Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels, The

Noted on the bookshelves of the Library of the Lord of Heaven in the Boundless Cavern as "lacking" from its collection of martial arts from the Duan Family of Dali (Chapter 2).

A heirloom technique belonging to the Duan Family; no one had ever succeeded in mastering it prior to the year 1090, when the Emperor Baoding went to the Temple of the Celestial Dragon in search of a cure for Duan Yu's energy-induced condition. The 'Guardian Skill' (zhen4 si4 zhi4 bao3 镇寺之宝) of the Temple of the Celestial Dragon; the zenith of the pugilistic skills of the Duan Family. Its existence was not known to the Emperor Baoding or Duan Zhengchun; yet known to the Murong Family of Suzhou (Chapter 10).

Based on the practitioner's internal strength; not a technique that could be mastered in a hurried manner. None of the highly-skilled monks at the Temple of the Celestial Dragon -- Benyin, Bencan, Benxiang, Benguan and Kurong -- had enough internal strength to master the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels (according to Kurong); hence, the monks resorted to learning the sword of one channel each (Chapter 10).

Not a true swordplay technique, but a skill that turned the energy from the Single Finger of Positivity into a type of sword-based energy (jian4 qi4 剑气) that had substance without a visible form; could also be called 'formless sword-based energy' (wu2 xing2 jian4 qi4 无形剑气).

Executed through the following channels (Chapter 10):

• The Hand Taiyin Channel of the Lung (Shou3 Tai4 Yin1 Fei4 Jing1 手太阴肺经) - the product was known as the 'Shao Shang Sword of the Thumb' (Mu3 Zhi3 Shao4 Shang1 Jian4 拇指少商剑); released through the Shao Shang acupoint on the thumb of the right hand. Learnt by Kurong. Unwittingly learnt by Duan Yu, triggering an immensely uncomfortable condition that had to be rectified by the Keys to the Internal Strength Cultivation Technique of the Duan Family.
• The Hand Jueyin Channel of the Pericardium (Shou3 Jue2 Yin1 Xin1 Bao1 Jing1 手厥阴心包经) - the product was known as the 'Zhong Chong Sword of the Middle Finger' (Zhong1 Zhi3 Zhong1 Chong1 Jian4 中指中冲剑); released through the Zhong Chong acupoint on the middle finger of the right hand. Learnt by Benguan. Obvious and powerful in terms of the energy released.
• The Hand Shaoyin Channel of the Heart (Shou3 Shao4 Yin1 Xin1 Jing1 手少阴心经) - the product was known as the 'Shao Chong Sword of the Little Finger' (Xiao3 Zhi3 Shao4 Chong1 Jian4 小指少冲剑); released through the Shao Chong acupoint on the little finger of the right hand. Learnt by Benxiang. The third sword learnt by Duan Yu, simply because he found Benxiang the most amiable among the monks. Differentiated from the Shao Ze Sword of the Little Finger on the Left Hand by the effort, agility, impact and speed in execution, where reduced agility and speed did not necessarily lead to a decrease in efficacy or power. Had a move known as 'Scattering the Flowers and Swaying the Willows' (Fen1 Hua1 Fu2 Liu3 分花拂柳).
• The Hand Taiyang Channel of the Small Intestine (Shou3 Tai4 Yang2 Xiao3 Chang2 Jing1 手太阳小肠经) - the product was known as the 'Shao Ze Sword of the Little Finger on the Left Hand' (Zuo2 Shou3 Xiao3 Zhi3 Shao4 Ze2 Jian4 左手小指少泽剑); released through the Shao Ze acupoint on the little finger of the left hand. Learnt by Bencan. Intermittent in terms of the energy released, with many slight but exquisite variations in use. Differentiated from the Shao Chong Sword of the Little Finger by the effort, agility, impact and speed in execution, where reduced agility and speed did not necessarily lead to a decrease in efficacy or power.
• The Hand Yangming Channel of the Colon (Shou3 Yang2 Ming2 Da4 Chang2 Jing1 手阳明大肠经) - the product was known as the 'Shang Yang Sword of the Forefinger' (Shi2 Zhi3 Shang2 Yang2 Jian4 食指商阳剑); released through the Shang Yang acupoint on the forefinger of the right hand. Learnt by Benyin. Relied on nimble and exquisite movements that were difficult to imitate in its execution because of the general dexterity of the forefinger.
• The Hand Shaoyang Channel of the Three Visceral Cavities (Shou3 Shao4 Yang2 San1 Jiao1 Jing1 手少阳三焦经) - learnt by Benchen (a.k.a. the Emperor Baoding). Executed by exercising one's internal strength through the various acupoints of the Hand Shaoyang Channel along the shoulder and the arm, and releasing the strength as a beam through the Guan Chong acupoint on the ring finger. The product was known as the 'Guan Chong Sword of the Ring Finger' (Wu2 Ming2 Zhi3 Guan1 Chong1 Jian4 无名指关冲剑). Erroneously named in certain passages in the 2nd edition as the 'Shaoyang Sword' (Shao4 Yang2 Jian4 少阳剑). The second sword learnt by Duan Yu when he became engrossed in following the directions on the scroll, without being able to exercise his internal strength and release it through his Guan Chong acupoint. Relied on simple movements in its execution because of the general clumsiness of the ring finger.

The Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels re-listed according to its proper names, from the thumb to the little finger (all were executed through the right hand except for the Shao Ze Sword):

1. The Shao Shang Sword of the Thumb
2. The Shang Yang Sword of the Forefinger
3. The Zhong Chong Sword of the Middle Finger
4. The Guan Chong Sword of the Ring Finger
5. The Shao Chong Sword of the Little Finger
6. The Shao Ze Sword of the Little Finger on the Left Hand

Illustrated through acupoints that were marked on drawings of naked men, in scrolls that had turned yellow with age. Never been taught to secular disciples; thus the Emperor Baoding had to become a monk to learn the technique. Had variations that were numerous and complex, but could be exercised at will when mastered. Each 'sword' was illustrated on its own scroll. The drawings used the same channels and acupoints as those found on the scroll for the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, but showed different (specifically, opposing) ways of exercising one's energy through these channels/acupoints. When Duan Yu used the directional markings on the scroll of the 'Shao Shang Sword of the Thumb' to store the 'loose' streams of energy (accummulated earlier from various individuals in the tunnel) in his Shan Zhong acupoint, he felt as if the acupoint was about to burst through his chest (Chapter 10).

According to Kurong, there was nothing in the ancestral rules against learning the Phenomenal Swords through observation and self-study; advised Duan Yu to do so (Chapter 10).

Could be executed simultaneously through the respective acupoints that were found in both hands (because the left and right sides of the human body were actually mirrors of each other), as demonstrated by Kurong against Jiumozhi. The scrolls for the Phenomenal Swords were eventually burnt to ashes by Kurong using energy from the Single Finger of Positivity before Jiumozhi could take them away (Chapter 10).

Duan Yu took his first un-premeditated shot with the Phenomenal Swords by pointing his right forefinger at Jiumozhi in anger after Jiumozhi wounded Benxiang; took place simply because his intentions and internal strength happened to flow together. Could not repeat the feat a moment later when he knowingly tried to execute the Zhong Chong Sword of the Middle Finger. Released a shot each from the Shao Chong Sword and the Shao Ze Sword simultaneously in a burst of panic; later succeeded in executing the Zhong Chong Sword with a gentle flock of the middle finger, followed by a period of being able to use all ten of his fingers and thumbs for the Phenomenal Swords; felt like the the collision of swift thunderbolts and ill winds to Jiumozhi (Chapter 10).

Note: Chapter 10 of the 3rd edition comes with a lengthy footnote on the fictitious nature of formless energy-based techniques, such as the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels and the Sabre of the Glowing Flame. According to the footnote, the closest real-life forms of these techniques are laser beams and the Gamma knife.

A martial arts technique that was admired by Wang Yuyan (Chapter 12).

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Successes and failures in Duan Yu's execution of the Phenomenal Swords of the Six Channels:

At the Temple of the Celestial Dragon (Chapter 10):

At the Little House of Zither Melodies (Chapter 11):