Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 271 The Divine Foot Sutra, Jiang Yuyan's Rise
"My disciples, have you finished your homework?"

Li Zhaoting left home on the 10th of August and returned on the 15th of September, a full month-long vacation. He should have been able to finish a mere summer homework assignment.

Qu Feiyan and Wu Shu submitted their assignments at the same time.

Li Zhaoting spends most of the year training outside and doesn't spend much time at home. Recently, nothing has happened, and the martial arts world is quiet, so he can recuperate for several months.

He spends his time at home with his children and teaches his disciples.

Li Zhaoting's memories of summer homework...

Most teachers would collect the food, throw it directly into a large cardboard box, sell it to a scrap collector, and then add a little money to treat the whole class to popsicles.

The only exception was my high school physics teacher; she was the only one who would grade homework and explain the example problems.

It's lucky to have a teacher like this.

Because Li Zhaoting completed his homework diligently!

Li Zhaoting glanced at the assignments and could tell that Qu Feiyan and Bai Yutang had done them themselves. Lu Fang, Han Zhang, Xu Qing, and Jiang Ping's eyes were somewhat evasive, indicating that they had probably referred to Qu Feiyan's assignments, but not copied them completely.

Li Zhaoting smiled as he flipped through the homework, grading each question. There wasn't much plagiarism; it was mainly math problems, which were relatively difficult.

After grading the assignments in two days, Li Zhaoting took out the questions with the highest error rate and explained them.

One's own disciple can have low martial arts skills, be cautious, or be reckless and impulsive, but absolutely cannot be illiterate, cannot have obtained a martial arts manual, cannot not understand a single word, and can only guess at the meaning from the text.

Don't mention the "Tai Xuan Jing"!
This isn't something for normal people to practice.

To put it bluntly, this is a trap.

A carrot and a pit.

The hole was there before the radish arrived.

"My students, today we'll be learning math!"

"Ah~~ Master, no..."

Qu Feiyan and the five rats simultaneously let out a wail.

Is mathematics something of anthropology?

No normal person could learn that!
They would soon find out that Li Zhaoting’s math class was very valuable because in the afternoon, Gou Du would teach everyone literature, explaining the Spring and Autumn Annals, followed by seven elective courses, taught by the Eight Friends of Hangu.

Music, chess, calligraphy, and painting!

Flowers and plants, medicine, civil engineering, and opera.

"Books" are a required course.

The remaining seven are elective courses.

Each student must take at least two elective courses.

Qu Feiyan chose to study medicine and horticulture.

Lu Fang chose to study chess and civil engineering.

Han Zhang chose to study medicine and civil engineering.

Xu Qing chose to study horticulture and civil engineering.

Jiang Ping chose to study playing the piano and opera.

Bai Yutang chose painting and civil engineering as electives.

Feng Asan never expected that he would be the most popular person. Xue Muhua was quite depressed. Studying medicine requires a very high level of talent. Qu Feiyan and Han Zhang did not have much talent in this medical field. After studying for three to five years, they could at most learn how to treat sprains and bruises, which was barely enough to make a living in the martial arts world.

Why is civil engineering the most popular major?
Because they are the "Five Rats"!

I have a natural affinity for civil engineering.

Li Zhaoting broke down the Longevity Formula, and each of the five rats learned one of the five elements: wood, water, fire, and earth. Lu Fang was associated with wood, Han Zhang with earth, Xu Qing with metal, Jiang Ping with water, and Bai Yutang with fire. He also taught the five rats the Five Elements Sword Formation.

This is a Five Elements Formation created by Li Zhaoting by combining the Longevity Formula and the Seven Injury Fist. It is divided into five parts using the True Martial Seven Intercept Formation, with each of the five rats practicing one part.

The five elements generate and restrain each other. As long as one diligently studies the art of generating and restraining the five elements, any two people can form a harmonious relationship.

Take "gold" as an example.

Earth generates metal, and metal generates water.

Fire overcomes metal, and metal overcomes wood.

The combination of metal with earth and water represents vitality.

The combination of metal with fire and wood signifies killing and destruction.

The same applies to groups of three, four, and five.

The five elements generate each other, creating an endless cycle of life.

The five elements are mutually destructive, yet nothing is indestructible.

