Chapter 6: To Begin Training, Treat The Blood And Calm Qi

Yu Gang was massive even while sitting, and when he stood up, he was at least two meters tall. But he did not give off an imposing presence despite being a giant. Instead, he gave off a level-headed, tough feeling.

At that moment, the afternoon sun shone on half of Yu Gang’s body. “Martial Valor University sends upperclassmen to fight the examinees during the follow-up entrance examination. They’ve been doing this for the past few decades. If you can defeat your designated upperclassman, you pass. The list of opponents will only be finalized a month before the starting of the new semester. Their information will be listed so that the examinees can understand their opponents. The examinees can then use that one month to do targeted preparation and training. You will need that too. So, you really only have two months left to prepare.”

“Two months, huh?”

He knew this, but when Yu Gang truly gave him the details, he still felt a sense of urgency, even if he had his second self.

Yu Gang continued, “It’s impossible for you to catch up to people who have been training for more than a decade in just a short sixty days through conventional methods. That’s why you’ll need to take drastic measures.”

“Are you talking about the forbidden drugs, Master?” Lu Ke asked softly.

Yu Gang crossed his arms. “Forbidden drugs can unlock one’s potential, but if you want to go far on this path, it’d be in your best interests not to touch them. Anyway, I’m not talking about them.”

He looked at Chen Chuan. “I’m going to teach you a breathing method. If you can keep at it and develop it by dedicated practice, it’ll improve your overall physical fitness. Even if you’re just getting started, it’ll increase your physical toughness and heighten the results of your other training. If you manage to master the breathing technique before the follow-up entrance examination, you might even pass.”

Chen Chuan had looked through some books related to martial arts before taking the entrance examination, but this was the first time he heard about such a breathing technique. He asked curiously, “Mr. Yu, is this breathing technique passed down in secret?”

“It’s not a secret technique. It’s taught in other martial art schools as well. As long as you pay, they will teach you, but if young students learn it too soon, it causes irreparable damage to their bodies. In order to avoid this, the students who have been training since young only learn it under their trainers and masters’ guidance after they get into a martial arts university. But while this breathing technique is dangerous, it’s your only shortcut available. What do you think?”

“Please teach me, Mr. Yu!” Chen Chuan answered without hesitation.

Yu Gang hummed approvingly at the straightforward reply. If Chen Chuan wanted results, he had to pay the price. If he did not even have that sort of resolution, then Yu Gang would just do whatever he could for Chen Chuan’s subsequent training and leave the rest to fate.

But empty words were nothing. Chen Chuan’s performance was going to be the real deciding factor. The pain experienced when learning the breathing technique was not something any normal person could endure.

“You don’t have much time, so you should use every second of every day from here on out. Since you’re here today, how about you start right now?”

“Sure.”

Yu Gang took out a ten dev bill and gave it to Lu Ke. “Buy 2.5 kilograms of black rat meat. Remember to get the change.”

“Got it!” Lu Ke took the money, shot a glance at Chen Chuan, and ran out.

Yu Gang brought over a round, wooden stool and placed it in front of Chen Chuan. “Come, sit down.”

Once Chen Chuan sat down, Yu Gang said, “Sit still, relax, calm your breathing. Don’t tense your muscles, but don’t slouch either.”

As he spoke, he patted Chen Chuan’s shoulders, the small of his back, and other spots.

Chen Chuan did as he was told and gradually relaxed.

When he entered the state and stayed in it, Yu Gang started explaining the specific steps of the breathing technique. While he was demonstrating it, he asked Chen Chuan to copy him and told him how to master the rhythm, when to draw in a breath, when to slow down his breathing, and how to breathe with support from the core.

One full cycle of breathing took more than ten minutes, but some of the parts were repetitions, so after a breakdown, it was not that complicated. Yu Gang had to repeat it only four times until Chen Chuan memorized it.

