Chapter 8 One person at a time

The gate of heaven opens with a golden key as promised, and the vast cloud road is hung with a jade rainbow.

Under the bright sunshine, Ding Hai passed by his junior brother A who had just defeated his opponent on the ring and walked onto the No. 3 ring with his hands behind his back.

"The fragrance is deep and responds to the universe. The fragrance is lit up and penetrates the gate of heaven. The golden bird is running like a cloud arrow, and the jade rabbit is shining like a wheel. I pray to all the benefactors of this altar, the holy Vajra and the celestial masters, to help the medium to show his holy power and guide his disciples. The divine soldiers are urgent as the law orders."

Before Ding Hai could stand firmly on the stage, a slightly hurried incantation of summoning gods sounded from the other side of the stage.

Looking at the unknown junior brother B who was burning talismans and chanting spells before going on stage, Ding Hai looked calm.

There are many methods in Maoshan Taoism, the main ones are meditation, chanting scriptures, breathing and practicing Qigong, supplemented by setting up altars and writing talismans, and the methods of side doors and unconventional ways are just minor branches and leaves.

Not every Taoist technique is suitable for performance in the arena, summoning spirits is one of them.

The orthodox method of summoning gods requires at least three days of fasting. Burning incense and bathing are essential before setting up the altar. There are many taboos during this period.

If one wants to use orthodox summoning techniques to fight the enemy in the ring, it would be difficult for an average high-level martial artist to do so.

Therefore, it was normal for Ding Hai to see the unknown Junior Brother B burning talismans and chanting spells under the ring.

However, even though Junior Brother B had made preparations to summon the gods in advance under the ring, Ding Hai still did not think highly of him, because he had not even mastered the basics of the art of summoning gods.

Waving his hand to gently fan away the pungent smell of medicine lingering at the tip of his nose, Ding Hai shook his head slightly.

The true God does not possess a body, and the one who possesses a body is not the true God.

The art of summoning gods is said to be inviting gods, but in fact what is being invited is never the gods in the popular sense.

The art of summoning gods passed down in the Three Mountains Talismans is nominally about summoning gods, but in fact it is just using the altar rituals as a medium to leverage the power of heaven and earth for one's own use. This is the most superior art of summoning gods.

However, the requirements for the most advanced summoning technique are too high, and not all ancestors in the past could meet this requirement, so some smart people came up with a reduced version of the summoning technique.

I don't have the ability to pry open the power of heaven and earth, but as long as I serve diligently and please the ancestors, I can borrow this power from the ancestors who have the ability to pry open the power of heaven and earth. Thus, a high-end imitation version of the middle-level summoning technique was born.

This kind of summoning technique is much more difficult than the higher level summoning techniques. As long as the true spirit of the ancestor is still clear, the place where you are is also within the influence of the Dharma lineage.

Whether you can ask the ancestors for help depends on whether you treat the ancestors with great respect and diligence in your daily life.

But even the middle-level technique of summoning gods is not something that everyone can learn. If you have no ancestors with great magical powers, or if the ancestor with great magical powers has died and it is difficult to borrow his power, then this middle-level technique of summoning gods will not work.

Under such circumstances, the most inferior and copycat version of the art of summoning gods came into being.

Since I cannot leverage the might of heaven and earth, nor can I borrow the magic power of the ancestors, I will train my own ghostly Taoist soldiers and place them on the altar as auxiliary forces. When I perform rituals, I will use the ghostly Taoist soldiers I have trained to achieve my goals.

This kind of spirit-summoning technique is no longer considered an orthodox method within major lineages such as the Sanshan Fulu school.

However, because it has moderate risks, great feasibility and is quite easy to use, it is widely circulated in the spiritual world.

Eight out of ten of the spirit-summoning techniques passed down in the Waimao lineage by Ding Hai and others are of this inferior kind.

However, Junior Brother B, who was burning talismans and chanting spells below the arena, couldn't even touch the edge of the lower-level summoning technique.

The pungent medicinal smell emitted by the burning talisman in his hand made people feel excited just by inhaling a little bit of it against the wind.

This looks more like the beggar's version of the divine summoning technique - the divine beating technique - that spread from the White Lotus Sect, Maitreya Sect and other evil sects.

According to the different risks of use, this magic technique is divided into three levels. The superior magic technique raises monsters for one's own use, the middle magic technique summons monsters from all directions, and the inferior magic technique uses drugs to stimulate the body.

However, no matter which level of magic skill it is, the caster will have to pay a huge price.

"I'm sorry." After the yellow talisman in his hand burned out, Junior Brother B, who had absorbed all the smoke in front of him, flipped over and jumped in front of Ding Hai. After a martial arts bow, Junior Brother B raised his hand and squatted slightly, ready to attack.

It looks like a fight is about to begin. Looking at Junior Brother B who inadvertently COSed a yellow lion and tiger, Ding Hai raised his eyebrows, but was not surprised.

