71: Chapter 71 Tai Chi Chuan and Tai Chi Sword

Bishop Qin Cang interrupted her: "The doctrine was written by people. Since it was written by people, it can be changed."

Lu Zhiyi fell silent.

"The times have changed, Zhiyi."

Bishop Qin Cang's voice carried a sense of wistfulness.

"Cultivating a person like this is too difficult."

"It takes over a decade to cultivate one person, yet death is always a matter of an instant."

"Other branches of the Holy Court have already begun recruiting Awakened and Calamities."

"Our headquarters must also keep pace with the times."

He paused, looking into Lu Zhiyi's eyes: "First, recruit Wang Lin into the Holy Court. As for the issue of the doctrine, I will handle it."

Lu Zhiyi was silent for a long time, then nodded: "Yes."

Bishop Qin Cang looked at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly: "What is your opinion of him?"

Lu Zhiyi thought for a moment and said four words: "Very difficult to deal with."

Bishop Qin Cang became interested: "Oh? There are not many people who can make you say they are 'difficult to deal with'."

"Tell me, in what way is he difficult to deal with?"

Lu Zhiyi straightened her posture, recalling the confrontation last night.

"He has over a dozen Tentacles that burst out from his back, each of which can attack independently."

"His Speed is fast, the angles are tricky, and his strength is not small either."

"It's like more than a dozen arms throwing punches simultaneously, coming at me wave after wave from different directions and with different rhythms."

"No matter how fast my sword is, I only have one pair of hands."

"I can block the left but not the right; I can block the top but not the bottom."

"Furthermore, he has clones. His main body uses Tentacles to suppress me from the front, while the clones flank from the sides."

"One uses Ice Element for long-range harassment, and the other uses Shadow Shapeshifting to sneak behind for an ambush."

"Three directions, three different types of Superpower, all activated simultaneously."

"My sword can block most of the attacks, but there are always fish that slip through the net."

She looked down at her silver armor, where there were a few white marks on the shoulder guard: "These marks are what those 'fish that slipped through the net' left behind."

Bishop Qin Cang listened without speaking.

His hands were folded in front of him, and his fingers tapped gently on the back of his hand—once, twice, three times.

That was his habitual action when thinking.

Then the corners of his mouth curved up, like an old craftsman who had heard a difficult problem and already had the answer in his heart.

"Many Tentacles, many clones, attacks coming from all directions."

"Your problem is that you don't have enough hands."

Lu Zhiyi nodded: "Yes."

Bishop Qin Cang laughed, his laughter echoing from the picture frame: "Coincidentally. We found the ancient tomb of Senior Zhang Sanfeng in a Mist Forbidden Zone."

Lu Zhiyi's pupils contracted slightly.

Zhang Sanfeng? She had seen that name countless times in the Holy Court's classics.

The most renowned martial arts grandmaster of the Old World, the synthesizer of Taiji Kung Fu.

Legend had it that his martial arts had already transcended the category of "technique" and reached the realm of "Dao."

Every punch and sword strike contained the principles of heaven and earth.

But his ancient tomb had always been a legend; no one knew where it was, and no one had ever found it.

The Holy Court had searched for over a hundred years and never found it.

"You found it?" Her voice was a bit hoarse.

"We found it." Bishop Qin Cang nodded.

"Deep in the Mist Forbidden Zone, a stone tomb covered in vines and moss."

"There was a Taiji pattern on the tomb door. After pushing it open, there was nothing inside, only a stone sarcophagus and an iron box in front of the sarcophagus."

"Inside the iron box were two volumes of ancient martial arts left behind by Senior Zhang Sanfeng: 'Taiji Fist' and 'Taiji Sword'."

"Taiji Fist, overcoming hardness with softness, deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces."

"You don't need to be stronger than your opponent; you only need to borrow their strength to strike back at them."

"Taiji Sword, subduing movement with stillness, defeating Speed with slowness."

"Even if ten thousand arrows are shot at you simultaneously, you can block them one by one with this sword technique."

"It's not by being fast, but by being circular."

"Drawing circles, deflecting force, borrowing force to strike."

"You don't need to be faster than your opponent; you only need to be half a beat slower than your opponent's rhythm."

"Half a beat slower, and you can see through all attacks;"

"Half a beat slower, and you can find all the flaws;"

"Half a beat slower, and you can block the greatest impact with the smallest amount of strength."

Lu Zhiyi's breathing stopped for a moment.

Ten thousand arrows shot simultaneously, and one could block them all—what kind of concept was this?

Her swordsmanship was already considered top-tier among the younger generation of the Holy Court, but she could only handle a dozen or so opponents at most simultaneously.

Any more, and she wouldn't have enough hands.

If Taiji Sword was truly as Bishop Qin Cang described, then her weakness would no longer be a weakness.

And Taiji Fist would even more be able to make her invincible in close-quarters combat.

No matter how many Tentacles Wang Lin had, or how tricky his clones were, as long as she could use the circle of Taiji to deflect, unload, and borrow the force to strike back all the attacks, then he would no longer have any advantage.

"I happened to make a copy of each," Bishop Qin Cang said, then turned around.

The image of the gate of myriad phenomena changed as he moved.

The perspective shifted from the long table to the study.

The bookshelf, desk, chair, and the Holy Court emblem hanging on the wall appeared in the frame.

Bishop Qin Cang walked back to the front of the picture frame, holding two yellowed paper scrolls in his hands.

The one with the black ribbon was Taiji Fist, and the one with the white ribbon was Taiji Sword.

He held the two paper scrolls up to the picture frame, and the surface of the gate of myriad phenomena rippled.

Lu Zhiyi reached out her hand and took the two scrolls from the ripples.

The paper scrolls were light, but her fingers trembled slightly.

Taiji Fist... Taiji Sword... Zhang Sanfeng... Ten thousand arrows...

She looked down at the two scrolls in her hand, her eyes brightening.

"Bishop, this..."

"These are copies; the originals are still in the Holy Court's archives."

"You practice these first. Fist and Sword complement each other. Fist is the foundation, and Sword is the extension."

"Once you've mastered the Fist, the Sword will naturally become clear."

"Once you have learned them, go and meet that Wang Lin again."

"By then, no matter how many Tentacles he has or how many clones he has, he won't be able to touch a single hair on your head."

Lu Zhiyi gripped the two scrolls tightly, took a deep breath, then knelt on one knee and performed a Holy Court knight's salute.

"Thank you, Bishop."

Bishop Qin Cang waved his hand: "Go. Don't let the Holy Court down."

"Remember, you must make Wang Lin join our Holy See."

Lu Zhiyi carefully tucked the two scrolls into the hidden pocket at her waist, then said:

"Bishop, I will not let that Wang Lin escape."

Bishop Qin Cang's laughter came from the picture frame: "I know."

Lu Zhiyi walked out of the iron door and out of the church; the sky was almost dawning.

She took the two scrolls from her waist, untied the black ribbon, and unfolded the first page of Taiji Fist.

On it was drawn a person, body slightly lowered, hands drawing a circle, posture flowing like clouds and water.

Beside it was a line of small text: "Taiji is born from Wuji; it is the mechanism of movement and stillness, the mother of Yin and Yang. When moved, it divides; when still, it unites."

She looked at it for a long time, then closed the scroll, retied the ribbon, and put it back into the hidden pocket.

The corners of her mouth curved up: "Wang Lin. Wait for me."

"Once I have mastered Taiji Fist and Taiji Sword, I will come to meet you again."

She turned and walked toward the camp, the scabbard swaying gently at her waist, making a faint metallic sound.

Her steps were light, but there was something more than when she came—it was confidence.