In March, in Dakuang Mountain, fifty miles north of Changlong County, flowers bloom, butterflies fly, mother birds nurse their babies, and the mountains are filled with the feeling of spring.
There is a small stream at the foot of the mountain. The water is clear and cool. Along the stream, dozens of peach blossoms are dotted among the clusters of green bamboos, which look particularly red. A few elk are grazing quietly. If they are frightened, they will run away.
He went into the forest without knowing where he was going.
About half a mile up the mountain, if there is a southeasterly wind, you can hear the "ding-ding" bells of the Daming Temple in the mountains.
After walking for another half an hour, we reached the peak and saw a waterfall with water flying straight down. It was so spectacular. There was a rock beside the waterfall that protruded from the mountain and towered over the mountain abyss.
At this time, two people, an old man and a young man, were sitting on the rock.
The old man is about fifty years old. He is wearing a green blue robe and a bun with a long strip of gray cloth and a jade hairpin on top. His hair is gray and he has three white beards. His eyes are like torches and he holds a hand in his hand.
Whisk, fairy wind and Taoist bones.
This man's name is Zhao Rui, a famous Taoist priest within a hundred miles of Dakuang Mountain.
The young man is Zhao Rui's apprentice, named Li Bai. He is twenty-one years old. He is wearing a white robe and a bun. The bun is wrapped with a long strip of gray cloth and has a wooden hairpin on top. He has blue eyebrows and thin eyes.
He has bright eyes and is such a handsome young man.
At this time, Li Bai said: "Master, the gray eagle has been gone for an hour, but it has never returned. How about asking the disciple to summon it back?"
Zhao Rui looked at Li Bai and said with a smile: "Li Bai, you and your master have been practicing in Daming Temple for three years, why are you still so impatient? Remember, Taoism emphasizes tranquility and inaction. If the gray eagle comes, then come, and if it doesn't, then let it go.
.”
When Li Bai heard what Zhao Rui said, he began to blame himself. After studying for three years, he had already understood the art of vertical and horizontal movements, but his patience was still not as good as expected. He asked Zhao Rui for advice: "Master, Li Bai feels that his understanding is not low. Why?"
Can you never practice patience?"
Zhao Rui paused for a moment and said, "Li Bai, this is because you are young. There is no need to worry. As long as you work hard and understand, you will always achieve something."
Li Bai nodded in agreement, Shao Qing, remembered something, and said to Zhao Rui: "Master, last night the white eagle picked up a piece of meat. I saw something strange about the meat, so I took it and took a look. It turned out to be a human hand. This has happened recently.
The fifth arm picked up by the eagles, it seems that the bloody storm of martial arts has come to Da Kuang Mountain."
When Zhao Rui heard this, he couldn't help but sigh. When he stretched out his hand, a white crane from the pine tree nearby flew onto his arm and stood motionless on one leg.
Zhao Rui gently plucked the feathers on the white crane's back and said: "It seems that the turmoil in the martial arts world has become more and more severe. This will inevitably affect the spirit of the Tang Dynasty. This is the worry of the king and the suffering of the people!
"
After speaking, a trace of worry flashed across Zhao Rui's face, and then he said to Li Bai: "By the way, Li Bai, how do you read my "Long and Short Classics"?"
Li Bai also stretched out his hand, and saw the white crane in Zhao Rui's hand suddenly jumped onto his arm. Like Zhao Rui, Li Bai also gently plucked the feathers on the white crane's back, and said: "Master, "Long and Short Sutras" I
I’ve read it three times, and although I can’t say I’ve understood it all, I’ve probably understood it 90% of the time.”
After hearing this, Zhao Rui laughed and said, "Hahaha, Li Bai, as a teacher I admire your confidence. Okay, I will test you, what is the art of vertical and horizontal?"
Li Bai waved his hand, and the white crane flew back to the tree "fluttering", "Teacher, from the disciple's understanding, the so-called vertical and horizontal technique, which means combining vertical and horizontal, means to judge the time and judge the world, to be consistent with yin and yang; and to seek profit.
Avoid harm; the third is to learn from each other’s strengths and offset weaknesses; the fourth is the art of thinking.”
"Okay! Then I will test you again. Now that the world is unfair and fighting continues, how can we use the art of manipulation to calm down and resolve it?"
Li Bai did not hesitate and opened his mouth and said: "There is an emperor in the world, and there are royal laws in the world. Use vertical and horizontal techniques to make the emperor trust you, use vertical and horizontal techniques to establish laws, and then deal with them according to their importance, urgency, and size."
When Zhao Rui heard what Li Bai said, he nodded, thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "What you said is both right and wrong. It is the way of heaven, but it is not the way of time."
Li Bai didn't understand why and asked: "Master, what do you mean by this?"
Zhao Rui smiled and said, "This matter has its own destiny. You will understand it in the future, so let's not worry about it for now." After a pause, Zhao Rui continued: "However, I would like to see how your martial arts is now?"
After saying this, Zhao Rui waved his whisk and suddenly hit Li Bai.
Li Bai did not expect that Zhao Rui would take action suddenly, and it was too late to avoid it.