After all, Junior Brother B hasn't even mastered the basics of the art of summoning gods, so you can't expect him to start with a set of thunder magic and all kinds of long-range spells.

With a bow in return, Ding Hai took two steps, took up a boxing stance and a fighting posture, waiting for Junior Brother B to attack.

But what was unexpected was that Junior Brother B on the opposite side not only did not take advantage of the situation to attack Ding Hai in order to gain the upper hand, but instead hooked his finger at Ding Hai, indicating that he wanted to give Ding Hai a hand.

Seeing this, Ding Hai didn't hesitate either. He used all his limbs to cross the distance of ten feet, and like an angry rhinoceros, he kneed and elbowed, instantly hitting Junior Brother B in front of him who had no time to react.

The hooked finger had not yet been retracted, and the surging blood had just surged up. Junior Brother B, who was about to fight, felt his eyes blurred, his body lightened, and the world changed color.

Looking at the blue sky under the warm sunshine and listening to the voice that judged him as the loser, he finally realized what had just happened.

After he stood up with a somersault, he subconsciously touched his sternum which had been hit head-on by Ding Hai's iron elbow. It was clear that not a single strand was broken. Apart from a slight stuffiness in his chest, there was no other discomfort.

After making sure that he was fine, he looked towards the arena in front of him. The breeze blew his spacious gray Taoist robe, and the young man stood tall and handsome in the sunlight.

The victorious Ding Hai bowed and gave a slight signal to his junior brother B below the ring, then nodded and said hello to the unknown junior brother who took over from him, turned around and left the ring, waiting for the semi-finals to begin.

In front of Chongshou Temple, Qingsong, who had been silently watching Ding Hai, couldn't help but nodded when he saw Ding Hai win so cleanly.

Even though he has never used magic to fight and has no idea of ​​the basics of his magic, but with his skill of making light of heavy objects, none of the remaining three disciples in the No. 3 ring should be able to defeat him.

In the second round, Ding Hai's appearance order was the third, so after the two brothers behind him decided the winner, the No. 3 ring entered the semi-finals of four to two.

Ding Hai was the first in this round, so after the ring was empty, he still walked onto the ring with his hands behind his back and waited for his opponent to come on stage.

This time, his opponent, Junior Brother C, did not keep Ding Hai waiting any longer. After confirming the order with the Taoist priest who was maintaining order, a seven-foot-tall man strode onto the stage.

Looking at his junior brother C who was a head taller than him, Ding Hai couldn't help but raise his heels to make himself look taller.

At 188cm tall, he was already a rare "master" in this era, but he was still not as good as his junior brother C, the little giant.

With this physique! If he could carry a Xuanhua axe made of fine steel, he would probably be able to chop zombies and slay demons!
"Brother, please teach me." Junior Brother Bing had seen how Ding Hai beat people like a hanging painting just now.

So after he came on stage and greeted everyone, he concentrated on taking a defensive stance, ready to respond to any changes with the same attitude.

Seeing this, Ding Hai gave up his idea of ​​showing off and his face gradually became solemn. He recognized the source of his junior brother Bing's defensive boxing stance.

If he was not mistaken, the boxing style that Junior Brother C was practicing should be the signature boxing and kicking style of the school, Maoshan Zombie Boxing. Don't just think of the word "zombie" in the name of this boxing style, and subconsciously think of it as a boxing style that turns people into zombies.

On the contrary, this style of boxing is clever and agile. After mastering it, it is more slippery than Baguazhang and more cunning than Yanqingquan. As long as you master the skills, three or four zombies on the ground cannot get close to you.

He is a tall man of about two meters, with a nimble and agile boxing style.

It would be fine if he didn't learn the tricks, but if he really wants to learn something, Ding Hai can't underestimate him, because he can easily fail if he is not careful.

Stepping on Gangyu and Bagua, Ding Hai, who was alert, slowly circled around Junior Brother Bing, trying to find his weakness.

But Junior Brother C was no pushover either. After going around in a circle, he didn't reveal any flaws at all.

Hiss, hiss, hiss... Ding Hai has a toothache.

Although he had enough confidence in his boxing skills, Ding Hai knew that if he really had to rely on his boxing skills to fight against his junior brother Bing, even if he could win, it would most likely be a miserable victory.

After realizing that he could not win the game by just fighting, Ding Hai, who had no moral obsession and a flexible bottom line, gave up the idea of ​​a head-on confrontation.

He exerted force on his toes, his whole body shook, and he moved sideways several meters to attack Junior Brother C. He raised his hand and struck, and his right palm, like an ancient monument, pressed down on Junior Brother C's right arm, where veins bulged.

Junior Brother C, who had made sufficient preparations, was immediately overjoyed when he saw that Ding Hai really took the lead in launching the attack as he wished. With his strong body, he could withstand blows much better than ordinary people.

Although this senior brother in front of him is extremely powerful and can beat people like hanging paintings, don't expect to break his well-tempered body with just one blow.

