Chapter 74

"Let's start driving the piles!"

Wang Zhong and Ouyang Yi nodded in agreement.

Plop!

Plop!

Plop!

The machinery started up, and the drill bit began to spin rapidly, one inch, one foot, three feet, ten feet!

Nothing could stop the drill bit from sinking further, and one by one, the piles were driven into the ground. The earth qi slowly rose along the steel columns, finally coiling around the dragon-shaped decorations.

In Wang Zhong's eyes, golden dragons were writhing and moving up the dragon columns, one after another. Although their power was much weaker than the dragon vein that had been severed, they were numerous.

This land must have multiple earth veins converging. The one that was suppressed originated from the main dragon vein of Taiping Mountain.

Wang Zhong, looking at the dragon columns that had been erected, couldn't help but think of a feng shui example from the future metropolis.

In the mid-1990s, the road construction in the metropolis was a prelude to the city's resurgence and its entry into the ranks of world-class cities. After the completion and opening of the Inner Ring Road, the Chengdu Road Elevated and Yan'an Road Elevated, which ran through the city, were successively launched, forming a "田" (field) pattern that connected the east, west, south, and north of Shanghai, thus completely changing the traffic congestion in the city and completing the final "申" (Shen) pattern of the elevated roads.

At the beginning of the project, with the support of the city's leadership and the citizens, and the hard work of the engineering teams, the project progressed rapidly. The street scenery changed every day, and within half a month, the old streets and alleys were unrecognizable. Unexpectedly, when the project reached the critical intersection of the east-west elevated road and the north-south elevated road, the foundation piles for the main pillars of the elevated road could not be driven in.

Technical experts gathered, and various high-tech and ingenious methods were tried, but the piles still could not be driven in! Even if they were forced in, they did not meet the design standards and engineering requirements. This became a serious problem. Despite the efforts of the best engineers, the root of the problem was not found. If the main pillars at this intersection could not be constructed, the north-south and east-west elevated roads could not be connected, and the entire project could not be completed on schedule. Thus, the idea of seeking divine help quietly spread on the construction site.

The thinking of the project leaders also began to waver. After a series of secret visits, they invited a famous monk from a local temple.

The monk came to the construction site where the east-west and north-south elevated roads intersected, carefully examined the area, and then closed his eyes and clasped his hands, remaining silent for a long time. When asked if there was a solution, the monk thought for a long time and then said that he had found the root of the problem. There was a solution, but it required a ritual to invite the divine beings to make way for the pile driving. The monk then sighed deeply, saying that by revealing the secret, his days in this world were numbered. He was willing to sacrifice himself to bring blessings to the people of the metropolis and to contribute to its development.

The monk chose an auspicious day and instructed everyone to prepare accordingly. After the ritual, he instructed that the piles could be driven in at a specific time. He then left and never returned. The engineering technicians, though puzzled, followed the instructions. To their surprise, the piles were driven in smoothly, perfectly meeting the design standards, and the north-south and east-west elevated roads were seamlessly connected. The monk returned to the temple and passed away peacefully a few days later.

The details of the monk's ritual were only known to a few leaders and project managers, and they were instructed to keep it secret. The only visible sign was the white steel and dragon-shaped decorations on the circular pillars at the intersection, as a sign of respect to the divine beings who had helped the pile driving.

This story circulated in the metropolis for a long time. A technical manager of the project once debunked it in the newspaper, saying that it was all false and that the dragon-shaped decorations were purely for aesthetic purposes. However, no one paid attention to his explanation. If it were purely for aesthetics, the hundreds of pillars on Shanghai's elevated roads would all be exposed concrete, but only the pillars at the intersection of the north-south and east-west elevated roads were decorated with dragon patterns, with a silver background and gold dragons.

The dragon patterns, which were originally from the "I Ching" hexagram "Flying Dragon in the Sky," were created by the monk Zhen Chan from the Jade Buddha Temple.

Wang Zhong understood that the monk must have severed the dragon vein and been injured by the cosmic calamity, ultimately leading to his passing.

Fortunately, he had only severed a minor dragon vein in a remote area, not a major one like in the metropolis, or he would have met the same fate as the monk Zhen Chan.

"Master Wang, thank you so much!"

Ouyang Yi, looking at the piles being driven in one by one, said with gratitude.

"If it weren't for you, this project would definitely be delayed! I can't bear the responsibility!"

"I am the chief designer of the Red Pillar Police Station, and it's my duty to handle these matters!"

Wang Zhong smiled and patted Ouyang Yi's hand, saying with a smile.

