Chapter 90: Golden Bell Shield
Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Golden Bell Shield
[Golden Bell Shield - Uninitiated: (1/100)]
[A peerless technique of Buddhism. Protected by a golden light, your Qi and Blood will roar like a furnace. Impervious to blades and spears, you will repel all evil.]
"It really is the Golden Bell Shield."
A smile appeared on Xie Yuan’s face.
Even if it wasn’t a secret art from Prajna Temple, the Golden Bell Shield was still a peerless technique that originated from the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism. It had always been one of the advanced Divine Powers for Buddhist cultivators, possessing immense might.
Typically, only Buddhist temples that could be called Sects would possess the legacy of the Golden Bell Shield. It seemed the Golden River Temple in Yanbei, where Master Liu had once been, was indeed quite formidable.
As a famous Divine Power and peerless technique of Buddhism, when the Golden Bell Shield was mastered, the practitioner’s entire body would be enveloped in golden light, rendering them impervious to blades and spears, as if encased in a golden bell. It could no longer be described as a mere hard-style skill; it was more fitting to call it a Profound Skill.
Such an effect was something the common Iron Cloth Shirt could never hope to compare with. Using the Longteng Escort Agency’s classification system, the Iron Cloth Shirt would at best be considered a D Class Cultivation Technique, barely making the cut. The Golden Bell Shield, on the other hand, should be ranked even higher than A Class.
Xie Yuan’s heart thumped with excitement. He quickly flipped through the thin booklet, imprinting all the images of the Arhats into his mind before beginning to practice them one by one.
Relying on his outstanding talent and a little bit of effort, he began to understand how to circulate and refine his internal Blood Qi to strengthen his body just by assuming the cultivation postures.
Even though it was just a book of illustrations, for him, it was a wide, open road laid out before his very eyes.
"Arhat Cross-Legs, Qi and Blood rises from the soles, circling the lower body... Arhat Rides the Deer, torso sways, power anchored at the waist...
"Arhat Crosses the River... Arhat Swings its Hands..."
Xie Yuan practiced them one after another. Not only did he quickly commit the postures to memory, but he also became familiar with the Blood Qi circulation routes and training methods, his movements growing less awkward and more fluid.
[3/100]... [7/100]...
The progress bar slowly increased. This visible improvement filled Xie Yuan with even more motivation, and he gradually immersed himself in his training.
By the time he had practiced all eighteen Arhat Golden Bell stances, Xie Yuan was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily.
"There don’t seem to be many movements, and they could all be considered ’static stances,’ but the internal power generation and training effect is surprisingly good!"
He had only been practicing for a short while, not even reaching the initiation stage of the Golden Bell Shield, yet his Blood Qi, which had been stagnant for some time, had already grown a little stronger.
’A high-level technique really is necessary for good cultivation results. Hmm, the Golden Bell Shield is a high-grade technique, so it should be difficult to get started. My progress probably wouldn’t have been this fast otherwise. But using the Blood Qi I built up with the Iron Cloth Shirt as a foundation makes it feel much smoother. It really must be an Iron Cloth Shirt version improved by the monks of Golden River Temple. Techniques from the same lineage are bound to have some synergy.’
Xie Yuan nodded repeatedly. With the foundation he’d built from the Iron Cloth Shirt, transitioning to the Golden Bell Shield was much easier. He didn’t have to start from scratch, which made his practice twice as effective for half the effort. The rate of progress was delightful.
Night had fallen. After a long day of running around and practicing his techniques, Xie Yuan was exhausted.
After fetching water to wash up, he collapsed onto his bed, deciding to continue his cultivation after waking up the next day.
Feeling his Blood Qi gradually increase and his body grow stronger, and being able to see his cultivation technique progress, Xie Yuan trained diligently without rest, feeling no hardship at all.
After the New Year’s celebrations, the holiday season was officially over, and everyone from the Escort Agency had returned.
Usually, when they met again after the new year, everyone would exchange pleasantries, chat about their family lives, or discuss difficulties in their cultivation. This time, however, the topic of conversation was surprisingly uniform.
The Chief Master had already acknowledged Xie Yuan’s outstanding contributions and his cultivation reaching the Second Training, promoting him to Senior Darts Master!
The Darts Masters who first heard this news couldn’t help but clean out their ears in disbelief:
"What did you say? Second Training? Senior Darts Master? He delivered the deciding blow in a battle between Third Training masters???"
"He just turned seventeen after the new year, right? And how long has he been with the Escort Agency?"
"Ha, another Master Zhao... No, this kid is even more of a beast than Master Zhao was back in his day!"
