Volume One: Xingyi Sword Dao

The emperor’s soul astounds the ancient world, Xingyi inheritance enlightens the cosmic pivot; the art of the Azure Water Sword breeds hidden sorrow, the ruthless Great Dao forges the foundation.

Chapter 001: Grandmaster’s Soul

Cold pool, crane’s shadow. Cold moon, clear autumn.

On the silvery surface of the lake, wild cranes dance. In the water, a young man practices his sword.

“Striking the water is powerless, the resistance is still immense. It seems, it’s still not enough!”

In the youth’s pitch-black eyes, there is nothing but determination.

He bites his lips tightly, the corners already swollen and red, crimson blood trickling down, a shocking sight—yet he remains unmoved.

“Puff, puff, puff—”

The silvery longsword glimmers with a cold, eerie light under the moon, but once it enters the water, its trajectory shifts, making it impossible to control its path accurately.

The youth’s face gradually turns pale, lake water and sweat mingling together, indistinguishable from each other.

His arms are numb, his body exhausted.

“Either drown in the lake, or keep pushing my body’s limits! I’m still young, I can’t give up so easily! Grandpa treats me so well, I don’t want to see that look of disappointment in his eyes again!”

He thinks to himself, that sliver of obsession burning even stronger!

Reaching out, he continues to swing the longsword. His face grows even paler, but his expression is more resolute than ever.

……

Time passes. The days of past training replay before his nearly dazed eyes, as real as yesterday.

Every day’s cultivation is extremely difficult, yet fulfilling. But today, time drags on endlessly—every minute and second feels like bearing the weight of mountains.

The lake water remains icy cold, his body long since numb. The frail figure in the lake sways like a withered leaf in the wind.

He can no longer bear it—he is about to collapse.

“Is this it… Am I going to fail? Am I going to see mother?”

He murmurs, and in his memory, a vague, graceful figure appears.

It is a silhouette branded deep in his soul, always seeming about to turn around, yet never does.

He knows clearly that this woman is his mother—a person who, in his father’s eyes, has been dead for many years.

His consciousness blurs, his body loses its last ounce of strength, and he collapses into the lake.

In that instant, he seems to see, in the star-studded night sky, a mass of misty radiance suddenly shooting down, dyeing the world red.

……

“Blood essence contains ancient intent, sun and moon nurture the soul.

Cultivate Xingyi Boxing in stillness, heaven and earth bow to me.”

……

“The primordial energy forms my Dao, the Dao is realized, true form is found.

True form hides true spirit, spirit hidden within qi, the inner elixir is formed.

If you ask what true form seeks, know that true form matches true appearance.

When true appearance is united, there is a true secret; when the secret matches the Dao, enlightenment is achieved.”

……

“To nurture the spiritual root and move the heart is martial skill;

To strengthen the spiritual root and calm the heart is cultivation.”

……

“Xingyi Boxing, first form: Dragon Form. The Dragon Form has the posture of subduing the dragon, the shape of the hidden dragon ascending to the heavens, and the method of searching the bones. The dragon is a true yin creature, residing in the abdomen, representing the descent of heart fire.

The alchemical texts say: ‘The dragon emerges from the fire.’ Also, ‘Clouds follow the dragon.’ In boxing, this is called the Dragon Form. The force of this form starts at the Ren meridian, connecting with the Tiger Form’s cycle of qi—one forward, one back, one rising, one falling.

When the fist flows smoothly, heart fire descends; when the fist is reversed, the body is burned by yin fire, the body loses vitality, and the mind remains closed…”

……

In his mind, an unknown energy swirls, suddenly penetrating his bones, causing the youth lost in darkness to suffocate for a moment. Then, trembling all over, he awakens.

At this moment, for some reason, the entire lake has frozen over.

His body, half encased in ice, now feels an immense chill.

His body is stiff from the cold, his face purple, his breath growing weaker. Yet in his mind, like chanting scriptures, strange and mysterious things repeat endlessly, and he inexplicably understands much bizarre knowledge of a strange world.

Among them, a certain boxing art stands out, seemingly the life’s work of a peak figure.

“Earth? Xingyi Boxing? What is that? Is there really a place called ‘Earth’ in this world? Are there ‘cars’ that can run fast? Are there ‘computers’?”

These inexplicable bits of knowledge, after a moment’s curiosity, are quickly filtered out by him, as his mind is soon captivated by the endless essence of Xingyi.

Even though his body is now extremely weak.

“This is a world of the Sword Dao. That Earth, I don’t know what kind of place it is. But what that departed Xingyi grandmaster said is true: there are countless paths to the Dao, but all roads lead to the same end.

Now that I have nothing left, I will take this Xingyi Boxing as my foundation, use its profound methods as support, and cultivate my own Xingyi Sword Art!”