Chapter 49 A Special Place for Cultivation

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, the north wind was biting, Meng Qi and Zhen Hui were walking on the way back to the Martial Monk Academy.

"Junior brother, thank you for asking Master Ken to accept me as a disciple." After a moment of silence, Meng Qi spoke.

Although this was not what he really wanted, he was still grateful for the friendship of the junior brother.

Zhen Hui walked briskly, looking very happy, and said nonchalantly: "It has nothing to do with me. Master has wanted to accept you as a disciple for a long time."

"Ah? How did you know?" Meng Qi asked in astonishment.

Zhen Hui turned his head and looked at him strangely: "The two secret books have been copied a long time ago."

Yes! Why didn't I think of it! Meng Qi suddenly realized and looked up and down at Zhen Hui. Could this guy be a foolish man?

Zhen Hui was a little uneasy when he was looked at, and shrank his neck and said: "Senior brother, I didn't steal your food."

Eh? Meng Qi narrowed his eyes. I was wondering why I didn't eat enough during the days of facing the wall! I thought that this was the punishment for facing the wall!

When facing the wall, three meals a day were delivered to the room.

After Zhenhui took several steps back, Meng Qi gritted his teeth and said, "Forget it. You are at the critical stage of opening up your Dantian, and you need sufficient food."

"Yeah!" Zhenhui nodded honestly without any hesitation.

As they were talking, the two returned to the Martial Monk Academy. As soon as they entered the Zen room, Zhenyong came over after hearing the sound of the door being pushed open.

"Junior Brother Zhending, Junior Brother Zhenhui, you are really blessed by the Buddha. You were chosen as disciples by Uncle Xuanbei." He opened his mouth with congratulations, but his voice was slightly sour.

Meng Qi smiled and said, "I didn't expect it either. I thought the reward was one of the seventy-two unique skills."

"Alas, I was scared at the time, otherwise... Alas, alas..." Zhenyong sighed and regretted his choice of doing less trouble.

After what happened in the back mountain, Meng Qi was no longer as close to him as before, but he still comforted him a few words after hearing his words: "I got it because of the reward, and Junior Brother Zhenhui got it because of his good performance in the Martial Monk Academy and the Miscellaneous Affairs Academy. Senior Brother Zhenyong, you also have a chance."

"I hope so, Amitabha, I hope the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the sky will open their eyes." Zhenyong sighed, put away his envious and jealous expression, cheered up, and said excitedly, "If you become a disciple of Uncle Xuanbei, you can learn 72 unique skills. I wonder what the two junior brothers have chosen?"

"I am the Golden Bell Cover, and Junior Brother Zhenhui is the Flower Picking Finger." There is nothing to hide about this kind of thing, Meng Qi answered casually while packing his clothes.

Zhenyong was stunned for a moment: "Picking Flower Finger, Junior Brother Zhenhui, you actually chose the Picking Flower Finger?"

His tone was a little strange, Meng Qi raised his head and looked over: "Senior Brother Zhenyong, what's the problem?"

Zhenyong shook his head and smiled: "No, no, I just thought that the Picking Flower Finger is difficult to practice, and I can't be distracted by other skills. I am a little worried about Junior Brother Zhenhui, but Junior Brother Zhenhui is usually a dedicated person, so I am not afraid."

As he said, he looked at Zhenhui and said with envy: "Junior Brother Zhenhui, the Picking Flower Finger is directly derived from the 'Tathagata Palm', which is the first of my Shaolin 72 skills. You must practice well, and give me more guidance on martial arts in the future."

"Yes." Zhenhui packed clothes attentively.

Zhenyong knew his temper and was not surprised. He turned to Meng Qi and said, "Brother Zhending, you have the Iron Shirt skill, and the 'Golden Bell Cover' is an excellent choice, but why don't you choose the 'Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill'? It is better and there is no conflict."

Meng Qi certainly would not copy Xuanbei's words to insult himself. He smiled and said, "My master asked me to choose, and I don't know why."

