This is the story of Master Wu and the esoteric sword practice he learned at the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. It opens this practice to the outside world for the first time, explaining its history, theory, cosmology, and practice in great detail.The Eight Immortals'Revolving Sword goes back for seventeen generations, starting with Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Complete Reality school and martial arts champion of the Song dynasty, and actively continued through Qiu Chuji and other senior Daoist lineage holders.Practicing sword to attain immortality is a profound Daoist method. Master Wu shares his insights and practice instructions as a way of self-cultivation, illuminating the power of the practice to drive away inauspicious energies, eliminate harmful incidents, and safeguard against ghosts. Able to harness good fortune, practice of this sword set enhances inner communication and creates an intimate connection with the universe.In traditional Chinese fashion, Master Wu guides the reader through the ins and outs of the history, folklore, and technique of this sword practice, focusing especially on the figures of the Eight Immortals and explaining their legends, practices, and feats in great detail. Along the way, he highlights the hidden jewels of training with insightful commentaries on various parables, thereby to bring out the essence of Dao. He succeeds masterfully at braiding together his unique training history and deep Daoist insights with treasured traditional stories, creating a thrilling account and setting a palpable example of Daoisms' best kept inner secrets as brought to life in actual experiences today.
