Devour

Master Li said leisurely, "After the Immortal Fate Elegant Gathering is over, we can choose an opportunity to announce this matter. By then, all the sects in the five continents and four seas will know about it."

Cheng Bai was expecting this, thinking, "If I can see it, how could the Master not guess your little thoughts? It would be better to just come clean."

Seeing Mu Yan's face full of disappointment, Master Li couldn't bear it and said slowly, "Let's put it this way. Confucian scholars possess a unique set of magical skills. If you carefully study them, you will benefit greatly. Otherwise, you will be confused. If you are lucky enough to learn some of the essence, you may come to the academy and serve as an honorary assistant teacher."

This is equivalent to giving a step, whether you go up or down depends on how capable you are.

Mu Xi's eyes lit up, he stood up straight, and said respectfully, "I am willing to listen to your teachings, Master."

Seeing this, Cheng Bai whispered to the mirage lady beside him, "Let's go outside for a while."

When teachers and students teach and pass on skills, outsiders should avoid suspicion.

"Yeah." Bei Tingjun pouted and prepared to get up and leave.

Master Li was unconcerned and tried to persuade them to stay, saying, "Feel free to watch from the sidelines. This Confucian martial arts technique requires a high level of understanding. Even among the six teachers in the academy, only two have managed to master it, and they only grasp the form, not the spirit. So far, only one person has truly mastered my skills, and he's not a talented person in the academy, and unfortunately, fate has limited him!"

"The students have tried their best." Mu Yan listened attentively, afraid of missing any details.

But then he saw Mrs. Li using the sword energy as a pen and writing four lines of poetry in the air.

"Beyond the clouds, the stars darken and fall into the wild. Since we parted, I have endless dreams of the lingering spring. As the sky moves away, the wind blows away my sleeves, and dust and smoke curl up for three thousand years."

Mu Yan stared at the flowing handwriting, his fingertips trembling slightly, and muttered to himself: "This... this is the general outline of martial arts formulas, it contains vast truths!"

Bei Tingjun rolled his eyes and whispered, "That's just a remembrance and a lament for the passing of time. Life is short, and there are always monks who are obsessed with the impossibility of immortality and express their homesickness through poetry."

Cheng Bai leisurely refilled his cup of tea, savoring its fragrance while idly pondering, "The artistic conception is vibrant, the philosophical thinking is wonderful... This calligraphy is very interesting..."

Mu Yan shook his head repeatedly, glaring at Bei Tingjun's assessment in objection. "Every word in those four key points is profound and profound, encompassing the mysteries of the immortal way that are astonishing and unprecedented! This teacher is as beautiful as a flower, but her understanding of poetry is somewhat superficial."

Bei Tingjun thought to himself that as the head of a clan, he had experienced two lifetimes and his knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. Not wanting to be outdone, he said, "Oh? What profound insights do you have? Tell me about them."

Mu Yan said seriously, "Please read the first line, 'Beyond the clouds, the stars darken the wilderness.' The vast scene of the fusion of heaven and earth comes to mind, and you can feel that all things follow the principles of yin and yang. The word 'dark' holds a profound meaning, referring to the silent arrival of this technique in a strange land. It is clearly a unique move born from the evolution of the circulation of the heavens! Its power is not manifested externally, but restrained within!"

Seeing his head swaying in concentration, Bei Tingjun felt a sense of realization and said, "By the way, Master said this is a martial arts secret manual, so it certainly shouldn't be understood as ordinary poetry. In your opinion, how do you perform this move?"

After repeated deliberation, Mu Yan felt that the idea was safe and feasible, and responded, "The key to martial arts in the first sentence lies in the final word '野'. This word indicates boundaries and scope, implying that the entire sentence describes an irresistible force. It contains profound knowledge!"

"As for applying it to martial arts..." Mu Yan took two steps back and exerted his strength. With a "whoosh" sound, his right palm slapped out swiftly, and the energy was surging and powerful.

Cheng Bai observed the strength, softness, and heaviness of the palm power, secretly judging: "Judging from the age of Brother Yan'er's bones, at the age of twenty, he is already close to the half-step heavenly realm. Looking at the five continents, he can be considered a talent, but unfortunately he was buried in the vast sea of ​​people and ultimately failed to achieve his goals."

Mu Yan was quite satisfied with this move and turned to Master Li to humbly ask for his advice: "The first move focuses on transcending reality and unexpectedly exerting force. I am a little unfamiliar with it and need more practice. Master, please tell me if it is correct?"

Master Li stroked his long beard with his right hand, and asked with a half-smile, "What about the second sentence?"

Seeing his point wasn't directly rejected, Mu Yan felt a surge of confidence and continued his reasoning: "'Since we parted, spring has faded, and dreams are endless' recalls the passage of time. If one clings to the past and can't let go, they will be filled with sadness. Life is short, but the laws of nature are endless! The 'sadness of parting' this beautiful teacher mentioned comes from the echo of the two lines above and below."

