103: Tips

“Long night, sleepless heart. I thought I was the only one, but I didn't expect True Immortal to be awake too!”

Tang Ku turned around and laughed teasingly.

“Holy Monk, you jest!” Yang Jian said helplessly, “We are all Immortal beings; we won’t feel tired or weak even if we don’t eat or sleep. These habits we retain are merely to remind ourselves that we are still human!”

Yang Jian naturally didn't know the origin of the meme Tang Ku mentioned, so Tang Ku couldn't help but smile and say, “You always call me Holy Monk or something. Actually, I think it sounds more pleasant if you call me Tang Sanzang or Sanzang Master!”

“How can that be? I am on equal terms with Sun Wukong, and you are his Master…”

Yang Jian said.

“Is seniority still important for cultivators?”

Tang Ku waved his hand and said, “Alright, call me whatever you like. People of the Buddhist faith shouldn't fuss over how others address them… Hmm, judging by True Immortal’s expression, it seems you have something bothering you?”

“Haha, you don't let me call you Holy Monk, yet you call me True Immortal?” Yang Jian suddenly laughed and said, “I think it's more intimate if you call me Yang Jian or Erlang!”

Tang Ku rolled his eyes: “So, Yang Erlang likes to choke people with words. That's easy to say, since you can't sleep anyway, how about this Poor Monk debates with you for ten bucks?”

Yang Jian's expression changed, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, “No, thanks. You Buddhist practitioners are eloquent speakers; I wouldn't dare to engage in a war of words with you…”

Tang Ku smiled and said, “Then you can call me Sanzang Master, or just Master, and I’ll call you Erlang from now on. That way, it won’t seem so distant!”

Yang Jian cupped his hands in thanks: “It is better to obey than to be respectful!”

“Then why are you wandering around at night instead of sleeping? Tell me about it!”

Tang Ku said.

“Haha, it’s nothing, really!”

Yang Jian said helplessly, “When I fought that Anus-something guy earlier, I discovered a problem… Hmm, although some people call me a God of War, I found that I’m truly not a qualified God of War. I couldn’t even hold back an enemy of that level, nor could I inflict effective damage on his true body… Sigh, it’s truly frustrating!”

Tang Ku instantly understood Yang Jian’s thoughts and immediately said, “I see, you’re troubled by the lack of an effective ultimate skill!”

“Ultimate skill?”

Yang Jian’s eyes lit up, “That’s a good name. In the past, I always relied on powerful combat strength to directly overwhelm opponents, but enemies of the same Rank always required dozens or hundreds of rounds of fighting before I could find their weaknesses, and my offensive methods were always limited to just a few… Hmm, you’re right, I don’t have an ultimate skill, a move that can inflict effective damage on an enemy… Speaking of which, although I have many Divine Abilities at my disposal, and my Seventy-Two Transformations is quite perfected, they are ultimately for trickery, good for evading danger, but in terms of destructive power, they are actually not as effective as my Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade and Howling Celestial Dog.”

“I understand!”

Tang Ku said, “Actually, this is also a common problem among cultivators in our world. Starting from the Investiture of the Gods era, haven’t you noticed that the powerful moves we use basically rely on Magic Treasures to be unleashed? At that time, whether it was the Twelve True Immortals or the Immortals of Biyou Palace, they basically used Magic Treasures as their ultimate trump cards. I’m thinking, if you could refine the weapons you have into some Magic Treasures, perhaps…”

“I’ve thought about this, but this path won’t work!”

Yang Jian shook his head and said, “Nezha has many Magic Treasures, and the two or three treasures I got from him are not highly destructive. Moreover… I have no experience in Artifact Refining at all. If my Revered Master and all my Junior Martial Uncles and Senior Martial Uncles were still here, it might be possible, but now… it’s difficult! What I want is a true, quick method!”

“Rushing for success, like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, is not a commendable approach!” Tang Ku shook his head and said, “Look at me; I am a living example. Before my past life’s memories returned to this body of Tang Sanzang, I also rushed for success, and as a result, I suffered a Lightning Tribulation, nearly having my Three Ethereal Souls and Seven Corporeal Spirits shattered. Fortunately, heaven gave me a chance to live again, allowing me to transform back into Tang Sanzang, which is how I met you all. Who would have thought this beginning would be a Hellish situation?

And my practicing boxing here is also to integrate the moves I currently Revered Master, to further enhance my combat power, even if it’s just a tiny bit. But the quick method you mentioned… I think it’s best not to…”

“But time is pressing, and the enemies we encounter are getting stronger and stronger. If we encounter an opponent of the same Rank as that Darwin fellow next, what do you think we should do? Should we flee in disarray again?” Yang Jian said, his emotions clearly agitated.

Tang Ku put his palms together: “Amitabha, Erlang, don’t you think we’ve been overthinking things lately? According to our Buddhist teachings, this is called obsession… It’s an obsession that arose because you failed once. You’ve developed doubts and self-negation about your own abilities. This is a sickness; it needs to be cured!”

Yang Jian smiled in distress: “I also know this is a sickness… But if this knot in my heart cannot be untied, my combat power will probably decline even further…”

Looking at Yang Jian’s appearance, Tang Ku couldn’t help but feel speechless, not knowing how to persuade him, and could only awkwardly look upwards.

At this moment, moonlight poured down, accompanied by the myriad stars, which greatly calmed one’s mind. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Tang Ku’s mind. He looked at Yang Jian and said, “Erlang, do you still remember my Disciple!”

Yang Jian was startled: “Which Disciple?”

Tang Sanzang had many Disciples; how would he know which one Tang Ku was referring to?

“It’s Shi Jingmo, my new Disciple!” Tang Ku said, “In his world, he is a warrior called a Saint Seiya, and besides ordinary attack moves, they also have many hidden ultimate skills. Not only him, but the Taurus and Scorpio we fought were also Revered Masters of this. Erlang, you should have seen them make their moves, and you should be able to gain some inspiration from them! Hmm…

You have always cultivated the Eight Nine Arcane Art, which has tempered your body to be incredibly powerful. This is the foundation for you to create new moves. Moreover, the Seventy-Two Transformations are not entirely defensive or disaster-avoiding moves. At least the Dan Shan Technique and the sword techniques I learned within it are offensive moves. You can completely combine your past experiences and forge a new path to create new moves…

Oh, and also, don’t we still have a chance to advance our Realm further? Perhaps this is the opportunity to advance!”

Yang Jian’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. He suddenly clenched his fists and cupped them, saying, “Thank you, Holy Monk, for your guidance. Although I, Yang Jian, am not very smart, I am not a fool either. I refuse to believe that I cannot create such powerful offensive moves!”