Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

"Whether it's the diagrams of Xia Ke Island or the stone carvings of Lingjiu Palace, they all mislead future generations with words. On the contrary, the true meaning contained in the diagrams is the correct method. Thinking about it this way, the 'Longevity Manual' should also be the same."

"Perhaps this is the way of fate; without understanding its true meaning, one cannot find the key to entry. I also don't know what benefits this 'Longevity Manual' can bring me."

Su Yuchen's primordial spirit focused on the first diagram on the left side of the cloth. The symbols, red dots, lines, and arrows in the diagram were all imprinted in his mind. After a moment, the still orange arrow in his primordial spirit suddenly moved, and countless arrows rippled like water, demonstrating a flow of energy originating from the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of the foot, passing through Taixi, Fuliu, Zhubin, Yingu, and finally reaching the Yufu acupoint, before returning to the kidneys. This flow was along the Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian. The other colored arrows, however, followed completely different meridians, seemingly unrelated, yet they all ultimately returned to the kidneys.

Looking at the second diagram, the blue arrows indicate that the Qi (vital energy) begins at the Dadun acupoint at the tip of the big toe, travels along the Xingjian and Taichong acupoints on the dorsum of the foot, reaches the Ligou acupoint on the inner side of the lower leg, then rises from the Ligou acupoint on the inner side of the thigh, crosses the abdomen, and finally reaches the Qimen acupoint in the chest, before returning to the liver. This follows the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian. However, the other arrows follow different paths, the acupoints they traverse are not interconnected, and they inexplicably return to the liver.

Looking at the third diagram, the red arrows are aggressive and fiery, indicating that the Qi originates from the Shaochong acupoint on the little finger, passes through the Shaofu, Shenmen, Shaohai, and Jiquan acupoints, reaches the chest, then descends to the abdomen, and finally ascends back to the heart. This pathway is the Hand Shaoyin Heart Meridian. The other colored arrows follow a similar pattern, indicating vastly different acupoints and meridians.

Su Yuchen looked at them one by one. The fourth diagram was of the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, and the fifth diagram was of the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian.

"These meridians, apart from the twelve regular meridians of the human body, are all related to the circulation of true qi in the Great Dao Qinglian Chapter. However, their operation methods are not the same, but in the end they all return to the five internal organs."

"The five internal organs correspond to the five elements. This is based on the five-element generating cycle: water generates wood, wood generates fire, fire generates earth, earth generates metal, and metal generates water. This is a diagram for cultivating the true qi of the five internal organs."

"But it's not that simple. The other meridians seem to be responsible for converting the absorbed spiritual energy of heaven and earth into the corresponding Five Elements energy."

"This is a Taoist body-forging technique that reverses the flow of true qi through the five internal organs, absorbs the primordial energy of heaven and earth to form the essence of the human body, and then forges the body from the inside out to achieve indestructibility?"

"But is what Guangchengzi transmitted so simple? Or am I oversimplifying things? Could it be that he wants to open up the Five Elements Divine Treasury mentioned in the Huangting Jing? Could it be that he wants to refine the Five Elements Deities? Or is it the Five-Colored Divine Light of Daoist legends?"

"It seems that relying solely on the reflection of the primordial spirit is no longer sufficient; we must conduct a personal trial."

As Su Yuchen was pondering, his primordial spirit suddenly stirred. Su Yuchen raised an eyebrow and heard the sound of horses' hooves. Soon the sound of hooves stopped, and a series of rustling sounds came from behind, indicating that the people who had come had surrounded the manor.

Su Yuchen remained unmoved, raising an eyebrow as he looked out of the garden. As a figure landed silently, the newcomer met Su Yuchen's eyes before even uttering a sound, and was rendered speechless.

You encountered Yuwen Huaji.

Su Yuchen sized up the newcomer. The newcomer was dressed in military armor, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light, clearly indicating that he had considerable internal strength. His hands hung naturally at his sides, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, they could move with lightning speed at any moment. His fingers were long and slender, radiating a jade-like luster, clearly indicating that he was skilled in martial arts. His gaze was sinister and vicious, ruthless yet carrying a hint of domineering aura.

After a long while, the newcomer coughed lightly, his voice magnetic yet tinged with a hint of doubt...

"Brother Shi, are you waiting for me?"

"I have been careful to conceal my tracks all the way here and ordered the gates of Yangzhou to be closed. Even if someone in Brother Shi's dojo wanted to tip me off, no one else could have arrived here faster than me."

Su Yuchen smiled slightly, his voice as melodious as a fairy tale, gentle and warm...

