"The strongest force in this world must be the Tourism Bureau, right? Even the Company ranks below them."
At the foot of Wudang Mountain, Daniel Davis looked at the bustling crowds ascending the mountain steps. With a smile, he shook his head lightly.
In modern society, the scenic mountains once occupied by various sects had mostly been turned into tourist attractions. No matter how powerful a sect might be, they all had to yield to the Tourism Bureau's authority, even cooperating with their promotional strategies.
During the Luo Tian Dajiao, the Old Heavenly Master had even posed for pictures and videos at the request of the tourism officials. Of course, the Tourism Bureau didn't go too far; for most major sects, only the front part of the mountain became a tourist spot, while the back mountain remained a sanctuary for the sects.
Similarly, the disciples of these sects were divided into two categories. One group consisted of ordinary disciples responsible for mundane tasks like managing the temples and interacting with the public. The other group were true inner disciples who focused on cultivation. These disciples did not handle worldly matters, dedicating themselves solely to their training.
Generally speaking, the ordinary disciples supported the inner disciples financially. This is the essence of the saying, "The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts." Martial arts training required vast resources.
And wealth wasn't just about money. It encompassed many things—access to cultivation methods, expert guidance, and more.
For example, had Zhao Nian from New Biyou Village had a proper teacher, he might have become a true practitioner instead of a comatose vegetable.
This world, filled with extraordinary beings, had seen many cultivation methods passed down over the years. Yet only a few people managed to succeed, and even then, they faced numerous problems—practitioners becoming comatose, martial artists suffering from blood deficiencies and poor health.
Take the widespread practice of Tai Chi, for example. In Daniel's previous life, and in this world as well, it was one of the most popular forms of exercise. However, only the disciples of Wudang truly mastered it. The versions shared online were mere imitations, lacking the vital qi circulation techniques, making them little more than flashy moves.
This time, Daniel took advantage of his mission to visit Wudang Mountain, seeking to obtain the true Tai Chi method. Even the famous Wind Queen's Divination, one of the Eight Great Arts, ranked below Tai Chi in his priorities.
Wind Queen's Divination was undoubtedly powerful. Zhuge Qing, who witnessed its might for the first time, almost suffered a mental breakdown despite being part of the legendary Zhuge clan, renowned for its practitioner heritage.
But because it was so specialized, Daniel didn't place much importance on it. The divination art relied heavily on one's talent with Qimen techniques. Even the older generation at Wudang had failed to fully master it, with some getting trapped in their own inner sceneries. Daniel knew that if he ever trained in this art, it would only be after he dealt with Thanos and had the time to practice slowly.
Moreover, the Eight Great Arts weren't invincible. If they were truly that formidable, the previous generation of masters wouldn't have ended up dead or in hiding.
The Old Heavenly Master currently dominated the world with his Golden Light Spell, and in his time, Zhang Zhenren had done the same with Tai Chi. It was through his mastery of Tai Chi that Zhang Zhenren had achieved the Feathering Realm.
Daniel had always viewed Tai Chi as a powerful martial art focused on using softness to overcome hardness. However, upon studying it more closely, he realized he was wrong. Tai Chi wasn't just about softness; it was the perfect balance of yin and yang.
Tai Chi's Tai Chi Force combined yin and yang, allowing the practitioner to generate numerous forms of force. Its hardness rivaled the renowned strength of arts like Bajiquan, which was known for its explosive power.
Bringing such Tai Chi techniques to the Qin's Moon world, and teaching them to Taoists like Beimingzi and Xiaomeng, could yield surprising results.
Although the back mountain of Wudang was difficult to access, for Daniel, it posed no challenge. The Taoist guards at the entrance were extraordinary beings, but they couldn't stop him. Daniel walked right past them without being noticed, using the Taoist art of blending into the surroundings, a technique far beyond their ability to detect.
"The impoverished Daoist Wang." Once inside the back mountain, Daniel quickly spotted Wang Ye. It wasn't that he had a deep impression of Wang Ye, but his lazy demeanor made him easy to identify—there was no one else like him at Wudang Mountain.
Wang Ye had been brilliant from a young age, and with his family's immense wealth, he had everything he could ever want. This led him to feel that nothing in the world held any real interest, which eventually spurred his desire to become a Taoist.
In this regard, Wang Ye was far superior to someone like Wang Bing.
