"Mount Heng" is the foundational practice of Mount Heng. Mastery of this cultivation art takes many years to achieve. According to the Jiang Hu ranking, a third-rate Martial Master who's devoted two years can manage it, but even those who've practiced for decades still grapple with its intricacies.
When a disciple enters Mount Heng, the focus isn't solely on cultivation. It's more about following the Master's teachings and understanding the basics, like "Tunfa," which serves to regulate breathing and nurture the sense of anger.
Upon hearing Chen Ang express interest in this practice, Liu Zhengfeng appeared slightly taken aback. He spoke frankly, "Indeed, this is a fundamental method, but the teachings of major sects, even those from street dojos, are quite similar. If anyone is interested, my family's 'Sanyang Heart Law,' or even Mount Heng's secret 'Mount Heng Heart Law,' could be shared publicly!"
"Starting with wooden tablets, originating from soil; the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," Chen Ang reflected, looking back at Liu Zhengfeng. "The internal cultivation techniques trace back to ancient times! Methods of exhaling, consuming food, guiding, and contemplation. Since the 'Yu Qi Ming,' it's been thousands of years, and even more since the time of the Yellow Emperor!"
"Martial arts shouldn't focus on brute strength, catching, and killing, as that's the path of beasts, not martial arts. While it's natural to possess mysterious Inner Strength for combat, the true path lies in seeking the righteousness of ancient martial arts, to transcend oneself and engage with the sky. The answers lie in the wisdom of sages!" Chen Ang elucidated.
In response to this, Liu Zhengfeng couldn't help but bow, pondering, "Does this mean finding the essence that the disciple embraced, to cultivate a purified soul?"
Chen Ang smiled and glanced at him. "Are you familiar with the 'Nine Yin True Scripture'? How about the 'Shaolin Temple 72 Supreme Skills'?"
"I've heard of the 'Nine Yin True Scripture.' It's a legendary martial arts treasure, said to be associated with the Five Senior Experts, creating a significant stir in Jiang Hu! The 'Shaolin Temple 72 Supreme Skills' is as resounding as thunder," Liu Zhengfeng replied honestly.
For ordinary people in Jiang Hu, these matters might be unknown, but the Mount Heng faction, with its centuries-old heritage, retains some knowledge of these old tales from Jiang Hu.
This confirmed Chen Ang's belief that the world of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" is deeply connected with the four songs following the "Dragon." It's a world existing along a similar timeline.
"The 'Nine Yin True Scripture' is divided into two volumes and is a peerless martial arts compilation from the Wanshou Dao Scripture during the Northern Song Dynasty. It was hailed as the world's foremost martial arts treasure at that time. This remarkable martial arts scroll ended up in the hands of two Peach Flower Island disciples, mixed in with the 'black winds,'" Chen Ang elaborated.
Liu Zhengfeng listened with astonishment written across his face. As someone unfamiliar with such martial arts secrets, his identity was unheard of. Perhaps only Shaolin Temple, with its millennium-old legacy, would hold clear records, intensifying Chen Ang's mystique to him.
"The tale behind this is quite intriguing, but it's irrelevant to us. It's enough to know that the superior wind amid the black winds practiced the 'Nine Yin True Scripture' for twenty years. Due to a misunderstanding of the techniques, she mastered a variation called the Nine Yin White Bone Claws!"
"Nine Yin White Bone Claws!" Liu Zhengfeng exclaimed, displaying intense interest. Chen Ang couldn't help but chuckle. While many martial arts techniques fade into obscurity when they fail to pass down, the forbidden martial arts become even more renowned than the original technique.
"Just know that the original Nine Yin Divine Claw surpasses Mei Ning's 'Nine Yin White Bone Claws' tenfold. If Mei Chaofeng encounters someone truly skilled in this art, both techniques might fail against it, leaving her at their mercy!" Chen Ang stated calmly.
"The '72 Supreme Skills' are similar. Many Shaolin High Monks spend a lifetime pondering over one set of techniques, while some manage to practice a dozen or more in one go. Murongbo and Xiao Yuanshan of the Northern Song Dynasty faced the same situation. However, in their later years, they had to seek guidance from Shaolin and delve into Zen studies! What are your thoughts?" Chen Ang inquired.
"Perhaps Shaolin intentionally hides key flaws, making it difficult for practitioners to achieve mastery?" Liu Zhengfeng, born within the Five Top Sword Factions, genuinely disliked Shaolin and didn't mince his words.
