"Little one."
"Let me see your hand."
Just as the Abbot, the Head of the Courtyard, and others were lost in thought, the long-browed old monk stepped forward and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Okay."
Rin Haruto did not refuse.
In fact, he couldn't refuse.
As Rin Haruto looked at the long-browed old monk, he felt the wisp of innate internal energy that had just been nurtured within his dantian tremble.
It was evident.
This long-browed old monk's strength far exceeded Rin Haruto's imagination.
At least, he was much stronger than the Abbot, the Head of the Courtyard, and the others.
Because Rin Haruto had not felt such pressure from the latter.
"Martial arts perfected, internal energy self-generated."
"Indeed, a high-grade martial art has been cultivated to the realm of perfection."
The long-browed old monk gently touched Rin Haruto's right hand, and a surge of hot internal energy spread, followed by a sigh.
"Internal energy self-generated?"
The Abbot of Great Zen Temple and the various Heads of the Courtyards let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Even though they had already guessed it, they still found it incredible.
In this world, martial arts are divided into Houtian (Acquired), Xiantian (Innate), Grandmaster, and Great Grandmaster.
Generally speaking, a Grandmaster is already the ceiling, and a Great Grandmaster… one might not appear for several centuries.
Houtian and Xiantian practitioners make up the vast majority of martial artists in the world.
There are roughly three ways to advance from the Houtian realm to the Xiantian realm.
One: Consuming some rare heavenly spiritual medicine; as long as the medicinal power is fully absorbed, even an ordinary person can become a Xiantian realm martial arts expert.
Two: A Houtian peak martial artist seizes the opportunity to break through and successfully steps into the Xiantian realm.
This path is also the mainstream; almost all Xiantian martial artists come from this method.
Three: Cultivating a high-grade martial art to the realm of perfection.
High-grade martial arts are the painstaking creations of Grandmaster realm martial arts experts.
A perfected high-grade martial art has already developed a certain aspect of the human body to its extreme.
It is not strange for innate internal energy to naturally arise from this.
However, martial arts experts who enter the Xiantian realm through this method are usually fifty or sixty years old, having diligently studied high-grade martial arts for decades, finally having an epiphany one day—a serendipitous event.
A three or four-year-old like Rin Haruto, who comprehends a high-grade martial art, is something the Abbot and the Head of the Courtyard have never heard of.
Only a martial arts prodigy, born with knowledge and rarely seen in a thousand years, could barely explain it.
"Little one, are you willing to become my disciple?"
The long-browed old monk looked at Rin Haruto with a complex expression and suddenly spoke.
Upon hearing this, the Abbot, the Head of the Courtyard, and the other monks did not show any strange expressions.
After confirming that Rin Haruto had comprehended a high-grade martial art and cultivated it to the realm of perfection, they realized that Rin Haruto's martial arts talent was absolutely the greatest in Great Zen Temple's thousand-year history.
Such a martial arts prodigy could only be taught by the long-browed old monk in the entire Great Zen Temple.
As for the Abbot, the Head of the Courtyard, and others, strictly speaking, they were also within the Xiantian realm, just like Rin Haruto.
What qualifications did they have to accept a disciple?
"Disciple greets Master."
Rin Haruto immediately bowed to the long-browed old monk.
Becoming the long-browed old monk's disciple indeed saved Rin Haruto a great deal of time.
According to the rules of Great Zen Temple, any disciple, regardless of who they are or their status, must go through three years as a running monk, three years as a chore monk, three years in the Sutra Lecture Hall, and three years in the Disciplinary hospital.
Only after enduring these twelve years would one be qualified to formally access the true martial arts of Great Zen Temple.
If Rin Haruto did not reveal his talent and remained hidden among ordinary young novices, he didn't know how much time he would waste.
Although with his heaven-defying comprehension, he could gain insights even by observing mountains and rivers, the starting point was different, and the gains obtained in the same amount of time would naturally be vastly different.
Given the major premise that he could only stay in this world for twenty years, hiding was clearly not an option.
Rin Haruto became a disciple of the long-browed old monk, receiving direct instruction from the only Grandmaster in Great Zen Temple.
Combined with his heaven-defying comprehension, Rin Haruto's progress would undoubtedly be rare in the world.
Two months later.
Rin Haruto and the long-browed old monk sat facing each other.
"From now on, you can move to the Scripture Depository to live."
The long-browed old monk's mouth twitched slightly.
The implication of these words was that the long-browed old monk felt he could no longer teach Rin Haruto.
There was no other way.
Rin Haruto's comprehension was too exaggerated.
At first, the long-browed old monk could still guide Rin Haruto.
But after a few days, he felt something was off.
Since ancient times, people with exceptional talent have been described as being able to infer three things from one.
But Rin Haruto was more than just inferring three from one?
He inferred ten from one!
He inferred a hundred from one!
No matter what the long-browed old monk said, Rin Haruto could quickly understand it.
And from it, he would comprehend even more profound concepts.
What made the long-browed old monk even more incredulous was that Rin Haruto not only possessed such talent in martial arts.
