A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 25 Azure Sky
Despite facing two opponents alone, Gu Xu remained completely at ease. Du'e and Du Jie saw that Du Nan was struggling to hold on, but they were also unable to escape and were powerless to provide support. Gu Xu let out a soft shout, and a sliver of light appeared on the tip of his sword. The two black ropes were immediately cut in half, leaving only half in his hand.

"Sword light!" Du'e exclaimed in surprise, the black rope in his hand could no longer be used, and he was surrounded by Gu Xu.

Gu Xu's unexpected move left the formation wide open, and the weaponry had lost its advantage. Du'e could no longer use the black rope in his hand, because Gu Xu's blade was pressed against his throat.

Du Jie stared blankly, looking very dejected. On the other side, Du Nan was also unable to withstand Song Yuanqiao and Yu Lianzhou's combined attack and had already been defeated.

Du'e sighed and said, "Master Gu Xu is indeed skilled, even cultivating sword light. He is truly a genius. I admire him. Shaolin has lost this match." As he spoke, he threw down the black rope in his hand. As it turned out, in the face of absolute strength, no formation is any match. If Wudang hadn't shown some consideration, Gu Xu alone would have been enough to break the "Vajra Subduing Demon Formation." Shaolin's loss in this match was not unjust.

Gu Xu also withdrew his longsword and said, "Master, you are too kind."

When Song Yuanqiao and Yu Lianzhou learned that Gu Xu had used the sword light, they were also shocked. In the past hundred years, there had been almost no people in the martial arts world who could master such a skill. They never expected that Wudang would produce one. It was truly a blessing from heaven for Wudang. This made everyone present extremely envious.

When Gu Xu unleashed his sword aura, Abbess Miejue and the others were filled with disbelief. Sword aura had always been a coveted skill for sword practitioners, the ultimate pursuit of the way of the sword.

Gu Xu is already considered a master of swordsmanship. With him around, the Wudang Sect will at least avoid many detours on the path to mastering swordsmanship. How can this not be enviable?

"Amitabha, Master Song, we are willing to accept defeat. Let's leave the matter of the Dragon-Slaying Saber here. This old monk is not pure of heart and must return to the mountain to continue his Buddhist practice. I will take my leave now. As for Cheng Kun's matter, we will leave it to Master Song to handle. Shaolin will no longer concern itself with it." Ignoring the heavy rain, Du'e led the Shaolin group, who were wearing straw raincoats, away.

The other factions also tacitly agreed that the Dragon-Slaying Saber belonged to Wudang, and left one after another after exchanging greetings.

An old man from Kunlun named Qi Xu approached Song Yuanqiao and asked in a hoarse voice, "Hero Song, is our sect leader...?" He had discovered early in the morning that He Taichong and his wife, along with two junior brothers, were missing. He guessed that they had sneaked up to Wudang under cover of night, but now they were nowhere to be found, so he had no choice but to shamelessly come and inquire.

"So it's Brother Qi. To be honest, Mr. Tieqin and his companion visited Wudang last night with the intention of seizing the Dragon-Slaying Saber. They have now been taken to the inner hall to rest. Brother Qi, would you like to go and visit them?"

Qi Xu heard that only He Taichong and his wife were present; the other two must have perished, but that was their own fault, and they had no one to blame but themselves. Leaving He Taichong and his wife alive was already a great favor to Kunlun. As for visiting them...

"Master Song, I've heard that Master Zhang enjoys collecting various sword techniques. Our Kunlun sect has some expertise in swordsmanship, and we'd like to offer the 'Thunder Swift Sword Technique,' 'Two Elements Sword Technique,' and 'Silent and Colorless Sword' in exchange for our sect leader. What do you think, Master Song?" Qi Xu was heartbroken to offer these three unique skills, but it was still better than internal strife. Kunlun had been recuperating for many years and had only just recovered. If it were to suffer another such disaster, it would likely lead to the annihilation of the entire sect. Although He Taichong and his wife had many shortcomings, they were the only two who could stabilize Kunlun at present.

Hearing Qi Xu's words, Song Yuanqiao smiled and said, "Brother Qi, you are too kind. Thank you for your kind offer." Song Yuanqiao did not care about the Kunlun Sword Technique. After all, he had not yet mastered his own swordsmanship. To abandon his own martial arts and switch to practicing other schools' martial arts would be putting the cart before the horse and falling into a lower level.