"Haha! Well said!" Chen Ang laughed heartily. "You think too little of martial arts legends like Bodhidharma and Zhang Sanfeng. They aimed to share their martial arts with the world. How could they conceal such teachings?"
"Yet, your notion isn't entirely incorrect! There is indeed a secret here," Chen Ang continued, gesturing to Liu Zhengfeng to stop, and withholding further explanation.
"Whether it's the 'Nine Yin True Scripture' or the essence of the '72 Supreme Skills,' despite the intricate terminology used, they encapsulate the essence of martial arts practice."
"'Wu Xue Xiu Yang' is a deeply veiled concept. Many gauge martial arts mastery based on combat prowess, but fail to comprehend why only Dharma and Zhang Sanfeng earned the title of 'Great Grandmaster,' despite others fighting tirelessly for a lifetime. Why is the North Divine Art and Six Meridians Divine Sword famed, while only the Sinew-Transformation Canon and Tai Chi attain the pinnacle of martial arts prestige?"
"The unseen and intangible aspects of martial arts cultivation play a pivotal role. In Chen Ang's perspective, martial arts cultivation involves a fusion of martial intelligence, wisdom, and knowledge. It's akin to an expansive net, weaving together martial arts with various dimensions of sagely intelligence."
"The manuscripts of the 'Sinew-Transformation Canon' epitomize this form of intelligence. Similar to 'Laozi' or the 'Dao Virtue Classic,' its intelligence might not be apparent. Those studying Confucius might not understand it. 'Ren' could be seen not merely as a secret but more as a blueprint for learning."
"Zhang Sanfeng's 'Taiji' or Dharma Wu Buddha's 'Sinew-Transformation Canon' likely summarized their martial thoughts into an outline. The real content involved delving into Buddhist scriptures, Taoist texts, and classic literature. Huang Sang could understand the Nine Yin True Scripture from the 'Longevity Dao Scripture,' similarly."
"Thus, Chen Ang never anticipated that extracting 'perfect cheats' from the martial arts world and diligent practice could elevate someone beyond. Instead, he chose to immerse himself in the world, absorbing its essence through observation and understanding, representing the true worth of the world."
"Learning cheats is a means to mastery, while learning martial arts is the pathway to evolution."
Chen Ang has practiced medicine for three months, treating numerous martial artists, studying hundreds of live secrets, and mastering most martial arts techniques, thereby accumulating robust martial arts training to commence his cultivation. Liu Zhengfeng serves as his guide.
While contemplating future research into human body understanding via martial arts, Chen Ang reckoned that without sufficient scientific accumulation, even if he created a martial art set akin to 'Six Meridians Divine Sword,' it would still be a far cry from inspiring a 'Sinew-Transformation Canon.'
Even Solitary Nine Swords, accumulating swordsmanship globally, might not compare. Though it might exhibit invincibility in terms of power, for Chen Ang, if martial arts don't contribute to human life's evolution, they hold no meaning.
Chen Ang left it at that. He casually mentioned a yellowed Song Book to Liu Zhengfeng, saying with a smile, 'If I told you I could understand the 'Sinew-Transformation Canon' from these books, would you believe it?'
Liu Zhengfeng was startled. He carefully inspected the 'Fahua Solemn Theory,' confirming it to be an ordinary scripture. He murmured, 'If others said it, I wouldn't believe it, but I still have seven points of doubt in my heart.'
"Before Dharma wrote a book, there were hundreds of volumes detailing his studies. Afterward, there were thousands of scriptures narrating his comprehension. Can't we comprehend the intelligence behind 'Sinew-Transformation Canon' from these Bodhidharma studies?" Chen Ang chuckled.
Liu Zhengfeng saw the lightheartedness in his words but secretly chuckled. 'Dharma's intelligence is scattered across vast Buddhist scriptures. Sorting it out requires extraordinary intelligence and perseverance. Perhaps only the gods can manage that!'
For now, he was content to diligently accumulate knowledge over many years, understanding every facet of martial arts and some anecdotal stories. A sentence or two from a master's martial arts, a few words he believed to be true – Chen Ang didn't possess much interest in what he considered as a true biography. Instead, he pointed out a few mistakes or imperfections, taking keen interest in the minute details of martial arts.
He even engaged in discussions about Chinese medicine's understanding of 'qi,' directing him to find knowledgeable physicians. Monks, Taoist priests, doctors, teachers, and scholars - if not broad-minded, they couldn't harmonize with Chen Ang.