Chapter 105: The Abbot's Robe

Zhao Yuan Kui had left, and Ning Pinjun had quietly departed as well, without any farewell from Huo Yuan Zhen, leaving no trace behind.

No matter how one looked at it, this matter could be considered a job well done for Huo Yuan Zhen, and he had resolved a significant concern in his heart.

The relic was now his personal possession, but Huo Yuan Zhen didn't want to reveal it just yet. He planned to wait until Shaolin had grown to a certain size and hold a temple fair, placing the relic at the top of the Buddha tower, shining brightly to attract more people.

Soon, night fell, and it was almost the evening of September 28, the time for the September lottery.

Huo Yuan Zhen had initially planned to go to the Ten Thousand Buddha Tower for the lottery, but since he was late finishing his training, by the time he reached the tower, the time was almost up.

With no other choice, he decided to sit down where he was and conduct the lottery on the spot.

The system notification sounded, and Huo Yuan Zhen opened the lottery wheel, revealing the 36 icons once again.

Sure enough, since he hadn't made it to the top of the Ten Thousand Buddha Tower, the quality of the lottery was a bit lower this time. Not only were the high-level martial arts absent, but even the dual flash rewards from last time didn't show up.

There were no good construction tokens from places like the Scripture Pavilion, Wooden Man Alley, the Main Hall, or the Dharma Hall. Instead, there were just ordinary Buddha Hall construction tokens.

The scriptures were mediocre, there were no large sums of silver, and there were even some loose silver coins.

Frustrated, Huo Yuan Zhen went straight for the grand prize.

But today was certainly not a lucky day; he stopped just three steps away from the grand prize.

However, fortunately, the light didn't land on the silver coins but instead landed on a Buddhist artifact.

A Kasaya!

Huo Yuan Zhen's eyes lit up. A Kasaya was not bad. As the abbot, he was still wearing ordinary monk robes, without a proper Kasaya to give him the necessary dignity. Moreover, with the upcoming Songshan Martial Arts Conference, it wouldn't be good to appear too shabby. This Kasaya came at just the right time.

He claimed his reward, and the lottery ended.

A dazzling, multicolored Kasaya appeared in his hands.

It felt somewhat heavy.

Even though Huo Yuan Zhen had cultivated the seventh level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, making his strength immense, he usually found ordinary objects weightless. But this Kasaya was surprisingly heavy in his hands, indicating that it likely weighed more than fifty pounds.

Huo Yuan Zhen was secretly pleased. A Kasaya this heavy could not be an ordinary item.

He shook it open, and a burst of light illuminated the night, so bright that he had to squint his eyes.

Huo Yuan Zhen recalled only knowing about the Jinlan Kasaya of Tang Seng, which was a treasure said to be woven from celestial silk, adorned with precious gems like night pearls, emeralds, and Mani jewels, among many others, all of which prevented evil from entering, and followed by ten thousand Buddhas.

Comparing it to his own Kasaya, it lacked the necessary Anti-Dust Pearl, Mani Pearl, the Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, and the relics, but remarkably, it had all the other gems!

There were four night pearls at the four corners, and they were the main source of illumination at night.

In the center was a huge emerald that would rest exactly over his chest if the Kasaya were draped over him.

Other gems gleamed brightly, flashing and shimmering in the night, making it quite an impressive sight.

Although the gems were valuable, Huo Yuan Zhen didn't care much for them. What he valued more was the fabric of the Kasaya.

The fabric felt smooth and soft to the touch but was extraordinarily tough and slightly cool to the skin, suggesting it had significant defensive properties.

What was even more important was that Huo Yuan Zhen wanted to know whether the Kasaya had any special effects.

For example, the wooden fish, which had the effect of calming the heart, was incredibly useful and had helped him many times. This system's items often came with special effects, and even buildings had unique properties.

So, he was curious if this Kasaya had any hidden powers.

But since it was night, it wasn't convenient to experiment. Perhaps tomorrow, when he wore it in front of others, they would notice something special.

On the morning of September 28, during the Shaolin morning service, the monks were surprised, not by Huo Yuan Zhen attending the service, but by how dazzling the abbot's Kasaya was.

