Chapter 1

The Huashan Sect was founded during the Yuan Dynasty and was known as one of the Six Great Sects alongside Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Kunlun, and Kongtong.

At that time, it was not particularly renowned for its swordsmanship. During the battle between the Six Great Sects and the Mingjiao at Guangming Peak, the Huashan Sect’s leader used the Eagle and Snake Life-and-Death Combat technique, which was more akin to martial arts involving fists and feet. The Huashan elder used the Two Instruments Sword Technique, which was not particularly outstanding.

It seems that during the late Yuan Dynasty, the mainstream martial arts were focused on fist and foot techniques and powerful heavy weapons. The Dragon Claw Hand of the Shaolin Sect and the Seven Injuries Fist of the Kongtong Sect were renowned throughout the land. The Kunlun and Emei Sects, known for their swordsmanship, appeared relatively weak. Even the Beggar Sect’s Dog Beating Staff Technique did not stand out.

After the Ming Dynasty, the Huashan Sect’s swordsmanship suddenly rose, and it formed the Five Mountains Sword Sect with Taishan, Songshan, Hengshan, and Hengshan. This, however, indicated a decline in the status of Huashan martial arts. It had fallen from a position of equal standing with Shaolin and Wudang to a second-rate sect in the martial world, barely maintaining its status through the Five Mountains Sword Sect. Even the leader of the Five Mountains Alliance, Zuo Lengchan, took pride in flattering and flattering the leaders of Shaolin and Wudang. The Songshan Sect was one thing, but the Huashan Sect had once been on par with Kunlun and the Beggar Sect. It was hard to accept this reality.

The problem with the Huashan Sect was that the martial arts it inherited were not of the highest caliber. As Yue Buqun analyzed, although the sect occasionally produced geniuses whose martial arts were unparalleled for a time, these skills could not be passed down through generations. The Shaolin Temple, on the other hand, might not have produced the best martial artists in every generation, but it maintained its leadership in the martial world for a thousand years thanks to its Sutra Pavilion and Dharma Hall.

The situation of the Huashan Sect was somewhat similar to that of the later Wudang branch, the Xianxia Sect. After the appearance of a top martial artist, the succeeding leaders had to rely on building relationships and friendships to establish themselves in the martial world. Therefore, it was understandable that Huashan disciples, eager to improve their martial arts, would steal the Kuihua Manual. This led to the conflict between the Sword and Qi Sects, which accelerated the decline of the Huashan Sect.

The desire to improve martial arts was ultimately fulfilled by Linghuchong. Not only did the sword techniques of the Five Mountains Sword Sect return to Huashan after its decline, but he also learned the Nine Swords of Dugu from Feng Qingyang. In fact, if the Sword and Qi Sects had not spent so much effort fighting each other, the Huashan Sect could have already revived its former glory with the Nine Swords passed down by Feng. These nine swords must have come from the ancient tomb sect on Zhongnan Mountain, thus carrying the lineage of Yang Guo’s martial arts.

With only sword techniques, the Huashan Sect was just a sword sect. It would be difficult to compete with the comprehensive martial arts of Shaolin and Wudang, which excelled in both fist and foot techniques and internal cultivation. The internal cultivation techniques Linghuchong learned included the Purple霞神功 (Purple霞 Divine Skill) of his sect, which was generally not very powerful and did not suit his personality. There was also the吸星大法 (Star Absorption Technique), which was taboo in the martial world. Master Fangzheng was willing to bribe Linghuchong with the supreme Yijinjing to make him abandon this technique. From then on, this skill disappeared from the world. Therefore, the Huashan Sect’s sword techniques and internal cultivation were very famous, while its fist and foot techniques remained average. During the late Ming Dynasty, the Huashan Sect’s great hero Guixinshu was known for his invincible fist, which was actually powered by his internal cultivation. Few could withstand three moves under his overwhelming internal power. However, the same thirty-six moves of Huashan Fist could be taught by the descendants of the Hu family, who were not known for their fist techniques, to outstanding disciples of the Huashan Sect. It is worth noting that the top expert of the Huashan Fist School had practiced internal cultivation to the point of losing control, proving that the Huashan Fist emphasized internal cultivation over techniques.

In the end, the Huashan Sword Technique followed the path of the Sword Sect, while the Huashan Fist inherited the lineage of the Qi Sect.

The Huashan Sect began to revere Feng Zushi during the late Ming Dynasty, but this referred to Linghuchong, not Feng Qingyang. Because Linghuchong married the daughter of the leader of the demonic sect and was deeply involved with unorthodox martial artists, he was forced to go into hiding. Therefore, his disciples used his alias, Feng Erzhong, to avoid attention.

Tracing the origins of the old Huashan Sect is quite challenging, as Jin Yong’s books do not provide clear details.

Analyzing the Six Great Sects that attacked the Mingjiao at Guangming Peak, the Shaolin Fist has the earliest origin, while Wudang and Emei were founded at the end of the Song Dynasty. The Kunlun Sect was established over a hundred years before Wudang and Emei, but it was relatively unknown in Central China at the time. The Kongtong Sect claimed that its founding master, Mulingzi, lived to the age of 91. This suggests that he was a contemporary of Guo Xiang, Zhang Sanfeng, and He Zudao, all of whom were masters of the post-Huashan Summit era.

