Chapter 501: Enlightenment! The Dharma Realm

A massive golden dragon circled joyfully around him, emitting powerful dragon roars repeatedly, yet its speed gradually slowed down…
Because in front of Happy, the once-suppressed Master of Breaking Rules was now in an unusual state. Although his protective aura had shattered after the previous strike and blood flowed from his mouth, strange marks appeared on his palms—three fingers connected, with only the index and little fingers moving as he closed his eyes in deep thought.
Above Master of Breaking Rules’ head, the Dharma Cave had undergone tremendous changes. Golden light shone brightly, with dazzling rays flowing within the cave, quickly covering the entire sky above and the walls on all sides…
Without needing to look closely, Happy could tell that the Master of Breaking Rules, who had guarded the Dharma Cave for years, seemed to have finally attained enlightenment in the Dharma Sword Art at the moment of crisis. As a result, even after Happy mastered the third move of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—“Flying Dragon in the Sky”—he still couldn’t defeat him.
A faint Buddha light surrounded Master of Breaking Rules’ body, combined with the sacred mantras emanating from his mouth, giving him an aura of solemnity. With each flick of his finger, he effortlessly countered Happy’s fierce palm techniques, which were rooted in the essence of the Dharma Sword Art.
Though Happy’s palm techniques were fast, accompanied by the roaring golden dragon and its astonishing momentum and dominance, the Dharma Fingers, evolved from the Dharma Sword Art, handled them with ease.
Boom!
Boom!!
The golden dragon’s repeated attacks were all countered by Master of Breaking Rules at critical moments, each finger breaking through one of Happy’s moves in the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.
After several failed attacks, Happy quickly realized that his internal energy was plummeting wildly, showing signs of falling into a state of powerlessness. Under such circumstances, he had no choice but to slow down his attacks and circle Master of Breaking Rules slowly. The huge golden dragon also gradually built and stabilized its own energy during this time.
Huh…
Inside the Dharma Cave, as the massive golden dragon circled, creating a powerful vortex, Happy’s expression grew increasingly serious.
Master of Breaking Rules seemed to suddenly lose all fighting spirit, remaining calm as still water, standing motionless without any flaws, leaving Happy at a loss as to what to do.
After several minutes of circling and attacking, Happy’s energy finally dropped well below the level of powerlessness…
Master of Breaking Rules remained as immovable as a mountain. Only when Happy took action would he casually lift a finger, not even bothering to lift his eyelids, like a solemn, motionless statue of a Bodhisattva.

“Impressive! The master’s mastery of Buddhist teachings has made great progress—truly commendable!” Seeing that Master Breaker of Vows wouldn’t give him any chance, Happy completely gave up in joy: “It seems I have no chance to persuade the master to leave the mountain.” With the protection of the Damo Sword and mastery over the secrets of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, unless his internal energy level improved, Happy had no way of defeating Master Breaker of Vows.

Bang!

At that thought, the massive golden dragon in the sky trembled violently before suddenly exploding into countless streams of energy that vanished instantly into the air—this was Happy resolutely withdrawing his energy, dissipating his state of cultivation, and releasing the internal energy throughout his body, restoring peace to Damo Cave.

“Amitabha.”

With a chant of Buddha’s name, Master Breaker of Vows finally opened his eyes again and glanced at Happy with relief: “Without your help, I would never have achieved sudden enlightenment in the Damo Sword… Today, if not for your repeated persuasion, how could I have understood the true essence of being free from joy or anger, from striving or seeking—thus becoming invincible!”

“No wonder the abbots of past generations sent us to Damo Cave on the Peak of Punishment to meditate. I am ashamed—only now do I realize the abbots’ good intentions. Those who practice Buddhism and martial arts must first calm their minds; focusing solely on martial skills goes against the true spirit of Zen and martial arts… Amitabha. I have wasted the efforts of Master Damo.”

“…” Hearing Master Breaker of Vows’ remorseful confession, Happy unexpectedly sensed a glimmer of hope.

He thought this mission had failed, but unexpectedly, after Master Breaker of Vows achieved sudden enlightenment in the Damo Sword technique, he understood the good intentions of the abbots of past generations and Master Damo toward him!

“Sir, I will follow you down the mountain now…” Master Breaker of Vows clasped his hands and said, “Twenty years of hard cultivation are not as good as a single day of sudden enlightenment. I am ashamed… I must immediately confess my faults to the abbot and return to Shaolin to focus on cultivating my mind.”

Ding!

As soon as Master Breaker of Vows finished speaking, Happy heard the long-awaited system prompt with great joy:

“Turning back is the shore. Help Master Breaker of Vows overcome his mental obstacles and understand the Damo Sword… Follow Master Breaker of Vows back to Shaolin Temple to see Abbot Empty Form.” To Happy’s ears, the sound of this prompt was incredibly pleasant.

“Please!”

Happy stepped out of Damo Cave.

Empty Form murmured a polite greeting to the “sir” before also stepping out of Damo Cave…

Just as the two were about to leave the peak, a faint sigh suddenly came from atop it—a voice that seemed to have experienced endless vicissitudes, yet still rang out loudly: “Empty Form!”

Master Yuanmie stopped in his tracks, suddenly turned around, and bowed deeply. “Elder, I have spent over twenty years in seclusion. It is thanks to your guidance that I have returned to the temple. I will explain everything to the abbot. After being confined for over thirty years, you have long lost your competitive mindset. I earnestly ask the abbot to permit you to leave the Peak of Punishment.”

An aged and authoritative voice rang out like thunder: “Young monk Yuanmie! Though your comprehension is slow, your heart is pure, and you are diligent and steadfast. Over these twenty years, you have taken good care of me, which is why I bestowed upon you the power of Vajra to Subdue Demons… There’s no need for you to worry. I called you here not to ask you to intercede with the Shaolin abbot… After thirty years, I have long let go of everything. I spend my days on the peak, watching the clouds and the world below, finding joy in it. So, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself for me.”

“Does the elder have any teachings for me?” Having understood the Dharma Sword, Yuanmie seemed much wiser. He quickly reacted and assumed a respectful posture, ready to listen.

“If I had any teachings to give, I would have said them to you long ago…” The aged voice carried a hint of sarcasm. Then its tone changed. “I called you here because I have a few questions for this young friend by your side.”

“Hm?”

Kai Xin was taken aback. Though he had guessed somewhat, hearing that the legendary “crazy monk” seemed interested in him still surprised him. Not daring to neglect the matter, he stepped forward and replied with a bow, “If the master has something to say to me, I am eager to listen.”

A master of the Wuwei realm could merge with the forces of nature. But someone who could control clouds and mist had clearly surpassed that level, reaching the “Mythical Realm” akin to Zhang Wuji’s. Yet, having gathered such vast amounts of energy for so long, he must have reached an even higher level.

For a moment, Kai Xin was puzzled about what this legendary and formidable figure, who had transcended his current realm, might want to say to him.

“I’m simply curious. How can a young man who hasn’t even broken through the realm of life and death comprehend ‘Flying Dragon in the Sky’ from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—a technique that requires experiencing and transcending life and death to master…”

Kai Xin was speechless.

“Go now,” the aged voice said, seemingly losing interest in Kai Xin. “When you reach that realm, perhaps you’ll be the first to withstand my ten moves.”

The first?

Kai Xin stared in shock at Yuanmie…