They had never seen the abbot wear a Kasaya. In the past, Shaolin had never owned one, and even now, though Shaolin had gained some wealth, they could never afford such a Kasaya as Huo Yuan Zhen wore.

It was resplendent but not ostentatious, and it did not diminish the monk's humble image. In fact, it added a sense of dignity and grandeur to Huo Yuan Zhen's appearance.

Seeing the awe in the monks' eyes, Huo Yuan Zhen knew that this Kasaya served more than just an aesthetic purpose—it made him look much more like a revered monk, not just in appearance, but in substance.

Besides that, he also discovered that the Kasaya's toughness exceeded his expectations. He had tested it with scissors the previous night, but the fabric could not be pierced at all.

Had the Kasaya not been so precious, Huo Yuan Zhen might have even tried testing it with the Broken Sky Sword.

If he were to acquire a Zen staff and prayer beads in the future, this Kasaya, along with those, would complete the abbot's set.

After confirming all this, Huo Yuan Zhen stored the Kasaya away.

Though it was excellent, it was still a precious item, and there was no need to wear it every day.

However, for the Martial Arts Conference, he decided he would wear it to show off, as it would enhance the image of Shaolin as an emerging martial arts sect.

After finishing the morning service, Huo Yuan Zhen prepared to leave. The Martial Arts Conference was in two days, so he would spend the night at Songshan, familiarize himself with the surroundings, and be prepared for the event the following day.

He estimated that the conference would last for a while. If everything went smoothly, it might end in one day, but the process would likely take longer.

He didn't intend to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance, and he was certain others with similar views would also oppose it. Hua Wuji's plan wouldn't be so easily achieved.

Moreover, he couldn't openly target those attending the conference. The Heavenly Dao Alliance wasn't as stable as it appeared, and a major conflict could tear it apart.

Still, if someone opposed the alliance, Hua Wuji would not stand by idly. Assassinations and other dark methods could be employed, and Huo Yuan Zhen would need to be cautious.

Huo Yuan Zhen had arranged things at Shaolin before leaving.

He couldn't go to Songshan alone, nor could he bring too many people. So, he instructed the monks and martial monks to remain at the temple.

Originally, Huo Yuan Zhen had wanted to take Wu Ming, but Wu Ming had shown no interest, so Huo Yuan Zhen gave up on the idea.

With Wu Ming unable to go, Yichen couldn't either. His identity was not suitable for such an occasion, even though he was a congenital expert who could assist Huo Yuan Zhen. But it wasn't appropriate for him to come along.

With these two out of the equation, the only ones left to go with were Yijing, Hui Wu, Hui Jian, and Hui Niu.

Since Hui Jian was a wanted criminal, he was not considered for the trip.

Yijing was in the midst of rapid martial arts growth, and Huo Yuan Zhen didn't want to delay him, so he decided to bring Hui Wu and Hui Niu along.

After finalizing his plans, Huo Yuan Zhen packed his things and left with the Kasaya, some elixirs, and Hui Wu and Hui Niu.

The horse-drawn carriage slowly made its way towards Songshan.

As Huo Yuan Zhen sat inside, he silently pondered.

This Martial Arts Conference could change the fate of the Henan martial world completely.

Either the Heavenly Dao Alliance would truly unify Henan, crushing all resistance, or it would fall apart, plunging the martial world into chaos.

Maintaining the status quo seemed unlikely. Hua Wuji was determined, and with his resolve to hold the conference, there would certainly be action. Any opposition would lead to conflict.

At this moment, no one could face Hua Wuji alone.

Huo Yuan Zhen decided to go a day early, hoping to make some alliances with other martial artists who opposed the Heavenly Dao Alliance, to unite against the overwhelming power of the Heavenly Dao Alliance.

As the carriage continued down the official road, Huo Yuan Zhen planned to rest.

Before he could even close his eyes, the sound of hooves reached his ears.

But it wasn't quite like the sound of horses; it was quieter, but still fast.

"Martial artists?" Huo Yuan Zhen wondered.

Hearing this, he peeked out from the carriage, curious.

"Wow! When did donkeys start running this fast?" Huo Yuan Zhen couldn't help but exclaim at the sight.