Wudang and Emei were often referred to as the two new sects that emerged due to the Jueyuan incident. Therefore, the Huashan Sect and Kunlun and Kongtong should be contemporary sects, at least founded a hundred years earlier, in the pre-Huashan Summit era. It can be inferred that the Huashan Sect’s origin should meet the following criteria: 1) It was located near the northwest, around Huashan. 2) It was relatively unknown at the time, indicating that its founder was not a top martial artist. 3) Its martial arts had unique aspects that allowed it to gain prominence a hundred years later. 4) Its martial arts were closer to Confucian and Daoist styles, not Buddhist martial arts, as most of its leaders were scholars.

The only sect that meets all these criteria is the branch of the Xianxia Sect, the Eight Friends of Hangu Pass.

1) The Eight Friends of Hangu Pass were undoubtedly active in the Shaanxi region.

2) Their martial arts were inferior to those of their master and founder, and due to talent issues and being expelled from the sect, their skills were not pure. Later, Huashan Sect’s top martial artists, like the deaf-mute elder, could stand shoulder to shoulder with the abbot of Shaolin Temple. The weaker ones, like the Eight Friends, were between the first and second-class levels of the Luohan and Dharma Halls, never producing top martial artists.

3) The sect’s martial arts were of the highest caliber, with a solid foundation. At the time, the Qingcheng Sect, another second-rate sect, was far less renowned than the Huashan Sect. Both sects faced martial arts crises, but the Qingcheng Sect was more desperate. It’s worth noting that the Penglai Sect had already degenerated into sea pirates by the late Ming Dynasty, which was even worse.

4) The Eight Friends of Hangu Pass were famous for their skills in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, drama, medicine, craftsmanship, and horticulture. The leaders of the Huashan Sect were also known for their refined and elegant demeanor.

Moreover, Huashan is a famous mountain exclusively associated with Daoism. The martial arts of the Xianxia Sect were somewhat close to Daoist styles, and it is not unreasonable to assume a connection. Before the rise of the Wudang and Zhongnan Quanzhen Sects, the most prosperous Daoist sect was the Huashan Daoist sect founded by the Five Dynasties’ Chen Tuan. The martial arts of the Xianxia Sect were very similar to those of Huang Yaoshi, lacking only the Small Unparalleled Skill and the Northern Sea Divine Skill. It seemed to be the style of Xuzhu. In the pre-Huashan Summit era, the famous major sects in the martial world included Shaolin, the Beggar Sect, the Dali Duan family, the Xianxia Sect, the Murong family, and the independent martial arts of Tibet and the Western Regions. The Xianxia Sect, except for the Beggar Sect, influenced most other sects.

During the Huashan Summit era, Shaolin declined, the Beggar Sect was in its twilight, and the Dali Duan family remained as before. Ouyang Feng represented the martial arts of the Western Regions. The Quanzhen Sect and the Peach Blossom Island martial arts emerged as new forces. It can be inferred that they were all related to the Xianxia Sect. Huang Yaoshi’s martial arts were similar to the Heavenly Mountain Plum Hand. He seemed to have modified it into the Plum Blossom Sword, Palm, and Leg Techniques and the Orchid Finger Technique. The Heavenly Mountain Child was skilled in throwing projectiles, and the Eastern Evil’s Finger Skill was clearly related to the Life and Death Mark.

The Quanzhen Sect was the largest center of Daoist martial arts and could not have been unaffected by the Xianxia Sect, the largest Daoist martial arts sect before it. It is clear and does not need much proof. In summary, after the Xianxia Sect went into hiding, its influence spread into several branches, including the Quanzhen Sect, Peach Blossom Island Sect, Ancient Tomb Sect, old Huashan Sect, and later the Emei Sect.

Some say that the Huashan Sect was founded by the Quanzhen Sect’s Hao Men, which is incorrect. The Quanzhen disciples were skilled in swordsmanship, while the old Huashan Sect was proficient in fist and foot techniques and various weapons. The later Huashan Sword Sect, rather than being a reflection of the Huashan Sect’s decline, was a result of the sect’s lack of talent and the inability to improve its fist and foot techniques and weapons to keep up with the times, leading to a focus on swordsmanship. This was far from the confidence of the Huashan Fist School, which claimed to be the best in the world.

The Huashan Sect founded by Hao Men was a branch of the Quanzhen Sect, not a martial arts sect, similar to the Putian Branch of Shaolin Temple.

The Huashan Sword Sect’s fame overshadowed the later prosperity of the Huashan Fist Sect, leading to the misconception that the Quanzhen Sect, which was also skilled in swordsmanship and close to Daoism, was related. The later decline of the Quanzhen Sect was also related to its focus on swordsmanship and neglect of fist and foot techniques. Feng Qingyang warned Linghuchong that even after mastering the Nine Swords, he could not match the heroes of the world and must cultivate fist and foot techniques and internal cultivation. This was indeed a key point.

The Huashan Sect, founded by the Eight Friends of Hangu Pass, did not have a particularly rich foundation and lacked outstanding talents. However, it endured for hundreds of years, from the Song to the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Its resilience was unmatched by other sects. Apart from Shaolin, no other sect could compare. Even the once dominant Beggar Sect had retreated from the front lines of the martial world, while the Huashan Sect’s reputation grew. Even during the time when the demonic sect dominated the martial world, the Huashan Sect continued to flourish. This was hard to explain. Perhaps it was because Huashan was a place of imperial energy and the source of the Chinese nation’s prosperity. With such favorable feng shui, the Huashan Sect could not help but thrive.

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