Chapter 2 Chapter 1 Wudang Mountain
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Hou Yingzhi raised his head to look up at the Wudang Mountain with incomparably reverent eyes.
He suddenly understood why the idea of "Unrivaled Under Heaven" was born here.
During the six or seven years in the Qingcheng School, Hou Yingzhi often admired the beautiful and magnificent scenery of Qingcheng Mountain; but today he saw Wudang Mountain, which has the title of "Dayue", and Fang really felt the meaning of "majestic".
The terrain of Wudang Mountain is very strange, the surrounding terrain is low, but when it reaches the center, there are suddenly strange peaks.Especially in this early spring season, the mountains are green and deep, exuding a strong ancient and mysterious atmosphere. It is no wonder that Wudang Mountain has been called "Fairy Mountain" since ancient times.
The famous "Seventy-two Peaks of Wudang" are shaped like sword-bladed arrowheads facing the sky, competing to stand upright and competing for momentum; only Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak surrounded in the middle, stands out from the mountains like a flock of chickens. Qingtian has never seen the clouds, like a king coming to the princes, lonely and peerless.Taking a closer look at the surrounding peaks, the situation seems to be bowing to Tianzhu Peak to worship—this is the famous "seventy-two peaks facing the big top" scenic spot of Wudang Mountain.
——The scenery of "Invincible under Heaven".
Hou Yingzhi shed tears unknowingly, holding the Wudang long sword tightly with both hands.
As long as it is a real warrior, it is impossible to refuse the shock of this scenery.
——Everyone in the Wudang sect lives in such an environment and uses this mountain as the background for their practice every day.
When Hou Yingzhi thought of this, his chest burned like fire.There is self-ashamedness, envy and jealousy, but also excitement.
Because he himself will soon be one of them.
It has been more than two months since I left Chengdu.It was the first time Hou Yingzhi went out since he entered Qingcheng Gate at the age of twelve, and he had no experience of traveling alone in his life.I had to go overland in the mountainous Sichuan, and I didn't know the way, so it took a lot of days to finally arrive.
However this is not the end of the journey.
The real journey begins here.
At the foot of the mountain, guarding the archway of the gate is a little Taoist priest who belongs to "Yuanhe Temple".With him leading the way, Hou Yingzhi stepped up the mountain worship path paved with rocks, climbed to the foot of the mountain, and then turned westward. After a while, "Yuzhen Palace", the headquarter of Wudang School, is in sight. Backed by Phoenix Mountain, facing Jiulong Mountain, Wangxiantai is on the left, and Heihu Cave is on the right. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, this place has a wonderful situation.Later Emperor Chengzu Emperor Zhu Di overhauled Wudang and built the "Yuzhen Palace" here for Zhenren Zhang. It was completed in the 15th year of Yongle, with nearly a hundred halls and houses, and gradually added to it. Hou Yingzhi stepped into the glazed tiled eight-character palace gate, and in front of him was a large square paved with bluestone slabs, which was much wider than the Qingcheng School's "Xuanmenshe" teaching field. Directly opposite the square is the main hall of "Yuzhen Palace", "True Immortal Palace".The hall with vermilion walls stands high on the Chongtai decorated with railings, and the four corners and single eaves of the veranda roof are flying, and its extraordinary momentum far surpasses the "Guiyuan Hall" of the Qingcheng School.Hou Yingzhi couldn't help being shocked again. --here.Here it is. But at the same time Hou Yingzhi felt strange.He originally thought that the headquarters of the Wudang faction, which is determined to dominate the martial arts, must be heavily guarded.Unexpectedly, he went up the mountain from Shinto and entered the gate of "Yuzhen Palace", but he has not met a single member of Wudang sect.There were only a few veteran workers cleaning the square in front of them, and they didn't even glance at him.If you don't know where to go, you may think it's just a deserted Taoist temple. The little Taoist priest who led the way seemed to be very wary of this place, he didn't follow Hou Yingzhi into the palace gate, and left in a hurry outside the gate. Hou Yingzhi didn't know what to do.He thought to himself, why not ask a servant to ask, and stepped into the square. After walking a few steps on the bluestone slab, Hou Yingzhi stopped suddenly. "Please show up and lead the way." He turned around and saluted respectfully.He didn't know where the other party was hiding, but he knew that he had been watched since he went up the mountain—partly because he had an indescribable strange feeling, and the other part was because he was convinced that the Wudang faction would not be able to relax so far. "I know." Hou Yingzhi said again: "If I hadn't been carrying this Wudang sword, I'm afraid blood would have been splashed on the mountain-climbing Shinto." "You kid, interesting." The sound came from above. Hou Yingzhi looked up and saw a figure in brown clothes kneeling on the glazed tiles on top of the high palace gate. The man jumped down from the top of the door, which was more than ten feet high, and the moment his feet touched the ground, he took a small step sideways, and the force of the landing was magically dissipated without a single sound.This kung fu is not only the "Ti Yun Zong" lightness kung fu of the Wudang School, but also the use of "Tai Chi" energy on the legs, so that it can be so invisible. The man was tall and thin, with unusually long arms and legs, reminiscent of a praying mantis.The long face is very fair, and it seems that he rarely sees the sun, and his narrow eyes are cold and radiant.There are leather belts around his shoulders and waist, leather sheaths everywhere, and a total of six short flying swords that are only one foot long. "I didn't show up, I just wanted to see you." The man said with a smile. Hou Yingzhi understood the meaning of his words: the opponent judged his martial arts level and origin by observing his walking posture.Of course Hou Yingzhi himself hadn't reached this level, but he had heard from the seniors of the Qingcheng School that as long as the martial artist's skill and experience were deep enough, he would naturally have the ability to see the enemy from the slightest. "Then Your Excellency must already know..." Hou Yingzhi respectfully raised his long sword with both hands. "I didn't snatch this Wudang sword back." The man grinned a little more.Although his face is cold, his smile is sincere. "So I said, you kid is interesting." Hou Yingzhi still held his long sword, but his lower body knelt down towards the man. "What are you doing?" The man raised his eyebrows. "Deputy head Ye has an order. As soon as I arrive at Wudang Mountain, this sword must be handed over to my fellow elders." Hou Yingzhi's handsome face restrained his usual arrogance, and he looked straight at the man seriously. "New entry disciple Hou Yingzhi, pay homage to senior brother."
Hou Yingzhi followed the tall and thin senior brother Fan Zong to the side hall on the west side of the square. When Hou Yingzhi was in Chengdu, he had already heard from his brothers in the Sichuan Expeditionary Army that the most elite disciples of the Wudang Sect were all organized into three divisions.All the expeditionary troops are dressed in black, which means they belong to the "Soldier Crow Road". He didn't know that at this moment, Senior Brother Fan beside him was dressed in brown clothes, which represented the identity of the elite of the "Shou Snake Dao" - the overseas disciples of "Shou Snake Dao", such as Zou Tai, naturally only wore Casual clothes are used to keep their identities secret; while disciples of the "Shou Snake Road" who are in charge of security work in Wudang Mountain, like Fan Zong, wear brown military uniforms for identification and to show their higher status. "Are you wondering why there is no one in 'Yuzhen Palace'? Where are all the fellow disciples?" Fan Zong asked on the road. Hou Yingzhi nodded.Fan Zong hid deliberately to observe him, which is reasonable; but the whole group of people hid for his small role, right? "The reason is very simple." Fan Zong said with a smile: "They all went to practice in various places in the mountains. This is the most deserted time of the day in 'Yuzhen Palace'." "Why don't you practice in the palace?" "There's not enough space." Fan Zong shook his head with a laugh. Hou Yingzhi shrugged his eyebrows. ——If even this huge "Yuzhen Palace" is not enough, the number of Wudang disciples must be far beyond his imagination. The two walked into the hall while talking.Although it is only a side hall, the solemn atmosphere has already made Hou Yingzhi speechless. Guided by Fan Zong, Hou Yingzhi saw Senior Brother Gui Danlei who was meditating in the hall to nourish his energy. Gui Danlei, who is in his forties, is almost the exact opposite of Fan Zong in appearance. He is short, strong and thick, making people feel like an iron ball, supporting the dark green "Turtle Town Road" bulgingly. Taoist robe.A mess of hair rose and spread out like a lion's mane, as if struck by lightning, curly and dry and brown.A row of small, strangely curved runes was stabbed horizontally on his forehead.On the left breast of the robe, the emblem of "Tai Chi" is embroidered, which is the envy of all disciples of the Wudang School. ——The deputy master, Xing Hao, is still serving the emperor in the capital, and the important task of guarding Wudang Mountain is temporarily entrusted to him, a senior disciple of "Suppressing Turtle Way", to take charge. Gui Danlei took the letter from Hou Yingzhi with the wax seal of "Tai Chi". "The head of the sect is retreating, and the deputy head of the division is out of town again. I have signed this letter on my behalf." Gui Danlei held the letter above the top of his hands, bowed slightly, and then opened the wax seal. After reading the whole letter, Gui Danlei stared straight at Hou Yingzhi who was kneeling in front of him with a pair of mighty pupils like copper bells. Fan Zong, who was standing by the side, didn't see the content of the letter, but he already guessed roughly: he had observed Hou Yingzhi's figure just now, and estimated his martial arts, although he was not at the level of a master, he must be from a famous family Since Ye Chenyuan's letter belongs to him, Hou Yingzhi must have come from Sichuan, so he is either from the Qingcheng sect or the Emei sect; Fan Zong sees that he is light on his feet, he seems to practice swords more than spears and sticks, so he is probably from Qingcheng The remaining disciples. Gui Danlei looked at Hou Yingzhi for a while, then suddenly stood up from the cross-legged sitting position, grabbing Hou Yingzhi's collar with one hand. Hou Yingzhi did not resist.It wasn't because he knew he couldn't fight, but because he knew that if he switched to the Wudang faction, he might not be able to gain trust immediately.Before he set foot on the mountain road, he was ready to accept any test or torture. But Gui Danlei just used ingenuity to gently pull up Hou Yingzhi who was kneeling on the ground. "Let's go!" Gui Danlei laughed, holding Hou Yingzhi's hand. "What are you waiting for? Since you have entered the mountain gate, the first thing you need to do is to kowtow to the patriarch!"
