Chapter 27: Self-deceiving Zhou Botong

"You actually gave me the lower volume of the 'Nine Yin Manual' directly?" Zhou Botong's expression could no longer be calm.

Zhuang Buran said leisurely:

"For these ten years, you should have been speculating every day about what kind of divine skills are recorded in the lower volume of the scriptures."

"I presume you should be as obsessed with martial arts as Zhuang. If there is a scripture that all martial arts practitioners in the world regard as a treasure, you must be itching."

"This is not for fame, revenge, or winning, nor is it for wanting to run rampant in the world, but purely a curiosity and love for martial arts that is difficult to restrain, wanting to know how powerful the martial arts in the scriptures are after practicing them."

"Exactly, exactly. I didn't expect you to understand me better than I understand myself!" Zhou Botong blurted out, then couldn't help but sigh:

"In the past, I heard Brother Wang say the origin of the 'Nine Yin Manual'. Back then, Huang Shang read through the 5,481 volumes of the 'Longevity Daoist Canon' and thought hard for more than forty years, finally figuring out the martial arts that can crack the moves of various sects. The wonderful methods contained in it must be extraordinary."

He paused, his tone somewhat frustrated:

"But I must abide by Brother Wang's last words and cannot learn the martial arts on the 'Nine Yin Manual'."

A flash of light appeared in Zhou Botong's eyes, and he suddenly looked at the green-robed youth, thinking:

"Although the master's last words must not be violated, Brother Zhuang is not a member of my Quanzhen Sect. If I teach him the martial arts in the scriptures and let him learn them all, and then perform them for me one by one, wouldn't I be able to satisfy this itching addiction?"

"Now he must have learned the skills of the lower volume. As long as I pass the upper volume to him, won't I be able to see how powerful the complete 'Nine Yin Manual' is?"

Thinking of this, Zhou Botong could hardly hide his excitement and immediately coughed a few times seriously:

"Ahem, Brother Zhuang, you are so generous, and I am not a stingy person. I said that if you learn my 'Left and Right Mutual Combat Technique', I will teach you a few more skills. I keep my word and admit defeat."

He didn't wait for the green-robed youth to reply and recited the martial arts mental method impatiently:

"People only know that sitting quietly and breathing is the work of advancing virtue, but they don't know that the superior person, round and clear, practices both body and use, moving and quiet, even if disturbed, it is peaceful..."

Zhou Botong not only explained the foundation method of practicing superior internal energy, acupoint tapping, acupoint releasing, breath holding, and healing secrets in one breath.

He also talked about the method of shrinking muscles and bones and unloading force, as well as the lightness skill of snake walking and raccoon turning, and even the soul-bewitching method that confuses people's minds, and finally even said some Sanskrit words.

Zhuang Buran listened while knowing in his heart that the 'Nine Yin Manual' is indeed worthy of being the essence of martial arts in the world. Regardless of internal or external families, fist techniques or sword techniques, all the most basic methods and tricks are included in the upper volume of the true scripture.

Especially the 'Muscle-Changing and Bone-Forging Chapter' and the Sanskrit General Outline, which can be considered to make up for the shortcomings of his current hard training and internal energy.

A brilliant smile couldn't help but appear on his face, and he said loudly:

"The way of heaven, damage the surplus and make up for the deficiency, so the virtual wins the real, the insufficient wins the surplus..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Botong stood in place as if struck by lightning, discovering that this was the Sanskrit General Outline that he had not been able to realize for more than ten years. After listening to it, he only felt that it was worthy of being a 'Nine Yin Manual' that would benefit a martial arts practitioner for a lifetime if they learned even a little bit.

Just the general outline alone is worth martial arts practitioners risking their lives for, and it can crack martial arts barriers, reconcile yin and yang, avoid going crazy, and can be said to correct the Daoist martial arts' view of focusing on yin and softness, enabling it to reach the martial arts realm of yin and yang mutual aid.

