Chapter 922: Unity of Heaven and Man, the Mad Monk

Shaolin Temple.
The familiar surroundings surprised Kai Xin, who soon realized it was the Zen monastery of his master, Master Xuanjing.
“Senior brother, didn’t you say a while back that you were recovered enough to leave the mountain? Master asked me to convey that you should go there immediately.”
A young monk said this to Kai Xin, then turned and left with his hands clasped together, leaving Kai Xin alone in the monastery, looking around with deep nostalgia.
Plum blossom training posts.
Stone pillars.
Water jars.
Everything was in its original place, though no lay disciples were in sight.
“Everything remains as before.”
Kai Xin’s expression was calm. He took a deep breath of the monastery’s air—fresh and serene. This was because Master Xuanjing loved tranquility, so he had specially built this monastery in a secluded area deep in the bamboo forest. Few players came here, and even Master Xuanjing’s disciples rarely visited due to the long distance.
Long ago, Kai Xin had practiced here for several months in a row. He also learned several Shaolin martial arts related to hidden energy from Master Xuanjing, such as “Dragon Claw Hand” and “Vajra Demon Subduing Leg.” Although these were among the seventy-two supreme skills, they were different from true masterpieces of martial arts. They represented Shaolin’s advanced techniques, and anyone with the right conditions to practice could learn them, so they couldn’t be considered true masterpieces.
Master Xuanjing’s monastery was very simple—one area for meditation and one for martial arts practice.
The meditation area was just a small bamboo hut; the martial arts area was slightly larger, the courtyard where Kai Xin was now, with some items placed inside.
Remembering the young monk’s words, Kai Xin didn’t dare delay. He quickly walked toward the monastery.
He was so familiar with this courtyard that he could walk through it ten or eight times with his eyes closed without hitting anything, and he easily reached the door of the bamboo hut.
“Master.”
Kai Xin knelt respectfully on the mat at the door. He still held Master Xuanjing in high regard.
Master Xuanjing became a monk at the age of 28 and mastered twelve supreme Shaolin techniques. Though his strength wasn’t comparable to that of mythic-level experts, the Zen and martial arts teachings he imparted taught Kai Xin much, purifying his heart. His dedication to martial arts was forged right here.
“You’ve come…”
The bamboo door opened, and Master Xuanjing, with a kind face, stepped out. His gentle eyes were filled with compassion:
“Child, I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses. But as you return to the world, dangers abound. I don’t want to have to carry you back from the battlefield, covered in blood, just like last time.”

Happy was relieved to know that it was all arranged by the system, and his body involuntarily collapsed to the ground.
“The disciple will remember this.”
“Ah, Amitabha.”
Master Xuanjing chanted a Buddhist name:
“Since you have made up your mind, I cannot hold you back. However, before leaving the mountain, I hope you’ll go to the Peak of Punishment and see those monks who broke their vows… Their eyes and hearts are blinded by hatred and desire, which is why they remain imprisoned and isolated from the world! I hope you’ll abide by the precepts.”
“The disciple will follow the master’s teachings.”
Happy bowed his head again.
“Enough, foolish child. Go now.”
Master Xuanjing sighed deeply, chanted the Buddhist name once more, and returned to his bamboo hut.
…
The scent from the mat on the ground also felt familiar. Happy couldn’t help but recall the time he practiced martial arts in this courtyard—the mat had been worn out from kneeling on it. Realizing this, Happy suddenly realized he still had roots in this game…
A wave of warmth welled up from deep within him, and this time he kowtowed voluntarily:
“Master, take care!”
After he left, Master Xuanjing’s bamboo hut was filled with a deeply emotional chant: “Amitabha.”
…
After leaving the Zen monastery, Happy took out a conical hat from his Qi Bag to conceal his appearance and checked its contents. Aside from several bottles of Small Elixir of Immortality and one bottle of Leopard Essence Elixir, there were also a few first-class pieces of equipment he hadn’t used yet. He was wearing the Moonlight Heart Shield obtained from the Taiji Cave, embedded in a silver robe; the rest of his clothes were made of silver fabric and celestial silk—workmanship by top tailors. Back then, the stats of this set of equipment were comparable to those of lower-tier third-stage magic weapons.
It seemed that the “Silver Robe Set” wasn’t completely outdated—at least a top-tier expert wearing it wouldn’t look out of place.
However… after leaving the Zen monastery, Happy still felt a moment of confusion. After a year and a half, where should he go?
Walking along the busy paths of Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, Happy felt a slight chill. He had little connection with the Emperor; the same went for Lin Xiao and Hong Chen. The Three Lonely Wolves would likely be surprised by his message and chatter with him for a while. Happy didn’t want to remain immersed in past pain.
Now, he was eager to know his current strength in the martial world and understand the capabilities of the top experts at the current level of enlightenment. Unnoticed… the temperature around him began to drop. His pure Shaolin meditation techniques automatically activated to ward off the cold, and then Happy realized he had arrived in front of a cliff.

