Chapter 153: Dragon Eye
Chapter 153: Dragon Eye
“Don’t worry, Qinglan, I have an idea. Mixing them won’t be a problem.”
Lin Mu gave a faint smile, feeling warmth in his heart.
“Alright then, I’ll go home and look through some books. Maybe I can find some. By the way, why haven’t you been at school for so long?”
Ji Qinglan asked again.
“I had to go abroad recently and only came back yesterday. I left in a hurry, so I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”
Lin Mu said apologetically.
“It’s fine. Just be careful and stay safe.”
Ji Qinglan didn’t say much more. She had a naturally detached personality; even when she cared, she kept it to herself and didn’t show it outwardly.
Later, Lin Mu received calls from Zhou Shiyun and Yao Xianxian. After explaining the situation, the two girls understood what he wanted to do and both promised to gather information on the topic. Lin Mu was overjoyed—with the help of these three, gathering the needed materials would be much easier.
After sitting in front of the computer all night, Lin Mu felt quite tired. He opened the door and found that Ye Zixi was no longer in the living room. She had probably gone back to her room to cultivate. He went alone into the courtyard and slowly began practicing Taiji Quan.
At first, Lin Mu was skeptical about such a soft and flowing martial art. After all, the idea of using minimal effort to overcome great force seemed too magical; even with his experience, he found it hard to believe.
But after he read the secret manual of the Thirteen Forms of Taiji, recorded on the flash drive Lu Shouyang gave him, his thoughts completely changed.
Just by skimming through it once, he became deeply fascinated by Taiji Quan. With his extensive cultivation experience, he knew everything the book described could be achieved through dedicated practice—and he was certain that the person who wrote this manual had already reached that level.
However, the creator of this manual made a small mistake: having achieved the “Return to Simplicity and Truth” realm, the content appeared deceptively simple, making it nearly impossible for ordinary martial artists to grasp.
In fact, those with limited knowledge might even think the entire manual was nonsense.
Yet, the reputation of Taiji Quan was not only renowned in Huaxia but across the entire world. Although few true Taiji Quan masters appeared these days, the founder of Taiji Quan was undoubtedly a true Peerless Expert.
Apart from describing certain Realms, the manual only contained a simple set of thirteen movements—hence the name “Thirteen Forms of Taiji.”
From the first form, “Immortal Draws the Sword,” to the last, “Refining Elixir with Zhenqi,” these seemingly simple postures embodied the creator’s lifetime understanding of the Martial Dao. The more Lin Mu read, the more he admired the work—and the more he regretted its limitations.
Upon reading the final form, “Refining Elixir with Zhenqi,” Lin Mu was certain that the founder of Taiji Quan had reached the verge of the Golden Core Stage. If only Earth’s Spiritual Energy were not so sparse, this person might have broken through to that stage!
Thinking of this, Lin Mu sighed inwardly. He had never imagined that on such a small planet like Earth, so many exceptionally talented individuals had emerged—whether the creator of the Inchlight Sun-Seeking Secret Art or this Taiji Quan master.
They nearly touched the boundary where martial arts merged with the Dao, but due to Earth’s restrictive environment, they could not advance further. In the end, they exhausted their Lifespan, concluding their brilliant lives.
Had they appeared in the Cultivation World, even on the lowest Cultivation Planet, there would undoubtedly have been two more supremely powerful Peerless Experts there.
To cultivate this Taiji Quan, a martial artist first had to reach the state where all meridians were unblocked. If one relied solely on physical training, it would be impossible to grasp the essence of Taiji Quan.
From this, it seemed that this Taiji Quan Expert, having reached the peak of martial arts, merged the strengths of various schools to create the extraordinary Thirteen Forms of Taiji.
Lin Mu was still far from having all his meridians unblocked. His Ren and Du Meridians—the two most important channels—were not yet cleared. If they were, he could release Zhenqi from any part of his body at will.
But he differed from other martial artists. Only his physical Realm held him back; his spiritual comprehension had long surpassed that of most others. Thus, understanding the essence of Taiji Quan was not difficult for him.
After completing the full Thirteen Forms of Taiji, Lin Mu felt his Qi flowing smoothly through his body, his mind clear and calm. He slowly exhaled, steadying the Zhenqi within, and then noticed Ye Zixi sitting on the steps by the door at some point.
“A-Mu, what kind of martial art are you practicing?”
Seeing Lin Mu finish his practice, Ye Zixi asked curiously.
“Isn’t Taiji Quan just for show?”
Ye Zixi looked puzzled, yet Lin Mu’s movements earlier resembled those of a profound martial skill.