However, they couldn't leave the two unpunished, which is why they adopted this attitude. Sure enough, Qi Xu was a smart man and understood what they meant.

Having received confirmation, Qi Xu cupped his hands in greeting and left with his Kunlun disciples, leaving only the Ming Cult's high-ranking members and the Emei Sect at the plaza.

Song Yuanqiao called out, inviting everyone into the hall to speak. A young Taoist priest served hot tea and snacks. The group, exhausted from their long day, were already starving and immediately began to enjoy the food.

Yang Xiao finished the pastry in his hand, clapped his hands, and asked Song Yuanqiao, "Hero Song, what is the current explanation from Dharma King Xie?"

The Ming Cult members all looked at Song Yuanqiao, who calmly replied, "Brother Xie is already weary of the ways of the martial world, and that villain Cheng Kun has already been killed by him. Having lost all his martial arts skills, he is considering retiring and is afraid he cannot return to Bright Peak with you all."

"Alas, so be it. Since Master Xie is willing to live in seclusion in Wudang, I cannot force him to stay. It's a pity..." Although Yang Xiao said it was a pity, he was secretly pleased. After all, Xie Xun was the only one in the Ming Cult who was qualified to compete with him for the position of leader. Now that his biggest rival had withdrawn, the position of leader would be his for the future.

Yin Tianzheng and Wei Yixiao's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and they gave a few bitter smiles. Zhou Dian, one of the Five Wanderers, was usually talkative and was about to say a few words when the Cloth Bag Monk pulled him down to sit, which made him quite unhappy.

"Monk, why are you pulling me?" Although Zhou Dian's words were blunt and unpleasant, he was not stupid. Now that Xie Xun was not returning to Bright Peak and the leader of the Yang Cult was missing, wouldn't the position of leader belong to Yang Xiao? This made him very unhappy.

"Brother Zhou, please hear me out. The situation is clear now. It's inevitable that Yang Xiao will become the leader. Let's not drag Xie Fawang into this. Let him retire." Perhaps it's because he's a shrewd person. Inviting Xie Xun back to Bright Peak would just be asking for trouble. Staying in Wudang is the best outcome.

Zhou Dian remained silent upon hearing this.

After Yang Xiao and his group exchanged a few more words, they led their men down the mountain, leaving only the Emei and Wudang sects in the hall.

Song Yuanqiao called out to Gu Xu, then invited Abbess Miejue to the back hall to discuss matters, and instructed Yin Liting to take good care of the Emei sisters and not to neglect them.

In the back hall, Song Yuanqiao picked up the Dragon-Slaying Saber, while Abbess Miejue took out the Heaven-Reliant Sword. The blade sliced ​​below the guard, and a piece of iron fell out of the gap. The blade sliced ​​below the guard, and a piece of iron fell out of the gap as well.

After learning that Xie Xun had fallen into the hands of Wudang, Abbess Miejue went to Wudang to meet Zhang Sanfeng and revealed the secret passed down through generations of Emei. Song Yuanqiao was also present at the time.

“Master, it’s time to retrieve the treasure. Wudang only needs one handwritten copy.” Song Yuanqiao handed the iron piece in his hand to Abbess Miejue. Gu Xu, who was standing to the side, glanced at it. The iron piece was engraved with the six characters “Pudu Mountain Peach Blossom Island”. The other piece should be the specific location of the treasure.

The two factions had previously agreed that Wudang would keep a portion of the spoils as a reward.

Abbess Miejue had no objection. Holding the two iron pieces in her hand as if they were precious treasures, she smiled broadly and immediately said, "Of course." She no longer wanted to surpass Wudang, but rather to promote and glorify the Emei sect.

"The matter of retrieving the treasure will be handled by my Emei Sect. In addition, the marriage of Yin Liuxia and Xiaofu should also be arranged, as the date is approaching." After settling one matter, Abbess Miejue then inquired about her disciple's marriage.

"Don't worry, Master. Sixth Brother will be going to Emei on the sixth day of next month. Our two sects can be considered to have helped a perfect couple."

"Since that's the case, I won't bother you any longer. I'll return to the mountain to prepare and try my best to retrieve the treasure on Xiaofu's wedding day."

