Li Huan and Kumārajīva discussed the ranking of martial arts masters in the martial arts world, which aroused everyone's interest.
Kumārajīva felt that he should not be ranked sixth, and he was eager to know the names of the top five masters.
Li Huan announced loudly, "Currently, the second-ranked master in the martial arts world is the Sweeper Monk of Shaolin Temple!"
"The Sweeping Monk?" Kumārajīva was stunned.
Li Huan said, "That nameless old monk is responsible for cleaning the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Pavilion every day. His martial arts skills are unfathomable; he is the number one master in Shaolin!"
Kumārajīva looked at Abbot Xuanci: "Abbot, are there any eminent monks in Shaolin Temple that Chief Li mentioned?"
Abbot Xuanci laughed and said, "A mere sweeping monk is not worth mentioning."
Holy crap, Abbot Xuanci's level of showing off is pretty high too.
Kumārajīva frowned: "I have been in Shaolin Temple for a long time but have never met the sweeping monk in the Sutra Repository. When I return to the temple, I will definitely visit the sweeping monk and ask him for some guidance."
Li Huan continued, "The third-ranked expert is Xiao Feng, the Southern King of Liao and the former leader of the Beggars' Sect!"
A flicker of fear flashed in Kumārajīva's eyes.
Li Huan knew that when Kumārajīva first fought Xiao Feng, he was beaten so badly by Xiao Feng that he vomited blood. He forcibly endured it, claimed that he had fought Xiao Feng to a draw, and stubbornly refused to admit defeat, taking the opportunity to show off and act like a hero.
Xiao Feng clasped his hands in a fist salute and said modestly, "Second brother, you flatter me."
Kumārajīva remained silent, knowing he was no match for Xiao Feng and that his fighting prowess was inferior to Xiao Feng's.
Li Huan said, "The fourth-ranked master is Xu Zhu, a young monk from Shaolin Temple!"
Kumārajīva exclaimed in surprise, "What! Xuzhu is ranked fourth! Are you sure there's no mistake?"
Li Huan said, "You actually underestimate Xu Zhu? He is the Palace Master of the Tianshan Lingjiu Palace and has just become the leader of the Xingxiu Sect!"
Kumārajīva retorted: "Commenting on martial arts skills is not the same as commenting on social status."
Li Huan said, "Although Xu Zhu is young, he has mastered the Xiaoyao Sect's 'Xiao Wuxiang Gong', the Lingjiu Palace's Tianshan Sect's 'Tianshan Zhemei Shou' and 'Tianshan Liuyang Zhang'!"
"Furthermore, Xu Zhu is also skilled in crafting the 'Life and Death Talisman.' Kumārajīva, would you like to try out the power of the 'Life and Death Talisman'?"
Kumārajīva hurriedly shook his head and said proudly, "This humble monk has no interest in the 'Life and Death Talisman.' I have always kept my distance from such evil and heretical hidden weapons!"
What a clever use of "keeping a respectful distance"—it immediately showcases the artist's skill in "showing off."
Li Huan said, "By the way, you are also proficient in the 'Xiao Wu Xiang Gong,' which is the ultimate skill of the Xiaoyao Sect. Where did you learn it from?"
Kumārajīva was taken aback, his smile stiffening: "This humble monk has practiced various martial arts diligently since childhood, and unintentionally comprehended the Lesser Formless Skill."
Li Huan gave a thumbs up: "Awesome! You were able to comprehend the unique skills of the Free and Unfettered Sect on your own. I thought you were secretly learning them from the shadows."
Kumārajīva's expression was unnatural: "This humble monk has always been upright and honest, and has never stolen other people's martial arts."
Li Huan feigned surprise: "Holy crap, you're so upright? As far as I know, you've been chasing Duan Yu all the way from Dali in Yunnan to Suzhou in Jiangnan, threatening him to write down what you've learned in the Six Meridian Divine Sword!"
Duan Yu snorted, glared at Kumārajīva, and scoffed.
Kumārajīva quickly retorted, "As I just said, I never steal other people's martial arts! I pursued Young Master Duan openly and honestly, asking him to write down the manual for the Six Meridians Divine Sword, and I treated him with courtesy!"
