Chapter Twenty-Five: Hidden Depths
From Li Bai's vantage point, he could clearly see that the paper depicted something intimately familiar to him. This object had once entered his body—it was none other than the Pagoda of the Tower-Holding Arhat.
“What exactly is this thing?” Li Bai’s curiosity only deepened, prompting him to ask in confusion.
The little sweeping monk looked at the paper in his hand and at the monk’s bewildered face; for the paper was covered in a plethora of diagrams: eighteen types of weapons with notes, detailed methods, and schematic drawings...
But when the sweeping monk’s eyes fell upon the last diagram on the paper, he suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed in astonishment, “Look, isn’t this the thing Xiao Yan is holding?”
“Yes, that’s it...” Elder Huiqi carefully took the paper from the sweeping monk and tucked it into his robe before speaking slowly, “And this design—most likely, Xiao Yan drew it himself...”
“Hiss...” The sweeping monk gasped at the revelation. He couldn’t even comprehend the schematic, let alone draw it.
“Is this perhaps the weapon referred to in the theory of ‘the strong overcoming the weak’?” Li Bai mused aloud.
“I used to think it impossible, but after seeing this blueprint, I believe it’s worth a try, though the chances of success remain slim... I cannot guarantee anything, only say it’s possible. Of course, I’ve tried in the Armory Pavilion these past days—ten days and nights forging non-stop, yet not a single successful attempt...” Elder Huiqi continued.
“So, the weapon Xiao Yan holds—it wasn’t forged by you?” The sweeping monk asked, not daring to believe it.
Xiao Yan couldn’t leave the mountain, so who else could forge it? Most crucially, if even Elder Huiqi couldn’t succeed, how could someone else?
“Heh... You might not believe it, but Xiao Yan was dissatisfied with the weapons from my Armory Pavilion and insisted on forging his own. He even called one of my disciples to help him,” Elder Huiqi said with a bitter smile.
“Elder Huiqi has produced such a formidable disciple? That’s truly delightful!” Li Bai speculated.
“Wait... Elder Huiqi, didn’t you have Zhuge Yixiu forge a hoe for me last time? But it was completely unusable...” The sweeping monk wondered.
“Yes... Zhuge Yixiu couldn’t even make proper farm tools... so it clearly wasn’t him.” Elder Huiqi paused, then continued, “But three days later, Zhuge Yixiu suddenly became a master blacksmith. Now, not only is he capable of forging weapons, he surpasses even my most talented disciple!”
“This... just three days... What happened to Zhuge Yixiu?” The sweeping monk fell into deep thought.
“It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? I think so too... My disciples train for three years, yet cannot match him after three days and nights,” Huiqi shook his head.
“Then... was it Xiao Yan?” Li Bai frowned, probing.
Elder Huiqi nodded, “Yes, after much questioning, Zhuge Yixiu finally confessed. He vaguely heard Xiao Yan boasting, was struck inexplicably by lightning, and when he awoke, Xiao Yan had successfully forged the weapon.”
“Could it be that lightning enlightened Zhuge Yixiu?”
“Heh...”
“This Xiao Yan is truly mysterious...” Li Bai stared at the figure in the arena, thoughtful.
“So, is it confirmed that the weapon succeeded?” The sweeping monk asked excitedly.
“It seems so. The blueprint specified two rare materials required for completion, and somehow he obtained them.”
“So Xiao Yan is likely to pass the challenge?” The sweeping monk asked.
“Perhaps...” Elder Huiqi merely shook his head and said no more.
Li Bai observed Elder Huiqi’s expression and surmised a few things, then chuckled lightly, “Heh... Elder, you’re worried Xiao Yan’s inner strength is insufficient, and even with the weapon, he cannot defeat the Eighteen Arhats?”
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“Yes, after all, his internal skills are only at the fifth layer... What do you think, Sword Immortal?” Elder Huiqi nodded.
“Haha... Elder, don’t you think Xiao Yan is impossible to judge by ordinary standards?” Li Bai laughed.
Elder Huiqi thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
...
