Chapter 20: Venturing Once More into the Dungeon

Tang Xuan had now achieved mastery in his internal martial arts, possessing the consummate-level Arhat Thousand-Pound Skill.

His blade techniques included a third-grade style: the lost seven moves of the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade, a superior blade art.

For fist and palm techniques, he had the Shaolin Arhat Fist at a perfect level, which, combined with the thousand-pound strength from his internal skill, granted him formidable attack power.

In hidden weapons, he had mastered the Timber-Cutting Needle Technique, a fourth-grade weapon skill whose offensive strength surpassed even his blade and fist arts.

The only area he lacked was in agility techniques; to this day, he only knew a basic form.

His master, the venerable Xuan Zhi, had imparted only Shaolin’s superior internal cultivation method, one fist technique, and one hidden weapon skill.

Originally, Master Xuan Zhi believed these three arts were sufficient for his newly initiated disciple to focus on for some time; once his internal energy advanced, he could then begin training in agility techniques.

Yet Xuan Zhi had not anticipated Tang Xuan’s astonishing rate of progress in internal cultivation.

He found it hard to change his mind, thinking he would seek an opportunity later to teach his disciple agility skills.

Having acquired three new abilities, Tang Xuan took his leave from his master and returned to his residence within Shaolin Temple.

As an inner disciple and apprentice to a high-ranking monk of the Xuan generation—even though he was a lay disciple—Tang Xuan’s status within Shaolin was far from low, much greater than that of the junior monks.

He could address middle-aged monks of the Hui generation as brothers.

Young monks of the Xu generation greeted him respectfully, calling him “Uncle.”

Above the Xuan generation was the Ling generation, such as Master Ling Men, the teacher of Abbot Xuan Ci; but none remained in Shaolin from that generation.

Only the Mistress of Spirit Vulture Palace, the nearly hundred-year-old Old Woman of Tianshan, shared that rank, able to call Abbot Xuan Ci “little monk.”

No one knew whether the legendary Sweeping Monk, hidden within Shaolin, belonged to the Ling generation or even higher.

Tang Xuan was eager to learn the seventy-two Shaolin ultimate skills from the Scripture Repository, such as the advanced version of his Arhat Thousand-Pound Skill—one of the seventy-two, the Divine Arhat Skill.

He even wanted to encounter the Sweeping Monk, hoping for a chance to learn his martial arts.

But access to the Scripture Repository was not granted lightly.

To enter, one must possess a certain amount of merit.

To earn merit, a disciple must complete various sect tasks and contribute to the order.

With enough merit, one could even train in the seventy-two ultimate Shaolin techniques.

Tang Xuan was preparing to accept sect tasks to earn merit.

But after considering his current level—only level ten—he decided it was better to raise his level first.

Moreover, he still needed to claim the first-clear rewards for the Black Wind Stronghold dungeon at the hard difficulty (levels 11–15) and nightmare difficulty (levels 16–20).

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The first-clear rewards for dungeons were often extraordinary; his third-grade blade technique had been obtained this way.

In the future, when others tackled the normal difficulty of Black Wind Stronghold and defeated the level 20 boss, the Third Master, it would be far more difficult to obtain the skill book for the lost version of the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade (third-grade).

With this in mind, Tang Xuan opened the game’s friend system and sent a carrier pigeon message to Wang Yajun, Luo Qingqing, Qin Yanran, and Li Weiwei.

“Meet at the foot of Black Wind Stronghold—I’ll take you through the dungeon!”

“Another dungeon run?”

The four women, leveling up in their respective novice villages, had seen their levels rise from five to seven after Tang Xuan led them through Black Wind Stronghold.

Completing the dungeon’s experience reward had brought them halfway through level seven.

Each now had a green-grade weapon, and leveling up in the novice village was faster than for ordinary players—they were approaching the peak of level seven and soon to reach eight.

They hadn’t expected that Tang Xuan, now a sect disciple, would bring them through the dungeon again.

Recalling the rich experience gains from Black Wind Stronghold, the four women were excited, returning to their novice villages, finding the dungeon messenger, and entering the Black Wind Stronghold dungeon.

Within every sect, such as Shaolin, there was a dungeon messenger to facilitate entry.

Tang Xuan found the Shaolin messenger and entered Black Wind Stronghold as well.

—

At the foot of Black Wind Stronghold.

Tang Xuan and his four companions—Wang Yajun, Luo Qingqing, Qin Yanran, Li Weiwei—reunited.

This time, the foot of the mountain was deserted; there were no crowds of players.

Clearly, the level 20 boss in the dungeon had defeated many guilds, sending them home empty-handed.

Failing a dungeon run and dying inside meant losing all experience, and even dropping a level.

Many high-level players at seven, eight, or nine had suffered setbacks.

They could only continue leveling up to around ten, improving their martial arts skills before attempting Black Wind Stronghold again.

If even the advanced players struggled, ordinary players were simply grinding levels, completing novice tasks, and training skills.

Tang Xuan’s party selected Black Wind Stronghold on normal difficulty (levels 5–10, 1–10 players) and entered the dungeon.

—

“Halt! Who goes there?”

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As soon as Tang Xuan’s group entered Black Wind Stronghold, they heard the familiar opening challenge.

A dozen humanoid monsters, mountain bandit minions ranging from level five to seven, brandished blades and charged.

Tang Xuan moved swiftly, rushing forward.

With his base attack power of 2020, even without using any skills, a punch or kick was enough to instantly defeat each bandit.

His perfect-level Arhat Thousand-Pound Skill granted him immense power, greatly enhancing his attack.

In a flash, the dozen minions were cleared out by Tang Xuan.

Wang Yajun and the other women were stunned; they hadn’t expected Tang Xuan’s martial skills to advance so rapidly after joining a sect.

Previously, Tang Xuan had struggled against these bandits—even at the entrance, the lowest-level minions required careful strikes to defeat or kill.

If any tried to flee, the four women had to help intercept them.

This time, however, every punch was a one-hit kill—effortless, leaving the bandits no chance to fight back.

“Let’s go!”

Tang Xuan led the way, charging deeper into Black Wind Stronghold.

The women’s astonishment was only beginning.

This time, Tang Xuan led them through the dungeon almost without pause.

Wherever they went, they encountered groups of a dozen or two dozen bandits—though their levels rose to eight, nine, ten—none could withstand a single exchange with Tang Xuan; his fists and feet dispatched them with ease.

Unlike before, after each battle, Tang Xuan did not meditate to restore his internal energy.

He advanced relentlessly, unstoppable.

He simply had not consumed any internal energy.

Even at the final gate, where two elite bandit leaders at level fifteen led a crowd of minions in attack, Tang Xuan crushed them all with overwhelming force, clearing the path in an instant.

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