To enter the "True Immortal Hall", the holy place of the Wudang sect, one must first take off his shoes and socks in front of the hall, and clean his feet before stepping on the dark brown wooden floor. When the "True Immortal Hall" was first built, the ground was originally paved with blue bricks; but since the previous head, Gongsun Qing, returned to the vulgar, reformed the Wudang School, and changed the "True Immortal Hall" into a dojo for practicing martial arts, the ground was covered. board. When Hou Yingzhi stepped into the "True Immortal Palace", he was naturally overwhelmed by the huge and gorgeous statue of Sanfeng Patriarch, which was shaped in the shape of a real martial god of war.The bronze statue about ten feet high is gilded all over. The Emperor Zhenwu/Patriarch Sanfeng stands with a sword and steps on a snake, tortoise and basalt beast. Its appearance is vivid and majestic, and its carving technology is exquisite. Hou Yingzhi's Taoist temple on Qingcheng Mountain has never been seen before. seen. In the eyes of contemporary Wudang disciples, Sanfeng Patriarch, who once symbolized renunciation, cultivation and immortality, has become the God of Martial Arts who protects the martial arts hegemony. Before Gui Danlei could order, Hou Yingzhi lifted the hem of his robe, knelt down on both knees, and kowtowed three times to the god statue. Gui Danlei and Fan Zong also kowtowed.Fan Zong took three incense sticks from the altar and lit them, and handed them to Hou Yingzhi to burn the incense.After Hou Yingzhi offered incense, he knelt down and knocked three more times. "That's enough." Gui Danlei helped Hou Yingzhi up. "Since Deputy Head Ye has accepted you in Sichuan, we can keep everything simple." He smiled and said, "Anyway, in the past twenty years or so, our Wudang Sect has stopped paying attention to these red tapes." At this moment, Hou Yingzhi saw that there were three other people in the "True Immortal Palace" dojo.All three seemed to be in their thirties or forties, two of them were wearing the same dark green military uniform as Gui Danlei's "Town Turtle Way", and one was wearing the black clothes of "Bing Crow Way".Among the three, only one of the disciples of "Suppressing Gui Dao" did not have the "Tai Chi" mark embroidered on his chest. He was sitting cross-legged silently, watching the other two fellow disciples practicing.The two people's arms overlapped, their bodies were round and their footwork was round, pushing each other to dissipate their strength, and they were practicing the famous "Pushing Hands" in "Tai Chi". It was the first time that Hou Yingzhi saw Wudang disciples practicing martial arts, although Hou Yingzhi couldn't understand the meaning of "Pushing Hands", he was very excited.But he also knew that in this important place of the "True Immortal Hall", the ones taught must be very high-level martial arts, and he, a beginner disciple, should never take a peek, so he didn't dare to take a closer look. Fan Zong saw what he was thinking and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter. If you want to read it, you can watch it. If you can learn it, you can learn it. In the Wudang school, there is no such boring precept against 'stealing'." "As long as you are a talented and capable disciple, we are not afraid to teach you everything, but we are afraid that you will not learn fast enough." Gui Danlei also explained beside him. "I can't stand it. If you read it a hundred times, you may not learn it." When Hou Yingzhi heard this, his heart felt hot.He has always felt annoyed at not being able to become a "Taoist disciple" of the Qingcheng School with Yan Heng - he doesn't believe that there are any martial arts that Yan Heng can learn, but he cannot learn.Knowing that the Wudang School's style of teaching is so free and open now—and the Wudang School has completely defeated the Qingcheng School—Hou Yingzhi feels that this seems to confirm that his thinking is correct. "However..." Gui Danlei said again: "'True Immortal Palace' is a quiet dojo, and only the head and deputy head can practice here on weekdays. We should not linger. Besides, we have to go to another place .” Then he took Hou Yingzhi away.
The three of them left the "Yuzhen Palace" and walked up the stone-paved path of worshiping the mountain. Hou Yingzhi felt that these two senior brothers were extremely sincere and kind, which was beyond his expectation.He saw that the disciples of the "Bing Crow Dao" who were on an expedition to Sichuan all looked arrogant and fearful, like Jiang Yunlan and Xi Zhaoping were even more ruthless, and thought that the atmosphere in the Wudang School was the same, but he didn't want to, but it was a completely different matter. Only then did he dare to ask: "Brother Gui, just now you said that only the head and deputy head of the 'True Immortal Palace' can practice in it...Then the three just now..." "They're different." Gui Danlei put away his smile when he said that. "Those three people are 'Dianbei'." "'Dianbei'?" Gui Danlei stopped.He looked up at the Tianzhu Peak half hidden in the clouds. "Wudang chooses to be the head. He doesn't pay attention to virtue, doesn't rank seniority, and only talks about one thing." Gui Danlei clenched his huge fist, and his knuckles were covered with thick calluses that had accumulated over time. "strength." He raised his fist to the sky. "The head of Wudang. Among the strongest Wudang sects, the strongest one. It's that simple." Hou Yingzhi thought for a while: "That means... as long as there is someone stronger than him, the head of the sect will... change?" Gui Danlei nodded. "I appointed three deputy heads. In addition to their status and being in charge of the internal affairs of the faction, the deputy heads are more important to obtain a qualification: they can challenge the head once a year." Fan Zong went on to say: "The 'Dian Bei' is a disciple who is ready to challenge the position of the deputy head. Once they are declared to be the 'Dian Bei', they will have to compete with any deputy head within a year. During this year, All of our Wudang faction will do our best to assist 'Dian Bei' and give him the best training." Hou Yingzhi was so excited that his body trembled slightly. "So... how can I become a 'Dian Bei'?" "Nothing." Fan Zong said. "Any Wudang disciple can do it at any time. If you are confident, you can announce that you will become a 'Dian Bei' tomorrow." It's easy to say.But Hou Yingzhi, who has witnessed Ye Chenyuan's magical skills with his own eyes, clearly understands how great confidence and courage it takes to be a "palace preparation".He recalled the three senior brothers in the "True Immortal Palace" just now, and couldn't help admiring them from the bottom of his heart. "This means..." Gui Danlei said: "Anyone in the Wudang faction has the chance to become the head at any time." He pointed to the towering Tianzhu Peak. "Become the number one person who is truly 'Invincible' in the Wudang faction of 'World Invincible'." These bold words were like a heavy hammer hitting Hou Yingzhi's heart.His eyes were wet, his throat was constricted, and he couldn't answer for a while. Fan Zong noticed it, and couldn't help but patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "I heard this sentence for the first time more than ten years ago, and it's the same as you are now." Hou Yingzhi took a deep breath and silently followed the two brothers to continue up the mountain. As he walked, he thought about it again: To become a challenger "Dianbei" naturally requires extremely high courage and self-confidence; but the leaders of the Wudang faction have shown even more extraordinary tolerance and confidence in establishing and maintaining such an open challenge system ——At the peak, you still have to be diligent and unremitting to meet the challenges of anyone below at any time. This is not something that every person in power is willing to accept. ——The power of Wudang is not accidental or fluke. "Brother Gui..." Hou Yingzhi asked, "Until today...has there been any 'Dian Bei' who has successfully defeated the deputy head?" "not a single one." "Then..." Hou Yingzhi frowned. "What happened to them after that?" Gui Danlei had a solemn face. "I'm going to take you to meet them now."
The cemetery is on the west side of "Yuanhe Temple", on a gentle hillside with green grass.Looking around, there are many steles, at least two or three hundred. Hou Yingzhi stepped on the grass, but felt it was soft to the touch. He lowered his head to see that it was cut very short and flat, and there were no weeds and vines on the tombstones. It seemed that someone took care of them day and night. He casually looked at one of the inscriptions.The owner of the tombstone is named "Gan Yingzhu", and the death date was nine years ago.Counting the days of birth and death, he was only twenty-three years old when he died. Gui Danlei did not explain.But Hou Yingzhi already understood where these tombs came from. ——All of them lost their lives in the fierce training and competition of Wudang School. "Being a disciple of the Wudang Sect is no fun." Hou Yingzhi remembered that Ye Chenyuan had said such things the day he accepted him as an apprentice. Gui Danlei came over and reached out to caress the stone tablet of "Gan Yingzhu".In addition to the name of the deceased and the date of birth and death engraved on the stele, there is also a "Tai Chi" emblem representing the Wudang School. "Among these people, some of them are very shallow, and have not even practiced a little martial arts." Gui Danlei said: "But everyone lying here will always be a Wudang disciple." He looked up at the sun.The messy brown dry hair was flying. "In order to forge the strongest army of warriors, this is a necessary sacrifice. The blood and lives they gave will also be recorded in the invincible legend of the Wudang sect in the future." "It's not just them." Fan Zong said from the side: "There are also dozens of disciples who have been disabled due to injuries and can no longer practice martial arts. They have not left and are still contributing to the school. Some are responsible for casting swords and weapons. Some repair equipment for exercise, and even sew Taoist robes and military uniforms." "Even if you can't do anything..." Gui Danlei added: "Even if you lose your hands, legs, eyes, tongue, ears and nose... as long as he enters this mountain gate, he can stay. We will never drive anyone away." disciple." He patted the stele under his hand, and said: "However, if you enter this mountain gate and become a Wudang disciple, you have to be prepared to lie here at any time." "I have to treat myself as dead first." Hou Yingzhi nodded and said, "Vice-head Ye already said that when he accepted me." "That's good." Gui Danlei smiled. "Then you start tomorrow." "The sun is still high." Hou Yingzhi pointed to the sky. "If I could, I'd like to start today." Gui Danlei and Fan Zong smiled at each other. At this time, a figure was running over from the other side of the mountain road, and the sound of the footsteps was so heavy that they could clearly hear it. The man ran to the cemetery in a short while.He was a young man who seemed to be twenty-four or five years old, but he was already wearing the dark green uniform of "Town Turtle Road".He didn't know if it was because of an injury that his right arm was not put on the sleeve of the robe, but was hidden under the robe, as if hugging his belly, and was wrapped with a black cloth belt. There is half of "Tai Chi" embroidered on his chest, and the pattern of "Yang Yu" with white body and black eyes. Hou Yingzhi looked at the young man's face and figure, and he seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he saw it... The man's face was flushed, his forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and his body was still slightly foggy. It seemed that it was not just caused by running just now, but must have been practicing before. "Did someone come back from Sichuan?" He asked, staring at Hou Yingzhi who was standing in the middle. "It's the new disciple of Deputy Head Ye..." Fan Zong was about to introduce. But the man was very impatient, and without waiting for Fan Zong to introduce him, he asked Hou Yingzhi, "What news do you bring back from Sichuan? Was the battle against the Qingcheng faction beautiful? How did my brother fight? How many people did you kill?" ?” elder brother.Hou Yingzhi was stunned.No wonder it looks a bit familiar... "Xiaoyan..." Gui Danlei laughed, "How do people know who your brother is..." "I know." Hou Yingzhi said. "It's Senior Brother Xi Zhaoping, right?" Na Xi Xiaoyan was overjoyed: "That's right! We look alike, right? Tell me, how is my brother in Sichuan?" "He was killed." Hou Yingzhi said calmly. "On Mount Qingcheng." Xi Xiaoyan stepped forward quickly, grabbed Hou Yingzhi's skirt with his left hand, and put his face close to his nose. "You..." Xi Xiaoyan's frightened and angry voice came from between his teeth: "...how did you know?" "Because I was originally a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect." Hou Yingzhi didn't change his face. Xi Xiaoyan twisted his left wrist, and the clothes on Hou Yingzhi's upper body tightened.Although Hou Yingzhi was taller than Xi Xiaoyan, Xi Xiaoyan's arm stretched upwards, pulling him until his toes touched the ground. "Xiaoyan!" Gui Danlei shouted to stop. Xi Xiaoyan turned a deaf ear. "Who killed it?" He pulled Hou Yingzhi closer to him again. "I don't know. But it's definitely not from the Qingcheng faction." Hou Yingzhi's expression was unmoved. "I heard Deputy Head Ye talking to Senior Brother Jiang Yunlan, calling that murderer a 'hunter'..." "Hunter!" Gui Danlei, Fan Zong and Xi Xiaoyan called out at the same time.Xi Xiaoyan slowly put Hou Yingzhi down. "No!" Xi Xiaoyan looked sad and indignant. "With my brother's martial arts, I won't..." "The 'hunter' is extremely cunning, maybe Zhaoping is a genius..." Fan Zong fell silent after speaking. ——It seems that the martial arts of this "hunter" must be re-evaluated. "Xiao Yan." Gui Danlei said: "You take this Junior Brother Hou to the 'Cangyun Martial Field' first, and let him start practicing. I have to report this matter to Junior Brother Fan." ——There are many Wudang disciples, so the Wudang faction has opened up many teaching martial arts fields in various places on the mountain, and "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" is the most elementary one. Xi Xiaoyan glared at Hou Yingzhi again.Although his elder brother was not killed by someone from the Qingcheng faction, he was killed because of the attack on Qingcheng after all, so he couldn't help but dislike Hou Yingzhi. "Brother Xi, please lead the way." Hou Yingzhi endured the gaze and bowed his hands respectfully. Now that the Wudang faction is managed by Gui Danlei after all, Xi Xiaoyan dared not refuse, and took Hou Yingzhi away from the cemetery resentfully. "Junior Brother Fan, this is strange." Gui Danlei frowned and said, "This incident happened in Sichuan, why didn't Deputy Head Ye send a letter back immediately?" Fan Zong was also puzzled.What they didn't know was that after the bloody battle in Chengdu, Jiang Yunlan left the expeditionary force, and it was he who was responsible for personally bringing back the news about the "Hunter" Jing Li. ——Jiang Yunlan knew the way back to Wudang Mountain, so he should have come back sooner than Hou Yingzhi, who had only set off one day earlier, but for some unknown reason, he has not returned yet. "Let me go to the Golden Summit, please leave the sect head, and come down to discuss." Fan Zong said.Jinding is the top of Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak in Wudang Mountains.Fan Zong, as an elite of the "First Snake Way", can run with lightness kung fu, so he is naturally the fastest to go up. "Go right away." Gui Danlei nodded. Fan Zong saluted, and with his long legs he started to run up the mountain. Gui Danlei was thinking while looking at the forest of steles. He should be happy to have a disciple like Hou Yingzhi - although he has never seen Hou Yingzhi's skills, Ye Chenyuan rarely misjudged people. However, he had a bad premonition in his heart. ——It can't be because of the "hunter"... Even if he can kill Xi Zhaoping, it's nothing.It is impossible to shake the Wudang faction's... Gui Danlei raised his head and looked up at the clouds gathered on the top of Tianzhu Peak.
