Without even looking, Xie Dao threw the black nail at Jiang Liu.
"Soul-Destroying Nails?!" Jiang Liu exclaimed in shock.
The Soul-Slaying Nail was in front of him in the blink of an eye. Even a fool could imagine how unpleasant it would be to be hit by one of these things. He immediately tried to dodge, but it seemed to have an automatic tracking function, and no matter how he tried to dodge, he couldn't avoid it.
Jiang Liu didn't have time to think it through, so he simply held the Thunder Tribulation Sword horizontally as a shield. The Soul-Slaying Nail struck the spine of the sword, producing a metallic clang. After bouncing off, black energy surged and churned, occasionally forming a terrifying ghost face before dissipating into nothingness.
As the Soul-Slaying Nails continued to shoot towards him, Jiang Liu gritted his teeth and used the Yuan Qi he had just gathered to draw a "Zhang Tianshi's Talisman for Suppressing All Evil Spirits." Once the talisman was applied and the Thunder Tribulation Sword continued to slash at it, the Soul-Slaying Nails finally wobbled and fell to the ground. Immediately, black energy overflowed and transformed into countless ferocious faces in the air.
The evil cultivator's heart sank to the bottom as he watched another of his magical treasures being destroyed. He relied entirely on these two treasures to kill enemies, and losing them would reduce his strength by at least half.
After dodging the copper-armored corpse's grab, the evil path immediately tried to escape, but Jiang Liu gave him no chance to flee, wielding the Thunder Tribulation Sword to attack.
Just as the evil cultivator was panicking and running away, Jiang Liu thrust his sword out from behind the zombie. Although the Thunder Tribulation Sword was made of peach wood, it was exceptionally sharp and sturdy, and Jiang Liu had also drawn a thunder talisman on the blade.
In the description of the Thunder Tribulation Sword in the Sea of Consciousness, there are six words describing it: "Evil-breaking, sharp, and sturdy"!
The sword pierced straight through the evil path's left chest. His seemingly rock-solid bronze skin was pierced through like tofu, and faint arcs of electricity flickered on the blade.
"What a tragedy! I regret my past actions..." The evil Taoist looked at the sharp sword in front of his chest, gripping the blade with both hands, trying to pull it out, still unwilling to give up his will to live.
But there was another bronze-armored corpse nearby, which opened its blood-red maw and pounced on it.
"Hehehe... With my soul, I curse your body; in the deepest hell, I bind your soul and steal your spirit!"
The evil voice gradually faded into inaudibility, but its unseeing eyes remained fixed on Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu stirred and pulled the Thunder Tribulation Sword without spilling a drop of blood. He slowly took a few breaths, and the only sound in the courtyard was the sound of the zombies sucking blood.
"I've been cursed! My vital energy is sealed. It seems I have no choice but to transmigrate again! I need to be more careful next time. Everyone has a trump card; I can't be careless!"
After searching Xie Dao's body, Jiang Liu found two bottles of pills. One bottle contained three Xuan Yuan Pills, and the other bottle, which Jiang Liu initially thought contained Blood Qi Pills, turned out to be a Rejuvenating Pill. This was a second-grade pill, an advanced version of the Blood Qi Pill, with extraordinary effects.
Jiang Liu also put away the Soul-Destroying Nail. Although the Yin energy of the sealed soul inside had leaked out and there was no corresponding supernatural power to drive it, the material was quite good, forged entirely from Nine Yin Iron.
With his vital energy cursed and sealed, Jiang Liu is now not much different from an ordinary person.
After descending the spiritual vein again, Jiang Liu looked at the remaining spirit stones and thought to himself, "I wonder when this curse will be lifted. Without vital energy, I'm completely at the mercy of others in this world. This is forcing me to travel through time! When I return, I'll make those enemies who dare to covet the Hidden Dragon Temple pay dearly. Hehe, traversing countless worlds, I hope the next world will greatly increase my strength!"
"Warning: The soul quality contained in the Soul Jade is insufficient. The next world will be a mortal world with low-level martial arts and no magic!"
"Hint: Entering the Dao through martial arts is also the Great Dao! Dimensional positioning in progress..."
