Travel through the heavens

Zhou Xiyu was well aware of the theories of Tai Chi, but perhaps because "one cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because one is already in it", or perhaps because of the influence of "preconceived" ideas, he had never thought about it in this regard.

At this moment, Fang Muye's words became the morning bell that "awakened the dreamer" and opened a bright window for him.

Zhou Xiyu nodded and said slowly: "Yes, Tai Chi is based on the 'circle'. The image of the Tai Chi diagram is a circle, and the eyes of the Yin-Yang fish are also circles. They are both in the shape of the sun."

"The movement of Tai Chi is to draw a circle and twist the silk. There are two directions: forward and reverse. Forward twisting silk is to follow the movement of the sun, which is centripetal force and attraction. Reverse twisting silk is to go against the movement of the sun, which is centrifugal force and repulsion."

"And Tai Chi is not only related to the sun. The moon is called Taiyin. Look at the Tai Chi diagram, it is composed of two fish, yin and yang. The yang fish is the sun, and the yin fish is the moon."

"The sun and the moon are day and night, yang and yin. Yin and yang are reflected in boxing, which is to distinguish between inside and outside, reality and emptiness, opening and closing, and softness and hardness. Yin and yang complement each other, and yang is inseparable from yin and yin is inseparable from yang at all times. Yin and yang gradually change and interchange with each other, which is the circular image of Tai Chi."

"The circular image is the true nature of Tai Chi. The true nature always has the coexistence and symbiosis of Yin and Yang. The two complement and grow each other. Its change is the rotation of Tai Chi. This rotation is like a ring or a ball, without end or gap, connected from one joint to another, and circulates continuously."

Fang Muye clapped his hands and sighed, "Brother Dao, what you said is exactly the essence of Tai Chi. In my opinion, the essence of Tai Chi lies in the words 'circle' and 'turn'."

"Circle, Brother Dao has explained it clearly, so there is no need to explain it again. Turn means the 'turn' of rotation and the 'turn' of transformation. The rotation of yin and yang forms the circle of Tai Chi, and the transformation of yin and yang forms the mutual generation of yin and yang in Tai Chi, which helps and grows together."

Fang Muye continued, "Let's talk about the Ape Strike Technique. The Ape Strike Technique has two types: Moon Training and Sun Training. It can draw the moonlight and the sun's light to refine into true qi. But from its essence, isn't it the power of the moon and the sun that is refined, and isn't it the yin and yang qi that is formed?"

"The true meaning of ape-kicking is 'the harmony of yin and yang, never leaving each other'. In my opinion, it is necessary to cultivate both yin and yang, so that yin is inseparable from yang and yang is inseparable from yin, and yin and yang complement each other, just like Tai Chi. This is why I think ape-kicking is derived from Tai Chi."

Zhou Xiyu nodded and said, "The way of Tai Chi is indeed the way of Yin and Yang, and it has something in common with the Ape Fighting Technique."

Fang Muye took over the conversation and said, "Yes. Yin and Yang should be cultivated together, but Brother Dao and his partner practiced them separately, one practicing Yin and the other practicing Yang. It may not be a problem at first, but over time, over time, the Yin in the monthly practitioner will inevitably rise, and the Yang in the daily practitioner will inevitably rise. There is a saying that 'Yin alone cannot grow, and Yang alone cannot grow'. The imbalance of Yin and Yang will inevitably cause physical disease."

"The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine says: Yin and Yang are the way of heaven and earth, the rules and regulations of all things, the parents of change, and the origin of life and death. This explains the importance of Yin and Yang, which is related to growth and destruction."

"Back then, Brother Dao and his companions practiced monthly and daily exercises respectively, with three years of severe cold and three years of severe heat. The accumulation of yin and yang energy in their bodies was too much for their bodies to bear, and damage and changes followed. That's what Brother Dao said, 'The exercises broke down, and the person is about to die.'"

Zhou Xiyu frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "What Daoyou said makes a lot of sense. In your opinion, how did we survive this desperate situation and turn danger into safety?"

Fang Muye smiled and replied, "I can't tell you the specific reason. But I have a guess, I don't know if it's right."

He thought for a moment and continued, "I heard from my Taoist brother that at that time, you heard thunder and lightning. It is said in Taoist books that thunder is the phenomenon of the interaction of yin and yang, and the interaction of yin and yang nurtures all things. In addition, life is yang and death is yin, and between life and death, yin and yang interact."

"When you and your companions were dying, it was the time when the yin and yang of the human body intersected. The lightning strike at this time was also the time when the yin and yang of heaven and earth intersected. Perhaps it was a coincidence that the energy of heaven and earth generated by the lightning strike was absorbed by you, triggering the yin and yang between the two of you. With the flow of yin and yang and the mutual generation of yin and yang, the Ape Striking Technique was cultivated."

Zhou Xiyu fell into deep thought, carefully recalling his feelings at that time. It took him a long time to come back to his senses and sighed, "It should be what Daoyou said. When I first learned the Ape Fighting Technique, I also had doubts about the Sun and Moon training, but this method was passed down by my master, so I thought it couldn't be wrong. Later, although I went through hardships, I still managed to practice it, so I didn't think too much about it."

"Now that I have heard your kind words, I have thought about it carefully and realized that we may have really practiced it wrong all those years. The Ape Fighting Technique should be practiced with the sun and the moon at the same time."

Zhou Xiyu then asked, "I guess you think so too, fellow Taoist?"

Fang Muye said solemnly: "If we want to follow the true meaning of 'yin and yang are in harmony, never leaving each other', and think about the response of yin and yang in the human body, we must practice both the sun and the moon, and cultivate yin and yang together."

Zhou Xiyu's eyes were bright and moving. At this moment, the insights he gained from his many years of cultivation came pouring out to him, interweaving with his enlightenment today and slowly blending together.

He suddenly sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Not long after, Zhou Xiyu's whole body was invigorated, and then he became calm again. He looked more simple and natural. Fang Muye knew that his martial arts had improved at this moment.

Zhou Xiyu opened his eyes and stood up. He had already joined the Taoist sect, but at this moment he performed a warrior's etiquette to Fang Muye and said, "Thank you, fellow Taoist."

Fang Muye humbly replied: "Brother, it all came naturally, why thank me?"

Zhou Xiyu said sincerely: "Daoyou are knowledgeable and every word you say is like a pearl. If I hadn't discussed this with you, I wouldn't have had such a sudden enlightenment and been able to reach a higher level."

Fang Muye smiled, accepting Zhou Xiyu's gratitude, and asked, "I wonder what realm you have reached now?"

Zhou Xiyu smiled and replied: "It is still the early stage of the Great Circulation, but now it has been completed. It only takes a little more time to stabilize, and then it can enter the middle stage of the Great Circulation."

Nowadays, martial arts are declining in the world, no longer as they were a hundred years ago. The middle stage of the Great Zhoutian is already the best among people, a top master. Nowadays, there are less than two palms in the martial arts world who have reached this level.

Zhou Xiyu's master, Peng Xiaowen, was invincible at his peak, but he was only at the middle stage of the Great Zhoutian realm.

Fang Muye knew all this. He clasped his fists and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Brother Dao!"

Zhou Xiyu clasped his fists in return and said, "Congratulations! I have gained something today, and with your talent, you will surely benefit from it as well. Your martial arts will improve in no time! In addition, I have also got some ideas on the correct way to practice the Ape Strike Technique. I will discuss it with you after I have sorted it out in detail."

Indeed, Fang Muye understood a lot more after discussing with Zhou Xiyu today. He laughed and said, "Then I will wait for your good news, Brother Dao."