“That’s just a misunderstanding. To cultivate this Taiji Quan, one must first reach the state of having all meridians unblocked. Many martial artists train their whole lives without ever touching this Realm—how could they even begin practicing it?”
Lin Mu shook his head slightly and smiled.
“Have you already reached the state where all your meridians are unblocked?”
Ye Zixi widened her eyes in surprise. That was an advanced Realm in martial arts; every Expert who reached it possessed unfathomable strength.
“Not yet, but perhaps my Comprehension Aptitude is quite high. I’ve already grasped some of Taiji Quan’s mysteries and can practice it roughly ahead of time. Later, my cultivation progress will speed up.”
Lin Mu chuckled.
“Really? Can you teach me?”
Ye Zixi immediately stood up, her eyes sparkling.
“Of course! If you want to learn, I can teach you anytime! Why not start with some basic postures and Zhenqi circulation methods? Even if you can’t unleash Taiji Quan’s power right away, long-term practice is still beneficial.”
Lin Mu helped Ye Zixi adjust her posture in the courtyard, carefully explaining the key points of the Thirteen Forms of Taiji and correcting her missteps.
In the morning, many people passed by on their way to work, giving curious looks at these two youths practicing some kind of martial art so early. It was unusual, but no one paid much attention and soon moved on.
The postures they practiced weren’t something just anyone could understand. Even experienced martial artists might not grasp their true essence. That’s why Lin Mu and Ye Zixi practiced in the courtyard, unconcerned about others copying them.
In the days since his return, Lin Mu had been quite busy—attending classes at school, filming movies with Yao Xianxian, and guiding Ye Zixi in her cultivation. It was nothing like his leisurely time in New York, where he could lie in the garden and sunbathe.
Before he knew it, it was Saturday. Early that morning, he received a call from Lu Shouyang, telling him to come to the base right away.
When Lin Mu arrived, he found he was the last one there. Besides him, twenty to thirty other young people stood in the base, facing a few unfamiliar middle-aged men. Lu Shouyang was among them.
Lu Shouyang signaled Lin Mu to stand at the front of the group. After waiting a while longer, an elderly man, accompanied by two other middle-aged men, entered the room. It was Elder Zhang, who had visited him in the hospital before.
“Elder Zhang, everyone is here now.”
Lu Shouyang approached Elder Zhang and spoke respectfully.
“Good, let’s begin then!”
Elder Zhang nodded, giving Lin Mu a smiling glance.
“Recently, the situation has been unstable, both domestically and internationally. Our Dragon Protection Corps alone can no longer cover everything. After discussion among the leadership, it has been decided to establish a new specialized team for certain special missions.”
“All of you present are the first batch selected for this team, codenamed Dragon Eye—symbolizing the idea of clearing the clouds to see the blue sky.”
Lu Shouyang’s expression turned serious as he addressed the group, “The first team leader will be Lin Mu. During missions, you must unconditionally obey the team leader’s commands. Any act of disobedience will be treated as treason!”
“Of course, from an organizational standpoint, you still belong to the Dragon Protection Corps and can mobilize all its resources and personnel.”
Finally, Lu Shouyang added, “The oldest among these youths is no more than twenty-five. Each is an elite selected from various branches of the Dragon Protection Corps. Their backgrounds are clean, and they went through strict selection processes to become members of Dragon Eye.”
“Report! On what basis was the team leader selected? Why didn’t any of us participate in the selection process before the role was assigned?”
A young man stepped forward, eyes fixed ahead, and spoke loudly.
“The team leader position naturally goes to the strongest among you. Any other questions?”
Lu Shouyang nodded as he explained.
“Yes! Why is the team leader said to be the strongest? We haven’t had any competitions!”
Another person stepped out and exclaimed.
“Good! Lin Mu, please step forward and say a few words!”
Lu Shouyang turned to look at Lin Mu, then stepped back to stand beside Elder Zhang.
These young individuals were the elite of the elite, chosen from various branches. Even the weakest among them had reached the peak of the Subtlety Realm, while the strongest were at Ye Zixi’s level—having cultivated Zhenqi within their bodies. Naturally, they wouldn’t easily submit to someone.
Moreover, during missions, they had to follow the leader’s commands without question—any disobedience would be considered treason, a grave offense. If the leader was incompetent, wouldn’t that drag everyone down?
“Everyone here is quite skilled. Although I don’t know why the Dragon Protection Corps established Dragon Eye, it’s clear the missions won’t be simple. Therefore, I have requirements for my team members as well.”
Lin Mu walked to the front, turned, and looked over the Dragon Protection Corps members standing straight.
From their subtle behaviors, he easily deduced they weren’t from prominent families. Most likely, the Dragon Protection Corps had recruited them from other sources—possibly orphans.