Transformation Diagram: Starting as a Skinny Dog-Chapter 537 - 347: Tenth Realm Backer

Guanyin Monastery is located in the ’Four Zen Sects’ area within Yan Capital, with yellow walls and red pillars. The entrance gives off an air of elegance.

"Esteemed layman, it’s getting late, and our monastery is about to close. If you wish to pray, please come again tomorrow." At the entrance, a little monk clasped his hands in respect toward Chen Ku.

Chen Ku returned the courtesy with clasped fists and said, "Little Master, I am not here to pray but to find an old acquaintance at your temple. May I trouble you to report this?"

The little monk raised his head in curiosity and asked, "Which master in the temple are you looking for, layman?"

Chen Ku replied, "May I ask if your temple has a Master Tian Hai?"

"Master Tian Hai?"

The little monk hesitated slightly, as if trying hard to recall if there was such a person in the temple, and after a moment, he hesitantly asked,

"Layman, are you looking for the mad monk at our back mountain gate?"

"Mad monk?"

Chen Ku was slightly startled. Master Shan Lingguan didn’t mention that Master Tian Hai was a mad monk, so he asked carefully,

"If the master’s name is Tian Hai, then he is indeed the one I’m looking for. Please report this."

However, the little monk shook his head and said, "I cannot decide on this. It’s because that mad monk is always being mad in the temple daily, and the Abbot does not allow us to interact with him. Moreover, he doesn’t seem like someone who would meet outsiders..."

Hearing this, Chen Ku pondered for a moment, then took something out from his sleeve and handed it to the little monk, saying, "Then please report to your Abbot, stating that my name is Chen Ku, and I specifically came to visit Master Tian Hai. If he agrees to let me meet Master Tian Hai, then please give this to him. If Master Tian Hai still refuses to meet me, I won’t trouble you further."

The little monk nodded and said, "Okay, I’ll go and report to the Abbot."

He took the item from Chen Ku and turned to walk into the Zen Temple.

Inside the Zen Temple, in the monks’ practice area, there was a bedroom about ten feet in size. The Abbot of Guanyin Zen Temple resided in this dwelling space; his dharma name was Guang Yan. Upon hearing the little monk’s report, he immediately rose from the dwelling space and asked carefully,

"That Chen Ku outside the mountain gate, is he about seventeen or eighteen years old, with an iron bracelet on his wrist?"

The little monk nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Abbot, how did you know?"

Guang Yan’s expression became serious.

This afternoon, a battle of geniuses on the Smoke Wave River to the north of the city had, by evening, spread across all major forces. All large and small forces knew about a young dragon crossing from Qiu Dragon Mansion to Yan Capital.

Eighteen years old, possessing the Six Great Limit Domain, with combat abilities at the peak of the Eighth Realm.

Steadily progressing in cultivation, almost assuredly a name on the Heroic List.

Once confirmed, he immediately rose and asked, "Whom does he wish to see, and what item did he give you?"

The little monk took out the item given by Chen Ku.

He then truthfully explained.

Upon seeing the item in the little monk’s hand, which was a porcelain bottle, Guang Yan lowered his head and lightly sniffed it. Instantly, he felt a cool sensation like snow penetrating from his heavenly crown, causing a slight loosening in the bottleneck of his Fifth Realm inner strength, and he exclaimed,

"This, this is actually the long-lost Sixth Realm secret medicine from Mount Putuo, the ’Ti Hu Huoluo Oil’..."

His expression showed slight shock.

Muttering in his heart,

"Although Master Uncle Tian Hai’s identity and presence are no secret to other major forces in the city, how did a young man from Qiu Dragon Mansion... come to possess the secret medicine from Mount Putuo from two hundred years ago, and... specifically request to see Master Tian Hai?"

The little monk noticed the Abbot’s expression shift dramatically.

He hurriedly said,

"Abbot, should I go reject that layman?"

Guang Yan quickly said, "No, no, I must go and meet him personally. You need not concern yourself with this matter."