All things in heaven and earth are contained within the five elements. This is the simplest formation to learn and the one with the highest potential. Even at Li Zhaoting's level, he can still use it to defeat his enemies.

Li Zhaoting enthusiastically taught his disciples.

Knowing that their master was often away from home, the five rats made the most of their time to absorb knowledge so that their master wouldn't leave again.

……

Jiang Yuyan stared blankly at a scroll of secret manual.

It wasn't the "Formless Sword Technique" given by Ke Baisui, but the "Yijinjing" that he found on the mountain road. The book cover was old and yellowed, and the inside was filled with ancient characters.

Jiang Yuyan recognized the three characters "Yi Jin Jing" but not the winding characters inside. She wanted to practice according to the diagrams but was worried about going to the wrong acupoints.

After more than a year of training, and learning from the example of Kumārajīva, Jiang Yuyan knew that the more profound the martial arts, the less one should practice them haphazardly. Li Zhaoting's strict emphasis on cultural education was precisely because he was worried that his disciples would go astray by practicing secret manuals indiscriminately.

This is the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) handwritten by Bodhidharma. It was also the secret manual that Mu Chan used to seduce Kumārajīva. Mu Chan kept it close to his body inside his kasaya (Buddhist robe). After Mu Chan committed suicide, he was carried back by Shaolin monks. The monks resented the traitor and kept shaking his body, accidentally knocking the scroll out.

It was dawn, and the sky was dark. The Shaolin monks were in a state of panic, and no one had the mind to pay attention to the oil paper package that had fallen off Mu Chan. It wasn't until Li Zhaoting went to Shaolin to return the manual that Jiang Yuyan and the others went out to play. Jiang Yuyan accidentally discovered the oil paper package and put it away.

Jiang Yuyan knew that the Yi Jin Jing was a martial arts treasure, and that mastering it would make one invincible. However, she did not know Sanskrit and did not know how to practice it, and she was also reluctant to hand it over.

I did yoga for a few days following the instructions, and apart from making my body more flexible and sleeping better at night, there were no special effects. On the contrary, my anxiety about gains and losses hindered my practice, and my internal strength cultivation regressed instead of progressing.

"what should I do?"

"Don't panic! Don't panic!"

"This is my destiny!"

"Since Heaven has bestowed this upon me, it proves that I have the ability to cultivate divine skills. How should I begin to learn these skills?"

"I remember you saying that because the Yi Jin Jing is too difficult to learn, Shaolin doesn't care about it and simply puts it on a shelf. Its only value is as a brand name!"

"With your unparalleled talent, young master, you still find the Yi Jin Jing difficult to even begin. What should you do?"

"Yi Jin Jing, you've really ruined me!"

Jiang Yuyan muttered to herself, her body swaying, knocking over the kettle and spilling tea onto the manual. Jiang Yuyan hurriedly wiped it clean and discovered that words had appeared on the manual.

"Could this be my destiny?"

"Martial arts skills that cannot be mastered are useless!"

"Flooding and burning are truly the only effective methods!"

"What is this? The Magadha Sutra on the Accomplishment of the Samadhi of Cessation of Practice and the Supernatural Footwork—what a strange name!"

Upon closer inspection, a large-bearded strange man was drawn next to the text, his head protruding from between his legs, his hands grasping his feet. Jiang Yuyan had heard Li Zhaoting mention Indian yoga, and guessed that this was a yoga posture.

Looking at the monk again, I saw many tiny red arrows drawn on his body. I knew that these were diagrams pointing to meridians and acupoints. I wanted to imitate the posture, but I felt that the posture was really embarrassing and I was worried that someone would notice.

Jiang Yuyan wiped the pages of the manual one by one, revealing all the diagrams. She memorized the strange postures and planned to go to Feng Suzhen in a couple of days to ask about yoga and what kind of country this so-called Magadha Kingdom was.

The Sutra of the Aspiration for Samadhi and the Attainment of Divine Footwork is an exceptionally wonderful yoga practice used to dispel inner demons, transform external forces into one's own, and refine one's essence, energy, and spirit.

In the original story, You Tanzhi accidentally mastered the Divine Foot Scripture, absorbed the cold poison of the thousand-year-old Ice Silkworm, and mastered the Ice Silkworm Poison Palm, which combines good and evil, transforming from a simple-minded boy who knew no martial arts into a master whose strength rivaled that of Duan Yu.