Perhaps it was this indifferent attitude that allowed Wang Ye to progress rapidly with Wind Queen's Divination. He became the only person in the current generation to fully master the technique.
"Hmm." As Daniel observed Wang Ye for a while and quietly passed by, Wang Ye suddenly jumped down from the tree he had been lounging on.
"Feels like someone's watching me." Wang Ye scanned the area but found nothing out of the ordinary. He quickly resumed his lazy position on the tree.
"Sharp senses, huh." Daniel watched Wang Ye lie back down before continuing on his way. Wang Ye's strength alone wasn't anything special to Daniel, but combined with Wind Queen's Divination, it was a different story.
"The Scripture Pavilion." Daniel carefully avoided several Taoist guards along the way and made his way directly to the Scripture Pavilion, where Wudang stored its vast collection of Taoist texts and martial arts manuals.
As a renowned Taoist sect, Wudang didn't only have Tai Chi. They possessed countless martial arts manuals, perhaps dozens, many of which had been derived from the principles of Tai Chi.
The reason why most people believed Tai Chi was solely a soft martial art was that nearly all of Wudang's techniques focused on softness, with hardly any emphasizing hardness.
This wasn't Wudang's fault—just as Confucianism had evolved over time, Tai Chi had many practitioners within Wudang, but few had grasped its true essence. Among the younger generation, only Wang Ye had fully mastered it.
Wudang, being a Taoist sect, largely adhered to the philosophy of non-contention. Hard styles of martial arts often clashed with this principle.
"Found it." It didn't take long for Daniel to locate the Tai Chi manual within Wudang. In fact, Tai Chi manuals could be easily found outside the mountain as well. But Daniel had come to Wudang because only here could he access the foundational Tai Chi techniques. The versions outside had been altered, forming their own schools of thought.
Tai Chi was easy to learn but hard to master. Like the Dao De Jing, its true essence lay in understanding and enlightenment.
"Someone's coming. And they're strong. Have I been discovered?" As Daniel studied the Tai Chi manual, his senses picked up someone approaching the Scripture Pavilion. He quickly put on a mask to conceal his identity.
"My friend, is there something you're looking for? Perhaps I can assist you," a hunched old man said calmly as he appeared three meters behind Daniel.
"Wudang's current headmaster, Zhou Meng." Daniel immediately recognized the old man. Since coming to Wudang, he had made sure to familiarize himself with its prominent figures, especially the headmaster.
In the world of extraordinary beings, two major organizations managed affairs: the Everywhere Courier Company and the Ten Elders Council. While the Company rarely intervened in extraordinary matters, except in cases of large-scale disturbances or attacks on ordinary people, the Ten Elders were responsible for day-to-day governance. For some, the Ten Elders were considered the strongest individuals in the extraordinary world.
However, that was a narrow view. Outside the Ten Elders, there were many powerful figures, such as the masters of Wudang. Wudang might not have a representative among the Ten Elders, but no one could deny their strength.
Other Taoist branches like Shangqing, Maoshan, Lingbao, and Meishan were also home to powerful individuals. And then there were the various clans scattered across the land, all teeming with skilled fighters.
The four great families—Wang, Lu, Gao, and Li—didn't represent the entirety of the extraordinary world. For instance, the Zhuge family, descended from Zhuge Liang, and the Jia family in the west were just as powerful. Even the Tang Clan in Sichuan, though often considered a sect, was more like a powerful clan.
In reality, truly powerful clans didn't care for the fame of being one of the "Four Families." Take the legendary Kong family, for example—a hidden but formidable family even in the Qin's Moon world.
There's a saying: "A dynasty lasts a century, but a clan endures a millennium." Of course, that's more of an ideal than a reality. Many families hoping to last a thousand years have faded into history. Among the so-called Four Families, the oldest was only about a century old.
But the Kong family? They were a genuine thousand-year family, having existed for over two millennia. And they owed it all to their illustrious ancestor.
"I apologize for my intrusion, Master Zhou. I hold great respect for Zhang Zhenren and am deeply interested in the Tai Chi he left behind. I came without an invitation and beg your
forgiveness." Daniel raised the Tai Chi manual in his hand as he spoke.