Shortly thereafter, with his monastic robe in hand, he approached the mountain gate and saw a young man in black standing there. He promptly spoke,

"I was unaware that Mr. Chen had come to grace the mountain gate, my apologies for the lack of a proper welcome," said the Abbot Guang Yan.

Chen Ku snapped back to attention, looking at the senior Abbot who had personally come out, and replied gently, "No need for the Abbot to be so formal. I am simply here to visit Master Tian Hai. May you facilitate an introduction?"

"Of course, but... my young novice may have told you, Mr. Chen, that Master Tian Hai’s mental state has been somewhat unstable these years, so... I cannot guarantee what condition he will be in shortly. However, I can certainly introduce you," Guang Yan clasped his hands and said, "Please follow me, Mr. Chen."

"Thank you, Abbot." Chen Ku clasped his hands in gratitude.

Guang Yan led the way. Within the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, he had brought Chen Ku to the rear mountain gate of Guanyin Monastery, in front of a stone wall. There, within a cave in the stone wall, lay reclined an old monk in tattered clothes, barefoot, and with unkempt hair, asleep.

"Is this Master Tian Hai?" Chen Ku examined the barefoot old monk in rags with a probing eye.

Guang Yan had already approached and bent down to the cave entrance, saying, "Master Uncle, a young man from outside has come to visit you and has brought Ti Hu Huoluo Oil from Mount Putuo. Please wake up..."

While speaking, he opened the lid of the Ti Hu Huoluo Oil, allowing its cool fragrance to spread as he attempted to awaken the sleeping Master Tian Hai.

The nose of Master Tian Hai twitched slightly...

Then twitched again.

Suddenly, a pair of muddy old eyes burst open, filled with bloodshot veins, and he shot out from within the cave.

Bang!

The cave, originally only three feet high, was a cavern for a reclining Buddha statue. However, after the barefoot old monk straightened his body, the cave wall was blasted apart, and stones flew at the old monk.

"Master Uncle!" Guang Yan shouted in alarm.

Yet the stones, upon hitting the barefoot old monk, turned into powder one by one, scattering in all directions.

Bang!

Subsequently, the ragged clothing of the old monk flapped wildly, and his blood-red eyes fixed upon the Ti Hu Huoluo Oil in Guang Yan’s hand as he said,

"Familiar... this scent... familiar! Where did it come from!"

With deep breaths and booming voice, he spoke.

Rumble~

A tremendously vast aura unexpectedly spread from his body, like something tangible, forming golden waves in the sky, layer upon layer, spreading outward.

"Ancestor!" Guang Yan trembled all over in an instant.

"This old monk!"

Chen Ku also turned pale with shock:

"He’s already stepped into the Tenth Realm, Primordial Heaven!"

Previously, when his master Shan Lingguan mentioned it, he estimated that this old monk was at most at the peak of the Eighth Realm, around the initial Ninth Realm, but... The aura being revealed at this moment unmistakably matched the terrifying presence Chen Ku had previously sensed from the master of Qingxiao Cave in Yuan Country.

That Qingxiao Cave Master was truly a tenth realm qi cultivator.

And now, Chen Ku clearly felt a terrifying spiritual presence from this Tian Hai Divine Monk, not weaker than that Qingxiao Cave Master, his thoughts flashed rapidly:

"This aura is caused by powerful spiritual cultivation, the Martial Path spiritual power, could it be the first spiritual merit in You State’s territory that the master mentioned—the Prajnaparamita Skill."

Just as these thoughts flashed quickly across Chen Ku’s mind.

The Abbot Guang Yan quickly pointed at Chen Ku and said, "It was brought by this young gentleman, he wishes to pay respects to you, Ancestor..."

Tian Hai Divine Monk heard this.

His eyes, like blazing torches, instantly fell on Chen Ku.

A voice emerged:

"Who are you!"

Who are you! Who are you! Who are you!

