Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

The next morning, Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong left quietly and quickly returned with two fish, which they grilled over a fire.

"I don't need these, you two can eat them yourselves." Su Yuchen waved his hand as he looked at the food Xu Ziling handed him.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were taken aback when they heard this. Seeing that Su Yuchen really didn't need it, they sat down together and ate grilled fish while asking each other questions about acupoints and meridian diagrams.

After a long while, once they confirmed that their memories were correct, the two of them looked at Su Yuchen, who was meditating.

"Do you think Master Shi has already become an immortal? I've heard that only immortals can live on dew and wind and not eat grains or mundane things!" Kou Zhong whispered.

Xu Ziling said uncertainly, "Perhaps all martial arts masters can do this. It's just that we haven't seen enough of them."

"Have you finished eating?" Su Yuchen asked without looking up.

"Finished."

"I've eaten."

The two hurriedly stood up and said.

Su Yuchen said, "Take out the 'Longevity Manual'."

The two were excited, and Kou Zhong immediately took out the "Longevity Manual" and spread it on the ground in front of Su Yuchen.

Chapter 345 The Protagonist Halo Effect

Su Yuchen looked at the two of them and said, "Do you remember what I said before? Preserve your spirit and forget your form, seem empty yet not empty, seem to forget yet not forget."

The two nodded quickly, and Su Yuchen picked up the diagram and tossed it to someone, saying...

"In this serene natural world, everything is in harmony with the universe itself. It is the perfect state of mind for practicing martial arts. Each of you should choose a suitable diagram to practice. I will only be responsible for protecting and guiding you."

"You don't need to stay by my side. I can take care of you within a few miles."

The two looked at each other blankly, Kou Zhong holding the "Longevity Manual" also looking completely bewildered.

After a while, the two discussed it. Kou Zhong took the "Longevity Manual" and sat down under a tree to read it, while Xu Ziling went to fish and chop wood.

For several days in a row, the two of them made no progress, and Su Yuchen did not urge them.

………………

“Master Shi said, ‘It’s like forgetting but not forgetting, like emptiness but not emptiness.’ We were too hasty,” Kou Zhong said.

After saying that, Kou Zhong threw down the "Longevity Manual" and ran to the stream nearby, where he rolled up his trousers and went to catch fish and shrimp.

Xu Ziling, who had been sitting dejectedly to the side, subconsciously took the "Longevity Manual" that Kou Zhong threw to him, only to find that it contained the last image of a person lying on their back.

Looking at the symbols, red dots, and lines in the diagram, Xu Ziling naturally knew that these were the eight extraordinary meridians and acupoints. However, upon closer inspection, the diagram suddenly appeared much more vivid.

His gaze was fixed intently on the picture, and the more he looked at it, the more he felt that it had a strange charm. Unconsciously, he entered the state of mind he had been longing for.

When Kou Zhong returned, Xu Ziling was jolted awake from his inexplicable state of mind. Ignoring the fish and shrimp Kou Zhong was carrying, he tossed the map to him and said, "I think the last map is the most useful. Take a look."

Kou Zhong, with a nonchalant attitude, casually replied, "Is that so?" He didn't press the matter, put down the fish and shrimp, flipped to the last picture book, looked at it, and didn't find anything special. He immediately shook his head, then turned his head and saw the sixth picture book about walking, which he found much more interesting.

He didn't think much about it at the moment, but just looked at the sixth picture and felt that the lines and arrows in the picture seemed to have come to life.

"It's truly unreasonable. They can enter a state of mental stillness in an instant. How many years would it take for others to cultivate before they have such an opportunity?" Looking at the two who had clearly entered a state of enlightenment, Su Yuchen glanced at them, then closed his eyes and continued meditating.

From that day on, the two seemed to have completely let go. They went out early and returned late every day, either fishing and catching shrimp, or chopping firewood and picking branches. They even planned to build a treehouse. They would only occasionally take out the "Longevity Manual" to take a look.

Unintentionally, the two found themselves in harmony with the mindset of cultivating the "Longevity Technique." They gained insights into their own patterns, and their progress accelerated day by day.

Kou Zhong would sometimes walk along the stream, following the postures in the diagrams, and would spend a whole day doing so; Xu Ziling, on the other hand, would lie on his side on the rocks, and would lie there for a whole day. Remembering what Su Yuchen had said about fate, the two of them stopped interfering with each other and practiced their own methods.

On the eighth day, the two washed up by the stream early in the morning and shouted loudly as they looked at the rising sun. For some reason, they stared blankly at the rising sun and entered a state of forgetting themselves and becoming one with heaven and earth.

With a thought, Su Yuchen stood not far away, quietly watching the two.

Suddenly, Kou Zhong took a quick step, walking faster and faster along the stream. Suddenly, his body trembled, and in his primordial spirit, the crown of his head suddenly opened, drawing in the primordial energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into a wisp of true energy. Then, the true energy traveled along the meridians for a while, and then returned to the crown of his head and went towards another meridian.

As he walked faster and faster, the primordial energy of heaven and earth flowed in from his crown chakra, followed by wisps of true energy surging into his meridians. Without thinking or feeling anything, Kou Zhong saw a chilling aura emanating from his body, and he involuntarily changed from a brisk walk to a jog.

Xu Ziling, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He lay on his side on the rock, seemingly half asleep, his mind wandering. In that moment, his Yongquan acupoint on the sole of his foot throbbed. The acupoint itself was being refined, and a continuous stream of heaven and earth energy surged in, transforming into true energy that flowed into his meridians.

A scorching aura surged from his body. Xu Ziling frowned, but remained unconscious, letting the fiery energy coursing through his body.

"Baptized by the primordial energy of heaven and earth, defying one's innate nature. This is a great gift from heaven and earth!" Su Yuchen felt himself sighing more and more often lately. This kind of chosen one of heaven is truly beyond reason.

"Unfortunately, this is a one-time opportunity to be cleansed by the primordial energy of heaven and earth, automatically transforming it into innate true energy. After this enlightenment, it will be difficult to have such an opportunity again. It all depends on what you gain."

After marveling at it, Su Yuchen used his primordial spirit to monitor the meridians and acupoints in the two people's bodies, watching the yin and yang energies flow through them, and silently exploring the mysteries contained in the meridian routes they traveled through.

Unfortunately, before Su Yuchen could 'see' clearly, the two of them trembled. Kou Zhong's legs went weak and he collapsed in the sun, while Xu Ziling rolled into the stream, his body emitting wisps of white smoke, having already fainted.

As the two fell unconscious, the gathered energy paused for a moment, then dispersed. This gift from heaven and earth had come to a complete end.

"The flow of energy through the meridians is chaotic and disordered, sometimes present and sometimes absent, intermittent and discontinuous. How is this possible? An ordinary person would have already gone mad from practicing qi cultivation!!!"

Su Yuchen looked at the two of them, but was puzzled. This was definitely not a cultivation method that normal people could practice; it was a cultivation method that was completely deviant.

"Is there some powerful figure who forbids me from spying? Or is it a unique cultivation method during enlightenment? Never mind, I'll wait until they wake up."

Standing under the shade of a tree, Su Yuchen felt the surrounding天地元气 (heaven and earth energy) automatically converge upon him. Compared to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, he practically devoured it all. If anyone could see the energy, they would notice that he had almost torn a hole in the天地元气. His internal energy flowed continuously, constantly increasing.

………………

This meditation lasted until noon, when Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling woke up almost simultaneously.

The two sat up blankly, feeling that something seemed different.

Kou Zhong felt that his eyes seemed to have become much brighter, and the colors around him were richer, as if he could see many details that he would not normally notice.

The grass is greener, the flowers are more vibrant, and the water is more lively. It's as if every blade of grass and every tree around me is connected to me, and I am a part of it.

