Foot Meridians Open, Wonders Arise

Afternoon sunlight slanted through the latticework of the old wooden window, falling across the desk.

It was a pale golden beam, quiet and warm—a rare touch of warmth in winter.

It silently spread across the open sutra scrolls and fell between Zhu Yingxiong's lowered brows, making this small meditation chamber seem all the more serene.

On the desk lay a freshly copied copy of the Huayan Sutra.

The ink had yet to dry, glistening damply beneath the gentle light. Its fragrance lingered, mingling with the faint pine-scented breeze outside the window, refreshing the spirit.

Today was already the third day after the year-end martial competition.

For the past three days, he had followed his master's instructions, staying indoors to copy sutras without setting foot outside.

Yet copying sutras was not all he had been doing.

At the same time, he had been cultivating and opening the meridians and acupoints in his legs.

The reason he needed to open the leg meridians stemmed from the kick that had sent Ma Junsheng flying that day.

That day, he took a single step and crossed two zhang in a flash, swift as lightning, leaving the hundreds of monks present unable to catch sight of his form.

Even now, recalling that instant left a lingering aftertaste in his heart.

It made Zhu Yingxiong realize that he seemed to possess a unique talent for leg techniques and lightness skills.

Thus, he used his cheat ability to "analyze the meanings" of the leg techniques and lightness skill masterpieces he had collected.

There truly were not many leg techniques and lightness skill masterpieces within Shaolin.

Apart from the Shadow-Following Leg he cultivated, the Great Shifting Body Technique and One Reed Crossing the River focused on lightness skills and movement techniques. Heart-Piercing Kick and Heart-Embracing Leg, on the other hand, were purely offensive leg techniques.

Over the past few days, he had used his cheat ability to analyze the fundamental essentials of each of these techniques, pondering them again and again until he gradually gained fresh insights.

Whether lightness skills, movement techniques, or offensive leg techniques, their foundation lay in opening and utilizing the meridians—chiefly the three yang meridians of the foot and three yin meridians of the foot among the twelve primary meridians, as well as the Conception Vessel, Girdling Vessel, Yin Heel Vessel, and Yang Heel Vessel among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.

The three yang meridians of the foot began at the face, traveled down the head and back, and ended at the top of the feet, governing the body's yang strength;

The three yin meridians of the foot began at the feet, traveled upward along the inner thighs, entered the abdomen and connected to the organs, commanding the body's yin suppleness. Only when yin and yang complemented each other could one possess the power to leap and the speed to run. This was an unchanging principle of martial arts.

The Yin and Yang Heel Vessels, in particular, were the key to lightness skills and movement techniques. The Yin Heel Vessel began at the inner side of the heel, traveled upward along the inner thigh, and ended at the inner corner of the eye, governing the body's agility;

The Yang Heel Vessel began at the outer side of the heel, traveled upward along the outer thigh, and ended at the outer corner of the eye, governing the body's nimbleness. Only once both vessels were opened could one become light as a swallow and leave no trace upon the snow.

As for the Girdling Vessel, it circled the waist like a belt and restrained the various meridians; the Conception Vessel ran along the front of the body, governed all yin meridians, and served as the sea of a hundred channels. One stabilized while the other circulated, ensuring that force exerted through the lower limbs had a root and source, rather than becoming unsteady and unsupported, with strength scattering beyond gathering.

When he had previously cultivated the Shadow-Following Leg, he had already begun opening the acupoints of the three yang meridians and three yin meridians of the foot.

Now, he closed his eyes and concentrated, attempting to use the pure innate true qi of the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture to open the meridians and acupoints within the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian and Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian.

The innate true qi rose hazily from his dantian like a trickling stream, slowly probing into the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian. At first, wherever the true qi reached felt like a candle illuminating hidden depths.

The true qi flowed downward along the meridian like a gentle stream, passing Fengchi, Jianjing, entering Riyue and Jingmen, then reaching Huantiao, Fengshi, and Yanglingquan.

It then shifted to the Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian—Dadun, Xingjian, Taichong, Zhongfeng... The true qi rose upward and met the Shaoyang qi at the perineum.

It cycled like this again and again, as yin and yang gradually connected.

Who knew how much time had passed when, all at once, the soles of his feet grew hot!

Warmth seeped from the Yongquan Acupoint on the soles of his feet, flowing upward along the meridians, past his ankles and knees, through his thighs and into his waist, gradually spreading throughout his entire body.

It was warm and tingling, as though invisible hands were gently kneading every inch of his muscles and bones, every meridian.

It felt as if roots had sprouted from the soles of his feet and burrowed deep into the earth. Without any deliberate circulation of qi, strength naturally arose beneath his feet.

