bdsm-fiction Chapter 17: Does this also involve Duan Yu?
Chapter 17: Does this also involve Duan Yu?
"Master, calm down." Seeing Kumārajīva's appearance, Russell knew that he had taken the bait, and all his efforts in saying so many words had not been in vain.
"Hearing your words is more valuable than reading scriptures for ten years. This humble monk has learned a great deal today."
"You're too kind, Master. Please have a seat."
The two sat down again, and the atmosphere was completely different from before. This time, it was Kumārajīva who brewed the tea. He used his internal energy to slightly urge it, and within a few breaths, wisps of white steam rose from the cool teapot, the temperature just right.
"Benefactor Luo, please."
Russell took the teacup, blew on it to cool it, and began the conversation: "Master, in your opinion, where would my current martial arts skills rank in the martial arts world?"
There's no such thing as a distinction between first-rate, third-rate, and second-rate in this world. Who's strong and who's weak depends entirely on their performance in actual combat.
Those with a resounding reputation may not actually be skilled fighters, while those with little fame may be reclusive masters.
To be honest, Russell truly felt the gap between himself and Kumārajīva after that palm strike.
In a life-or-death struggle, Kumārajīva wouldn't even need a second move to kill him.
Kumārajīva pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words, before saying, "With your agility, if you were determined to leave, there would be no more than twenty people in the world who could stop you. But if we were to meet on a narrow path and confront each other head-on, as far as I know, there are no fewer than a hundred."
After listening to Kumārajīva's comments, Russell nodded slightly, as the assessment was not far off from his own.
In short, thanks to his unparalleled lightness skill, he has an extremely strong ability to protect himself, making him a first-rate fighter. However, in terms of direct combat strength, he is above third-rate but not quite a first-rate fighter.
There is still a long way to go before he achieves his ideal of being invincible. It can only be said that the revolution has not yet succeeded and comrades still need to work hard.
Seeing that Russell had no further questions, Kumārajīva continued, "Besides the Tantric Flaming Saber and many martial arts techniques from the Great Wheel Temple, this humble monk also possesses the Crane Control Skill, the Flower-Picking Finger of the Seventy-Two Shaolin Arts, the Dorothea Leaf Finger, and the Formless Calamity Finger. I wonder if Benefactor Luo has any interest in these?"
Any one of these martial arts techniques, if it were to fall into the hands of the martial arts world, would be enough to stir up a bloodbath and attract countless people to fight over it.
He would be full of confidence with anyone else, but with Russell, not to mention anything else, he couldn't figure out that mysterious footwork.
As expected, Russell slowly shook his head after listening.
Kumārajīva's heart sank, and he was just feeling disappointed when Russell changed the subject and asked, "Master, have you ever heard of a martial art in Tantric Buddhism called the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill?"
"Hmm?" Kumārajīva was somewhat surprised. "You seem to know so much about my esoteric Buddhist practices?"
After all, Tantric Buddhism was located far in the west, and its reputation was much smaller compared to major sects like Shaolin and the Beggars' Sect in the Central Plains. In addition, the Song people had always looked down on the Western Regions, so many martial arts practitioners had never even heard of Tantric Buddhism, let alone known its supreme secrets.
"My teacher mentioned it briefly, and I remembered it," Russell explained.
"Senior Xiaoyaozi is indeed very knowledgeable." Kumārajīva nodded, but said with some difficulty, "The Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill is a protective divine skill of my Tantric sect. This humble monk is naturally aware of it, but I have not read it. If Benefactor Luo wishes to obtain it, this humble monk will now set off to return to Tibet."
Seeing that Kumārajīva was about to leave without saying a word, Russell quickly stopped him and said, "Master, please don't be in such a hurry. I still have something to say."
Kumārajīva then sat up straight again, realizing he had been somewhat out of line. He chuckled self-deprecatingly and exhaled softly, "It was my impatience, Benefactor Luo, please continue."
"Since the master has explained what he has learned, then I will also talk about the techniques of my Xiaoyao Sect."
At this point, Kumārajīva straightened his expression and said, "I would like to hear the details."
"Our sect has many techniques, but as far as I have learned so far, there are only the Northern Darkness Divine Art and the Lingbo Steps. The Lingbo Steps are easy to understand, but the Northern Darkness Divine Art requires outsiders to disperse their own cultivation to practice it, otherwise their internal energy will clash and they will surely die," Russell said.
"How could this be..." Kumārajīva suddenly became anxious. The flame of hope that had just been ignited in his heart seemed to have been doused with ice water. He had a treasure mountain but could not enter it. He was afraid he would not be able to sleep at night.
As for dispersing one's lifelong cultivation, not to mention the extremely dangerous process of dispersing one's power, even if successful, how much time would it take to start over from an ordinary person whose martial arts have been completely destroyed and return to their current level?
This is a price he cannot afford.
"Master, please don't be impatient." Russell calmly raised his hand and pressed down, saying calmly, "Just as we said during our sparring just now, the purpose of this trip to the Central Plains is to seek out my senior brother to learn other martial arts manuals of the Xiaoyao Sect. In addition to the Beiming Divine Art, our sect also has a technique called Xiaowuxiang Gong, which you might be interested in."
"The Lesser Formless Skill? What's so special about it?" Kumārajīva asked curiously. He had already seen the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Lingbo Steps, and since Russell compared the Lesser Formless Skill to these two skills, this skill must also have characteristics beyond his imagination.
"The Lesser Formless Skill was created by my master. It is said to be formless and untraceable. Its internal energy is neutral and peaceful, yet unpredictable. It is best at imitating the martial arts moves of various schools and sects, and can unleash three times the power of the original. If you are satisfied with this method, Master, let's meet at Jiaxing Tower in Kaifeng in a month. How about it?"
Having said all he could say, Russell said no more, simply sipping his tea and leaving Kumārajīva room to ponder.
Kumārajīva turned the prayer beads, having already made up his mind.
His original intention in coming to Dali was to first go to Tianlong Temple to exchange Shaolin skills for the Six Meridians Divine Sword manual, and then go to Yanziwu in Suzhou to pay homage to his old friend Murong Bo and fulfill the vow he made many years ago.
Of course, in the process, upholding the spirit of promoting the development of the martial arts world, he would also definitely read through the Six Meridians Divine Sword Manual and the techniques in the Returning Water Pavilion.
However, these were all previous ideas. He didn't actually have enough confidence to get his hands on either the Dali Six Meridians Divine Sword or the martial arts in Huanshi Water Pavilion.
He understood the saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and compared to the uncertainty of the former, reaching a deal with Russell was more feasible.
Furthermore, he could go to Dali and Suzhou after the deal with Russell was completed; there was no conflict between the two.
"Then it's a deal. This humble monk will meet you in Kaifeng a month from now." The prayer beads stopped spinning, and Kumārajīva extended his palm toward Russell.
"Alright! It's a deal, let's seal it with a high five!" Russell also extended his right hand.
"Snapped!"
The two palms struck each other in the air, and the agreement was reached.
【Kumārajīva】
[Causal Connection: 0% → 25%]
Duan Yu
[Causal Connection: 25% → 100%]
[This will trigger a prize draw. Do you want to participate now?]
Russell: "?"
Strange, it was clearly a deal between him and Kumārajīva, so why did Duan Yu's karma get affected? What does this have to do with Duan Yu?