Chapter 134: Ten Strengths, A Sword Bestowed
Black clouds like dragon claws, white rain like a game of Go.
Zhou Yan exerted force and yanked the rope fiercely. His body, like a water bird leaping over waves, landed on the shore. The heavy rain poured down on him, yet he was oblivious. In his mind, he saw Ouyang Feng in the Imperial Palace, his sleeves unfurling like an Iron Fan, striking out. Palace Guards who touched it were sent flying.
The scene shifted abruptly. He again thought of Huang Rong being struck by a sedan chair pole during the Lantern Festival, the moment she was severely injured.
Huang Rong’s cultivation at that time was no match for Sha Tongtian, Peng Lianhu, and others. However, she practiced the martial arts of Peach Blossom Island, and her Internal Force was extremely pure. This was certainly not comparable to Ah Zhu from the Tianlong world.
Yet, the injuries Huang Rong sustained were not much different from Ah Zhu’s. The sedan chair pole could possess such power because it was “Peng” (collapsing) like a strong bow shooting an iron arrow, imbued with a “Peng” force.
The essence of “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” lies entirely in the channeling and release of force. The true meaning of the move “Dense Clouds Without Rain” lies in “Peng.”
“Peng Force” emphasizes instantaneous explosive power. According to the annotations in the Yue Family Fist Manual, Yue Family Spear Technique, and Quanzhen Swordplay, force can be divided into vertical Peng, horizontal Peng, and collapsing force. In spear techniques, the left and right parries use horizontal Peng, while in Quanzhen Swordplay, “Sad Song to the Lute” and “Frost Waves Rolling Snow” use vertical Peng.
In just a moment, Zhou Yan connected his various martial arts knowledge, integrated them, and thoroughly comprehended the essence of “Dense Clouds Without Rain” from the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.
Practicing in the torrent, like fighting a relentless stream of powerful enemies, the consumption of Qi and Blood was naturally immense.
Zhou Yan sat cross-legged, guiding the gentle Qi of Jade Guanyin with the Quanzhen Cultivation Method to relax his muscles and activate his collaterals, dispelling fatigue. After a teacup’s time, he leaped up and into the surging current, channeling force into his legs with the Thousand Jin Drop, landing steadily.
Zhou Yan’s body trembled as he unleashed the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” to continue practicing in the surging torrent. He was now proficient to the extreme with the moves of these eighteen palms. When delivering strikes, he could guide energy with his consciousness at will. What he aimed to do was to comprehend the various exquisite uses of “force.”
Looking from afar, one could see the profound and fierce power in his movements, his techniques flowing continuously like clouds and rainbows.
Suddenly, Zhou Yan pulled on the rope with his hand and landed on the shore again, pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.
“Sudden Arrival” lives up to its name; its momentum is incredibly fast, catching the opponent off guard, making it easiest to achieve victory through surprise. Before the opponent can react, a fatal blow is delivered. The saying goes: Sudden arrival, leaving no room. However, if one interprets the ‘sudden’ in this move as agility, it would be a grave mistake. When I confronted Sha Tongtian in the Imperial Palace, he possessed the lightness skill of ‘Shifting Form and Changing Position.’ Back then, I concealed my true strength and launched a surprise killing move with the ‘Storm of Pear Blossoms Spear,’ yet Sha Tongtian still dodged six strikes. Ouyang Ke also has the White Camel Mountain lightness skill of ‘Instant Thousand Li.’ Facing such a master with outstanding martial arts and exceptional agility, it is extremely difficult to achieve ‘Sudden Arrival.’ Each move of the Subduing Dragon Palm Technique emphasizes force, so this ‘sudden’ refers to force. But what kind of force is it?”
The problem Zhou Yan was currently facing was similar to Mei Chaofeng practicing the Nine Yin Manual. The scripture contained the phrase “Five Qi Towards the Origin,” with no further annotations, requiring the practitioner to gain enlightenment on their own.
Hong Qigong taught fourteen palm techniques, directly explaining the moves and the Qi guiding method. As for the use of force, it still required self-comprehension. Therefore, in the worlds of Legend of the Condor Heroes, The Return of the Condor Heroes, and Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, Guo Jing, Yelü Qi, and Shi Huolong all practiced the same palm techniques. However, when comparing the same moves, their power differed vastly, like clouds and mud. The key lay in the understanding and mastery of force.