Bei Tingjun nodded slightly and agreed, "You also agree. I am not wrong."

Mu Yan pondered deeply and said, "How can practicing superior martial arts cause people to worry? The true purpose of this move is to make the enemy perish in confusion!"

Bei Tingjun thought this made sense and agreed, "Well said! How can we unleash the power of our special skills?"

Mu Yan said proudly, "In my humble opinion, the core of this sentence lies in the word 'dream'. The moves are like a dream, causing confusion in the mind. Inner realization of the eternity of 'immeasurable' is the essence of the union of the real and the imaginary! The ancients said, embodying the profound essence of the Tao, thinking far and wide. It can be summarized as the practice of the unity of body and mind, integrating the vast to achieve the pure."

As he spoke, he left the table and stood in an open space. He moved swiftly and his moves were varied and ingenious as he shouted.

Cheng Bai used his spiritual eyes to analyze the subtleties of his movements and secretly praised him, "Brother Yan, if you can perfect your newly learned moves and hone them further, they'll be as powerful as the Eight Immortals. It seems his martial arts foundation is truly solid, surpassing most martial artists of his generation."

Mu Yan performed his moves to the utmost, then he stopped and bowed, "Master, do you think my skills are useful?"

Master Li maintained his previous attitude and asked slowly, "What's your answer to the third sentence?"

Seeing Master Li smile, Mu Yan secretly rejoiced, "He seems very satisfied. This proves my approach is correct." He then boldly expounded on his point: "'The sky is about to depart, the wind twirling its sleeves' brings the entire poem to a climax, vividly showcasing the majestic and unrestrained style of the moves."

Bei Tingjun covered her mouth with her hands and laughed sweetly, "You look so confident, I guess you've figured out the key point."

Mu Yan, repeatedly praised, beamed with joy as he replied, "The first half of the verse, 'Heaven's movement is about to depart,' seems to convey a lofty aspiration, a resolute march toward a goal, a new phase in our journey! However, interpreting it as martial arts is too abstract. Students believe that the interplay of yin and yang should be employed to explain the complex conflicts within and without."

Bei Tingjun asked doubtfully, "I'm completely bewildered by what you're saying. What does this have to do with the theory of yin and yang?"

Mu Yan explained, "'Desire' means wanting or intending, representing human nature. Only when yin and yang are in harmony can the five desires be balanced. 'Wind-swept sleeves' describes the current state of the attack, where the ideal of harmony between heaven and man and the impulse of selfish desire engage in a fierce battle, with the sleeves fluttering like a banished immortal descending into the mortal world."

Mu Yan spoke with confidence, striding to an open area and demonstrating the moves he had learned. His movements were agile, and indeed, he had a more graceful and elegant demeanor.

Cheng Bai gulped down his tea, then grabbed the teapot and refilled it himself. He carefully examined the words formed by the sword energy and pondered, "He was able to comprehend four moves and integrate them into a complete system of superior martial arts. He is truly a rare talent!"

Before Mu Yan could ask for the answer, Master Li impatiently urged, "We have important matters to attend to, so we can't stay here any longer. Please solve the fourth sentence as well."

Mu Yan had just finished performing a new trick and was eager to hear some comments. He pondered the meaning of the words over and over again: "Master, it seems that you don't approve of it. Is my direction wrong?"

But at this point, Mu Yan racked his brains but couldn't come up with a better solution, so he said stubbornly, "My students think the trick described in 'Dust and Smoke Rising from Three Thousand Constants' is extremely ethereal and mysterious. Perhaps they can grasp some of the essence through imagination."

Bei Tingjun blinked, seeming to grow bored, and said frankly, "Forgive me for being blunt, but what the Master initially described was Wu Yuan Tian Pin Kung Fu. But what you've demonstrated can only be considered peak martial arts, a product of your own accumulated experience, and a far cry from the advanced martial arts of the corresponding rank."

The mirage female demon had gone through two calamities in her life and had already become an immortal in the Nirvana realm, so she naturally saw through the problem.

Mu Yan felt a chill in his heart. In a panic, he tried to save the situation and said, "That must be because I have just started practicing this skill and lack experience and maturity. Teacher, please be patient and watch me through this last move."

He laboriously practiced the moves, muttering to himself, "The essence of 'Dust and Smoke Rising' lies in its elusiveness. 'Three thousand' isn't a precise number, but rather a general term for a vast number, embodying infinite variation. 'Chang' is a unit of length, with sixteen feet making up one Chang. These concepts are all supported by ancient writings! This move moves from gentleness to breadth, from the subtle to the grand."

Cheng Bai watched Mu Yan practice his seemingly ordinary moves, yet within them lay a killer move as fleeting as life itself. He suddenly realized, "This man's talent falls far short of expectations. The Master was reluctant to accept him as a disciple, but out of guilt, he offered him a pretext to learn a set of martial arts, both as a token of appreciation for his diligence and a token of gratitude for his hospitality."