Jiangming Temple was situated on an unnamed small hill outside Baijiang City. The entire temple was not large and was located in a remote area, so its incense offerings were naturally not abundant. Usually, there weren't many pilgrims, but the monks and novices in the temple lived a comfortable life by growing vegetables and occasionally going down the mountain to purchase supplies.
However, a few years ago, Jiangming Temple began receiving some "orders" and became prosperous.
Even so, apart from repairing the temple, the whole Jiangming Temple did not expand. The monks in the temple maintained their original pace of life, and there were still not many pilgrims, except for...
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The orange-red lamplight illuminated a stout figure. He wore loose clothing, his skin had a bronze hue, and his muscles bulged with exertion, resembling coiled pythons. He repeatedly struck a sandbag in front of him. The sandbag swayed violently, and with a muffled thud, it split open, and sand trickled down, scattering everywhere as the bag swung.
"Master, you've broken another sandbag."
A young novice, about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a clean-cut and handsome face, looked helpless.
How many had it been already? If the temple's life hadn't become prosperous, they truly wouldn't be able to afford so many sandbags. Furthermore, "Even if you are strong enough to deal with a tiger, you can't harm those things with your fists."
It would be better to chant more scriptures.
It was all money, all purchased by him going down the mountain.
Master Mingdeng wiped the sweat from his brow, picked up a large string of prayer beads, and hung it around his neck. He then wrapped two strings around his left and right wrists.
He chanted scriptures for a period of time.
"The blessings from scriptures can harm malevolent entities, but ultimately... chanting scriptures cannot save the world."
"The power of scriptures has limits, but people do not, and awakenings do not. Therefore... only through awakening can one find the strength to save the world."
But, the young novice hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
He opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
"I understand, Master," Master Mingdeng said. He knew very well that he was considered a national treasure, and the Investigation Bureau did not want him to risk his life fighting malevolent entities, nor did they want him to risk a great deal in awakening.
That's why he trained so hard.
From a clean-cut monk a few years ago, he had transformed into the powerful monk who could physically guide sentient beings.
Strength was useless against malevolent entities, but awakening was.
The stronger the physique and the firmer the will, the greater the chance of enduring the ordeal of awakening.
Hiding in the temple, eating vegetarian meals and chanting scriptures, while the soldiers at the front line risked their lives, was not what he wanted; his heart was uneasy!
"Now that the Investigation Bureau has made breakthroughs, they won't watch me too closely anymore."
"Jianxing, after I leave, Jiangming Temple will be in your care."
Master Mingdeng put on his kasaya, took a lamp from before the Buddha, and the wooden fish he had used for over a decade. He stepped over the threshold and walked out.
Behind him was the temple's orange-red lamplight, and before him was the darkness of the mountains. He could also see the starlight of the towns below.
The imposing figure standing at the dividing line did not stop and walked straight ahead.
His back disappeared into the darkness.
Only the young novice's cry echoed in the desolate mountains.
...
On the southern outskirts of Baijiang City,
outside the temporary camp,
"Youngsters, there's no need to be nervous." The special investigator 'Old Master,' whose online name was 'Unscrupulous Old Master,' known in the martial world as Master Ma, was lecturing a group of investigators.
His hair was slightly gray, but his face did not look old. Beneath his seemingly thin frame was a well-developed musculature.
He gestured with his hands, sometimes in a palm strike, sometimes in a fist. "The Gate of Hell, that's all. Isn't it just a larger number of malevolent entities? That's not a problem!"
"Back in my day, Master Ma, I wielded a white-tasseled spear and fought my way through a swarm of malevolent entities, seven times in and seven times out. I made them tremble with fear and wet themselves."
Although there was some artistic embellishment, Master Ma's strength was recognized throughout the Baiyun Prefecture Bureau.
He was one of the strongest, if not the strongest.
Today, they had also seen Master Ma deal with malevolent entities. With his white-tasseled spear, he thrust it swiftly, launching more than a dozen strikes in the blink of an eye, completely impaling the malevolent entity.
And he hadn't even used his awakened ability... It was said that Master Ma's awakened ability was also quite formidable, related to lightning.
With a strong individual like Master Ma present, it brought a sense of security.
However, "Master Ma, with your strength, you still can't reach the threshold of the second awakening?"
An investigator asked.
Although a first awakening was already a distant prospect for them, it was rumored that this Master Ma had awakened over a year ago, making him one of the earliest awakeners. Couldn't he awaken a second time yet?
The Old Master's expression stiffened slightly. He waved his hand, "That's classified information. You'll understand when you are promoted to special investigator."
Classified information.
The investigators felt regretful but understood. Their line of work had a lot of secrets. They had only recently learned about awakenings, so it was reasonable that the second awakening couldn't be discussed.
After the investigators dispersed, with some going on patrol and others attending to their duties, the Old Master wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
He had indeed touched the threshold of the second awakening very early.
Unlike the first awakening, for awakened individuals like him, once their mysterious power accumulated to a certain extent, there would be a premonition.
When the conditions were almost met, they could prepare for awakening.
Awakened individuals with such premonitions would trigger a second awakening within a month.
Logically, with a premonition and preparation, the situation should be more favorable than the hasty, unwarned first awakening. However, the reality was...
Master Ma had personally witnessed the awakening failures of two first-awakened individuals before him, comrades he was quite close to, who subsequently weakened and died.
After that, for the entire year, three special investigators from the Baiyun Prefecture Bureau had chosen to awaken, and all of them had unexpectedly failed and died.
One of them even transformed into a terrifying malevolent entity. If it hadn't been for prior planning and arrangements, that entity would have caused a terrible disaster.
Master Ma had heard that someone in the General Bureau had successfully achieved a second awakening, but the probability was extremely low, so low it was chilling.
Master Ma did not want such a gamble, a gamble with only a sliver of a chance. It was too unstable.
The bureau also did not recommend it.
Every special investigator was a precious asset, the cornerstone of fighting malevolent entities. With such a scarce number of personnel, one would still want to gamble for a slight chance of a second awakening?
Not even a thought!
The Investigation Bureau had special methods to eliminate some of the mysterious energies, thereby preventing oneself from awakening. Master Ma had done just that.
However, it was like drinking poison to quench thirst; the mysterious energies on his body were ultimately accumulating.
The current situation was vastly different from a few months ago, or even from half a month or a month ago.
Master Ma looked at the distant lights.
"When the premonition for awakening reappears, will I choose to continue delaying, or continue delaying, or..."
Damn it!
Why were those guys in the General Bureau so incompetent? Couldn't they quickly research a method for awakening without any side effects, one that would allow them to easily drag, pull, and thrash malevolent entities?
"Master Ma."
"Coming, coming. Let this Old Master teach you youngsters where to stab tomorrow when facing malevolent entities."