Hearing an "ouch" sound, Li Bai's arm already had several scars.
"Master, it's not like you don't know that your disciple's martial arts are not as good as one percent of yours. Now that you are attacking like this, how can your disciple escape?" Li Bai looked aggrieved.
Zhao Rui took back the fly whisk and sighed, "Li Bai, if we want to talk about verticality and horizontality, we must first discuss martial arts. If you are not good at martial arts, you can't even get out of Da Kuang Mountain, so why do you want to conquer the world?"
After finishing speaking, Zhao Rui calculated again, "No, Li Bai, I calculated that you are definitely not a creature in the pond. Why have you not improved in martial arts after practicing martial arts for three years?"
Li Bai thought to himself, Master, if you know that I am not good at martial arts, why don't you hit me casually, which makes my hand painful and uncomfortable. But what he thought in his heart, Li Bai did not dare to say anything, and stood aside silently.
At this time, Zhao Rui said again: "Li Bai, during this period I often see you practicing martial arts while reciting poems. Have you mastered some martial arts skills?"
Li Bai hesitated for a moment and said softly: "To be honest, master, this disciple has indeed gained some enlightenment in martial arts recently."
"Oh, let me tell you, Master."
"I recently composed a magical poem. Whenever I recite it during martial arts practice, my whole body becomes light and airy. As long as my feet are staggered like stepping on a ladder, I can walk in the air without falling!"
"Ah, is there such a strange thing? Please demonstrate it to me once." Zhao Rui looked suspicious.
Li Bai said "Yes!" He stood up and began to recite a poem:
(I didn’t meet any Taoist priests during my visit to Dai Tianshan)
Amidst the sound of dogs barking and water,
The peach blossoms are full of dew.
See deer when the trees are deep,
There is no bell in the stream at noon.
The wild bamboo splits into the green mist,
Flying springs hang on green peaks.
No one knows where he is going,
I lean on two or three pine trees in sorrow.
As Li Bai read, he moved his feet alternately like stepping on a ladder. Suddenly, an incredible scene happened: he actually slowly walked up into the air!
When Zhao Rui saw it, he was shocked and speechless.
Li Bai stood in the air for a long time. Seeing that his master was silent, he wanted to stop and ask what happened. Unexpectedly, as he walked down, he fell straight from the air and landed in front of Zhao Rui. His mouth was covered with blood.
Zhao Rui seemed to be unable to see all this, and was just meditating blankly, with a very strange expression.
Li Bai got up in pain, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said to Zhao Rui: "Master, you saw it, I really went up to the sky and down to the ground for no reason. I thought about it for a long time and couldn't figure it out. Master, is this a miraculous skill of mine?"
?”
"This is not a magic skill, not a magic skill!" Zhao Rui seemed to have figured it out and stood up suddenly, "This is a heavenly skill, a heavenly skill! Lingyun Step, Lingyun Step!" Zhao Rui was so excited that his voice trembled!
When Li Bai heard this, he asked in shock: "Lingyun step? Taishang Laojun's Lingyun step?"
Zhao Rui burst out laughing, "Yes, this is Taishang Laojun's Lingyun Step. When I was young, I heard my ancestor mention that Taishang Laojun used Lingyun Step to reach the sky! Li Bai, Li Bai, you are
What a blessing to be able to understand Lingyun Ta through a poem!"
Li Bai was happy to hear that this heavenly skill was actually Taishang Laojun's Lingyun Step, but soon turned disappointed, "Master, but can this Lingyun Step only go up and down?"
When Zhao Rui heard this, he laughed and said, "Haha, Li Bai, this is because you have only now learned the first level of Lingyun Step: Lingyun Qi, but you have not yet learned the second level: Lingyun Xia."
"Ah, so that's it!" Li Bai suddenly realized, and humbly asked his master: "Master, although this disciple has understood Lingyun Step, how many levels are there in Lingyun Step? What is each level? What are its characteristics? These disciples have
I don’t know anything about it, so I still ask the master for advice.”
Zhao Rui smoothed three strands of white beard and said slowly: "I remember the founder said that there are nine levels of Ling Yun. The first level is Ling Yun Qi. Once you learn how to fly up, it's like climbing a ladder to heaven; the second level is Ling Yun Xia.
, learned to be able to fly straight down like an eagle, up and down freely; the third level is Lingyun Chong, learned to
You can carry heavy weights to the sky and carry them as if they are nothing; the fourth level is Lingyun Fei, who has learned to fly freely like a bird in the sky; the fifth to ninth levels are Lingyun Fire, Lingyun Water, Lingyun Earth, Lingyun Wood and Lingyun Gold.
, once you learn it, you can control the five elements, everything in the world, for my use."
"The Lingyun Step is so powerful!" Li Bai was amazed for a moment, and then said: "I only knew it was Taishang Laojun's flying skill before, but I really didn't know it could also control the five elements!"
Zhao Rui waved the whisk lightly and said, "Since it is a heavenly skill of the Supreme Lord, it naturally has magical uses that ordinary people cannot imagine."