Chapter 53: Meeting a Disciple of the Valley of Unfeeling Before Success
The Eastern Heretic had already departed with the bright moon, leaving only the sound of river waves in this place.
Zhou Yan, without bothering to dress, focused his mind, recalling the graceful posture and leg techniques of Huang Yaoshi as he performed the “Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg,” and combining it with his memory of the movements, he analyzed the meaning of the cultivation technique’s incantations.
On that day, outside Datong Prefecture, he received the “Free and Easy Journey” fist technique from Hong Qigong. The Nine-Fingered Beggar demonstrated it once, and he remembered about half of it. Time passed, and with his cultivation of the Quanzhen Sect’s internal energy, his ability to comprehend and understand the techniques he encountered grew with each passing day.
Huang Yaoshi did not intentionally make things difficult for Zhou Yan by speeding up his movements and leg techniques; he was simply accustomed to teaching techniques in this manner. Thus, the “Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg” was performed quickly and swiftly, truly like a gale sweeping fallen leaves, destructive and irresistible. Yet, even so, Zhou Yan remembered all the incantations and eighty percent of the leg techniques.
He felt no regret for not remembering everything; these were fortuitous techniques he had stumbled upon.
Zhou Yan consolidated his memory and understood the cultivation technique, then turned his gaze to the ground.
When Huang Yaoshi imparted the technique, one foot was planted on the ground while the other swept horizontally. During the execution of the moves, the supporting foot also moved.
The footprints left on the ground were like colorful fallen leaves.
Zhou Yan began to deeply study the cultivation technique’s incantations.
Hong Qigong’s guidance to him in practicing techniques was “first know the intent, then fix the form, and use the form to guide the moves.” The ability to discern the minute details through this method, along with the auxiliary cultivation effects of the Quanzhen Sect’s internal energy cultivation technique taught by Wang Chuyi on martial arts of all schools and sects, were all fully realized.
In the world of Legend of the Condor Heroes, Guo Jing’s cultivation of the Quanzhen Sect’s techniques led to rapid progress in his understanding of the martial arts taught by the Seven Freaks of Jiangnan. Techniques that were previously elusive were quickly grasped in their essence.
Zhou Yan was experiencing the same thing now.
After two hours, he understood the essence of this self-created technique of Huang Yaoshi.
Zhou Yan sighed, feeling incredibly fortunate. To fully unleash the power of this technique from Peach Blossom Island, he needed to temper and clear the Extraordinary Meridians, specifically the Yang Qiao Meridian and Yin Qiao Meridian. Once these two meridians were open, his movements would be light and agile, his muscles and bones strong, his qi light as a swallow, and his power would sink like a thousand jin drop. Of his body’s Extraordinary Meridians, he had only tempered these two.
Furthermore, the power of leg techniques lay not only in the exquisite moves but also in the hardness of bones and muscles like iron, and in projecting internal energy outwards. This method had already been explained by Hong Qigong when he taught two moves of the “Subduing Dragon Eighteen Palms,” and Zhou Yan had mastered it with ease.
As a result, what would have taken over ten days or even longer to truly understand and gain initial insight into the leg technique, he achieved in just two hours.
Zhou Yan walked to the ground where Huang Yaoshi had left footprints nearby. He planted his left foot and suddenly swept his right leg horizontally. As his body moved, his leg shadows were like the wind, kicking through the air with fluidity and speed, curving and turning, already possessing some of Huang Yaoshi’s spirit.
Suddenly, the layers of leg shadows receded. Zhou Yan’s left foot landed as steadily as a pine tree, his body tilted, and his right foot slowly rose like a stick of incense, standing tall and straight.
He calmed his breathing and landed with a composed mind. Looking again at the footprints he had made while practicing the leg technique and the trajectory of Huang Yaoshi’s steps during the technique impartation, they were identical.
The only thing lacking in this Peach Blossom Island technique was the mastery that came from insufficient internal force, which could not be rushed and required accumulation over time.
As for the few leg techniques he hadn’t remembered, it didn’t matter. When fighting, he could simply kick the opponent a few more times. Alternatively, he could try to supplement and perfect them himself once he reached a certain level.
Only then did Zhou Yan walk to the campfire, put on his clothes, take out cooked beef from his bag to eat, then gather reeds by the riverside to spread on the ground. He lay down on his side, his breathing steady, his spirit undisturbed, his mind not wandering, his consciousness sinking, and fell asleep.
Upon waking, Zhou Yan was full of energy. He practiced the “Whirlwind Sweeping Leaves Leg” and “Quanzhen Swordplay” for a while, then washed up by the river, packed his belongings, and mounted his Yellow Spotted Horse, heading straight for Xiangyang.
…
He ate dew and clouds for sustenance, and swallowed moonlight essence at night.
