Chapter 12: Entering the World is Exiting the World

Outside the Martial Hall.

The lean elder Yuwen Pan watched as the silhouette of the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea disappeared.

"To use Master Hui Zhen as a stepping stone to attack the Realm of Great Grandmaster... this really is..."

The lean elder Yuwen Pan for a moment, did not know what to say.

A look of sympathy involuntarily appeared on his face.

In fact, this method of using the pressure of life and death

to break through limitations and bottlenecks is not unheard of.

With the aptitude and understanding of the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea,

under the oppression of a Great Grandmaster, it is indeed highly possible.

After all, compared to Yuwen Pan,

the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea reached this point today entirely on his own.

His potential goes without saying.

The biggest mistake of the Sword Saint of the Southern Sea was setting his sights on Master Hui Zhen.

Because in the eyes of Yuwen Pan,

Lin Yuan's strength undoubtedly surpasses that of an ordinary Great Grandmaster,

and could even be considered the strongest among all Great Grandmasters in history.

This point, through nearly a year of contact, Yuwen Pan had almost confirmed.

Even more terrifying were Yuwen Pan's speculations...

"The Master's strength, has it really surpassed that step...."

Yuwen Pan felt his whole body trembling.

Since ancient times, spanning thousands of years,

the Great Grandmaster had always been recognized as the undisputed strongest.

It is the ultimate realm sought by all martial artists in the world.

As for the realm above Great Grandmaster, surpassing Great Grandmaster...

Yuwen Pan dared not think about it, nor would he think about it.

This was just like pondering why the sun hangs in the sky, meaningless.

But now,

having experienced the might of Lin Yuan's roar, Yuwen Pan finally began to doubt.

Perhaps, above the Great Grandmaster, there exists a higher realm?

Just like Lin Yuan?

No wonder Yuwen Pan thought this way, it was simply because the combat power displayed by Lin Yuan was too extraordinary.

The founder Great Grandmaster of the Dali Dynasty had not died many years ago,

and Yuwen Pan remembered the descriptions of Great Grandmasters very clearly.

No matter how strong, they should not be this powerful.

Moreover, this past year, under Lin Yuan's occasional guidance.

Yuwen Pan clearly felt the existence of the Great Grandmaster's bottleneck.

If the guidance of a Great Grandmaster were so useful,

there wouldn't be the saying that a Great Grandmaster cannot train another Great Grandmaster.

....

Inside the Martial Hall.

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged.

Since he had started the Martial Tao Conference in the capital half a year ago.

Seeing countless martial artists engage in combat, Lin Yuan's gains had never ceased.

The participants of the Martial Tao Conference might not be very strong,

but the martial arts they exhibited varied greatly.

With his Against-Heaven's Understanding, Lin Yuan comprehended the Dao from countless perspectives,

far more useful than merely observing a few superior and profound martial arts.

...

[Your Against-Heaven's Understanding senses the Martial Tao of the world, enhancing your understanding of post-Mythical Realm Martial Tao]

...

[Your Against-Heaven's Understanding senses the Martial Tao of the world, vaguely grasping the true essence of nature]

...

[Your Against-Heaven's Understanding senses the Martial Tao of the world, creating the 'Cloud Mist Spirit Refining Skill']

...

[Your Against-Heaven's Understanding senses the Martial Tao of the world, begins to perceive the direction for breaking through subsequent realms]

...

Lin Yuan was completely immersed in the world of sudden enlightenment, and unless threatened by life or death, he would not awaken.

And with Lin Yuan's current physique, along with his self-protecting Mythical Realm 'Yuan Force',

even if a group of Grandmasters attacked, he would not suffer any injury.

Half a month later.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

"I have finally found it."

Lin Yuan let out a slight sigh.

At this moment, with the aid of Against-Heaven's Understanding, he finally pinpointed the path that transcended the Mythical level.

Of course, it was just pinpointing; to completely traverse it would still require a great deal of energy.

But as long as the direction was correct, the rest, for Lin Yuan, was merely a matter of time.

"It's time to go back."

Lin Yuan rose to his feet and walked toward the outside of the Martial Hall.

Although it was true that, with Lin Yuan's current strength, he could cultivate anywhere.

However, having spent ten years at the Great Zen Temple, he was quite satisfied with the environment on Mount Shaoshi, where ancient Buddha lamps flickered and he could cultivate undisturbed.

