Chapter 41: The Cloud and the Hand Record

  After Qingyan put the Huatian Mirror into his bag, he felt extremely pleased. Although today was a bit of a close call, and in the end, he even spat out a mouthful of blood from being shaken, but after all, he had still managed to get his hands on the two great divine artifacts that had once moved the hearts of even Xuan Yuan and Huang Di.

  Qingyan was excited for a while, and after the excitement passed, he began to clean up the messy house. Although there weren't many things in the house, during the commotion earlier, all the books that were originally on the table were scattered all over the floor.

  Qingyan picked up book after book, muttering to himself "This is the Tao Te Ching, this is Zhuangzi, and... hmm! This is..." Qingyan picked up a thick book, carefully examining the cover, but couldn't tell what kind of paper it was made of. The deep blue cover had crimson characters written on it, which Qingyan slowly read out loud "Taiqing Dao Power Operation Method and Sect Entrance Sword Technique Essentials". Below that was a line of small text "Xuanyan Sect 5th Generation Disciple Yan Xingyun's Hand Copy", the handwriting was neat and elegant, with rounded brushstrokes, making it very comfortable to look at.

  He was overjoyed when he saw the cover, thinking to himself "How did I not discover this book before? The Five Dynasties' disciple is a figure from my master's generation, could it be Yan Xingyun, the Taishu uncle?" As soon as he flipped through it, he was immediately drawn in by the content of the book. Indeed, it was a secret manual! The book's content was divided into two chapters. The first chapter recorded the basic application methods of Taiqing Dao power in great detail. Qingyan read it with rapt attention, comparing it to his own practice of Taiqing Dao power as he read. This was truly an extremely practical and useful method. Qingyan thought to himself "If I had discovered this book earlier, I wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble climbing the Clear Wind Cliff last time!" What he didn't know was that this was a book his master Guangxian had deliberately brought back from Qingming Peak for him. Last time, Qingyan had almost fallen off the cliff at the halfway point. Guangxian knew that although Qingyan had reached the fifth layer of Tai Chu realm, his control over true energy was really too poor. He couldn't bear to personally instruct him, so he secretly placed the book here, letting Qingyan practice on his own.

  Qingyan was overjoyed to have obtained this treasure, even more so than when he had acquired the Huāntiān Mirror. The methods recorded within it allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the Taiqing Dao power, which previously he had only grasped superficially. Now, Qingyan's mind was enlightened, and he felt as if he had just awakened from a dream. He thought to himself, "So true energy can be utilized in this way? I was really too stupid!"

  In this imperceptible process, Qingyan's cultivation has been further enhanced. It's not that he reached the sixth layer of Tai Chu Realm, but rather that he thoroughly grasped the most fundamental techniques of Tai Qing Dao power, laying a solid foundation for his future cultivation. Qingyan also understood that reaching the fifth layer of Tai Chu Realm in such a short time was largely due to the credit of the Lingzhu Pearl. Although his true energy was exceptionally thick, it still hadn't fully merged with his body. His true energy cultivation had reached the fifth layer of Tai Chu Realm, but he hadn't yet achieved the actual power of that level. From now on, he would need to diligently cultivate and comprehend the subtleties of the first five layers of Tai Chu Realm, allowing his cultivation to truly reach the fifth layer.

  After Qingyan finished reading this part of the content about Taiqing Daoli's Fa Men, he thought to himself again and felt that Taiqing Daoli was vast and profound, boundless and endless. He really didn't understand even the surface of it before, how embarrassing! He also knew that this wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight, or in a short period of time, and that he must cultivate with his heart.

  Here is the translation:

  Looking at the second article in the book, it's an introduction to swordsmanship. Qingyan was even more excited, and the Purple Heart Sword was right next to him, but he could only wield it randomly without any technique. This article also needs to be studied carefully. The content of this swordsmanship introduction is extremely detailed, with illustrations that make it easier to understand, making it the best guide for beginners.

  Qingyan looked at it while practicing with his hands, and this introductory swordsmanship has twelve basic sword styles. At first glance, they seem very simple. But the more he looked, the more he felt that it wasn't simple. As written in the introduction, "The sword is an ancient sacred treasure, revered and esteemed by all. It's the ancestor of short-range weapons and a tool for close combat. With its profound and intricate techniques, it enters the realm of mystery and wonder. Its principles are subtle and easy to grasp, but its meaning is profound and deep. The way has gates and also has yin and yang, opening and closing doors, with yin declining and yang rising. In all hand-to-hand combat, the inner reality is spiritual, while the outer appearance is calm and peaceful, like a gentle woman, yet as fierce as a tiger. The shape unfolds, waiting for the energy to arrive, moving in harmony with the spirit. Like a swift rabbit, it chases after shadows, its light flashing like a mirage. Breathing in and out, without being bound by rules or prohibitions. Moving horizontally and vertically, advancing and retreating, without hearing any sound. Those who understand this way can be worth a thousand or ten thousand men."

  As he pondered the meaning within, his mind and the power of Taiqing mutually verified each other. If there was a sudden realization in his heart, his hands would move accordingly, and as his palms swept through the air, threads of true energy slowly emerged from the tips of his five fingers. His movements also became faster, and the true energy emanating from his fingertips grew from a few inches to over a foot long. With each swing, it was like an invisible sword blade, emitting a "whooshing" sound as it cut through the air, truly embodying the phrase "the shape is formed, and the spirit follows".