In terms of skill alone, You Tanzhi, who absorbed the millennium-old ice silkworm, was even superior to Xiao Feng.

However, while divine skills and secret techniques are indeed precious, haphazard practice will inevitably lead to disaster. Jiang Yuyan is cautious by nature and did not practice recklessly; otherwise, she would not have escaped the calamity of Kumārajīva. Jiang Yuyan does not need to be tested further.

When Li Zhaoting taught his disciples, he would intersperse his lectures with explanations of Buddhist and Taoist esoteric arts, and she could sit in on the lectures.

That day, Li Zhaoting talked about the esoteric teachings of Buddhism.

Bai Yutang suddenly asked, "Master, I've heard that the strongest martial art in Buddhism is called the Yi Jin Jing. How powerful is the Yi Jin Jing? Can Master defeat the Yi Jin Jing?"

"I can only defeat a martial artist, not a book. Would you fight a book?"

Hehe! Hehe!

Bai Yutang chuckled twice and sat back down.

Li Zhaoting laughed and said, "Since you little guys want to hear about the Yi Jin Jing, I'll explain it to you a few times."

Li Zhaoting quickly recounted the history of the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic).

Sweat beaded on Jiang Yuyan's forehead.

No wonder she gained nothing after several days of arduous practice; it turns out she had such a bizarre request. Given Jiang Yuyan's personality, even a hundred years from now, she wouldn't have such a mindset.

Jiang Yuyan couldn't help but ask, "Young Master? Is yoga effective? Can I practice yoga?"

"Of course, the exercise routine I'm sending you includes yoga exercises. Go to the study and find it yourself."

"Thank you for your guidance, young master."

After class, Jiang Yuyan went to the study and, following Li Zhaoting's instructions, found several books recording yoga exercises and esoteric yoga. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed a set of sword techniques on the desk, titled "Blood Sword Manual".

Li Zhaoting has recently been teaching his disciples martial arts. The Five Rats are fond of swordsmanship, so he has been working hard to improve their swordsmanship, removing the insidious and vicious parts and the unorthodox techniques, while retaining some ingenious and clever moves that can turn the tide in desperate situations.

Jiang Yuyan looked down and found that the postures drawn in the Blood Saber Manual were quite similar to yoga.

"I remember you said that the Blood Blade Sect of the Western Regions is a bandit gang, but it actually comes from the secret sect of the Black Sect. Its internal skills are orthodox, so perhaps it can be used as a reference."

Jiang Yuyan rummaged through the bookshelf, quickly found the original version of "Blood Saber Manual," and took it back to her room.

……

Opening the Blood Saber Manual, Jiang Yuyan found it filled with all sorts of bizarre yoga poses. She composed herself and quickly began to imitate the poses from the manual.

Activating my inner energy and following the diagram, I felt my whole body become soft and relaxed, experiencing an indescribable sense of comfort.

In the past, when practicing the mental cultivation methods taught by Li Zhaoting, the mental cultivation methods of the Formless Sword Technique, and the Yi Jin Jing, the true qi would either move as slowly as a snail or the energy would rapidly deplete.

Practicing according to the Blood Saber Manual diagram, the true energy flowed like a rushing river in an instant, without any effort required. The internal energy circulated naturally, and gradually one felt refreshed and relaxed, with the blood in the whole body warming up. After a while, the body felt light and airy, as if one had drunk a lot of strong liquor, and one couldn't help but dance with one's hands and feet.

Jiang Yuyan knew things had gone wrong!

Fearing he would become like Kumārajīva, he quickly opened the Scripture of Divine Footwork and began practicing according to the diagrams on it.

In fact, Jiang Yuyan was overthinking it.

There are thresholds to going astray in cultivation.

Only those with true qi can go astray and become possessed by demonic possession.

Only a strong and abundant amount of true qi can break through the meridians.

The internal injuries of Xiao Yuanshan, Murong Bo, Kumachi, Ren Woxing and others were all due to their high level of martial arts and their excessive internal energy. Once their internal energy was destroyed, even if they practiced a hundred martial arts techniques, it would be nothing more than a workout!

Jiang Yuyan was a novice in martial arts, and her skill was weak. How could she be qualified to suffer from qi deviation? However, she was too cautious and inevitably became anxious and fearful, gradually becoming indifferent to worldly affairs.

