Urban Extraordinary Immortal Doctor
Chapter 489: Half-Step Heavenly Level

Chapter 489: Chapter 489: Half-Step Heavenly Level

"If he’s not a high-rank Earth Level, then he must be at Earth Level Perfection... This Fang Bai, what special cultivation technique has he practiced? To be able to suppress his cultivation level to the initial stage of Earth Level so firmly that even I can’t see through it..."

Long Jingtian concluded that Fang Bai’s true strength must be that of Earth Level Perfection, not much different from that Sweeping Monk. He didn’t even consider any higher level.

After all, throughout history, although the Ancient Martial World of Huaxia has seen many geniuses, not a single person has been able to reach the Heaven Level by around the age of twenty.

Reaching the realm of Earth Level Perfection was enough to shock the world, qualifying as an unprecedented existence.

Through the gaps in the leaves, Long Jingtian watched Xuan Ku, the Sweeping Monk, and Fang Bai in the courtyard, feeling extremely excited. He thought his trip to Shaolin had not been in vain, having discovered one at Earth Level Perfection and another at Half-Step Heavenly Level.

Now that Fang Bai was a member of the Dragon Guard, if he could also bring that Sweeping Monk, Xuan Ku, into the fold, the strength of the Dragon Guard would surely increase greatly. Should they face threats from the strong warriors of the Hidden Sect World again, they would be much more confident in contending with them.

In the courtyard in front of the Thousand Buddha Hall, with a broomstick as his support, the Sweeping Monk Xuan Ku faced Fang Bai, silent and motionless, the old and the young sizing each other up.

On Xuan Ku’s wrinkled and aged face was an expression of seriousness and shock, while Fang Bai’s expression was filled with more excitement and anticipation.

Xuan Ku was serious and shocked because this young man in front of him was like being enveloped in fog, making it impossible for him to see through clearly.

He quietly released a trace of oppressive aura to probe Fang Bai, intending to see his reaction, but that trace of pressure sank like a stone into the ocean, stirring not even the slightest ripple.

The pressure of a Half-Step Heaven Level Expert was extremely formidable, enough to crush a high-rank Earth Level warrior, yet Fang Bai was unfazed, proving that his cultivation level was not inferior to Xuan Ku’s.

Xuan Ku had lived beyond a century, and after nearly a hundred years of ascetic cultivation in Shaolin with a clear heart and few desires, he had achieved today’s cultivation level. Yet, Fang Bai was merely in his twenties and was already on par with him, how could this not astonish him?

Fang Bai was excited and anticipatory because Xuan Ku was a Half-Step Innate Expert, one step away from joining the ranks of true Heaven Level Experts. Only by clashing with such a strong opponent could he further his own Martial Dao cultivation.

"Amitabha!"

A moment later, Xuan Ku’s gaze shifted away from Fang Bai. With one hand he gave a gesture of courtesy and slowly spoke to Fang Bai, "The young benefactor seemed to have said that if anyone among my Shaolin disciples happens to defeat the young benefactor, you would be willing to descend the mountain without pursuing the offenses committed by those Shaolin disciples. Does that still hold true?"

"It does!"

Fang Bai nodded, "If any Shaolin disciple beats me, my master and I will immediately leave the mountain. The matter of Myriad Medicine Valley will be put to rest, never to be mentioned again!"

Shaolin did not deeply involve itself in the affair of the Myriad Medicine Valley, nor did it injure a single disciple of Myriad Medicine Valley. Before coming to Shaolin, Ghost Hand was already inclined not to pursue the responsibility of the Shaolin disciples any further. Moreover, the recent actions of Abbot Jueren and more than twenty Shaolin disciples begging for punishment, willingly sacrificing themselves to protect their fellow disciples, had moved Fang Bai’s heart, and he no longer harbored thoughts of punishment.

However, holding onto the thought that "there might be hidden strong warriors in Shaolin, and not challenging them would mean this trip was in vain," Fang Bai did not leave immediately with Ghost Hand.