"Then we won't keep you any longer, Abbess. Gu Xu, go and fetch some fine raincoats and umbrellas for you. The rain outside is light, but it's still quite cold."

Gu Xu came out and gave an order, and disciples distributed the rain gear to the Emei disciples. Abbess Miejue thanked them and then left with her men.

In the rear hall, Song Yuanqiao said to Gu Xu, "Do you know why Abbess Miejue would cooperate with Wudang?" Gu Xu pondered for a moment and said, "I'm afraid it's because Wudang's influence is too great. The Dragon-Slaying Saber, once in Wudang's hands, can no longer be used, forcing her to seek cooperation. Otherwise, this secret would never be solved, and the prosperity of Emei would be nothing but empty talk. Besides, the abbess is also a Han Chinese, and she may have had the idea of ​​expelling the Tartars. It's a fair deal considering both public and private interests."

Song Yuanqiao was very satisfied with Gu Xu's answer and said with a smile, "You are right. In addition, there is also the favor of my master. Back then, the heroine Guo Xiang was a close friend of my master, so she also had the intention of helping the Emei sect. But all in all, Wudang is not at a disadvantage."

Gu Xu also knew about the relationship between his patriarch and the heroine Guo Xiang, but it was a private matter between elders and not something he could reveal. He was surprised that his patriarch had told his grandmaster about these private matters, which showed his extraordinary magnanimity.

"Senior Uncle, now that the situation in Wudang is settled, I am determined to go into seclusion to cultivate." Gu Xu deduced that there would probably be no major events in the martial arts world in the next few years, and decided to take this time to cultivate the "Pure Yang Profound Skill".

Song Yuanqiao sighed and said, "I don't have much to say to you, but remember not to rush into martial arts. Wudang will have to rely on you in the future." Song Yuanqiao was extremely satisfied with Gu Xu. He was a good person with high martial arts skills. If he weren't still young, he would have passed the position of sect leader to him.

However, considering that Gu Xu's martial arts skills were still improving, he didn't want these mundane matters to bother him and waste his martial arts talent.

"Disciple understands. I will emerge from seclusion on the day of Sixth Uncle's wedding," Gu Xu said, and then withdrew after seeing that Song Yuanqiao had nothing more to say.

The clouds dispersed and the rain ceased, the sun shone brightly, the mountains were a clear blue, and a rainbow spanned the sky. After the rain, Wudang Mountain seemed to have been washed clean and looked brand new.

Upon arriving at the back mountain, after opening Zhang Wuji's meridians, Gu Xu, as usual, checked Song Qingshu and Wei Bi's studies, offered a few words of encouragement, and then explained and answered their questions one by one.

Gu Xu taught Zhang Wuji the method of meditation and qi cultivation, but did not teach him internal energy cultivation, in order to lay a solid foundation so that he could cultivate the Pure Yang Profound Skill like Qing Shu in the future. As for Wei Bi, due to his limited talent, he could only honestly cultivate the Pure Yang Limitless Skill.

After instructing the three to practice diligently, Gu Xu went to see his master again.

After a long period of treatment, Yu Daiyan was able to walk again, but his master and senior brother kept telling him to take good care of himself, not only to strengthen his foundation but also to make the medicine work its full potential in the hope of rebuilding his physical constitution.

After giving Gu Xu a few words of advice, Yu Daiyan let him leave. Watching Gu Xu's departing figure, Yu Daiyan couldn't help but sigh, "With such a disciple, what more could I ask for?"

Retreating into seclusion for spiritual practice is also a process of constantly examining oneself and identifying and addressing shortcomings.

Sitting cross-legged on the cloud bed, Gu Xu closed his eyes and concentrated his mind, circulating pure Yang true energy throughout his body. He then used the Pure Yang Profound Technique to condense and gather the true energy, refining it repeatedly before it returned to his dantian. This process repeated itself until the full cycle of the Heavenly Circulation was complete. The already partially accomplished technique began to advance further. Outside Gu Xu, a fierce wind suddenly gathered, swirling around his body. At the same time, a layer of crystalline jade light enveloped him, obscuring his face.