Hearing the prompts, Jiang Liu gritted his teeth and absorbed spirit stones one by one. Watching them disappear from his hand, his heart bled. Without spiritual energy, his path of cultivation was severed. In that world, he could only cultivate his physical body, and even then, only the power of his physical body. But he had no choice but to travel through time. Perhaps in three to five days, once his soul power recovered, he could travel to a world where cultivation was possible. Even in a world like "Mr. Zombie," a world in the end times, he could obtain Daoist techniques and supernatural powers, rapidly increasing his strength.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! Martial arts it is! My physical body has already reached the Acquired Realm; supplementing it with martial arts is also a way to quickly improve my strength!"
When he had completely absorbed the spirit stone vein, another massive bronze gate appeared before him. Instantly, a dazzling light erupted from within the bronze gate, and energy surged like a torrent between the ancient and mysterious openings, forming a vortex in an instant. Jiang Liu, prepared for this, had already stuffed the remaining spirit stones into his storage space. Then, his vision was filled with brilliant light, while his consciousness gradually blurred until he was completely lost…
Chapter Fourteen: Immortals, Old Taoists, and Martial Arts
Amidst the vast sea of clouds, a red sun is slowly rising, with rosy clouds swirling and mist rising, creating a scene resembling a fairyland. Within the sea of clouds, the mountains seem to be completely submerged, with only a few small peaks visible.
On a cliff face, a person stands atop a precipice, gazing at the churning sea of clouds below, and sighs after a long while.
"There's absolutely no spiritual energy left in this world; there are no cultivators left. Hopefully, there'll be some hope for martial arts!"
With this thought in mind, Jiang Liu headed down the mountain, not knowing what world this was, whether it was modern or ancient, or whether it was Jin Yong or Gu Long!
As they descended the mountain, a small path appeared before them. Jiang Liu let out a soft exclamation, picked up a plastic bag from the nearby soil, and said with some disappointment, "So this is modern society! Then the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Six Meridian Divine Sword, and the Nine Yin and Nine Yang are gone!"
Continuing forward, one could vaguely see people moving among the shadows of the trees. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an elderly man with gray hair practicing Tai Chi on a large blue stone. His movements were slow and leisurely, as if he were practicing the popular Tai Chi form.
Jiang Liu looked at it for a while and thought to himself, "It really does have something different about it. It's not like the health-preserving flower stand in the park in my previous life."
He had achieved success in his cultivation, and although he had never practiced martial arts, his physical body had reached the acquired realm. Therefore, he gained some insights upon seeing him. The old man's eyes were always fixed intently on his moving fingers. He would always slowly extend his hand first, then grab with his five fingers as if they had a target, and then quickly retract them.
Out of curiosity, Jiang Liu extended his divine sense. This was dangerous in a world where cultivation was possible; a slight misstep could lead to an attack and damage to his sea of consciousness. But in this world without spiritual energy, there was no such concern. No one could detect this formless and intangible divine sense. He attached his consciousness to the old man, as if he were practicing martial arts, controlling every move he made.
"This is the most basic body tempering! Although there is no spiritual energy, this kind of training can increase physical strength and power. The drawback is that it is slow and cannot break through the limits of human beings."
Watching the old man slowly reach out with both hands and then quickly pull them back, Jiang Liu nodded to himself, his body involuntarily mimicking the movements. This reminded Jiang Liu of the way he used to catch fish as a child: first, slowly put his hand into the water so the fish wouldn't notice, and then, when he got close, suddenly scoop it up and catch the fish.
After mimicking the movements for a while, Jiang Liu felt somewhat unsatisfied. Upon further reflection, he noticed that the old man's body was constantly moving in circles while practicing his boxing, his steps always gliding along the ground cautiously, as if he were wading through mud.
"Is this the mud-walking step from the novel?" Jiang Liu followed along and took a few steps. Then, he adjusted his posture based on the feedback from his body. He felt that with each step, his whole body was rubbing and exerting force in every part of his body, giving him a feeling of being surging.
"Interesting! In the Journey to the West world, I focused solely on cultivating the Dao and didn't study martial arts at all. Now it seems that there are three thousand great paths, all of which can lead to enlightenment. They shouldn't be underestimated. My master said that the generals of the imperial court have the strength to split mountains and their bodies can withstand attacks from supernatural powers. There are even more talented people who can enter the Dao through martial arts... I have cultivated the Purification Mantra and already have an acquired body. It's like I possess a great treasure. As long as I keep developing it, my strength will advance by leaps and bounds... This world without spiritual energy is perfect for cultivating martial arts!"
