Chapter 358: Chapter 358 The Grand Dream of Shaolin Heritage
"Lan Xin nodded to Yang Xiao and turned to take a few junior sisters to rest on the side.
Yang Xiao took the opportunity to walk away, leaving Xie Lei standing there, his expression somewhat awkward.
Xie Lei watched Lan Xin’s graceful figure, feeling an inexplicable impulse surge within him, wanting to rush over and pounce on her from behind.
Yang Xiao walked up to a pile of monsters, opened his Space Ring, and put several of the monsters on the ground into the ring.
Xie Lei’s eyes lit up at the sight.
He had seen this Space Ring in the Genetic Store before, but he couldn’t afford the price of over a million Crystal Coins.
Xie Lei and the others couldn’t improve their genes by consuming the flesh and blood of monsters. They relied solely on Genetic Fragments, so Crystal Coins were especially precious to them.
But Yang Xiao was different, he had a Black Bottle that could refine mutant monster flesh and blood, thereby directly enhancing his Genetic Evolution. Additionally, with the support of Nanmu City and Shanyun City behind him, he could afford the million Crystal Coins even if it meant gritting his teeth, whereas Xie Lei, even if he gritted his teeth, would still feel the pain deep in his heart.
Yang Xiao left a huge python for everyone to eat that evening.
"Monk Ben Yin, I want to go to the small woods over there to chop some firewood so we can light a bonfire and roast snake meat tonight, would you like to help?" asked Yang Xiao.
Monk Ben Yin immediately responded, "Sure."
Monk Ben Guo, who was nearby, also volunteered to help.
So, the three of them headed to the small woods about 2 kilometers away.
Upon reaching near the small woods, Yang Xiao asked, "Monk Ben Yin, what’s the deal with Xie Lei from Kongtong Sect? I feel like you all seem to be quite wary of him."
Monk Ben Yin sighed and said, "Before the apocalypse, Kongtong Sect was just a second or third-tier cultivation sect, not in the same league as Shaolin or Wudang. But during this apocalyptic catastrophe, most of the senior masters from Shaolin, Wudang, and Emei unfortunately perished, leaving behind us younger generations."
"Xie Lei, for some reason, has a particularly fast Genetic Evolution rate. With the same amount of Genetic Potion, his evolution speed is nearly twice that of others. We all entered the desert around the same time, from the edge of the desert, through the central area, all the way into the heart of the desert. Only Xie Lei has broken through to the Enhanced Gene Stage first, and I heard he’s now striving toward Intermediate Enhanced Gene Stage."
"With a higher level of Genetic Evolution, Xie Lei’s practice of the Kongtong Sect’s unique skill, Seven Injuries Fist, has greatly increased in power. There had been a time when we had a conflict with him. He alone could take on me, Zhang Hai, and Zhi Ruo and still have the upper hand. Now, his Combat Power is probably even stronger than before."
"After his Combat Power surged rapidly, his whole attitude started to inflate. Once, he told us that he wanted to create a Martial Arts Alliance. He also said that with the City Alliances forming outside, our Martial Arts World should also hold a martial arts convention and establish an alliance. Only then can we stand on equal footing with the cities in Xuanming District, becoming a force that can’t be ignored."
...
Monk Ben Yin had said a lot.
After listening, Yang Xiao asked, "Have you formed an alliance agreement yet?"
Monk Ben Guo interjected, "Not yet. Actually, we think Xie Lei’s proposal makes sense. The present situation of the cultivation sects like Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kongtong, Divine Mountain, Kunlun, and others, with their dwindling numbers—if we could form an alliance, our strength would naturally be quite formidable. United, we could become a force that no one can take lightly. However,"
"However, your concern is about Xie Lei himself. You feel he has poor character. If he became the Martial Arts Alliance Hierarch, he may not act in everyone’s best interest, right?"
Monk Ben Yin nodded.
"Actually, we are different from those City Alliances in Xuanming District. For us Ancient Martial Cultivators, what we face now is an opportunity like never before. We can finally realize the dream of Martial Artists based on the foundation of Genetic Evolution. Most of us are devoted to Ancient Martial Cultivation, constantly breaking through our own limits. We simply want to be secluded cultivators, not competing with outsiders for status."