On the Chain Bridge leading to the Peak of Punishment, a dozen players with strong auras were crossing it… Clearly Shaolin disciples with solid foundations. A few of them stepped steadily on the chains, forming a line, moving carefully and earnestly toward the opposite cliff against the howling winds between the peaks. There were several such groups on each chain, swaying with the movement of the chains, looking extremely perilous. On both sides of the cliff, several Shaolin disciples stood guard, greeting every unfamiliar face that passed by: “Use the chain that leads across the cliff.” “Please try not to disturb our senior brothers.” Happy also received warnings from Shaolin players and couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, stopping to ask, “What kind of training is your senior brother doing?” “Strengthening the foundation, movement skills, and willpower!” Seeing that Happy seemed unaware, the Shaolin disciple didn’t show impatience but patiently explained, “You’re not a Shaolin disciple, right? We discovered this place half a year ago. Training on the chains can speed up the improvement of movement skills and foundation, and it also helps develop the hidden attribute—willpower. Since you’re not a Shaolin disciple and don’t have a solid foundation, you can’t use this method, and you might even be crushed to pieces…” “Who said I’m not a Shaolin disciple?” Happy laughed. Taking off his conical hat, he activated the pure Shaolin Fumo Heart Method. Like a large bird, he landed steadily on the chain amidst the shouts and warnings of the people on the cliff. The chains were already bearing the weight of many people, constantly moving up and down… Ordinary players who jumped on them without preparation would be in danger and easily fall off the cliff. But Happy had an exceptionally solid foundation; he landed firmly, activated his heart method, and his feet stuck tightly to the chain as if glued there, with his upper body not even shaking. He looked like an experienced veteran. The group of Shaolin disciples on the cliff also breathed a sigh of relief, and a few of them clasped their fists and exclaimed, “It turns out to be a fellow disciple. We were rude just now.” Such solid foundation and movement skills required years of practice to achieve. Naturally, they thought this strange expert might be a disciple of some high-ranking Shaolin master. Even the Shaolin disciples on the chains offered kind smiles, as if acknowledging Happy as one of their own—these Shaolin disciples who trained in such extreme conditions were mostly familiar faces and elites. Now, seeing a strange fellow disciple effortlessly demonstrate such remarkable stability, they couldn’t help but feel goodwill and greeted him.

After responding to each one, Kai Xin calmed his mind. Under the dual threats of the fierce winds and the fluctuating chains, he quickly entered a mystical state. He strode slowly, stepping on the wildly swirling chains as he headed toward the cliff on the opposite side. It was the first time Kai Xin had walked so slowly along the chains leading to the Peak of Punishment, and by halfway, he could already sense the wonder within. The winds around him varied in intensity, but as long as he maintained his focus, he could quickly adjust the flow of his internal energy, giving him a sense of straddling the line between life and death… Before even completing one round, Kai Xin noticed that both his foundation and his movement skills had miraculously improved slightly. When he reached the other side, the Shaolin players waiting there seemed to sense his astonishment and joy and explained, “It’s very effective to come here for cultivation for the first time—walking five or six rounds a day is enough. But over time, the effect will gradually diminish, with attribute gains staying below fifty points. Many senior brothers have tried this before.” “Why don’t you guys go?” “Hehe, the senior brothers told us to observe first and guard here. We can only go up slowly once our minds are calm. It might take about a month… Unlike you, who passed it on your first try. Have you really never been here before?” “I used to come here often to cultivate at the Peak of Punishment.” “No wonder.” “I hope to learn more from you in the future.” “Hehe, after today, there might be few opportunities to come here.” Kai Xin’s tone turned bitter as he said, “I came here today because my master instructed me to.” “Oh, that’s too bad.” After a pause, the Shaolin disciple suddenly showed concern, “A sect mission? Could it be that you’re supposed to find that mad monk? I advise you not to go. Over the years, many senior brothers and juniors have tried their luck here, hoping to inherit the mad monk’s teachings, but none of them could withstand even ten of his moves before being thrown off the cliff.” “No, my master asked me to meet the heretic monk here.” Kai Xin was intrigued. “Is the mad monk very popular these days?” “Of course!” the Shaolin player said proudly. “Ever since the Emperor entered the state of Wuwei, he was thrown off the cliff by a single punch from the mad monk. The rumors about his ten moves before that were even more absurd—some say the mad monk may have reached the ‘Unity of Heaven and Man’ realm, beyond even mythology…” “Who wouldn’t want to inherit the teachings of the Unity of Heaven and Man realm?” “But some say that even the Emperor couldn’t withstand the mad monk’s teachings, perhaps because the mad monk wants to choose a Shaolin disciple as his successor.”

“I see. I haven’t been back to Shaolin for a long time and didn’t know these things. Thank you, junior brother, for telling me.”
“You’re too kind, senior brother.”
The two exchanged a few more words before happily bidding each other farewell with clasped fists.
Suddenly, he remembered the mad monk’s self-imposed exile on Punishment Peak after his killings, as well as his own experiences carrying out tasks related to the Nine Yang Divine Skill in another world…
Finally, he suddenly recalled what his master Xuan Jing had said before parting—asking him to go to Punishment Peak to observe the monk who broke the rules…
There was naturally nothing interesting about the monk who broke the rules, nor any formal tasks. Could it be that… Master Xuan Jing meant the mad monk?