Yu Gang then asked him to do it on his own while pointing out and correcting his mistakes. Once Chen Chuan familiarized himself with it, he said, “The crux of the breathing technique lies in treating the separate steps not as disjointed breaths but as a single process. This is also the hardest part. You will have mastered the breathing technique once your breath flows as one seamless whole. But just like how everyone is different, everyone’s breathing rhythm is different as well. This means that it’s hard for someone else to help with this breathing technique. You need to figure out its secrets on your own.”

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“How will I know when I’ve found them?”

“I can show you. Pay attention to my breathing,” Yu Gang said and intentionally made his breathing more noticeable.

Chen Chuan paid attention to it and noticed that Yu Gang’s breathing was even and long. The rise and fall were not obvious, but when he observed closely, he realized that Yu Gang was maintaining a unique rhythm made of countless tiny breaths.

At the same time, his chest, abdomen, and other parts of his body were trembling faintly. Yu Gang was using the breathing technique that he had taught Chen Chuan, but he linked all the parts so naturally that he looked no different from a normal person when he breathed.

After performing the breathing technique for a while, Yu Gang stopped and asked, “Do you understand now?”

Chen Chuan sucked in a sharp breath and said, “I got the gist of it.”

“This breathing technique is incredibly important. If you want to walk far in the martial arts world, you have to master it as soon as possible.”

Chen Chuan nodded. “Got it, Mr. Yu.”

Yu Gang then continued, “Mastering this breathing technique is just the first step. You will also need to take medication to stimulate your life force and increase the flow of your qi and blood. Then, use the breathing technique to guide and connect your qi and blood while searching for the meridians through which qi is supposed to circulate. The martial artists of old called this a life-sustaining technique.”

He went to a clothes compartment and came out with a bag of medicinal powder. “I was saving this for Lu Ke, but he tried it and gave up. You can use it first.”

“I’m back with the meat, Master!” Lu Ke shouted out from outside at that moment and ran in with a black bag.

Yu Gang opened it, and a foul, bloody stench instantly filled the room. The bag was filled with shredded meat. The surface of the meat was black, but the inner layer was of the normal color.

Yu Gang did not seem to notice the stench. He nodded and said, “That’s a great color. It’s really fresh.” He threw the bag back to Lu Ke. “Stew it. When it’s done, call me.”

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ve got this.” When he turned around, he saw the medicinal powder on the table. After a brief pause, he ducked his head and said, “I’ll be leaving now.”

Yu Gang grunted, and Lu Ke walked out slowly. When he stepped out of the room, he turned around to take another look at Yu Gang, then left in a hurry.

Yu Gang asked Chen Chuan to use the breathing technique again. Once he was sure that Chen Chuan was making no mistakes, he said, “Don’t get too used to the breathing technique. If you get used to practicing it in a certain way, it’ll be difficult for you to figure out where the channels are. That’s why we have to go to the next step as soon as possible. Are you ready?”

“I can start whenever, Mr. Yu,” Chen Chuan replied.

Yu Gang was not the type to dilly-dally. He took out a bottle of medicinal wine, poured the powder in, stirred it until it became a paste, and told Chen Chuan to remove his shirt and trousers before returning to sit on the stool in a relaxed fashion.

He smeared the medicinal paste on Chen Chuan’s back and told him to smear it on his chest, abdomen, waist, legs, and other parts of his body. Then, he threw a clean blanket at Chen Chuan and gave him a piece of advice. “Wrap yourself up tightly. Don’t let the effects fade away too quickly. If you keep the blanket tight around you, the medicine should last for around half an hour. Use every second you have to practice the breathing technique. Try to also find the channels while you’re at it.”

Chen Chuan immediately focused and forced himself to go into the zone. Just as he was taught, he began guiding his blood and qi using the breathing technique.

In the beginning, he did not feel anything, but soon, his skin began to sting. He could see it turning red, like that of a cooked prawn. The pain was tolerable, but very distracting.

As more time passed, pain started crashing into him in waves. The effects of the medicine spread out, and the pain got worse, which made it even harder to focus. His breathing had been steady in the beginning, but it became uneven very soon.