The Great Martial Arts World: Hot Topics and Great Heroes

As for the "Minor Chaos Skill" and the "Free Immortal Ape Scripture," Chu Luren would definitely be reluctant to part with the former, since it is the most suitable martial art for his main body and his true foundation in his non-Dream God state. As for the latter... although with the Dream God's aptitude, if the fusion is ruined, it will only mean that he will not have a badge and his cultivation efficiency will be lower, his "materials" so far have all been Taoist internal skills. Suddenly fusing a Zen Buddhist skill into it would probably not be very suitable. There is no need to gamble on this move if there is a safety net.

Chu Luren did not rush to merge with Qiao Feng, but instead prepared to discuss it with him.

When they emerged from seclusion, it was already getting dark—after all, these were two top-tier martial arts techniques, and even without practicing them, just analyzing their nature and effects took a whole day.

Chu Luren went to Qiao Feng's room first, but found no one there. So he went to A'Zhu's room where she was recuperating, and sure enough, there was a candle burning... He knocked on the door: "Brother, brother... It's so late, A'Zhu must be resting. Come to my room, let's discuss martial arts!"

"Hehe, good, good." Qiao Feng smiled sheepishly upon seeing this, probably quite pleased as well.

After all, what could be more enjoyable than exploring martial arts?

A'Zhu watched the two leave with a hint of resentment...

Back in his room, Chu Luren first instructed his servants to prepare a late-night snack. Before discussing things with Qiao Feng, Chu Luren explained the Yi Jin Jing and Shen Zu Jing to him.

Then Chu Luren thought for a moment. Since it was a discussion about martial arts and such an opportunity was rare, he also talked about the "Nine Yin Manual, Volume 1" and the "Shaolin Nine Yang Skill". As for the "Wudang Nine Yang Skill", it was not appropriate to reveal it casually.

Chu Luren only "interpreted the meaning of the text" regarding the Yijinjing and Shenzujing. He did not truly understand the Sanskrit texts, nor did he have seen the translated versions. Therefore, he simply expressed his understanding in words.

Like "The True Explanation of the Five Sacred Mountains", since Chu Luren himself did not fully comprehend it, he could only express about 70% or 80% of it. However, it was enough for Qiao Feng!

After all, someone at Qiao Feng's level could easily learn the Yi Jin Jing and Shen Zu Jing by analogy without needing to actually modify them.

"Brother, what exactly are these 'I-face' and 'human-face'?" Chu Luren asked.

"Well... to be honest, although I was a lay disciple at Shaolin in my early years, I know very little about Zen principles, but I can guess a thing or two!"

In terms of Zen principles, I can only understand that the "self" is ourselves. The person I am is the "self," and the effect of my palm strike is also the "self."

"Human appearance... Well, anything outside of my own appearance is a human appearance. Anything outside of myself, anything not caused by me, whether living or dead, is a 'human appearance.'"

Qiao Feng first gave a basic explanation of the concepts of self and other in Zen philosophy, but he couldn't give a more profound explanation.

"So, my 'self-image' is also within the scope of your 'human image'? Is this relative?" Chu Luren pressed.

“Not bad…relatively? That’s a good word!” Qiao Feng said, drinking a large bowl of wine.

Chu Luren didn't know if he was using the opportunity to drink.

"As for seeing through the illusions of self and others, from a Zen perspective, that's too profound. If it were before, I'd probably think that only truly eminent monks could understand its meaning. However... after this 'union of mind and breath,' I've been somewhat moved," Qiao Feng said, wiping his mouth after finishing his drink.

Hearing this, Chu Luren became even more focused...

"The unity of mind and breath" is a term used in the classics of the Xiaoyao Sect. Qiao Feng only started using it after hearing Chu Luren and Xue Muhua use it.

In Qiao Feng's words, it is the power of "state of mind" that resonates with internal energy, intensifying their mutual influence, and it does not require special stimulation—Qiao Feng's Dragon-Capturing True Qi now has an inherent domineering aura, making it even more powerful than before!