He was the same in Buddhist scriptures and Dharma.
Facing such a freak, even a Grandmaster as strong as the long-browed old monk found it a bit overwhelming.
So, later on, it was less about the long-browed old monk guiding Rin Haruto, and more like two eminent monks debating on equal terms.
Some of Rin Haruto's words even benefited the long-browed old monk, who was a Grandmaster, greatly.
And reaching this point only took two months.
"Scripture Depository?"
Rin Haruto's eyes lit up slightly.
The Scripture Depository was where Great Zen Temple collected martial arts.
It was an absolutely vital and important place.
The Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts, these seventy-two high-grade martial arts, were kept on the second floor of the Scripture Depository.
In addition, on the third floor of the Scripture Depository, there were even more profound martial arts that surpassed the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts.
In fact, Rin Haruto had long wanted to visit the Scripture Depository, but the long-browed old monk had never agreed.
He kept saying that Rin Haruto was too young, and exposing him to things of too high a level would be detrimental to his state of mind.
"The many martial arts collected in the Scripture Depository were written by successive Grandmasters of Great Zen Temple."
"There, you should be able to learn more."
The long-browed old monk waved his hand, looking like he had given up.
Since he couldn't teach Rin Haruto, then let the successive Grandmasters of Great Zen Temple teach him.
In fact, as a vital area of Great Zen Temple, ordinary disciples had no right to enter the Scripture Depository at all.
But Rin Haruto was different; with the permission of the long-browed old monk, a Grandmaster, there would be no problem entering the Scripture Depository.
After that day, the long-browed old monk announced his seclusion.
And Rin Haruto lived permanently in the Scripture Depository.
At only three years old, Rin Haruto began to browse numerous martial arts.
The martial arts collected in the Scripture Depository were as vast as the ocean; the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts were just the most famous part, and there were many other martial arts besides them.
"Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture?"
On the second floor of the Scripture Depository, Rin Haruto took out an ancient book.
The Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture was a special martial art that could cleanse and reshape meridians and improve martial arts aptitude.
Its value even surpassed that of the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts.
However, no one in the entire Great Zen Temple had ever mastered this martial art.
The reason was that this martial art had too high a threshold; it not only required martial arts comprehension but also involved the essence of Buddhist scriptures.
The long-browed old monk might have the foundation to master the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture, but for a Grandmaster, the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture was no longer that important.
Rin Haruto picked up the original Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture and began to read it carefully.
Three days passed in a flash.
[Your comprehension is heaven-defying. By observing the special martial art 'Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture,' you have comprehended the special martial art 'Muscle Tendon Marrow Cleansing, Body Forging, Blood Exchanging, Spirit Tempering Art.']
Rin Haruto was delighted.
He saw an inexplicable aura begin to circulate through his limbs and bones, slowly strengthening his meridians and flesh.
This power was not limited to the physical body; even Rin Haruto's spirit and soul began to be nurtured.
"The original Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture could only cleanse and reshape meridians, its effect was too singular. Now, this 'Muscle Tendon Marrow Cleansing, Body Forging, Blood Exchanging, Spirit Tempering Art' that I've comprehended can strengthen everything comprehensively, with no weaknesses or shortcomings. Even a Great Grandmaster would probably be envious upon seeing it."
Rin Haruto couldn't help but smile.
Through two months of instruction from the long-browed old monk, a Grandmaster, Rin Haruto was no longer ignorant of the martial arts in the current world.
Grandmasters do not focus on bones and muscles.
Or rather, every Grandmaster's bones and muscles have already been developed to the extreme for an ordinary person in terms of bones and muscles.
However, the subsequent body forging, blood exchanging, and spirit tempering could have a significant impact on Grandmasters.
Especially spirit tempering; it is said that Great Grandmasters intensely desire martial arts that can enhance the spirit.
"With this 'Muscle Tendon Marrow Cleansing, Body Forging, Blood Exchanging, Spirit Tempering Art,' I should enter the Grandmaster realm a bit earlier."
Rin Haruto nodded slightly, quite satisfied.
After comprehending the 'Great Arhat Buddha Fist,' Rin Haruto ascended to heaven in one step, bypassing the Houtian realm and directly entering the Xiantian realm.
However, Rin Haruto's Xiantian realm was slightly strong on the outside but weak on the inside.
After all, other Xiantian martial arts experts nurtured innate internal energy under the premise of vigorous qi and blood, finally breaking through to the Xiantian realm.
But Rin Haruto, with the body of a three-year-old child, the innate internal energy he nurtured was naturally far inferior to that of a normal Xiantian martial arts expert in both quality and quantity.
However, since the realm was achieved, everything else was just a matter of time.
Now, with this 'Muscle Tendon Marrow Cleansing, Body Forging, Blood Exchanging, Spirit Tempering Art' to nurture his physical body and spirit, Rin Haruto even saved time.
This martial art far surpassed the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture and could comprehensively improve everything about Rin Haruto.
And so,
Rin Haruto stayed in the Scripture Depository for five years.