Zhou Yan paced back and forth repeatedly. Suddenly, he recalled a line from the “Eight Methods of Yue” in the Yue Family Boxing: “…Observe the opponent’s movements for weaknesses; never meet force with force. It’s like drawing a bowstring, intending to hit the target before releasing the arrow…”
This mnemonic spoke of “Jing” (Squeezing Force), which is used to destabilize the opponent’s foundation, expose their flaws, and then attack with momentum for a fatal blow.
Zhou Yan’s eyes lit up with joy. “Wonderful! The steps should be low, the legs should squeeze. The hands should push, the body should embrace, and the movements should be synchronized. The legs squeeze like a tree reaching for the sky.”
He let out a loud laugh. Just as he was about to leap into the torrent, his “Guanchong acupoint” suddenly throbbed with pain.
He was startled. This acupoint is the well point of the Hand Shaoyang Sanjiao Meridian, located at the end of the radial side of the ring finger. It is the well of the Hand Shaoyang and connects to the pulse Qi of the Hand Jueyin.
The sudden pain in the acupoint was a backlash of pulse Qi. Pulse Qi can transport Qi and Blood, but improper transport can damage the meridians and channels. This time, the pulse Qi acted on its own, meaning that practicing in the torrent, each palm strike against the immense force carried by the flood was equivalent to constantly battling a master. Since he had not fully grasped the method of using force in the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms,” he was facing the danger of meridian damage.
Zhou Yan shivered and immediately abandoned the idea of continuing to practice in the torrent. He guided his Qi with his intention, circulating his Internal Force. Indeed, his yet-to-be-tempered and unblocked meridians ached faintly, and the acupoints on his palms and arms, which often surged with Internal Force, felt like needle pricks.
He dared not be careless and stopped his practice, walking towards the thatched hut.
Shagu listened to Zhou Yan and practiced as instructed, without any laziness.
In the pouring rain, the young girl practiced the Peach Blossom Island’s “Azure Wave Palm Technique.” She ate snake gallbladders, and her strength had increased considerably. With one palm strike, the raindrops on her hand seemed to pause in mid-air for a moment before forming an arc of water. The splashing water shot out five to six feet, appearing like a stream of light in the heavy rain.
“Good.”
Zhou Yan praised. In reality, Shagu’s moves were repetitive, but with her current strength, a surprise attack would surely make ordinary martial artists stumble.
Hearing Zhou Yan’s praise, Shagu giggled, “Shagu is amazing, Shagu is hungry.”
“Let’s eat.”
Zhou Yan chuckled.
In the shed were the wild rabbits and mountain chickens he had hunted, as well as a large snake from a failed experiment.
While peeling the snake skin, Zhou Yan sighed. The original owner’s ancestors were from Zhou Tong’s lineage. He had transmigrated, and his thoughts had merged with the body. Had all his talent been concentrated on martial arts? Was he unable to raise snakes properly? Perhaps he should consult Mei Chaofeng and have the Medicine Boy raise snakes. Or, he could find an opportunity to capture a Snake Slave from Ouyang Ke.
He smiled, withdrew his consciousness, stewed the snake soup, and gave Shagu two purple snake gallbladders.
Shagu bit open the snake gallbladders with a pained expression and swallowed them.
Zhou Yan also ate three snake gallbladders one by one, then sat in meditation to regulate his breath. He used the Quanzhen Cultivation Method to guide the gentle Qi of Jade Guanyin to relax his muscles and activate his collaterals, healing his internal illness. He then converted the efficacy of the snake gallbladders into Qi and Blood, transported it with pulse Qi, and stimulated the generation of Internal Force.
An hour later, the snake soup was perfectly cooked.
Zhou Yan and Shagu ate their fill.
With the heavy rain, there were no games to play, so Shagu began practicing her saber. Zhou Yan continued to regulate his breath and relax his muscles and collaterals. By evening, he guided energy again, and the stinging sensation in his meridians and acupoints was completely gone.
“Hoo!”
Zhou Yan felt fortunate. If he had forced himself to practice in the afternoon, he would have inevitably suffered meridian injuries. Without Jade Guanyin and the snake gallbladders, even if discovered in time, it would have taken at least ten days to half a month to recover.
The mountain torrents came and went swiftly. Zhou Yan had already recovered completely. He could even take snake gallbladders from Snake Valley to strengthen his bones and muscles, transport Qi and Blood to generate Internal Force. How could he miss this opportunity to practice?