The news spread as if it had wings, quickly reaching every single person in the Escort Agency. Especially with a Master confirming it personally, everyone gradually realized it wasn’t just an empty rumor.
Zhao Xingyang was in high spirits at the Escort Agency, praising him endlessly:
"I did a little calculation back then and just knew this kid was something special."
"Master Zhao, don’t be so happy. He might just surpass you one day. Your position isn’t safe, you know!"
Zhao Xingyang laughed heartily.
"The capable rise, the incapable fall, and the master is whoever is most accomplished. If Xiaoxie’s skills surpass mine, I’ll acknowledge him as the leader. What’s wrong with that?"
After the new year, the four words "Senior Darts Master Xie Yuan" were imprinted on everyone’s minds.
A seventeen-year-old Senior Darts Master, a Second Training Martial Artist. No one doubted his bright future. They were just curious how long it would be before they could call him Master Xie.
Faced with a growing tide of compliments and flattery, Xie Yuan maintained a calm mindset and focused solely on his martial arts training.
Having gradually seen a corner of the wider world, he would not grow restless or arrogant over a little progress and empty fame.
These were all just byproducts of the Martial Dao. In the end, the Martial Dao itself was the foundation.
Only climbing higher and journeying farther on the path of the Martial Dao was truly worth celebrating.
「Three days later.」
As Xie Yuan practiced the Arhat stances one by one, his Blood Qi thickened, his muscles and bones strengthened, and if one looked closely at the surface of his skin, a faint luster had begun to appear.
[Golden Bell Shield - 1st Layer: (1/500)]
’With my comprehension and the foundation from the Iron Cloth Shirt, it still took me three days to reach the initial stage. This Golden Bell Shield is decent, I guess.’
Xie Yuan commented, shamelessly boasting to himself.
He touched the skin on his arm, silently feeling the power contained within, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
’Just the 1st Layer of the Golden Bell Shield, right after initiation, already has about the same Defense Power as the 4th Layer of the Iron Cloth Shirt! The difference in quality is obvious at a glance.
’And the training from the Iron Cloth Shirt doesn’t just disappear; it can merge with the Golden Bell Shield. With this thick hide of mine now, an ordinary Second Training practitioner would probably have to wail on me for half a day to break my defense.’
Xie Yuan felt his Defense Power had increased significantly, giving him a greater sense of security.
After all, you have to be able to take a hit to deal one out.
After training for another half a day, a knock came at his door.
It was Zhao Xingyang, who had come to find him personally.
"Xiaoxie, time for an escort mission!"
Xie Yuan asked and found out it was a small escort mission, but he would be leading the team as the sole Senior Darts Master.
"Now that you’re a Senior Darts Master, you’ve got to pull your weight. Not counting the Chief Master, the agency only has five Masters in total, and they can’t handle everything. A lot of the time, we have to rely on the Senior Darts Masters. You’re going to be a pillar of this agency in the future. We’ll start you off with a small one so you can get used to it."
Zhao Xingyang clapped him on the shoulder, signaling for him to get ready.
Xie Yuan nodded silently, feeling an unexpected sense of mission.
’Getting promoted to middle management, leading your own project team... I guess this is what it feels like?’
The next morning, Xie Yuan wrapped his uniform tight and polished his long saber. Since Situ Qin’s gift hadn’t arrived yet, he tucked the Tiger Bone Axe into his belt for the time being.
Once he was ready, he pushed open his door and walked into the side courtyard.
There, he saw five men and an Escort Vehicle, all ready to depart. Among them were the familiar faces of Kong Chun and Tang Dawei, as well as two other Darts Masters he didn’t know as well.
His acquaintances were naturally warmer, though their gazes toward Xie Yuan held a hidden reverence. The unfamiliar ones were more reserved. After all, it was their first time working with a future Master, and a hotshot young man with a boundless future at that. They didn’t know his temperament.
Seeing this, Xie Yuan smiled and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Greetings, everyone. Let’s work together to deliver this shipment safely. When we get back, I’ll treat you all to a meal at the Jude Building!"
"Alright!"
Everyone’s spirits lifted. Hearing that there would be a banquet waiting for them, they felt a bit more motivated.
’So he’s not a stingy one. That’s good.’
"Let’s move out!"
Xie Yuan waved his hand, giving the order for the first time.
The group traveled light, leaving the city and escorting the vehicle eastward toward Yulin County.
...
Outside Yulin County, on Chicken Mountain.
Inside a brightly lit cave, several dozen men in rough, boorish attire were gathered.
The leader, a large man wearing a tiger-skin apron, scanned the room. He stroked his steel-needle-like beard and laughed loudly.
"Brothers from all over are here. Excellent. Spring is here, and it’s time to do some big business."