Advancing beyond the Mythical Realm would take considerable time, and Lin Yuan still wanted to stay on Mount Shaoshi.

Click.

The doors of the Martial Hall opened.

Yuwen Pan, the thin elderly man who was always on guard outside, was suddenly startled.

"Master."

Yuwen Pan instinctively looked into the Martial Hall.

But he found that the young monk who should have been sitting there had already disappeared.

"Master... has left..."

Yuwen Pan was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat lost.

Although he had anticipated it, knowing that a powerhouse like Lin Yuan couldn't possibly stay in the imperial palace forever,

his heart still felt as though it had lost something.

...

Great Zen Temple.

Abbot Huaiyuan, the head of the Martial Monk Institute Huiwen, and several other institute heads gathered at the temple gate, looking anxious.

A year ago, the Dali Imperial Palace had been breached by a mysterious monk suspected of being a Great Grandmaster,

and the Great Zen Temple had naturally heard of it early on.

Unlike other martial artists and forces speculating about the mysterious monk's origins,

Abbot Huaiyuan and the other institute heads had almost instantly determined that the monk was their own "Buddha Child."

It couldn't be helped.

He had the appearance of a young monk.

He possessed the strength of a Great Grandmaster.

With such a precise description, who else could it be but their newly emerged Buddha Child?

Initially, the group marveled at Lin Yuan's strength.

More than a hundred years ago, the Great Grandmaster of Dali had ascended Mount Shaoshi.

Now, the Great Zen Temple's Buddha Child had single-handedly breached the Dali Imperial Palace, which could be seen as a reciprocal gesture.

However, as time passed,

the heads of the temple began to notice something amiss.

It seemed the Buddha Child intended to remain in the Dali Imperial Palace indefinitely?

Abbot Huaiyuan and the others hadn't thought that Lin Yuan would abandon the Great Zen Temple,

but they worried that the Dali Dynasty might have other plans.

Visible threats are easy to dodge, hidden threats hard to guard against.

Indeed, given Lin Yuan's strength, no one in the Dali Dynasty was his match.

But what if the Dali Dynasty resorted to underhanded schemes... After all, the Dali Imperial Palace was once the residence of that Great Grandmaster ancestor, who undoubtedly had means to deal with other Great Grandmasters.

If Lin Yuan stayed in the Dali Imperial Palace for too long, what would happen if he fell into their trap?

Moreover.

Abbot Huaiyuan harbored deeper concerns.

With the organization of the Martial Tao Conference and several Grandmasters traveling to the capital to spar with Lin Yuan,

rumors about Lin Yuan's power grew more and more abundant.

Great Grandmaster.

Peak Great Grandmaster.

Invincible Great Grandmaster.

The greatest Great Grandmaster of all ages, and so forth.

These rumors all came from other Grandmasters.

There was no questioning their authenticity.

As a result, Lin Yuan's reputation grew larger and larger, far surpassing Patriarch Bodhidharma and the Dali founder from a century ago.

This situation might not affect other Great Grandmasters,

for all other Great Grandmasters have at least spent decades to reach this stage, their mental states having endured numerous trials.

But Abbot Huaiyuan was well aware that the Buddha Child was only in his teens.

Such a young age, could he withstand the trials and tribulations associated with fame and status?

"Let's wait a bit longer. The Buddha Child has only been away for a year. It's still a short time. Even if he's influenced by the mundane world, he should be able to return in time," said the head of the Discipline Academy gravely.

Not to mention a Great Grandmaster, even for an ordinary martial artist, a year is not long and is just the beginning of their journey in the world.

"The Buddha Child has a pure heart..."

The head of the Martial Monk Institute furrowed his brows, about to speak.

Just then,

on the narrow mountain path of Mount Shaoshi, a young monk clad in monk's robes and wearing cloth shoes walked up step by step.

"The Buddha Child, the Buddha Child has returned."

Abbot Huaiyuan noticed Lin Yuan immediately.

A moment later,

Lin Yuan arrived at the gate of the Great Zen Temple.

"Buddha Child,"

they greeted Lin Yuan with a slight bow, wanting to say something, then swallowed the words.

"All is done."

Lin Yuan simply said this,

and then returned to the third floor of the Sutra Pavilion, sat down again, detached from the secular world, detached from the worldly troubles.

On that day, the young Buddha Child of Mount Shaoshi, clad in monk's robes and wearing cloth shoes, just entered the world, then left it.