The Sword Qi Dispute 2

"Now you understand, don't you? How many times have I said it? Sword techniques are easy to master quickly, but internal cultivation is the foundation. Our Mount Hua Sect has always prioritized qi and treated the sword as secondary. Dayou, you have been in the sect for so many years—why do you still not understand? Why are you standing here entertaining such wild thoughts?"

By this point, Yue Buqun's expression and tone had become severe.

Ning Zhongze watched anxiously from the side.

Lu Dayou dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling in fear.

Linghu Chong, ever loyal, hurried forward. "Master..."

"Silence!"

Yue Buqun rebuked him sharply.

He was furious. If not for the presence of his youngest disciple, he would have flown into a rage the moment Lu Dayou asked that question.

"Lu Dayou has become like this partly because of you, his Senior Disciple Brother. All you do is lead them around in idleness every day. Their minds are unsettled, and they refuse to train diligently!"

Linghu Chong lowered his head, unable to say a word.

Though Lu Dayou was utterly shaken, he refused to drag his Senior Disciple Brother down with him.

"Master..."

"Dayou!"

Linghu Chong grabbed him, while Ning Zhongze called to him softly as well, unwilling to let him say another word.

But Lu Dayou threw caution to the wind. "Master, this disciple would never doubt that internal cultivation comes first. But although Junior Disciple Brother's internal strength is formidable, didn't he still win through his swordsmanship?"

Old Yue's expression darkened further.

Ji Boying watched it all unfold. He could understand Yue Buqun's feelings very well, and he could also understand Lu Dayou's doubts.

Yue Buqun had lived through the era of the Sword and Qi dispute. Countless friends and loved ones had died at the hands of the Sword Faction, and he himself had nearly lost his life. Even now, he bore a hideous scar running from his shoulder to his lower abdomen, one that had nearly split his entire chest open.

Mount Hua had also declined from prosperity after that, nearly to the point of extinction.

How could Yue Buqun, as an inheritor of the Qi Faction, not hate them?

As for Lu Dayou, his talent simply was not enough, and his martial arts were mediocre. That was why he was lost and confused. It had to be said that using a sword truly did offer an advantage. Like someone wielding a weapon against someone trained only in fists and kicks, there was an innate edge. Yet in Ji Boying's eyes, cultivating qi was the proper path.

"Master!"

Ji Boying stepped forward of his own accord.

"Master need not be angry. Most misunderstandings in this world come from things not being explained clearly enough. Senior Disciple Brother had doubts in his heart and voiced them openly. If Master explains them and resolves those doubts, Senior Disciple Brother will surely benefit greatly. That is a good thing."

Seeing Ji Boying step forward to speak on his behalf, Lu Dayou was immediately overcome with shame.

He had been so prejudiced, yet Junior Disciple Brother was so magnanimous. For a moment, Lu Dayou felt that his earlier insistence had been meaningless. Whether he cultivated the sword or qi, he would just cultivate his own martial arts. If he cultivated them well, he would use them; if not, Senior Disciple Brother would still be there to cover for him. What was there to fight over?

The moment his resolve deflated, fear surged up within him. He knew Yue Buqun's stance on the Sword and Qi dispute. He only felt that he was doomed now.

The other disciples all admired their Junior Disciple Brother. They all feared Yue Buqun, and while they admired Ji Boying for stepping forward, they also worried for him. They all knew Yue Buqun's upright temperament; he was not so easily persuaded.

"You call this a good thing? You really are a clever rascal."

Yue Buqun's words, half rebuke and half not, left everyone dumbfounded.

Even in the midst of his fury, Yue Buqun was speaking to his youngest disciple in such a mild tone.

Junior Disciple Brother had actually managed to calm Master down! Mistress was standing nearby with worry written all over her face, while Junior Disciple Sister was frightened stiff like a quail!

"Very well. You were the victor today, and this disturbance began because of you. Tell me—do you want to cultivate qi, or practice the sword?"

Ji Boying smiled. "Master, don't you know me? Of course I prioritize cultivating qi!"

