173: Chapter 173 Could it be that Buddha truly descended to earth?

The three women spoke in unison to remind him, then drifted down to the ground.

"Protect them from the side, just in case anything changes,"

Su Rui said to the Free and Unfettered Master.

"Senior, the recluse in the back mountain has unfathomable strength; please be absolutely cautious."

That old monster was certainly troublesome, but the strength Su Rui displayed was even more daunting.

The Free and Unfettered Master only dared to say one more sentence before retreating to the ground to stand guard beside the three women.

Outside the mountain gate, everyone looked at the three women, all moved by their stunning beauty.

Many women felt a pang of jealousy.

To be able to travel with such a powerful expert meant a boundless future.

Zhao Min's eyes sparkled.

This was the true hero in her heart.

If she could get to know him, or even join his sect...

With that protective nature he just showed, wouldn't he be the best backer?

Moreover, such a strong person must possess countless ultimate arts and secret manuals.

"Princess, I advise you to stay away from this person.

If I'm not mistaken, he is very likely that figure from the recent rumors in Northern Li.

You should know his methods; even a slight mistake could lead to a fatal disaster!"

Seeing Zhao Min's fervent expression and knowing she was always reckless, He Biweng hurried to warn her.

"This princess knows what she's doing!"

Zhao Min waved her sleeve lightly without even looking back.

The Xuanming Elders exchanged a look, both their eyes filled with hidden worry.

They had joined the Northern Yuan only for wealth and stability.

Protecting Zhao Min was a job that was both easy and profitable; they had originally thought it was a sweet deal.

Previously, they considered themselves clever, but now they began to calculate an exit strategy—if she truly enraged that man, the two had already secretly decided to leave immediately.

But Zhao Min was not a fool; since she knew the other party's background, she would surely have a plan.

Su Rui stood still, his gaze falling deep into the back mountain,

exactly in the direction where Murong Longcheng had disappeared.

With his eyesight, he naturally saw the man escape into a cavern.

A moment later, a burly figure appeared at the cave entrance, knees slightly bent, and suddenly leaped up.

There were no traces of any movement techniques; he relied entirely on the strength of his muscles and bones to leap across the air.

The moment he landed, the force vibrated and scattered, affecting everything within a thousand feet.

The ground trembled slightly, making everyone's footing unstable;

the remaining halls of the Shaolin Temple also cracked with numerous fissures from the vibration.

"Who are you?"

Looking at the man before him, whose physique far exceeded that of an ordinary person, Su Rui's tone was indifferent but held a hint of interest.

That leap just now was enough to show that this person was definitely not ordinary.

If nothing else, just this physical strength and control over force were rare in the Jianghu.

The man did not answer directly, only saying slowly: "Your Excellency's Disciples did not suffer a loss. How about we let this matter drop here?"

"I asked you—who are you?"

Su Rui's figure slowly settled, his voice rising again, his tone becoming a degree heavier.

A cold light flashed in the burly man's eyes.

"I am not afraid of you; I just don't want to fight for no reason.

You want to seek death, I won't stop you."

As soon as he finished speaking, his anger also surged up.

"So, who exactly are you?"

Su Rui was truly curious.

The burly man was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "You may call me Bodhidharma."

Su Rui was stunned, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Bodhidharma? You say your name is Bodhidharma?"

The burly man, who was rising in anger, was stunned by this laughter.

It was just a name; what was there to laugh at?

"It's Ancestral Master Bodhidharma!"

The Shaolin Temple monks suddenly became rowdy; many people's eyes lit up, their excitement hard to suppress.

Legend has it that the Seventy-Two Ultimate Arts, the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic, and the Marrow Cleansing Classic were all created and passed down by Bodhidharma. Now that the Immortal Master has appeared, isn't it like a living Buddha descending to the world?

Su Rui glanced indifferently at the ecstatic monks, then looked at the burly man.

Sensing the contempt in his eyes, the burly man suddenly raised his hand, and a palm wind whistled out, blowing the group of monks over in a disheveled mess.

"Since you are Bodhidharma, I would like to see how many of my sword strikes you can block."

Su Rui slowly drew the cangfeng sword with composed movements.

The burly man's expression tightened slightly, then he sneered.

"A mere mortal, dreaming of being Heaven-Defying."

"Mortal?"

Su Rui was taken aback, then looked the other party up and down, a flash of realization suddenly appearing in his eyes.

The cangfeng sword vibrated slightly, and a silver-white Sword Qi shot out like lightning.

"Futile!"

The burly man laughed, crossing his arms in front of him for protection.

The Sword Qi arrived instantly, and a piercing scraping sound rang out.

The burly man's expression changed abruptly, and he threw his arms upward with great force, actually sending the Sword Qi flying into the sky.

Looking down, two bloody gashes had been cut into his forearms.

He looked at Su Rui in shock—

This body of his could hardly be harmed even by White Robe Su's Sword Qi.

Sword Qi, after all, was not as sharp as a real sword; only a sharp blade could break through his defense.

Yet this youth before him was so young, and he could actually wound him with Qi?

Before he could think further, Su Rui had already closed in, his figure flashing as he approached.

The long sword thrust straight forward; the Move was simple, but it gave the burly man a feeling that there was no way to avoid it, forcing him to raise his arms to block.

Clang—!

The sound of metal clashing exploded as the sword tip hit the arm bone, sparks flying.

Su Rui immediately retreated, coldly watching the wounds on those arms rapidly healing.

"Show your true ability, or the next strike will take your life."

His tone was calm, but every word was like ice.

"What audacity!"

The burly man snorted, but alarm bells were already ringing in his heart.

This boy's strength far exceeded his expectations, but to say one strike could kill him... ridiculous!

