Chapter 181: Chapter 96: Back to Square One

A scolding was one thing, but the search had to continue.

As the leader of the Martial Arts Team from one of the Court’s renowned universities, Wang Zhanshan was held in high regard by the local Martial Arts Association.

After a brief discussion, the association immediately dispatched more people, expanding the search on Emei Mountain.

At the same time, the Emei Sect contacted the Emei Sword Sect and had them search their base as well.

Just as everyone was waiting anxiously, good news arrived from the Emei Sword Sect.

Zhao Rui had been found!

He was currently at the Emei Sword Sect, undergoing a spiritual cleansing through Buddhist Teachings.

Hearing this, everyone was stunned and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’A perfectly fine person skips the exchange conference, runs off to another sect, and is now undergoing some spiritual cleansing with Buddhist Teachings?’

’Was the conference not good enough for you? Or were the Emei Sect’s eminent monks not skilled enough in their Buddhist Teachings?’

’The sheer lack of organization and discipline!’

A fire ignited in Wang Zhanshan’s heart. He had already made up his mind: this time, he absolutely would not let the kid off easy.

After receiving the news, the group hurriedly followed a monk from the Emei Sect to the Emei Sword Sect base on another peak.

Although the Emei Sect considered the monastery its Inner Sect and the Sword Sect its Outer Sect for the Mortal World, the Outer Sect was far more mysterious than the monastery.

The monastery focused mainly on propagating Buddhist Teachings and didn’t meddle in the affairs of worldly sects.

Many grand exchange events for Buddhist Teachings, cultural heritage, and the like were also held there.

Even secular people could worship the Buddha, chant sutras, burn incense, and prostrate themselves in designated public areas.

The Emei Sword Sect, however, was different. It had always been reclusive, refusing to see outsiders. Generally, it would dispatch disciples to roam the world and spread the Sword Sect’s prestigious name.

Even Wang Zhanshan himself had never had the chance to witness the splendor of the Emei Sword Sect.

Now, he was actually stepping through the Emei Sword Sect’s mountain gate, all thanks to that “delinquent disciple” Zhao Rui.

Before the mountain gate was a straight, perilous flight of basalt steps. Looking up, they seemed to descend directly from the clouds and mist.

Starlight cascaded down, and a faint glint of a sword flash could be seen.

The group’s Martial Arts were exceptional, so the mountain path posed no challenge. They reached the gate in a matter of moments.

The gate of the Emei Sword Sect was rather plain, lacking the solemn grandeur of the Emei Sect.

But before the gate stood a “Sword-Surrendering Stele.” The stele itself was carved from Cinnabar Black Jade, a stone unique to the summit of Emei Mountain. The inscription upon it was not carved, but rather formed by Sword Qi that had seeped into the jade itself:

“All weapons that pass must bow their heads!”

The eight words stood out in relief like the spine of a sword, and the cracks between them seeped a fragrance of pine resin, as if the Sword Qi had taken physical form.

At first glance, it bore none of the hallmarks of the Buddhist Family: no sense of enlightened emptiness, compassionate salvation, or the unity of form and void.

Instead, it radiated a subtle dominance and a will to contend.

Seeing the group staring at the Sword-Surrendering Stele, the guide monk smiled. “It was left by a great master from the Song Dynasty. It’s one of Mount Emei’s treasures.”

Everyone nodded upon hearing this. Its historical depth was truly profound.

“This way, please!”

After a brief announcement at the gate, Wang Zhanshan and his group followed a young woman into the heart of the Emei Sword Sect.

They wound past pavilions, towers, and thatched-roof cottages until a pond, shimmering with a clear light, appeared before them.

A covered walkway ran alongside the pond, leading to several buildings at its end.

“This is our sect’s meditation area. It is not open to outsiders. Please wait here.”

The young woman offered a fist-and-palm salute before turning and entering one of the buildings.

A moment later, they saw Zhao Rui walk out. He was dressed in the garb of Emei Disciples, his bandaged arm held in a sling around his neck, and he wore a look of delight.

“Coach Wang, Senior Sister Ye, Senior Brother Gu!”

Zhao Rui greeted them warmly, secretly sighing in relief. ’Finally, I can get back to normal.’

’It hadn’t even been a full day, but the experience was so bizarre it felt like a dream.’

’In both his past and present lives, he had never experienced anything so thrilling.’

As for how he ended up at the Emei Sword Sect, that story begins at the bottom of a cliff.

Back then, after Liao Jing and her companions had left him behind, Zhao Rui had attempted to use his Lightweight Skill to scale the sheer cliff face.

Unfortunately, while he had learned many profound Martial Arts, his Inner Strength wasn’t yet up to par. He hadn’t even reached the Grandmaster Realm.

The cliff rose vertically for over ten thousand feet. Without sufficient Power, climbing it would be nearly impossible.

Nun Lejing and her group might have come and gone as they pleased, but that was because their Power, much like that old man he’d met in the woods at the Martial Arts Institute, was already beyond human limits.

He tried several times, but failed midway on each attempt.

Since climbing up was impossible, his only option was to follow the base of the cliff and find a lower, more suitable peak to get out.

His arm was injured, and the pain was truly unbearable. He had no choice but to pick up his pace and rush through the forest.

Along the way, he was attacked by venomous snakes and harassed by bats.

After walking for the better part of a day, he could finally see sunlight faintly filtering through the dense forest canopy above.

After a great deal of effort, he finally found a mountain stream and followed it upward.

He expended a great deal of energy and finally reached a point halfway up a mountain in the Emei Mountain Range. His plan was to hurry back to the Emei Base and find someone to bandage his arm.

But just as he reached the foot of the mountain, he ran into Nun Lejing, who he thought would have already returned to her Sword Sect.

’I couldn’t beat her in a fight, and I couldn’t outrun her.’

’So I had no choice but to obediently follow her up the mountain and “repent” in front of a Buddha statue for all the curses I’d thrown at her.’

’That nun’s pettiness is as top-tier as her Martial Arts.’

“Is your arm okay?”

Wang Zhanshan didn’t scold him in front of the others, instead asking with concern.

“It’s fine. The Healing Medicine here on Mount Emei is amazing; they’ve already bandaged it up. I’m sorry, Coach.”

Zhao Rui said, quickly lowering his head.

’It was true, he had been reckless. He shouldn’t have been wandering around. He’d thought he had accomplished something with his Martial Arts and had let arrogance fester in his heart.’

’He hadn’t realized just how big the world truly was.’

’It’s filled with so many extraordinary people and bizarre events.’

’After learning this lesson, he had already decided: for the rest of his four years of university, he wasn’t going to visit any more famous mountains or great rivers.’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep