Douluo Continent: From Blue Silver Grass to Nine-Leaf Sword Grass

Chapter 4 Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a required subject in university, and there are exams before each semester break. As a medical student, Jiang Li naturally knows it.

Tai Chi Chuan is mainly divided into five major styles: Chen style, Yang style, Sun style, Wu style, and Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan. Each style has its own characteristics.

Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan: Created by Chen Wangting, it is known for its powerful and explosive movements, with large and sweeping motions, and emphasizes combat skills and internal energy cultivation.

Yang-style Tai Chi Chuan: Developed by Yang Luchan of Yongnian, Hebei Province, based on Chen-style Tai Chi Chuan, it features gentler movements that emphasize body coordination and relaxation, making it suitable for people of different ages and physical conditions.

Sun-style Tai Chi Chuan: Created by Sun Lutang, it combines elements of Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang. Its movements are flexible and suitable for rapid movement and responding to emergencies.

Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan: Created by Wu Tunan, it features slow and continuous movements, emphasizes the cultivation of internal strength and relaxation of the body, and is suitable for middle-aged and elderly people to practice.

Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan: Created by Wu Yuxiang, it features simple and clear movements, emphasizing natural body movement and the application of internal strength, making it suitable for beginners and those seeking a natural and fluid practice.

The origins of Tai Chi Chuan can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, where it was called "Tang Hands." It flourished in the Ming Dynasty, becoming known as the "Thirteen Postures." The Tai Chi Chuan community reveres Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain as the patriarch of Tai Chi. Tai Chi Chuan is a theoretical system comprised of Tai Chi classics, Tai Chi theories, and Tai Chi songs, integrating with Traditional Chinese Medicine's meridian theory, Tai Chi philosophy, Five Elements theory, and health preservation principles. Tai Chi Chuan not only serves for self-defense and combat, but also emphasizes self-cultivation and the cultivation of both internal and external strength.

Regular practice of Tai Chi can also regulate the body, clear the meridians, enhance immunity, and improve physical fitness.

In addition, Tai Chi Chuan, along with the Marrow Washing Classic and the Tendon Changing Classic, are collectively referred to as foundational exercises.

However, due to the reasons of the previous life, coupled with the loss of the mental techniques and the fact that Tai Chi is easy to learn but difficult to master, there are very few famous Tai Chi masters. In the end, it has only become something for old men in parks to exercise.

Jiang Li learned a modified version of Yang-style Tai Chi, which is simpler and easier to learn compared to traditional Tai Chi.

After going through the thoughts in his mind, Jiang Li put away his martial spirit, got out of bed, and began to practice Tai Chi.

"Taiji originates from Wuji, is the mechanism of movement and stillness, and is the mother of Yin and Yang. When it moves, it separates; when it is still, it unites."

Tai Chi emphasizes using stillness to control movement and softness to overcome hardness. Tai Chi focuses on cultivating the mind rather than the form. As a student of traditional Chinese medicine, Jiang Li naturally studied Tai Chi extensively and even practiced it quite well. While he might not be considered a Tai Chi grandmaster, he was at least a master. However, he gave it up after graduation due to work reasons.

Moreover, as an internal martial art, Tai Chi requires maintaining inner peace during practice, not being bound by the forms, and letting the mind follow the heart.

As for why he didn't practice before his martial soul awakened, it was because he was too young at the time, and his physical condition didn't allow it. Now that he's six years old, it's the perfect age to practice martial arts. Moreover, now that he has awakened his soul power, he can practice with peace of mind.

Jiang Li assumed a starting stance and then began to slowly practice his punches.

The basic moves of Tai Chi Chuan include standing meditation, walking the form, and various fist techniques, such as Single Whip, Cloud Hands, and White Crane Spreads Wings. Advanced moves include Grasping the Sparrow's Tail, Blocking and Punching, and other moves.

After adjusting his breathing, Jiang Li began practicing Tai Chi, starting with standing meditation.

Beginners should practice Tai Chi slowly, as slowly as possible, because Tai Chi is a slow art that can only be mastered through perseverance. You cannot learn Tai Chi well if you are impatient for quick results.

Starting with the most basic stance training, then moving to walking postures, then to single whip, and then to cloud hands, Jiang Li executed each move with ease and skill, creating an indescribable beauty.

……

Half an hour later, with the completion of the last movement, Jiang Li's arms hung down leisurely, his palms gently stroking his sides, his posture upright, his breathing long and even. His left foot returned to its place, his feet came together, he was calm and composed, both inside and out, and there was still sweat on his forehead from practicing Tai Chi.

"Phew, it's been a while since I've practiced, I'm a bit rusty, but... um? My soul power and body?" Jiang Li wiped the sweat from his forehead after finishing Tai Chi, made a few complaints, and suddenly realized that his soul power had increased a little, and his physical fitness was a bit stronger than when he awakened his martial soul.

"Tsk tsk tsk, so that's how it is. It really is because of the environment." After figuring out the situation, Jiang Li understood why his soul power and physical fitness had increased.

The reason was that the worlds were different. In his previous life, there was no spiritual energy, and the Tai Chi manual was lost, so it could only be used for physical fitness. In this life, because he was in the Douluo Continent, the air was filled with soul power. When Jiang Li was practicing Tai Chi, he unconsciously absorbed the soul power in the air, which improved his soul power and physical fitness. However, this was the first time he practiced Tai Chi in this world, so the effect was obvious. He probably wouldn't improve this much in the future.

"It's probably because it's my first time practicing Tai Chi. I guess I'll gradually increase the amount of energy I gain later. But that's okay, at least it's better than not gaining any energy at all. Maybe I can even use this to absorb a spirit ring that's higher level than my current one," Jiang Li thought to himself.

Since the decision has been made to follow the path of the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, the quality of the spirit rings must be of high quality. According to the law of conservation of energy, the energy required for evolution is much higher than usual. Whether it is a fairy herb or a spirit ring, they are both forms of energy, just with different functions. Fairy herbs can change a person's foundation, while spirit rings can help people break through. If there is not enough energy, the evolution of the martial soul will be a long way off.

I'm currently reading the error-free version! This is the first time I've published this novel.

Putting everything else aside, his first spirit ring must be at least a hundred years old. Jiang Li doesn't want his first spirit ring to be ten years old, not even a very suitable one. That would slow down his development too much, or rather, his potential wouldn't be that high. He couldn't bear the consequences of that. In his previous life, he was a genius, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to go to the operating table less than two years after graduation.

"Forget it, let's wait until school starts. I'll practice Tai Chi for now, and I'll practice swordsmanship when I'm in school. After all, I never had any experience with swordsmanship in my past life, and I don't understand it. Not to mention, I can't access swordsmanship in this life. I can only learn about it through the school library, which happens to have information about soul beasts there." Jiang Li thought to himself.

Because he had never been exposed to swords in his previous life, Jiang Li couldn't practice swordsmanship even if he wanted to. Let alone now that he has just awakened his martial soul, there's nowhere to buy sword techniques, not even basic ones. They're not allowed to be sold. Want to learn? Sure, schools have them, but they're either family heirlooms or you have to join a faction. Otherwise, you have no way to learn them.

The Spirit Hall definitely has it, but his Blue Silver Grass is worthless. After all, Blue Silver Grass is the most useless thing. Even if it has soul power, it's just luck. It's not worth mentioning at all. It's just a good thing that Jiang Li is a transmigrator. If it were an ordinary person, it would be useless.

(End of this chapter)