readsfreenovel Chapter 96 The Bystander in the World of Tianlong 2
Chapter 96 The Bystander in the World of Tianlong 2
(This chapter mainly introduces the martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect. You can skip it if you don't want to read it!)
Let's call this sword technique "Dugu Nine Swords" for now. It can be considered a top-level skill because it goes straight to the essence, so the threshold is not too high. However, once mastered, its power can break through almost any move.
Although the entry barrier is low, it becomes increasingly difficult to master as you progress, especially the final sword strike, which relies entirely on the practitioner's own understanding. Therefore, this is a skill that heavily depends on talent.
The Northern Darkness Divine Skill is a martial art that only the leader of the Free and Unfettered Sect can cultivate: "In the Northern Darkness there is a fish, its name is Kun..." A passage from Zhuangzi's "Free and Unfettered Wandering" briefly describes the definition and principles of this divine skill.
It is evident that this practice follows the path of Zhuangzi, a Daoist philosopher. Speaking of which, we must mention Zhuangzi himself. It can be said that among Daoist schools, and even other schools, Zhuangzi possessed the most carefree and natural mindset.
Some might ask, what about Lao Tzu? While Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching is indeed all-encompassing, the impressions of Lao Tzu have evolved in many ways over time. You could say that Lao Tzu was a figure close to the Tao, but you can't say that Lao Tzu was carefree and unrestrained. If you elevate him too much, you lose the freedom of a commoner.
Getting back to the main point, the way to practice the Beiming Divine Skill is to absorb the power of others and use it for one's own purposes. Many people think this is unlikely. In addition, given Duan Yu's half-baked and self-harming practice method in the original novel, some people believe that this martial art is not only useless but also harmful.
Actually, that's not the case. Duan Yu did have health problems, but could he have avoided them? Think about it: a future crown prince of a dynasty who falls head over heels in love with any woman he sees, and who can't even handle basic social etiquette. With such a mindset, it would be strange if he didn't have problems! Therefore, the experience gained from this failed experiment is invalid.
The Pure Yang Supreme Skill has almost never appeared because it was lost. However, Wu Xingyun, the Heavenly Mountain Child Granny, saw this divine skill and modified its original characteristic that it could only be practiced by men, thus forming the later "Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, I Alone Am Supreme Skill".
As for whether the Pure Yang Supreme Skill is the same as the Nine Yang Divine Skill, or perhaps the Sunflower Manual which transforms Yang into Yin, it's impossible to know. In any case, Liu Yuxi couldn't practice it, so she didn't care.
Wu Xingyun practiced her modified version of the "Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, I Alone Am Supreme Technique" (there is also a saying that when she was six years old, Xiaoyaozi taught her the "Eternal Youth and Longevity Technique" that he had studied from the "divine book" of Changchun Valley). Unfortunately, she was deliberately disturbed by Li Qiushui during her practice, which caused her to suffer a qi deviation and become unable to grow up. She also had to dissipate her power and drink blood every thirty years, and could only be a cute girl.
The Lesser Formless Skill, as the name suggests, is small and formless, without form or shape, and without trace. The disciple of the Free and Unfettered Sect who cultivated this divine skill was Li Qiushui.
This divine skill is not only incredibly powerful, but it also allows for the free application of other techniques, leaving virtually no trace for others to detect. The only drawback is that it cannot be perfectly executed with other techniques, but this is insignificant compared to the limited pool of martial artists in the world.
These three techniques are the ultimate internal energy skills of the Free and Unfettered Sect. Unlike other sects, anyone who cultivates these three divine skills to a high level will never age. They are essential to have at home and can ensure a long and healthy life.
Let's return to the Northern Darkness Divine Art. Its key feature is absorption, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. While it allows for rapid personal progress, it also makes one extremely vulnerable to becoming an enemy of the martial arts world. Therefore, even a supposedly carefree sect like the Free and Unfettered Sect dares not be too carefree, as disrupting public order could lead to the downfall of a powerful nation. However, as a technique that only the leader of the Free and Unfettered Sect can cultivate, the power of the Northern Darkness Divine Art is evident.