After arriving at the "Cangyun Martial Field" located to the west of "Huilongguan", Hou Yingzhi's eyes were wide open. This "Cangyun Martial Field" was built according to the western mountain wall, and it took a lot of effort to dig a large flat rocky ground between the rocks.Surrounding the three sides of the martial field and covering half of the sky, the layers of accumulated rock are like clouds, hence the name.At the back of the martial field, there are also statues of Liujia guardian gods and generals, each with a height of more than ten feet and a mighty appearance. But no matter how magnificent the training ground is, the most important thing is the people. Hou Yingzhi could feel the heat emitted by many human bodies in that scene from a distance.The rocky ground is densely packed with young men, most of them bare-chested, each occupying a space, either practicing boxing and leg weapons alone, or fighting with their peers; or violently hitting sandbags, wooden stakes, and dummies. Use stone locks, rods, wooden swords and other exercises to build strength.Everywhere I saw disciples with medicines and bandages on their bodies, and they were practicing with their injuries indifferently. Hou Yingzhi couldn't count, but looking around, there were probably nearly two hundred people. ——The Wudang faction, just in this elementary martial arts training ground, the number of people is comparable to that of the entire Qingcheng faction. The rising and falling sounds of exhaling and screaming, the sound of rough breathing, coupled with the compelling heat emitted by the two hundred strong bodies, this "Cangyun Martial Field" makes people imagine that it is like a giant that is constantly blowing wind. Hong Furnace. ——This furnace is forging the strongest martial arts in the world. Hou Yingzhi really wanted to take off his shirt immediately and throw himself into the fire.Since leaving Mount Qingcheng, he has not formally practiced martial arts for more than two months (although he also practiced swordsmanship along the way).Seeing such a scene, the warrior's blood in his body couldn't help but boil. "Brother Xi, how do I start?" Hou Yingzhi asked Xi Xiaoyan anxiously. Just after receiving the news of his brother's death, Xi Xiaoyan naturally still hasn't calmed down, his chest is full of anger.If it wasn't for Gui Danlei's instructions, he would have already punched this brat from the Qingcheng faction in the face. Xi Xiaoyan ignored him, jumped into the martial arts arena, and started running in the arena.When all the disciples saw that it was the senior brother of "Zhen Gui Dao", they naturally retreated to the two sides to make way. "Xiao Yan, what are you doing?" A brother from "Zhen Gui Dao" who was also wearing a dark green military uniform and was in charge of instructing disciples today called from the side. Xi Xiaoyan didn't answer, and ran to the row of wooden posts. "What kind of sissy play is this?" He yelled angrily, and smashed his left elbow on the shoulder of one of the junior disciples who was practicing piles.That disciple was no thinner than Xi Xiaoyan, but with this elbow, his body immediately flew several feet away from the ground, and he had to be supported by two other people to stand still.The two of them didn't expect the strength brought by the flying body, they both took two steps back after being supported. "Hit the stake, hit it like this!" Xi Xiaoyan slashed his palm to the side, and slashed at the protruding handle of the stake. Twisting inwards again, the palm of his fingers grabbed another stick hand, the wrist sank and twisted immediately, and this stick hand was twisted off by him again forcefully. The material of these wooden piles is hard and heavy mahogany specially transported from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.These junior disciples can't beat the wooden stakes for too long every day, otherwise the boxer and bridge player will not be able to bear it.Seeing such skill suddenly, they couldn't help being stunned. Hou Yingzhi also saw it from a distance.He had seen Xi Zhaoping's kung fu with his own eyes, and by comparison, he felt that this younger brother was superior to his elder brother - the power of the attacking palm should be comparable to Xi Zhaoping's "Liangyi Jiequan". But the next grasping and wringing force is much more difficult than using palm force, but Xi Xiaoyan is just as easy. Before the senior brothers who were in charge of teaching the exercises had time to scold him, Xi Xiaoyan had already left the "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" and went down the mountain by himself.They seem to have been used to his temper for a long time, they glanced at each other, and ordered the juniors to practice as usual. "New here?" A voice sounded from behind Hou Yingzhi.As soon as Hou Yingzhi arrived, he was attracted by the training scene on the field, and didn't pay attention to the building next to the field.It was from that house that the speaker came out. Hou Yingzhi looked at this man, in his thirties, one side of his right eye was blind, and he didn't need an eyepatch to cover it up, revealing an old scar of a cross.He limped when he walked, and his left knee could not be bent. Hou Yingzhi remembered that Fan Zong said before that some disciples who were disabled due to martial arts still stayed in the Wudang sect to serve, and thought that this senior brother must be one of them, and he should be responsible for the chores of "Cangyun Martial Arts Field". "Yes." Hou Yingzhi cupped his hands and said his name. "Jiang Ninger." The one-eyed man also arched his fists.Only then did he see that his left wrist was stiff, and he had also suffered a serious injury. Hou Yingzhi admired him very much.This Senior Brother Jiang, the injuries to his eyes, hands, and legs were not caused at the same time—that is to say, he had overcome two severe injuries, and it was not until the third time that he had to give up pursuing martial arts.Terrible and respectable spirit. Jiang Ninger smiled: "Aren't you tired of going up the mountain? Let's start now?" Hou Yingzhi nodded firmly. Jiang Ning pointed at the martial arts field with two fingers: "After watching it, which kind of martial arts do you want to learn the most?" "Sword." Hou Yingzhi said without hesitation. "Okay. I used to learn swords too." Jiang Ninger smiled wryly, stroking his missing right eye. "But let me tell you first: Wudang sword is not easy to learn." "I know." Hou Yingzhi replied.He thought to himself, I am an expert at swordsmanship after practicing for six or seven years.However, he has no intention of rushing to explain his origin.Anyway, the entire Wudang faction will know sooner or later. ——What's more, Qingcheng swordsmanship has already lost to Wudang swordsmanship.Not worth mentioning. "Am... can I play?" He asked again. "Come in with me first." Jiang Ninger smiled mysteriously again, motioning for Hou Yingzhi to follow him into the house.Hou Yingzhi thought, probably he went in to get the uniform equipment. After entering the room, Jiang Ninger did not take him to the room where the equipment was placed, but to the kitchen. It is said to be a "kitchen", but it also doubles as a dining hall, with three huge long tables placed on one side.Even though the table is so big, the disciples of "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" usually have three rounds to eat.Six or seven cooks are busy at the stove. "I'm not hungry." Hou Yingzhi said, "I only ate dry food before going up the mountain..." "It's not eating." Jiang Ninger picked up an empty bowl with his right hand. "It's drinking." He walked to a large tank almost at the height of his chest, lifted the wooden lid, and reached into it to scoop up half a bowl. "Before practicing, drink first." Jiang Ninger handed the bowl to Hou Yingzhi. "I was going to drink a full bowl. It's your first time, I'll give you half a bowl first." Hou Yingzhi didn't know why, so he took the bowl with both hands.But seeing that the bowl contained a liquid so deep that it was almost black, and there was a pungent smell. Hou Yingzhi didn't even think about it - he was trained by the Qingcheng School since he was a child, and taught him to practice martial arts to be absolutely obedient - and he drank the contents of the bowl as soon as he raised his head.The thing had a pungent smell, and he swallowed it hard, his face wrinkled. "Drink it a few times and get used to it." Jiang Ninger took back the empty bowl. "This thing is called 'Xiongsheng Wine' and it is said to be wine, but it is actually medicine. There are not many servings of wine, and it will never get drunk. , I have to drink a bowl every day before practicing." "Why... why...?" Hou Yingzhi felt a hot breath coming up from his stomach, and his heart was beating faster. The hot air seemed to be coming out of his nostrils, and there seemed to be lights and shadows shining in his head. "Drink this stuff..." Jiang Ning grinned: "...not afraid of pain. Not afraid of injury. Not afraid of death." He put down the bowl and reached out to pat the big vat lightly. "This thing is very precious. The prescription is a treasure that the former head Gongsun took from the material transfer religion." Hou Yingzhi felt his eardrums pulsating.Suddenly the hot air in the chest dissipated to the limbs, the heartbeat returned to normal, and the flickering in the head stopped.At this moment, on the contrary, I feel that the muscles and muscles of my limbs seem to be swollen, full of energy, and I feel extremely comfortable and excited. "Okay." Jiang Ninger gave a thumbs up. "Go." Hou Yingzhi couldn't restrain himself and ran out of the house at full speed. Take the first step towards "the strongest".