Xu Ziling felt as if he could hear more: the rustling sounds of crawling in the woods, the swishing of fish in the stream, and the changing rustling of the wind through the treetops, all seemed to be displayed in his mind through his ears.

The two had never felt the difference in the world before, and in their excitement, they both knew they had succeeded. Immediately, they turned their heads and saw Su Yuchen standing in the shade of a tree.

At first glance, both of them thought at the same time, "How come Master Shi is here? Why didn't I 'see' him?" At second glance, they felt blinded by what they saw. Countless colorful points of light, like rainbow ribbons, surged toward Su Yuchen one after another, endlessly.

"Ah!" The two exclaimed in surprise, their vision blurred with pain and darkness, and they couldn't help but shed tears.

"Hehe! Is it pretty?" Su Yuchen said with a smile.

Chapter 346 Teaching Footwork, Temporarily Separating from the Twin Dragons

A moment later, the two came to their senses from their screams. When they looked around at the world, the crystal-clear feeling had become almost imperceptible, and the strange phenomena around Su Yuchen were no longer visible.

"Heh, you two brats. You dare to spy on me? Aren't you afraid of going blind?"

Kou Zhong looked slightly embarrassed and explained, "Master Shi, you didn't say anything, and we don't understand."

Su Yuchen shook his head: "Alright. Anyway, you'll only see it once, so don't worry about it."

Xu Ziling and Kou Zhong looked curious. Kou Zhong grinned and asked, "Why is that? Master Shi, could you please explain?"

Su Yuchen said calmly...

“You two just entered a state of reversing your innate nature. In that instant, you became one with heaven and earth. What you saw was what the entire world saw.”

"Even the three most powerful grandmasters can only briefly merge with the small patch of heaven and earth a few feet around them. Don't even think about trying to glimpse your level of cultivation just now."

"You don't understand now. But later you will understand how important that state is to you; it is a gift for your entire life."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance, and Xu Ziling asked curiously, "But I see that Master Shi seems to be in that state all the time. Does that mean that Master Shi is always in harmony with the entire world?"

Kou Zhong feigned envy and said, "If that's the case, wouldn't Master Shi be the most powerful martial arts master? He could easily kill the three Grandmasters. Who in the world could be Master Shi's match?"

Su Yuchen shook his head: "What use is that kind of empty fame? What we seek is not something so useless. Alright, you can rest for a while, I still have some questions to ask you."

With that, Su Yuchen turned around and went back to where he was.

Kou Zhong whispered in Xu Ziling's ear, "We've really struck gold! I have a feeling that Master Shi is definitely the most powerful martial arts master."

Xu Ziling leaned close to his ear and said, "If that's the case, why did Master Shi help us? I have a feeling it's not that simple."

Kou Zhong spread his hands, saying helplessly, "Xiao Ling, what do you think we have that would make Master Shi covet us?"

Xu Ziling shook his head, unable to understand, which made him feel uneasy. It seemed that none of his impressions of Shi Long in Yangzhou were true.

"We'll see how things go. At worst, we can just return the martial arts to Master Shi." Kou Zhong shrugged and took the lead towards the woods.

………………

"sit."

Su Yuchen pointed to the two people opposite him, and after they sat down, he said, "You two, take turns circulating your true energy and show me."

The two looked at each other, and then Kou Zhong said, "Then I'll go first."

Watching Kou Zhong sit down and circulate his internal energy, Su Yuchen became increasingly disappointed. This was completely different from his previous state. His internal energy was now circulating in fixed meridians, and in terms of complexity, it was only at the level of a peerless divine skill. This was completely different from before, when it circulated throughout his entire body and reached everywhere.

Then Xu Ziling's true energy was the same, as if the two of them had no memory of their previous cultivation state.

Your failure to glean the secrets of immortality may be some kind of indication.