Yue Buqun smiled. "Words alone are no proof. These Senior Disciple Brothers of yours may not believe you, given how formidable your swordsmanship is."

As he spoke, he casually glanced at Lu Dayou and Linghu Chong.

Ji Boying smiled at everyone. "In my view, anyone with lofty ambitions and a long-term vision will naturally prioritize cultivating qi. Chasing after sword moves is truly shortsighted."

"If you Senior Disciple Brothers and Sisters do not believe me, then you should look at the choices made by the heroes of this world."

"Leaving aside everything else, among our Five Great Mountains Sword Sects, aside from our Master, the most formidable is Songshan Sect's Uncle-Master Zuo Lengchan. Second Senior Disciple Brother is knowledgeable and well-traveled. Does Second Senior Disciple Brother know which of Uncle-Master Zuo's martial arts is truly his strongest?"

Laodeno's heart skipped a beat, and he did not know whether Ji Boying meant something by it.

He gave an awkward laugh. "Junior Disciple Brother jests. Uncle-Master Zuo is such a great hero. How would I dare comment on him?"

Ji Boying continued as though nothing had happened. "Uncle-Master Zuo's Mount Song Swordplay is indeed formidable; his talent is truly outstanding. Most of Songshan Sect's sword techniques were reorganized by Uncle-Master Zuo himself. Strictly speaking, calling him the founding patriarch of today's Songshan Sect would not be an exaggeration."

"But his junior brothers, the renowned Thirteen Taibao, include many such as Immortal Crane Hand and Songyang Palm, who are not famous for swordsmanship. Even Uncle-Master Zuo's own most powerful skill is the Cold Ice True Qi that he created himself. Isn't that interesting?"

Ji Boying smiled at the thoughtful crowd. "The finest sword techniques in the world belong to our Five Great Mountains Sword Sects. Yet the two strongest sect leaders among us—one is strongest in Cold Ice True Qi, while the other is most skilled in Purple Mist True Qi. Senior Disciple Brothers, you are on Mount Hua arguing over whether to practice the sword or cultivate qi. Why not open the door and look outside? Have the examples of our senior masters not long stood before you?"

His words were a true revelation to them. Even Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze felt as though clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and their hearts were greatly eased.

In the past, they too had been blinded by Mount Hua's internal circumstances, fixated on the Sword and Qi dispute.

But Ji Boying did not stop. "We have looked at the Five Great Mountains Sword Sects. Now let us look at the current leaders of the righteous path: Shaolin and Wudang. Does Shaolin Temple distinguish between cultivating qi, practicing fists, and training with staves? Who does not know that Shaolin's most famous art is the Muscle Tendon Changing Scripture, the greatest internal cultivation method under heaven?"

"Junior Disciple Brother, what about Wudang? Isn't Wudang's Master Chong Xu renowned for his Taiji Sword Technique?"

Seeing that Yue Buqun was not angry, Liang Fa boldly spoke up as well.

His words made Ji Boying laugh again, and Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze joined him in laughter atop Yuntai Peak.

The other Senior Disciple Brothers could only scratch their heads and wait for them to finish laughing.

Only then did Ji Boying say, "My Senior Disciple Brother, surely you do not think Taiji Sword is merely a set of sword moves?"

"Apparently not..."

Liang Fa said quietly.

"This Taiji Sword was created by True Man Zhang, the founding patriarch of Wudang from the previous dynasty. Like Taiji Fist, it places great emphasis on Daoist conception. Its mysteries all lie within Taiji itself: before yin and yang are divided, all is whole and one. It values intent over force. The strength of Taiji Sword does not come from sword moves—it comes from Taiji True Intent. Senior Disciple Brother, Taiji speaks of a realm of attainment. Without meditating and cultivating qi, if one only blindly practices sword moves, do you think one could ever master Taiji Sword?"

With those words, everyone was finally completely convinced. So the truly powerful people in the world were all experts in cultivating qi, with profound internal strength.