Although Fan Zong is already the leading master of lightness kung fu in Wudang's "Shou Snake Road", but lightness kung fu is not a fairy art, Fan Zong is only a human being after all, he also needs to run with his legs and crawl with his hands.That day Zhufeng was towering, and the mountain road was dangerous. Fan Zong set off in the afternoon and climbed to the peak at full speed, and it was almost dusk. Under the setting sun, the "Golden Palace" on the top of Tianzhu Peak reflects a dazzling golden red brilliance that cannot be seen directly. This "Golden Palace" was a miracle built on the top of Wudang by Emperor Yongle, who spent an astonishing amount of manpower and material resources.Standing on the stone platform is a bronze-cast palace. The pillars and beams, the ceiling, the door and all the utensils in the palace are all made of copper, and the structure is completely modeled on the wooden palace. The bronze statue of Emperor Zhenwu is enshrined in the palace. It weighed ten thousand catties.The resources and determination needed to build such a majestic bronze temple on this perilous peak back then are unimaginable. Since the whole hall is made of metal and stands on a high peak, it often attracts lightning strikes during thunderstorms in summer. When the "Golden Palace" was killed, lightning exploded everywhere on the ground, thunder shook the sky, and countless fireballs rolled around the palace.The most amazing thing is that every time after the thunder kills, the accumulated copper rust on the pillars of the palace disappears immediately, and it looks brand new, but the structure of the palace is not damaged at all, so this wonder is called "Thunder and Fire Refining the Palace". Because the "Golden Palace" is an imitation of the imperial palace, it is an important place for royal ceremonies, so you can only watch it from a distance, and you are not allowed to enter it.However, since the Wudang sect's return to vulgar reform, it has been privately occupied as a retreat for the head of the sect, and the government has no choice but to do so. Fan Zong half-knelt on the stone steps in front of the palace gate, bowed his head and shouted: "Disciple Fan Zong, under the order of senior brother, has something important to report urgently to the head, and please go out of the gate and go down the mountain to preside over it! Xiu, this disciple knows he has offended, and is willing to be punished!" For a long time, there was no answer from the hall. Fan Zong was sweating profusely, partly because he spent a lot of effort climbing the mountain, and partly because he was nervous - any disciple who has witnessed the master's martial arts with his own eyes can't help being nervous every time he sees him. At this moment, Fan Zong felt strange.With the sect master's keen senses, let alone the shout just now, the sect master should have heard Fan Zong's footsteps running to the front of the hall. After hesitating for a while, he decided to push open the palace door. ——Although Fan Zong knew that it was absolutely impossible for Master Yao to be plotted against on Wudang Mountain, he was still secretly ready to draw out the flying sword on his body when he entered the palace. “金殿”因为全是铜造，殿堂内有一股异样的清凉感觉。樊宗越过前门，进入主殿，那真武像立时映在眼前，左右还有金童玉女和水火二将的铜像拱陪。 殿里只见一人。一个蜷缩在殿堂一角的身影。 那当然不是姚掌门了。樊宗急步上前，把那人扶了起来。是唯一陪同掌门闭关，负责起居的侍僮林小丁。 “干嘛？”樊宗一手揪着小丁的衣领，另一手这次真的搭上了腰间飞剑的剑柄。“掌门呢？” 只有十四岁的林小丁，慌张地瞧着樊宗，只是摇头。 樊宗摇一摇他身躯：“快说！” “他……他不许我说……还要我留在这里，把带上来的米粮吃光之后才许下去……” 樊宗满脑疑问，根本搞不清楚小丁在说什么。不过樊宗心里倒是一宽——是掌门自己下了峰的。 “多久之前？” “四……不……”小丁心中仔细算算：“我忘了……五天前，或是六天前……” 樊宗在神殿四处看看。没有留下兵器，那就是说掌门把佩剑带走了。 ——掌门下去，却没回“遇真宫”……带着剑…… 樊宗这时看见，神台上遗下了两张纸片。纸很小，樊宗认得出，是武当派飞鸽传书的纸卷。 樊宗拾起来细看。一张上写“青城”两字，用血打了个交叉；另一张写的是“峨嵋”，上面以淡墨画了一个圆圈。 ——灭青城，降峨嵋。 樊宗忽然想到，这两张纸片，意味姚掌门正在想什么…… “他说过什么？”樊宗把纸片握在拳头里，不回头地问林小丁：“掌门离去前有没有说过什么？” 小丁抓抓头发努力回想。那张年轻的脸表情单纯。 “我……记起了。之前那一天，我听他好几次自言自语在说……” “说什么？”樊宗回身一把抓着林小丁的手腕。小丁吃痛轻呼。 “……太慢了。” "what?" “他说：'太慢了。'”小丁想把手挣脱。“就只这三个字。” ——太慢了。 樊宗豁然明白，姚掌门往哪儿去了。
桂丹雷本来预计，樊宗要到次天午后，才会陪同掌门下峰回来。 故此当这天深夜，樊宗就来敲他的房门时，他已经心知不妙。 ——乘夜从奇险的天柱峰下来，即使对樊宗这样的高手，都是极度危险的事情。 当看见樊宗那汗湿的脸，还有那双红丝满布的紧张眼睛，桂丹雷更加知道事不寻常。 听完樊宗的报告，他马上召集几个资深的“镇龟道”弟子，聚集在“真仙殿”里。 武当攻打天下各门派的次序，就只有掌门及副掌门几个人知晓。此外就是记在武当的机密卷宗里——这卷宗，同样也只有这几个最高领袖才有权打开。 但桂丹雷决意破例。 “将来掌门要追究，就只追究我一人吧。”桂丹雷在众人眼前，高捧那卷宗，向三丰祖师拜了一拜，然后拆开它。 他们读到了，继峨嵋之后，本派下一个计划攻打的门派。 一看见那三个字，桂丹雷马上掩卷不看，把绳索束起，将卷宗放回柜子里。 “樊宗，你累不累？”桂丹雷问。 樊宗那身褐色衣袍明明早就湿透，但他还是猛力摇头。 “你脚程和马术都最快，现在先出发。我们集齐了人，准备好，随后就去。先去郧阳青桐关，看看追不追到他，追不到，也打听一下。如果有消息他入了关，向西再追，没有，就在青桐关等我们会合。”桂丹雷说着，已经把作路费的银子塞到樊宗手里。 樊宗一点头，不再浪费多说一句话的时间，就从殿门奔出，跑进黑夜的山间。 “我们不要太多人。”桂丹雷回头看看同门说。“人多，惹人留意，也许走漏消息。” 桂丹雷很是紧张。假如叶辰渊和师星昊两位副掌门任何一人在，他都安心。可是偏偏就在这时出了事情…… “要不要叫……副掌门出马？”其中一个“镇龟道”弟子陈岱秀说。他接着降低了声线：“我是说，还在武当山的那一位……” 第三个副掌门。 Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay. ——这是武当的禁忌。陈岱秀就连其姓氏都不敢提。 桂丹雷想了想。“不。让他出来，不知道会发生多可怕的事情……本来就只有掌门制得了他。掌门不在，更加放不得。”他一双大眼瞪着，又说：“掌门不在这事情，更加绝．对．不．可．以给他知道。大家都知道后果会如何。” 他在木板地上踱了数步。“你们还得镇守武当山，我不能全带去。就陈岱秀跟我。另外我带五个'兵鸦道'的预备军，再加樊宗，共八人。” 另一个“镇龟道”弟子说：“为安全计，也尽快传书给驻在京师的'首蛇道'弟子，让他通知师副掌门赶回来坐镇。”众人点头同意。 “他是在想什么的……”旁边一个同门喃喃说：“要去也带人去嘛，这么胡来……” “不许批评他！”桂丹雷厉声呼喝。“他是天下无敌的武当派掌门。他要干什么事情，怎么干，无人能管。”
第一线阳光透现时，桂丹雷、陈岱秀和五个没有跟随叶辰渊远征四川的“兵鸦道”弟子，已经备好兵刃和轻便行囊，踏往下山的路途。 就在那拜山神道旁，一个矮壮身影斜背着长刀，站在坡上等待。 不用细看那只垂着左臂的身影，桂丹雷已知道是谁。 “谁告诉你的？”桂丹雷问。 锡晓岩没有回答，但站在桂丹雷身旁的陈岱秀，不好意思地垂下头。 “让我也去。”锡晓岩从斜坡上跃下来。 “我们是去做正事。”桂丹雷严肃地说：“不是给你去发泄丧兄之痛。” “我也是武当弟子。”锡晓岩断然说：“武当的戒条，我也懂。” 桂丹雷凝视锡晓岩的眼睛。然后摇摇头。 锡晓岩不服气：“你不许，我也跟着来。私自下山犯了戒，你回来再惩罚我吧。” 桂丹雷叹息摇头。同时却也为门派感到自豪。 ——武当派二十多年走的这条路，就为了培养出这种倔强骄傲的武者。 桂丹雷没说一句，就领着六人继续步下山道。 ——但也没有再阻止锡晓岩同行。 出了山门，下了山脚，八人背向升起的朝阳，往西而行。 目的地：关中。西岳华山。
这八人不知道：他们离开的同时，也有一只不明的鸽子从武当山振翅而出，飞进那黎明的天空中。 武林“九大门派”列表（上）： （本列表所述时代为大明正德八年） ◇少林派◇ 河南嵩山少林寺始建于北魏，寺僧自古已有修练武艺的传统，以超脱生死的武道精神，参贯禅机。相传少林寺最基础锻炼功法“易筋经”及“洗髓经”，乃是达摩祖师从天竺传来，并衍生出其他少林武技，实际不可考。 少林武功在隋唐之间已负盛名，雄视武林近千年，对中原各派武术影响极深，故得“天下武宗”的称誉。 少林派属正统外家，主要走刚猛硬派一路。少林寺僧练武本为参禅及保护寺院之用，因威力太猛，容易造成杀孽，因此不传俗家。佛家戒杀，故其武技少用刀剑利器，而主力发展徒手拳法及棍棒之术。寺内武僧亦同时修禅，“禅武不二”的精神，乃为少林武道之根本。 少林派武术博大精深，秘藏寺院内的拳械与各种功法甚多，号称“七十二技”。但有说其中部分已经再无人传承修习，仅存于拳经兵谱之内，实已失传。 著名武技：少林五拳、紧罗那王棍、十八铜人阵法 ◇武当派◇ 元末明初全真道人张三丰于湖北武当山创立。张真人身材魁伟，体质异常，不论寒暑，皆只穿一衲一蓑。相传其内家武功，乃参悟道家的内丹养生功法，转化成强身技击之术，据记载曾有“单丁杀贼百余”的勇武事迹。 张真人入武当山修道后，某日得观蛇鹤相斗，从两者身姿动作，领悟了劲力刚柔之理，创出武当最高绝学“太极”，从此奠定武当派在武林二百年来的地位。 武当派武功素以拳剑著称，原本专走内家功夫以柔克刚、借力打力的路数，武当弟子亦全为道士；惟二十余年前大破物移邪教一役后，全派上下突然还俗，武学风格更大加改革，摒弃了养生道术而偏重于武斗实战，所有拳法剑术重新大幅整编，走上了暴烈辛辣之路，又以极酷烈的方式训练大量弟子，武当派声势因而一时大振，并生起“天下无敌，称霸武林”的野心。 著名武技：太极、武当形剑、武当势剑、武当行剑、武当飞龙剑、两仪劫拳 ◇峨嵋派◇ 坐镇四川佛教名山峨嵋山，实际创立历史已不可考。有传说春秋时代“白猿公”司徒玄空，入山创立峨嵋武学，此事并无足够佐证；但可以确定最迟在宋代，已有僧人道士在山中传承武功的记载。数百年来，峨嵋山上及山下邻近地区的各种武术家数，渐渐自然融合，最终成之为峨嵋派。 峨嵋派武道以枪棒术最为世人所识。峨嵋枪法独步天下，讲究闩拦扎打间的微妙变化，武林各派长兵，惟有少林棍棒能与之较量。 峨嵋武功虽然最初源出于佛道宗教，但早已演变成为俗家门派，兼收男女弟子，传承之风比一般的山门派系较为开放。由于枪棒属长兵器，适合于战阵上使用，峨嵋派弟子参军入伍也较他派为多。 著名武技：骑龙枪、大手臂、圆机枪法
At the foot of the mountain, guarding the archway of the gate is a little Taoist priest who belongs to "Yuanhe Temple".With him leading the way, Hou Yingzhi stepped up the mountain worship path paved with rocks, climbed to the foot of the mountain, and then turned westward. After a while, "Yuzhen Palace", the headquarter of Wudang School, is in sight. Backed by Phoenix Mountain, facing Jiulong Mountain, Wangxiantai is on the left, and Heihu Cave is on the right. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, this place has a wonderful situation.Later Emperor Chengzu Emperor Zhu Di overhauled Wudang and built the "Yuzhen Palace" here for Zhenren Zhang. It was completed in the 15th year of Yongle, with nearly a hundred halls and houses, and gradually added to it. Hou Yingzhi stepped into the glazed tiled eight-character palace gate, and in front of him was a large square paved with bluestone slabs, which was much wider than the Qingcheng School's "Xuanmenshe" teaching field. Directly opposite the square is the main hall of "Yuzhen Palace", "True Immortal Palace".The hall with vermilion walls stands high on the Chongtai decorated with railings, and the four corners and single eaves of the veranda roof are flying, and its extraordinary momentum far surpasses the "Guiyuan Hall" of the Qingcheng School.Hou Yingzhi couldn't help being shocked again. --here.Here it is. But at the same time Hou Yingzhi felt strange.He originally thought that the headquarters of the Wudang faction, which is determined to dominate the martial arts, must be heavily guarded.Unexpectedly, he went up the mountain from Shinto and entered the gate of "Yuzhen Palace", but he has not met a single member of Wudang sect.There were only a few veteran workers cleaning the square in front of them, and they didn't even glance at him.If you don't know where to go, you may think it's just a deserted Taoist temple. The little Taoist priest who led the way seemed to be very wary of this place, he didn't follow Hou Yingzhi into the palace gate, and left in a hurry outside the gate. Hou Yingzhi didn't know what to do.He thought to himself, why not ask a servant to ask, and stepped into the square. After walking a few steps on the bluestone slab, Hou Yingzhi stopped suddenly. "Please show up and lead the way." He turned around and saluted respectfully.He didn't know where the other party was hiding, but he knew that he had been watched since he went up the mountain—partly because he had an indescribable strange feeling, and the other part was because he was convinced that the Wudang faction would not be able to relax so far. "I know." Hou Yingzhi said again: "If I hadn't been carrying this Wudang sword, I'm afraid blood would have been splashed on the mountain-climbing Shinto." "You kid, interesting." The sound came from above. Hou Yingzhi looked up and saw a figure in brown clothes kneeling on the glazed tiles on top of the high palace gate. The man jumped down from the top of the door, which was more than ten feet high, and the moment his feet touched the ground, he took a small step sideways, and the force of the landing was magically dissipated without a single sound.This kung fu is not only the "Ti Yun Zong" lightness kung fu of the Wudang School, but also the use of "Tai Chi" energy on the legs, so that it can be so invisible. The man was tall and thin, with unusually long arms and legs, reminiscent of a praying mantis.The long face is very fair, and it seems that he rarely sees the sun, and his narrow eyes are cold and radiant.There are leather belts around his shoulders and waist, leather sheaths everywhere, and a total of six short flying swords that are only one foot long. "I didn't show up, I just wanted to see you." The man said with a smile. Hou Yingzhi understood the meaning of his words: the opponent judged his martial arts level and origin by observing his walking posture.Of course Hou Yingzhi himself hadn't reached this level, but he had heard from the seniors of the Qingcheng School that as long as the martial artist's skill and experience were deep enough, he would naturally have the ability to see the enemy from the slightest. "Then Your Excellency must already know..." Hou Yingzhi respectfully raised his long sword with both hands. "I didn't snatch this Wudang sword back." The man grinned a little more.Although his face is cold, his smile is sincere. "So I said, you kid is interesting." Hou Yingzhi still held his long sword, but his lower body knelt down towards the man. "What are you doing?" The man raised his eyebrows. "Deputy head Ye has an order. As soon as I arrive at Wudang Mountain, this sword must be handed over to my fellow elders." Hou Yingzhi's handsome face restrained his usual arrogance, and he looked straight at the man seriously. "New entry disciple Hou Yingzhi, pay homage to senior brother."
