Two streams of golden light shot from the eyes of the bronze Buddha like two sharp arrows, piercing straight into Huiguang's eyes. Huiguang's head instantly spun with dizziness, and a stabbing pain shot through his eyes. After a good while, the discomfort finally subsided completely.
When Huiguang opened his eyes once more, he was dumbfounded the very next moment.
To his astonishment, the dilapidated temple was gone, the bronze Buddha was gone, and what appeared in his line of sight now was a monk with a bronze-colored body, sitting cross-legged in meditation.
"What is going on here?" Thinking he was hallucinating, Huiguang rubbed his eyes and looked again. A bronze monk was indeed standing right before him.
Just as Huiguang was utterly baffled, the bronze monk suddenly stood up and began practicing martial arts as if Huiguang did not even exist.
Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand, Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Furcating Fist, Shaolin Staff Techniques, Lion's Roar, Great Mercy and Compassion Palm, Golden Bell Shield, Tathagata Palm...
Not only was Huiguang familiar with these techniques, but he could also execute them proficiently. In his original world, these powerful Buddhist martial arts were mere superficial displays, good for nothing more than keeping fit and strengthening the body.
Yet at this moment, the scene before Huiguang completely subverted his understanding.
When the bronze monk performed the Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Furcating Fist, with every single move and stance, the roars of tigers and dragons could genuinely be heard. When the bronze monk practiced the Lion's Roar, Huiguang could clearly see dense flocks of Buddhist swastika symbols flying out from the monk's mouth.
When the bronze monk practiced the Golden Bell Shield, a golden Buddhist bell genuinely materialized around his body, and when the bronze monk practiced the Tathagata Palm, a giant golden palm truly descended from the heavens, blotting out the sky...
Huiguang was utterly dumbfounded, finding it hard to accept everything he was witnessing. These health-preserving exercises truly possessed extraordinary, transcendental might in the hands of the bronze monk.
After an unknown length of time, the bronze monk finished his martial arts practice, and it was then that Huiguang beheld another scene that left him gaping in shock.
Upon finishing his practice, the bronze monk directly dissolved into countless golden particles, which flew up into the sky and transformed into large golden characters.
[Bronze Body Realm, the Buddhist Sect's "Initial Cultivation Body"]
These large golden characters quickly morphed into spots of golden light and vanished into heaven and earth, while Huiguang's consciousness returned at the exact same moment.
Jolting his eyes open, Huiguang received a sudden fright, for a masked face had appeared right before him.
"Huiguang, you clearly told me you only knew some basic fist and foot techniques, so what was that pale golden spiritual energy you just burst out with?" Shangguan Youran pulled her head back, looking at Huiguang with the gaze of someone dealing with a fraud.
"And why did your body suddenly turn bronze?"
"My body turned bronze?" Huiguang's eyes widened in utter confusion.
"Indeed. When your body turned bronze, a sacred burst of golden spiritual energy erupted at the same time. Although the pressure contained within that spiritual power was only equivalent to the Cultivator Realm, I feel that even at my peak, I might not be a match for you," Youran said.
"Cultivator Realm? Is this a way you classify your strength?" Huiguang's eyes were clear and his expression natural; Youran could not detect a shred of pretense or affectation.
"That's right." Youran nodded, thinking to herself inwardly, *Could he really be completely unaware of his own strength?*
*Bronze color, golden spiritual energy, Cultivator Realm cultivation? Could this have something to do with that bronze monk from just now?* Huiguang thought to himself at the same time.
"Do you really have no understanding of your own strength at all?" Youran asked to confirm once more.
"This little monk truly does not know." Huiguang still wore a look of utter sincerity.
"Well then, I really have no idea what kind of freak you are, coming from goodness knows where." A faint, bitter smile touched the corner of Youran's mouth.
"Benefactor Shangguan, won't you tell me how the strength classifications in this wor—uh—this place are divided?" Huiguang asked with an earnest expression.
"There are a total of seven tiers of human cultivation: Mortal Shedding, Cultivator, Minor Dao, Dao Master, Dao Sovereign, Dao Ancestor, and Ascension. Furthermore, the Ascension Realm is divided from the first to the sixth stage."
"I am currently at the Minor Dao realm." To explain more clearly, Youran deliberately released her spiritual energy for Huiguang to feel.
"Understood."
"Those are the human cultivation ranks. The God Race and Demon race have different cultivation ranks," Youran continued.
"What? Are there gods and demons here as well?" Huiguang let out a cry of surprise.
"I really have to wonder if you are even from this world. Otherwise, how could you be completely ignorant of such things?" Youran looked Huiguang up and down, her face full of bewilderment.
"Gods and demons do exist in this world, but they have their own dwelling places and generally do not come to the mortal realm."
"The strength classifications for gods and demons are roughly the same, divided like this:"
"God Race realms: God Attendant, God Soldier, God General, God King, God Emperor, and Divine Sovereign (the Divine Sovereign realm begins branching into one to seven stages)."
"Demon race realms: Demon Servant, Demon Soldier, Demon General, Demon King, Demon Lord, and Demon Emperor (the Demon Emperor realm begins branching into one to seven stages)."
"The human Cultivator Realm is equivalent to the God Race's God Attendant, and equivalent to the Demon race's Demon Servant, and so on. Do you understand?" Youran unclipped her waterswater from her waist and took a fierce gulp.
"Understood! Many thanks to Benefactor Shangguan for clearing up this little monk's confusion." Huiguang gave a slight nod.
"I already told you to call me Shangguan Youran, or just Youran. Why are you still calling me 'Benefactor'?" Youran feigned anger.
"Amitabha. Then this little monk shall address you as 'You'ran' from now on!" Huiguang spoke in a voice no louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"Huiguang, the three-day limit of the agreement between Lin Moran and me ends tonight. Early tomorrow morning, I have to go to the Lin Manor to rescue my father, so I must leave."
"It has been a pleasure knowing you. If we are destined to meet again, we certainly will." Youran stood up, her expression carrying a hint of reluctance.
"Wait, You'ran, what did you say?" Huiguang's body gave a violent start. "The three-day limit of your agreement with Lin Moran ends tonight?" Huiguang asked in disbelief.
"That's right, why?" Youran was left somewhat baffled by Huiguang's reaction.
"We spent over two days on this cultivation session?" Huiguang exclaimed.
"I only used half a day, it was you who took over two days." Youran was somewhat speechless.
"Hah!" Huiguang took a deep breath. He was now certain that the series of bizarre occurrences happening to him were connected to that dilapidated temple and the bronze monk.
"Huiguang, take these silver coins." After tossing a cloth pouch to Huiguang and giving him one last deep look, Youran finally turned and strode toward the edge of the forest.
"Amitabha! You'ran, we will meet again."
Watching Youran depart, Huiguang's gaze landed on an ancient tree before him. "Great Compassion Palm!" With a mighty shout, Huiguang struck the tree trunk with his palm.
As a faint golden palm burst forth from his palm, the massive tree trunk shattered with a booming explosion and crashed heavily to the ground.
Huiguang was left staring in wide-eyed astonishment. "So... all of this was real."
"It seems that an entire Scripture Depository of Buddhist secret texts in my mind will actually come in handy in this world." Huiguang gazed up at the sky, a rather peculiar look in his eyes.