Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, The
a.k.a. Bei3 Ming2 Shen2 Gong1 北冥神功.
The pugilistic essence of the School of Unfettered Freedom. Came with explanatory text as well as diagrams of acupoints and channels that were drawn on 36 completely naked female figures. The face of each figure looked exactly like that of the Elder Sister Goddess (Chapter 2).
The Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness was introduced by the following words (Chapter 2):
"The martial arts of our School have always placed utmost importance on accummulated internal strength. When one's internal strength is profound, there is no pugilistic technique under the sun that he cannot use. This is similar to the Northern Darkness (i.e. the great oceans of the north), which carries vessels both large and small, and holds fishes both big and little. Internal strength will always have priority and take precedence over external moves. The diagrams below must be studied and practised with diligence.
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Several pages into the scroll, the following description was found (Chapter 2):
"The Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness absorbs the internal strength of others for the practitioner's own use. The abundant waters of the Northern Darkness did not produce themselves. As the saying goes, rivers meet in the oceans. Therefore, the ocean holds water that comes from hundreds of rivers. The vastness and the depth of the ocean are the results of this process of accumulation. The first lesson on the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness begins in the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung.
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The methods of practising the skill were explained in detail after the text above (Chapter 2).
The first lesson then concluded with the words below (Chapter 2):
"For most people, the cultivation of internal strength (along the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung) begins in the Yun Men acupoint (see Medicines -> Acupoints) and ends in the Shao Shang acupoint. However, my School of Unfettered Freedom does it in reverse, beginning in Shao Shang and ending in Yun Men. When the thumb of the practitioner touches another person, the other person's internal strength will flow into the practitioner's body through the Yun Men acupoint and accummulate there, as well as on the other acupoints along the corresponding channel. If the opponent's internal strength is greater than the practitioner's, the effect will be similar to seawater gushing up a river. This is very dangerous, so the practitioner will have to be very careful. Similar methods employed by off-shoots of our School have not shown any of our insight, so these can only disperse the internal strength of the practitioner's opponents instead of absorbing it for the practitioner's own use. This is just like obtaining and then casting away a thousand pieces of gold, an act of destroying a precious resource that should be ridiculed.
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Found by Duan Yu to be rather despicable because the skill focused on stealing someone else's energy for the practitioner's own use; later deemed acceptable by some narrow and biased reasoning (Chapter 2).
When Duan Yu began practising the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, he found the following text on the scroll (Chapter 5):
"The internal strength of our school [i.e. the School of Unfettered Freedom] flows in a direction that is opposite of those practised by other schools. Anyone who has had any prior experience in internal strength cultivation techniques must completely forget everything that he has learnt, and focus on learning these new techniques with all his heart. The slightest degree of inter-mingling between the old and new techniques will cause the opposing streams of energy to collide. This, in turn, will result in an immediate and very severe bout of blood-vomitting, as well as the collapse of the various energy channels in the body. There is nothing more dangerous than this.
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The practice of the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness began by exercising one's internal strength through the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung (Shou3 Tai4 Yin1 Fei4 Jing1 手太阴肺经), followed by the Ren Channel (Ren4 Mai4 任脉, one of the Eight Extraordinary Channels of the human body). The text in the scroll said (Chapter 5):
"The Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung and the Ren Channel are the cornerstones of the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness. Along this route, the Shao Shang acupoint on the thumb and the Shan Zhong acupoint between the nipples are the most vital spots, with the former collecting and the latter accummulating internal strength. There are four 'seas' in the human body: the stomach which functions as the 'sea' of water, the Chong Channel (Chong1 Mai4 冲脉) which functions as the 'sea' of the Twelve Regular Channels (Shi2 Er4 Jing1 十二经, in brief), the Shan Zhong acupoint which functions as the 'sea' of energy, and the brain which functions as the 'sea' of bodily essences. Food and water are collected in the stomach since infancy, therefore no special training is necessary. However, the practice of collecting the internal strength of others through the Shao Shang acupoint and accummulating it in the practitioner's 'sea' of energy can be achieved only by the true Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness from the School of Unfettered Freedom. Food and water that has been collected in the stomach dissipates in a day. However, the internal strength that the practitioner collects bit by bit from others and accummulates in his body will never dissipate. Instead, it will become richer and more abundant, just like the immense waters of the Heavenly Lake in the Dark North that supports fish for a thousand li (500 km).