At this moment, the battle in the challenge arena was unfolding contrary to everyone’s expectations. The Eighteen Arhat formation could not be assembled; when the Arhats attempted to form it, their efforts were constantly thwarted by “timely interruptions,” rendering the formation impossible.
“It turns out breaking the formation only requires a bag of aphrodisiac...” Li Bai couldn’t help but laugh at himself.
How ironic...
He had wasted days seeking Elder Huiming’s advice on how to break the formation, never imagining it could be so simple.
Yet, thinking about it, only Xiao Yan could conceive such a method.
Elder Huiming had researched formation-breaking for decades without success; if he were present today, he would surely cough up blood in frustration.
But, just as Elder Huiqi feared, Xiao Yan’s internal strength was woefully lacking.
Eighteen Arhats, each with internal strength at the fifteenth layer, assembling their formation would be equivalent to a master at the thirty-fifth layer.
Now, even though the formation was broken, each Arhat still retained their internal energy, which Xiao Yan could not contend with.
If Li Bai were in the arena instead, the Eighteen Arhats would be defeated in less than a quarter of an hour.
A fifth-layer internal skill against eighteen at the fifteenth layer—this was like striking a stone with an egg. If not for the unexpected tricks of the Manure Treasure, Xiao Yan would have long been beaten senseless by the Arhats.
“Heh... overcoming the strong with the weak? Let me see indeed...” The Tower-Holding Arhat had been feeling quite proud lately; after all, Li Bai had acquired an extra pagoda thanks to him, which was enough for him to boast about for a year.
Few dared attempt the challenge, so he cherished each opportunity, making sure to bestow a pagoda upon every challenger.
Thus his bragging rights could continue...
Thinking this, the Tower-Holding Arhat pushed his new pagoda toward Xiao Yan once more.
Xiao Yan scrambled to dodge, looking especially pathetic.
“Heh... although last time I succeeded only because of your reminder, that’s not enough for me to show mercy to you...” The Tower-Holding Arhat was frighteningly blunt in his ingratitude.
“Heh... then I won’t hold back either.” Xiao Yan sneered at the Arhat.
“Hahaha... Brother, you’re quite the joker.” The Arhat scoffed.
The next moment, Xiao Yan’s expression turned serious. He sat down in front of everyone—and fell asleep...
“Hoo... hoo... hoo...”
His snoring was rather loud...
???
...
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“Is Xiao Yan seriously sleeping?”
The monks in the audience were dumbfounded and began discussing among themselves.
“Could this be another cunning scheme?”
“I think it’s highly likely—there’s nothing Xiao Yan wouldn’t dare attempt... hahaha...”
“I suspect the Eighteen Arhats are about to suffer again, just watch—I’m willing to bet on it!”
“If you lose, come to my meditation room tonight? Hehehe...”
“...”
...
Even the Eighteen Arhats were bewildered, listening to the murmurs around them and hesitant to make any move.
The stalemate lasted quite a while, until Elder Huiren could no longer bear it...
Eighteen Arhats, each at the fifteenth layer of internal skill, afraid of a little monk at the fifth layer?
“Go on!” Elder Huiren urged, “Tower-Holding Arhat! Weren’t you just boasting? Get in there!”
“Well... If you think you can, you go...”
“...” Elder Huiren.
...
After taking a beating, the Tower-Holding Arhat reluctantly moved forward.
Slowly closing the distance—ten meters...
Five meters...
Xiao Yan was still sleeping.
“Hmph, surely he’s just putting on an act!” The Tower-Holding Arhat suddenly lunged, smashing his pagoda straight at Xiao Yan.
“Bang!”
The next second, the sound of weapons clashing rang out, followed by Xiao Yan’s voice, slowly emerging: “Sleeping Arhat! Dream Chronicle Gathering!”
The Sleeping Arhat among the eighteen was stunned...
The Tower-Holding Arhat felt a faint pain in his palm, and in the next instant, Xiao Yan’s voice rang out again: “Elephant-Taming Arhat! Reversal of the Great Elephant!”
“Boom!”
A thunderous sound echoed. While everyone was still wondering what trick Xiao Yan would pull, the Tower-Holding Arhat collapsed, unconscious.
No one could fathom what had happened. The scene was silent.
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