Hou Yingzhi followed the tall and thin senior brother Fan Zong to the side hall on the west side of the square. When Hou Yingzhi was in Chengdu, he had already heard from his brothers in the Sichuan Expeditionary Army that the most elite disciples of the Wudang Sect were all organized into three divisions.All the expeditionary troops are dressed in black, which means they belong to the "Soldier Crow Road". He didn't know that at this moment, Senior Brother Fan beside him was dressed in brown clothes, which represented the identity of the elite of the "Shou Snake Dao" - the overseas disciples of "Shou Snake Dao", such as Zou Tai, naturally only wore Casual clothes are used to keep their identities secret; while disciples of the "Shou Snake Road" who are in charge of security work in Wudang Mountain, like Fan Zong, wear brown military uniforms for identification and to show their higher status. "Are you wondering why there is no one in 'Yuzhen Palace'? Where are all the fellow disciples?" Fan Zong asked on the road. Hou Yingzhi nodded.Fan Zong hid deliberately to observe him, which is reasonable; but the whole group of people hid for his small role, right? "The reason is very simple." Fan Zong said with a smile: "They all went to practice in various places in the mountains. This is the most deserted time of the day in 'Yuzhen Palace'." "Why don't you practice in the palace?" "There's not enough space." Fan Zong shook his head with a laugh. Hou Yingzhi shrugged his eyebrows. ——If even this huge "Yuzhen Palace" is not enough, the number of Wudang disciples must be far beyond his imagination. The two walked into the hall while talking.Although it is only a side hall, the solemn atmosphere has already made Hou Yingzhi speechless. Guided by Fan Zong, Hou Yingzhi saw Senior Brother Gui Danlei who was meditating in the hall to nourish his energy. Gui Danlei, who is in his forties, is almost the exact opposite of Fan Zong in appearance. He is short, strong and thick, making people feel like an iron ball, supporting the dark green "Turtle Town Road" bulgingly. Taoist robe.A mess of hair rose and spread out like a lion's mane, as if struck by lightning, curly and dry and brown.A row of small, strangely curved runes was stabbed horizontally on his forehead.On the left breast of the robe, the emblem of "Tai Chi" is embroidered, which is the envy of all disciples of the Wudang School. ——The deputy master, Xing Hao, is still serving the emperor in the capital, and the important task of guarding Wudang Mountain is temporarily entrusted to him, a senior disciple of "Suppressing Turtle Way", to take charge. Gui Danlei took the letter from Hou Yingzhi with the wax seal of "Tai Chi". "The head of the sect is retreating, and the deputy head of the division is out of town again. I have signed this letter on my behalf." Gui Danlei held the letter above the top of his hands, bowed slightly, and then opened the wax seal. After reading the whole letter, Gui Danlei stared straight at Hou Yingzhi who was kneeling in front of him with a pair of mighty pupils like copper bells. Fan Zong, who was standing by the side, didn't see the content of the letter, but he already guessed roughly: he had observed Hou Yingzhi's figure just now, and estimated his martial arts, although he was not at the level of a master, he must be from a famous family Since Ye Chenyuan's letter belongs to him, Hou Yingzhi must have come from Sichuan, so he is either from the Qingcheng sect or the Emei sect; Fan Zong sees that he is light on his feet, he seems to practice swords more than spears and sticks, so he is probably from Qingcheng The remaining disciples. Gui Danlei looked at Hou Yingzhi for a while, then suddenly stood up from the cross-legged sitting position, grabbing Hou Yingzhi's collar with one hand. Hou Yingzhi did not resist.It wasn't because he knew he couldn't fight, but because he knew that if he switched to the Wudang faction, he might not be able to gain trust immediately.Before he set foot on the mountain road, he was ready to accept any test or torture. But Gui Danlei just used ingenuity to gently pull up Hou Yingzhi who was kneeling on the ground. "Let's go!" Gui Danlei laughed, holding Hou Yingzhi's hand. "What are you waiting for? Since you have entered the mountain gate, the first thing you need to do is to kowtow to the patriarch!"
To enter the "True Immortal Hall", the holy place of the Wudang sect, one must first take off his shoes and socks in front of the hall, and clean his feet before stepping on the dark brown wooden floor. When the "True Immortal Hall" was first built, the ground was originally paved with blue bricks; but since the previous head, Gongsun Qing, returned to the vulgar, reformed the Wudang School, and changed the "True Immortal Hall" into a dojo for practicing martial arts, the ground was covered. board. When Hou Yingzhi stepped into the "True Immortal Palace", he was naturally overwhelmed by the huge and gorgeous statue of Sanfeng Patriarch, which was shaped in the shape of a real martial god of war.The bronze statue about ten feet high is gilded all over. The Emperor Zhenwu/Patriarch Sanfeng stands with a sword and steps on a snake, tortoise and basalt beast. Its appearance is vivid and majestic, and its carving technology is exquisite. Hou Yingzhi's Taoist temple on Qingcheng Mountain has never been seen before. seen. In the eyes of contemporary Wudang disciples, Sanfeng Patriarch, who once symbolized renunciation, cultivation and immortality, has become the God of Martial Arts who protects the martial arts hegemony. Before Gui Danlei could order, Hou Yingzhi lifted the hem of his robe, knelt down on both knees, and kowtowed three times to the god statue. Gui Danlei and Fan Zong also kowtowed.Fan Zong took three incense sticks from the altar and lit them, and handed them to Hou Yingzhi to burn the incense.After Hou Yingzhi offered incense, he knelt down and knocked three more times. "That's enough." Gui Danlei helped Hou Yingzhi up. "Since Deputy Head Ye has accepted you in Sichuan, we can keep everything simple." He smiled and said, "Anyway, in the past twenty years or so, our Wudang Sect has stopped paying attention to these red tapes." At this moment, Hou Yingzhi saw that there were three other people in the "True Immortal Palace" dojo.All three seemed to be in their thirties or forties, two of them were wearing the same dark green military uniform as Gui Danlei's "Town Turtle Way", and one was wearing the black clothes of "Bing Crow Way".Among the three, only one of the disciples of "Suppressing Gui Dao" did not have the "Tai Chi" mark embroidered on his chest. He was sitting cross-legged silently, watching the other two fellow disciples practicing.The two people's arms overlapped, their bodies were round and their footwork was round, pushing each other to dissipate their strength, and they were practicing the famous "Pushing Hands" in "Tai Chi". It was the first time that Hou Yingzhi saw Wudang disciples practicing martial arts, although Hou Yingzhi couldn't understand the meaning of "Pushing Hands", he was very excited.But he also knew that in this important place of the "True Immortal Hall", the ones taught must be very high-level martial arts, and he, a beginner disciple, should never take a peek, so he didn't dare to take a closer look. Fan Zong saw what he was thinking and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter. If you want to read it, you can watch it. If you can learn it, you can learn it. In the Wudang school, there is no such boring precept against 'stealing'." "As long as you are a talented and capable disciple, we are not afraid to teach you everything, but we are afraid that you will not learn fast enough." Gui Danlei also explained beside him. "I can't stand it. If you read it a hundred times, you may not learn it." When Hou Yingzhi heard this, his heart felt hot.He has always felt annoyed at not being able to become a "Taoist disciple" of the Qingcheng School with Yan Heng - he doesn't believe that there are any martial arts that Yan Heng can learn, but he cannot learn.Knowing that the Wudang School's style of teaching is so free and open now—and the Wudang School has completely defeated the Qingcheng School—Hou Yingzhi feels that this seems to confirm that his thinking is correct. "However..." Gui Danlei said again: "'True Immortal Palace' is a quiet dojo, and only the head and deputy head can practice here on weekdays. We should not linger. Besides, we have to go to another place .” Then he took Hou Yingzhi away.