As he was pondering, perhaps his earlier movements had startled the old man, for he suddenly stopped punching, abruptly raised both hands to his brow, and then slowly pressed them down to his abdomen. His whole body trembled slightly, emitting a muffled "gurgle...gurgle...gurgle" sound, like a bull's bellow, or a giant frog's croak, with a faint rumbling of thunder. Then he gently stomped his left foot on the ground and exhaled a long breath.
Jiang Liu clearly saw a long, white wisp of smoke shoot straight out of the old man's mouth, like a suddenly fired arrow. He thought to himself, "His breath is as sharp as a sword; what incredible lung capacity! Even in the Journey to the West world, he's a master of physical cultivation. If he were in the army, he could be a captain. It's a pity that without spiritual energy to cleanse his body and bones, he can't break through the limitations of a mortal body!"
"Sir, I apologize for disturbing you. I was just watching your excellent boxing technique and couldn't help but try to imitate it. Please don't be offended!"
The old man looked at Jiang Liu and saw that he was as sharp as a sword and his eyes were like twin stars. He was wearing a blue Taoist robe, which was a bit old and the sleeves and collar were white from friction, but it was very clean. His Taoist hair was also neatly combed and a wooden hairpin was inserted in it, giving him a sense of otherworldly elegance.
"Are you a Taoist priest from the temple? This old man is just practicing some random punches; you can learn them if you want." The old man looked at the rising sun, slapped his forehead, and frowned, saying, "Oh dear, I completely forgot the time! My master is going to scold me!"
As he spoke, he picked up a load of firewood from the side and steadily headed down the mountain.
Jiang Liu followed curiously. That load of firewood must have weighed at least a hundred pounds. This old man in his sixties or seventies was making rapid progress. Moreover, he had just mentioned that he had a master. Wasn't his master over a hundred years old?
"Why are you following me?" The old man, carrying firewood without even panting, asked when he saw Jiang Liu catch up.
"Sir, I'm lost. I don't know where I am."
The old man retorted, "Which temple did you come from? Where is your master? Never mind, come with me! Call someone to come and pick you up!"
"Thank you very much, sir!"
After walking three or five miles along the mountain path, a Taoist temple came into view amidst the swirling clouds and mist. Though called a temple, it was actually just four or five old houses, resembling a small courtyard at first glance. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and the plaster on the walls had peeled off, replaced by moss.
An old Taoist priest stood in front of the temple. He had white hair but a ruddy complexion. He was dressed in a Taoist robe. On the steps sat two little Taoist boys, about six or seven years old. Judging from their faces, they were probably twins. They were resting their chins on their hands. One of the little boys would nod his head from time to time. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that he was dozing off.
"Master, why aren't you drinking tea in the backyard? What are you doing standing here?" the old man asked, putting down the firewood.
The old Taoist ignored him, stepped down the stairs, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said to Jiang Liu, "I heard magpies chirping before dawn today, it turns out a deity has come to visit. I am Yu Jingzi, a successor of the Wudang Pure Yang Skill, and will serve as the current head of the Pure Yang Palace!"
The old man was shocked, and the carrying pole in his hand fell to the ground. He looked at his master and thought to himself, "Is my master getting old and senile? This young Taoist priest may have some Taoist spirit, but he shouldn't be associating with someone of the same generation!"
"Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. I'm Jiang Liu, a newcomer here, and I apologize for any inconvenience!" Jiang Liu reacted instantly, cupping his fists in return, but inwardly he wondered, "He wouldn't know my background, would he? Impossible. I'll observe first!"
The old Taoist priest took Jiang Liu's hand and led him inside, saying, "Fellow Taoist, do not be alarmed. I have cultivated the Tao for eighty-one years and practiced martial arts my entire life, only to finally comprehend a trace of the true essence of the Way of Sincerity. Last night, a divine being appeared in my dream and told me many wonderful things... Please stay here for now, fellow Taoist, and I will arrange everything..."
Then he turned to the old man carrying firewood and said, "Zhicheng, call Zhixing over and tell him I have something important to discuss with him!"
"Yes, Master!"