  Qingyan stood up and began to practice the sword techniques depicted in the book, one by one. The twelve linked sword styles truly had a flowing cloud-like momentum. Every time he completed a sword style, his invisible sword energy would increase by several inches, and the true energy inside his body would change along with the sword style, just like the running method he practiced earlier. Qingyan suddenly understood that this sword style was also a way to cultivate Taiqing Dao power. After he learned all twelve sword styles in sequence, the invisible sword energy he emitted had already reached over three feet long, and his true energy had circulated nine times, reaching its peak. The invisible sword energy emitted by Qingyan's right hand finally reached four feet, and could not be increased any further. He knew that this was the limit of his current efforts. Compared to the three-inch distance earlier, the energy circulating outside of four feet was truly incomparable!

  Qingyan finished practicing the twelve sword forms and then followed the book's instructions to practice them in reverse order from the twelfth form. This time, after completing each sword form, the invisible sword energy he emitted actually shortened by several inches. By the time he finished practicing the first form, all of his invisible sword energy had returned to his body, and the true energy inside him had circulated nine times and returned to his dantian. After finishing the twelve sword forms in reverse order, Qingyan's understanding of Taiqing Dao's power deepened another level, and he also understood many secrets of true energy circulation. He stood quietly on the ground for a long time, reorganizing the things in his mind. He had gained a lot and benefited greatly. He couldn't help but thank Yan Xingyun, the Taishan master who had left behind this book. If it weren't for this book, he wouldn't have understood so many secrets of the heart method. In his heart, he said, "I don't know what Master Yan looks like, but I'm very grateful to you! Hmph! My senior brother didn't teach me well and just went into closed-door cultivation. When you come out, humph!" Qingyan thought of his senior brother again. Actually, Qingxu was also innocent; it was all arranged by Guangxian. But Qingyan didn't dare blame his master, so he could only vent his grievances to his senior brother!

  This time, Qingyan's cultivation of the Dao Fa sword technique didn't know how long it took, it should have been several days already. Qingyan had already gotten used to this way of cultivating. After finishing his practice, Qingyan saw that it was now morning and the time was still early, so he decided to go take a look at Tiehu. This was something Qingxu had instructed him to do before closing up his cave, and it had already been over three months, he didn't know how Tiehu was doing now.

  After a slight tidy, Qingyan carried the Zixing sword along that gravel path down from Mingyue Peak. It's really fast! In the blink of an eye, more than half a year has passed. Thinking about it, the day I came up the mountain with my senior brother was like yesterday, and now Xiaoshi is already Qingyan, transformed from a young man to a Taoist!

  Qingyan strolled down the mountain, because this small road couldn't be found by outsiders, and didn't see a single person along the way. After arriving at the foot of the mountain, he saw villagers nearby. He inquired about the location of Tiejiazhuang, which was less than ten miles west from here, and then walked quickly towards it.

  The ten-mile road would be reached in an instant at Qingyan's current speed, but he deliberately slowed down his pace. It had been a long time since he last walked like this, and he wanted to relax properly.

  Tiejiazhuang is a small village with only dozens of households and two or three hundred people. Because all the villagers are surnamed Tie, it's called Tiejiazhuang. To get to Tiejiazhuang, you have to go through a poplar forest, and the road goes right through the forest. As soon as Qingyan entered the forest, he heard shouting voices coming from not far away, which sounded somewhat like Tie Hu's voice.

  Qingyan's curiosity arose, and he thought to himself, "Could it be Tiehu?" He then walked in the direction of the sound. After walking about a mile, because the forest was too dense, Qingyan couldn't see anyone but heard the voice getting clearer and clearer, "Hmph! Haha!" It was indeed Tiehu's movements, but he didn't know what he was doing or why he would make such sounds.

  Qingyan hastened forward, and here they were already deep in the poplar forest. Qingyan suddenly saw a clearing of about 15-20 meters in diameter, where a man with his upper body exposed was punching and kicking with great enthusiasm. The man had an exceptionally tall and sturdy build, thick eyebrows and big eyes, muscles bulging all over his body, and a dark bronze-colored skin - who else could it be but Tie Hu!

  Tie Hu obviously didn't know that Qing Yan had arrived, and was still there "hmm-ha"ing, occasionally waving his fists and stomping his feet, looking like he was practicing his skills.

  Qingyan watched from the side for a good while, but didn't understand what kind of skill Tiehu was practicing. However, seeing his fists stirring up the wind, he was holding back his great strength, and although the nearby willow tree was shaking nonstop, it was clear that he hadn't used his full force. It seemed that he had already grasped the internal restraint method of using energy. Qingyan thought to himself, "What kind of skill did Big Master teach Tiehu? Why doesn't it seem like the Taiqing inner power?" Meanwhile, Tiehu continued to practice with all his heart, and after a whole hour, Qingyan saw that he still didn't intend to stop. Thinking to himself, "How long is this going to go on?", he couldn't bear it anymore and called out, "Tiehu! Your Little Master Uncle has come to see you!" Then he walked out.

  Who would have thought that Tie Hu heard the cry, saw Qing Yan appear, and with a "wow" sound, he rushed up, hugged Qing Yan, and shouted "Little Shu Shu, you've finally come! You must save me!" As he spoke, tears fell like rain, instantly wetting Qing Yan's Taoist robe.

  Qingyan was momentarily flustered, at a loss for what to do. "What's going on here?!" He stood there, speechless. In his heart, he thought, "You're crying like this and not saying anything, what am I supposed to use to save you, my Iron Tiger nephew?"