Yang Guo travels back in time to become Duan Yu, a different kind of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.

Chapter 71 Transfer of Skill

Li Gang's chest heaved violently, sweat dripped from his forehead and down his chin. He looked at Yang Guo, who was calm and composed and whose clothes were spotless, and after a long while, he slowly withdrew his fist and bowed deeply.

"This humble general has lost. The Crown Prince's understanding of the Taizu Long Fist far surpasses that of this humble general."

Seeing this scene, Zhao Xu on the imperial platform could no longer contain himself. He ascended the throne at a young age and faced court documents, etiquette and rules every day. He had seen countless military exercises and palace competitions by the Imperial Guards, but he had never seen anyone perform a set of ordinary Taizu Long Fist with such a majestic and unpretentious divine power.

Ordinary martial artists practice boxing with a focus on fierce and aggressive fighting, aiming to win.

But this prince of Dali, his boxing style was upright and dignified, his advances and retreats were measured, and he remained humble and self-possessed, able to control his strengths and weaknesses. He won with ease and composure, without the slightest arrogance or hostility.

The more Zhao Xu looked, the more his heart was moved. As a young emperor, he was naturally fond of martial arts and curious. At this moment, he had already cast aside most of the suspicions in the court and the estrangement between the emperor and his subjects. His eyes were filled with deep envy and longing.

He raised his hand to silence the clamor, his smile broad, his gaze fixed on Yang Guo in the center of the arena. His tone was sincere and earnest: "Excellent! Truly unparalleled martial arts! I have lived in the deep palace since childhood, confined within its walls day after day, and possess no self-defense skills whatsoever. Today, witnessing Your Highness's extraordinary abilities, I am deeply envious. I wonder if Your Highness would be so kind as to instruct me in a few basic martial arts techniques?"

Upon hearing this, the entire Yujin Garden fell into a deathly silence!

The entire court was shocked, their faces changed, and they instinctively wanted to step forward to offer their advice.

The Song emperor and the scholar-officials jointly governed the country. The emperor studied literature to govern the country and managed his ministers to keep the country at peace. How could an emperor personally learn martial arts? If the emperor distanced himself from literature and became obsessed with martial arts, wouldn't he be repeating the mistakes of the Five Dynasties period when military men caused chaos in the government?

In an instant, all the civil officials present bowed and kowtowed, pleading with the emperor to reconsider.

Standing there, Yang Guo's mind was filled with a turbulent mix of emotions. He came from a time more than a hundred years in the future and had witnessed firsthand the weakness of the Song Dynasty's military and civilians, their suffering at the hands of foreign invaders, and their struggle to survive only with a handful of loyal and brave men like Uncle Guo. Ultimately, this was all due to the Song Dynasty's successive emphasis on civil affairs over military matters, leading to the gradual decline of its martial spirit.

He still remembered the old Lord Zhao of Xinyang Prefecture mentioning the past in casual conversation: Emperor Zhezong died young, and the court officials chose Emperor Huizong as the new emperor. It was that decision that dragged the great Song Dynasty into an abyss of no return. Whenever the old Lord Zhao talked about it, he would sigh with regret, thinking that if the emperor had lived longer, the situation in the world might have been very different.

The person whom Lord Zhao lamented was none other than the Song Dynasty Emperor, who was a few years younger than himself. Although Yang Guo had never liked to get entangled in the past affairs of the court, he knew that the temple name of the previous emperor was Shenzong, and with the fragmented memories left by Duan Yu's original body, he was fully aware of the cause and effect.

When Yang Guo first met Zhao Xu, he was secretly surprised. Emperor Taizu of Song had conquered the world through military force, so why did the emperors of later generations show no trace of martial arts skills? After a moment's thought, he realized that the one sitting on the dragon throne now was a descendant of Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong himself was only so-so in martial arts, and it was not surprising that his descendants, living in luxury in the palace, did not diligently practice martial arts.

Yang Guo thought to himself: Well, since I've come to this world, I'll find a way to save you. As for how far you can cultivate in the future, whether you can strengthen your body and prolong your life, that depends on Zhao Guan's own destiny.