“I am indeed waiting for the general. It is said that the Yuwen clan’s ‘Mysterious Ice Force’ is unparalleled in the world. As the commander of the Imperial Guard, the general’s martial arts must be extraordinary. I also want to witness the Yuwen clan’s unique skills.”

"Seeing you now fills me with even greater joy. I never imagined that within the Yuwen clan, besides your clan leader Yuwen Shang, there would be a general who has mastered the 'Mysterious Ice Force.' I'm sure you won't disappoint me."

"Could it be that someone really leaked my whereabouts?" With suspicion rising, Yuwen Huaji secretly recalled everyone he had met along the way, while circulating his true energy and using the Heavenly Vision and Earthly Hearing Technique to silently search the manor, but to no avail.

Although the situation was chaotic, Yang Guang was not far from Yangzhou, and Yuwen Huaji was confident that no one would risk their life to reveal his whereabouts; moreover, there was no trace of anyone else in the manor except for himself and Shi Long, and the manor was surrounded, so it was impossible for anyone to escape.

Yuwen Huaji's eyes narrowed, and after a long while, he sighed deeply...

"I never expected that Brother Shi would preemptively strike me upon Hua Ji's arrival. Not only did he act as if he knew Hua Ji was coming, but now he has also revealed Hua Ji's greatest secret in a single sentence. Is Brother Shi trying to use this to unsettle me?"

"If that's the case, why didn't Brother Shi take advantage of my distraction to strike? If I hadn't been able to react in time, I would have been severely injured by Brother Shi."

As he spoke, Yuwen Huaji's eyes gleamed as he intently gazed at the stone dragon (Su Yuchen) sitting motionless in the hall. After a long while, he sighed...

"Hua Ji has never felt so frustrated as he does today. Brother Shi has seen through the depth of my martial arts, but to me, Brother Shi is just an ordinary person, without any signs of being a master."

“But Brother Shi is definitely not an ordinary person! That can only mean that Brother Shi’s martial arts are above Hua Ji’s. Hua Ji believes that apart from the three grandmasters of this era, he is no weaker than anyone else. Only after meeting him today do I realize that Brother Shi is at least the number one person below the three grandmasters.”

"If Brother Shi were a Grandmaster-level expert, Hua would have walked right into a trap today. I beg Brother Shi to atone for his sins."

“You’ve come from afar, and your physical strength, inner energy, and mental state are not at their peak, so I didn’t make a move,” Su Yuchen said, looking at Yuwen Huaji. “But now, after adjusting your breathing and calming your mind, I believe you’ve reached your peak condition. Would you like to give it a try?”

Chapter 338 Yuwen Huaji is seriously injured

Yuwen Huaji looked at the smiling, unmoving, and rock-solid Shi Long (Su Yuchen) and sighed, "I have never felt so uncertain as I do today. If I were Brother Shi, once I made a move, it would be earth-shattering, and I would never give the opponent another chance to strike."

Su Yuchen smiled slightly, and the entire hall seemed to soften a little: "Brother Yuwen is the commander of the Imperial Guards and comes from one of the four great clans. I would not want to kill you unless necessary."

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Huaji remained unmoved, slowly pacing into the main hall, and said…

"It turns out everyone has misjudged you. Brother Shi is a true Taoist, willing to consider the younger disciples in the temple. But Hua Ji can see that it's not that Brother Shi is unable or unwilling, but simply that he doesn't want to attack me. Brother Shi's eyes cannot lie."

As he spoke, Yuwen Huaji stood ten meters away from Su Yuchen, looking at the dark gold cloth on the table...

"Is this the 'Longevity Manual' that cultivators dream of? I didn't expect Brother Shi to be so casual about it. It seems that Brother Shi has also seen through the true nature of this treasure."

"If Brother Shi doesn't need it, would you be willing to let me have it?"

"Hua Ji is just a nobody who runs errands for His Majesty. If it weren't for His Majesty's order, Hua Ji really wouldn't want to fight against someone as unfathomable as Brother Shi."

Upon hearing Yuwen Huaji mention the "Longevity Manual," Su Yuchen couldn't help but think of the last two diagrams he hadn't had time to look at yet. The next second, a strange sense of annoyance arose in his heart, as if he had lost interest in the last two diagrams. He couldn't help but feel quite puzzled.

In the instant that Su Yuchen was distracted, Yuwen Huaji, ten meters away, seized the fleeting opportunity and punched Su Yuchen in the chest from a distance.

