Chapter 502: The Best Under Heaven
The Daoist Stepping Stone
The Carefree Temple became famous—known by everyone, young and old.
It became the perfect stepping stone, allowing Jiu to successfully cross over from the world of martial arts to the world of cultivation.
As one of the major branches of the Daoist sect, the Carefree Temple held an extraordinary position in the supernatural domain, yet such an entity had its name plaque taken by a fifteen-year-old boy.
A tree lives by its bark, a person by their face.
The name plaque represented the sect's face and dignity. Now, the Carefree Temple's dignity was trampled, becoming the butt of many jokes.
The martial arts community, which had previously been hostile to Jiu, couldn't help but look delighted. It turns out we weren't weak; the enemy was simply too strong! If even the cultivation world couldn't defeat him, let alone mere martial artists like themselves.
Human thoughts are truly bizarre.
They had been gnashing their teeth at Jiu before, but now they were secretly cheering him on, hoping he would continue his streak and beat up all the Daoist priests.
It was at this moment that the second challenge letter arrived.
Target: Qingcheng Temple.
This time, Derek didn't need to call them; the martial artists spontaneously went to cheer him on. Although Jiu had caused many sects to lose face, it couldn't be denied that he was a native-born Chinese, the last disciple of the Lingxu School, and practiced the ancient martial art of the Tiger Fiend Scripture.
By any metric, he belonged to the martial arts world.
When the martial arts world challenges the Daoist sect, as colleagues, they had to offer some support.
Besides, everyone also wanted to witness just how powerful the Tiger Fiend Scripture truly was.
A massive crowd of over a thousand people showed up at the Qingcheng Temple gate, accompanied by fan clubs and reporters.
The temple's front gate slowly opened. The Abbot, Han Liqing, emerged with his disciples. When he saw the dense crowd, he frowned.
"So many people!"
His eldest disciple, Cheng Lin, said grimly, "The opponent came prepared. We probably can't avoid this fight."
Han Liqing pondered in silence. The Qingcheng Temple followed the Talisman school, specializing in rituals, expelling ghosts, and warding off evil. They were not proficient in martial arts. They wouldn't fear an ordinary opponent, but Jiu was different.
Tiger Fiend Scripture!
Han Liqing sighed softly and told his eldest disciple,
"Go. Safety is paramount. Winning or losing doesn't matter."
The disciples' faces changed slightly. Cheng Lin declared loudly,
"Don't worry, Master! I will not lose, not even if I die!"
With that, he strode forward. Three minutes later, amid the cheers of countless people, Jiu came down the mountain carrying the plaque engraved with "Qingcheng Temple," leaving behind the severely wounded Cheng Lin and a group of crestfallen Daoist priests.
"Is this the Tiger Fiend Scripture?"
"No wonder it's called a divine book comparable to the Heavenly Master's Strategy."
Han Liqing shook his head. Even he, with his profound cultivation, was shocked by the tiger roar and killing aura. Given the combat power the boy displayed, there might not be anyone among the younger generation of Daoist disciples who could stand against him.
The times are changing!
The Cultivation of a God
After defeating Qingcheng Temple, Jiu rushed off to other locations without stopping. In seven days, he took down four more temples. His momentum was unmatched, and he became the undisputed Number One of the martial world.
Some even called him the Best Under Heaven.
This series of actions ignited the public's passion, earning him a large group of fervent followers. Some even brought heavy gifts, seeking to become disciples of the fifteen-year-old Jiu.
The boy was enjoying unparalleled glory. In contrast, the major branches of the Daoist sect felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.
They were accustomed to their transcendent status and hadn't been challenged for hundreds of years. Confronted with such a destructive force, they genuinely didn't know how to handle it.
Jiu was strong, but in the eyes of the deeply cultivated old Daoists, he was nothing. The problem was seniority. Jiu was only fifteen. They were well past sixty. For a gray-haired old man to bully an inexperienced young kid—winning was shameful, but losing would be utterly humiliating.
In a southern province, after a call with the new Abbot of Baiyun Temple, Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to seek help from the Special Affairs Department, using their connections to track down Luke's whereabouts.
After locating him, he immediately set off, finally reaching the hotel where Luke was staying just before dawn.
Exhausted and hungry from the overnight journey, the old Daoist priest had to grit his teeth and endure. Using his credentials, he passed security and found Jiu, who was having breakfast.
The boy was as big an eater as ever: twenty chive and pork buns, a plate of vegetable salad, and two large bottles of milk. After eating his fill, he began practicing his boxing in the open area.
Zhang Ruochen looked at him with a complex expression. Before this, he never imagined that this simple-minded, slightly dimwitted boy would become the focus of public attention.
The person who orchestrated all this was Luke Shaw, sitting nearby.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Mr. Shaw, I finally found you."
Luke pointed to an empty chair.
"Have you eaten breakfast? Shall I have the chef prepare something?"
Grumble!
Zhang Ruochen's stomach growled inappropriately. Luke smiled lightly and signaled to the chef nearby.
"Prepare a Southern-style breakfast."
Zhang Ruochen was deeply embarrassed. He wanted to refuse, but his stomach's protests were too loud, so he remained silent.
Luke took a sip of juice and chuckled.
"Is there something you need, Daoist Priest Zhang?"
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a few seconds before speaking slowly,
"To be honest, I'm here representing the Daoist sect. State whatever terms you have, but please stop with these jokes."
Jokes?
Luke paused. "I don't consider this a joke." He then pointed to Jiu beside him. "See? He's full of energy and determined to become the Best Under Heaven."
"Come on. Others might not know what's going on, but I do. Jiu just came out of the mountains and has no idea about social etiquette. Everything he's doing is your arrangement."
"You made him challenge the martial arts world, and then immediately challenge the Daoist sect. What exactly do you want?"
"I want to cultivate a God."
Luke shrugged. "Don't you think he has the potential to become a Martial God?"
"You..."
Zhang Ruochen was secretly annoyed and said sharply,
"You cultivate him by stepping on everyone else? What good does that do you?"
"Daoist Priest Zhang is also a mundane person!"
Luke shook his head slightly. "Alright, let's not talk about this. Why did you come today? If it's just about these things, there's no need. The world has changed. The 21st century is not a time to close your doors and live a simple life. People need to learn to look forward."
The smile vanished from Zhang Ruochen's face. His gaze was calm and fixed on Luke.
"You've witnessed my master's power. You should understand that if we truly decide to deal with him, he won't be able to last."
Luke laughed heartily.
"Jiu is only fifteen and has only practiced the Tiger Fiend Scripture for half a month. How could he be a match for the Daoist seniors? Of course, if you truly set aside your dignity and send a sixty- or seventy-year-old old man to fight him, I'll have nothing to say."
"The path to becoming a Martial God is a difficult one. If it were smooth sailing, it might not be a good thing."
Zhang Ruochen: "..."
"You're counting on us to back down, aren't you?"
Luke sighed slightly. "One challenge has scared you all so badly? Don't you have any strong young disciples?"
"How about this? I'll give you an idea."
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