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墨書 Inktalez
The sky was clear, with the sun and moon hanging high above.
Zhao Yang hurried along, arriving at Ice Fire Island. The air fluctuated between cold and hot, silent and still, filled with hidden dangers. Zhao Yang did not dare to let his guard down.
Ice Fire Island was not very large, and the paths on the island were smooth, as if they had been deliberately paved. The ground beneath Zhao Yang's feet lay precisely on the dividing line of Ice Fire Island, one side ablaze with flames while the other was covered in frost. Yet, they blended perfectly together, sparking Zhao Yang's immense curiosity. According to physics, ice and fire should create steam when combined, producing a lot of mist. However, here on Fire Path, they merged flawlessly, indicating that some special force allowed ice and fire to coexist without conflict.
Driven by curiosity, Zhao Yang approached the entrance of a cave. The mouth of the cave appeared artificially excavated, devoid of any inscriptions. Inside, a strange power emanated from the contrasting light and darkness. Zhao Yang attempted to use his Divine Sense to explore the cave's interior but found that it sank like a stone into the sea, unable to provide any feedback. It seemed there was some force here that could isolate Divine Sense.
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Yang entered the cave. Occasionally, he spotted ancient carvings on the cave walls depicting scenes of agricultural labor; however, these images lacked any profound aura or special significance. Some scattered and crooked ancient characters appeared sporadically, resembling childish scribbles. Among numerous names, two characters caught Zhao Yang's attention—Haotian.
"The creator of the Haotian Secret Realm is Haotian Immortal. Among so many names, one is Haotian. Could this be where Haotian Immortal played with his companions during childhood before moving it into the Haotian Secret Realm?" Zhao Yang pondered.
Continuing deeper into the intertwining ice and fire cave, it became increasingly spacious. Zhao Yang remained tense, Chaos True Qi swirling around him as he feared encountering traps or prohibitions left by immortals that could unleash deadly sword energy at any moment.
At that moment, Zhao Yang faintly heard strange sounds coming from within the ice fire cave. Listening closely, he frowned.
"Does it sound like snoring?" Zhao Yang thought anxiously, fearing it might be some ancient beast or demon sleeping nearby. Just as he hesitated, a bright light suddenly appeared ahead. Cautiously moving forward to peek inside, he found himself in a vast space where ice and fire intertwined. Various ancient yet spotless tools filled the area, alongside a stone bed radiating immense Spirit Energy. In the center of this space were two pools of water—one bubbling with lava and the other exuding chilling coldness—separated by a floating mass of liquid that emitted the strange power of ice and fire.
Opposite this liquid stood a bald monk seated in meditation. His bare back was exposed while an unusual Zen Staff lay across behind him, resembling an old tree root. The monk seemed unaware of Zhao Yang's presence; the snoring sound he had heard earlier came from this person.
"Could he be a monk from Xuanfo Temple?"
Zhao Yang felt a surge of excitement as he stealthily approached. He picked up the Zen Staff and swung it at the monk's bald head with all his might. To Zhao Yang's estimation, even with normal strength behind it, that strike would carry over ten thousand pounds; even a cultivator focused on physical training would find themselves in trouble from such a blow.
However, Zhao Yang did not want to kill the monk. After all, he had heard that only one person could enter the Haotian Secret Realm from Xuanfo Temple, and he was impersonating someone from Xuanfo Temple. If this monk was indeed from Xuanfo Temple, then he would be an innocent victim, taking the blame for Zhao Yang. Therefore, Zhao Yang reduced his strength significantly, controlling it to around three hundred pounds as he struck the monk's bald head, intending to knock him out.
Bang—
A sound not very loud echoed, yet the monk remained oblivious, his snoring continuing without interruption, not even moving an inch.
"Hmm?" Zhao Yang was somewhat surprised. Could this monk also have mastered the Body Refinement Technique?
Bang—
Another collision between the monk's head and the Zen Staff produced a clanging sound. Zhao Yang increased his strength to about two thousand pounds and struck the monk's head again. This time, the monk's snoring paused for a moment as he reached up to scratch his head. Then, to Zhao Yang's astonishment, the monk spoke, "Got it, Master. I'll get up right away; just let me sleep a bit longer." His voice was filled with drowsiness, sounding like he was talking in his sleep.
Moments later, the snoring resumed, deep and steady. Zhao Yang gaped in disbelief and raised his staff for a furious assault, putting all his might into it—an astonishing eighteen thousand pounds of force.
Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang—
"Master, stop hitting me! What the hell?!" The monk shouted in alarm and anger as five or six large bumps formed on his head. Bloodshot eyes filled with tears from the pain threatened to spill over.
Turning around to see a young man behind him holding his Zen Staff, he roared in fury, "Why are you hitting me?!"
Zhao Yang dropped the Zen Staff in shock and thought to himself, "Is this some kind of cheat?"
"Brother, it's me! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Zhao Yang revealed a youthful side of himself, trying to act cute like a Little Beast. Tears shimmered in his eyes; after all, this trick had once fooled Sun Wukong back in the day. Years had passed since then; with Zhao Yang's thickened skin and improved skills, he felt just short of rushing over to cling onto his brother's leg.
"Hey, take your time and explain what's going on. Are you also a disciple of Xuanfo Temple? How did you find me?" The monk was initially ready to unleash his fury and engage in a fierce battle, but upon seeing the boy's pitiful expression, he softened. Having practiced Buddhism since childhood, he was compassionate by nature. Since the boy had called him 'senior brother,' he could only hold his head, which had a large bump, and inquire about the situation.
"Senior Brother, I am also a disciple of Xuanfo Temple, though I am not well-known. I admired you greatly while at the temple and considered you a role model and a goal to strive for. However, I still don’t know your name," Zhao Yang said with a sigh, secretly thinking, "This monk can't be that easy to deceive, can he?"
Upon hearing Zhao Yang's words, the monk felt a surge of emotion. Throughout his life, he had been bullied and never received such praise from any junior brother. Thus, he temporarily forgot about the pain on his head and replied, "My Dharma Name is Song Baliang. My surname follows my master’s surname, Song. My master is Datong Zen Master. What is your name, junior brother?"
Zhao Yang was puzzled as to why the monk had a surname. Could it be that Buddhism in this world was different from the one he knew? Did they not care about the arrangement of Dharma Names? He initially thought of saying his name was Half Jin but realized that the monk wasn’t foolish; he just lacked experience. So he decided to tell the truth: "My name is Zhao Yang. My master hasn’t given me a Dharma Name yet."
Suddenly, Zhao Yang recalled something he had never considered before: why did this world also have Buddhist sects? Was the ancestor of these sects also Tathagata? Could Tathagata's divine power be vast enough to spread Buddhism to another world? If it wasn't Tathagata who transmitted the teachings, then who founded these sects and why were some of their regulations different?
Seeing that the boy had fallen silent after speaking, Song Baliang mistakenly thought Zhao Yang was grieving and felt a deeper sympathy for him. He no longer felt the urge to beat him up and instead patted his chest confidently, saying, "Junior Brother Zhao Yang, our Xuanfo Temple is not like other sects where names are debated based on seniority. Here at Xuanfo Temple, you can choose any name you feel suits you best. Once this trial in the Haotian Secret Realm is over and we return to Xuanfo Temple together, I will protect you. With me, Song Baliang around, no one will dare to touch you!"
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