"If you're so interested, you could have entered openly. Why sneak around?" Zhou Meng said, his tone mild. It was fortunate for Daniel that this was Wudang. In a clan like the Lu family, such behavior would have led to immediate conflict—perhaps even a fight to the death.
"My apologies, Master Zhou. I have personal reasons for not revealing my face. I ask for your understanding."
"If you cannot show your face, then I won't press the issue. Feel free to take any of the books you like." Zhou Meng's leniency surprised Daniel. Not only was he not being held accountable, but Zhou Meng was even allowing him to take the martial arts manuals.
"Master Zhou is too kind. This one manual will suffice." Despite Wudang's vast collection, none of the other techniques caught Daniel's interest.
"It's rare to meet a master like yourself, Master Zhou. I'd like to ask for some guidance on Tai Chi if you're willing." With Daniel's memory and strength, just skimming through the Tai Chi manual was enough for him to grasp its techniques. Initially, he planned to practice on his own, but since he had the chance to meet a seasoned master, he decided to request instruction. Having a teacher always made a difference.
"I think the bamboo grove in the back mountain is quiet enough. Shall we?" Without waiting for Zhou Meng's response, Daniel began walking toward the grove.
"Very well." In the bamboo grove, Daniel faced Zhou Meng, assuming the starting stance of Tai Chi. For anyone else, challenging Zhou Meng with their newly learned Tai Chi would have been an act of folly. But Daniel was no ordinary person.
"Let's begin."
At Zhou Meng's signal, Daniel moved, launching his attack with Advance and Strike, a powerful move from Tai Chi. Of course, Daniel wasn't using his full strength—he was here for instruction, not to fight.
Zhou Meng responded with Tai Chi Cloud Hands, smoothly deflecting the force of Daniel's punch. Daniel's strike, fueled by hard force, was effortlessly neutralized by Zhou Meng's soft technique.
The two exchanged several moves, each of Daniel's attacks being deftly redirected by Zhou Meng's soft energy.
"If you're only going to defend, don't blame me for getting serious."
Seeing that Zhou Meng was only defending and not attacking, Daniel decided to step up his game. He unleashed the entire form of Tai Chi, albeit while still holding back. Zhou Meng was no ordinary man—he was Wudang's headmaster, after all. Daniel still had to exert a bit of effort.
The collision of their energies decimated the surrounding bamboo grove. The surge of qi was too intense to go unnoticed by the Wudang experts. Surprisingly, only two individuals arrived at the grove: a middle-aged Taoist, Zhou Meng's disciple, Daoist Yunlong, likely the next headmaster of Wudang, and the impoverished Daoist Wang, Yunlong's disciple.
"Master, who's fighting with the Grandmaster? And they're using Tai Chi!"
"How would I know?"
Daoist Yunlong's face darkened at Wang Ye's question. Yunlong knew his master's strength well, but here, someone using an unfamiliar Tai Chi form was fighting him to a draw. This meant that the masked stranger might be even stronger than Zhou Meng, the head of Wudang.
In today's extraordinary world, there weren't many people with such power. And none of them would come to Wudang wearing a mask.
"So this is soft energy, huh." The exchange gave Daniel a clear understanding of soft energy. Until now, he had mostly fought with hard energy, a characteristic of the One Piece world, where combat was all about strength and brute force, with no room for techniques like softness overcoming hardness.
The fight also made Daniel realize something about the Qin's Moon world—most of the martial arts there were centered around swordsmanship.
"Looks like I'll need to train in some fist techniques afterward. Bajiquan would be perfect." There's a saying that goes, "Tai Chi brings peace to the world, but Bajiquan settles it."
Zhuge Qing's Bajiquan was evenly matched with Wang Ye's Tai Chi. With Daniel's current strength, combined with Bajiquan, he could potentially shatter mountains with a single punch.
"Thank you for the instruction, Master Zhou." As time passed and Daniel noticed Zhou Meng beginning to sweat, he immediately stepped back several meters to end the fight.
"I didn't expect to meet such a remarkable individual in today's extraordinary world. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old." Zhou Meng breathed a sigh of relief as Daniel withdrew. He was inwardly astonished—after all that fighting, Daniel remained as calm and composed as when they started, his breathing steady and unchanged.
"You're too kind, Master Zhou. I've intruded for too long, so allow me to offer this as an apology." Daniel paused briefly before taking out a True Human Pill and tossing it to Zhou Meng.
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