The three of them left the "Yuzhen Palace" and walked up the stone-paved path of worshiping the mountain. Hou Yingzhi felt that these two senior brothers were extremely sincere and kind, which was beyond his expectation.He saw that the disciples of the "Bing Crow Dao" who were on an expedition to Sichuan all looked arrogant and fearful, like Jiang Yunlan and Xi Zhaoping were even more ruthless, and thought that the atmosphere in the Wudang School was the same, but he didn't want to, but it was a completely different matter. Only then did he dare to ask: "Brother Gui, just now you said that only the head and deputy head of the 'True Immortal Palace' can practice in it...Then the three just now..." "They're different." Gui Danlei put away his smile when he said that. "Those three people are 'Dianbei'." "'Dianbei'?" Gui Danlei stopped.He looked up at the Tianzhu Peak half hidden in the clouds. "Wudang chooses to be the head. He doesn't pay attention to virtue, doesn't rank seniority, and only talks about one thing." Gui Danlei clenched his huge fist, and his knuckles were covered with thick calluses that had accumulated over time. "strength." He raised his fist to the sky. "The head of Wudang. Among the strongest Wudang sects, the strongest one. It's that simple." Hou Yingzhi thought for a while: "That means... as long as there is someone stronger than him, the head of the sect will... change?" Gui Danlei nodded. "I appointed three deputy heads. In addition to their status and being in charge of the internal affairs of the faction, the deputy heads are more important to obtain a qualification: they can challenge the head once a year." Fan Zong went on to say: "The 'Dian Bei' is a disciple who is ready to challenge the position of the deputy head. Once they are declared to be the 'Dian Bei', they will have to compete with any deputy head within a year. During this year, All of our Wudang faction will do our best to assist 'Dian Bei' and give him the best training." Hou Yingzhi was so excited that his body trembled slightly. "So... how can I become a 'Dian Bei'?" "Nothing." Fan Zong said. "Any Wudang disciple can do it at any time. If you are confident, you can announce that you will become a 'Dian Bei' tomorrow." It's easy to say.But Hou Yingzhi, who has witnessed Ye Chenyuan's magical skills with his own eyes, clearly understands how great confidence and courage it takes to be a "palace preparation".He recalled the three senior brothers in the "True Immortal Palace" just now, and couldn't help admiring them from the bottom of his heart. "This means..." Gui Danlei said: "Anyone in the Wudang faction has the chance to become the head at any time." He pointed to the towering Tianzhu Peak. "Become the number one person who is truly 'Invincible' in the Wudang faction of 'World Invincible'." These bold words were like a heavy hammer hitting Hou Yingzhi's heart.His eyes were wet, his throat was constricted, and he couldn't answer for a while. Fan Zong noticed it, and couldn't help but patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "I heard this sentence for the first time more than ten years ago, and it's the same as you are now." Hou Yingzhi took a deep breath and silently followed the two brothers to continue up the mountain. As he walked, he thought about it again: To become a challenger "Dianbei" naturally requires extremely high courage and self-confidence; but the leaders of the Wudang faction have shown even more extraordinary tolerance and confidence in establishing and maintaining such an open challenge system ——At the peak, you still have to be diligent and unremitting to meet the challenges of anyone below at any time. This is not something that every person in power is willing to accept. ——The power of Wudang is not accidental or fluke. "Brother Gui..." Hou Yingzhi asked, "Until today...has there been any 'Dian Bei' who has successfully defeated the deputy head?" "not a single one." "Then..." Hou Yingzhi frowned. "What happened to them after that?" Gui Danlei had a solemn face. "I'm going to take you to meet them now."
The cemetery is on the west side of "Yuanhe Temple", on a gentle hillside with green grass.Looking around, there are many steles, at least two or three hundred. Hou Yingzhi stepped on the grass, but felt it was soft to the touch. He lowered his head to see that it was cut very short and flat, and there were no weeds and vines on the tombstones. It seemed that someone took care of them day and night. He casually looked at one of the inscriptions.The owner of the tombstone is named "Gan Yingzhu", and the death date was nine years ago.Counting the days of birth and death, he was only twenty-three years old when he died. Gui Danlei did not explain.But Hou Yingzhi already understood where these tombs came from. ——All of them lost their lives in the fierce training and competition of Wudang School. "Being a disciple of the Wudang Sect is no fun." Hou Yingzhi remembered that Ye Chenyuan had said such things the day he accepted him as an apprentice. Gui Danlei came over and reached out to caress the stone tablet of "Gan Yingzhu".In addition to the name of the deceased and the date of birth and death engraved on the stele, there is also a "Tai Chi" emblem representing the Wudang School. "Among these people, some of them are very shallow, and have not even practiced a little martial arts." Gui Danlei said: "But everyone lying here will always be a Wudang disciple." He looked up at the sun.The messy brown dry hair was flying. "In order to forge the strongest army of warriors, this is a necessary sacrifice. The blood and lives they gave will also be recorded in the invincible legend of the Wudang sect in the future." "It's not just them." Fan Zong said from the side: "There are also dozens of disciples who have been disabled due to injuries and can no longer practice martial arts. They have not left and are still contributing to the school. Some are responsible for casting swords and weapons. Some repair equipment for exercise, and even sew Taoist robes and military uniforms." "Even if you can't do anything..." Gui Danlei added: "Even if you lose your hands, legs, eyes, tongue, ears and nose... as long as he enters this mountain gate, he can stay. We will never drive anyone away." disciple." He patted the stele under his hand, and said: "However, if you enter this mountain gate and become a Wudang disciple, you have to be prepared to lie here at any time." "I have to treat myself as dead first." Hou Yingzhi nodded and said, "Vice-head Ye already said that when he accepted me." "That's good." Gui Danlei smiled. "Then you start tomorrow." "The sun is still high." Hou Yingzhi pointed to the sky. "If I could, I'd like to start today." Gui Danlei and Fan Zong smiled at each other. At this time, a figure was running over from the other side of the mountain road, and the sound of the footsteps was so heavy that they could clearly hear it. The man ran to the cemetery in a short while.He was a young man who seemed to be twenty-four or five years old, but he was already wearing the dark green uniform of "Town Turtle Road".He didn't know if it was because of an injury that his right arm was not put on the sleeve of the robe, but was hidden under the robe, as if hugging his belly, and was wrapped with a black cloth belt. There is half of "Tai Chi" embroidered on his chest, and the pattern of "Yang Yu" with white body and black eyes. Hou Yingzhi looked at the young man's face and figure, and he seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he saw it... The man's face was flushed, his forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and his body was still slightly foggy. It seemed that it was not just caused by running just now, but must have been practicing before. "Did someone come back from Sichuan?" He asked, staring at Hou Yingzhi who was standing in the middle. "It's the new disciple of Deputy Head Ye..." Fan Zong was about to introduce. But the man was very impatient, and without waiting for Fan Zong to introduce him, he asked Hou Yingzhi, "What news do you bring back from Sichuan? Was the battle against the Qingcheng faction beautiful? How did my brother fight? How many people did you kill?" ?” elder brother.Hou Yingzhi was stunned.No wonder it looks a bit familiar... "Xiaoyan..." Gui Danlei laughed, "How do people know who your brother is..." "I know." Hou Yingzhi said. "It's Senior Brother Xi Zhaoping, right?" Na Xi Xiaoyan was overjoyed: "That's right! We look alike, right? Tell me, how is my brother in Sichuan?" "He was killed." Hou Yingzhi said calmly. "On Mount Qingcheng." Xi Xiaoyan stepped forward quickly, grabbed Hou Yingzhi's skirt with his left hand, and put his face close to his nose. "You..." Xi Xiaoyan's frightened and angry voice came from between his teeth: "...how did you know?" "Because I was originally a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect." Hou Yingzhi didn't change his face. Xi Xiaoyan twisted his left wrist, and the clothes on Hou Yingzhi's upper body tightened.Although Hou Yingzhi was taller than Xi Xiaoyan, Xi Xiaoyan's arm stretched upwards, pulling him until his toes touched the ground. "Xiaoyan!" Gui Danlei shouted to stop. Xi Xiaoyan turned a deaf ear. "Who killed it?" He pulled Hou Yingzhi closer to him again. "I don't know. But it's definitely not from the Qingcheng faction." Hou Yingzhi's expression was unmoved. "I heard Deputy Head Ye talking to Senior Brother Jiang Yunlan, calling that murderer a 'hunter'..." "Hunter!" Gui Danlei, Fan Zong and Xi Xiaoyan called out at the same time.Xi Xiaoyan slowly put Hou Yingzhi down. "No!" Xi Xiaoyan looked sad and indignant. "With my brother's martial arts, I won't..." "The 'hunter' is extremely cunning, maybe Zhaoping is a genius..." Fan Zong fell silent after speaking. ——It seems that the martial arts of this "hunter" must be re-evaluated. "Xiao Yan." Gui Danlei said: "You take this Junior Brother Hou to the 'Cangyun Martial Field' first, and let him start practicing. I have to report this matter to Junior Brother Fan." ——There are many Wudang disciples, so the Wudang faction has opened up many teaching martial arts fields in various places on the mountain, and "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" is the most elementary one. Xi Xiaoyan glared at Hou Yingzhi again.Although his elder brother was not killed by someone from the Qingcheng faction, he was killed because of the attack on Qingcheng after all, so he couldn't help but dislike Hou Yingzhi. "Brother Xi, please lead the way." Hou Yingzhi endured the gaze and bowed his hands respectfully. Now that the Wudang faction is managed by Gui Danlei after all, Xi Xiaoyan dared not refuse, and took Hou Yingzhi away from the cemetery resentfully. "Junior Brother Fan, this is strange." Gui Danlei frowned and said, "This incident happened in Sichuan, why didn't Deputy Head Ye send a letter back immediately?" Fan Zong was also puzzled.What they didn't know was that after the bloody battle in Chengdu, Jiang Yunlan left the expeditionary force, and it was he who was responsible for personally bringing back the news about the "Hunter" Jing Li. ——Jiang Yunlan knew the way back to Wudang Mountain, so he should have come back sooner than Hou Yingzhi, who had only set off one day earlier, but for some unknown reason, he has not returned yet. "Let me go to the Golden Summit, please leave the sect head, and come down to discuss." Fan Zong said.Jinding is the top of Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak in Wudang Mountains.Fan Zong, as an elite of the "First Snake Way", can run with lightness kung fu, so he is naturally the fastest to go up. "Go right away." Gui Danlei nodded. Fan Zong saluted, and with his long legs he started to run up the mountain. Gui Danlei was thinking while looking at the forest of steles. He should be happy to have a disciple like Hou Yingzhi - although he has never seen Hou Yingzhi's skills, Ye Chenyuan rarely misjudged people. However, he had a bad premonition in his heart. ——It can't be because of the "hunter"... Even if he can kill Xi Zhaoping, it's nothing.It is impossible to shake the Wudang faction's... Gui Danlei raised his head and looked up at the clouds gathered on the top of Tianzhu Peak.
