Sitting cross-legged in meditation, he divided the True Qi within his body into two streams, one Yin and one Yang, which twisted together like a hemp rope and advanced side by side through his eight extraordinary meridians.
With each breath, he drew clear Qi into his lungs, letting it flow through his limbs and bones, then exhaled turbid Qi in a faint, slightly murky white mist.
The two streams of True Qi intertwined, and the Yin True Qi gradually grew stronger. This was because his understanding of the Mystic Yin Dao surpassed his understanding of the Supreme Yang Dao.
He had no idea how much time had passed. Apart from eating, drinking, and relieving himself each day, Zhang Qingyuan spent all his time immersed in this state of increasing his True Qi.
When the True Qi of the Yin-Yang Limitless Art reached saturation, Zhang Qingyuan exhaled.
During this period of cultivation and contemplation, besides improving his Yin-Yang Limitless Art, he had also comprehended a fist technique and a palm technique.
The Yin-Yang Unrivaled Palm and Taiji Fist.
Taiji Fist went without saying, whether it was the traditional martial arts of modern society in his previous life or the scenes in martial arts films.
He had long since committed the principles of Taiji Fist to memory. The reason he had not practiced it before was that he could only recite those theories he had heard in his previous life, not fully understand them.
Now, however, after reading countless Daoist scriptures, he felt as though he had experienced an epiphany. His understanding of the Dao of Taiji had already reached a very high level.
At this point, the fist technique took shape naturally.
The Yin-Yang Unrivaled Palm, meanwhile, was a palm technique developed from the principles of Taiji Fist.
Yin and Yang worked in harmony, bringing prosperity to all things.
He also wrote down the internal cultivation method he had developed from his ideas about the Dao of Taiyin.
This internal cultivation method bore some resemblance to the Nine Yin Manual. However, Zhang Qingyuan had never practiced the Nine Yin Manual, so he could not be sure exactly how much the martial art he had created resembled the Nine Yin Manual from The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
Although both were founded on the Dao of Supreme Yin, there were definitely differences.
Zhang Qingyuan named this martial art the "Mystic Yin Manual." He had originally wanted to call it the "Nine Yin Manual."
But after thinking it over, the martial art he had created had neither the Nine Yin Manual's marrow-cleansing chapter nor any accompanying martial techniques added to the cultivation method.
The Nine Yin Manual even had an accompanying move, the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, whereas his own "Mystic Yin Manual" had everything.
It only had a cultivation method, which could be used to cultivate internal power.
After recording all the martial arts he had created on paper and binding them into books, Zhang Qingyuan jumped off the bed.
Out of seclusion!
He went over to the mirror for a look and instantly jumped in fright.
Holy shit.
What manner of monster was this?
His reflection was filthy and disheveled. His hair had matted into felt, his beard was a good five centimeters long, and his face was so greasy that he looked like a beggar by the roadside.
While he was still reeling in shock, the door suddenly opened.
Zhang Qingyuan looked back and saw Li Guangye walking in with a meal tray.
"Oh, you're awake." Li Guangye smiled at him and set the tray down.
"Senior Brother Guangye, how long have I been in seclusion?"
"Three months already."
Zhang Qingyuan froze, then smiled again. "Truly, the mountains know no years, while a thousand years have passed in the world."
"The mountains know no years, while a thousand years have passed in the world?" Li Guangye pondered the lines, finding them evocative, and exclaimed, "Junior Brother Qingyuan, you can even compose poetry!"
"Just a passing sentiment."
He had no desire to copy poetry to show off like those transmigrators who had come before him. There was no other reason: he could not remember many of the poems he had learned in his previous life, so even if he copied them, he had to save them for crucial moments.
Every poem he used meant one fewer left.
"By the way, why are you so talkative today?"
Li Guangye found it strange. Whenever he had brought meals before, Zhang Qingyuan had merely thanked him. Why was he chatting today?
Not only was he chatting, he had even gotten out of bed!
Zhang Qingyuan broke into a dazzling smile.
"To tell you the truth, I've finished my seclusion!"
"What?" Li Guangye stared at him in disbelief, his eyes widening in surprise.