He told Shagu to rest after practicing her saber and went to the valley again.
In the misty rain, the Great Eagle was still on the hill.
The eagle must see me now as it saw Dugu Qiubai practicing sword in the torrent.
Zhou Yan smiled and leaped onto a giant rock.
The floodwaters rose, their momentum surging. He was swept away for a moment after entering the water, but he used the Crushing Hardness Divine Claw to grip the rock wall and stabilize himself. When he stood up, the surging current reached his chest.
He concentrated his Qi and maintained his center, his feet firmly planted. The large waves within his sight swept down like an Iron Fan.
“Dense Clouds Without Rain,” he pushed out his palm, and a water curtain exploded.
In the surging torrent, Zhou Yan practiced diligently without stopping. From the move “Fish Leaping in the Abyss,” he comprehended the wonder of “Ta Jin” (Collapse Force). His Qi sank, and his steps were like plowing a field, with the momentum of devouring wolves and tigers.
“Riding the Six Dragons” from the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.” The saying goes: Riding the six dragons to control the heavens. This move is grand and righteous, its momentum vast, covering the earth and sky. It is the most kingly and righteous move of the Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms.
At midnight, Zhou Yan emerged from the water to regulate his breath, then re-entered the water, comprehending the “He Jin” (Combining Force) of this move. Internal and external unity, limbs converging from outside to inside, external momentum and internal Qi gathering simultaneously, delivering palm strikes like sudden thunder and lightning.
…
The heavy rain finally ceased, and the sky was clear blue.
The floodwaters in the valley receded. Suddenly, two water dragons surged from the deep water. The sun shone brightly, and from a distance, the valley appeared to have a double rainbow.
Zhou Yan laughed heartily and leaped from the water onto the shore.
The offensive move “Double Dragons Taking Water” from the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” split into two. From this, he comprehended “Lü Jin” (Twisting Force).
This downpour lasted for five days. Zhou Yan practiced in the water and, in the process, comprehended ten exquisite methods of using force from the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms,” including “Peng Jin,” “Ji Jin,” “Chan Jin,” and “Ta Jin.”
His mastery of the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms” had already become considerable.
Furthermore, the integration of “Peng Jin” and “Chan Jin” could enhance the power of his other practiced fist techniques and Sanshou.
Through this period of cultivation, Zhou Yan’s understanding of “force” was no less than years of enlightenment in ordinary environments.
The Great Eagle guarded him, unhindered by wind or rain.
He leaped ashore, and the Divine Condor let out a few low cries. It bit the corner of Zhou Yan’s clothes and tugged a few times, then released it and walked away.
Zhou Yan understood its intention and followed.
The eagle and the man traversed the entire valley and then turned into a deep ravine. They arrived before a mountain cave. The eagle nodded three times in front of the cave, called out three times, and then looked back at Zhou Yan.
He entered the cave and saw nothing but a stone table and a stone stool. In a corner of the cave, a pile of rocks rose high, resembling a tomb.
The Great Eagle let out a few low cries towards the pile of rocks.
Zhou Yan stepped forward. On the wall behind the pile of rocks were several dozen characters, signed below: “Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai.”
“Brother Eagle, are you guarding this Senior Dugu?”
The Great Eagle let out a low cry.
Zhou Yan took two steps back, bowed three times towards the pile of rocks, and then said, “Brother Eagle, I must return to Zhongdu. If I have free time another day, or if I pass through Xiangyang on a mission, I will visit you and Senior Dugu again.”
The Great Eagle let out a few soft hisses.
Man and eagle parted ways. Zhou Yan and Shagu reunited.
He re-entered Snake Valley, venturing several miles deep, collecting more than ten snake gallbladders and capturing two poisonous snakes with bodies that shimmered with golden light.
Upon leaving the valley, he saw Shagu with the Great Eagle.
“Big Brother, the eagle has brought a sword.”
Zhou Yan was stunned. The Divine Condor was carrying a sword in its beak and rushed over.
The Divine Condor’s mouth held a long sword, its gleaming white blade exposed, reflecting the sunlight with a shimmering green light.
Zhou Yan smiled. This was the treasured sword that Dugu Qiubai used to contend with the heroes of Hexi before he reached the age of twenty.
Brother Eagle, you’re playing favorites!
