Dao Fruit: Martial Arts Theory

[Based on your life, please select a Dao Fruit--]

[Martial Arts Theory] [Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction] [Pine and Crane Soft Palm]

Mo Wenjian's gaze fell first on the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction.

The basic version of the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction could balance the gain and loss of life while one slept.

On twenty-first-century Earth, combined with medical care for patients in vegetative states, one could theoretically live until heaven and earth grew old.

If you had an incurable disease, there was no need to worry. First, sleep for three to five hundred years.

Perhaps, after three to five hundred years, that incurable disease would be a difficult ailment that had already been conquered.

If you already had one foot in the coffin, there was no need to worry. First, sleep for three to five thousand years.

Who knew? In another three to five thousand years, humanity might have developed a genetic enhancement drug.

The improved version of the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction was even more valuable.

Under normal circumstances, living ten years consumed ten years of one's lifespan.

With the aid of the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction, however, living ten years consumed only four years of one's lifespan.

If you could originally live only a hundred years, the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction would ultimately let you live two hundred and fifty.

Choosing the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction would raise the Great Ming martial world and its foundation to a new level.

After hesitating for only a moment, Mo Wenjian ultimately gave up the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction.

The longevity Mo Wenjian sought meant stepping beyond the three realms and existing outside the five elements, living as long as heaven and earth and shining alongside the sun and moon.

The immortality granted by the basic version of the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction had the drawback of requiring sleep.

As for the improved version of the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction, the increase in lifespan was utterly meaningless to Mo Wenjian, who possessed the All-Heavens Dao Fruit Simulator.

The Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction benefited everyone except Mo Wenjian, for whom it was useless.

After a little thought, Mo Wenjian selected martial arts theory.

Martial arts theory could be divided into three distinct stages.

Before the age of eighty, Mo Wenjian had been a Wudang disciple of meager strength, able to collect only common jianghu Cultivation Methods found on every street. Thus, he had acquired only some basic theory.

From eighty-one to 142, Mo Wenjian had been an elder of the Scripture Pavilion and could freely browse Cultivation Methods below the Innate Realm. He had essentially mastered the essence of martial arts below the Innate Realm.

From 143 to 149, Mo Wenjian had been the Great Ming Dynasty's imperial preceptor and could freely browse the Cultivation Methods beyond the Innate Realm in the imperial Scripture Pavilion, greatly expanding his knowledge of martial arts. Unfortunately, he had devoted most of his attention to studying the Black Tortoise Longevity Instruction and had only skimmed the surface of the Innate Realm.

All in all, to sum it up--

His theoretical knowledge of martial arts below the Innate Realm had reached the pinnacle.

His theoretical knowledge of martial arts beyond the Innate Realm had at least reached the level of entering the hall and stepping into the inner chamber.

After claiming his Dao Fruit, Mo Wenjian immediately lay down on his bed and fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Mo Wenjian reluctantly crawled out from under the covers.

Mo Wenjian was currently a menial disciple and had to sweep the Eastern Arrival Hall every morning.

Mount Wudang was a sacred site patronized by the Great Ming Dynasty's imperial family. It was said to have nine palaces, seventy-two halls, and 365 pavilions.

The Eastern Arrival Hall took its name from the purple qi arriving from the east.

Years ago, when Laozi traveled west through Hangu Pass, Yin Xi, the pass's warden, used the Qi Observation Technique and saw purple qi coming from the east for three thousand li. He then knew a sage had arrived.

The honorific "sage" later became exclusive to the emperor.

The Eastern Arrival Hall's name was an obvious taboo, so the hall stood vacant year-round.

Mo Wenjian came to the Eastern Arrival Hall as usual and unexpectedly found a little brat of eight or nine practicing Two Forms Swordsmanship.

Mo Wenjian gave it a little thought, and understanding suddenly dawned on him.

A little brat living in the Eastern Arrival Hall was a hundred percent certain to be a member of the imperial family.

