"Disciple Li Xuan greets Master!" Li Xuan formally performed the apprenticeship ceremony in Qingyun Hall at dawn. The Sect Leader personally bestowed upon him the Daoist Robe and Matching Sword of the Qingyun Sect, officially making him an inner disciple.
"From today on, you are a member of my Qingyun Sect," the Sect Leader said. "Yu Xuan, take him to settle down, and then begin teaching him the Basic Mind Technique."
"Yes, Master." Yu Xuan agreed, signaling Li Xuan to follow her.
Life in the Qingyun Sect was orderly. Every morning, they would meditate and practice, in the morning practice martial arts, in the afternoon they would study martial arts classics, and in the evening, they would practice light skills at night. It might be hard for other disciples, but Li Xuan felt exceptionally fulfilled.
"Your comprehension is really good." Lin Wan'er walked over and said after training that day, "You've mastered the Basic Mind Technique so well in just a few days."
Li Xuan wiped his sweat: "Maybe it's because I learned some modern combat techniques before, plus..." He almost slipped up, quickly changing his words, "Plus, the old hunter taught me some basics."
"But those modern things of yours are quite interesting," Lin Wan'er's eyes lit up. "For example, the 'Lever Principle' you taught me, it does save a lot of effort when used in swordsmanship."
Since his initiation, Li Xuan had been trying to understand and improve martial arts using modern scientific principles. For example, using the mechanics principles in physics to optimize the way he exerted force, and using anatomical knowledge to find more precise acupoints. These attempts yielded unexpected results.
"Come, come, let me see what you're discussing," Yu Xuan said, having approached unnoticed. As the senior sister, she always kept a close eye on Li Xuan's cultivation progress.
"Senior Sister, look at this," Li Xuan said, picking up a wooden stick and drawing a simple mechanics diagram on the ground. "If you consider the fulcrum and the point of force when using a sword, you can achieve the greatest effect with the least amount of effort."
Yu Xuan listened intently to his explanation, deep in thought. "Interesting. No wonder the Sect Leader said you could bring a new atmosphere to the Qingyun Sect."
Just then, a commotion arose in the distance. It turned out to be a few young disciples sparring, but they seemed to have gotten into an argument over something.
"What's going on?" Yu Xuan asked, frowning.
"Senior Sister," one of the disciples said, cupping his hands in a salute, "We were discussing the essentials of swordsmanship, but we have different opinions. Disciple Qian believes we should stick to the old methods and memorize everything, while I think we can explore new paths like Senior Brother Li does."
Li Xuan was a little surprised by this. He hadn't expected some of his innovative ideas to already be resonating with the younger disciples.
"The way of martial arts lies in understanding and integration," Yu Xuan said. "It's certainly wrong to stick rigidly to old methods, but blindly seeking novelty isn't necessarily a good thing either. Li Xuan, what do you think?"
Li Xuan pondered for a moment. "I think we should definitely preserve the essence of traditional martial arts, but we can innovate on the methods. It's like building a bridge; no matter what new materials or technology you use, stability and practicality are the fundamentals."
His words seemed to hit the mark, and the disciples present all fell deep in thought. Even Yu Xuan nodded in agreement.
"But then again," Li Xuan continued, "why can't we record everyone's ideas and then discuss and verify them with each other? This way, we can pool our wisdom and avoid everyone sticking to their own separate opinions."
This proposal immediately received everyone's support. Thus, the Qingyun Sect's first "Martial Arts Research Group" was established. Everyone could put forward their own insights, which would then be tested through practice. Li Xuan was responsible for summarizing these experiences into written form for future generations to reference.
"Interesting." A few days later, the Sect Leader looked at these records and revealed a look of satisfaction. "The Qingyun Sect has been around for many years, and it certainly needs some fresh blood."
However, not everyone was open to this kind of innovation. Some of the more senior disciples had quite a few complaints about Li Xuan's actions. They believed that this would destroy the traditions of martial arts and make the Qingyun Sect's skills become a mishmash.
"Senior Brother, I heard someone is going to complain to the Sect Leader about you." One day, Lin Wan'er hurriedly found Li Xuan, who was practicing.