When he said, "If any Shaolin disciple beats me, my master and I will immediately leave the mountain," Fang Bai was also trying to see if he could force out any hidden expert within Shaolin. He had not expected it to be actually effective.

The Sweeping Monk Xuan Ku in front of him might not be a Heaven Level Martial Artist, but at Half-Step Heavenly Level, he already possessed the strength to fight Fang Bai.

"I see that the young benefactor’s heart bears no malice or killing intent. Why must you insist on a battle? In a fight, the fists and feet have no eyes, and should anyone be injured, it would be another transgression!"

Xuan Ku shook his head and sighed.

Fang Bai said, "Shaolin’s peerless martial arts are famous throughout the world, and I have long yearned to experience them. Now that I am here, if I don’t have a good fight with a Shaolin master, I would feel unfulfilled!"

"It seems the young benefactor is determined to fight!"

Xuan Ku sighed again, his expression filled with helplessness.

"Please enlighten me, Master!"

Fang Bai said with a smile.

He had just called Abbot Jueren an "old monk" because in the Ancient Martial World, strength and power are respected; his strength was much greater than Jueren’s, so he could afford to be casual in his address.

However, Xuan Ku was a master of an equal caliber to Fang Bai, hence Fang Bai addressed him as "Master" to show his respect for Xuan Ku.

"Amitabha! Benefactor, your strength is profound and unpredictable; I am not confident I can win against you! Please follow this old monk to the back mountain’s Pagoda Forest, my senior brother Xuan Nan wishes to exchange a few words with you," Xuan Ku said.

Upon hearing Xuan Ku mention the name "senior brother Xuan Nan," Abbot Jueren and the six Great Elders, such as Juecong, seemed as if they were struck by a heavy hammer; their bodies trembled violently, followed by faces full of excitement and disbelief.

They had originally thought Xuan Ku, the Sweeping Monk, was the last remaining monk of the ’Xuan’ generation in Shaolin, only to find out that there was still another alive, and the "Xuan Nan" mentioned by Xuan Ku was a legendary martial monk recorded in the annals of Shaolin.

If Xuan Nan were still alive, he would be at least one hundred and twenty years old by now.

Historical records indicated that Xuan Nan was exceptionally talented and brilliant, the Shaolin monk with the highest martial arts accomplishments in nearly two hundred years.

At the age of twenty, Xuan Nan became a Profound Level Martial Artist, advanced to Earth Level at forty, and reached Earth Level Perfection at sixty. After that, he began his secluded cultivation in a nine-tiered pagoda in the back mountain’s Pagoda Forest and had not been seen since.

Latter it was said that Xuan Nan failed in his attempt to reach the Heaven Level Realm of martial arts and had passed away in meditation on the top tier of that nine-tiered pagoda, which all Shaolin disciples believed to be true.

As a tribute to the legendary martial monk Xuan Nan, later generations of Shaolin disciples specially sealed and locked the pagoda where he was believed to have passed away in meditation and decreed that no monk should enter the pagoda and disturb his golden body.

When Xuan Nan was alive, the current Abbot Jueren was young and of low status within Shaolin, not qualified to enter the back mountain’s Pagoda Forest, nor had he ever seen what Xuan Nan looked like.

After becoming Abbot, although Jueren often meditated among the pagodas in the back mountain, he dared not break the rules and enter the nine-tiered pagoda where Xuan Nan was said to have passed away.

But today, the Shaolin Monks present heard from Xuan Ku, the Sweeping Monk, that Xuan Nan was still alive—how could they not be shocked and delighted?

When Xuan Nan entered the Pagoda Forest for secluded cultivation, he was already a martial artist of Profound Level Perfection. Now, decades had passed, and the Xuan Ku before them was already an Earth Level Perfection expert. If Xuan Nan was indeed still alive, how formidable must his strength be?

Jueren, Juecong, and the other old monks exchanged glances, all seeing the wild joy in each other’s eyes.

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