NOVPUBUpon hearing this, Cheng Zitong reminded him, "You need to think this through. There are certain risks involved here. If you fail, you'll be demoted back to a B-grade student, and you'll lose everything you've worked for."
Chen Chuan said, "Teacher Cheng, the path of Martial Combat is bound to have gains and losses, but what I've already learned won't be lost. Besides, I have confidence in myself."
Cheng Zitong said, "Alright, no matter what happens in the future, you are now my student, my only student. Since you've made this decision, I will do everything I can to provide any help I can offer." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Chen Chuan sincerely said, "Thank you, teacher!"
Cheng Zitong said, "Since that's the case, let's analyze this and solve each problem one by one.
This exam doesn't include third-year students; it's only for first and second-year students. However, even so, I believe there are very few first-year students with your abilities, so your main competitors will be the second-year students.
From the registration time to the exam, there are six months. The registration is valid until the end of the year, which means that in the next three months, you need to complete at least three important Assigned Missions and have an Evaluation of "Excellent' or higher to qualify for registration. I'll figure out a way to help you with this; your teacher still has some face.
However, another requirement for registration is mastering Internal energy. Needless to say, if your Mutated Tissue continues to grow like this, it will endanger your life in three months, so we must find a way to restrain it."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that this was the most crucial thing at hand, and it was the prerequisite for everything else. If he couldn't master it, then nothing else mattered.
Looking at Chen Chuan, Cheng Zitong continued, "With determination, the next step is action. The focus now is to teach you how to master Internal energy. Now, go change into your training clothes, and come with me to a place."
Chen Chuan said, "Okay, teacher, wait a moment."
He got up and returned to his bedroom. After thinking for a moment, he changed into that set of cyan training clothes and tied the cyan headband on his forehead.
After he came out, Cheng Zitong nodded approvingly. This student was already good-looking, and now that he was wearing this outfit, he looked like a jade tree, handsome and elegant. Walking outside with him, his teacher would also have face.
He waved his hand and said, "Let's go."
He led Chen Chuan downstairs, out the front door, and to a white Parry sedan. He opened the car door, beckoned Chen Chuan to get in, and then went to the driver's seat.
After both of them fastened their seatbelts, Cheng Zitong started the car and drove towards the eastern side of Wuyi Academy.
After about ten minutes, the surrounding buildings gradually disappeared, and two small mountains, three to four hundred meters high, appeared in the field of vision.
Wuyi campus is vast, with three small mountains inside. These two small mountains are called North Peak South Hill and are located in the north and south directions, respectively.
The car drove to the foot of the mountain and continued along the mountain road. Soon, they arrived at a building located on the mountaintop. The building had a very ancient style, with upturned eaves and white walls and black tiles. The square in front was paved with blue bricks, and several tall pine and cypress trees were planted on both sides.
After the car stopped, the two got out. Standing here, Chen Chuan could clearly see the mountain streams on the opposite North Peak and a large area of Mansion-like flower garden villas, which was where the recommended students lived.
Whether they were A-grade or B-grade students, they usually had no contact with them and never saw each other. Although they were in the same academy, they seemed to be from two different worlds.
Cheng Zitong walked up, greeted the security guard at the gate, and called Chen Chuan to walk inside. After passing through the front courtyard and an exercise field paved with square bricks, they arrived at the main building at the end.
It was evident that this place was built entirely with modern building materials, but it used some antique styles. There were also Academy security guards patrolling back and forth.
Cheng Zitong walked up the steps, came to two thick doors, inserted a key, and after turning the lock, pushed open the heavy doors with one hand. He turned back and called, "Change your shoes and come in."
Chen Chuan walked over, changed into a pair of cloth shoes with layered soles in front of the door, and after entering, passed through the foyer and saw that it was a spacious Training Hall. The floor was as bright as a mirror, and above the base of the wall hung a plaque with the three characters "Hall of Self-Reflection" written on it. Against the walls on both sides were rows of old bookshelves, piled with bundles of old-fashioned bamboo slips that were no longer seen today.
After Cheng Zitong waited for him to come over, he said, "Stand still."
Chen Chuan stood still as he was told.
Cheng Zitong walked behind him and tapped his spine with some technique, asking, "Do you feel any stinging, aching, or swelling sensations?"