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Initial effects of learning the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness
When Yu Guangbiao struck Duan Yu on the Shan Zhong acupoint, Yu's arm went numb and limp at once. In addition, Yu felt a brief moment of emptiness in his chest. As for Duan, he did not feel anything on the spot that he had been hit, although the punch had produced a rather loud sound. This was because the energy in Yu's punch had been absorbed into the 'sea' of energy in Duan's Shan Zhong acupoint and stored there. The Shan Zhong acupoint was also the place where the 'True Energy of Northern Darkness' (Bei3 Ming2 Zhen1 Qi4 北冥真气) was accummulated. Despite having practised the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness a few times, Duan could still be considered a man without any foundations in internal strength. Therefore, he had absolutely no ability to take in another person's internal strength through the Shao Shang acupoint on his thumb, and send it along the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung and the Ren Channel for final storage in the Shan Zhong acupoint. But when Yu struck Duan's Shan Zhong acupoint and sent some internal strength into it, Duan could not resist the flow of energy into his body at all. Duan felt nauseous after Yu's internal strength gathered in his Shan Zhong acupoint; when he thought about the Ren Channel and the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung, he could feel a faint stream of warmth flowing through the two channels before returning to the Shan Zhong acupoint. The nausea disappeared after that, an indication that Yu's internal strength had taken up permanent residence in Duan's body (Chapter 5).
Duan Yu's Shan Zhong 'sea' of energy could absorb Yu Guangbiao's internal strength because Yu's strength was weak; besides, Yu did not use all his strength to punch Duan. If the punch had been thrown by the Crocodillian Deity (Yue the Third), Duan's Shan Zhong 'sea' of energy would have been unable to take in the internal strength that came through because he had no foundations in internal strength. Consequently, Duan's meridians and channels would have been severed, and Duan himself would have thrown up blood and died (Chapter 5).
The tiny bit of energy in Duan's Shan Zhong acupoint served as a 'lead', drawing Yu's internal strength into Duan's body through the Shao Shang acupoint on his thumb when Yu grabbed Duan's wrist. This happened only when both Duan and Yu used their strength against each other, which corresponded to the principle of 'A Hundred Rivers Flowing into the Sea' (Bai3 Chuan1 Hui4 Hai3 百川汇海). Duan could not absorb Yu's energy at will at this point because he did not know how to use the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, but Yu forced his energy into Duan in an attempt to stop the latter from escaping. The out-flow of energy became faster when Yu used both his hands to hold Duan (Chapter 5).
Duan could absorb the internal strength of Qian Guansheng when Qian touched Yu; Yu's body became a conduit. The same happened to the other five Boundless Cave/Sword discples who touched Qian. The accummulated energy caused discomfort in Duan's chest, but was alleviated by shouting. The seven disciples of The Boundless Cave/Sword became totally incapacitated (3rd edition only), after Duan drained them completely of internal strength (Chapter 5).
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Fan Hua, Hua Hegen and Ba Tianshi mistook the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness for a 'formidable but unorthodox incantation' that Duan Yanqing put on Duan Yu, while Duan Yanqing mistook it for the 'Great and Magical Energy-Dissolving Skill' that was practised by the Old Queer Ding from the Sea of Constellations (Chapter 9).
A large portion of the scroll that contained the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness was torn to shreds by Duan Yu when he was under the influence of the Powder for the Harmonious Union of the Yin and the Yang; only 20-30% of it remained legible. Duan Yu eventually had the scroll -- shreds and all -- burnt to ashes (Chapter 9).
The Emperor Baoding also mistook the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness for Ding Chunqiu's 'Great and Magical Energy-Dissolving Skill', as did Jiumozhi (Chapter 10). Later, Jiumozhi thought that whatever energy-absorbing skill that Duan Yu had came from combining the Single Finger of Positivity and the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels (Chapter 11).
The ability and speed of the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness in absorbing the internal strength of others increased according to the amount of internal strength that the practitioner had in his body. Duan Yu took a long time to take in the internal strength of Yu Guangbiao and the other disciples of The Boundless Sword/Cave when he did not have anty existing internal strength, but needed only 15 minutes (i.e. the time taken to brew a pot of tea) to drain Auntie Yan (of the Fertiliser Shed) completely of her internal strength. Mistaken for the 'Great and Magical Energy-Dissolving Skill' by Wang Yuyan (Chapter 12).
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The effects Duan Yu suffered after accummulating internal strength from Ye the Second, Yue the Third, Zhong Wanchou, Yun Zhonghe, Zhong Ling, Cui Baiquan and the Yellow-Browed Monk in the tunnel (Chapter 10):
- Terrible discomfort due to the build-up of pressure within the body; had to wave his arms, kick his feet and hurl some objects to alleviate some of the pressure.
- The feeling of bloatedness without a corresponding outward appearance of swelling on the body.
- Duan Yu's control of the accummulated energy was somewhat lost when he was asleep. When he executed the Graceful Steps Upon the Waves later, the exercise worked the energy up so much that it became evn more difficult to control.
- Additional discomfort caused by the opposing types of energy that had been accummulated, i.e. positive 'Yang'-based energies from Yue the Third, Zhong Wanchou and the Yellow-Browed Monk, and negative 'Yin'-based energies from Ye the Second and Yun Zhonghe.
