Was Xian Tian Gong limitless?

[Stance]

Most or all skills has a limit to them, where it comes to a point where the gains would slow down or stop, but i heard that ZBT had described XTG as being limitless?

Is that true? Was it describe this way in the novel?

[hyoyatika]

If I recall right, that was indeed mentioned by ZBT. He mentioned that the highest art of Quanzhen allowed the practioner to gain internal energy even when resting. So yeah, in theory, as long as you lived, you would get stronger and there was no limit.

[Doc Kwok]

周伯通又道：“你師父洪七公的功夫是外家中的頂兒尖兒，我雖會得一些全真派的內家功夫，想來還不是他的敵手 。只是外家功夫練到像他那樣，只怕已到了盡頭，而全真派的武功卻無止境，像我那樣，只可説是初 窺門徑而已。

ZBT said, "Your teacher H7G's martial arts are at the peak of the external family, although I can do some of the Quanzhen internal martial arts, I think I am still not his match. Only with his external martial arts trained to such a degree, he has probably hit the end of the road, but Quanzhen martial arts are without a stopping point, as for me, I could only be said to be peeping at the doorstep.

ZBT said that all Quanzhen martial arts were without limit. Next to nothing was said about Xian Tian Gong, only that it was WCY's most powerful skill, was not taught to his disciples (why not?!?), and combined with 1 yang finger was the nemesis of the Toad stance and had powerful healing properties.

Personally, I think ZBT was in full WCY fanboy mode when he said that. All the surviving greats made significant advances going into ROCH. The remaining Quanzhen disciples however did not seem to make any great advances - if anything, the gap between them and the greats has grown even wider...

I suppose it is possible that ZBT is technically right - QZ arts are unlimited... but the pace of improvement slows down to a crawl, so it becomes a moot point.

[Doc Kwok]

If I recall right, that was indeed mentioned by ZBT. He mentioned that the highest art of Quanzhen allowed the practioner to gain internal energy even when resting. So yeah, in theory, as long as you lived, you would get stronger and there was no limit.

You were probably thinking about what XLN said about the Ice Bed - it allows you to train your inner power (by resisting the cold) even in your sleep, whereas without it, most of what one has trained during the day would come undone while sleep (since training inner power is an unnatural thing).

[hyoyatika]

You were probably thinking about what XLN said about the Ice Bed - it allows you to train your inner power (by resisting the cold) even in your sleep, whereas without it, most of what one has trained during the day would come undone while sleep (since training inner power is an unnatural thing).

Nah, I'm pretty sure it's about Quanzhen martial art. I was never that interested about AT stuff.

You brought up an interesting point about "slowing to a crawl" and that the QZ7's gap from the Greats actually widened. I do agree but perhaps the gap widened because of the innate talent gap between the QZ7 and the Greats? During ROCH, Quanzhen was still the number 1 sect so the QZ7 wasn't that bad.

In my opinion, the QZ7 was never a good representation of the might of Quanzhen. The QZ7 was a pretty untalented bunch if you ask me. Heck, one of them was even there because she contributed financially. If we ignore all the main characters, QCJ was pretty formidable.

Quanzhen's martial arts can't be that bad. Guo Jing's potential was unlocked after Wang Chuyi (or was it Ma Yu) taught him some stuff.

[Ken Cheng]

Gwok Jing, Yeung Gor, and Chow Bak Tung's martial arts were all Cheun Jen Sect-based, and at the end of ROCH, they were likely the three strongest martial artists in the world.

[hyoyatika]

Gwok Jing, Yeung Gor, and Chow Bak Tung's martial arts were all Cheun Jen Sect-based, and at the end of ROCH, they were likely the three strongest martial artists in the world.

Won't go so far to say YG was Quanzhen-based. I think whatever, if any, pittance of skills he learnt at Quanzhen were absolutely insignificant when we assess YG as a martial artist.

[CC]

周伯通又道：“你師父洪七公的功夫是外家中的頂兒尖兒，我雖會得一些全真派的內家功夫，想來還不是他的敵手 。只是外家功夫練到像他那樣，只怕已到了盡頭，而全真派的武功卻無止境，像我那樣，只可説是初 窺門徑而已。

ZB

I suppose it is possible that ZBT is technically right - QZ arts are unlimited... but the pace of improvement slows down to a crawl, so it becomes a moot point.

I think we have discussed in this forum that many martial arts have hyperbole inherent in their intentions.

e.g. Daizhong Way can calculate all outcomes, DG9J and Tianshan Plum Breaker can adapt to all forms of attack, Kang Long You Hui always has something in reserve, QZ is limitless etc etc

Practical outcomes are always another thing.