In this way, he had opened one meridian each among the acupoints of the three yang meridians and three yin meridians of the foot.

He wondered what wonders would arise once they were fully connected.

Just as his heart surged with excitement, Zhu Yingxiong suddenly sensed vibrations from approaching footsteps. Someone was coming to find him.

He gradually withdrew his cultivation, preparing to rest for a while.

Zhu Yingxiong slowly opened his eyes. Outside the window, it was still the afternoon, and the sun's shadow had shifted no more than three inches.

Yet beneath his feet, that warmth remained, endless as an underground spring.

Sure enough, moments later—

Knock, knock, knock.

The door to the meditation chamber was gently knocked upon.

"Martial Uncle Yuan Zhen!"

The voice of the young novice Pure Affinity came through the door, clear and carrying both respect and excitement.

"The Patriarch has summoned you."

Zhu Yingxiong opened the door and nodded slightly.

"Understood. I'll go at once."

With that, he walked out of the room and gave Pure Affinity's round little head another rub. It felt rather nice.

Zhu Yingxiong headed toward his master Worryless's meditation chamber, while behind him, Pure Affinity touched his own head and chuckled foolishly.

Pure Affinity froze on the spot. Only after the back of that moon-white monk's robe had vanished into the distance did he come back to himself, rubbing his head and grinning foolishly.

Zhu Yingxiong walked slowly along the bluestone path toward Worryless's meditation chamber.

More monks appeared along the way. There were menial monks sweeping the grounds, young novices hurrying past with sutra scrolls in hand, and several middle-aged monks in gray robes who had likely just emerged from the meditation hall.

From afar, the moment they spotted him, the monks' steps paused in unspoken unison.

"Junior Brother Yuan Zhen." A middle-aged monk stepped aside to make room, pressed his palms together, and bowed respectfully.

Zhu Yingxiong recognized him at once. He was a senior brother from the Discipline Hall, usually quite imposing within the temple and never one to smile or speak lightly. Yet now, he had taken the initiative to yield the path and bow his head in salute.

Zhu Yingxiong nodded slightly and returned the gesture with palms together.

Further ahead, several young novices conversing quietly beneath the corridor caught sight of him. They immediately fell silent, stepped aside, and bowed.

"Martial Uncle Yuan Zhen."

The same scene repeated itself all along the way. Regardless of seniority or familiarity, every monk he encountered stopped, moved to the roadside, and lowered his head in salute.

Zhu Yingxiong's expression remained calm, his stride unhurried, as he nodded back to each of them. Still, a faint ripple stirred in his heart.

As the champion of the year-end martial competition and the foremost member of Shaolin's younger generation, his standing was no longer ordinary.

He suppressed his tangled thoughts and passed through the moon gate. Worryless's meditation chamber was now in sight.

Worryless's meditation chamber remained as quiet as ever.

The bamboo curtain was half-raised, and steam curled from the tea. The old monk sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Seeing Zhu Yingxiong enter, he raised a hand and pointed to the cushion opposite him, indicating that he should sit.

"Have you gained anything from copying sutras these past three days?"

"The sutra is in my heart," Zhu Yingxiong replied.

"Not bad." Worryless nodded faintly, took out a small celadon bottle from beside him, and handed it over. "This is the temple's reward for your performance in this competition: Fuchan Salve. You have used it before; it is remarkably effective for treating internal and external injuries. When you travel the martial world in the future, scrapes and bumps will be unavoidable. Keep it with you."

Zhu Yingxiong accepted it with both hands and tucked it into his robes.

"In addition," Worryless paused, "you may read in the Scripture Repository for seven days. This is the custom. Anyone who wins the competition may enter the repository to browse its scriptures, without restriction as to category."

At this, Zhu Yingxiong's heart stirred.

For others, seven days of reading in the Scripture Repository would undoubtedly be an enormous gift. But to him, it was hardly more than a tasteless morsel.

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately forced himself to ask.

"Master, may this disciple boldly ask whether the opportunity to read in the Scripture Repository can be exchanged for something else?"

Worryless raised his eyes to him. "What do you want?"

"Medicine to increase my cultivation, such as a Little Rejuvenation Pill," Zhu Yingxiong said tentatively.

Though he had won this competition, he knew better than anyone that the martial world of the Ming Empire was filled with masters. His present cultivation was still far from enough. If he could raise it sooner, he would have one more measure of strength to protect himself when traveling the martial world.

Yet Worryless merely shook his head gently.

"The Little Rejuvenation Pill I bestowed upon you before was one I had treasured for many years."

Zhu Yingxiong sighed inwardly, already abandoning hope.

However, Worryless abruptly changed the subject.

"If you want more, you must now obtain them yourself."

Zhu Yingxiong was slightly taken aback. "How do I obtain them myself?"