Seeing Su Yuchen deep in thought, Kou Zhong whispered, "I think I understand. Master Shi said that the Dao is passed down to those with affinity. Perhaps he also wants to see how our cultivation differs from his?"

Xu Ziling nodded, feeling that this seemed to be the only explanation.

After a moment, Su Yuchen raised his head and said...

"I have some things to tell you, so listen carefully."

"Never reveal that you are practicing the Longevity Technique. Also, do not tell anyone the time you practice martial arts."

"Do you know that you all started at the Innate Realm and cultivated Innate True Qi? Your current level is a level that most people in the martial world can never reach in their entire lives."

“It’s simply impossible for a normal person to start practicing martial arts at your age. As people get older, their minds become more cluttered, and with so many thoughts, it’s impossible to settle down. Practicing martial arts is simply not an option, and even if you do manage to, it will be a waste of time and effort.”

"Unless one has practiced Buddhism or Taoism for decades, it is possible to regain the simplicity of youth and return to a state of tranquility and nature."

"If others find out, be careful that you don't get captured and tortured before you can protect yourselves. At that time, you won't be able to control your own lives. It will be too late to regret it then."

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling nodded quickly.

Kou Zhong said with a grin...

"We value our lives above all else. We would never cause trouble for ourselves."

"Master Shi, if we want to become experts, is it not enough to just cultivate true qi? If we are accidentally captured, wouldn't that be a disgrace to you, Master Shi?"

Su Yuchen immediately understood his meaning. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Fine, then I'll teach you another lightness skill."

After saying that, he stood up and took a step, and instantly the field was filled with his shadows. The shadows disappeared as soon as they appeared. Su Yuchen seemed to be standing still, but sixty-four footprints, each an inch deep, appeared on the ground.

"This footwork is called Lingbo Weibu, a footwork and lightness skill created based on the Taoist 'I Ching'. Its profound and mysterious aspects are enough to allow you to protect yourselves."

"Once you've learned it, you can destroy it."

"Also, you are not allowed to say that you are my disciples in the martial arts world. I will not form a master-disciple relationship with you. If I find out that you are talking nonsense, be careful I will break your legs."

"Alright. You two have mastered your own 'Longevity Technique,' so our fate is now over. Go find your own path, and we'll part ways here."

Having said that, Su Yuchen vanished, disappearing without a trace.

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling exchanged a glance, feeling as if they had lost something important, and for a moment they lost interest in even looking at the footprints left by Su Yuchen.

“Xiao Ling, do you think I really consider Master Shi my master? Over the years, he has been the only one who has been kind to us. Although he has his own schemes, he has never intended to harm us.” Kou Zhong sat under the tree, looking up at the sky.

Xu Ziling sighed, "Master Shi is truly wonderful. I had misjudged him before."

Kou Zhong was initially excited: "You feel the same way, right? You treat Master Shi as your master." Then he said regretfully, "It's a pity that Master Shi doesn't allow us to call him master. He refuses to accept us as his students."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziling said, "I've heard that cultivators are most afraid of trouble, as if there's some kind of karma involved. Perhaps that's why Master Shi doesn't allow us to call him Master."

"Is there such a strange saying? Where did you hear that?" Kou Zhong asked curiously.

Xu Ziling shrugged and said helplessly, "We're always running around, hearing bits and pieces of information here and there. How could I possibly remember them all?"

After chatting for a few minutes, Kou Zhong's emotions came and went quickly. He stood up, stretched, and said, "Why think so much! Let's quickly learn this footwork and go out into the world. Let others know how powerful the Yangzhou Twin Dragons are."

Xu Ziling smiled and joined in, watching him intently study the footprints on the ground.

Chapter 347 First Encounter with the Song Clan

"Xiao Ling, are you sure this is the way?"

"How would I know you have the time to think about how to take this step? Sigh, is the footwork left by Master Shi really something that a person can actually do?"

"Ha! You saw it yourself, how fast and beautiful Master Shi was just now, swish swish swish swish."