As soon as Yuwen Huaji threw his punch, the air in the sweltering hall instantly turned frigid, transforming the scorching summer heat into the biting cold of winter.

The moment Yuwen Huaji made his move, Su Yuchen's primordial spirit had already issued a warning, but he remained unmoved.

In the reflection of his primordial spirit, as soon as Yuwen Huaji threw this punch, the fierce and cold energy did not go straight, but instead had its own swirling force, simultaneously encircling Su Yuchen from all directions; the most wonderful thing was that, although these energies were so fierce, they did not make the slightest sound, making them impossible to defend against, and also possessing the ability to launch a sneak attack.

If it were an ordinary person, facing Yuwen Huaji's fist coming straight at them, they would have to deal with it head-on. They would never have expected that the energy would attack from all sides at once. They would inevitably have their body's meridians eroded by the cold energy, and at best they would be flustered and clumsy, at worst they would be powerless to fight back.

Faced with Yuwen Huaji's punch, Su Yuchen remained motionless, his mind still immersed in the strange feeling from just now. Yuwen Huaji was speechless, wondering why Shi Long was so arrogant, neither retaliating nor defending.

As the icy energy surged towards Su Yuchen from all directions, Yuwen Huaji had just begun to smile when he noticed that all the energy vanished abruptly upon reaching Su Yuchen. The powerful energy not only failed to damage the tables and chairs beside Su Yuchen, but it also didn't even lift a single piece of his clothing.

Before he could even wonder, several streams of cold energy seemed to spring up out of thin air and bounced back around him.

Before Yuwen Huaji could think further, he threw out a punch with his right hand, which he had just retracted. Reflected in Su Yuchen's primordial spirit, several icy energies emanating from Yuwen Huaji's fist swirled and struck out behind him like giant ice pythons.

With a loud bang, several bursts of energy clashed behind Yuwen Huaji, causing his clothes to flutter and his hair to fly wildly. Yuwen Huaji grunted, but dared not linger. He took a step back and retreated three zhang in a flash. Then, he threw another punch, dispersing the energy bursts from the front and sides.

Amid a series of 'bang bang bang...' sounds, a thin layer of ice swirled and solidified on the ground to the left and right of Yuwen Huaji's body, reflecting a dazzling light under the sunlight.

At this moment, Yuwen Huaji's face turned pale and then red, and he could no longer suppress his injuries. He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, which immediately froze into ice on the ground, indicating that he had suffered internal injuries.

Only at this moment did Yuwen Huaji feel an utterly absurd sense of absurdity. The person before him was definitely not just the strongest person below the Grandmaster level; he was very likely a hidden Grandmaster!

Thinking of this, Yuwen Huaji felt a chill run down his spine and dared not linger any longer, immediately turning to leave. The next moment, Su Yuchen's eyes gleamed with a strange light: "Brother Yuwen, why the rush? If you don't obtain the 'Longevity Manual' for His Majesty, how will you explain yourself?"

Yuwen Huaji ignored him and quickly leaped backward with a light touch of his toes. The next second, he was horrified to find that no matter how he flew backward, the figure in front of him remained unchanged, as if it had never changed, and as if it had always maintained the same distance from him.

The next second, Yuwen Huaji saw a blur before his eyes and found himself still standing in the same spot, as if everything that had just happened was just his imagination.

However, the circulation of internal energy was real, and the sudden pause and explosion of internal energy made his injuries even more serious, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood.

"Brother Shi has deceived the world. He was actually a person of the same level as the three grandmasters. Hua Ji died without cause. Please do not blame the Yuwen Clan."

Yuwen Huaji revealed a bitter expression. He had given up hope of escaping. He couldn't understand that method at all. If it happened again, he was afraid that his injuries would be so severe that he would lose his life.

“I’ve said before, I won’t kill you unless absolutely necessary,” Su Yuchen said. “On the contrary, I will help Brother Yuwen complete his mission.”

As he spoke, he gently waved his right hand, as if shooing away mosquitoes. The dark gold cloth on the table automatically rolled up and slowly flew to Yuwen Huaji's eyes. To Yuwen Huaji's surprise, he reached out and the scroll of "The Longevity Manual" was already in his hand.

"Brother Shi, what are you doing..." Yuwen Huaji was extremely surprised and couldn't understand what Shi Long (Su Yuchen) was doing.

Su Yuchen didn't take it to heart. Why should he explain what he had done? "Brother Yuwen, just consider that I, Shi, am letting you off the hook because we are both from the same martial world. But Brother Yuwen, don't take my kindness for granted. The Yuwen Clan is not worth this price."

