Eight, Enlightenment in Battle

  Xun Daozi returned to the valley, carefully recalling this expedition. He made a deep self-examination for not discovering the Cang Lang first, but was still quite pleased with his victory over the Cang Lang. However, he felt embarrassed about his own combat skills. He decided to learn how to fight through actual combat.

  After that, Xun Daozi carried a long sword on his back and held a dark red wooden stick in his hand every day to leave the valley and search for wild beasts to practice fighting. As a result, those ordinary wild beasts suffered, they didn't have any magical powers, relying solely on their physical instincts to fight, naturally being bullied by Xun Daozi. From then on, Xun Daozi became the nightmare of the ordinary wild beasts in Xun Dao Mountain, living in fear every day, afraid of encountering that hateful and terrifying guy. Some wild beasts couldn't bear it and fled with their families from Xun Dao Mountain.

  Through long-term actual combat practice, Xun Daozi is no longer the original rookie image. Although it's just bullying ordinary wild beasts, every battle is no longer flustered and confused, and the battles are also well-organized. Although in the eyes of a master, he is still nothing. But Xun Daozi feels that this period of time has been fulfilling and happy, and he prefers this happiness to simply burying his head in the valley to cultivate himself.

  At this time, Xun Daozi had somewhat deviated from the heart of a seeker. This was also a sequelae caused by long-term suppression and sudden release. As a stone, Xun Daozi had been lonely for countless years. After transforming into a human form, he thought his power was weak and was always worried about being destroyed by the creatures of the vast wilderness. After obtaining the cave, he felt safe and relaxed in his cultivation. However, the cave only had him alone, solitary and isolated. This time, through fighting with the wild beasts of the vast wilderness, he realized that he was not afraid of these beasts. So, the lonely and fearful Xun Daozi took these beasts as companions, on the one hand training his combat skills, and on the other hand, dispelling the loneliness in his heart. Of course, this cannot be said to be completely a bad thing. As long as he does not become obsessed with it, it will also have some benefits for adjusting his current state of mind. Once he recognizes his true self, Xun Daozi will definitely take a big step forward on the path of seeking the Way. He just hasn't realized it yet.

  Xun Daozi had been bullying ordinary beasts for a while before he finally encountered a demonic beast. Xun Daozi didn't recognize what kind of demonic beast it was either. The demonic beast was over 10 feet tall, its body length including its tail was over 13 feet long, its four limbs were thick and powerful, its paws had sharp claws, its entire body was covered in scales, there were three horns on its head, its tail was like a long snake with a thorn at the end, its roar was like thunder, its two triangular eyes were crimson red like blood. Just one look and you could tell it wasn't something to be trifled with.

  This is a demon beast that has just opened its spiritual wisdom and has not been cultivating for long. Even so, it has already surpassed the category of ordinary beasts, and its combat power is not comparable to that of ordinary beasts. The Seeking Daozi, who was showing off his might among ordinary beasts, was made a fool of by this demon beast. Although this demon beast had not yet cultivated any great divine abilities, only small fireballs and the like, it mainly relied on its physical instincts to fight. However, its speed, strength, and the power of its sharp horns and claws were enough to make Seeking Daozi suffer. Although he relied on his mutated body, the demon beast could only inflict minor injuries on him, but he became a punching bag for the demon beast, only able to endure the abuse.

  It wasn't easy to escape from the monster, but I finally made it back to the valley. Xun Daozi looked at his own body, which was covered in bruises and scratches from the monster's claws, and finally understood the feelings of those beasts he had bullied. The physical pain also made him realize his own fighting strength.

  Xun Daozi practiced in the bamboo pavilion for a whole night, and when he finished his practice in the morning, there was not a single wound on his body, and he looked refreshed and revitalized again.

  That day, Xun'er did not leave the valley, he decided to make a summary of his combat training for this period of time.

  Overall, Xun Daozi was satisfied with his combat training over this period of time, feeling that his fighting ability had made great progress. He also gained a clearer understanding of the combat methods of the beasts in the vast wilderness. After all, beasts mainly rely on their physical instincts to fight, and their combat methods are closely related to their body shape. Large-bodied ones focus on head-on battles with brute force, while small-bodied ones focus on speed and stealth attacks. Those with sharp claws and teeth focus on pouncing, tearing, and biting, while those with horns and tusks focus on charging, colliding, and tossing. Bears will slap, snakes will entwine, giant elephants will trample, and those with powerful tails will use them as whips to lash out.

  When fighting with these beasts, Xuanzang was already familiar with their way of fighting and had become fearless through the long battle practice, and could find effective countermeasures in the battle.

  It was no use when fighting against that demon beast, the demon's divine power made fireballs harmless to itself, but when the demon used its familiar combat methods, it had no way to defend itself. The demon's attack was clearly visible, and it also had countermeasures, but just as the demon's attack arrived, its own countermeasures hadn't been put into action yet. Xun Daozi couldn't figure out why.

  It was almost noon, and Xun Daozi still hadn't figured out what was going on, so he simply stopped thinking about it. He brewed a pot of tea, lay down in his recliner, closed his eyes, and took a leisurely rest, occasionally picking up a fruit to take a few bites, feeling very comfortable.