Li Huan's body trembled, and he almost fell over.
Kumārajīva's skin is incredibly thick!
He "openly and honestly" pursued Duan Yu, asked him to write "The Six Meridians Divine Sword," and even "treated him with courtesy"!
How shameless it must be to utter such nonsense.
Li Huan gave a thumbs up: "When it comes to showing off, you're number one in the world!"
"Pretentious?" Kumārajīva asked, puzzled. "What does 'pretentious' mean?"
Li Huan said, "Pretending to be cool is a rather vulgar colloquialism. As the highly respected Tibetan National Preceptor, it's fine if you don't understand the meaning of 'pretending to be cool'!"
Upon hearing this, Kumārajīva felt a surge of superiority and pride, and he couldn't help but puff out his broad chest.
Li Huan continued, "The fifth-ranked expert is actually two people!"
Kumārajīva was shocked: "What? The two are tied for fifth place? My actual ranking is equivalent to seventh, which is still sixth..."
Li Huan said, "These two are very mysterious figures who have been hiding in the Shaolin Temple."
Kumārajīva's eyes widened: "Again...again...again, monks from Shaolin Temple?"
Li Huan shook his head: "They're not monks, they're just hiding in the Shaolin Temple, secretly learning martial arts from the Sutra Pavilion!"
Kumārajīva angrily said, "How can there be such shameless people in the world, hiding in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Pavilion to secretly learn martial arts? This humble monk is truly indignant!"
Li Huan laughed and said, "What are you so indignant about? Are you feeling resentful because you didn't infiltrate the Shaolin Temple and steal the martial arts from the Sutra Pavilion?"
"I..." Kumārajīva was caught off guard. "Why are you so aggrieved? Don't slander me! Who exactly are those two who stole the martial arts from the Sutra Pavilion?"
Li Huan's gaze swept across the audience, searching for those below the stage.
Xiao Feng's biological father, Xiao Yuanshan, and Murong Fu's biological father, Murong Bo, were definitely mixed in with the crowd, keeping a close eye on the progress of the martial arts tournament.
The two old men were extremely clever, cunning, and ruthless.
They will never show up unless it's a critical moment.
Li Huan thought to himself, "Once I've earned a million taels of silver and completed the tasks assigned by the system, I'll use a little trick to lure Xiao Yuanshan and Murong Fu out!"
Kumārajīva urged, "Who exactly are they?"
Li Huan said, "They were disguised and hiding at the scene, making them difficult to identify!"
Kumārajīva frowned deeply: "Please, Chief Li, state their names!"
Li Huan said, "No rush, no rush, I'll have them come up on stage and show themselves later!"
Kumārajīva said, "Very well, I must learn from these two masters and see their martial arts skills!"
Li Huan said, "If you fight against the two of them, you will definitely lose."
Kumārajīva sneered: "A person who hides in the Shaolin Temple's Sutra Pavilion to secretly learn martial arts is of questionable character. How could he possibly master unparalleled martial arts? And how could he possibly defeat this humble monk?"
Li Huan once again marveled that Kumārajīva's ability to show off was truly first-rate.
"Chief Li, after all this talk, who is the number one ranked expert?"
Kumārajīva asked curiously, his tone clearly impatient.
"Sigh..." Li Huan sighed deeply: "You Tibetan monk, you seem quite clever, how could you ask such a stupid question!"
Xu Zhu raised his head and shouted, "The number one ranked expert is naturally my second brother, Li Huan!"
Li Huan laughed and said, "Look, you're not even as smart as that little monk!"
Kumārajīva suddenly realized: "So, you claim to be the best martial artist in the world!"
Li Huan's face darkened: "Self-praise? You used the wrong word, didn't you? Do I need to boast about my martial arts ranking?"
Kumārajīva said, "Ding Chunqiu and You Tanzhi were defeated by you in one move! Duan Yanqing was defeated by you in two moves... It seems that your martial arts are indeed the best in the world... However..."
Li Huan said, "But what? You're not convinced because you didn't fight me personally, right?"
Kumārajīva nodded.
Li Huan suddenly raised his voice: "Show me your money first, then we'll have a contest!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