"Your tongue is sharp; be careful not to break your teeth!"

Before the words fell, his expression changed drastically.

Su Rui pointed his long sword diagonally at the ground, and a piercing Sword Intent suddenly erupted from his entire body.

A phantom of a giant, lush green grass slowly emerged behind him, swaying in the wind yet appearing rooted in heaven and earth.

In an instant, within a hundred miles, everyone felt an invisible sharp blade hanging over their heads, chillingly threatening their lives.

That was a crisis response originating from the depths of the Soul—as if death was only a breath away.

Those outside the Shaolin Temple mountain gate felt it most clearly.

Everyone almost instinctively circulated their full Internal Energy, trying to resist the overwhelming pressure.

This time, the Sword Intent was no longer the same as when Su Rui first comprehended it.

Although with his current cultivation, he could still only touch the surface of the complete Sword Intent contained within the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass,

it was more than enough to take the life of the person before him.

The burly man only felt a chill rush from his tailbone straight to the top of his head, as if ice needles were piercing his brain.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

"Impossible! How can there be such a sharp Sword Intent in this world? Who exactly are you!"

His voice trembled slightly, unable to hide his inner horror.

"Still not planning to get serious? Do you really want to die here?"

"Heh, Vajra Realm Divine Power!"

Before he finished speaking, the burly man suddenly activated his deeply hidden power.

In an instant, a violent aura erupted from his body.

Behind him appeared a phantom several dozen feet high, glowing with a golden-red light.

He himself was also enveloped in golden-red flames, his eyes as red as blood, looking like a demon god descending to the world.

A violent airwave swept through the surroundings, and the remaining walls and broken pillars were all blown away.

"As I thought, you truly are a member of the God Race."

Su Rui chuckled, his tone indifferent.

"You... actually recognize this power?"

The burly man's expression changed drastically.

Even after using his secret Divine Power, the fatal sense of crisis in his heart had not diminished in the slightest.

And the onlookers had long been shocked into silence.

The conversation between the two was not hidden, and every word reached their ears clearly.

Divine Power? God Race?

These words were like claps of thunder, impacting everyone's understanding.

Could it be that gods truly exist in the world?

The sudden truth caught people off guard.

"Rong'er, this... what is going on?" Guo Jing looked at Huang Rong blankly.

He knew his wife was exceptionally intelligent and could always see through the essence of things.

"I don't understand either; let's just watch for now," Huang Rong replied in a low voice.

Duan Zhengchun and the others also widened their eyes, their faces full of disbelief.

The power of the God Race actually exists in the world; for a moment, they felt the familiar Jianghu had suddenly become strange.

The Shaolin Temple monks had various expressions, but a fervent light ignited in Xuan Ci's eyes.

God Race...

Did the Buddha truly once descend into the mortal world?

Li Hanyi had heard Su Rui mention the God Race and Divine Power, but she didn't know much about it.

As for Yue Yao and Wang Yuyan, they were even more confused.

But at this moment, the pressure emitted by the giant man was truly terrifying, and the two couldn't help but feel worried.

The Free and Unfettered Master's expression tightened slightly as the image of his master, White Robe Su, guarding the Heavenly Gate appeared in his mind.

Could this person be from the Upper Realm?

"Perhaps it's time to set out and find Master; I wonder if he is still waiting at the Heavenly Gate..." he thought to himself.

Su Rui had no time to worry about others' thoughts.

Although Di Shitian also came from the Upper Realm, he was ultimately a mortal body, had no God Race Bloodline, and had not undergone Awakening of Divine Power.

And the Awakening of Divine Power itself seemed to be accompanied by great danger.

The records of this realm had never mentioned such things.

Perhaps the person before him was the only exception.

At this thought, the phantom of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass behind Su Rui slowly dissipated.

The disheveled burly man who called himself Bodhidharma was stunned, then grinned broadly, revealing white teeth.

"What? Scared? Want to admit defeat and beg for mercy?"

Su Rui's actions made everyone suspicious and uncertain.

No one understood why this expert suddenly withdrew his Concept.

He glanced indifferently at the opponent, sheathed his long sword, then flicked his wrist, and the sword light swirled lightly, flying toward Li Hanyi.

She reached out to catch the cangfeng sword, her heart stirred—her husband seemed to be changing his methods.

Sure enough, after throwing the sword, Su Rui silently looked at the burly man whose expression was becoming increasingly arrogant.

"You said Divine Power? I seem to know a bit as well... which one should I use?"

His tone was gentle, as if he were considering a minor matter.

"Hahaha! Which one? You must be crazy! Divine Power can only be awakened once in a lifetime!"

"Oh? Can only be awakened once? Another clue."

Su Rui nodded, and then a golden-red Qi suddenly rose from his body. Behind him, a tall phantom appeared, facing the giant shadow behind the burly man from afar.

"What?! Vajra Realm Divine Power?! This is absolutely impossible!"

The burly man's pupils shook violently, and he almost cried out in shock.

All the onlookers were dumbfounded.

He actually possessed the same power!

It turned out that Su Rui actually mastered all of the so-called Eight Great Divine Powers, but he had never shown them to anyone.

Using the Vajra Realm Divine Power at this moment, he immediately noticed the changes in his body.

This power had no strange or mysterious uses;

it only pushed defense and strength to the extreme. The horror of the amplification was staggering.

"Your power is fake!"

The disheveled burly man obviously did not believe it. He suddenly jumped up, his fists wrapped in golden-red flames, and smashed straight toward Su Rui.

Su Rui did not retreat but advanced, his fists meeting the attack, head-on receiving the blow.

Two thunderous booms rang out as the violent airwaves swept toward the surroundings.