Graceful Steps Upon the Waves, The

A technique appended at the end of the scroll that contained the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness. Consisted of diagrams of footprints in their hundreds and thousands; these footprints were drawn in positions according to the Book of Changes (Yi4 Jing1 易经), and connected sequentially by lines and arrows. Came with this message: "If you have an unexpected encounter with a formidable opponent, use this technique to save yourself. Then, multiply your internal strength and take the opponent's life." (Chapter 2)

Had detailed notes on the '64 positions for divination' (liu4 shi2 si4 gua4 六十四卦) according to the Book of Changes, in which the positions for the Graceful Steps Upon the Waves were drawn. The method of getting from one position to another could sometimes be very strange, such as making a somersault in the air to make a natural transition between one step and the next. Sometimes, forward- and backward-leaps were necessary; at other times, the practitioner had to scurry to the left and dodge to the right (Chapter 5).

A high-level martial arts skill that required a person to be very rich in internal strength before it could be practised/learnt. Appended at the end of the Mystical Skill of Northern Darkness, so that the practitioner could draw on the internal strength of others and build his own energy reserves up before learning the Graceful Steps Upon the Waves. Each move made with the Graceful Steps affected the entire body and the energy within. A learner without any foundations in internal strength (such as Duan Yu) could work at the Graceful Steps a step at a time without suffering any untoward consequences, but once the learner became more familiar, the act of taking several steps in an unbroken succession would result in such internal chaos that the limbs would be paralysed immediately. If the steps had been taken at a more rapid pace, an 'infatuation with power' (zou3 huo3 ru4 mo2 走火入魔) would occur, leading to the snapping of the meridians and channels in the body. Once paralysis set in, attempts to force the limbs into movement again could lead to severe chest and abdominal discomfort as well as nausea. Learners who were faced with this situation could continue working through the subsequent steps -- for at least twenty more moves -- before the discomfort and nausea were alleviated. Once the entire set of moves had been worked through, the energy in the learner's body would have completed a full route, hence releasing all the meridians and channels that had been blocked earlier. Further practice would enable the learner to feel refreshed and brimming with strength (Chapter 5).

Used movement as a means of cultivating internal strength. When a practitioner finished taking all the steps that corresponded to the 64 positions of divination, his internal strength would have made a complete circulation through his body as well. Therefore, the practitioner's internal strength would increase by a small amount each time he practised the Graceful Steps in full (Chapter 5).

The Emperor Baoding, Duan Zhengchun and Gao Shengtai recognised the Graceful Steps as a high-level martial arts and internal strength technique, but could understand only 20-30% of its exquisiteness (Chapter 6). Duan Yu obtained temporary relief from the effects of the Powder for the Harmonious Union of the Yin and the Yang by executing the Graceful Steps, and shouting out loud when his chest felt congested. Two rounds of the Graceful Steps could temporarily normalise Duan Yu's body temperature that had risen because of the Powder for the Harmonious Union of the Yin and the Yang (Chapter 8).