Chapter 18: Yi'er's Chess Game

Yi'er's Chess

However, such a regret was merely fleeting. Although she favored the pure colors of black and white, for things like this, color was actually the least important part—what mattered was their texture!!

And the texture of this piece of jade was excellent; it could be called a top-tier specimen!!

She used her mental and spiritual power to observe the jade meticulously. Several plans flashed through her mind, but in the end, she had to accept that although this piece of jade was large enough, the most she could extract that met her requirements was perhaps two grains...

Yi curled the corners of her mouth. It seemed having this cheap father wasn't so bad after all. Besides, even though he didn't pay much attention to her on ordinary days, at least he knew what her favorite things were!!

She put the jade back into the box and tossed it casually toward the bamboo. With a movement as light as a feather, it landed without a sound. She then continued to lie on the bamboo and began to cultivate with full concentration.

She had only just broken through to the first layer; she had to work harder to consolidate her realm once more...

By the latter half of the night, when all things were silent and the entire Zhu Manor was devoid of even a whisper, she gave a slight tremor and leapt down from the bamboo. She walked toward a patch of empty ground about ten square meters in size that she had scouted out long ago.

The space was somewhat small, making it not so easy to practice to her heart's content, but with careful control, it was barely sufficient.

Taiji gives rise to the Two Poles, and the Two Poles nourish Taiji. In her past life, the Taiji she obtained only consisted of the most complete set of basic moves, but lacked the cultivation method. The Two Poles cultivation method was what her Master had given her while she was practicing Taiji Quan; she was already in her teens at that time... Master said that practicing only Taiji meant having form without intent, while practicing only the Two Poles meant having intent without form. Only when the two complemented each other would one have the chance to comprehend the "meaning" within. She had been blessed with this opportunity... while her other sisters had not...

She didn't understand then, and it wasn't until the final moment of her life that she realized the Two Poles cultivation method could have saved her sisters' lives. Although everyone was forced to be separated by different worlds, unable to meet for a lifetime, they had, in the end, survived...

Intent follows form, and form follows intent. Softness contains strength, and strength contains softness. No extreme, no end... If one is willing, one can practice until the very end of life. Taiji inherently has no fixed moves or stances; everything comes down to a single word: "Intent." As long as the intent is there, the form will be there...

However, that "intent" was not simply a human thought. It required not just thought, but mental power—or more directly, internal strength. At a higher level, that would be spiritual power...

The Two Poles cultivation focused on the space between internal strength and spiritual power. She didn't even know what it was called; Master hadn't said much. She simply practiced, accumulated, and gained insights...