Martial Arts: Starting from a Seemingly Real System

In order to find an effective way to fight against the Sun and Moon Double Rings, Qiao Rui asked the old monk: "Master, you recognized the Sun and Moon Double Rings at a glance. I believe you have seen other people wearing this thing. I wonder how they deal with it?"

"How to deal with it? Practice makes perfect!" The old monk said lightly. Seeing that Qiao Rui was a little disappointed, he thought for a moment and said, "It's nothing more than practicing more. Over time, you will naturally master the precise and effective way to control your internal energy."

"After this afternoon, you must have understood with your intelligence that using and replenishing your internal energy continuously is much faster than practicing it on a daily basis. And once you have mastered the fine control of your internal energy, your combat power will surely be greatly improved in the future."

"The Sun and Moon Rings are more of a training than a punishment!"

Qiao Rui smiled bitterly and nodded. He had indeed discovered the benefits of wearing the Sun and Moon Rings, but he didn't have time to slowly hone his skills in Shaolin. He had a sense of urgency in his heart, as there were still many things to do, and he couldn't wait!

Thinking of Jiang Xueyun whose life or death was uncertain, thinking of Liu Xinyue whose fortune was unpredictable, thinking of himself being trapped in Shaolin, Qiao Rui was speechless for a moment, he lowered his head and silently munched on his steamed bun.

Seeing that Qiao Rui was not in high spirits, the old monk stopped talking, finished a bowl of porridge, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and told Qiao Rui when he left, "Wait for the evening class!"

Evening class?

Qiao Rui looked up in surprise. Wasn't it said that lay disciples only did morning classes and not evening classes? However, he was a criminal at this time, and all affairs in Tallin were under the jurisdiction of the old monk. He had nothing to worry about, so he just did whatever the old monk said.

After quickly finishing his dinner and clearing away the dishes, Qiao Rui came to the old monk's room.

The room was small and simple. There was a small table on the earthen kang and an old oil lamp on the table. The dim light shone on the Buddhist scriptures, making people feel inexplicably peaceful.

The old monk handed the Buddhist scripture to him, motioned for Qiao Rui to sit down opposite him, and began to lead him to read the scripture, and then explained its meaning.

The scriptures were obscure, but the old monk explained them in a vivid and easy-to-understand way. Even Qiao Rui, who had no basic knowledge of the subject, understood them clearly and was deeply touched.

After the evening class, Qiao Rui returned to his room and practiced the basic Shaolin fist, palm, stick and knife techniques several times. Since he didn't have any stick or knife weapons, he simply used an iron broom instead. Fortunately, the sun and moon rings had been removed by then, so he was able to dance with great vigor.

Silent all night.

In the early morning, Qiao Rui woke up to the sound of bells. Although this was in the back mountain, the melodious sound of the bells could still be heard.

After breakfast and morning prayers, the old monk put the sun and moon rings on Qiao Rui and handed him the iron broom. He patted Qiao Rui on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Experience it with your heart. This is a rare opportunity!"

Qiao Rui nodded. Since there was no shortcut, he would have to practice slowly. Fortunately, he still had a lot of pills. Whenever his internal energy was exhausted, he would use the pills to restore it, which was a little faster than expected.

On the second day, Qiao Rui swept fourteen meters of bluestone road.

On the third day, sixteen feet.

On the fourth day, twenty feet.

The fifth day, the sixth day, the seventh day...

Qiao Rui's growth rate slowed down. It had been 25 meters for the past three days. It seemed that he had reached his limit and could not break through it no matter what.

At the evening class, after the old monk finished reciting a scripture, he did not let Qiao Rui leave immediately, but asked: "You have been distracted these past two days. Have you encountered a bottleneck in the fight against the Sun and Moon Rings?"

Qiao Rui remained silent, frowned and nodded.

"No matter what happens, whenever you encounter a barrier, you must first remain calm, and then think carefully to find a way to break through. How can you accomplish anything if you are so impatient and irritable?" the old monk said earnestly.