"Brother Zhuang, I didn't expect you to understand Sanskrit!"

"Zhuang often thinks wildly. There are countless martial arts in the world. If some foreign characters are recorded on paper, wouldn't one be staring blankly, unable to practice? So I learned a few languages outside the Central Plains."

"Oh my, why didn't I think of that back then." Zhou Botong was surprised and regretted repeatedly:

"If I had been prepared like Brother Zhuang, how could I have watched the general outline for more than ten years without realizing anything."

Five days later.

Outside the mountain cave, an old man and a youth were practicing martial arts. They saw the old man using Dragon Palm in one hand and Empty Brightness in the other, and the youth using Great Demon-Subduing Fist in one hand and Destroying Firmness Divine Claw in the other.

The two fought from the ground to the sky, using 'Golden Goose Skill' in unison, rising straight up a zhang in the air, tapping on a branch, and their bodies rising another zhang.

After more than a hundred rounds of moves, Zhou Botong jumped to the ground:

"Brother Zhuang, ever since I got your reminder, I have known that my martial arts are far superior to the Five Greats. The skill of splitting and double-attacking I created, although internal strength cannot increase, the moves have indeed doubled."

"Try to ask, no matter how strong the Five Greats' martial arts are, how can they beat two Old Urchins Zhou Botong? I originally thought my martial arts were the best in the world, but you gave me a good lesson."

When he said this, he couldn't help rubbing his chest, very incomprehensibly:

"Your martial arts are not only different from Huang Laoxie's, but you also have a hard skill that can be called the peak. After fighting with you for a long time, first my fists and arms were shaken with pain, then my bones and internal organs were almost vomiting blood."

"Fortunately, my internal strength is deep, so I was just shaken a bit dull."

He shook his head somewhat dejectedly:

"If you didn't have this hard skill, even if you knew 'Left and Right Mutual Combat Technique', I fear you really wouldn't be able to beat me."

"It's really hard to say. For more than ten years, although you only looked at the 'Nine Yin Manual' without practicing, it doesn't count as violating the last words, but the upper volume is all about the Daoist practice of internal energy, as well as fist scriptures and sword theories, not real skills to defeat enemies."

"While you were reading the scriptures until you were familiar with them, you had already inadvertently learned the upper part of the 'Nine Yin Manual'. Now that you are focused, practicing diligently for fifteen years, it is only right that you have martial arts that can traverse the world."

Zhuang Buran stood with his hands behind his back:

"For the past few days, I have practiced the various martial arts of the lower volume of the scriptures. I think you have already kept them in mind, which can be considered as completely learning the 'Nine Yin Manual'."

Zhou Botong opened his eyes wide and looked at his hands, looking annoyed: "I learned the 'Nine Yin Manual'?!"

Zhuang Buran said unhurriedly:

"If I remember correctly, the last words left by Wang Chongyang before he died were: 'Anyone under my sect must not practice the martial arts in the scriptures, so as not to let others say that my seizing the scriptures was out of selfishness'."

"That's right, that's right." Zhou Botong didn't understand.

"Then are you a Daoist of the Quanzhen Sect?" Zhuang Buran asked with a smile.

"I have a deep friendship with Brother Wang. We were already friends before he became a monk. Later, he passed on my martial arts, saying that I was obsessed with martial arts and too persistent, which did not fit the Daoist principle of inaction, so he didn't take me into the sect, and I was happy not to be a Daoist."

"So, you didn't enter the Quanzhen Sect at all, you are just Brother Wang's junior brother. How can you not learn the 'Nine Yin Manual'?"

"Uh... you say it like that, it seems there is nothing wrong!"

Zhou Botong flipped excitedly and called out happily:

"I am not a disciple under Brother Wang's sect, why can't I learn the martial arts in the scriptures."

He put his hands on his hips and laughed:

"Hahaha, wait for Huang Laoxie to return to the island, I will have a good fight with him, and I can go out and play everywhere!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 28 =====