"Complain? Why?"
"You're saying you're messing around with these newfangled things, that you're desecrating martial arts," Lin Wan'er said, a little worried. "Why don't you keep a low profile for a while?"
Li Xuan smiled. "Don't worry. If they really think I'm wrong, they're welcome to debate me. Isn't the Qingyun Sect always advocating for convincing people with reason?"
\n\n
Sure enough, the next day, several elders came to see Li Xuan, wanting to test his martial arts skills.
"I hear you've been improving the Qingyun Sect's sword techniques lately?" an elder with a white beard asked with a stern face.
"I wouldn't say improving, just trying to understand it from a new perspective," Li Xuan said respectfully. "I ask for your guidance, elders."
"Hmph, then let us see what makes your new path so special!" A burly elder stepped forward. "Come, have a few moves with this old man."
Li Xuan knew this was a chance to prove himself and didn't refuse. "Please, Elder, give me some pointers."
The elder used the standard sword techniques of the Qingyun Sect, his moves orthodox and powerful. But Li Xuan found that there were many places in these techniques that could be optimized. For example, the angle of the sword, the timing of the force, could all be adjusted to improve efficiency.
So, while he was dealing with the attacks, he quickly analyzed the situation in his mind. Gradually, he began to find patterns in his opponent's movements. When the elder swept his sword horizontally, Li Xuan suddenly shifted his center of gravity, using the elder's force to gently guide the attack, causing the powerful strike to miss.
"Eh?" The elder was a little surprised, "Interesting. Again!"
In the following battle, Li Xuan was completely uninhibited. He incorporated the principles of modern physics into every movement, making seemingly ordinary techniques produce unexpected effects. Those elders gradually changed from questioning to surprise, and finally, admiration.
"Good kid!" After the exchange, the burly elder patted Li Xuan on the shoulder and said, "Your new ideas are indeed reasonable. No wonder the Sect Leader values you so much."
"Yes," another elder nodded, "The Qingyun Sect's swordsmanship has been passed down for a hundred years, but it's indeed time to keep up with the times."
After this validation, Li Xuan's position in the Qingyun Sect became even more stable. Not only the young disciples, but even some senior brothers and sisters often came to ask him for advice.
"Disciple Li, can you help me analyze the problem with this set of boxing techniques?"
"Senior Brother Li, I'd like to ask about the techniques of force application."
Facing everyone's inquiries, Li Xuan never hesitated to share his insights. He slowly brought the modern scientific way of thinking into the Qingyun Sect, revitalizing this ancient sect.
"You're doing well." One evening, the Sect Leader called Li Xuan to his study, "The Qingyun Sect needs such changes. However..." His tone shifted, "You need to be careful."
"Is Master worried about opposition?"
"It's not just that." The Sect Leader pondered, "The rumors in the martial world haven't been right lately. Someone is secretly collecting martial arts secret manuals from various sects. Your new creations are bound to attract attention."
Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat: "Are they from the Scorpion Gang?"
"They're just the pawns." The Sect Leader said, "There's a bigger force behind them. You can continue your research, but you must pay attention to secrecy. Especially those important insights; it's best to only disseminate them among the inner sect disciples."
Li Xuan nodded. He understood the Sect Leader's concerns. These martial arts insights, which integrated modern science, could indeed have serious consequences if they fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside. A disciple quickly walked in: "Sect Leader, something's happened! Someone broke into the Scripture Pavilion just now and injured the guarding senior brother!"
"What?" The Sect Leader's face darkened. "Did you see who they were?"
"I didn't see their faces, but..." The disciple hesitated, "They seemed to be using the Black煞 Palm."
"Black煞 Palm?" Li Xuan saw the Sect Leader's expression become even more grim.
"They're from the Demon Sect." The Sect Leader stood up. "They've really set their sights on our Qingyun Sect. Li Xuan, go and inform Yu Xuan. Have her immediately organize people to search the entire mountain."
Li Xuan wanted to ask something, but the Sect Leader had already strode out of the study. He had no choice but to go find Yu Xuan, thinking as he walked: Why would those people break into the Scripture Pavilion at this time? Could it really be just to steal martial arts manuals?
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