Zhou Botong - Martial Arts and Skills

Martial Arts and Skills

• 'Seventy-two Styles Vacant Fist' (七十二路空明拳): Zhou created this skill when he was trapped on Peach Blossom Island by Huang Yaoshi. This fist technique is the epitome of all internal martial arts mentioned in the novel. It is unmatched in subtlety and yet equal to the 'Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms' in power and ingenuity of style.

• 'Technique of Ambidexterity' (雙手互搏): Zhou created this skill when he was trapped on Huang Yaoshi's island. He was bored and decided to fight with himself to keep himself occupied. He used a different set of martial arts technique for each hand and fought with himself. This made him seem as though he was watching a fight between two opponents, and he mastered the art of ambidexterity as a result.

• Jade bees (玉蜂): Zhou is trapped in a cave together with Xiaolongnü by Jinlun Guoshi. Jinlun uses his poisonous creatures to attack them without entering the cave. Zhou is poisoned after being stung by Jinlun's icy spiders and Xiaolongnü uses her jade bees to cure Zhou, as the bees' poison helps to neutralise the spider venom. Zhou is fascinated and asks Xiaolongnü to teach him how to use the bees, and in return he teaches her the 'Technique of Ambidexterity'. Zhou learns how to direct the bees to attack enemies and keeps bees as pets when he stays in Hundred Blossoms Valley.

• Shark-riding: Zhou is lost while travelling at sea on board Wanyan Honglie's ship. He wagers with Ouyang Feng and challenges the latter to kill all the sharks in the sea; Ouyang uses his venom to poison and kill all sharks within sight. Zhou is presumed to be dead after falling into the sea, but he reappears several days later and returns to the ship, riding on a shark in the waves. He finds shark-riding an extremely fun sport and claims that Ouyang has lost the bet, since Ouyang failed to kill the last shark (the one he is riding).