Chu Luren understood that one's state of mind could affect one's internal energy. He also believed that "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" could make one's internal energy more active when one's thoughts were clear.

However, this is only one effect of the "Swordsman" mentality, which is equivalent to giving internal skills a buff, but it is not a true combination of the two.

As for what this has to do with "self-image" and "other-image", what is the connection between them?

Qiao Feng continued, "'State of mind' should be considered a very subjective power. It has no distinction between right and wrong, especially after resonating with internal energy, mind and energy become one... I suspect this is the effect of breaking through the 'self' mentioned in Zen philosophy..."

Chapter 220 The Twenty-Eight Forms of Dragon Soaring Through Heaven and Earth

After Qiao Feng finished explaining his guess about "I see", he continued speaking.

"...Correspondingly, Second Brother, you should also know that all exquisite techniques contain the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Once you can comprehend them, you will reach a completely different realm than before, just like... well, how should I put it..." Qiao Feng was somewhat at a loss for words.

"Forget the moves and you'll generate momentum; where the momentum goes, no moves are better than moves," Chu Luren added.

"That's right, that's exactly what I meant!" Qiao Feng said, downing another large bowl.

"However, this 'momentum' is just like 'state of mind.' Merely comprehending it may not be enough to make it match the moves. Just like four years ago, I had already mastered the 'Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms,' and every move had the momentum of a true dragon. At that time, I thought I had reached the pinnacle in terms of momentum..."

However, at the Taishan Gang meeting, when that scoundrel Ao Bai led his men to try to ambush us, I single-handedly covered the rear, facing that bastard Ao Bai and more than ten Qing Dynasty experts attacking me. It was originally a situation where I had no chance of survival, but when I saw my brothers... cough cough, when I saw that the Beggars' Gang had safely retreated to the mountainside, I felt much less apprehensive.

My only goal was to kill one more person and gain one more. In the midst of this exhilaration, my... what do you call 'momentum'? also came into play with my moves. For some reason, the power of my palm technique increased dramatically. The Qing Dynasty experts who could have given me a run for my money were forced to retreat by my palm strike. Even Ao Bai ran out of steam after exchanging more than a dozen blows with me and was killed by me!

Originally, I didn't know what the reason was, but if it is corroborated with the Yi Jin Jing, this should be considered 'seeing through the human form'? After all, the mystery in the moves is mostly borrowed from other things, either natural forces or imagined mysteries..." Qiao Feng talked about his last great improvement in martial arts.

Upon hearing this, Chu Luren's first reaction was—Ao Bai is indeed different from the one in the original work! The fact that the number one manor in the world ranked him in the top ten of the Heavenly Ranking wasn't entirely out of respect for the Qing court…

He was able to exchange blows with Qiao Feng and even had an advantage at the beginning, which clearly shows that he was not the simple wrestling barbarian in the original work!

Following Qiao Feng's words, he secretly thought that this should be considered "the combination of power and technique." Indeed, the biggest difference between "power" and "mind" is that the latter is mostly a concept of egoism and idealism.

Compassion, cruelty, tyranny, or carefree attitude... are all extensions of various mental states.

"Momentum" primarily elucidates the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. The more basic and intuitive "raging wind" and the more abstract and overarching "Tai Chi" both belong to the observation of nature, or, as Qiao Feng said, the "momentum of the true dragon" he comprehended—a kind of conjecture about other things...

It certainly fits the characteristics of "self-image" and "human image"!

"So, to take 'mind' and 'momentum' a step further, it must be combined with 'qi' and 'technique'?" Chu Luren looked thoughtful.

However, Qiao Feng immediately interrupted, saying, "Don't get so hung up on this! The world is so vast, and there's no such thing as superiority or inferiority between mind and power. There may be more than one way forward. Everyone is feeling their way across the river. Even Bodhidharma might not know the way forward."

That makes sense. After all, the martial arts world isn't a fully-developed fantasy world with multiple levels. The so-called "realm" can't be summarized by things like a level 3 warrior or a level 6 mage.

Every family has its own methods, and every individual has their own destiny; there is more than one path ahead.

