All-Heavens Game, the Strongest Player

Chapter 70 Chu Xiu: Kumārajīva, do you have a dream?

Having made up his mind, Chu Xiu did not delay and immediately began carving words in front of Kumārajīva.

From Kumārajīva's perspective, it was as follows: as soon as he entered the apricot grove, he saw a line of small characters, like earthworms crawling out, appear on the ground in front of him.

Although it's in simplified Chinese and there are a few characters I don't recognize, I can still get through it smoothly.

"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough; the way of man is to take from those who have less than enough and give to those who have more than enough... This is a passage from the Tao Te Ching, a classic text of the Central Plains Taoism. How could it appear on this ground?"

At first, Kumārajīva did not associate it with martial arts.

The opening of the Nine Yin Manual is taken from the Tao Te Ching, which is also a Taoist scripture.

However, as Kumārajīva continued reading, his expression gradually changed – the original Taoist scripture had transformed into a martial art, a "Tendon-Changing and Bone-Forging Method" capable of altering a person's aptitude!
"How can there be such a peculiar martial art in this world?"

As we all know, martial arts must be practiced from a young age. Although it is not impossible to succeed if you start practicing later in life, the achievements are usually very limited because the meridians of adults are blocked and difficult to clear.

Their aptitude will be much worse than when they were children.

However, with this "Yi Jin Duan Gu Fa" (Muscle/Tendon Changing and Bone Strengthening Method), even if one starts practicing at the age of seventy or eighty, one can still master martial arts. If that person lives long enough, perhaps over a hundred years, they might even have the chance to become a master.

There are no requirements for who can learn it; anyone can practice it.

As long as you have good comprehension, even if you have terrible aptitude, you can still practice.

"Following these are 'Crushing Divine Claw' and 'Soul Transfer Technique,' and... wait, how can a peerless martial art appear out of thin air? Who is carving these words?"

After realizing what was happening, he slashed out with a flaming blade.

Using a wide-area attack strategy, they blocked off all directions, trying to force the opponent out.

However, he soon discovered that there was no one there.

Only the ground had been punched into a small crater.

Then, a scene that horrified Kumārajīva appeared: characters appeared on his robe, still the simplified, but barely legible, Central Plains script.

However, this time it wasn't about martial arts, but direct communication.

It's a question.

"Kumārajīva, do you have a dream?"

"Who goes there? Playing tricks here!"

Kumārajīva's first reaction wasn't to communicate with Chu Xiu, but to attack indiscriminately, trying to find out who was behind it all. But after his chaotic attack, he found no one.

It was getting dark.

The apricot grove, with its water, grass, and trees, should be bustling with birdsong and insect chirps.

Yet, eerily, there was complete silence.

It was as if a large number of troops were hidden in ambush.

But when he looked around, there was no one in sight, nothing at all.

For a moment, cold sweat poured down his back.

"Could it be that ghosts and monsters really exist in this world?"

Even if Kumārajīva was a monk, and the national teacher of Tibet, with profound Buddhist knowledge, when had he ever seen such a strange thing?

He quickly decided to retreat and ran wildly out of the woods.

I dared not linger any longer.

They did not return to the town.

Because in the teahouse, he had boldly declared his intention to catch ghosts, only to be frightened out by the monsters himself, and was too ashamed to return. "The Central Plains truly are a land of wonders; this humble monk is terrified!"

Kumārajīva, exhausted from running, lay down on a large rock, panting heavily as he thought to himself.

But just then, his gaze unconsciously swept across the robe and he saw new words: A person cannot live without dreams, otherwise what is the difference between him and a salted fish?
This instantly enraged Kumārajīva.

"What exactly are you?"

"I am a human being, a martial artist!" Chu Xiu wrote on Kumārajīva's robe, deceiving him, "The reason I became like this is because of the martial arts tournament back then, a competition between the top masters of the Central Plains!"

Upon hearing this, Kumārajīva immediately became interested.

For a moment, they forgot all about ghosts and monsters.

He hurriedly asked, "What kind of grand event was that?"

Some say that in the world of Tianlong, all love is a sin, and no one is without grievances, but Kumārajīva has always been pure, that is, to master unparalleled martial arts, participate in a martial arts tournament, and make a name for himself.

His yearning for the martial arts world and for top masters surpassed that of anyone else.

If I had been born during the era of the Five Greats, I would have been very happy.

Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong era. The person who yearned for a pure martial arts world the most happened to encounter a martial arts world that was not pure at all. The world he faced was full of grudges and hatred, but no grand events!

"Well, that's a long story!"

"This humble monk is willing to listen!"

"Then let me tell you about it! In the martial arts world back then, there was a Sword Sect that commanded all heroes and whose members were obeyed by everyone. The sect leader took in a disciple who was a sword prodigy, but he also happened to have a son... The two of them were vying for the Sword Sect's supreme martial art, 'Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Origin,' and the position of the next sect leader!"

"That martial arts tournament, Huang Feihong, Huo Yuanjia, Ip Man, and me!"

"Almost all the experts in the Central Plains gave face to the Sword Sect Master and went to watch the battle."

"But seeing that my son Po Jun was no match for my disciple Wu Ming, the Sword Sect Master harbored evil intentions. He broke the martial arts treasure 'Blood Ruyi' and froze the entire Shuiyue Cave Heaven, causing all the super masters in the martial arts world to be frozen. Only I was able to cultivate the martial arts primordial spirit and escape from it, but I also lost my physical body!"

"It slept for a hundred years in the apricot grove before recovering its vitality."

"But now, the martial arts world has changed beyond recognition. The martial arts legend Nameless is no longer remembered, Po Jun has become a handful of dust, the Sword Sect has long been destroyed, and the Water Moon Cave has collapsed and fallen into the ground, leaving no trace!"

"Even the most secret martial arts techniques of the Central Plains have been lost!"

"No one remembers the Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, nor does anyone remember the Dragon God Skill of the Tong Clan. The love story of Guan Yu, the Martial Saint, that destroyed a city has been forgotten. The 'Divine Ghost Mysterious Skill' of my Marquis lineage was also interrupted in my hands, leaving only the introductory 'Nine Yin Manual,' but there is no one to inherit it!"

Upon hearing this, Kumārajīva was completely fooled.

Although he had never heard of those martial arts, just by hearing the name, the martial art known as "Ten Thousand Swords Return to One" seemed to be even more advanced than the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

Dragon God Skill, used by Guan Yu, the Martial Saint, to destroy a city.

There's also the lineage of Zhuge Liang, with its mystical and supernatural skills—it sounds incredibly prestigious.

In particular, the Nine Yin Manual is only the beginning.

That basic martial arts skill was already the best he had ever seen in his life, even surpassing the Seventy-Two Arts of Shaolin Temple. What about the higher-level "Divine and Ghostly Arts"?

Although it was hard to believe, the person in front of me had vanished without a trace, and was truly a Nascent Soul expert!
"If you do not mind, senior, I am willing to join the lineage of Zhuge Liang and inherit the sage's unique skills!"

"That's not impossible, but you'll need to pass an entry-level assessment!"

"What test?"

"Our lineage of Martial Marquis calls us 'Masked Martial Kings'!" Chu Xiu replied. "It's about covering your face with a mask, wearing the robe of our patriarch, donning a turban, holding a feather fan, and setting up a arena to welcome challenges from the geniuses of various hidden sects... You don't need to win, you just need to survive to pass the test!"

Kumārajīva: "???"

(End of this chapter)