Wulin : Martial Heroes

Chapter 44: The End of the Pages

And there is some knowledge about Eight Practices to seek longevity and to be one with Heaven and Earth.

This part seems like a Daoist method and it is one part of the Scroll

Li Xin thought of some of the knowledge he got about Daoist method.

When he learns martial skill from the system, he not only learns the moves but he also learns the principle behind it

That is the reason why his moves are all so perfect, that there is no flaw, when he attacks, he is one with his surrounding, when his sword pointed forward, there is no hesitation, achieving the peak in an instant and when he sheathed the sword back, the world is calm and quiet

One of the method that he had learned from the information that is given to him is the refining the Dan

And coincidentally, in the book the Scholar also written down the method of Refining the Dan, and it is even more advanced than what he had learned.

This kind of method could be used in refining pellets and pills. This is something that is confirmed by the Scholar

The Scholar wrote that he also had learned how to refine pellets and pills from the formulas inside the Scroll.

But this method of refining the Dan, of alchemy, is broader. It is not only refining the Dan, it also allegorically pointed toward the refining of the body and the soul.

It could be applied to practice of martial arts. Some Daoist is said to reach immortality by refining Dan

There is also the Eight Practice and the idea of the Seven desire. Li Xin is quite sure that this scholar is not a Daoist, but he written down many Daoist methods. 

‘Eight Practices, huh?’ Li Xin before he enters this world did not know anything about Eight Practices but after many of his skill imbue him with understanding of certain principle he could understand a few Daoist principles.

The first one is entering tranquility.

To the practitioner that seeks longevity when practicing this Scroll one must have a mind that is devoid of all distractions such as the Seven Emotions.

This method could also be applied to making concoction or medicine.

It is like saying that there must be no impurities in either the mixture of the separate ingredients and all must sit in the cauldron free of any disturbance.

Then there is Doing away with thinking too much and trying to be too clever.

To the practitioner of this Scroll, to reach tranquility, one cannot attempt to either think or scheme one’s way into tranquility.

In spiritual matters, cleverness is not always encouraged. Sits and appear as dead wood and cold ashes and become tranquil.

There is also the practice of regulating the breath.

Like the other practice, this also have something to do with pellet making and pill making as it could be applied in the constant and disciplined flow of air through the bellows in order to keep the fire steady and even

Purification of body and mind is also one of is practices.

In it, it lists the things that could clouded one mind and confuse the heart. The mind is confused, then the body also become corrupted.

The relation of the mind and body is stressed in this part.

It spoke of rituals as ways for people trying to purify their thoughts.

The ritual itself have no power but it eases the mind. To those who did not rituals there is other ways of purifying one heart. The method of purifying body is also mentioned in detail.

Then it is maintaining and preserving the focus, sink deep into a state of extreme focus. To keep all of one attention in the dantian until the qi produces heat and vibration

It spoke about waking at dawn to make use of the peak yang hours and not to injure the energy.

Sleeping causes disruption of the energy in the body, too much sleep will cause it to dissipate more rapidly.

it is a reminder that the furnace must be tended constantly and not be left alone for too long.

As there is reminder to wake up early, there is a reminder to stay up late. This have some Daoism elements of cultivation practices.

It is best for practicing martial arts and best for meditation. Some of the words, is written symbolically and not literally

There is many Daoist method, but there is also that of Buddhism and of Confucianism. The Scholar concluded that there is many methods and this manual is a manual that encompass and perfected everything, as long as one is true to one own martial path, then the inner skill would follow.

Li Xin had a lot to learn from this introduction page alone.

Some of it is the condensation of the knowledge of the Scholar. Some of it is something that Li Xin found for himself

And then there is also the Refining the Eight.

It seems to hold double meaning. It can mean the Qi Jing Ba Mai or the incorporation of the natural movements of Eight Diagrams into one practice.

There seems to be practice of making pills of healing and there is practice of turning Qi into Yang shen that attaches to the Dantian.

It speaks of attaining immortality by extending compassion to all living beings and it spoke of many things. Because of the many confusing terms, understanding the Scroll would be a momentous task.

Li Xin read all of this and for a moment he was engrossed in it, that he had almost forgotten that there is a girl in his hut, that requires his medical attention

Even though the introduction page itself is not the main book, there is a different knowledge contained in the introduction page.

If the Eternal Life Scroll is the life work of the Duke, then the introduction page shows the medicine skill of the Scholar.

Li Xin even doubts that the person is a scholar

This person understanding of medicine, it is more suited for this person to become a Divine Doctor instead of a Scholar.

But it is not only the knowledge of the medicine that made him engrossed it is also the fact that it combines it with martial arts moves so that when one attacks, one could also use the meridian that heals and reverse it to become a meridian that harms.

Unblocked acupoint could be blocked with one touch, the Qi circulation could be stopped and reversed.

Changing benefits to harms, changing day to night, nourishing and harming, is but one side of the coin.

When Li Xin reach the end of the introductory page, he was broken out of his state of “not feeling the wind blows but having his mind enraptured”

He put down the book for a second and sighed

‘It is a pity’ he muttered for a second.

The reason he said pity is because he is quite sure that the Scholar managed to create a brand new kind of martial arts

The Scholar writes down that while he did not manage to learn the manual ultimate secret and could not learn the internal energy practice of the Eternal Life method, he did manage to derive a new martial arts skill that integrate medical skills and martial arts.

But it is a pity that this senior did not put down his understanding into the introductory page.

If he did, Li Xin also wanted to learn it.

He had many skills he wanted but this skill that he had just read, of changing things, of having ten thousand transformations, of changing benefit and harm, changing night and day (metaphorical phrase) is something that he never had

Changing the effect of a meridian to benefit and harm. It is clear by the end of the introductory page he attributed his understanding of all of this to the Scroll of Eternal Life

He even compared the deeds of the Duke as that is rivalled only of that of Righteous Temple founder who is said to originate all of the martial arts of the Central Plains.

Li Xin close his eyes for a few second and sighed. He felt a bit excited but also a bit of pity. If he could learn that method that the scholar had comprehended, that alone is good enough

But he is also excited that even though he did not have the chance to learn such a magical skill, in his hand right now is the source of that skill, the Eternal Life Scroll.

Of course, it is no longer a scroll. Looking at this book, this secret manual that has been fought for since Taizong era, it is in the shape of a book and not of a Scroll.

This means that this book is written down from the Scroll.

There must be the original Scroll somewhere in the world

The writing of the book might be old but it is not as old as hundreds of years. Taizong died in 649 AD. The difference is around 300 years give or take.

If this paper is three hundred years old, it would probably be more disheveled. But while it does look old, it does not look that old.

Since this manual once in the Underworld Gate, that means, the Underworld Gate might have put down the practice of the Eternal Life skill onto a book.

This is only his conjecture. But all of that doesn't matter.

What matters is that he now has the manual. And knowing the system, he did not have to waste his time trying to decipher every codes or puzzles that is in this book to learn this skill