Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 297 – Shaolin Temple (4)

“Yes, that footprint is the trace from that time.”

At the Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon’s words, interest glinted in Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes.

Although he didn’t know exactly what the Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation was, he could understand from the name itself that it was a formation composed of a hundred and eight people.

But to say that a joint attack formation deployed by a hundred and eight people was shattered with just a single foot stamping?

It was quite an interesting story.

At that moment, Cheong-ryeong’s voice echoed in his mind.

-…It’s absurd.

-What?

-The Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation is not a simple formation. It is the Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation, known as the most perfect among all joint formations.

-So?

-Not so, but it’s already remarkable that a single supreme master broke it, but to say that he did it with just a single foot stamping…

She couldn’t finish her words.

The masters who deploy the Arhat Formation are top-notch masters from first-rate to the peak.

A formation is a technique that doubles in strength just by assembling the array.

But if one could break that tremendous multiplication achieved by a hundred and eight people with a single foot stamping, it meant that their level was unimaginable.

-Truly the Steps of Domination.

Steps of Domination.

There is a saying that with a single footstep, or with a single stride, one can dominate everything.

As she said, if that was possible with a single footstep, it was enough to call it by such a title.

So, Mok Gyeong-un approached the footprint and asked.

“If a stele was erected to the extent of awakening Shaolin’s vigilance, the owner of this footprint must be an outsider, not from Shaolin, right?”

“Amitabha. That’s correct.”

The monks of Shaolin Temple called this footprint a humiliation.

However, the reason they left it was to put down their pride as the orthodox of martial arts in the Central Plains, reflect on themselves, and maintain vigilance.

‘Just a single foot stamping…’

At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un placed his own sole against the footprint with eyes full of curiosity and asked.

“Does the Elder know who this person is?”

“…I do know, but it is a taboo to speak of it, so I cannot reveal it. Please understand.”

“I understand.”

At Gong-jeon’s words, Mok Gyeong-un smiled.

Somehow, it seemed understandable.

Even Cheong-ryeong couldn’t help but be amazed, so a great formation that was shattered with just a single foot stamping, even if it was left for the sake of vigilance, would be difficult to easily reveal.

“Then shall we go again?”

“Yes, ah! Can I just ask if the person who left this is one of the Six Heavens or someone like that?”

“…It’s a very old incident. It happened hundreds of years ago. So you don’t need to have doubts, patron.”

“I apologize. I tend to be curious.”

-Tap!

With those words, Mok Gyeong-un placed his sole against the footprint.

It was an action done without much thought.

In fact, the Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon was familiar with people like this, so he lightly smiled as if he was used to it.

But it was at that very moment.

-Gasp!

The moment he placed his sole, Mok Gyeong-un’s vision turned black.

As his entire vision turned black and he couldn’t see anything with his physical eyes, Mok Gyeong-un could instinctively tell that a mental image had unfolded.

‘What is this?’

Mok Gyeong-un frowned at the sudden bizarre phenomenon.

Then, without intending to, the demonic power of the Third Eye arose on its own, and along with it, a strange scene unfolded before his eyes.

It was this very place.

It felt slightly different, but a hundred and eight warrior monks holding staffs were deploying a formation and surrounding someone.

That someone was a person with a demon mask and striking blood-red hair.

‘Blood-red hair?’

It seemed familiar.

The moment he saw that hair, the Six Offices Commander So Yerin came to mind.

At that moment, an old monk shouted at the warrior monks surrounding the person.

[Go and bring an incense that lasts for a moment.]

[Yes, Head Monk.]

At this, a few warrior monks clasped their hands together and tried to run.

[There’s no need for that.]

With those words, the unidentified person wearing the demon mask lightly stamped his foot while holding his hands behind his back.

-Thud!

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

At that moment, the hundred and eight Arhat monks who were aiming their staffs simultaneously rolled their eyes back and collapsed to the ground.

‘!!!!!!!!!!’

It was an extremely surprising incident.

Everyone must have been shocked because the hall instantly turned silent.

However, unlike them, in Mok Gyeong-un’s right pupil, numerous repetitive flows of energy spreading in all directions were visible as he watched this.