The Free and Unfettered Sect possesses top-notch internal strength and extremely powerful martial arts techniques.
Lingbo Weibu: Based on the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching, users move in a specific order according to the hexagram positions, walking a large circle from the first step to the third step.
Tianshan Six Yang Palm: Accompanied by the Life and Death Talisman, it controls life and death, a domineering and exclusive divine skill.
Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand: Equivalent to the Dugu Nine Swords in fist and foot techniques.
White Rainbow Palm Force: It can bend and straighten at will, and is known as a miniature mortar.
The Soul-Searching Technique via Sound Transmission—this requires a detailed explanation:
In *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils*, the Heavenly Child Granny "rejuvenated," but her powers were not fully restored. With the help of Xu Zhu, inspired by his solution to the Zhenlong Chess Puzzle, she hid in Li Qiushui's lair—the Western Xia imperial palace. Li Qiushui had calculated the day the Heavenly Child Granny would achieve her goal, knowing she was hiding in the palace, but not her exact location.
In order to find the Heavenly Child Granny, Li Qiushui used the "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique," sending her delicate voice into the ice cave and into her ears. Xu Zhu covered his ears with both hands, but the sound still managed to penetrate his hands and enter his ears, no matter what he did.
Li Qiushui would recount her past as classmates, talk about how deeply Wu Yazi loved her, and then vehemently denounce Tianshan Tonglao as shameless. Li Qiushui was forcing Tianshan Tonglao to reveal herself.
Even Xu Zhu couldn't bear to listen anymore. This voice was "sent out with profound internal force," and even three layers of ice cellars couldn't block it. This was the "Soul-Searching Technique of Transmitting Sound."
Why couldn't others hear Li Qiushui's "Sound Transmission Soul Searching Technique"? Li Qiushui kept talking for several hours. If others had heard her, they would have found her long ago.
In the revised edition of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", Mr. Jin Yong provided an additional explanation: "There are hundreds or even thousands of concubines, guards, maids and eunuchs in the palace, but none of them have the internal energy of the Xiaoyao Sect, so none of them can hear a sound."
That is to say, Li Qiushui's "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique" only works on people with the internal energy of the Xiaoyao Sect.
In "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," Duan Yanqing also possessed a secret telepathic skill called "Telepathic Transmission." When solving the Zhenlong Chess Puzzle, Xuzhu, in an attempt to save Duan Yanqing, made a hasty move. To repay him, Duan Yanqing used "Telepathic Transmission" to teach Xuzhu how to play, and they successfully solved the Zhenlong Chess Puzzle.
This "sound transmission technique" is different from the "sound transmission and soul search technique." "Sound transmission technique" involves knowing the location of the other party and using internal force to transmit the sound into their ears. Even if a master is right next to them, they will not hear a sound.
The "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique" doesn't know the other party's location, so the sound spreads in all directions. Anyone with the internal energy of the Free and Unfettered Sect should be able to hear it; Tianshan Child Granny and Xuzhu both heard it.
Therefore, it can be seen that this "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique" is a reaction of the interaction of internal forces within the Xiaoyao Sect. Those without the internal forces of the Xiaoyao Sect would truly be "deaf to it".
Therefore, according to the supplementary explanation in Mr. Jin Yong's revised edition of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", this "Soul-Searching Technique" really has no other use besides finding the Heavenly Child Granny.
Why would Li Qiushui need to practice this martial art? Was it specifically to deal with Tianshan Tonglao? Probably not. Perhaps it's just an "additional function" of the Xiaoyao Sect's internal energy, something she doesn't need to practice. Tianshan Tonglao actually knows it too; she used this skill to lure Li Qiushui into the ice cellar.
This "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique" is somewhat like modern wireless communication; the signal is broadcast, but only specific people can receive it. In general, communication relies on frequency to determine whether a signal can be received, but the "Sound Transmission and Soul Searching Technique" uses internal energy to differentiate. Two masters of the Free and Unfettered Sect using this technique are practically communicating through two invisible cell phones.
The martial arts of the Free and Unfettered Sect can only be used when one's internal energy has been cultivated to a very high level. Therefore, each of the disciples of the Free and Unfettered Sect is a master.