The Changes Have Taiji, Which Gives Rise to the Two Forms (6/8)

Inside the thatched hut.

Yu Tunzhou gently turned the prayer beads in his hand.

With the addition of this new item, their already meager family fortune seems to be showing signs of gradually becoming more prosperous.

Senior Lu said this item could help him calm his State of Mind, but he was already in Meditative Concentration, so it didn't seem to have any use for him at the moment.

Yu Tunzhou stopped thinking about it, placed the Buddhist beads under his pillow, returned his mind to its proper place, and sank directly into the Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth.

In the Primordial Spirit Sea, after swallowing the Martial Fortune, Little Black didn't become round and plump like last time. Instead, it was slowly swimming around in the sea to digest its food.

After confirming that Little Black was unharmed, Yu Tunzhou shifted his attention to the Daoist book in his mind.

After actively intercepting a wisp of Martial Fortune, he finally turned the first page of the Daoist book that had previously left him helpless.

The pages unfolded silently, revealing neither scriptures nor diagrams, nor even any written characters or symbols, but only a vast, chaotic expanse, devoid of heaven, earth, sun, or moon.

Yu Tunzhou glanced around and was suddenly jolted, as if he were already inside it. There was no light or sound around him, and he couldn't even distinguish up, down, left, or right, just like the chaotic scene before the world was divided.

It was so still that it reached the extreme of stillness, and so empty that it reached the extreme of emptiness.

In the depths of this chaos, a glimmer of light appeared.

It was minuscule, yet gradually grew so bright it could not be ignored, and then suddenly exploded!

A blinding white light swept across all directions, unleashing bursts of light and heat, and surging energy. One after another, complete worlds were rapidly born, took shape, and evolved between the pages of the book.

It's as if one begets two, two begets three, and three begets all things.

The "one" in it is the Tao, the Wuji (Wuji).

The "two" in this context refers to the interplay of movement and stillness, which gives rise to Yang and Yin respectively. The interplay of Yin and Yang constitutes the Dao, which is also known as Taiji.

The "three" refers to heaven and earth, all things, wind and rain, mountains and rivers.

Therefore, Wuji gives rise to Taiji, Taiji gives rise to Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang transform into great power, wind and rain bestow their blessings, and all things obtain their harmony and live!

Yu Tunzhou was completely absorbed in the scene, as if he were witnessing the birth of a world, reaching back to the Grand Beginning chaos.

At this moment, it was as if an ancient Daoist priest was slowly imparting his teachings in his ear—

The Yi (易) gives rise to the Taiji), which in turn generates the Liangyi (两仪).

The two polarities give rise to the four symbols, and the four symbols give rise to the eight trigrams.

The eight trigrams are arranged in order, representing all things.

It is there!

In a small thatched hut.

At that moment, however, an astonishing phenomenon arose!

Yu Tunzhou had somehow gotten off the bed and was now standing in the center of the small space.

Calm your mind, quiet your breath, relax your shoulders, and lower your elbows.

His Fist Intent flowed naturally, filling the room like a stream of water.

His mind and body were completely relaxed at this moment, calm and clear, without a single thought, which corresponds to the Wuji of "the boundless void" in which "heaven and earth were not yet separated, and there was no formlessness".

The punches then slowed down.

From stillness comes movement; when the mind moves, the energy follows; emptiness and fullness give rise to each other—this is precisely the principle that "Taiji generates Yang through movement and Yin through stillness."

In the practice of boxing, the unity of opposites Yin and Yang runs through the entire art: movement and stillness, emptiness and fullness, hardness and softness, opening and closing are the basic changes in boxing, corresponding to the principles of the Four Symbols.

The Eight Methods of Taiji Chi, with their myriad variations, are based on the Eight Trigrams and represent the origin of all things.

now.

Yu Tunzhou slowly raised its hand, as if the sky were covering the earth, its strength unending;

Following the natural flow, like water flowing through a river, the elements of Kan and Li combine;

Pressing down with force, like the earth's virtue of being thick and yielding, yielding to and receiving the heavens—

When the fist moves, Yin and Yang are in motion.

When the fist is still, Yin and Yang are still.

The variations in boxing embody the principle of continuous renewal found in the I Ching.

It is as if the principle of Yi (易, change) is the basis of boxing, and boxing is the form of Yi.