"Well, Uncle Xuanbei is a master of his generation. There must be a deep meaning behind this." Zhenyong nodded and smiled again, "Two brothers, please take care of me in the future."

"Of course." Meng Qi was unwilling to talk about this topic He looked out the window at the dark night and said, "Brother Zhenyong, has anything important happened to me these days?"

Zhenyong thought for a while and said, "The important thing that concerns us is that the uncles and uncles came to select disciples, but you don't have to care about it. Well, there is another important thing. Brother Zhenchang broke through Tongren Lane and went down the mountain to travel."

"Brother Zhenchang? Tongren Lane?" A tall and thin young monk suddenly appeared in Meng Qi's mind. He was Zhenchang, one of the three strongest people in the "Zhen" generation. He also served as a monk in the martial monks' academy, but the target was the martial monks who practiced the "Arhat Formation".

When he first met him, Meng Qi had only one idea, that this guy should play Tang Monk, with red lips and white teeth, tall and thin body, and a weak temperament. He should be the type that the female demon likes. However, after listening to Zhenyong's introduction, he knew that he was Zhenchang, the leader of the martial arts of the "Zhen" generation.

Zhenyong nodded heavily: "Yes, after a period of seclusion, Senior Brother Zhenchang has opened his ears, and has made some progress in the 'Arhat Subduing Demons Divine Art' and 'Prajna Palm', and then he directly passed through the Tongren Alley and became the youngest wandering disciple."

"Can you pass through the Tongren Alley just by opening your ears?" Meng Qi heard Jiang Zhiwei mention it. She, who also opened her eyes and ears, did not have more than 60% confidence in passing through the Tongren Alley. Zhenchang was able to pass through just by opening his ears? Could he be better than Jiang Zhiwei? That's not right. In the last martial arts competition, Jiang Zhiwei took the lead without even using the "Sword Out of Selflessness", and later there was an improvement in the reincarnation space.

Zhenyong looked out the window and lowered his voice and said: "I heard from others that Senior Brother Zhenchang's experience in the Tongren Alley was also very dangerous, and he almost failed, and he passed it with a bit of luck."

"Is that so." Meng Qi said thoughtfully.

Zhen Yong continued, "And Brother Zhen Chang is the first monk of our "Zhen" generation to enter the opening period. He can already open his ears. His strength is far stronger than Brothers Zhen Ben and Zhen Miao. He postponed his retreat for the sake of martial arts, but he was defeated by Jiang Zhiwei of Xijian Pavilion. Now he has made another breakthrough and it is reasonable for him to pass through Tongren Lane."

According to Shaolin rules, Zhen Chang, the first monk to enter the opening period, is considered the "big brother" of the "Zhen" generation.

Meng Qi pretended to be curious and asked carefully about the news of Tongren Lane, then left the Zen room with his luggage in satisfaction.

After Zhen Yong's repeated farewell, Meng Qi and Zhen Hui walked slowly to the gate of the courtyard. Looking back, many Zen rooms were still lit with candles, and they could vaguely see many martial monks looking at them. Ice cones hung from the eaves, shining with moonlight, crystal clear, and inexplicably cold.

…………

"Master, where are you taking me?" After the morning class the next day, Meng Qi was led by Xuan Bei to the back mountain.

Could it be that the special place for cultivation is in a cave in the back mountain?

Xuanbei's cassock fluttered in the wind, and he looked ahead and said, "I have asked for leave for Senior Brother Xuanen. You don't have to go to the chanting hall during this period. Concentrate on practicing the 'Golden Bell Cover' and lay a good foundation as soon as possible. I will help you with the literacy issue."

"Yes, Master." Meng Qi looked at the increasingly familiar scenery around him and said, "Are you going to practice the 'Golden Bell Cover' in the back mountain?"

"Not long ago," he went through dangers here, dealt with "The Universe in the Palm" Tang Shun, and also got the true meaning of "Ananda Breaking the Vows Sword Technique" in the secret passage.