‘This is?’

This was not ordinary energy but Innate True Energy, and it created a tremendous suggestion by generating repetitive flows.

This flow of energy was similar to the suggestion shown by Dam Baek-ha the Sixth Blood Saint, but it had reached an even higher level.

It was something that was difficult to even imitate without the formula to control this flow of energy.

-Gasp!

At that moment, the thirty scattered words of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques in Mok Gyeong-un’s mind began to combine.

The formula of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques, which had been stagnant for a long time, was taking shape.

‘Extreme supremacy, endless, extreme, nothingness, nothingness, nothingness… the Suppressing (鎭) technique.’

As the formula took shape, it remained as a single form in his mind.

Mok Gyeong-un’s eyes, who had unexpectedly obtained another technique of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques, turned strange.

‘Ah…’

If he hadn’t seen this scene in the mental image, he would never have thought of this formula of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques.

This was because it was a formula that was difficult to even grasp a sense of.

At that moment, voices rang in Mok Gyeong-un’s ears.

-Mortal?

“Patron?”

Those were the voices of Cheong-ryeong and the Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon.

The moment he recognized their voices, the scene before his eyes disappeared, and he soon emerged from the mental image.

Returning to reality, Mok Gyeong-un let out a small exclamation.

“Ah…”

-Mortal, what’s wrong with you?

“Patron, are you alright?”

At their questions, Mok Gyeong-un lightly waved his hand as if he was fine.

However, contrary to what he said, the demonic power of the Third Eye was still open in his right eye, so in Mok Gyeong-un’s vision, the texture of the Innate True Energy faintly remained at the center of the footprint.

‘Was it because of this?’

This texture had led Mok Gyeong-un into the mental image by becoming a formula.

Mok Gyeong-un, whose mental image was much deeper than others, could read the will remaining in the formula.

But coincidentally, the energy still faintly remained centered around the sole, so he could fall into the mental image.

‘Who is it?’

The man with blood-red hair wearing a demon mask.

Surely, that man must be the one who left this footprint that the Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon mentioned.

But he clearly said it happened hundreds of years ago, so if the remnants of that energy still remained to this extent, it was immeasurable how incredible it was.

‘…It seems the level of the Old Martial Arts World was indeed higher than the current martial arts world.’

Clicking his tongue, Mok Gyeong-un soon removed his sole from the footprint.

Then, he pointed towards the caves with his hand and said.

“I’m fine, so let’s go.”

“Amitabha. I understand.”

The Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon, who had been worried about Mok Gyeong-un’s dazed and staggering appearance, soon clasped his hands together and started guiding again.

***

At the same time, in the square of the Arhat Pavilion.

There, Seop Chun, Mong Mu-yak, Ja Geum-jeong, Ma Ra-hyeon, and Holy Fire Priestess were waiting with a somewhat anxious look.

Originally, they had also intended to follow Mok Gyeong-un to the demon-subduing hall.

However, due to the dissuasion of the Master of the Demon-Subduing Pavilion, they had to stay here.

[There isn’t just one monster inside the demon-subduing hall. If many people who haven’t mastered Dharma techniques enter besides the demon-subduing monks, it will stimulate them. So, patrons, please wait for a moment.]

So, having sent only Mok Gyeong-un, they couldn’t help but be concerned.

If Mok Gyeong-un successfully controlled that so-called monster, they would be able to leave Shaolin, but if not, things would get even more complicated.

In fact, if they had just given up on this bizarre bird, they could have left safely, so they felt a bit of regret for making things complicated.

However, they found it difficult to express dissatisfaction with him.

That was because their trust in him had deepened after seeing Mok Gyeong-un not abandoning even a mere bizarre creature.

‘We have no choice but to trust our lord now.’

They just hoped that their lord would succeed.

The expelled monk Ja Geum-jeong was looking at someone with dissatisfaction.

It was the Precepts Hall Master Dae-deok.

He always emphasized rules and was particularly stubborn even among the elders of Shaolin.

He had never bent his will even once.

‘Damn baldhead.’