The Way is the foundation of boxing, and boxing is the application of the Way.

A vast Fist Intent emanated from Yu Tunzhou, seemingly capable of encompassing everything and all things from the very source!

Within the Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, gentle waves surged.

Little Black swam with its tail wagging, seemingly rising and falling in sync with the movements of a fist, like a point of profound blackness, enacting the ultimate principles of Taiyin in the vast sky and sea.

The human body, mind, and Primordial Spirit are all perfectly integrated.

A single page of a Daoist book encapsulates the creation of heaven and earth.

The Taijiquan routine fully elucidates the changes of Yin and Yang.

The subtle shifts in the Fist Intent, happening so close at hand, were immediately noticed by an old man and a young man in the neighboring Daoist temple.

Li Jingxuan quietly felt the overwhelming force of the Fist Intent.

After absorbing Martial Fortune once again, Senior Brother Yu's Fist Intent seemed to have undergone a completely new change.

Is it truly due to Martial Fortune?

If the Fist Intent was previously just a blank canvas, now it has taken on some outlines, and its general structure can be seen.

For example, Yin and Yang.

The interplay of Yin and Yang, the mutual generation of the two polarities, Inner Form workings of Senior Brother Yu's Kunpeng.

The principles of Yin and Yang correspond to at least Divine Ability martial arts. A slightly deeper understanding of Daoist principles corresponds to External Scenery martial arts.

But Li Jingxuan inexplicably felt -

Senior Brother Yu's Fist Intent shouldn't be as simple as just Yin and Yang.

He suddenly looked at the old Daoist priest. "Why did you deliberately conceal your aura for Senior Brother Yu? I originally thought you stayed behind to observe the evolution of Senior Brother Yu's Fist Intent, but it seems you're still covering for Senior Brother Yu?"

Who are you trying to hide this from?

"Are the townspeople stationed in their respective homes? Or is it that same person—the town's keeper?"

Lu Huaiqing lived in the temple next door and practiced boxing with his Senior Brother Yu every day. No matter how he tried to hide it, he couldn't fool this person.

Therefore, Li Jingxuan was basically convinced that what his senior brother was hiding was the town keeper.

The old Daoist Changping, "Do you know where Yu Tunzhou's greatest calamity has been over the past three years?"

"Senior brother?"

The old Daoist priest glanced sideways at the clueless man. "Why would I kill him? Unless he has both volumes of Book of Changes I Ching in his hands."

Li Jingxuan frowned.

The answer is then obvious.

It was the town keeper, the man who called himself Old Mo.

But why him?

"Who exactly is this person?" Li Jingxuan asked. "Don't you know either, Senior Brother?"

The senior brother before him, while perhaps not the strongest in the lineage, or even in this era, was of the highest seniority.

Their vision, however, is absolutely astoundingly high.

If even the senior apprentice doesn't know who Old Mo is----

Then he couldn't help but suspect that this guardian of the town had sneaked into this grotto-heaven from Heaven Beyond Heaven!

The old Daoist priest was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm not entirely sure yet. I do have a few suspects, but this person is clearly after Lu Huaiqing's master."

Li Jingxuan asked with rare surprise, "Is that Martial Ancestor truly Lu Huaiqing's mentor in Martial Dao?"

At this point, Li Jingxuan's expression became somewhat strange.

"Most likely." The old Daoist priest suddenly chuckled. "What, do you think Lu Huaiqing, as that person's disciple, is of a lower cultivation level?"

Li Jingxuan's expression returned to normal.

If Lu Huaiqing is indeed a Martial Ancestor, then his cultivation level is indeed somewhat low.

The old Daoist priest sneered, "Li Jingxuan, Li Jingxuan, that's why I said your understanding of the Dao is too shallow, you're blind, and you don't take monks as true Buddhas, but you just won't admit it. It's fine if you don't admit it, just don't come asking me, figure it out yourself, who knows, maybe one day you'll suddenly understand, and then you'll feel a sense of awe and reverence for Lu Huaiqing."

Li Jingxuan frowned, but did not argue.

After a moment, Li Jingxuan brought the topic back on track. "Since even Senior Brother hasn't confirmed the identity of that town guardian, why do you dare to say that this person is Senior Brother Yu's greatest threat?"