Yuwen Huaji's expression grew even more bitter. In the face of someone who seemed to be a Grandmaster, the so-called powerful clans were indeed no longer important. If he wanted, he could slaughter the entire Yuwen family by himself, and the Yuwen family would have no other choice but to hide their identities and try to survive.

He gripped the "Longevity Manual" tightly, knowing that all of this was equivalent to Shi Long saving his life in front of Yang Guang; otherwise, given Yang Guang's current tyranny, he would never have let him go.

“On behalf of the Yuwen Clan, I, Hua Ji, swear that wherever Brother Shi goes in the future, the Yuwen Clan will give way. As for the disciples in Brother Shi's dojo, unless it involves the life and death of the Yuwen Clan, the Yuwen family will never kill a single one,” Yuwen Hua Ji said, raising his hand to swear.

"Brother Yuwen, you may leave now," Su Yuchen said calmly.

Chapter 339 Returning to Yangzhou City

You have mastered the 'Mystic Ice Force'.

The 'Mysterious Ice Force,' which is difficult for others to learn, holds no interest for you; it's too easy.

You have grasped a portion of the "Longevity Manual"

In ancient times, there was an imperial tutor named Guang Chengzi who observed a divine temple beyond the heavens and, combining his knowledge of Taoism, created the "Longevity Formula."

[You have integrated some of the secrets of the Longevity Technique, the Great Dao Azure Lotus Chapter has been updated, and you have used this to comprehend the mysteries of the Five Elements and Five Organs of the Human Body.]

[You have comprehended the Five Elements Divine Light]

[By comprehending the mysteries of the Five Elements and Five Qi and continuing your practice, you can open up the five internal organs and spiritual treasures of the human body. At the peak of mastery, the five internal organs will display five colors, their Qi will permeate the universe, and all elements within the Five Elements will be able to be controlled.]

[The acquired Five Elements Divine Light restrains all acquired Five Elements and reverses the innate state, requiring the innate Five Primordial Qi]

[The Five Elements Divine Light acquired later cannot be cultivated in a world outside of mythology, where spiritual energy is abundant.]

Long after Yuwen Huaji had left, Su Yuchen sat upright in the hall, reading the narration beside him, lost in thought...

"Am I too ahead of my time, or is there a hidden secret in the 'Longevity Manual'? I don't understand the last two diagrams in the 'Longevity Manual.' Are they Guang Chengzi's ideas, or someone else's?"

Thinking back to how the two brothers in the original novel mastered the last two diagrams, Su Yuchen had an idea. Since he couldn't figure it out, he might as well go and see what other people's versions of the "Longevity Manual" looked like.

"Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, is destiny truly so powerful? Will the 'Longevity Manual' that was taken away by Yuwen Huaji fall into your hands again?" Before he finished speaking, Su Yuchen had already vanished into thin air like a wisp of smoke in the hall.

………………

Yangzhou City.

During the Sui Dynasty, Yangzhou was established as Jiangdu Prefecture. This city is located on the Yangtze River. After the Grand Canal was successfully built, it connected the north and south, and linked with Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and other overseas places. Its prosperity was unparalleled in the north and south.

Outside the city, a row of large, five-toothed warships were moored at the riverbank dock. These ships were over ten feet tall, with five stories on top, and from a distance, they looked like mobile fortresses.

Su Yuchen glanced at it and knew it was the large ship Yuwen Huaji was on. He then stopped paying attention and flashed into the city gate, leaving only a swirling breeze behind, which aroused suspicion among the gatekeepers.

In the east of Yangzhou, there is a high walled area. Behind the wall, shouts and cheers are heard continuously. The voices are uniform and full of energy. The four characters "Shilong Dojo" on the lintel indicate that this is where the Shilong Martial Arts School is located.

Su Yuchen moved like a flying rainbow, and in just a blink of an eye at the door, he had already floated over the high wall and headed towards the inner courtyard.

In the secluded training ground, a girl stood alone outside, watching two figures clashing palms in the arena. Su Yuchen glanced at them and immediately recognized them as Shi Long's original disciples. The two fighting were the eldest disciple Jiang Wenzheng and the second disciple Lei Haibin, and the palm technique they were using was the first move of the Subduing Dragon Palm, "Regretful Dragon Soaring."

After watching for a moment, Su Yuchen nodded. Although it was just a simple straight punch, both of them had clearly grasped its essence, and their palm strength and energy were even more impressive, which was why they could fight back and forth.

"Master!" A cry of surprise interrupted the competition. The three of them looked over and couldn't help but show their joy as they all gathered around Su Yuchen.

