Chapter 4: Strength Against Technique

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

…

At the entrance of Spirit Platform Temple, Master Hui Jue was still reading people’s fortunes.

“Master, I’ve been having nightmares recently. I don’t know why.”

“Have you been going to Fireworks Lane recently?”

“Master is really amazing. To be honest, recently… I’ve indeed fallen in love with a brothel hostess, so I often go and have fun.”

“It’s a dangerous place. You’re a scholar and your physique is weak. If you don’t restrain yourself and empty your body of Yang Qi, you’ll have nightmares. If you’re tainted by something sinister, you’ll probably lose your life.”

The scholar’s forehead, which was already a little dark, seemed to be even darker now. He hurriedly asked,

“Master, is there a way to save me?”

“I can give you an empowered Heart Cleansing Incantation. Recite it often and it can expel the evil aura in your body. Don’t go to the Fireworks Lane anymore. As time passes, your physique will gradually improve and you will naturally recover.”

“Thank you, Master Hui Jue.”

“No need to thank me. The blessing is free, but the Heart Cleansing Incantation costs 100 copper coins. You can put it in the Merit Box on the right. Next.”

Li Xuanxin walked forward.

“Master, I’ve already reached two years of cultivation base.”

“Oh! You’ve reached two years of cultivation base so quickly. You’ve only cultivated for half a year!”

Hui Jue was rather surprised.

Li Xuanxin’s cultivation speed was not very fast. It was only considered average in Spirit Platform Temple.

The problem was that he was useless before. Now that he had reached two years of cultivation base in half a year, he seemed to be very talented.

In that case, he could cultivate four years of cultivation base in a year, forty in ten years, and four hundred years of cultivation base in a hundred years.

Good lord, this kid’s future was limitless!

Perhaps in the future, he might even have a chance to surpass him. After all, he was 70 years old now. He had entered the sect at the age of ten and had only 250 years of cultivation base.

Fortunately, he did not let him renounce asceticism back then. Otherwise, he would have lost a decent mid-level genius.

“I’m stupid. It’s all because Master taught me well.”

Hui Jue narrowed his eyes and smiled.

“This is also thanks to your hard work. Since you’ve already broken through to two years of cultivation base, go to the mission room and accept some missions.”

“They will give you Dharma treasures and talismans.”

“After completing the mission, you can obtain some resources like pills to help you increase your cultivation.”

“Yes!”

Li Xuanxin turned to leave, but Hui Jue called out to him.

“Wait.”

Then, he removed the bracelet from his hand and looked at it reluctantly.

“This bracelet has been with me for more than twenty years. It listens to me recite scriptures all day long and already has a Buddhist nature. It’s much stronger than ordinary Dharma treasures.

“If you encounter a ghost, it can save your life.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Go. You might be nervous and make mistakes the first time. You just have to calm down.”

“Yes.”

Li Xuanxin bid farewell to his master and quickly arrived at the mission room.

“Hello, I want to take a mission.”

A senior from the mission room quickly welcomed him.

“Oh, it’s Junior Xuanxin from Abbot Hui Jue’s tutelage. What’s your cultivation base now?”

“Two years.”

“With two years of cultivation, you can accept some ordinary missions. Is this your first time accepting a mission?”

“Yes.”

“If this is your first time accepting a mission, I suggest that you ask a senior to teach you, but the mission reward is his.”

“This way, you can learn faster. Furthermore, the senior brothers are basically all around ten years of cultivation base. It is relatively safe.”

“After all, expiation is usually very simple. However, if you encounter trouble, you will die.”

“No need. My master gave me a life-saving Dharma treasure. I can go by myself.”

Ten years of cultivation base was equivalent to him cultivating for five days. He had to give them resources too? This… was probably absurd.

“Alright, come and collect the mission equipment and talismans.”

Li Xuanxin took a basket. It was the kind of bamboo basket that scholars carried in the dramas in his previous life. There was a small awning above his head. It looked quite unique.

The basket on his back could contain some vegetarian food and water. There was also a brass alms bowl equipment, a brass wooden fish equipment with peach wood, a string of peach wood prayer beads, and three talismans to subdue demons and ghosts.

After carrying these things and taking the address, Li Xuanxin began to leave.

After leaving Spirit Platform Temple and seeing that there was no one around, he immediately used his Flying Steps movement technique.

Although his movement technique was not good, his speed was impressive.

He felt like a small car running at 70 to 80 kilometers per hour. Furthermore, his jumping ability was also very high. He could easily switch between trees and boulders.

However, in fact, Li Xuanxin knew very well that it was mainly because his cultivation was very high and had already reached 400 years of cultivation base.

As the saying went, immense strength alone could defeat all techniques.

Even if the quality of his movement technique was not high, with his deep cultivation, he could far surpass others who used it.

If others used this, they might only be able to reach a speed of more than 20 kilometers per hour. It was about the speed of a normal person riding a bicycle. It was just that it was a movement technique, so it was not that tiring.

With the help of Flying Steps, Li Xuanxin traversed mountains and rivers like an immortal walking on the wind.

After running for nearly four hours, he arrived at the mission location—Chen Family Village.

This was all thanks to his movement technique. He could fly on roofs and walk on walls. He tried his best to take a straight path. If he were to drive and find a road, he would probably only reach at night.

Li Xuanxin had just arrived at the Chen Family Village when he was warmly welcomed by the villagers.

In this world of sinister demons, righteous cultivators like Li Xuanxin always made people feel inexplicably at ease, epecially when he was from the Buddhist Sect.

However, because of his looks, there were still some strange looks in the crowd.

A teenage girl had just fallen in love and was peeping shyly.

A middle-aged woman did not have so many worries. She drooled and her eyes were like hungry wolves. She wished she could skin Li Xuanxin alive.

A monk… could actually be so handsome.

“Oh, Buddha, if I can obtain the love of this monk, I will be willing to become a nun.”

“Master is here. Welcome, Master. Our Chen Family Village has been waiting for a long time.”

The person who spoke was the village chief of the Chen Family Village, a middle-aged man in his forties.

Li Xuanxin nodded. Although he was young, he was like a peerless monk.

“Where is the benefactor who needs to be expiated?”

“Master, you’ve been traveling all the way. Do you want to eat some vegetarian food and rest before expiating the soul?”

“No need. Just bring me there.”

“Alright.”

As the village chief led Li Xuanxin forward, he said,

“The one who needs to be expiated is the daughter-in-law of Official Li, the richest man in our village.”

“Because her husband had found a second wife in the Blue Sea City and was unwilling to accept her, she had jumped into the well in a red dress in a fit of anger.”

“She jumped into the well in the middle of the night and when she pulled it up the next day, she was already bloated… Oh goodness, ugh~!”

The village chief clearly thought of something bad and retched. Then, he hurriedly patted his chest and heaved a sigh of relief.

“In the past few days, several young men have died in the family of Official Li.”