Leaving Footprint On The Ground: revisited

[PJ]

A few years ago there was a major compaison of leaving/wiping footprints on the ground between Xiao Feng and Jueyuan. Also in HSDS, Abbot Tianming thought that no one can leave footprint on the ground (thus Jueyuan needed the chains).

Now in LOCH, Wang Chuyi was able to leave a 1 foot deep footprint on the ground:

那道人并不答话，伸出左足向前踏了一步，随即又缩脚回来，只见地下深深留了一个印痕，深竟近尺，这时大雪初落，地下积雪未及半寸，他漫不经意的伸足一踏，竟是这么一个深印，脚下功夫当真惊 世骇俗。

Did he just do something that no one can do in HSDS (without chains)?

[K2Grey]

I think that proves pretty clearly that attempting to compare characters across books by how heavy a rock they can lift, how far they can kick a mule, or the deepness of their footprints etc. is pretty much bunk. Instead, we should compare based on who gets hyped up the most since that would seem to more or less indicate what power level JY is shooting for.

[PJ]

I'm not sure yet whether Wang Chuyi's "ground" is of the same material as Jueyuan's "ground." We do know that Xiang Wentian's "ground" in SPW is easier than Jueyuan's "ground", so it is something to consider.

[minutemanwayne]

When was Smiling Proud Wanderer written? As even mediocre fighters did feats which only the elites of the Condor Trilogy was able to do. I think Jin Yong had a major brain fart when he wrote SPW

[CC]

I think that proves pretty clearly that attempting to compare characters across books by how heavy a rock they can lift, how far they can kick a mule, or the deepness of their footprints etc. is pretty much bunk. Instead, we should compare based on who gets hyped up the most since that would seem to more or less indicate what power level JY is shooting for.

I have been advocating this for a LONG LONG time. Otherwise a feat like breaking a sword will end up with arguments like oh Ming dynasty steel had different hardening and quenching and carbon content to Song dynasty steel and the straight-backed sword more prevalent in X times were typically 25% thicker than the double edged jian during Y times yadda yadda.