Su Yuchen glanced at her and recognized that the one who had called out earlier was his third disciple, Yang Zhiruo. He wasn't surprised and nodded, "That's right. I've seen your duel. You two have grasped two parts of the true meaning of this move, 'The Dragon Regrets.' Has Zhiruo learned it as well?"

Jiang Wenzheng, as the eldest disciple, bowed slightly and said, "Junior sister has also learned it, but everyone's progress is different, so my second junior brother and I decided to practice together."

Su Yuchen pointed to the training ground: "You all go and practice for me, so I can see."

The three of them immediately entered the training ground excitedly and began to practice their palm techniques one by one. Su Yuchen glanced at them and saw that the eldest disciple Jiang Wenzheng and the second disciple Lei Haibin had grasped the meaning of the "Regret" technique, while the third disciple Yang Zhiruo understood the changes between hardness and softness. She then pointed out the shortcomings of each of them.

After giving them a few pointers, Su Yuchen immediately called them over and said, "I remember you mentioned before that there are two beggar children who often spy on you practicing martial arts from the big tree by the gate. Does anyone know their names?"

The three looked at each other, exchanging glances. The third disciple, Yang Zhiruo, frowned for a moment and said uncertainly, "Master, please forgive me, those two seem to be surnamed Kou and Xu, but I can't remember their names. I only heard it from someone else."

"Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling?" Su Yuchen reminded him.

Yang Zhiruo nodded and said excitedly, "It seems to be this name."

Jiang Wenzheng frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Why does Master want to see those two? Is there something wrong with those two beggars?"

Su Yuchen shook his head: "I have my reasons for looking for them, you don't need to ask any more questions. I remember that the two of them live in an abandoned manor in the east of the city. Go and find out quietly, without alerting anyone else."

Lei Haibin nodded in agreement: "The person in charge of those beggars in the eastern part of the city is called Boss Yan. He's just an unknown nobody in the Bamboo Flower Gang. My family's steward can find out by asking him."

Su Yuchen nodded, indicating that he should do it as soon as possible, and then left Jiang Wenzheng behind.

Jiang Wenzheng thought that Su Yuchen had kept him behind to ask about what had happened before. Seeing that everyone else had left, he said in a low voice, "I asked my father when I went home. He said that righteous armies have suddenly risen up all over the world and will be wiped out today and tomorrow; and the few families that are capable of fighting for hegemony do not have much of an advantage, so they have not yet made up their minds."

Seeing the bitterness in his eyes, Su Yuchen raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but ask, "Do you have your own ideas?"

Jiang Wenzheng paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said...

"This disciple dares not deceive Master. Before, my martial arts were not good enough, so I did not dare to have too many ideas. But now I am unwilling to be mediocre."

“Currently, in Yangzhou, apart from the most powerful government and the Bamboo Flower Gang, the other aristocratic families are not a concern. They are happy to see someone step forward to consolidate the power in Yangzhou, otherwise, if the world falls into chaos and Yangzhou is engulfed in war, it will be harmful to them.”

"If I can learn the Dragon Subduing Palm, and with the help of my junior brothers and sisters, plus the power of the Jiang family, even if I cannot dominate the world, I can still hold Yangzhou and watch the world go by."

Su Yuchen smiled...

"Since you have an idea, then go ahead and do it. In addition to the Dragon Subduing Palm, I will also teach you a mental cultivation technique, which will be enough to make you a top-notch master in this world."

"But did you know that Yuchi Sheng, the governor of Yangzhou, is actually a member of the Yuwen clan? When Yang Jian became emperor, Yuchi Zhou, the governor of Xiangzhou, Sima Xiaonan, the governor of Zhengzhou, and Wang Qian, the governor of Yizhou, all rebelled. Yuchi Zhou was Yuchi Sheng's cousin."

"I have already met Yuwen Huaji. I'm afraid the Yuwen clan is already impatient to rebel. As soon as Yang Guang dies, the Yuwen clan will definitely rebel."

Jiang Wenzheng nodded and said...

"So the unwelcome guest Master mentioned was Yuwen Huaji? Thank you for reminding me, Master. However, the Jiang family is the local power in Yangzhou, and I know about Yuchi Sheng's background as well."

"When the crucial moment arrives, it will be clear whether the powerful families in Yangzhou will choose the Jiang family or Yuchi Sheng. At the very least, once my martial arts are fully developed, I can kill Yuchi Sheng as a sacrifice, and I don't believe they won't take sides."