After arriving at the "Cangyun Martial Field" located to the west of "Huilongguan", Hou Yingzhi's eyes were wide open. This "Cangyun Martial Field" was built according to the western mountain wall, and it took a lot of effort to dig a large flat rocky ground between the rocks.Surrounding the three sides of the martial field and covering half of the sky, the layers of accumulated rock are like clouds, hence the name.At the back of the martial field, there are also statues of Liujia guardian gods and generals, each with a height of more than ten feet and a mighty appearance. But no matter how magnificent the training ground is, the most important thing is the people. Hou Yingzhi could feel the heat emitted by many human bodies in that scene from a distance.The rocky ground is densely packed with young men, most of them bare-chested, each occupying a space, either practicing boxing and leg weapons alone, or fighting with their peers; or violently hitting sandbags, wooden stakes, and dummies. Use stone locks, rods, wooden swords and other exercises to build strength.Everywhere I saw disciples with medicines and bandages on their bodies, and they were practicing with their injuries indifferently. Hou Yingzhi couldn't count, but looking around, there were probably nearly two hundred people. ——The Wudang faction, just in this elementary martial arts training ground, the number of people is comparable to that of the entire Qingcheng faction. The rising and falling sounds of exhaling and screaming, the sound of rough breathing, coupled with the compelling heat emitted by the two hundred strong bodies, this "Cangyun Martial Field" makes people imagine that it is like a giant that is constantly blowing wind. Hong Furnace. ——This furnace is forging the strongest martial arts in the world. Hou Yingzhi really wanted to take off his shirt immediately and throw himself into the fire.Since leaving Mount Qingcheng, he has not formally practiced martial arts for more than two months (although he also practiced swordsmanship along the way).Seeing such a scene, the warrior's blood in his body couldn't help but boil. "Brother Xi, how do I start?" Hou Yingzhi asked Xi Xiaoyan anxiously. Just after receiving the news of his brother's death, Xi Xiaoyan naturally still hasn't calmed down, his chest is full of anger.If it wasn't for Gui Danlei's instructions, he would have already punched this brat from the Qingcheng faction in the face. Xi Xiaoyan ignored him, jumped into the martial arts arena, and started running in the arena.When all the disciples saw that it was the senior brother of "Zhen Gui Dao", they naturally retreated to the two sides to make way. "Xiao Yan, what are you doing?" A brother from "Zhen Gui Dao" who was also wearing a dark green military uniform and was in charge of instructing disciples today called from the side. Xi Xiaoyan didn't answer, and ran to the row of wooden posts. "What kind of sissy play is this?" He yelled angrily, and smashed his left elbow on the shoulder of one of the junior disciples who was practicing piles.That disciple was no thinner than Xi Xiaoyan, but with this elbow, his body immediately flew several feet away from the ground, and he had to be supported by two other people to stand still.The two of them didn't expect the strength brought by the flying body, they both took two steps back after being supported. "Hit the stake, hit it like this!" Xi Xiaoyan slashed his palm to the side, and slashed at the protruding handle of the stake. Twisting inwards again, the palm of his fingers grabbed another stick hand, the wrist sank and twisted immediately, and this stick hand was twisted off by him again forcefully. The material of these wooden piles is hard and heavy mahogany specially transported from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.These junior disciples can't beat the wooden stakes for too long every day, otherwise the boxer and bridge player will not be able to bear it.Seeing such skill suddenly, they couldn't help being stunned. Hou Yingzhi also saw it from a distance.He had seen Xi Zhaoping's kung fu with his own eyes, and by comparison, he felt that this younger brother was superior to his elder brother - the power of the attacking palm should be comparable to Xi Zhaoping's "Liangyi Jiequan". But the next grasping and wringing force is much more difficult than using palm force, but Xi Xiaoyan is just as easy. Before the senior brothers who were in charge of teaching the exercises had time to scold him, Xi Xiaoyan had already left the "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" and went down the mountain by himself.They seem to have been used to his temper for a long time, they glanced at each other, and ordered the juniors to practice as usual. "New here?" A voice sounded from behind Hou Yingzhi.As soon as Hou Yingzhi arrived, he was attracted by the training scene on the field, and didn't pay attention to the building next to the field.It was from that house that the speaker came out. Hou Yingzhi looked at this man, in his thirties, one side of his right eye was blind, and he didn't need an eyepatch to cover it up, revealing an old scar of a cross.He limped when he walked, and his left knee could not be bent. Hou Yingzhi remembered that Fan Zong said before that some disciples who were disabled due to martial arts still stayed in the Wudang sect to serve, and thought that this senior brother must be one of them, and he should be responsible for the chores of "Cangyun Martial Arts Field". "Yes." Hou Yingzhi cupped his hands and said his name. "Jiang Ninger." The one-eyed man also arched his fists.Only then did he see that his left wrist was stiff, and he had also suffered a serious injury. Hou Yingzhi admired him very much.This Senior Brother Jiang, the injuries to his eyes, hands, and legs were not caused at the same time—that is to say, he had overcome two severe injuries, and it was not until the third time that he had to give up pursuing martial arts.Terrible and respectable spirit. Jiang Ninger smiled: "Aren't you tired of going up the mountain? Let's start now?" Hou Yingzhi nodded firmly. Jiang Ning pointed at the martial arts field with two fingers: "After watching it, which kind of martial arts do you want to learn the most?" "Sword." Hou Yingzhi said without hesitation. "Okay. I used to learn swords too." Jiang Ninger smiled wryly, stroking his missing right eye. "But let me tell you first: Wudang sword is not easy to learn." "I know." Hou Yingzhi replied.He thought to himself, I am an expert at swordsmanship after practicing for six or seven years.However, he has no intention of rushing to explain his origin.Anyway, the entire Wudang faction will know sooner or later. ——What's more, Qingcheng swordsmanship has already lost to Wudang swordsmanship.Not worth mentioning. "Am... can I play?" He asked again. "Come in with me first." Jiang Ninger smiled mysteriously again, motioning for Hou Yingzhi to follow him into the house.Hou Yingzhi thought, probably he went in to get the uniform equipment. After entering the room, Jiang Ninger did not take him to the room where the equipment was placed, but to the kitchen. It is said to be a "kitchen", but it also doubles as a dining hall, with three huge long tables placed on one side.Even though the table is so big, the disciples of "Cangyun Martial Arts Field" usually have three rounds to eat.Six or seven cooks are busy at the stove. "I'm not hungry." Hou Yingzhi said, "I only ate dry food before going up the mountain..." "It's not eating." Jiang Ninger picked up an empty bowl with his right hand. "It's drinking." He walked to a large tank almost at the height of his chest, lifted the wooden lid, and reached into it to scoop up half a bowl. "Before practicing, drink first." Jiang Ninger handed the bowl to Hou Yingzhi. "I was going to drink a full bowl. It's your first time, I'll give you half a bowl first." Hou Yingzhi didn't know why, so he took the bowl with both hands.But seeing that the bowl contained a liquid so deep that it was almost black, and there was a pungent smell. Hou Yingzhi didn't even think about it - he was trained by the Qingcheng School since he was a child, and taught him to practice martial arts to be absolutely obedient - and he drank the contents of the bowl as soon as he raised his head.The thing had a pungent smell, and he swallowed it hard, his face wrinkled. "Drink it a few times and get used to it." Jiang Ninger took back the empty bowl. "This thing is called 'Xiongsheng Wine' and it is said to be wine, but it is actually medicine. There are not many servings of wine, and it will never get drunk. , I have to drink a bowl every day before practicing." "Why... why...?" Hou Yingzhi felt a hot breath coming up from his stomach, and his heart was beating faster. The hot air seemed to be coming out of his nostrils, and there seemed to be lights and shadows shining in his head. "Drink this stuff..." Jiang Ning grinned: "...not afraid of pain. Not afraid of injury. Not afraid of death." He put down the bowl and reached out to pat the big vat lightly. "This thing is very precious. The prescription is a treasure that the former head Gongsun took from the material transfer religion." Hou Yingzhi felt his eardrums pulsating.Suddenly the hot air in the chest dissipated to the limbs, the heartbeat returned to normal, and the flickering in the head stopped.At this moment, on the contrary, I feel that the muscles and muscles of my limbs seem to be swollen, full of energy, and I feel extremely comfortable and excited. "Okay." Jiang Ninger gave a thumbs up. "Go." Hou Yingzhi couldn't restrain himself and ran out of the house at full speed. Take the first step towards "the strongest".