Monk Ben Guo nodded in agreement.
"As monks, we have no desire for worldly competition. We don’t want to contest anything with the City Alliances. Moreover, those in the City Alliances might not even remember us, given our small numbers."
Yang Xiao unsheathed his Longsword and cut down a large tree, then said indifferently:
"Perhaps, the significance of Ancient Martial Cultivation is greater and more important than you can imagine."
Monk Ben Yin and Monk Ben Guo both looked puzzled as they turned to Yang Xiao.
Yang Xiao continued:
"How many people are left in Shaolin Temple now?"
Monk Ben Yin sighed deeply and answered:
"Alas, after this apocalyptic catastrophe, the number of remaining people in Shaolin Temple is just over a hundred."
"How many masters like Master Ben Yin does Shaolin Temple have?"
Hearing this, Monk Ben Yin’s face showed embarrassment as he replied:
"The few of us brother monks are currently the ones with the highest Genetic Evolution Level. After all, our Evolution resources are limited, especially after the heavy snows sealing the mountains; the nearby Mutant Monsters have all but vanished. Our sole source of Evolution resources is this desert, but the number of people who can enter the desert is limited—only eight can go in at a time."
Yang Xiao contemplated for a moment before speaking:
"Do you think the Ancient Martial Arts lineage of Shaolin can continue to be passed down with just these hundred plus people?"
Buzz!
This struck a chord in both Monk Ben Yin and Monk Ben Guo. It was as if they were suddenly enlightened.
They rarely thought about this issue, or rather, they had always avoided it.
Now, the whole population of Xuanming Country had decreased to a critical point, and Shaolin Temple was facing an even more urgent problem of a generational gap in talents.
The two stood there stunned as Yang Xiao seemed to hit right where it hurt the most.
Yang Xiao went on:
"The harsh winter will soon end, and if my guess is correct, a surge of Mutant Monsters will come storming in. Shaolin Temple, with just these hundred plus people, has no ability to defend against them. Losing one person means one less defender; with just a few of you, not to mention continuing the Ancient Martial Arts of Shaolin, you can’t even protect the temple."
After hearing this, Monk Ben Yin gave a long sigh,
"Om Amitabha! Brother Yang is right, but what can we do? We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate."
"I actually have a solution, one that doesn’t rely on leaving things to fate. Through our own efforts, we can change the fate of Shaolin Temple, ensure the continuous transmission of Shaolin Ancient Martial Arts, and even make it become the hope for humanity’s future."
Monk Ben Yin and Monk Ben Guo felt a jolt in their hearts as they looked at Yang Xiao.
Yang Xiao spoke very seriously:
"To be frank, I am King of both Nanmu City and Shanyun City."
"Om Amitabha, my apologies for the oversight. So Brother Yang is the Twin Cities’ King, it’s no wonder that at first glance, I felt Brother Yang had an extraordinary demeanour..."
"Hey, stop, no need to flatter me or sweet-talk me."
Yang Xiao waved his hand and smiled.
Monk Ben Yin and Monk Ben Guo exchanged smiles.
"Brother Yang, what is the solution you mentioned? How can we sustain the transmission of Shaolin Ancient Martial Arts?"
"The method is quite simple. Nanmu City and Shanyun City currently have about fifty thousand people, among whom there are over two hundred Martial Artists with at least Primary Level Primordial Genes. There are also nearly twenty people like you guys with Advanced Primordial Genes. If Master Ben Yin is willing, we can form an alliance with Shaolin Temple, or even turn Nanmu City and Shanyun City into a huge Shaolin Temple.
Think about it—(p) Shaolin Temple suddenly gaining fifty thousand secular disciples, how splendid would that be? Would you still fear that Shaolin Ancient Martial Arts wouldn’t be passed down? By then, the Kongtong Sect would seem as insignificant as ants before us."
(Apology for the late update today, there will be another one tonight. Thanks to the readers for their rewards: Water Concave 500 Qidian Coins, Yi Miaoyi 100 Qidian Coins, lijian713966 200 Qidian Coins, and Lingering Emotions 100 Qidian Coins.)