In an instant, the voice contained Martial Path spirit akin to the vast sea, directly impacting Chen Ku’s soul, forming a pressure like mighty rivers.

In a daze.

Chen Ku felt as if he faced not a barefooted, ragged old monk, but that Buddha enshrined in the grand hall walking out from the hall to interrogate him.

Even though the other party did not deliberately invade Chen Ku’s soul, it still caused Chen Ku’s soul to waver.

At this moment, he only remembered that one sentence from his master Shan Lingguan.

Out in the world, identity is something you give yourself!

Settling his heart.

He directly took out a string of Shariputra from his storage gourd, held it in his hand, and said without changing his expression or breath:

"Eleventh-generation Sect Master of Mount Putuo, Chen Ku, paying respects to Ancestor Tian Hai."

Speaking, he bowed with a bend of his waist, yet hung the Sect Leader Token represented by the bracelet on his upright hand.

"What?"

The Abbot Guang Yan instantly lost his voice.

Not because of the relic bracelet, which he didn’t recognize, but due to Chen Ku’s words, which shocked him.

Tian Hai Divine Monk, upon seeing Chen Ku salute him and the string of prayer beads in his hand, felt his soul quake.

This string of Shariputra prayer beads instantly occupied all his senses.

Making him overlook Chen Ku’s words.

"The Sect Leader brother’s bracelet?" Tian Hai Divine Monk’s eyes turned red, his body seemingly destabilizing.

Soon.

The redness in his eyes subsided greatly due to gazing at that item, revealing some clarity, and he looked at Chen Ku anew, asking unbelievingly:

"What did you say earlier? You are the eleventh-generation Sect Master of Mount Putuo?"

Chen Ku, having performed up to this point with no turning back, continued saying without changing his expression:

"Precisely, disciple Chen Ku, originally from Qiu Dragon Mansion, by chance encountered this item at an abandoned temple in Luo Family Mountain, where I perceived the will of the previous Mount Putuo’s Tianlong Abbot. He passed the skills onto me, stating this relic bracelet is Mount Putuo Sect Master token, and upon receiving it, from that day forward, I became Mount Putuo’s eleventh-generation Sect Master."

And with that, he hung the transformation belonging to Three Dragon Mountain Great Tribe Chief on himself, revealing the Sixth Realm cultivation of ’Heart Clarity Spell’ and ’Arhat Demon-suppressing Formation’.

Tian Hai Divine Monk sensed the aura on Chen Ku’s body, although there was breath from other sects, the Heart Clarity Spell and Arhat Demon-suppressing Formation were indeed genuine, the key being...

Despite everything, asking about the Sect Leader Token was in no way false.

Hence, he looked at Chen Ku with a lost gaze:

"You are indeed Mount Putuo’s eleventh-generation Sect Master..."

Seeing the situation, Chen Ku immediately said, "To speak honestly, since the day disciple was entrusted with the significant duty by Tianlong Divine Monk, I dared not undertake this position, continuously seeking Mount Putuo’s descendants. Until an accidental opportunity, I heard Mount Putuo still has a divine monk residing in this Guanyin Zen Temple, so I specifically came to meet, and incidentally, return this Sect Leader Token to Ancestor."

Master Tian Hai instinctively asked: "You want to return this sect leader token to me?"

"Disciple acknowledges my low cultivation, despite having aspirations to rebuild Mount Putuo, lacking matching strength, having met Ancestor today who evidently has a Tenth Realm cultivation, only Ancestor can lead Mount Putuo to rise again."

Chen Ku presented the Sect Leader Token with both hands:

"Please Ancestor accept the Sect Leader Token, from today forward inherit the position of Mount Putuo’s Sect Master."

This façade has been thoroughly executed.

No matter whether this divine monk accepts the token or not, his identity as the only existing Mount Putuo disciple can be solidified.

Before the Hero King Treasure secret is leaked, without receiving Divine Martial Hall’s protection.

Clinging to a Tenth Realm great ability’s thigh, there’s no shame!