"You've finished your seclusion after only three months?"
"Yes, today marks its complete conclusion."
"Did you fail?"
Li Guangye thought it over. For ordinary people, spending two or three years cultivating in seclusion was perfectly normal.
Besides, how could the difficulty of cultivating compare to that of creating a martial art? Cultivation proceeded from an existing foundation, while creation meant starting from nothing.
At this thought, he sighed. It seemed Zhang Qingyuan had failed.
Zhang Qingyuan smiled. "I succeeded."
"Failure is perfectly normal. You're still young, and you have plenty of time ahead of you. As the saying goes, failure is... what? You succeeded?"
Zhang Qingyuan raised his eyebrows. "Of course I succeeded!"
"Are... are you even human?"
Zhang Qingyuan lifted his eyelids and glanced at the "Mystic Yin Manual" he had compiled on the table. Li Guangye hurried over, picked up the cultivation method, and examined it closely.
After a quick read, he knew that this cultivation method was every bit as profound as their sect's Taiyin Radiant Light Cultivation Method.
Holding up the manuscript, he said excitedly, "Quick, come with me to see the sect leader."
He grabbed Zhang Qingyuan and started to leave, looking as eager as someone taking his girlfriend to meet his parents.
"Wait, let me tidy myself up first. How can I face anyone looking like this?"
He had to pay attention to his appearance. The title the martial world had given him was already idiotic enough. If people saw him like this, they might take him for the Sloppy Daoist.
The Sloppy Daoist?
I've already gotten Old Zhang's talent template. I can't steal his nickname too.
"Then hurry up." Li Guangye burned with impatience.
Zhang Qingyuan began meticulously cleaning himself, brushing his teeth, rinsing his mouth, washing his hair, and cleansing his face.
After tidying himself up, he was once again that graceful young man, that handsome Daoist.
Seeing that he still had the leisure to admire himself in the mirror after washing up, Li Guangye grabbed him and headed outside.
"Slow down, slow down!"
"We can't slow down. Why aren't you in the slightest hurry?"
What's the rush to show off?
The pair hurried across the ropeway, leaving the disciples thoroughly puzzled.
"What's gotten into Third Senior Brother?"
"No idea."
"Is the person he's dragging along... Senior Brother Qingyuan?"
"Ah, Senior Brother Qingyuan has come out of seclusion!"
As several disciples discussed this, two disciples passing nearby heard them and were somewhat puzzled.
The two were a man and a woman, neither very old, looking only twenty-one or twenty-two.
"Who is this Senior Brother Qingyuan?" the man asked.
"Sixth Senior Brother, Seventh Senior Brother." Seeing the newcomers, the disciples hurriedly bowed.
Young as those two were, they were both personal disciples, far beyond the likes of these outer disciples.
Sixth Senior Brother was a man, the youngest disciple of the sect leader, Daoist Master Bright Moon.
Seventh Senior Brother was a woman, a disciple of Daoist Master Bright Heart.
Within Daoist orders, everyone addressed one another as senior or junior brother, regardless of gender.
Only martial-world sects used the address "senior sister."
Sixth Senior Brother looked seriously at the two and asked, "Tell us, who is this Senior Brother Qingyuan?
"Has anything happened in the sect while we were away?"
"Reporting to you, senior brothers, Senior Brother Qingyuan's name is Zhang Qingyuan. He's a visiting fellow Daoist lodging here."
They told the two about what had happened to Zhang Qingyuan in the Taiyin Dao Palace, including his draw with Wu Guanghui, his diligent daily study of the scriptures, and his three months in seclusion.
After hearing this, Sixth Senior Brother asked, "Seventh Junior Brother, doesn't the name Zhang Qingyuan sound a little familiar to you?"
The female Daoist's expression shifted slightly.
"According to the rumors down the mountain, that fiendish Daoist who helped the tyrant work his evil, helped the Green Bamboo Demoness slaughter the disciples of Cloud Dust Manor, and slew the sect leader of the Seven Luminaries Sword Sect was called Zhang Qingyuan!"
"What?"
The two exchanged a glance and cried, "This is bad!"