  In the late afternoon, Xun Daozi practiced his modified Tai Chi on the platform in front of the cave, soon becoming immersed in the spirit of the fist. As he swung his hands and lifted his feet, it seemed as if some unknown force was pulling him, like a gentle breeze or flowing water that never stopped. It was as if the mysterious power of heaven and earth was being stirred by his fists, revealing to the world the workings of the Tao, displaying an enigmatic and mysterious aura.

  After a round of boxing, Xun Daozi felt refreshed in body and mind, his spirit was clear and bright, and he felt that the world had become much clearer. The depression left over from yesterday's battle also disappeared without a trace. Xun Daozi had never experienced such comfort after practicing Tai Chi before.

  Suddenly, Xunzi's face changed colour, as if he had come to a realization.

  After a while, Xun Daozi's face was filled with joy, and he began to gesticulate with his hands and feet. He would gesture for a while, then stand still in thought, think for a moment, and then raise his hand to gesture again.

  He would sit in contemplation for a while, then scribble some more, completely absorbed in his work, oblivious to the passage of time.

  This pregnancy is already three months.

  That day, Xun Daozi woke up from his meditation, with an excited face, and let out a long howl towards the sky like a wolf. He then rushed out of the valley impatiently.

  At night, Xun Daozi returned with a body of injuries, but his face was excited, sitting in the bamboo pavilion to meditate and heal wounds.

  The next morning, Xun Daozi was again energetic and lively, with no signs of injury on his body. He ran to the platform in front of the cave and began to gesticulate again.

  Three months after finishing that round of Tai Chi, Xun Daozi was in a state of spiritual clarity, but his mind flashed with an idea that made him happy: His fight with the Wild Beast of Hong Huang was just a chaotic mess based on instinct, without any guiding combat philosophy, and he didn't know how to effectively utilize his physical strength. He didn't understand the principles behind the application of combat skills, which was the main reason why his combat skills were not improving. This was also why, despite having a stronger body than the beast, he couldn't implement effective countermeasures during their fight, even though he had clearly seen the beast's attack methods. Mastering one's physical strength, effectively utilizing it, and bringing out its effects; summarizing the combat principles of fighting skills is currently the most effective way to improve his combat power.

  After understanding this point, of course, we should go and ponder and practice it.

  But where did this concept of battle and the principles of combat skills come from? Xun Daozi has no master to teach him in this life, nor did he learn it in his past life. What to do?

  Helpless, Xun Daozi turned his attention to the Tai Chi he had learned.

  The Tai Chi Fist of the previous generation has lost its function as a combat skill, leaving only its health-preserving effect. However, when Tai Chi was first created, it was not just for health preservation, but also a very powerful combat skill, whose fighting power had been tested and recognized by people. Even after degenerating into a health-preservation fist, each move still contains the principles of striking techniques, which can be explored from the naming of the moves.

  Xun Daozi only knows this set of health-preserving Taiji boxing, although it has been modified by him to the point where it is almost unrecognizable, but he still remembers the original moves and names. Xun Daozi wants to use these Taiji boxing moves to infer and restore the combat principles of Taiji boxing, and acquire the operational skills of these moves, helping himself master his own physical strength, and also hopes to form his own combat ideology, creating his own rational guided combat moves.

  After that boxing practice triggered the idea, after three months of contemplation, Xuan Zhen had some success and ran to find that demon beast to try it out, to test the results of his contemplation. The result was satisfactory.

  Although the fight with the demon beast was still a defeat, it wasn't completely without any effective counterattacks. In the midst of defending, there were moments where he could launch one or two counterattacks, posing some threat to the demon beast. Although he returned with a battered face, Xunzi was quite satisfied with this trip's harvest.

  Xun Daozi is once again immersed in summarizing his experience and pondering new moves on the platform.

  This is another March. Woke up and ran out of the valley excitedly, came back at night, still covered in scars, but in high spirits.

  After returning to the bamboo pavilion, Xun Daozi took off the long sword on his back and hung it on the pillar of the pavilion. He casually grabbed a fruit and gnawed on it, sitting down on the reclining chair with a whoosh. His eyes sparkled with excitement. Today's battle was too satisfying. This time, he fought against that demon beast, not just passively enduring its blows, but actually exchanging blows with it in a thrilling duel. In the end, both sides were left with scars and wounds, before they each retreated to nurse their injuries.

  Xun Daozi ate a few fruits, pressed down his excited mood, sat cross-legged on an unknown grass-woven mat, and began to practice qigong to heal his injuries.

  These few battles with the demon beasts, Xun Daozi seemed to be covered in wounds every time, but his abnormal body did not suffer any real damage, they were just superficial injuries that didn't affect his bones, and he only needed to circulate his Qi for a few cycles to completely eliminate the scars.

  After finishing his morning exercise, Xun Daozi walked onto the platform and started practicing his own version of Tai Chi.

  Immersed in the realm brought by that fist intent. Repeatedly, until nine times had passed before stopping, standing there quietly savoring the lingering aftertaste of the fist.

  It took a while to return to normal, and then he began to summarize the experience of the battle, pondering the gains and losses of his skills, and the mistakes and improvements in the use of his strength. It was clear that this battle had brought him far more benefits than the previous two. Xun Daozi, immersed in this state, would not notice the passage of time, and would only continue to practice and ponder. Sometimes he would practice, sometimes think deeply, sometimes frown, and sometimes smile.

  It's been half a year in the blink of an eye.