Jiang Liu suddenly realized, so that's how it is! What the old Taoist Yu Jingzi gave him in the dream was definitely that "one that has vanished," which was all part of his plan! This world is devoid of spiritual energy and the consciousness of the Heavenly Dao is weak, which is perhaps why it can manifest in dreams and why it can withstand the counterattack of the Heavenly Dao consciousness and Gaia consciousness!
Chapter Fifteen: The Powerful Tai Chi
The martial arts lineage of Wudang Mountain is not like the novels, where there is only one sect, but rather many sects coexisting.
For example, the Pure Yang Gong that Jiang Liu is currently practicing is the Tai Chi Marrow Cleansing Method of the Pure Yang Palace, a skill for nourishing and strengthening the body. If mastered, it can cultivate a breath of pure Yang Qi, strengthening the five internal organs and six bowels, making it a superior skill for body training.
In addition, there is the Wild Ox Strength, which belongs to the Pure Emptiness Sect; and the Toad Fishing Strength, which is the Marrow Cleansing Method of the Golden Toad Sect.
In addition, there are other secret internal and external martial arts such as Pure Yang Sword, Nine Palaces Palm, Five Thunder Palm, Red Sand Hand, Wudang Iron Shirt, Hemp Armor Skill, Iron Sand Palm, Lightning Hand, etc. Some of them involve swallowing qi and moving internal organs, while others involve training muscles and bones. They are combined with acupuncture, Chinese medicine decoctions to cleanse the whole body, etc., and all belong to different schools.
Wudang and Shaolin, one a Taoist and the other a Buddhist, are both sacred sites of martial arts.
Jiang Liu received the Pure Yang Skill, a marrow-cleansing technique passed down from Yu Jingzi. When he unleashed it, every muscle in his body vibrated, and his abdomen bulged and heaved like thunder. He had entered the Acquired Realm, and every inch of his skin, muscles, bones, and internal organs achieved perfect balance under the cleansing influence of spiritual energy. After mastering the Pure Yang Skill, he immediately achieved significant progress, his five internal organs continuously being activated and strengthened. To onlookers, Jiang Liu now appeared as a colossal beast the size of an ox, breathing heavily towards the sky.
This breath was continuous, almost sucking up all the surrounding air. Jiang Liu then slowly exhaled, like a trickle of water, for three minutes at a time.
"Truly a divine being! To have achieved the Pure Yang Technique in just one hour. My Pure Yang Technique is a method for cultivating internal organs, and it is slightly lacking in developing bones and muscles. However... Xingyi School has the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound, and Baji School has the Hum and Ha Sounds, both of which are methods for refining bones. If you have the opportunity to obtain them, you can combine them with your cultivation!" Yu Jingzi stroked his beard and smiled, "Even without cultivating tendons and bones, with your current physical strength, your power has already reached the peak of Ming Jin, and you can exert the force of a thousand jin with every strike."
Jiang Liu nodded to himself, then threw a punch that made the air explode!
"Fellow Daoist, a drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude! I, Jiang Liu, will repay you handsomely for your Pure Yang Skill!"
Yu Jingzi waved his hand and laughed, "No need, no need. The greatest reward is that someone can inherit the true skills of my Chunyang Palace! Although there are many Wudang sects, without exception, whether it is fist techniques, sword techniques, or alchemy and qi cultivation, the basic theory all comes from the movement and stillness of the tortoise and snake, true lead and true mercury, which combine to refine the true martial spirit. You need to slowly comprehend the mystery of this stillness and movement! Now that you have mastered the training method of national martial arts, you can learn the fighting methods!"
The saying goes, "Practicing boxing without internal strength training is a waste of time in old age." Whether it's the simplest Three-Body Stance, Horse Stance, or Hunyuan Stance, or the more advanced methods of marrow cleansing, such as the Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound in Xingyi School, the "Hum and Ha" sounds in Baji School, or the "Fishing Toad Strength," "Wild Ox Strength," and "Pure Yang Gong" in Taiji School, these are not only methods for health preservation but also the foundation for cultivating Chinese martial arts.
Only when you have enough physical strength can you hit, injure, or kill people! Otherwise, no matter how well you learn the boxing techniques, they are just for show and can only be used for performance.
Three people go together there must be my teacher.