After more than a month of seclusion, Gu Xu had not yet reached perfection in his cultivation, but he was not far off. He was emerging from seclusion today because the day after tomorrow was the wedding day of his sixth uncle.

When Wei Bi and the other two saw their master emerge from seclusion, they rushed over. Gu Xu specially set aside a day to check on the three's studies. After questioning them, he found that they were diligent and had not been lazy. After giving them some guidance, he told them to continue their cultivation and then headed towards Yu Daiyan's residence.

Qingfeng told him that his master had gone to the Zixiao Palace. Upon hearing this, Gu Xu headed there. Along the way, all the wedding preparations had been arranged. When he arrived at the Zixiao Palace, the gatekeepers saw Gu Xu and hurriedly bowed. Gu Xu nodded and entered the palace.

Besides Song Yuanqiao and Yu Daiyan, Zhang Sanfeng was also in the hall. When he saw Gu Xu enter, Song Yuanqiao's eyes lit up and he called out to him to come over. Gu Xu bowed to the three of them.

Song Yuanqiao said, "My second brother and the others have already gone with my sixth brother to Emei to welcome his bride. They should be on their way back and have probably already entered Hubei. Tomorrow is my sixth brother's wedding day. All the sects will come to pay their respects. We must not let anything go wrong. It just so happens that you have just come out of seclusion, Gu Xu. Your master and I are not available, so you can go and welcome your second senior uncle and the others."

Gu Xu accepted the order and prepared to leave, but was stopped by Zhang Sanfeng. Gu Xu quickly went over.

As soon as Gu Xu entered the door, Zhang Sanfeng knew that this grand-disciple had almost mastered the Pure Yang Profound Skill. He was truly a genius, and Zhang Sanfeng felt he had entrusted him with the task.

"Gu Xu, your progress in cultivating the Pure Yang Profound Skill to this level in such a short time is truly astonishing, and your foundation is solid. Wudang has made you who you are, and you have also made Wudang who you are. I am currently studying a set of martial arts. If you have time, please come to my secluded training place."

Although Zhang Sanfeng comprehended the Pure Yang Profound Skill, it still retained some of the Shaolin influence. Later, through painstaking research, he derived the core principle of using softness to overcome hardness in martial arts, which led to the creation of Tai Chi. Although it was only a prototype, as long as the direction was right, the refinement of the details was achieved through persistent effort.

He also realized that Gu Xu's cultivation of the Pure Yang Profound Skill had reached a bottleneck. Perhaps Gu Xu could gain some inspiration by comprehending Tai Chi. At the same time, with Gu Xu's comprehension, he might also be able to add some color to Tai Chi.

"Thank you, Master. I will definitely seek your guidance at any time. I only hope that you will not find me unworthy." Gu Xu was overjoyed upon hearing this. How could he not be happy to learn from the Master? This was an opportunity that others would beg for. Didn't he see the envious looks in his senior uncle's and master's eyes?

Moreover, the Tai Chi Chuan of the founder is the core of Wudang martial arts, so of course I want to learn more about it.

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and smiled, nodding, "You're a promising student. Alright, go and attend to your business."

Gu Xu bowed again, then gathered his men and headed down the mountain to the west. On the way, they encountered the Wudang wedding procession.

Yin Liting was dressed in a wedding robe, with Ji Xiaofu, who was also dressed in wedding attire, beside him, while Yu Lianzhou and the others followed on horseback.

Marriages in the martial arts world don't have many formalities; for Yin Liting and Ji Xiaofu, kowtowing and serving tea to Abbess Miejue was just a formality.

“Uncle-Master, I have come to greet you on the orders of my Senior Uncle. Our Ancestral Master is already impatient. Let’s hurry on our way so as not to delay the journey.”

Yin Liting longed to return to Wudang more than anyone else, and after hearing what Gu Xu said, he said to Yu Lianzhou, "Second Brother, let's hurry up."

Upon hearing this, Yu Lianzhou smiled and said, "Indeed, we need to hurry. Master is probably already eager to see you get married. Gu Xu, you lead the way, and we'll ride as fast as we can to get to Wudang before sunset."

Gu Xu greeted everyone, then mounted his horse and led the way, ordering people to carry the Wudang flag. The group sped off at breakneck speed, arriving at the foot of Wudang Mountain before the last rays of the setting sun had faded.

(End of this chapter)