Seeing that the old Daoist priest remained unmoved, seemingly losing interest in further explanation, Li Jingxuan said in a deep voice, "Senior brother, don't forget, it was you who acted as matchmaker between me and Senior Brother Yu!"

"Oh?" The old Daoist priest said with a half-smile, "Junior brother is concerned about his senior brother? Very well, very well, brotherly affection, I love seeing this the most!"

Li Jingxuan's expression was calm, almost cold, as he awaited an answer.

Cultivation is a personal matter, so he did not interfere with Senior Brother Yu's cultivation in the cave.

But life and death are not.

If Senior Brother Yu were to die at the hands of that man surnamed Mo one day, should I, as his junior brother, avenge him?

The old Daoist priest slowly said, "After entering the cave, this person was not very interested in anything except fishing. He claimed to come from the Aristocratic Clan fishmongers, and that he had lived on fishing boats since he was a child, and had been fishing, selling fish, and killing fish with his ancestors since he was old enough to understand things."

Li Jingxuan asked, puzzled, "What does this prove? Because Senior Brother Yu's surname is also Yu?"

The old Daoist priest said coldly, "Replace the character 'fish' with 'luck'."

Li Jingxuan's expression suddenly changed, and he asked a question that seemed completely unrelated to the present, "Where did Senior Brother Yu's entry into this cave heaven come from? Was it by mistake, or is someone behind it orchestrating it?"

"Yu Tunzhou's identity is beyond reproach. He lost both his parents at a young age and became a refugee due to a natural disaster. During his escape, he accidentally stumbled upon this grotto-heaven."

The old Daoist Changping said, "The karmic threads behind him are clean, even pitifully few. If I had to say, in my eyes, his entry into this grotto-heaven was a mistake, and also a matter of fate."

"Number of days?"

"Suppressing the ancestor of Martial Dao for a thousand years, how could there not be any backlash from destiny?" the old Daoist Changping. "To be honest, after hearing the name of young friend Yu, I really thought that some fellow Daoist had set a trap to send young friend Yu here to mock that Martial Ancestor."

Li Jingxuan remained silent.

The fish that once Tunzhou is now reduced to ants on land.

That Martial Ancestor happened to be surnamed Lu.

Lairu ----

No wonder Lu Huaiqing, a nameless man, would choose the surname "Lu" for himself.

Li Jingxuan sighed softly.

The old Daoist priest suddenly said, "Lu Huaiqing was unaware of Yu Tunzhou's Fist Intent before. If he had known, he probably wouldn't have chosen Yu Tunzhou."

"Of course, it's also possible to bet everything."

Li Jingxuan's gaze sharpened, and he instantly understood what his senior brother meant.

What exactly did this person see in Senior Brother Yu's boxing style that made them think Senior Brother Yu actually had a chance of winning?!

Li Jingxuan was quite certain that even if he asked, this person would not answer him, but would instead laugh at him for not being able to see how high the Great Dao was.

Shaking his head helplessly, his thoughts returned to the town keeper surnamed Mo.

Using fortune as a means of "hunting" is a lineage of Daoism that has survived from High Antiquity and is notorious.

If the town keeper is indeed a descendant of this lineage, then Senior Brother Yu's side should indeed be on guard.

Li Jingxuan suddenly looked next door and saw that Senior Brother Yu's Fist Intent had undergone a new change!

The moonlight is cool tonight.

It was a perfect day for murder, arson, digging pits, and burying people.

Old Mo rolled up his sleeves and personally dug eight pits, each one a neat and orderly size, just enough to bury the eight young men from the families who had perished at the hands of Yu Tunzhou that night.

--

After shoveling the last handful of soil, Old Mo straightened up, puffed out his chest, raised his head, and grinned.

Look at this tacit understanding. Tunzhou raises his fist to eliminate evil, while Old Mo wields his shovel to bury the corpse. One kills, the other buries. Who can compare to this brotherhood?

Old Mo suddenly looked towards the town, puzzled. What did he mean by "no need to bury them, just return the bodies to them"?

Then all that digging was for nothing!

Besides, look at how badly that thing was smashed! Could you handle it?

Old Mo shook his head, pretending not to hear.

Anyway, some people can't leave the house either----

(Two more tickets available tonight)