But the development of things is always beyond people's expectations. Before Junior Brother Bing could gather energy in his dantian to counterattack, he collapsed to the ground with his whole body limp.

This scene left dozens of Maoshan disciples around confused.

This junior brother on the ring who looks like a little giant, I wonder if he was stealing last night.

How come you can’t even withstand a slap from someone?

Could it be a silver-like wax spear tip?

The disciples around were too young to see anything, but a young Taoist priest with a Taoist bun and a beard not far away under the No. 1 arena saw through it: "Palm Thunder or Five Thunder Palm."

I thought they were all mediocre people, but I didn't expect there were one or two surprises in them. It's interesting.

Shi Jian's serious face showed a hint of excitement: "Finally it's not so boring anymore."

After unexpectedly capturing Junior Brother C, Ding Hai did not leave directly like he did in the previous game, but leaned over and pulled up Junior Brother C who was lying limp on the ground.

In the arena, each contest depends on one's own ability. As long as one does not use any dirty or evil moves, one cannot be considered wrong. Therefore, it cannot be said that he won this contest unfairly, but he did catch Junior Brother C off guard.

Ding Hai still has a high regard for this little giant junior brother.

When this junior fellow apprentice reaches a higher level and his magic power becomes stronger in the future, among the many new disciples present, the only one who can defeat him is probably only one palm away.

Junior Brother C did not refuse Ding Hai's kindness. He was willing to accept the defeat and said that if he was not as skilled as the other person, he would be inferior to the other person. He took Ding Hai's right hand and used it to stand up.

After recovering and standing firm, Junior Brother Bing bowed to Ding Hai and turned to leave the stage.

There is still a semi-final waiting for the ring to be cleared for the competition to begin. This is not a suitable time to perform a show of mutual admiration on the ring.

Ding Hai did the same, returning to the ring and waiting for the next competition.

The other semi-final on the No. 3 ring ended just as quickly. A pale-faced and seemingly powerless junior brother Ding easily defeated his opponent with the soft sword in his hand.

The tip of the sword looked like a snake spitting out its tongue, and Ding Hai was so scared when he saw it.

Junior brother Ding who won the semi-finals did not leave the No. 3 ring. With the tip of his sword trembling slightly, he looked at Ding Hai below the ring and made an invitation.

This time, Ding Hai did not go on stage with his hands behind his back as carefree as before. With his sharp eyes, he keenly noticed that his junior brother Ding on the stage might still be holding back.

Stepping onto the ring, Ding Hai clasped his hands together, bowed, and then made a fist seal, ready for battle.

"Brother, don't be anxious. I have a question for you. If the answer is what I expected, I am willing to give up and admit defeat." To everyone's surprise, Junior Brother Ding did not start fighting right away as he did before.

Ding Hai raised his eyebrows and said, "Just ask, junior brother. I promise to tell you everything I know." It seems that this junior brother Ding is also a caring person.

"Brother, your palm strike just now made me admire you very much. May I ask if your boxing and kicking skills have reached perfection?"

“No.” Ding Hai was not lying. It was true that his boxing skills had reached some level, but they were still a long way from the master level.

Not to mention others, even Huo Yuanjia, the Yellow Tiger of Tianjin, whom he met on the way here, was much better than him in martial arts.

"It seems that in addition to your martial arts skills, senior brother also has a lot of experience in Taoism. I have asked all my questions. At present, I feel that I still have a 30% chance of winning. Senior brother, I'm sorry." After getting the answer he wanted, Junior Brother Ding thoughtfully entered the offensive state.

With a flash of sword and a twist of body, he mysteriously disappeared from Ding Hai's sight.

"Good footwork." Outsiders have a broad vision and cannot see what's going on, but Ding Hai, who is facing his junior brother Ding on the ring, can't help but applaud.

What happened just now was not as simple as it seemed. The sword light and the body movements were all perfect.

The sword light flashed in his eyes, and his movements were light and agile without a trace of worldly airs. It was a great way to kill people.

If that stupid junior fellow apprentice were to meet him at this moment, he would probably not even be able to activate the Six Ding and Six Jia Talismans and the Golden Light Talisman that protect his body and would lose his life.

Unfortunately, although this sword was wonderful, it was not treacherous enough.

Ding Hai, who has been fighting against the demons and monsters in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, no longer relies on his eyes to fight the enemies.

As he exerted his strength, all the hairs on the back of his hands stood up, and a stream of air passed by, and he found his junior brother Ding who had disappeared from his sight.

However, he did not follow his feeling and attack his junior fellow apprentice Ding who was hiding behind him and staring at him hungrily. Instead, he stretched out two fingers in front of his throat and gently pinched an object that was invisible to the naked eye.

"I give up. Brother, you have great skills. I admire you." After Ding Kai pinched the invisible object in front of his throat with two fingers, Junior Brother Ding surrendered decisively.

(End of this chapter)