- An attempt at treatment: Benyin, Benguan, Benxiang, Bencan and the Emperor Baoding sent streams of energy from the Single Finger of Positivity into Duan Yu's body through six of the Eight Extraordinary Channels in Duan Yu's body (i.e. Du 督, Ren 任, Chong 冲, Dai 带, Yinwei 阴维 and Yinjiao 阴跤), in an attempt to force the energy accummulated earlier out through the remaining two Extraordinary Channels (i.e. Yangwei 阳维 and Yangjiao 阳跤). Duan Yu felt indescribably comfortable as the pure positive 'Yang'-based energies streamed into his body and stored themselves in his 'sea' of energy.
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Individuals from whom Duan Yu obtained internal strength, courtesy of the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness (in chronological order):
- Yu Guangbiao - first, directly into the Shan Zhong 'sea' of energy through a punch on the chest; then, through the Shao Shang acupoint on the thumb when Yu grabbed Duan on the wrist. Drained completely of internal strength (Chapter 5).
- Qian Guangsheng - through Yu Guangbiao's body; drained completely of internal strength (Chapter 5).
- Five other disciples of The Boundless Sword/Cave - through the bodies of Yu, Qian and one another; drained completely of internal strength (Chapter 5).
- Yue the Third - when Duan Yu grabbed his Shan Zhong and Shen Que acupoints during their 'duel' at the residence of the Prince of the Southern Garrison. Yue's internal strength was richer than the combined energy of the seven Boundless Cave/Sword disciples; caused Duan Yu an indescribable amount of discomfort and endangered his life. Had to be countered by a stream of energy from the Single Finger of Positivity (courtesy of Duan Zhengchun through Duan Yu's Da Zhui acupoint) before it could be stored away in Duan Yu's 'sea' of energy (Chapter 6).
- Hua Hegen - a tiny bit when he grabbed Duan Yu's wrist in the stone hut while the latter was in the midst of using the Graceful Steps Upon the Waves to obtain temporary relief from the Powder for the Harmonious Union of the Yin and the Yang; rescued by Ba Tianshi and Fan Hua who had sufficient internal strength and quick-wittedness to pull him away (Chapter 9).
- Duan Yanqing - when Duan Yu held on to his iron crutch with his thumb and forefinger to prevent the crutch from marking the chessboard. Yanqing's internal strength flowed into Yu's body through the latter's Shao Shang acupoint. When Yanqing sent forth a powerful burst of internal strength to shake himself lose from the suction-like force of Yu's Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, a little less than half of that energy disappeared (i.e. 'swallowed' by Yu) as if it was a stone that had fallen into the ocean (Chapter 9).
- Ye the Second, Yue the Third (again), Zhong Wanchou, Yun Zhonghe and Zhong Ling (in sequence) - when the Shao Shang acupoint on Duan Yu's thumb touched the San Yin Jiao acupoint on Ye's ankle in his attempt to pull her out of the tunnel under the bedroom of the Zhongs. The other people in the sequence were also connected thumb-to-ankle, thus quickening the flow of internal strength into Duan Yu's body. No one wanted to release his/her grip on the person before him/her because he/she received an infusion of internal strength to replace whatever that was lost. Duan Yu felt very uncomfortable and hot after accummulating half of the total internal strength of these people in his 'sea' of energy (Chapter 9).
- Cui Baiquan and the Yellow-Browed Monk (in sequence) - lost a little less than half of their internal strength to Duan Yu because they were the ones who held on to Zhong Ling and prevented Yun Zhonghe from pulling her out of the tunnel in the first place (Chapter 9).
- The Emperor Baoding - a tiny bit when he exercised a little strength while taking Duan Yu's pulse at his Lie Que acupoint. The Lie Que acupoint was located along the Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung, thus enabling the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness to draw another person's internal strength into Duan Yu's body through it (Chapter 9).
- Benyin, Bencan, Benguan, Benxiang and the Emperor Baoding (again) - when they attempted to 'remove Ding Chunqiu's evil and unorthodox Great and Magical Energy-Dissolving Skill' from Duan Yu's body with infusions of energy from the Single Finger of Positivity via six of the Eight Extraordinary Channels. Although Duan Yu did not learn the use the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness along the Extraordinary Channels, the skill enabled Duan Yu's body to take the incoming energy streams in and store them in his 'sea' of energy (Chapter 10).
- The Emperor Baoding (a 3rd time) and Jiumozhi - when Duan Yu grabbed Baoding in an impulsive attempt to stop Jiumozhi from taking him away (Chapter 10).
- Jiumozhi (again) - when he put his left palm on Duan Yu's Shan Zhong acupoint and sent a burst of internal strength into it, apparently to torture Duan into writing out the text of the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels. The blocking of various vital acupoints on Duan's body did not affect the ability of the Shan Zhong acupoint to take in any energy that was into it by force (Chapter 11).
- Auntie Yan - when he grabbed her left wrist in an attempt to stop her from leaving the Fertiliser Shed and alerting Mrs Wang; drained her completely of internal strength (Chapter 12).
Note: The individuals covered in the first 10 items of the list above were recapitulated in Chapter 10.