The Sacred Ruins
Chapter 283

"Don't worry about us . We're doing fine . We're only here to visit a friend," Chu Zhiyuan's voice came through with an unnatural tone .

Chu Feng felt somewhat apprehensive . Why would the two of them suddenly go and visit a friend at Greatwoods Temple? He also felt his father's voice sounded somewhat odd . Could something have happened during this time?

Chu Feng used a secret code they had prepared for such situations . They had already discussed how they would communicate under such circumstances .

"Don't make blind guesses . We're treated quite well as guests here," Wang Jing spoke from the side and was even making fun of Chu Zhiyuan .

What was happening? Chu Feng felt quite puzzled .

"We're old friends with the Elder Ape of Greatwoods Temple," Wang Jing explained .

Chu Feng soon understood what had happened and was somewhat dazed . There was actually such a hidden story .

Back when the upheavals began, Chu Feng had walked from Mount Taihang to Shuntian . It was also during that period that the Greatwoods Temple shook the world as the Elder Ape established a sect .

Chu Feng still remembered how his father was quite upset at the Elder Ape of Mount Song .

He felt it was somewhat comical because his father, who was usually refined and dignified, couldn't keep his calm .

Wang Jing revealed that they had visited Mount Song when they were young . Chu Zhiyuan had wanted to feed the apes with fruits but was scratched by one of them instead and returned soaked in fresh blood . His impression of apes had never recovered since then .

At that time, Chu Feng took it as a joke .

But now he was flabbergasted to discover that the ape was, in fact, the Elder Ape's grandson!

That ape had gone to Shuntian some time ago . He was first stunned after seeing Chu Zhiyuan and his wife at the Roaming Jade Temple but was actually able to recognize the two of them .

At this time, Chu Feng was also dumbfounded . There was such a case?!

"The ape lineage had established a sect and built the Greatwoods Temple on Mount Song . They can be considered to have converted to Buddhism after obtaining the Golden Arhat breathing technique . They seem to be quite particular about karma . After meeting us, it can be termed reaping the fruits of the virtuous karma sown in the past," Wang Jing spoke with a chuckle .

Chu Feng was speechless . This was quite the mess!

No wonder Chu Zhiyuan's tone was somewhat unnatural . Chu Feng wanted to laugh after coming to understand the situation .

He felt thoroughly relieved and told the two that he would come over as soon as possible . He also wanted to visit Mount Song since it was one of the five sacred mountains .

Chu Feng was quite satisfied after wrapping things up at Xijing City and obtaining the Demon Flood Dragon Fist .

Chu Feng, Yellow Ox, and the black yak activated the inheritance with their blood essence that very day . They were finally able to brand the complete Flood Dragon Fist in their hearts .

This was of considerable significance to the current Chu Feng as it raised his combat strength by a huge margin!

"We should lay low for a while . I'm heading to Greatwoods Temple at Mount Song . Do you guys want to go?" Chu Feng inquired .

"Not a chance!" The black yak shook his head as his expression turned dark .

Yellow Ox was inwardly delighted because he knew what was going on .

"Aren't you and the Elder Ape sworn brothers?" Chu Feng poked a sore spot .

Back then, the black yak had sneaked up to Mount Song to steal the Vajrapani Bodhi Fruit but was beaten black and blue by the Elder Ape . The black yak was unwilling to go due to the deep resentment .

Yellow Ox said, "Let's find a place to practice our fist techniques first and then head to Jiangxi . I heard the marine race are planning a large-scale assault on Mount Longhu . Let's see if we can fish in troubled waters .

Yellow Ox reminded Chu Feng in whispers to check if they have monkey wine on Mount Song .

"Do the monkeys really know how to brew wine?" Chu Feng was astonished . He had always thought it was just a legend .

Yellow Ox told Chu Feng that the value of monkey wine and honey was quite difficult to gauge after the upheavals . Some of them might even be exceptional treasures .

Chu Feng understood the situation after some thought . The product would be exceedingly precious if the wine was brewed using divine fruits or if the honey was fermented with divine pollen .

Finally, Chu Feng parted with them . He didn't make the Golden Condor King carry him and set out alone .

The distance between Xijing and Mount Song was roughly 5000 kilometers after the great upheaval, a seemingly endless distance for ordinary people .

Chu Feng, however, could arrive within an hour if he maintained his top speed of five and a half times the speed of sound .

Naturally, he could only sustain this speed for the first half hour . He would have to slow down after a set period of time or else he would sustain injuries from the internal heat .

Chu Feng reached the base of Mount Song that evening .

The towering Mount Song was one of the five sacred mountains . It had become exceptionally vast after the upheavals as if it was connected to both the earth and sky .

Azure pines and green cypresses grew atop the mountain amidst auspicious purple clouds .

The whole mountain appeared dark red under the twilight glow, dotted with light golden specks . The scene was simply divine .

Chu Feng climbed the mountain at a leisurely pace . His fleeting and silent figure soon reached the peak of Mount Song .

The group of temples, basking in the afterglow of the twilight, appeared to have been embedded in gold . The scene was peaceful and silent . An ancient bodhi tree was swaying in the wind, producing Buddhist chants .

Dong . . . Dong…

The evening drum rang out . The whole place was seemingly isolated from the world and had transcended the affairs of the mortal world . This allowed Chu Feng to find calm and peace .

Swoosh!

A certain figure suddenly appeared . It was precisely the Elder Ape in his human form . He was thin but not very tall and hadn't shaved his head despite having accepted a Buddhist inheritance .

The Elder Ape possessed a head of short hard hair and eyes which flickered like golden lanterns .

This was a peerless expert and was also the first among the beast race to establish a sect .

