My SSS-Rank Clone Talent: I Level Up Endlessly! - Chapter 342

Chapter 342: Buddhist Martial Arts!?
“Up in the mountains?” Yi Xin frowned at the suggestion.

“That’s right, up in the mountains,” the taoist explained casually. “It’s the best place for us to set up shelter.”

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous for them to walk such a long way?” he asked.

“…” The taoist stared at him in stunned silence, and even the bald monk fixed him with the same incredulous look.

Yi Xin grew increasingly confused. Had he said something wrong?

Then, all of a sudden, both of them broke into gleeful smiles at the same time, deepening Yi Xin’s bewilderment.

“Amitabha, benefactor, you need not be confused. We are simply impressed by your righteousness. We have been to numerous shelters before, yet never once did the leaders ask such a question. They all harbored some greed in their hearts and paid no mind to the weak,” the monk said, bowing respectfully. “You are the only one who truly cares for the weak. You are genuinely benevolent.”

Yi Xin listened to the monk’s endless praise and shook his head. “I don’t like this flattery. There are many weak, disabled, and elderly here, most who cannot even walk. How will they ever reach the mountains?”

“We have brought carriages for them,” the taoist said casually, pointing further into the distance.

Yi Xin looked and saw some large caravans off in the distance, then nodded. “Alright.”

“So you agree, Benefactor?” the bald monk asked, bowing.

“Yes,” he replied casually.

A flicker of curiosity stirred in his heart, Yi Xin wondered whether these Buddhist and Taoist sects truly lived up to their names.

On the surface, they had only a few First-stage Martial Artists, much like Mount Hua, but he couldn’t shake his doubts.

***

It was a cloudy day, the sun swollen and dim behind the thick clouds.

A large caravan wound its way through the rocky terrain, led by three riders on horseback.

On the right rode the bald monk, on the left the taoist, and in the middle, Yi Xin, his long golden hair cascading to his shoulders and his blue pupils swirling like water.

As they traveled, a sudden, deafening roar shattered the air.

“Stop.”

Ahead of them stood a group of hundreds, their expressions feral, eyes burning with murderous intent. The threat radiated from them, palpable and suffocating, as if they were sizing up the entire caravan like a fat pig ready to be butchered.

The caravan came to a halt. Yi Xin’s brows twitched in annoyance, he was about to take action but was restrained by the bald monk.

“Benefactor, there is no need to be violent every time,” the monk said, guiding his horse slightly forward. He fixed his calm gaze on the leader of the ferocious crowd and spoke evenly, “Amitabha. We are from the Buddhist and Taoist sects. Are you sure you wish to obstruct our journey?”

“Hmph,” the leader scoffed, his disdain clear. “Monk, if this were a safe time, your words might hold weight. But our entire faction is unstable right now. If we don’t take advantage, then when will we?”

He laughed, and the entire group echoed him, their glee tinged with bloodthirst.

‘Should I take action?’ Yi Xin considered once more, but after a moment of hesitation, he held back. He glanced at the taoist and the monk, both were merely Martial Trainees, and there were only three of them in the caravan.

As for these ferocious bandits, only their leader was a Martial Trainee; none of the others possessed such strength but the sheer number was at least ten times that of the caravan.

Yi Xin’s curiosity stirred, he wanted to test their strength.

“Attack!” The leader raised his hand, and the bloodthirsty crowd surged forward in droves.

“Sigh,” the monk said with an expression of regret. “It seems we are forced to take action now.”

“Monk, you shouldn’t be merciful to the merciless. Sometimes they need to taste their own medicine,” the taoist said with a laugh, drawing his sword and charging fearlessly into the fray.

The monk wielded his body like a weapon, striking with precise palms and fists. The other three Martial Trainees joined in, clashing fiercely with the bloodthirsty attackers.

The five Martial Trainees were practically invincible against these bloodthirsty attackers, and with support from the others, they fought unimpeded for some time.