Zhou Yan practiced diligently along the way, cultivating the Quanzhen Sect’s internal energy using the “Six Times” method, tempering the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian and Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. Outside of his cultivation, accompanied by the clear breeze and bright moon, he arrived at the valley where he had encountered the Great Eagle four days after leaving Jingzhou.
As the sun reached its zenith, he shot a wild rabbit outside the valley to roast and eat. He then took his bag and straight saber from the horse.
Although the Yellow Spotted Horse was not as remarkable as the “Night-Shining Jade Lion,” it was quite intelligent. He was also well-versed in the art of taming horses, and now man and horse understood each other’s intentions.
He stroked the Yellow Spotted Horse’s neck and said, “At the fastest, five or six days; at the slowest, half a month, I will return. Go.”
With his words, he gently patted the horse’s hindquarters. The Yellow Spotted Horse nudged his clothes and then ran into the mountain forest to graze on its own.
He opened his bag, divided the large package of lime wrapped in cowhide paper into several portions of different sizes, and wrapped them individually. He placed two slightly larger lime packages in his embrace, took out three smaller lime packages, weighed them, and then, taking his quiver, drew out three long arrows, tying the lime packages to the arrow shafts.
Preparation is key to success, and lack of it leads to failure. Zhou Yan was unsure if Qiu Qianchi had left Xiangyang, and the Great Eagle had shown him no goodwill. He had made the most complete preparations.
His bag also contained toilet paper and carefully selected charcoal.
These were for drawing sketches to avoid getting lost and wasting time on useless efforts.
He also had rope purchased along the way, anti-snake medicine, and the poisoned iron finger ring obtained from Escort Su of the Four Seas, along with his dry rations and water pouch.
Zhou Yan checked everything, hung the water pouch on his waistband, slung the quiver over his shoulder, carried his bag, and held his straight saber. He walked briskly, entering the valley with vigilance.
Entering the valley to seek opportunities, he walked for four days, traversing one mountain and one river after another.
Wandering around, he explored an area of more than twenty li around the valley.
The terrain was truly peculiar. Sometimes, standing on a mountain peak, the north wind blew bleakly, chilling him to the bone. At other times, he was in a secluded valley where red, purple, and yellow flowers swayed, making it unclear whether autumn lingered or spring had arrived early, resembling the scene from Peach Blossom Spring. He also experienced the feeling of Zhang Wuji, who, through a stroke of luck in the Kunlun Mountains, went from an icy world to a paradise on earth with four seasons.
The only regret was that the empty valley seemed to silently tell Zhou Yan that there was neither a divine condor nor a snake here, and that opportunities should not be forced. He should leave quickly.
As the sun set beyond the mountains, at dusk, Zhou Yan rested. He took out his sketch and used charcoal to outline the places he had walked during the day. He then sat cross-legged and began circulating his qi to temper the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.
Pure internal energy warmed from his Dantian and circulated within his body. It began below the little toe of his foot, entered behind the inner ankle, passed through the heel, then traveled upwards along the inner side of his calf, exited the inner side of the popliteal fossa, and ascended along the inner posterior edge of the femur, leading towards the spine.
The internal energy repeatedly cleansed the acupoints and solidified the meridians. Unaware of the time, when the true qi completed a cycle and flowed out from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot, it was like a spring stream melting frozen earth, transforming into true force.
“It’s about to be done!” Zhou Yan pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth and rapidly clenched his teeth.
The internal energy transformed into force, like a slumbering dragon awakening, rushing straight to the Yufu acupoint. It passed through twenty-seven acupoints in an instant, unblocked, and opened the entire Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian.
He leaped up and performed the Quanzhen Sect’s “Golden Goose Skill.” He felt the internal energy circulating, his body felt as if it were being lifted, incredibly light. He leaped into the air, his body like a flying duck, soaring ten feet.
“Lightness Skill has finally entered the initial stage. If I temper and open the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian, I will be able to leap even higher and farther.”
As dusk began to fall, Zhou Yan, holding his bow, intended to hunt for food and spend the night in the valley. As he walked out, suddenly forest birds took flight, and footsteps could be heard through the trees.
He looked in that direction and saw four men rapidly approaching from the mountain forest not far away. One of them took out a signal flare and ignited it, and with a “bang,” red fireworks exploded.
As they drew closer, the four men positioned themselves to head south, west, northwest, and north.
Zhou Yan was momentarily taken aback. He thought they might be Iron Palm Sect disciples, but that was unlikely. Their clothing and appearance were completely different; they wore high crowns and round-collared robes, rather than quick boots and tight-fitting clothes, giving them a Han-Tang era feel.
His mind suddenly flashed: Valley of Unfeeling. These were people coming from the Valley of Unfeeling.
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