Chen Chuan replied, "No, I don't."
Cheng Zitong's expression relaxed a little, saying, "The fact that you don't have the symptoms I mentioned earlier means that you are still adapting to the Xiqiao Breathing Technique. The Mutated Tissue hasn't invaded your body yet, but as long as it keeps growing, it's only a matter of time. So, the previous Breathing Technique was just to build a foundation for you. Now, the real thing begins. Wait here for a moment."
Chen Chuan said, "Yes, teacher."
Cheng Zitong walked into a side door, and after a while, he came out, also changed into a set of dark brown training clothes. Although his face was round, this outfit gave him a different kind of bearing.
He walked to the middle of the hall, sat cross-legged on a cushion, and said, "Sit."
Chen Chuan found a cushion opposite him and sat down cross-legged like him. At this moment, he smelled a fragrance. Looking around, he saw that an Incense burner had been lit there at some point. The fragrance smelled very comfortable, making one feel calm and at peace. He couldn't help but think, "Teacher, you have a sense of ritual."
Cheng Zitong pointed to the back above and said, "Do you know why this place is called the Hall of Self-Reflection? Because learning is endless, and one must have a reverent and cautious heart. If the student has faults, the teacher may not be without faults. One must constantly reflect on oneself. Therefore, in the past, Martial Artists conducted master-disciple dialogues under this plaque, asking each other about their faults."
Chen Chuan nodded. He also noticed that although this teacher's words and actions were very casual, as if he didn't care about those old rules, he actually had deep old times imprints in his bones.
Cheng Zitong said, "So, we teachers and students don't do that one-man-show thing. If you're wrong, I will definitely point it out. But if I'm wrong, if what I say is wrong, if you think something is wrong, you can also point it out. That's also good for the teacher, understand?"
Chen Chuan shook his head and said, "No, Teacher Cheng is very good."
Cheng Zitong sighed and said, "Don't say that. People always make mistakes. You must point out anything I do wrong, you must."
After explaining these things, he also straightened his expression and said, "From today onwards, I will begin to guide you in the cultivation of Internal energy. Before teaching, I must first explain what Internal energy is.
You already understand that Internal energy is activated through Mutated Tissue. This is the first stage where a Martial Artist actively Guides and utilizes Mutated Tissue. From the beginning to the point of restraining it, this entire process is now called the "First Limit'. In old times, this step was called "True Essence Seed'.
Of course, some old times religious sects with unclear understanding called it "Nurturing Demonic Fetus'. In any case, since old times, this stage has been extremely important. This is the true beginning of utilizing Mutated Tissue and the real support for you to embark on upper-level Martial Arts. Hmm, do you have any questions you want to ask?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Teacher, I was wondering, now that we can use surgery and Drugs to stimulate or inhibit Mutated Tissue, how did old times solve this problem?"
Cheng Zitong said, "Well, according to existing Data, continuous and uninterrupted growth of Mutated Tissue was actually not common in the past. It mostly grew and stopped. The current situation has gradually increased since the algae liquid revolution.
As for the reason, some believe it's due to the frequent use of various Drugs and biotechnology after the algae liquid revolution; others believe it's purely because there are more channels for information exchange, and naturally, more people recognize such things; and others believe it's simply because the number of people practicing Martial Arts has increased. All these statements have some truth to them.
But you need to know that before the advent of hot Weapons, old times were rife with conflict. Whether in the military or among the people, martial arts experts were participants. The more skilled they were, the faster they died, so not many could live to a ripe old age. Some people didn't even live long enough to develop problems.
Another thing is that in old times, whether it was the imperial center or folk boxers, they had a set of effective methods summarized over a long period of time. They would search for successors who conformed to their Martial Combat methods. Those who adapted were kept, and those who didn't were eliminated early on, or their martial arts path was cut off by special means, which indirectly avoided this kind of thing."
Chen Chuan nodded. "Thank you for your explanation, teacher."
Cheng Zitong said, "Do you have anything else to ask?"
Chen Chuan looked at him, stood up from the ground, and said seriously, "Student understands. Please teach student the Internal energy method."
Saying that, he clasped his hands in front of him and bowed forward.
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