He was always irritated because it seemed like he was blocking his path.

Then, his eyes met with Dae-deok’s, and perhaps because he was in an expelled position unlike before, Ja Geum-jeong glared at him intently.

‘Tsk tsk.’

At Ja Geum-jeong’s attitude, Dae-deok clicked his tongue inwardly.

Although he had expelled him, he was once a respected elder of the temple, but seeing him glare as if he would kill him, it seemed that expelling him early was the right choice.

If it weren’t for Gong-jeon constantly intervening, saying something about his Boundless Talent or whatever, he would have immediately caught him and even destroyed his danjeon to take away his martial arts.

‘Hmm.’

By the way, such an opportunity was rare.

He had continued to leave him alone because he had mastered the Boundless Talent that no one in Shaolin could restore.

But now that he had come to Shaolin on his own feet, it seemed that he had to make him reveal the formula of the Boundless Talent under some pretext.

If that arrogant patron who mastered sorcery failed to control the monster, there would be plenty of opportunities.

Since he was a patron who would go through such trouble to protect a mere monster, he would create a justification to subdue him if slightly provoked.

While he was sorting out his own schemes like that,

At that moment, a monk belonging to the Precepts Hall entered the Arhat Pavilion.

“Amitabha. Pavilion Master.”

“What is it?”

At this, the monk quietly whispered something in the Precepts Hall Master Dae-deok’s ear.

After hearing this, Dae-deok quietly glanced at Mok Gyeong-un’s group waiting in the middle of the square and the Demonic Beast Heum-won.

“Ho. I see.”

Soon, the corners of Dae-deok’s mouth rose faintly.

***

While passing the entrance of the cave halls in the form of several half-buildings, the Sutra Pavilion Grand Monk Gong-jeon spoke in front of the Repentance Restriction Cave.

“But honestly, I was surprised, patron.”

“…”

“Although I am a monk who practices Buddhism, this is the first time I’ve seen someone as young as you with such profound cultivation as a martial artist.”

At his sincere praise, Mok Gyeong-un soon expressed his gratitude.

“You flatter me.”

“If it’s not rude, may I ask your age, patron?”

“Seventeen… No, as of yesterday, I’m eighteen.”

He had completely forgotten, but come to think of it, yesterday was his birthday.

He wasn’t sure if it was really the day he was born, but it was the day his grandfather always celebrated.

“What?”

At that moment, Gong-jeon asked back in puzzlement.

‘!?’

Mok Gyeong-un instantly realized his mistake.

While heading to the demon-subduing hall, he had been devising contingency plans in his mind in case he couldn’t make the bizarre creature his spirit beast or failed to control it.

So he had absentmindedly answered his age, but he was currently wearing a human skin mask.

The face of the human skin mask appeared to be in the mid-twenties, so answering like this would be considered strange.

However, fortunately,

“Hohoho. Amitabha. I apologize. It seems my Buddhist cultivation is still lacking. This is also a kind of prejudice. I thought you were older than that because your cultivation is so profound.”

“Ah… Yes.”

Rather than the facial features and age not matching, he was more interested in something else.

Perhaps because he considered it remarkable that Mok Gyeong-un had reached this level at such a young age, Gong-jeon was constantly exclaiming in admiration.

“Oh my. A prodigy indeed. A prodigy.”

He genuinely considered Mok Gyeong-un’s martial talent to be extraordinary.

So, just before reaching the demon-subduing hall, he asked.

“As a monk who has left the secular world, it is not right to show interest in worldly affairs, but I would like to know the name of the patron who will surely gain even greater prestige in the future. Could you please let this poor monk know?”

At his question, Mok Gyeong-un pondered for a moment.

He had been hiding his real name from the beginning, and since it hadn’t been long since he left the imperial capital Kaifeng, even if Gong-jeon was favorable to him, it was ambiguous to reveal the name he used in the Heaven and Earth Society.

So, he was about to casually say any name as an alias, but soon he thought of something.

[I was thinking of calling you Jeong (正), but that doesn’t suit you either.]

At this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said.

“It’s Cheonma… Cheonma (Heavenly Demon).”