On Yi Xin’s side, anyone who dared come near him was instantly sliced apart by a strange, hazy black sword. The attackers were terrified to the point that none dared approach.

“There are too many,” Yi Xin muttered, his eyes scanning the sea of ferocious people that nearly filled his vision. With the help of the five Martial Trainees, they held the upper hand, for now, but it wouldn’t last much longer.

As expected, within minutes the Martial Trainees began to tire, their movements sluggish. The taoist’s sword strikes had slowed, and the monk’s body was riddled with countless small wounds.

Worst of all, the leader of the bloodthirsty bandits remained hidden, waiting for the perfect moment to strike down the five.

“I should take action.” Yi Xin tightened his grip on his Aura Sword. Strands of golden light coalesced around it, and he casually swung it in a horizontal slash.

Swish!

In an instant, the ferocious bandits were cleaved in half, falling to the ground one by one with heavy thuds. Miraculously, despite Yi Xin’s slash cutting through them, the taoist, the monk, and the others remained completely unharmed, as if the sword had passed through them without touching their bodies.

“W… what happened?” the taoist stammered, stunned. He looked around in disbelief and then spotted Yi Xin holding the hazy black sword. “Are… are you the one who did this?”

“Yes,” Yi Xin replied casually, returning his sword to his side. “Enough playing around. The sun sets soon; we should cover as much distance as possible.”

“Okay,” the taoist murmured in disbelief. “Were… were the rumors really true?”

“It’s fine, sigh,” the monk said as he stood, shaking his head. “I always felt that the benefactor was special somehow, and now I see that he truly is.”

The other three Martial Trainees remained completely silent, while the others murmured among themselves.

“What kind of power was that?”

“It’s unimaginable… even a First-stage Martial Artist couldn’t accomplish something like that.”

“Could this Yi Xin be a Transcendent Martial Artist?”

As the speculation grew, they began to return. The battlefield was soaked in blood, and the stench of death lingered in the air; nobody wanted to stay in that place any longer than necessary.

Soon, the caravan settled for the night. Yi Xin sat cross-legged on a stone, calmly gazing at the moon and enjoying its silvery glow as it spilled over his body.

It was calm, soothing to the soul.

“Ho.” Yi Xin took a deep breath of the cool night air and spoke casually. “Why are you here, monk?”

“Well.” The monk seated himself on another stone beside Yi Xin and regarded him calmly. “Benefactor, I wanted to ask you a question.”

Yi Xin’s voice remained even. “What is it?”

“What is righteousness and justice to you?” the monk asked, his expression utterly serious.

“For me?” He turned and looked at the people cheering and laughing, victims of the turbulent times in this faction. If they weren’t saved, they might have turned into cold corpses by now or even worse fates by those people, “These people are righteous and just.”

“What do you mean?” the monk asked, his expression flabbergasted.

“Justice can be very subjective. Who are we to decide it? Our moral compass can be skewed, but we can measure it through the people’s happiness. If these ordinary people are happy and living fulfilled lives, then that is justice.”

Of course, Yi Xin was just speaking casually, but these were his genuine thoughts. They were not the ideas of his main body or the clones, these were his own, shaped by his personal perspective.

“I see.” The monk nodded thoughtfully, carefully considering Yi Xin’s words, then suddenly pulled a sutra from his pocket.

“What is this?” Yi Xin asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at it.

“This is one of the core teachings of our Buddhist sect, and also its Martial Arts,” the monk explained with a smile.

“Hmm?” Yi Xin raised his brows higher. “Isn’t this far too valuable to give to someone like me?”

“No, Benefactor. It is not your status that deems you worthy, but the measure of your heart that decides it,” the monk said with a bow and a gentle smile.

“I see.” Yi Xin took the sutra and opened it, his brows rising as he scanned its contents.

The symbols were ancient and would have been completely unrecognizable if not for his skill.

As Yi Xin read on, his breath grew more restless with every line, he might have just found a solution to his greatest problem.

The problem that he was facing ever since he knew the power of his skill!