Xuanbei nodded gently: "Well, you will know when you get there. Did you read the 'Golden Bell Cover' secret book last night?"

"I have read it through three times and started to try it." Mengqi answered honestly.

He did not waste any time, and practiced the first level of the Golden Bell Cover every minute, re-condensing his Dantian.

Xuan Bei stopped talking and walked forward in silence. Meng Qi followed closely, passing through the narrow road between two cliffs, and stepped into the back mountain for the first time in a real sense.

The mountains overlapped, and there were strange peaks from time to time, but as far as the eye could see, there was no grass growing, and the soil was red, as if it had been irrigated with blood.

"It is said that a few years before the Nirvana of Bodhidharma, he had a fierce battle with a great demon here. The pure land he derived was destroyed, and all kinds of barriers were broken, becoming what it is today." As if sensing Meng Qi's puzzled gaze, Xuan Bei slowly spoke, "Later, all the great monks of successive generations hid the relics in the stupa here, and used Buddhism to transform this demonic land, so that the disciples outside could walk."

Stepping on the "bloody land", Meng Qi felt a chill coming from his feet, and the mountains of corpses and blood, the rotten limbs, the evil ghosts and demons seemed to appear before his eyes.

"Amitabha." The solemn Buddhist chant sounded, and all kinds of illusions disappeared. It was still sunny and there was no green.

"Disciples who come to the back mountain for the first time all have similar hallucinations of infection. It will be fine if you calm down." Xuan Bei said kindly.

Meng Qi nodded, but he was shocked and suspicious in his heart. This was similar to the feeling of touching the stone door that said "Loyalty, kindness, and benevolence, do not enter this door", but it was not so realistic and scary, and did not make him sweat.

Is there any connection?

After bypassing several peaks and passing several checkpoints guarded by yellow-robed monks and elders, Xuan Bei led Meng Qi to the highest peak of the back mountain. As he walked, Meng Qi's eyes gradually showed a touch of green. Clear springs flowed down from the heights and formed puddles, which were full of strange golden lotuses, still blooming in winter.

Walking between these mountains, Meng Qi felt pure and clean, and forgot his worries.

After passing several checkpoints, Meng Qi saw a colorful glazed pagoda with seven floors, but it was not tall.

"Amitabha." The elder in a cassock guarding the door chanted the Buddha's name, checked Xuanbei's token, and without asking any more questions, let him and Mengqi in directly.

"The place for cultivation is in the stupa..." Meng Qi muttered to himself, not daring to speak, and quietly followed Xuanbei into the pagoda.

"The seven floors above the pagoda are where the relics are stored, and the seven floors underground are where demons and monsters are suppressed." Xuanbei said calmly, pushing open the stone door in front of him with swastikas engraved on it.

As soon as the stone door opened, a strong and strange breath rushed over, pressing Mengqi's body and mind to tremble, and his breath was difficult to circulate, and he felt uncomfortable all over.

"This is demonic energy." Xuanbei fulfilled his duty as a master to explain.

Mengqi endured the discomfort, restrained the trembling, and followed Xuanbei forward with steady steps.

Xuanbei nodded slightly, turned a few corners, and stopped next to a cell, where a giant bird with fiery red feathers lay.

Just standing next to the cell, Meng Qi felt like he was on fire. Looking over, he felt the air there was distorted, as if the entire space was shaking. The cell in front of him was emitting a hint of coldness, and a layer of light blue ice crystals formed on the ground.

"This is a fire swan, with the blood of the ancient true phoenix. You can use its emanating aura to practice the first level of the Golden Bell Cover here." Xuan Bei asked Meng Qi to practice outside this cell.

Meng Qi gritted his teeth, took off his monk's robe to his waist, and sat cross-legged in front of the light golden iron bars with symbols. With his upper body naked, he felt the high temperature and practiced the first level of the Golden Bell Cover.