When Huo Yuanzhen saw the words "Nine Yang Divine Scripture," his heart began to race.
Nine Yang Divine Scripture! Such a martial art actually exists!
Based on his experiences from his previous life watching movies and TV shows, Huo Yuanzhen knew that the Nine Yang Divine Scripture was the most invincible, unparalleled martial art in Jin Yong's novels.
This martial art blends Buddhism and Taoism, harmonizing both hardness and softness. Practicing it greatly benefits the practitioner, but the ultimate trial comes with a life-and-death tribulation. First, the practitioner must open all the acupoints in their body and endure the scorching heat of the Nine Yang True Fire. The pain from this fire is unbearable for most people, and a moment of carelessness could result in being burned to ash.
However, Huo Yuanzhen was confident that this danger wouldn't affect him. Since the martial arts he learned came from the system, they were directly absorbed and integrated, giving him a massive advantage.
Once fully cultivated, the Nine Yang Divine Skill would allow the practitioner to regenerate internal energy at an incredibly fast rate, making it inexhaustible—like a mage's mana bar constantly refilling in online games. With such immense internal energy, one could face thousands of enemies alone.
Moreover, the Nine Yang Divine Scripture could improve the practitioner's physical body, turning even basic martial arts into devastating attacks. Its defensive power was unparalleled—like a divine shield, invulnerable to blades and spears, granting a body of indestructible diamond-like durability.
When Zhang Wuji first practiced the Nine Yang Divine Scripture, he could withstand the three powerful palms from the nun Mie Jue. This nun was known for not holding back, demonstrating just how formidable the Nine Yang Divine Scripture's defense was.
The Nine Yang Divine Skill also greatly improved lightness kung fu. Huo Yuanzhen's "One Reed Crossing the River" relied heavily on skill, with minimal reliance on internal energy. However, it was impossible to cross vast rivers relying solely on technique. Once he cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Scripture, crossing a river would be as easy as stepping over a small ditch.
Even more importantly, the Nine Yang Divine Skill was a healing scripture, capable of warding off poisons and counteracting all cold and yin-based internal energies. For example, the chilling poison of the Xuanyuan Divine Palm was rendered completely ineffective in the presence of Nine Yang Divine Skill.
The Nine Yang Divine Scripture encompasses the best of martial arts principles, and once fully cultivated, it would allow its practitioner to use all martial arts in the world.
This scripture also came with auxiliary techniques, like Bone-Shrinking Skill and Wall-Crawling Skill. If Huo Yuanzhen were to draw this, it would be like getting two bonuses with one purchase.
In the TV shows Huo Yuanzhen had seen, the Nine Yang Divine Skill was often incomplete, but it was still regarded as the supreme martial art in the world.
Legend has it that the Nine Yang Divine Scripture consists of four volumes. Each volume covers many aspects, and a normal person could spend their entire life studying just one volume.
When the great master Jueyuan passed away, he mumbled parts of the Nine Yang Divine Scripture. Zhang Sanfeng, Guo Xiang, and Wu Se, each memorized a part of it, with different levels of comprehension.
Among these three, Wu Se achieved the highest martial power, while Guo Xiang's learning was the broadest. Zhang Sanfeng, who had no martial foundation at that time, actually ended up with the most refined understanding.
Even with only a bit of the Nine Yang Divine Skill passed down by these three, it contributed to the rise of the Shaolin, Emei, and Wudang sects.
Therefore, the complete Nine Yang Divine Scripture was bound to be immensely powerful.
It is said that the original Nine Yang Divine Scripture was created by the patriarch Bodhidharma, and the subsequent volumes were created by unknown individuals.
However, the creator didn't matter anymore. The key was that it had appeared in Huo Yuanzhen's lottery system, and that meant it could be practiced.
"Invincible in the world! Truly invincible!"
Huo Yuanzhen's lips trembled. He never imagined that, after crossing over, he would have a chance to draw the Nine Yang Divine Scripture. If he obtained this supreme martial art, becoming the leader of the martial world would be much easier. In the entire Henan Province, perhaps only the leader of the Songshan Sect, Hua Wuxi, would be a worthy opponent.
Though this was only the first volume, Huo Yuanzhen believed that with the first volume, the others would eventually follow. Getting the first volume was crucial.
He was certain that without the first volume, the other volumes would not appear.
"May the Buddha bless me! This is truly the Buddha's blessing!"
Huo Yuanzhen looked up at the main Buddha on the ninth floor of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda, and he felt an indescribable emotion.
After calming down for a while, Huo Yuanzhen glanced at the other prizes.
The Crazy Demon Staff was temporarily not as important.
The Golden-eyed Eagle—there would be another opportunity for that.
The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill—sigh, what a shame. Why was there such a disparity?
The "three-star" grand prize—though it was a grand prize, even if he drew it, he wouldn't necessarily get the Nine Yang Divine Scripture. Huo Yuanzhen would rather forgo all these random rewards for the Nine Yang Divine Scripture.
