Travel through the heavens

Fang Muye pretended not to know: "Ape Fighting Technique? What kind of magic is this?"

Zhou Xiyu smiled and said slowly: "This world is very wonderful. Where there is yin, there is yang. Where there is sun, there is moon."

“All plants worship the sun. The growth rings in the trees depict the shape of the sun, and the flowers always bloom towards the sun, following the movement of the sun.”

"And all animals are following the moon. The animals that are active at night are much more active than those that are active during the day. When the moon is full, they all become happy. The animals are all moon-like. The only trace of the sun is the eyes. The eyes have both the shape and movement of the sun."

"Humans are also animals. Like most animals, they do not use their eyes well and use them for hatred. Animals hunt each other and humans frame each other. Birds are the closest to the sun, but they fly high in the sky just to look down at the ground. When they fly, they turn their backs to the sun. Therefore, birds are the most regrettable animals. They waste their talents."

"Only apes are different. Unlike other animals whose eyes are afraid of sunlight, apes can always look at the sun, gain wisdom and strength from the sun, and run as fast as the wind."

"The Ape Fighting Technique can be practiced monthly or daily. Regardless of whether it is practiced monthly or daily, the purpose is to achieve this speed. Changing the speed will change the quality."

"The essence of the Ape Fighting Technique is speed. As the saying goes, 'The only martial arts in the world that cannot be defeated is speed.' The reason why it is fast is because it trains the twelve meridians."

Fang Muye had been silent, sitting upright, listening attentively, but now he couldn't help but ask, "Twelve Meridians?"

Zhou Xiyu nodded: "Yes, it is the twelve meridians. Daoist friend is a doctor, you should know what the twelve meridians are."

Fang Muye answered casually: "The twelve meridians are the main meridians of the human body, belonging to the twelve internal organs respectively. Each meridian is named after the internal organ it belongs to, combined with the different parts of the hands and feet, inside and outside, front, middle and back, and named according to the theory of yin and yang. They are divided into the three yin meridians of the hands and feet and the three yang meridians of the hands and feet."

Zhou Xiyu hummed, and continued, "Apes can freely shuttle between mountains, rivers and forests at lightning speed because their limbs are strong and coordinated."

"To practice the Ape Strike Technique is to draw the sunlight or moonlight into the twelve meridians, and then refine it into true qi. After the Ape Strike Technique is mastered, the true qi will flow through the twelve meridians, and the power will reach the limbs, gaining amazing speed. If the sunlight or moonlight is brought into the body to mobilize the true qi of the twelve meridians, the speed will be even faster, reaching the highest level of the Ape Strike Technique."

Fang Muye was puzzled and asked, "Can we cultivate true Qi through the twelve meridians?"

Zhou Xiyu nodded and replied, "Of course you can. The eight extraordinary meridians for training internal energy are derived from Taoist exercises and are the mainstream method in today's martial arts. The twelve regular meridians for training true energy are rare in the world and most of them are inherited from ancient times. This is one of the reasons why the ape-strike technique can be called a miraculous skill."

"So that's how it is!" Fang Muye nodded. This was somewhat different from his previous understanding of the martial arts in this world. He was too one-sided.

He deliberately asked: "Brother, which one should be prioritized, the daily or monthly training?"

Zhou Xiyu explained: "Daily practice and monthly practice are not based on a sequence, but two people should practice one part each and practice together."

Fang Muye was puzzled: "Why is this?"

Zhou Xiyu looked solemn and replied in a deep voice: "Because the practice of ape-strike technique is extremely dangerous."

His eyes were vague, as if he was reminiscing, and he said in a low voice: "My companion and I practiced the Ape Fighting Technique together. He practiced during the day, and I practiced during the month. Back then in the mountains, there were three years of severe cold and three years of severe heat. Our skills were broken and we were about to die. Suddenly, we heard the wind outside, like the sound of a flute blowing on the earth, thunder and lightning, which were the union of yin and yang. I could hear the sound of grass growing, flowers blooming, and snow falling. We had mastered it."

"At that moment when I was on the verge of death, I understood the true meaning of the ape-fighting technique. Look at the green grass, it can push away stones that are thousands of times heavier than it. The bird that flies out to find food can always return to its nest no matter how far it is. This is the power of perseverance."

"If you want to achieve perfection in the Ape Strike Technique, you must never give up!"

Fang Muye was helpless, muttering in his heart: Do I have to practice with others? I don't know if I can practice with women? If I want to practice with men, then it's absolutely not possible! A real man would rather break than bend!

Zhou Xiyu didn't know what he was thinking, and continued, "There is no secret manual for the Ape Fighting Technique. It is passed down orally from generation to generation. I will now tell you the method of cultivation."

Zhou Xiyu then told Fang Muye in detail what Peng Xiaowen had told him, and then took out a yellowed booklet and handed it to him: "This is my experience in practicing the Ape Fighting Technique for more than ten years. Daoist friend, take a look at it. If you have any questions, you can ask me at any time. But remember, if you want to start practicing, you must tell me first."

Fang Muye took the booklet solemnly and bowed to Zhou Xiyu: "Thank you, Brother Dao."

Don't worry, brother. If I don't understand it and my method is wrong, I will never practice it!

After that, Fang Muye did not go back, but stayed in Zhou Xiyu's room, reading the booklet carefully. The booklet was very thin, and it took him just over two hours to read it carefully.

After reading it, he combined it with the formula passed down by Peng Xiaowen and had some insights of his own, which were somewhat different from Zhou Xiyu's.

What Zhou Xiyu said about the true meaning of the Monkey Fighting Technique is "never leave, never abandon". In fact, he only said half of it. According to Peng Xiaowen, it should be "yin and yang are in harmony, never leave, never abandon". He only understood the "never leave, never abandon" but ignored the "yin and yang are in harmony".

Could this be the reason why the "Ape Fighting Technique" went astray?

When Fang Muye found Zhou Xiyu, he said, "Brother Dao, I have a question in my mind. I wonder if I should tell you or not?"

Zhou Xiyu smiled slightly: "Why not tell me about it."

Fang Muye then said, "The Peng family is famous for Tai Chi. I wonder if this ape-strike technique was derived from Tai Chi by the ancestors of the Peng family?"

Zhou Xiyu shook his head: "That's not the case. I heard from Master that the ancestor of the Peng family once met a strange man and learned the Ape Fighting Technique from him. Why do you think the Ape Fighting Technique is related to Tai Chi?"

Fang Muye said, "Brother Dao said before that plants worship the sun and apes can gain wisdom and strength from the sun's light. In my opinion, Tai Chi and the sun are also somewhat related."

Facing Zhou Xiyu's puzzled look, Fang Muye continued, "Tai Chi is about seeking roundness through roundness, isn't it also imitating the shape and movement of the sun?"

As soon as Fang Muye finished speaking, a divine light suddenly lit up in Zhou Xiyu's eyes, which was extremely dazzling.