Only a member of the imperial family would dare live openly in the Eastern Arrival Hall.

Consider, too, that the Two Forms Swordsmanship the little brat was practicing was one of Mount Wudang's supreme Innate arts.

Even as an elder of the Scripture Pavilion, Mo Wenjian had not been qualified to read the Two Forms Swordsmanship.

From this, he could conclude that the little brat definitely held a noble title.

Even if he wasn't a prince, he was at least a marquis.

Taking the view that one less trouble was better than one more, Mo Wenjian instinctively went around the little brat.

Unexpectedly, when the little brat saw Mo Wenjian, he came up to him of his own accord.

"Zhu Zhanshan greets senior brother. I'll be living in the Eastern Arrival Hall from now on, so please give me your guidance!" Though the little brat was young, his manners were impeccable.

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, had five sons by his principal wife and twenty-one by his concubines.

Zhu Yuanzhang had established a generational naming sequence for each of his sons' lines.

Anyone familiar with the Great Ming imperial family's genealogy would know Zhu Zhanshan's origins upon hearing his name.

Although Mo Wenjian had not specifically studied the genealogies of all twenty-six princes, he happened to know what Zhu Zhanshan's name meant.

Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son by his principal wife was Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of Ming.

Zhu Di's eldest son by his principal wife was Zhu Gaochi, Emperor Renzong of Ming.

Zhu Gaochi's eldest son by his principal wife was Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Xuanzong of Ming.

Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Zhanshan were obviously brothers of the same generation.

It was now the year 1416, and the reigning emperor was Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of Ming.

Zhu Zhanshan's identity went without saying: he was clearly an imperial grandson of impeccable lineage.

A polite little brat was always easy to take a liking to.

A kindly smile involuntarily appeared on Mo Wenjian's face.

"I'm only a menial. I don't dare accept the title of senior brother from Your Highness, but if it's looking after you, I can do that!" Mo Wenjian instinctively reached out to pat Zhu Zhanshan on the head, but, mindful of his identity, he ultimately withdrew his hand halfway.

"Grandpa Huang once warned me that when I came to Mount Wudang, I had to follow its rules. He wouldn't let me put on the airs of an imperial grandson. You entered the sect before me, senior brother, so by Mount Wudang's rules, you are naturally my senior brother!" Though Zhu Zhanshan was young, he acted like an old man, creating a strikingly endearing contrast.

"Since you've called me senior brother, I'll reluctantly give you a few pointers in that capacity!" With his martial arts theory at the pinnacle, Mo Wenjian could see flaws everywhere in the Two Forms Swordsmanship Zhu Zhanshan practiced.

"Please instruct me, senior brother!" Zhu Zhanshan immediately cupped his hands toward Mo Wenjian, showing a humble willingness to learn.

"Although I've never practiced Two Forms Swordsmanship, it's not hard to imagine its essence by reasoning from Wudang's Taiji True Intention. If I'm not mistaken, Two Forms Swordsmanship is one yin and one yang, one soft and one hard, one defense and one attack, one feint and one true strike, one retreat and one advance. Though I only watched you practice it for a few moments, your broad, sweeping moves reminded me of a fierce general on the battlefield. The teacher who first taught you martial arts must have been a general who had fought a hundred battles, and you must find the Two Forms Swordsmanship you learned very awkward to use!" As Mo Wenjian spoke, he couldn't help shaking his head, expressing great disdain for Zhu Zhanshan's practice, which was like heading south when he meant to go north.

"Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me. The ancients truly did not deceive me. Everyone says Mount Wudang is a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and today I've finally seen it for myself. On the surface, senior brother is a mere menial disciple, but your martial arts realm has already surpassed my master's!" Zhu Zhanshan paused, then continued, "Just as you expected, my master is a general who has fought a hundred battles, and he has already reached the Innate Realm. When I learned martial arts, my master only ever told me to practice according to the manual, without the slightest mistake, lest an error cause Qi Deviation. As for the principles of martial arts, he never mentioned them!"