Qiao Feng's mind and spirit were in harmony, and his power and technique were in harmony. It's possible that others might also have their mind and technique in harmony, or even specialize in one skill and still break through.

As for who is better at fighting?

That makes it even more true that "taking action is the only standard to test strength!"

“However, if this ‘harmony of mind and qi’ and ‘harmony of power and technique’ can truly be considered ‘seeing through the appearances of oneself and others,’ then wouldn’t Brother Yi Jin Jing already be able to cultivate it?” Chu Luren’s eyes lit up upon hearing this.

If Qiao Feng could master the Sanskrit version of the Yi Jin Jing, it would be of great help to Chu Luren, as it would provide him with a reference.

"I'm quite used to practicing this 'Dragon-Capturing Skill,' and while the 'Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic' is good, it's ultimately just a supplement... By the way, I've recently had some rather different insights into palm techniques..."

It's actually quite easy to modify the "Dragon-Capturing Skill" into the "Yi Jin Jing," since the "Yi Jin Jing" is inherently suitable for modification. One must have a considerable level of martial arts skill before one can even begin to learn it.

However, Qiao Feng probably had his own ideas, and then he discussed palm techniques with Chu Luren, which was actually an excuse to pass on the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" to Chu Luren as well.

Chu Luren also exchanged techniques with Qiao Feng using the "Tianshan Six Yang Palms." Although Chu Luren's skill in palm techniques was no match for Qiao Feng's, the yin and yang harmony of the "Tianshan Six Yang Palms" gave Qiao Feng a unique perspective...

I didn't sleep all night, and before I knew it, it was dawn.

After discussing martial arts all night, Qiao Feng went to visit A'Zhu, who should have woken up by now. Chu Luren also entered a "dream god" state, half cultivating and half catching up on sleep.

If Qiao Feng and Chu Luren understand the "seeing through the appearances of oneself and others" in the Yi Jin Jing correctly, it should mean making a breakthrough in "mind" and "momentum," which is not something Chu Luren can hope for for the time being.

Before this can be achieved, the "Minor Chaotic True Qi" will also find it difficult to imitate the effects of the Yi Jin Jing, and the Dream God will have no way to cultivate it.

As for the "Divine Foot Scripture," it was a level that Qiao Feng had never encountered before. However, with Chu Luren and Qiao Feng's martial arts skills, they managed to figure out most of the techniques.

It's not that the "Divine Foot Classic" is simple, but rather that it doesn't have the same high prerequisites as the "Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic." However, considering the origin of this technique and its strong Indian influence, Qiao Feng also suspected that it was created by Bodhidharma, thus eliminating the Chu Lu people's idea of ​​combining it with the "Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic."

In the short term, it is the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" obtained from Qiao Feng that can show immediate effects.

Not only is it a top-tier martial art in itself, but it is also a perfect match for the "stubborn" Tianshan Six Yang Palm in Chu Luren's mind.

Especially after discussing with Qiao Feng, Chu Luren's understanding of the two palm techniques deepened further.

In fact, the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" has always been related to the Book of Changes (I Ching), as its name comes from the Book of Changes and its commentaries. Its origins are quite different from those of Taoism and Buddhism.

Among them, the names are most often derived from the hexagram texts of Qian and Kun. Qian represents heaven and belongs to yang, while Kun represents earth and belongs to yin.

The Six Yang Palm of Tianshan, where six represents Yin and nine represents Yang, also signifies "Yin and Yang"...

After the two were combined, Chu Luren gained the "Dragon Soaring Through Heaven and Earth Twenty-Eight Styles", a total of twenty-eight moves - which is the same number of moves as the original "Dragon Subduing Twenty-Eight Palms" in the revised version.

However, Chu Luren estimated that the specific applications would definitely be different. His "Dragon's Journey Through Heaven and Earth Twenty-Eight Forms" was already the culmination of the harmony of Yin and Yang - all twenty-eight moves were derived from the hexagram texts of Qian and Kun.

