A five-year-old Xu Yue stood in a temple, right now she was wearing a small gray Buddhist robe and was standing next to a dozen other young monks. An extremely old monk sat cross-legged in front of them, Xu Yue could swear she saw a golden light glow around the monk.
"Today is the day all of you will finally become official monks of the Shaolin Temple, " said the old monk with a smile on his face.
The Shaolin Temple is one of the most powerful forces on the continent. The Wudang Mountain, The Martial Alliance, The Heavenly Demon Sect, and the Royal Court are the only other forces that can be compared to it.
Of these, the Shaolin Temple is by far the most reclusive one. Ever since its battle with the Heavenly Demon Sect, the temple has gone into seclusion.
On this continent, martial arts reign supreme. They are divided into five levels.
3rd rate
2nd rate
1st rate
Peak Master
Innate Grandmaster
According to legends, Innate Grandmasters can live up to three hundred years/
" As you all are part of the Xuan Generation of the Shaolin Temple, it is now time to receive your dharma name," said the old monk.
He then proceeded to walk up to one of young monks and saw a name.
Xuankai
Xuanming
Xuandong
Every single young monk had their own dharma name given to them.
He then approached Xu Yue.
"Xuanyue," said the old monk before chanting a few sutras.
After that, he went past her and continued giving Dharma names to the other young monks.
Xuanyue was not in the least bothered that she had to forsake her name. Ever since she had first seen the serenity of a Buddhist monk for the first time back when she was three years old, she knew that becoming one was her purpose in life.
Even though she had used the Arhat Fist to become a Third Rate martial artist, she did not care for that. She felt like compared to sutras, Martial Arts were quite tasteless. If she wanted to become a martial artist, her family, as an ancient aristocratic family to help her would have been able to give her that.
After giving every single monk a dharma name, the old monk went back to the front of them and once again sat cross-legged.
"You will soon be given some basic tasks for you to do," said the old monk.
Xuanyue was not surprised when she heard this. She already knew that the Shaolin Temple did not use servants, as such the monks had to complete tasks to keep the temple in order, from sweeping the ground, standing guard at the Demon Suppressing Pagoda, or copying sutras, there were a large number of duties that had to be done.
Three days later,
Xuanyue looked at the seven-storied pagoda in front of her, she then confidently walked in and started sweeping the ground, ignoring the old man who was cleaning sutras.
This was the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda, the task Xu Yue had chosen was to sweep the ground here, for some reason this task was not chosen at all, as such she did it for the past three days.
After this, Xuanyue continued sweeping all seven floors of the pagoda, not letting a single trace of dust accumulate on it.
Three hours later,
Several dozen young monks were practicing martial arts in a clearing. While this was happening, Xuanyue was sitting crosslegged, slowly chanting the Diamond Sutra, an enlightened aura appeared around her.
Three months later,
Xuanyue was once again sweeping the ground in the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda. Just as she had gotten to the Seventh Floor she heard a voice.
"You can just come here tomorrow and continue sweeping, there is no need to continue taking the task," said an old voice.
"Yes," responded Xuanyue.
After this, Xuanyue continued sweeping the ground in the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda every day.
Eight years later,
Just as Xuanyue was walking in the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda, she saw a brush sitting on a piece of wood alongside a slightly different grey robe.
"Amitabha, may you come to eternal rest from samsara and reach nirvana," said Xu Yue as she took the brush and started cleaning sutras.
Unknown to almost anyone, an old monk at the Innate Grandmaster level had just died, the night before, a demon sealed inside of the Demon Suppressing Pagoda was killed.
Cleaning the Sutras unconsciously became part of Xuanyue's daily task, but as a 2nd-rate martial artist, this was not too difficult for her.
Fifteen years later,
Xuanyue leisurely cleaned the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda, after finishing the daily cleaning, she merely sat crosslegged in a corner, no longer bothering to even leave the Pagoda.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the young monk that had just entered the padoga.
"A new generation of disciples were accepted," thought Xuanyue as she looked at the five-year-old monk in front of her.
She then closed her eyes, ignoring the him.
Xiancai looked around the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda, even on the first floor, countless martial arts and Buddhist scriptures lay there.
"Master said I could take three, but I shouldn't be so greedy," thought Xiancai as he quickly took a Simplified Version of the Diamond Sutra.
Just as he was about to exit the pagoda, he saw something in the corner.
"Amitabha, " said Xiancai as he put his hands near his chest and bowed towards the corner.
Twenty years later,
Yang Ming looked at the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda in front of him.
"Finally," mumbled Yang Ming as he entered the Pagoda.
Even though he was a Peak Master, it had taken him years of preparation to be able to sneak into the Shaolin Temple.
"Amitabha, reverend, you should abandon the path of demons and return to the righteous way," said a voice.
A frightened look appeared on Yang Ming's face. He turned to look at a corner of the Pagoda.
Right there, he saw a female Monk that looked to be around thirty years old.
He took out his sword and launched a vicious attack on the monk.
A sad look appeared on Xuanyue's face as she launched the most simple Arhat fist towards Yang Ming.
"I am sorry benefactor, I have to stop you from disturbing the peace, may you be righteous in your next life," said Xuanyue as her Arhat Fist shattered Yang Ming's sword.
A golden light appeared around Xuanyue as her fist slammed into Yang Ming, turning him into dust.
"Amitabha, may you reach nirvana benefactor," mumbled Xuanyue as she chanted sutras for a moment.
Thirty-five years later,
As Xuanyue was sweeping the floor, she couldn't help but remember that she was already one hundred years old.
A sigh escaped her mouth as she continued leisurely cleaning.
Seventy Years later,
Xuanyue sat crosslegged as she looked at the new abbot in front of her, as the last Abbot was not an Innate Grandmaster, he only had a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years.
"Will Reverend continue staying in the Tibetan Scripture Pagoda?" asked Xiancai, who after one hundred years had become the abbot of the Shaolin Temple and an Innate Grandmaster.
The young monk from before had already transformed into the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple before Xuanyue's eyes.
Xuanyue merely nodded not bothering to say anything else
"I thank the reverend for the help you have given us all these years," said Xiancai as he cupped his hands.
Xuanyue let out a sigh as she heard this, time was something inescapable, no matter your circumstances