"Remember to set up the dragon columns in front of the building; we can't let the dragon vein be homeless!"

"Rest assured, Master Wang, I will remember your words!"

Ouyang Yi said with a serious expression.

After a few more words with Ouyang Yi, Wang Zhong and Mary drove back to their residence.

William Brown and Selena were already waiting there. Wang Zhong needed to give them a short-term special training.

"Master, I read 'Black Belt' magazine, you're so cool! The founder of Instinctive Combat!"

William Brown held the "Black Belt" magazine, speaking excitedly.

Wang Zhong, who had been puzzled about how to teach the two, suddenly had an idea when he heard the words "Instinctive Combat."

"I need to train you both in Instinctive Combat for a week!"

"Master, why only a week?"

Selena pouted, looking unhappy.

"Because in a week, I will go to the Ross Ranch in Australia to handle some matters!"

Wang Zhong looked at the beautiful female disciple, explaining with a hint of helplessness.

"Ross Ranch, purebred Ross horses, can I go with you? Please, Master!"

Hearing the name Ross Ranch, Selena, who was passionate about horseback riding, instantly became excited and looked at Wang Zhong with a pleading expression.

"If your father agrees, I have no objections!"

Wang Zhong looked at Selena with a headache, ultimately leaving the decision to Sir Yude, who would likely not agree to Selena going to Australia alone.

"Instinctive Combat refers to using the body's instincts to fight. It discards the complexity of techniques and focuses only on the instinct to attack, like a wild animal!"

Wang Zhong explained the principles of Instinctive Combat for the first time. As he spoke, his thoughts became clearer.

"In ancient times, humans had a fighting instinct. As humans evolved and intelligence increased, various tools and weapons were invented, and humans became the dominant species in the food chain. However, humans also lost the instincts of wild animals. To compensate for this, martial artists imitated the movements of wild animals, creating various animal-based martial arts, such as tiger, crane, snake, and monkey styles. Instinctive Combat is not just imitation but a true exploration of the human fighting instinct. Therefore, Instinctive Combat must break free from the constraints of techniques, skills, and even thought, truly achieving what Bruce Lee said: 'Use the unlimited as the limited, and the formless as the form!'"

"Master, how can we uncover our fighting instincts?"

William Brown asked curiously.

"Through extensive physical training, speed and strength are the two essential elements of combat. Additionally, you need to develop a combat mindset!"

"When combat becomes an instinct, you will have grasped the essence of Instinctive Combat!"

Wang Zhong sat cross-legged on the ground. A tightly closed door in his mind opened a crack, and he felt as if he was entering a new world.

"How can we cultivate the fighting instincts of a wild animal?"

William was still a bit confused.

"Forget, only by emptying the bottle can you pour in new liquid. Only by forgetting all the techniques and skills you have learned can you gain the sharp intuition of a wild animal. Don't be constrained by rules and frameworks; there are no rules in this world. In Buddhism, these constraints are called 'ignorance.' Only by breaking through ignorance can you achieve true liberation. This ignorance is what we need to break. Breaking through the void, you will see the divine, but this divine is not a deity; it is our true nature!"

Wang Zhong slowly closed his eyes, looking like a philosopher or a monk, exuding a gentle and pure aura.

"Use the formless as the form, and the unlimited as the limited!"

"Rules are not fixed; my heart is the rule!"

"Breaking through the void, you will see the divine!"

"Free from attachments, far from delusions and fears!"

"Use the formless as the form, and the techniqueless as the technique!"

One by one, these insights rose in Wang Zhong's mind. The principles of Xingyi, Tai Chi, Bagua, and the 36 techniques of the Gong family, like erasing a blackboard, were gradually removed by Wang Zhong.

Just like in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber," where Zhang Sanfeng taught Zhang Wuji Tai Chi. Only by completely forgetting can one truly learn Tai Chi!

Wang Zhong went even further than Zhang Wuji, forgetting all the combat techniques he had learned!

Wang Zhong's mind became as pure as a blank sheet of paper, and his entire body was left with only the most primitive fighting instinct!

"The purpose of Instinctive Combat is simple: to defeat the enemy with the fastest speed and the most direct techniques. Everything revolves around this goal!"

"Instinctive Combat is the combat of the Tathagata's nature!"

Wang Zhong's voice grew louder, and by the end, it had a thunderous and lion-like roar.

Wang Zhong felt a "ka-ba" sound inside his body, as if a heavy chain had been broken. His state of mind underwent a qualitative change, and his wisdom was unlocked.

His Alaya consciousness opened, and he drifted into an unknown space.