"Alright, draw. It's going to be drawn sooner or later."
Huo Yuanzhen had never been this nervous. Facing this peerless martial art, he couldn't remain calm.
He silently chanted the Nine Yang Divine Scripture's mantra: "He is strong, like the breeze blowing over the mountain ridge. He is proud, like the moon shining over the great river. He is cruel and evil, but I have a true breath of life."
After reciting it, Huo Yuanzhen opened his eyes and began to carefully calculate.
When he drew the grand prize previously, Huo Yuanzhen calculated that he had missed 14 slots, and starting 14 slots before could potentially give him the desired item.
Though this method wasn't foolproof, the margin for error wasn't significant.
Now, next to the Nine Yang Divine Scripture, there were the Buddha's Deeds Sutra, 500 taels of silver, the kasaya, and the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill's first half. The grand prize was five steps away from the Nine Yang Divine Scripture and would definitely not land there.
After counting forwards and backwards several times, Huo Yuanzhen finally confirmed that if he started at the 100 taels of gold, he would get the Nine Yang Divine Scripture.
"100 taels of gold, I hope you bring me luck!"
After murmuring a few words, Huo Yuanzhen confirmed everything and gritted his teeth, clicking "start."
The glowing dot shot out, spinning rapidly within the circle, passing over one after another of the icons.
After spinning about four or five times, the dot gradually slowed down.
After passing the 100 taels of gold again, the dot slowed further, advancing step by step.
At this point, the Nine Yang Divine Scripture was ten steps away.
Huo Yuanzhen observed carefully but didn't panic. It was moving slowly, but with the inertia, it was likely to advance another ten steps.
After moving five more steps, the dot slowed down even more, taking almost two seconds to move forward.
Three steps...
Finally, the dot reached the Buddha's Deeds Sutra.
Only two steps more, and it would reach the Nine Yang Divine Scripture.
In his prayers, the dot moved one more step and landed on the 500 taels of silver.
Right in front of the 500 taels of silver was the Nine Yang Divine Scripture.
Huo Yuanzhen's heart leapt to his throat, and he hoarsely shouted, "One step at a time, just one more step!"
"Snap!"
The dot moved one more step, landing directly on the Nine Yang Divine Scripture.
"Oh yes!"
Since there was no one else in the room, Huo Yuanzhen couldn't help but shout in excitement.
However, he didn't dare to relax just yet, because there was no system prompt indicating the end of the draw. This meant the dot might still move one more step, potentially landing on the kasaya.
The kasaya was definitely a treasure. Huo Yuanzhen knew that any Buddhist implement drawn was never simple, just like the wooden fish he had drawn earlier, which, though plain in appearance, had the incredible power to calm the mind—more powerful than many advanced martial arts.
The kasaya would certainly be valuable, but compared to the Nine Yang Divine Scripture, it couldn't compare.
The dot quivered, and under Huo Yuanzhen's watch, it moved one more step.
The kasaya—had he drawn it?
Huo Yuanzhen felt a surge of frustration. Why had it moved that extra step? This drawing method wasn't as reliable as it seemed! How had he missed the Nine Yang Divine Scripture by just one step?
Had the Buddha really wanted him to become Tang Sanzang?
Just as he was about to sigh in defeat, Huo Yuanzhen took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
When advising others, he would always say that unfulfilled desires are a kind of suffering. He couldn't drown in that misery.
Fortunately, Huo Yuanzhen was generally optimistic and resilient. He soon regained his composure.
Though he hadn't succeeded this time, he knew the Nine Yang Divine Scripture would appear again. It was only a matter of time before he got it.
If the kasaya was meant to be his, then so be it. Let's see what special abilities it had.
Just as Huo Yuanzhen prepared to collect his reward, he couldn't.
What was going on?
Hastily, he checked the system. There was a sudden flash, and the screen displayed the end-of-draw scene. He hadn't even seen what he had drawn; he only heard the system's prompt: "The lottery draw is over. Would you like to claim your reward?"
"Claim it."
Huo Yuanzhen answered weakly.
The system closed, and the prize was about to appear. Huo Yuanzhen stretched his arms, hoping the kasaya would fall onto him.
But to his surprise, it wasn't the kasaya that appeared. Instead, there was a "thud" as a book fell in front of him.
"What's this? Where's my kasaya?"
Huo Yuanzhen muttered under his breath as he picked up the book.
"Hmm! How could it be a book?"
Huo Yuanzhen was initially a bit sluggish, but his excitement surged as he quickly examined the book.
Opening it, he gaped in astonishment.
He had missed out on the Nine Yang Divine Scripture, but unexpectedly, he had received this martial arts manual.
It was the ultimate martial art of King Jinlun, a secret dharma technique from the Esoteric Buddhism, divided into thirteen levels. By the tenth level, a practitioner would gain the strength of ten dragons and ten elephants.
The black leather cover, the thick thread-bound book—on the cover, it clearly read: "Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, First Half."