Although Jiang Liu was a Qi cultivator who practiced Taoist magic and supernatural powers and sought the art of immortality, he also knew that even those whose cultivation was inferior to his own had something to teach him.
Moreover, what about such a grandmaster of Tai Chi?
Having cultivated Taoism for over a decade in the Journey to the West world, and with the fusion of his two souls, Jiang Liu's heart had long since shed the impetuousness and arrogance of his past life, and he treated others with sincerity. If someone was superior to him in any aspect, he would humbly seek their guidance. This was also true in the world of "Mr. Vampire," where he exchanged Taoist teachings with Uncle Nine and Master Four Eyes, gaining immense benefits.
This should also be the case in the world of Chinese martial arts!
As he withdrew his strength, the thunderous croaking within his body vanished instantly, as if all the frogs in a pond had suddenly jumped into the water, leaving only silence. Between the release and withdrawal of his power, the movement and stillness, the opening and closing of the body, the balance of strength and gentleness, water and fire were just right.
"Please teach me, fellow Daoist!"
Yu Jingzi laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist, cleansing the marrow and bones and nourishing life are the great path, while those fighting and killing skills are only minor paths. We cannot put the cart before the horse, but we also cannot learn nothing at all... I can no longer teach you. Now I am old and frail, my blood and energy have diminished, and my skills are gone!"
After saying that, he turned to the old man behind him and said, "Zhicheng, you teach Fellow Daoist Jiang Liu the Tai Chi stance and fighting techniques!"
"Yes, Master!"
The old man carrying firewood was named Zhicheng, meaning "Sincerity leads to foresight." However, in Jiang Liu's opinion, the old man's strength had not yet reached the level of the Core Formation stage; he was probably at the peak of the Transformation stage. However, he maintained his health properly, and although he was old, his physical strength remained, and he was still quite capable in actual combat.
He slowly began to practice Tai Chi again, and Jiang Liu even attached his divine sense to him, making it feel as if he were personally practicing Tai Chi.
After the demonstration was completed, the old man said, "Tai Chi looks gentle and emphasizes using minimal force to overcome great strength, but that's just the surface. The real Tai Chi fighting style is the most powerful and fierce. You have to find this fierce power in the word 'hammer.' Look, this is the Tai Chi stance, the 'blocking and striking' stance."
In an instant, the old man made a move, violently swinging his arm, which made a series of crisp "snap" sounds, as if he had blown the air out of its socket.
Jiang Liu frowned. He had achieved considerable success in his cultivation. Although he couldn't use his vital energy due to the curse, his divine sense was unrestricted. Under the sweep of his divine sense, every step of Zhi Cheng's punching, the amount of force exerted by each muscle, the changes in each bone, the strength, energy, spirit, and intention—every detail was crystal clear.
After briefly using his divine sense, his head felt a little throbbing. He rubbed his temples and slowly replayed his punch in his mind. He was immediately shocked, thinking: In this world, spiritual energy is scarce, yet such power can be achieved solely through physical strength. No wonder in the Journey to the West world, those generals could split mountains and shatter rocks, and martial arts could rival Taoist magic.
Watching Jiang Liu perform a skillful and impressive parrying punch, Yu Jingzi said, "In ancient times, the generals who wielded hammers were all fierce men. Look at Li Yuanba, the number one hero in the Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, who fought his way across the world with two big hammers. When the Tai Chi masters created the style, they borrowed the power of the novel and naturally named the most powerful force 'hammer'."
Next, the old man demonstrated the Tai Chi forms: first, the "Five Fists" form, including the blocking punch, the body-splitting punch, the elbow-bottom punch, the groin-pointing punch, and the planting punch; second, the "Three Whips" form, including the single whip, the double whip, and the opening and closing whip hand; and third, the "Seven Cannons" form, such as the heart-warming cannon, the continuous cannon, the sky-piercing cannon, and the ground-smashing cannon, etc.
The three stances of Tai Chi – “whip,” “hammer,” and “cannon” – lack sufficient skill to generate any real power. They only result in a comical posture, turning “martial arts” into “dance.”
There are countless people in the world who practice Tai Chi, but very few can master its fighting techniques. Out of millions of people, only one or two can achieve this.
If your skill level is insufficient, Tai Chi can only be used for health preservation, not for fighting; you will definitely lose if you do.