"Yes, I'm grateful for your advice!" Qiao Rui clasped his hands together and bowed.

The old monk continued, "You take pills several times a day to restore your internal strength. Although this is faster than expected, once any pill is taken in excess, its effect will be greatly reduced. It's quite a waste!"

How could Qiao Rui not know that the Sanyang Peiyuan Pill he took was a pill used when he was in the second-rate level? Although he was promoted to the first-rate level, he was only a Gold Seal Qingtian Guard and could not purchase pills of a higher level.

Sanyang Peiyuan Dan is most effective when used at the second-rate level. The effect is already halved when used by a first-rate expert. For someone like him who uses it three to four times a day, the effect is even less significant.

But he didn't care. If the pills were gone, he would just go to Qingtianwei to buy some after he got out of Shaolin. He was not short of money, but time. The later he found Jiang Xueyun and Liu Xinyue, the more danger they would be in.

"You seem to be in a hurry to leave Shaolin? Are you dissatisfied with Wu Se's judgment, or do you blame Wu Wang for not helping you?" the old monk suddenly asked.

"I dare not. Disciple already understands Master Wuwang's good intentions!" Qiao Rui said in a low voice.

"I understand!" The old monk smiled and nodded, his wrinkled face showing relief and kindness. "You are gifted and righteous, but you are rebellious and unruly. You don't respect etiquette and laws, and you don't follow rules. You don't have a fear of others. If this continues, it will not be a good thing."

"You rose too fast, and you have no foundation in the martial arts world. With your character, you will be taken advantage of by villains in the future. I love your talent, so I recruited you into Shaolin.

Just in time for that Ma Wencai to target you, he deliberately used Wu Se's hand to give you a beating. Although the Sun and Moon Double Rings punishment is harsh, it is indeed a good way to hone your character and improve your strength. You must not let Wu Wang's good intentions down!"

These words made Qiao Rui sweat profusely and his mind was shocked. He vaguely guessed that Master Wuwang was tempering himself, but he never expected that the deeper reason was so complicated.

I feel good about the character and habits I developed in my previous life, but they are so rebellious and incompatible in this world.

Wu Se said that he was frivolous and arrogant, and the old monk said that he was unruly. In fact, it was all due to the cultural differences between the two worlds. It was because Qiao Rui's three views were incompatible with this world that he seemed so out of place.

Although Qiao Rui tried his best to adapt to this world, some things in his bones are not so easy to change. In the eyes of those who are interested, these are character flaws that are easy to be targeted and exploited.

The old monk looked at Qiao Rui, whose forehead was covered in sweat, and continued, "Your martial arts inner strength is extremely masculine. As your cultivation level increases, your inner fire will surely grow stronger in the future, and even burn you to death. You must know that blindly pursuing strength is not a good thing. As the saying goes, the strongest will break easily. If you don't know how to restrain your character, you may be in danger of losing your life."

"Then how can we resolve it?" Qiao Rui asked hurriedly, sweating profusely.

The old monk smiled and said slowly: "You can find it from Buddhism. From now on, you must guard against arrogance and impatience, practice Buddhism diligently and realize it all the time. Use a gentle and kind heart to drive the masculine force. This is the long-term way."

The flickering candlelight shone on the old monk's wrinkled face, creating a peaceful atmosphere, as if the Buddha's light was everywhere, which made people feel inexplicably at ease.

Qiao Rui seemed to be thinking about something, and his mind became clear. He quickly got off the bed, knelt on the ground, and bowed, "Yes, disciple will remember this!"

Looking up at the old monk, Qiao Rui bowed again and said respectfully, "I am Qiao Rui, a disciple with a dull mind. I would like to ask the master to accept me as your disciple and teach me from time to time!"

"You want to take me as your master?" the old monk asked curiously.

"Yes!" said Qiao Rui.

“I don’t know martial arts, and I don’t care about Shaolin’s mundane affairs. You have ambitions, but I can’t help you at all. Do you understand?” The old monk stopped smiling and looked serious.