chivalry scoffed.
It was simply too preposterous.
Why would the Divine Monk, who had spent decades in seclusion severing all worldly ties, seek out an unrelated figure like the Righteous Blade Hero before entering Nirvana?
......However.
Soon, an event occurred that forced everyone to believe.
"Wait, is it true? The Shaolin abbot sought out the Righteous Blade Hero?"
"Yes! Multiple witnesses saw him personally deliver a sealed casket containing relics before departing the alliance headquarters!"
"But... why would the Divine Monk...?"
"Perhaps he foresaw the hero of the future!"
After the funeral rites, Abbot Gakgong had sought out Se-woon and delivered relics extracted from the Divine Monk's remains.
It was said to be the monk's final bequest.
Everyone was stunned.
Relics—small bead-like formations that emerged when the remains of high monks with profound spiritual power were cremated—were known to possess the highest demon-subduing power among all treasures in the martial world.
Given that they came from the Divine Monk, whose spiritual power was hailed as unparalleled throughout history, no one could fathom why Shaolin would allow this.
But one thing became clear to the world:
Tang Se-woon, the last heir of the Sichuan Tang Clan, was the chosen hero and righteous knight of the next generation.
Just as Se-woon's fame soared to unprecedented heights—
[Martial Alliance Grand Assembly—Convened]
After repeated delays due to the aftermath of the Blood Fiend Sect's attack—
The Martial Alliance Grand Assembly was finally announced to be held at the Kaifeng headquarters.