The Qian and Kun hexagrams each have seven types of hexagram lines, resulting in a total of fourteen palm techniques. In addition, there is another variation with yin and yang reversed, thus making a total of twenty-eight styles...

It can be considered as the main body of the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, and the Yin-Yang debate of the Six Yang Palms of Tianshan is extracted. In this way, there is naturally still room for improvement that is "visible to the naked eye" - according to Qiao Feng, although the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms of the Beggar Clan were originally the same set, they have undergone many changes in the North and South over the years!

In other words, Hong Qigong's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms must have the same origin as Qiao Feng's, but they are not entirely the same.

As for Guo Jingming's set of Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, it is said to be a secret martial arts inheritance that he obtained from a hidden master in his early years, and it is the closest to the original version...

If they could obtain the other two "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" manuals, they would certainly be able to adapt to them and continue to integrate them!

Chapter 221 The Real Ancient Tomb Sect

After Chu Luren spent several days exchanging martial arts techniques with Qiao Feng at Juxian Manor, Lin Pingzhi and the others bid farewell to Chu Luren.

Linghu Chong had already taken his leave before Qiao Feng came out of seclusion, as he was heading to Mount Heng in the north. Previously, upon learning about the Heroes' Gathering, Linghu Chong had turned back, leaving Lu Dayou to travel north alone.

Lin Pingzhi stayed a few more days, clearly preparing to depart as well.

After that, Chu Luren no longer needed to follow, because of the previous Heroes' Gathering, Henan was now in the midst of a storm!

For Shaolin, Wudang, and their branches, this is the most tense time, while for other sects, it is the time to keep their heads down.

Otherwise, if trouble were to break out at this juncture, wouldn't that draw all the attention to themselves? Shaolin was just trying to change the subject!

Even the Songshan Sect doesn't dare to make any big moves in Henan now...

Originally, the Chu Lu people intended to send Lin Pingzhi out of Henan, but now it seems unnecessary.

Chu Luren also planned to stay a few more days before leaving Juxianzhuang and returning to Guanzhong—it was almost April, and May 15th would be Xiaolongnu's eighteenth birthday.

Li Mochou had no good intentions before, spreading rumors that a peerless beauty was going to hold a martial arts contest to find a husband for her eighteenth birthday in the ancient tomb of Zhongnan Mountain. She claimed that not only would she have a beautiful bride, but also a large number of antique paintings, calligraphy and paintings, and martial arts manuals as dowry...

Originally, he wanted to annoy his junior sister, but now that Li Mochou had returned to the Ancient Tomb, she didn't want anyone to disturb her peace.

Before Chu Luren left the Ancient Tomb last year, Li Mochou instructed him to return on the fifteenth of May to fulfill his duties as an "outer sect elder".

Before leaving, Chu Luren also discussed with Mu Wanqing and Huang Rong whether they would come along.

Mu Wanqing doesn't seem to have any intention of returning to the Five Phoenix Blade Sect, but perhaps she'll want to go back to Dali for a visit?

As for Huang Rong, she was only "temporarily traveling with Chu Luren." Although Huang Rong's salted fish and drunken crab tasted very good, Chu Luren could not force her to follow.

"Going to Zhongnan Mountain? What for? Back to that... Ancient Tomb Sect?" Mu Wanqing sounded a little scared when she mentioned the "Ancient Tomb Sect," probably because her imagination of the Ancient Tomb Sect was somewhat different from reality.

In reality, most people in the martial arts world have a different understanding of things than what actually happens...

The real Ancient Tomb Sect - Li Mochou, Xiaolongnu, and Wang Yuyan.JPG.

The Ancient Tomb Sect as imagined by everyone – Chu Luren, Granny Sun, and Xiao Xiangzi.JPG.

“That’s right, the Ancient Tomb Sect had some matters to attend to in mid-May,” Chu Luren said.

"Is it... a sacrificial ceremony or a burial?" In Mu Wanqing's imagination, these should be the "things" of the Ancient Tomb Sect, right?

"No, it's a martial arts contest to choose a husband," Chu Luren said, shaking his head repeatedly.