The Blood Saber Sutra's core teachings were originally orthodox Tantric practices and authentic yoga exercises. However, after being modified and perfected by successive sect leaders, they strayed from the orthodox path and onto the heretical path, seeking only courageous and diligent progress.

The Divine Foot Scripture has the effect of removing internal demons, which is just right to remove the evil and malevolent energy in the Blood Saber Scripture. However, Jiang Yuyan is a beginner in the Divine Foot Scripture and can only control the energy but not release it. Her true energy circulates throughout her body, refining all her true essence.

Fortunately, Jiang Yuyan was exceptionally gifted, with meridians that were naturally wider and stronger than those of ordinary people. Otherwise, with such haphazard cultivation, she would have been crippled long ago and would never have been able to practice martial arts again.

After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Yuyan awoke from her state of complete blankness and felt light and healthy, as if a little mouse was running around in her meridians.

"This is the internal energy of martial arts?"

"I've mastered it! I've mastered it!"

"The Divine Foot Classic is written inside the Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic, so it must be no less powerful than the Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic. This is my destiny!"

"Ke Baisui, you just wait! Once I've mastered unparalleled martial arts, I'll tear you to pieces!"

"What the hell!"

As Jiang Yuyan spent more time with Li Zhaoting, she inevitably picked up his quirky speech. With one step, her inner energy provided its own power, causing her to fall uncontrollably.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Yu Yan, what are you doing?"

"Sister Meizhu, I was doing yoga and I accidentally twisted my back. Do you have any wound medicine?"

"You can twist your waist while doing yoga? If you want to do yoga, you can follow the Second Madam and the Third Madam. The two ladies not only explain yoga, but also breathing techniques."

"I do not know how?"

"It's a hobby they just started having."

At this point, Mei Zhu blushed deeply.

Of course she knew that Lan Fenghuang and Miss Wang did yoga to improve their flexibility, especially since Miss Wang, who was naturally strong, had very stiff hands and feet.

Many poses cannot be performed.

In order to unlock more poses, Miss Wang decided to practice yoga diligently to make her body as flexible as cotton.

These words are inconvenient to say aloud, but Jiang Yuyan is Li Zhaoting's personal maid, and she will be taken into his room sooner or later. Learning some knowledge in advance can also enhance their romance.

Mei Zhu whispered the reason in Jiang Yuyan's ear, making Jiang Yuyan blush with embarrassment.

I knew it! There's no decent person in this family!

With guidance from Lan Fenghuang and Miss Wang, Jiang Yuyan made rapid progress in yoga and quickly mastered the Blood Saber Manual, returning the manual to the bookshelf.

Each day, he first cultivates the Blood Blade Scripture to rapidly nurture evil true energy within his body, and then cultivates the Divine Foot Scripture.

This cycle repeats itself, eventually achieving a unity of good and evil.

Despite its weak foundation, it possesses boundless potential.

……

"My lord, I feel that Yu Yan is strange. Her aura is very peculiar, and she seems to have a bit of evil."

"She practiced the Blood Saber Sutra's mental techniques, as well as a Buddhist mental technique, achieving a fusion of Buddhism and demonism. Her own power increased by leaps and bounds, inevitably affecting her mental state."

Li Zhaoting held Feng Suzhen in his arms: "Ke Baisui is really generous. Being able to assimilate the Blood Saber Scripture is obviously a top-level method, no less than the Arhat Divine Skill."

"How does Your Excellency intend to handle this?"

"No need to do anything. Given Yu Yan's personality, she will definitely kill Ke Baisui once she has mastered martial arts."

"I find it strange that Ke Baisui sent Yu Yan to infiltrate your side. What does he want to get?"

"Ke Baisui believes that I am handsome, skilled in martial arts, upright, and chivalrous, and that I will surely become the leader of the martial arts world in the future. He is worried that I will ruin his grand plan behind the scenes, so he has planted a spy in advance."

"Pah! My lord, you are shameless."

Do you know how to maintain a thick skin?

How to maintain it?

"Tai Tai Oral Liquid!"

Li Zhaoting leaned his face closer.

Feng Suzhen said coquettishly, "We're talking about serious matters!"

Is there anything more correct than this?

"Yes, where are you spending Chinese New Year this year?"

"In the capital, both your father and my father are here!"

(End of this chapter)