Having made up his mind, Yang Guo remained calm and composed as he bowed respectfully. His clear and steady voice echoed throughout the Jade Garden: "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, ordained by Heaven to govern the vast land of the Song Dynasty. The art of being an emperor lies in governing the country and its people, not in fists and weapons."

Upon hearing this, the civil officials present all nodded slightly. They thought to themselves that although this prince of Dali was a border vassal king, he was well-versed in the etiquette between ruler and subject.

Yang Guo then changed the subject, his tone becoming calm and gentle as he continued, "I have spent many years roaming the martial world, practicing martial arts to protect myself from villains. However, Your Majesty resides within the ninefold inner palace, surrounded by imperial guards and skilled fighters, making it impossible for ordinary villains to approach the imperial carriage. Learning those combat techniques would be of no use to Your Majesty. Fortunately, I know of a Taoist internal energy cultivation method that does not require combat but is specifically for strengthening the body, regulating qi and blood, and prolonging life, which can be practiced within the inner palace."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly: "Oh? There is such a technique? Please explain in detail, Your Highness."

Behind the curtain, Empress Dowager Gao also stirred slightly, listening intently to the conversation below through the gauze curtain. The civil and military officials also relaxed slightly, their earlier tension dissipating. Since it wasn't martial arts or combat, but merely a health-preserving exercise, it didn't violate imperial decorum.

Yang Guo slowly said, "This martial art comes from the orthodox Taoist school. It does not emphasize fighting and violence, but rather focuses on maintaining one's inner strength and harmonizing the Yin and Yang energy throughout the body. It can be practiced sitting or standing, without the need for punches and kicks, and will not be tainted by the killing habits of martial arts practitioners. Regular practice will bring peace to the internal organs, make one energetic, relieve the fatigue caused by the tedious work of the palace, and strengthen one's foundation."

What Yang Guo was referring to was the Quanzhen internal energy cultivation method. He had been a disciple of the Quanzhen sect when he was young, but his unscrupulous master, Zhao Zhijing, was dissatisfied with him and only allowed Lu Qingdu to teach him the oral instructions every day, without teaching him any cultivation methods.

Yang Guo had nothing to do when he was in the Quanzhen Sect, so he naturally knew this set of basic methods by heart. However, he had many adventures later on, so he didn't pay much attention to this set of methods.

This is the foundational martial art of Taoism passed down by Wang Chongyang. It is best for conditioning the physical body and does not have the danger of going into qi deviation. It is just right for emperors who are kept in the deep palace and have few opportunities to fight.

Emperor Zhao was overjoyed. The weariness he had felt from dealing with memorials for days suddenly resurfaced. He had been in power since a young age, and even though the Empress Dowager still held real power, his desk was piled high with documents, often leaving him mentally exhausted. Hearing about such a health-preserving internal energy cultivation method, how could he not be tempted?

"Excellent! Very good!" Emperor Zhao clapped his hands and laughed. "Since it doesn't involve fighting or combat, but only for conditioning the body and mind, I'm willing to give it a try. I wonder if the Crown Prince could briefly teach me the formula?"

"What Your Majesty requests, I will naturally grant," Yang Guo replied with a calm smile and a bow. "I wonder if there is any writing brush and ink here? I can write down the incantation from memory now. I know that the palace has its own staff who can tell the truth from the truth at a glance."

The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately ordered someone to bring the Four Treasures of the Study. Yang Guo picked up the brush, ground the ink, and finished writing in one go.

After Yang Guo finished writing, a palace attendant came up to take away the incantation and presented it to the old palace attendant who had fought with Yang Guo before.

The man took the incantation and carefully read it word by word. After reading it once, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He read it again before putting it down.

He first bowed to the Empress Dowager, then to the Emperor, and said, "Young Master Duan's martial arts are indeed upright, balanced, and peaceful, and are extremely suitable for strengthening the body, consolidating the foundation, and regulating qi and blood."