Although Fan Zong is already the leading master of lightness kung fu in Wudang's "Shou Snake Road", but lightness kung fu is not a fairy art, Fan Zong is only a human being after all, he also needs to run with his legs and crawl with his hands.That day Zhufeng was towering, and the mountain road was dangerous. Fan Zong set off in the afternoon and climbed to the peak at full speed, and it was almost dusk. Under the setting sun, the "Golden Palace" on the top of Tianzhu Peak reflects a dazzling golden red brilliance that cannot be seen directly. This "Golden Palace" was a miracle built on the top of Wudang by Emperor Yongle, who spent an astonishing amount of manpower and material resources.Standing on the stone platform is a bronze-cast palace. The pillars and beams, the ceiling, the door and all the utensils in the palace are all made of copper, and the structure is completely modeled on the wooden palace. The bronze statue of Emperor Zhenwu is enshrined in the palace. It weighed ten thousand catties.The resources and determination needed to build such a majestic bronze temple on this perilous peak back then are unimaginable. Since the whole hall is made of metal and stands on a high peak, it often attracts lightning strikes during thunderstorms in summer. When the "Golden Palace" was killed, lightning exploded everywhere on the ground, thunder shook the sky, and countless fireballs rolled around the palace.The most amazing thing is that every time after the thunder kills, the accumulated copper rust on the pillars of the palace disappears immediately, and it looks brand new, but the structure of the palace is not damaged at all, so this wonder is called "Thunder and Fire Refining the Palace". Because the "Golden Palace" is an imitation of the imperial palace, it is an important place for royal ceremonies, so you can only watch it from a distance, and you are not allowed to enter it.However, since the Wudang sect's return to vulgar reform, it has been privately occupied as a retreat for the head of the sect, and the government has no choice but to do so. Fan Zong half-knelt on the stone steps in front of the palace gate, bowed his head and shouted: "Disciple Fan Zong, under the order of senior brother, has something important to report urgently to the head, and please go out of the gate and go down the mountain to preside over it! Xiu, this disciple knows he has offended, and is willing to be punished!" For a long time, there was no answer from the hall. Fan Zong was sweating profusely, partly because he spent a lot of effort climbing the mountain, and partly because he was nervous - any disciple who has witnessed the master's martial arts with his own eyes can't help being nervous every time he sees him. At this moment, Fan Zong felt strange.With the sect master's keen senses, let alone the shout just now, the sect master should have heard Fan Zong's footsteps running to the front of the hall. After hesitating for a while, he decided to push open the palace door. ——Although Fan Zong knew that it was absolutely impossible for Master Yao to be plotted against on Wudang Mountain, he was still secretly ready to draw out the flying sword on his body when he entered the palace. “金殿”因为全是铜造，殿堂内有一股异样的清凉感觉。樊宗越过前门，进入主殿，那真武像立时映在眼前，左右还有金童玉女和水火二将的铜像拱陪。 殿里只见一人。一个蜷缩在殿堂一角的身影。 那当然不是姚掌门了。樊宗急步上前，把那人扶了起来。是唯一陪同掌门闭关，负责起居的侍僮林小丁。 “干嘛？”樊宗一手揪着小丁的衣领，另一手这次真的搭上了腰间飞剑的剑柄。“掌门呢？” 只有十四岁的林小丁，慌张地瞧着樊宗，只是摇头。 樊宗摇一摇他身躯：“快说！” “他……他不许我说……还要我留在这里，把带上来的米粮吃光之后才许下去……” 樊宗满脑疑问，根本搞不清楚小丁在说什么。不过樊宗心里倒是一宽——是掌门自己下了峰的。 “多久之前？” “四……不……”小丁心中仔细算算：“我忘了……五天前，或是六天前……” 樊宗在神殿四处看看。没有留下兵器，那就是说掌门把佩剑带走了。 ——掌门下去，却没回“遇真宫”……带着剑…… 樊宗这时看见，神台上遗下了两张纸片。纸很小，樊宗认得出，是武当派飞鸽传书的纸卷。 樊宗拾起来细看。一张上写“青城”两字，用血打了个交叉；另一张写的是“峨嵋”，上面以淡墨画了一个圆圈。 ——灭青城，降峨嵋。 樊宗忽然想到，这两张纸片，意味姚掌门正在想什么…… “他说过什么？”樊宗把纸片握在拳头里，不回头地问林小丁：“掌门离去前有没有说过什么？” 小丁抓抓头发努力回想。那张年轻的脸表情单纯。 “我……记起了。之前那一天，我听他好几次自言自语在说……” “说什么？”樊宗回身一把抓着林小丁的手腕。小丁吃痛轻呼。 “……太慢了。” "what?" “他说：'太慢了。'”小丁想把手挣脱。“就只这三个字。” ——太慢了。 樊宗豁然明白，姚掌门往哪儿去了。
桂丹雷本来预计，樊宗要到次天午后，才会陪同掌门下峰回来。 故此当这天深夜，樊宗就来敲他的房门时，他已经心知不妙。 ——乘夜从奇险的天柱峰下来，即使对樊宗这样的高手，都是极度危险的事情。 当看见樊宗那汗湿的脸，还有那双红丝满布的紧张眼睛，桂丹雷更加知道事不寻常。 听完樊宗的报告，他马上召集几个资深的“镇龟道”弟子，聚集在“真仙殿”里。 武当攻打天下各门派的次序，就只有掌门及副掌门几个人知晓。此外就是记在武当的机密卷宗里——这卷宗，同样也只有这几个最高领袖才有权打开。 但桂丹雷决意破例。 “将来掌门要追究，就只追究我一人吧。”桂丹雷在众人眼前，高捧那卷宗，向三丰祖师拜了一拜，然后拆开它。 他们读到了，继峨嵋之后，本派下一个计划攻打的门派。 一看见那三个字，桂丹雷马上掩卷不看，把绳索束起，将卷宗放回柜子里。 “樊宗，你累不累？”桂丹雷问。 樊宗那身褐色衣袍明明早就湿透，但他还是猛力摇头。 “你脚程和马术都最快，现在先出发。我们集齐了人，准备好，随后就去。先去郧阳青桐关，看看追不追到他，追不到，也打听一下。如果有消息他入了关，向西再追，没有，就在青桐关等我们会合。”桂丹雷说着，已经把作路费的银子塞到樊宗手里。 樊宗一点头，不再浪费多说一句话的时间，就从殿门奔出，跑进黑夜的山间。 “我们不要太多人。”桂丹雷回头看看同门说。“人多，惹人留意，也许走漏消息。” 桂丹雷很是紧张。假如叶辰渊和师星昊两位副掌门任何一人在，他都安心。可是偏偏就在这时出了事情…… “要不要叫……副掌门出马？”其中一个“镇龟道”弟子陈岱秀说。他接着降低了声线：“我是说，还在武当山的那一位……” 第三个副掌门。 Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay. ——这是武当的禁忌。陈岱秀就连其姓氏都不敢提。 桂丹雷想了想。“不。让他出来，不知道会发生多可怕的事情……本来就只有掌门制得了他。掌门不在，更加放不得。”他一双大眼瞪着，又说：“掌门不在这事情，更加绝．对．不．可．以给他知道。大家都知道后果会如何。” 他在木板地上踱了数步。“你们还得镇守武当山，我不能全带去。就陈岱秀跟我。另外我带五个'兵鸦道'的预备军，再加樊宗，共八人。” 另一个“镇龟道”弟子说：“为安全计，也尽快传书给驻在京师的'首蛇道'弟子，让他通知师副掌门赶回来坐镇。”众人点头同意。 “他是在想什么的……”旁边一个同门喃喃说：“要去也带人去嘛，这么胡来……” “不许批评他！”桂丹雷厉声呼喝。“他是天下无敌的武当派掌门。他要干什么事情，怎么干，无人能管。”
第一线阳光透现时，桂丹雷、陈岱秀和五个没有跟随叶辰渊远征四川的“兵鸦道”弟子，已经备好兵刃和轻便行囊，踏往下山的路途。 就在那拜山神道旁，一个矮壮身影斜背着长刀，站在坡上等待。 不用细看那只垂着左臂的身影，桂丹雷已知道是谁。 “谁告诉你的？”桂丹雷问。 锡晓岩没有回答，但站在桂丹雷身旁的陈岱秀，不好意思地垂下头。 “让我也去。”锡晓岩从斜坡上跃下来。 “我们是去做正事。”桂丹雷严肃地说：“不是给你去发泄丧兄之痛。” “我也是武当弟子。”锡晓岩断然说：“武当的戒条，我也懂。” 桂丹雷凝视锡晓岩的眼睛。然后摇摇头。 锡晓岩不服气：“你不许，我也跟着来。私自下山犯了戒，你回来再惩罚我吧。” 桂丹雷叹息摇头。同时却也为门派感到自豪。 ——武当派二十多年走的这条路，就为了培养出这种倔强骄傲的武者。 桂丹雷没说一句，就领着六人继续步下山道。 ——但也没有再阻止锡晓岩同行。 出了山门，下了山脚，八人背向升起的朝阳，往西而行。 目的地：关中。西岳华山。
这八人不知道：他们离开的同时，也有一只不明的鸽子从武当山振翅而出，飞进那黎明的天空中。 武林“九大门派”列表（上）： （本列表所述时代为大明正德八年） ◇少林派◇ 河南嵩山少林寺始建于北魏，寺僧自古已有修练武艺的传统，以超脱生死的武道精神，参贯禅机。相传少林寺最基础锻炼功法“易筋经”及“洗髓经”，乃是达摩祖师从天竺传来，并衍生出其他少林武技，实际不可考。 少林武功在隋唐之间已负盛名，雄视武林近千年，对中原各派武术影响极深，故得“天下武宗”的称誉。 少林派属正统外家，主要走刚猛硬派一路。少林寺僧练武本为参禅及保护寺院之用，因威力太猛，容易造成杀孽，因此不传俗家。佛家戒杀，故其武技少用刀剑利器，而主力发展徒手拳法及棍棒之术。寺内武僧亦同时修禅，“禅武不二”的精神，乃为少林武道之根本。 少林派武术博大精深，秘藏寺院内的拳械与各种功法甚多，号称“七十二技”。但有说其中部分已经再无人传承修习，仅存于拳经兵谱之内，实已失传。 著名武技：少林五拳、紧罗那王棍、十八铜人阵法 ◇武当派◇ 元末明初全真道人张三丰于湖北武当山创立。张真人身材魁伟，体质异常，不论寒暑，皆只穿一衲一蓑。相传其内家武功，乃参悟道家的内丹养生功法，转化成强身技击之术，据记载曾有“单丁杀贼百余”的勇武事迹。 张真人入武当山修道后，某日得观蛇鹤相斗，从两者身姿动作，领悟了劲力刚柔之理，创出武当最高绝学“太极”，从此奠定武当派在武林二百年来的地位。 武当派武功素以拳剑著称，原本专走内家功夫以柔克刚、借力打力的路数，武当弟子亦全为道士；惟二十余年前大破物移邪教一役后，全派上下突然还俗，武学风格更大加改革，摒弃了养生道术而偏重于武斗实战，所有拳法剑术重新大幅整编，走上了暴烈辛辣之路，又以极酷烈的方式训练大量弟子，武当派声势因而一时大振，并生起“天下无敌，称霸武林”的野心。 著名武技：太极、武当形剑、武当势剑、武当行剑、武当飞龙剑、两仪劫拳 ◇峨嵋派◇ 坐镇四川佛教名山峨嵋山，实际创立历史已不可考。有传说春秋时代“白猿公”司徒玄空，入山创立峨嵋武学，此事并无足够佐证；但可以确定最迟在宋代，已有僧人道士在山中传承武功的记载。数百年来，峨嵋山上及山下邻近地区的各种武术家数，渐渐自然融合，最终成之为峨嵋派。 峨嵋派武道以枪棒术最为世人所识。峨嵋枪法独步天下，讲究闩拦扎打间的微妙变化，武林各派长兵，惟有少林棍棒能与之较量。 峨嵋武功虽然最初源出于佛道宗教，但早已演变成为俗家门派，兼收男女弟子，传承之风比一般的山门派系较为开放。由于枪棒属长兵器，适合于战阵上使用，峨嵋派弟子参军入伍也较他派为多。 著名武技：骑龙枪、大手臂、圆机枪法