Chapter43: Mudra
“Please… go easy on him when you meet my master…”
Alex didn’t understand why Ryan would say such a thing. A thought crossed his mind:
“Is this master… dangerous?”
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Finally, Ryan led Alex and Maggie deep underground to the Rai-zang Temple shelter, 50 meters below the surface. The space was dimly lit, with countless candles casting flickering lights across the vast hall, creating an atmosphere of peace and solemnity. In the center of the temple, an elderly man, around sixty, sat cross-legged, chanting in front of a grand Buddha statue. His soft murmurs were the only sound in the vast chamber.
“Master, you won’t believe it! Someone actually came to see you!”
Ryan hurriedly spoke to the old man, then turned to introduce Alex and Maggie.
“This is my master—Grandmaster Yuan-zhen.”
The old monk, now revealed as the master of Rai-zang Temple, remained silent, his chanting suddenly coming to a halt.
As the three stood there, puzzled, Grandmaster Yuan-zhen suddenly leaped into the air, executing a flawless backflip before twisting mid-air and launching a palm strike straight at Alex.
Instinct kicked in. Alex immediately summoned his smoke-like Qi, blocking the incoming attack head-on.
Despite his attack being neutralized, Yuan-zhen wasted no time. He followed up with a powerful kick. Alex reacted just as swiftly, forming a Qi-infused fist to counter the strike. The impact forced the grandmaster to retreat.
Both Alex and Maggie were stunned. This seemingly frail old master possessed incredible martial skills and immense power.
With a graceful motion, Yuan-zhen withdrew to his original spot. Raising his hand in greeting, he chuckled:
“Amitābha… Young man, your strength is truly remarkable. I think I might’ve just fractured something.”
As he spoke, he suddenly began massaging his leg, the stark contrast between his earlier prowess and this comedic reaction making the moment oddly amusing.
Seeing how skilled the grandmaster was, Alex’s anticipation grew. He eagerly asked,
“Master, do you know Dr. Jayang?”
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After Alex explained his purpose, Grandmaster Yuan-zhen led them back up to the temple on the surface. Along the way, he answered,
“Yes, I know Dr. Jayang. Back when intelligent machines hadn’t taken over the world, he often visited me. He was fascinated by my martial arts… He once asked me, ‘What if we could combine Qi cultivation with Kung Fu?’”
The grandmaster let out a chuckle.
“I never imagined he would actually succeed. That man is truly a genius.”
Upon reaching the main temple, Alex and Maggie were taken aback by the sight before them. Hundreds of Buddha statues, large and small, lined the hall, each depicting various Mudrā—sacred mudra—exuding an overwhelming sense of divine presence.
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Yuan-zhen, clearly excited, was about to start an elaborate explanation of each one. But Alex, growing impatient, interrupted him, gripping his arm and asking urgently,
“Sorry, Master, but I need to know—did Dr. Jayang ever mention how to fully unleash the power of Qi?”
The grandmaster blinked in surprise and replied,
“…No.”
Alex pressed on.
“Think carefully! Did he ever hint at it? Anything at all?”
The old master looked at him with an innocent expression.
“I’m sorry… but he never discussed that with me. In fact, ever since the intelligent machines took over, I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
Just as Alex was about to insist further, an urgent voice rang out.
Maggie’s face turned pale as she shouted,
“There are dozens of drones circling above us!”
She was right. The AI-controlled drones deployed by Hive-8 Aris had been tracking them, and now, they had found their target.
Hundreds of drones swarmed the sky above Rai-zang Temple, unleashing a barrage of gunfire, turning the temple grounds into a war zone.
“They’ve found us!”
Alex rushed out of the temple, immediately channeling his qi to disrupt the drones, sending them spiraling out of control and crashing into each other. He needed to destroy them all before they could call for reinforcements.
After putting in his best effort, every last drone crashed to the ground. Alex thought that should be enough—until a deep, ominous foghorn-like sound echoed from the distance, sending a chill down his spine.
"Damn it... it's too late. They're coming!"
He sprinted back inside the temple to report the bad news. As always, Master Yuan Zhen remained calm, his voice steady as he spoke:
"Amitabha... what is meant to come cannot be avoided."
Frustrated, Alex grabbed the master's shoulders.
"Master, are you really telling me there's no way to fully unleash qi?! This is important—please!"
Master Yuan Zhen simply shrugged, glancing up at the Buddha statue.
"I truly don't know… At this point, all we can do is pray for divine protection... Sigh..."
Having traveled so far only to hit another dead end, Alex slumped onto the ground, defeated. Seeing his distress, Maggie approached and wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay… Maybe there's another way to master qi. But right now, we need to get out of here!"
Maggie’s words made sense. Alex clenched his fists, exhaling sharply. Escape was their only option for now.
Without a word, he stood up and walked toward the massive Buddha statue at the front of the temple. Kneeling before it, he whispered:
"I don’t believe in gods… but if one does exist, please—watch over us."
Without expecting anything, he bowed three times in the traditional manner, his forehead tapping the cold stone floor. Then, as he lifted his head, he stared at the statue.
"Sigh..."
Alex let out a weary breath as he continued gazing at the statue… and then—something caught his attention.
He suddenly noticed that each Buddha figure was holding its hands in a different position.
"Wait… what are these mudra?"
His voice snapped Master Yuan Zhen out of his own thoughts. Seeing Alex’s interest, the old monk’s eyes lit up as he eagerly began explaining:
"Ah, those are called mudras. They represent different universal truths. For example, this one here is the Abhaya Mudra, the gesture of fearlessness…"
As Master Yuan Zhen continued his lecture, a wild idea suddenly formed in Alex’s mind.
"Master Yuan Zhen! Can you teach me all of these mudras as fast as possible?!"
There was a sharp determination in Alex’s eyes. The monk didn’t understand why but could see his desperation. With no time to waste, he immediately began demonstrating the gestures.
Maggie watched, puzzled.
"Why are you learning mudras? …Wait, could this be the key?!"
Alex, shifting through mudra as quickly as he could, responded without hesitation:
"I don’t know… but we’re about to find out!"
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MEANWHILE, EAST OF SEATTLE…
Towering over the mountains like a titan, Hive 7 – Ares advanced at full speed toward the city. Ares, the AI-driven machine overlord, had already received the order.
Alex was there.
Standing atop the mechanical fortress, Ares gazed toward Seattle with a cold, calculated intent.
"Pitiful humans… I will personally crush your last hope. Alex—your time is up."
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BACK AT THE TEMPLE…
Every second counted.
Alex continued absorbing the mudras as quickly as possible. He still didn’t know if these ancient hand seals were truly the key to unlocking the full potential of qi, but at this point—there was no turning back.
The final battle for humanity’s future was about to begin.