Chapter 9: The Meridian Canon (Ziwu Jing)
The next morning, Sun Yanwan rose early and joined Senior Brother Zhang Qingxi to collect tools and clean up the temple.
Taiyi Temple was in poor shape. Though Zhang Yuanqiao and Zhang Qingxi were both skilled in martial arts, a year of effort had only restored the front halls slightly. The rear buildings were still in ruins, with few intact rooms.
Sun considered suggesting they hire laborers from nearby villages—he had plenty of money—but his transmigrator instincts kicked in. "This might be a test of character… or maybe working doubles as training?" He held his tongue.
After half a day of work, they returned to the dining hall for a simple meal. Zhang Yuanqiao then led them to a side hall with a partially repaired roof. He sat on a meditation cushion and gestured for them to sit as well.
"Yanwan just joined us, so I won't start a new lesson today," he said with a smile. "Instead, I'll go over our Songyang Sect's martial lineage and the foundational Ziwu Jing."
Sun's spirit stirred. "I have to listen carefully… though it looks like I'll have to take notes secretly later. Senior Brother doesn't write anything down—it's probably not allowed."
Zhang Yuanqiao began, "Our founder, Grandmaster Feng, was a peerless scholar and martial genius. He left behind five canons and thirteen absolutes, along with nineteen sword styles. Disciples choose which to pursue."
"All initiates start with the Ziwu Jing (Meridian Canon)."
"There are eight extraordinary meridians, twelve standard channels, and thirty-six hidden meridians in the human body. Each sect chooses which to train, in what order, and how. Their techniques differ vastly—soft vs. hard, yin vs. yang, smooth vs. forceful. Hence the hundreds of internal cultivation methods across the jianghu."
Sun was exhilarated. "The eight and twelve meridians exist in Earth's traditional medicine, but I've never heard of thirty-six hidden meridians. That must be the key to sword light and floating meditation!"
Zhang Yuanqiao continued, "Most sects only train ten or so meridians. Their progress is limited. But Ziwu Jing includes full methods for training all eight extraordinary meridians, twelve channels, and thirty-six hidden meridians. In other sects, it'd be a treasured core scripture."
Sun's heart raced. "So Hu clan's Hunyuan Thirty-Six Stances focused on just one meridian per stance. Even Master Miao never taught me how to train them all!"
"The Ziwu Jing is balanced and steady. It's safe, but slow. Where other top-tier methods might open a meridian in months, Ziwu Jing takes far longer."
"But it serves another purpose—it reveals each disciple's strengths and weaknesses. Once trained, one can identify which meridians flow best and which are blocked. This helps them choose an advanced technique perfectly suited to their constitution."
"That's why Songyang disciples grow rapidly once they move past Ziwu Jing. Their training fits them like a glove."
"I was strongest in yang meridians and weaker in yin. After mastering the basics, I moved to Xuan Yang Sutra, then trained in Three-Sun Blaze Arts and Xuanhao Palm."
"Your senior brother had different aptitudes. He chose Pure Qi Technique and Jade Net Hands."
After two hours of this, Sun was a little exasperated. "Master explains everything in detail… and repeats himself a lot."
Eventually, Zhang finally began explaining how to cultivate the Ziwu Jing itself. The method was vast and complex. Even after hours, he had only covered a small portion.
As night fell, Zhang rose to prepare dinner and told Qingxi to help his junior practice.
Sun immediately asked for guidance. Zhang Qingxi, far more concise, explained the entry-level methods in a way Sun quickly grasped.
They were deep in discussion when Zhang Yuanqiao called from afar, "Time to eat!"
Qingxi stood with a smile. "Come, Junior Brother."
Sun followed eagerly.
From then on, he settled into life at Taiyi Temple. Within a month, he fully memorized Ziwu Jing, even secretly wrote out a copy with extensive notes. Some came from his Master, some from Qingxi, and others from personal insight. Like academic study, it paid off.
His understanding was deep, his questions gone.
One evening, after dinner, Zhang said, "Yanwan, I've taught you the full Ziwu Jing. You're diligent and bright. Tonight, I will guard you as you begin true cultivation."
Sun nodded excitedly. Until now, his study had been theoretical.
Zhang had forbidden him from experimenting without supervision.
Now, with permission, Sun sat cross-legged and formed the Ziwu mudra. He took a deep breath and began.
Immediately, he felt a warm palm on his back. Gentle energy surged into him, guarding all his meridians.
Even on his first try, Sun sensed it—one meridian flowed easily, another was faintly responsive. He had already opened one meridian before—through the Hunyuan Stances and Demon-Slaying Sword practice. The second was almost there.
Under his Master's protective qi, he followed the Ziwu Jing, cycling his energy seven or eight times. Suddenly, a heat flared in his spine. A wave of energy surged—and the second meridian broke through.
With two pathways open, his internal energy flowed in a perfect yin-yang cycle.
True cultivation had begun.