He was the first to sense Chu Feng after his arrival and appeared in a flash . This was enough to prove how powerful the Elder Ape was .

"Greetings, senior," Chu Feng spoke .

The Elder Ape smiled and didn't act self-important because he understood that this youth before him was extraordinary . He possessed astonishing strength and had already established himself among the peerless experts .

"I had set out towards Jiangxi to help you and realized a meritorious deed . I hadn't expected you to sweep through the host of beast kings on your own," the Elder Ape stated .

Chu Feng knew that several beast kings, including peerless experts with six severed shackles, had appeared in Jiangxi and some had not left ever since .

"Thank you for your good intentions, senior!"

The two chatted while walking . Chu Feng met his parents and confirmed that they were unharmed . He was truly flabbergasted after finding out the inside story in detail .

Chu Feng felt it would be pretty good to stay on Mount Song . The scenery was exquisite . The whole area was inundated with dense vitality and auspicious purple mist . It was indeed a suitable place to stay .

Lu Tong had moved the Chu couple to the Roaming Jade Temple due to safety considerations .

The Elder Ape inviting the couple here might not necessarily be for different reasons .

"Perhaps senior wasn't too optimistic about me . " Chu Feng smiled . He suspected that the other party might have decided to take care of his parents in case he encountered misfortune .

"No, I'm very optimistic about you," the Elder Ape replied . "Buddhism focuses on karma . Inviting your parents over was something that should be done . Think of it as a diversion for them . "

With that, Chu Feng stayed at Greatwoods Temple . Greatly satisfied with the environment, he planned to lay low for a period of time and cultivate .

Dawn . Amidst the pensive toll of the bell .

"Dharma, in essence, is no Dharma . A state of no Dharma is also Dharma . If today, we are deprived of Dharma, which Dharma was ever Dharma?"

Chu Feng was absorbed in reciting Buddhist hymns and observing true scriptures . He would rise even earlier than the apes of the Greatwoods Temple .

There were thousand-year-old ancient temples and an abundance of Buddhist scriptures . There was also divine trees coming back to life . All of this allowed one's mind to achieve tranquility .

"Various characters originate in the mind and matters give birth to reason . Only when the Bodhi circle is fulfilled will the world bloom full of flowers . "

Chu Feng didn't leave for several days afterward . He frequently recited scriptures and enjoyed the ambiance of Mount Song in leisure .

During this period, he completed the Flood Dragon Fist and merged it together with the Demon Ox Fist . This raised his power a great deal .

Chu Feng was relaxed and carefree from dawn till dusk . He would practice his fist technique once at dawn and then again during twilight—his strength was gradually improving .

Additionally, Chu Feng had also progressed while practicing the Xingyi Fist . He could now imprint seven true forms when he summoned the bell .

True forms such as the dragon, tiger, and falcon rotated around him, resonating with the great bell . His defensive power had increased substantially and almost seemed impenetrable to myriad attacks .

Days ago, he could only utilize six true forms with the golden bell but now he had grown much stronger and truly indomitable .

Sometimes, Chu Feng would seek out the Elder Ape to practice martial arts but naturally didn't fight too intensely . He only sought to develop his fist technique .

He came realize that the Golden Arhat Grade Breathing Technique that the Elder Ape grasped was actually the Tendon Changing Scripture .

"Senior is truly extraordinary . You were able to conquer one of the five sacred mountains on your own . " Chu Feng sighed in admiration .

"I've occupied only a small portion of Mount Song . The true mountain is still hidden within the mist . " The Elder ape sighed as he pointed to the sky .

Only then did Chu Feng thoroughly understand that all famed mountains were similar in that regard . Their true forms hadn't appeared yet!

For several days, Chu Feng isolated himself on Mount Song and disappeared from public eyes .

However, the outer world hadn't calmed down along with him . Storm clouds were gathering over Jiangxi as the marine race launched a large-scaled invasion of Mount Longhu .

The marine race experts had decided to join forces and divide up the place . They went with great momentum and wanted to take down the mountain in one fell swoop .

Even the Peacock King had appeared along with the Golden Crow . Additionally, the White Snake of Mount Taihang and the Wudang Grandmaster had all made their appearance .

The Eight Visions, Hollow Jade and Roaming Jade Temple Masters had all rushed over .

That was because everyone felt Mount Longhu would really fall .

Before long, Yellow Ox contacted Chu Feng, telling him that the Golden Roc King and the Mastiff King of Mount Kunlun had also gone there . Additionally, there were more king level entities arriving .

Jiangxi region had become thoroughly chaotic . The host of kings wanted to kill their way towards Mount Longhu along with the marine race .

"Is senior not going?" Chu Feng asked the Elder Ape .

"The ancestral court of Taoism isn't that easy to deal with . I won't join in the festivities this time . " The Elder Ape was determined .

"Chu Feng, hurry over here . A deviant treasure is about to come into being . No wonder all these experts with six severed shackles have come running over . It should be worth fighting over," the black yak urged him to move .

Chu Feng reminded him with a solemn expression, "You guys should avoid joining in on the commotion with all these peerless experts . With so many people vying for supremacy, it's easy to be dragged into danger at the slightest mishap . "

He could no longer sit still . He was worried that the others would encounter misfortune .

Chu Feng didn't want to participate . He had gone there before and believed it impossible to fight their way up at this point . He wanted to improve his strength first .

"Chu Feng, can you come and rescue the temple master? He's in deep trouble over there . " Lu Tong suddenly contacted Chu Feng, asking for his assistance .

"What situation is this? Isn't the marine race busy conquering the mountain?" Chu Feng frowned .

"A deviant treasure has appeared and is now in the temple master's hands!" Lu Tong informed him in secret .

Chu Feng could only set out with a sigh . "I'll return all the favors this time!"