Chapter 909: Chapter 909

"The so-called ’Qi’ is quite simple. You can understand it as a kind of energy that exists between Heaven and Earth," He Ao spoke calmly as he noted the two people who were gradually entering a serious listening state.

"You should both be aware of ’Talent’ and the existence of Transcendents,"

"In fact, we can understand Talent Sequences as a sort of special external force that can directly merge with a person, allowing ordinary people to become Transcendents and transforming weak Transcendents into powerful ones.

"Because it’s a stage-by-stage fusion of external forces, the power of Talent Sequences is also manifested in stages and leaps. Moreover, this external force does not vanish with the life or death of a Transcendent.

"Also, because it is an external force, Transcendents who have Talent Sequences also need to face various kinds of ’interference’ from their Talent Sequences, which can influence them towards madness."

He Ao looked at the two individuals and slowly raised his hand, as some kind of invisible, natural rhythm converged at his fingertips,

"However, Martial Arts is different. The core of Martial Arts is not fusion, but ’refining.’ It involves refining the ’Qi,’ the scattered natural energy in the world, into one’s own strength.

"Compared to Talent Sequences, the practice of Martial Arts progresses slowly, requiring gradual accumulation like water wearing away a stone; it cannot be achieved overnight.

"The benefit, however, is that the refined energy is one’s own, so it’s not influenced by the strength itself and won’t inadvertently lead to madness.

"Of course, for this reason, Martial Artists of the same level generally have weaker resistance to corruption than Transcendents of Talent Sequences."

As if there was a light gradually appearing at the end of the sky, He Ao withdrew his hand, standing in the pitch-black wind, smiling at the two individuals before him, "Why do you think Martial Artists have weaker resistance to corruption?"

"Because the conditions for ’selection’ are different," Lin Chichi replied after a brief moment of silent contemplation,

"Martial Arts Training does not require resistance to corruption, so many people with weak resistance to corruption and poor willpower can still successfully enter the threshold of training,

"Transcendents are completely different. Those with weak resistance to corruption would have gone mad or died early on when just stepping into this domain. Thus, the Transcendents who eventually survive tend to have stronger resistance to corruption."

"Yes, grasping the essence of a problem allows us to address it with a more precise attitude," He Ao nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping across the faces of the two, "Both of your willpowers are strong, so I do not object to you touching the power of Transcendence in addition to Martial Arts Training, but what I need you to remember is,"

His gaze lingered on Lin Chichi’s face, "whether it is Martial Arts or Talent Sequences, neither is perfect.

"Whatever kind of power you choose, you must bear the corresponding consequences, and you must have a clear understanding of yourself.

"Many people who have gorged on rich food and enjoyed warm luxury will find it hard to accept cold gruel and pickles, studying by a dim light. Once they have tasted the sensation of swiftly soaring strength, they cannot continue step by step on the path of practice. This is a common human sentiment.

"However, I want you to know that some things must be achieved step by step, brick by brick. The more you seek speed, the more likely problems will arise."

He Ao’s words were mainly addressed to Lin Chichi.

Elfia, although she had high Talent for Martial Arts, was relatively focused and not as quick-witted, content with taking one step at a time, which did not worry He Ao about her attitude.

Lin Chichi was intelligent and quick to think; the advantage was that she could sometimes come up with unexpected solutions to problems, but the downside was that she was prone to looking for shortcuts.

Especially since she had received an ’Enchantment,’ having enjoyed power that came even faster and more effortlessly than Talent Sequences, she was prone to become slack and weary in the face of the slow progress of Martial Arts Training.

And once these impatient emotions arose, she would not be far from the path to madness.

"Okay!" Lin Chichi responded to He Ao’s gaze, nodding firmly.

"Good! Mister, I understand," Elfia also nodded lightly.

Of course, He Ao did not believe that his speech would enlighten the two individuals before him instantly. Even if they could comprehend his words now, when they truly faced temptation and hardship, they would still harbor thoughts of retreat and weariness.

To overcome oneself is also part of the cultivation.

Education inherently has a delayed effect. What He Ao could do was plant seeds in their hearts beforehand, and when they truly needed these seeds, they would naturally germinate and grow.

He no longer dwelled on this question, and looking up at the sky that was beginning to glow, he then turned to the two young girls in front of him and continued speaking,

"Qi Induction, unlike the beginner Fist Technique I just taught you,

"Is essentially a method of ’internal cultivation’ through breathing and meditative techniques. It doesn’t involve purely external skills; instead, you need to be very familiar with the energy circuits within your own body."

At this moment, Elfia raised her hand and asked, "What are energy circuits? Are they some sort of physical structure inside the body?"

"Energy circuits don’t have a concrete physical form. You can think of them as the ’meridians’ mentioned in novels. In reality, they are the pathways naturally formed by the flow of Transcendent energy in your body, just like how rivers and lakes are naturally formed by the flow of water,"

He Ao explained in a gentle voice, "Everyone has different energy circuits, but there is generally a common circuit. For people who frequently practice martial arts, it is the pathway through which ’strength’ flows in your body."

He looked at Elfia’s somewhat puzzled expression and slowly said, "Now, perform the beginner Fist Technique I just taught you."

Elfia nodded, spread her hands, and began repeating the introductory Fist Technique taught by He Ao.

"Don’t move too quickly; go slowly, little by little."

He Ao spoke as he watched Elfia’s movements, "Feel the trajectory of the ’strength’ within your body, feel the direction it moves. Your posture is off, raise your hand a bit higher."

Elfia’s movements gradually slowed down, and she slightly closed her eyes. Her demeanor became increasingly ethereal.

He Ao didn’t interrupt her but occasionally corrected some of her incorrect movements.

Soon, Elfia finished the first iteration, and without pausing, she immediately began the second one. This time, just as she raised her hands, her movements halted, and her eyes snapped open.

He Ao asked placidly.

Elfia nodded with some excitement.

"Maintain this feeling and continue with the sequence."

This beginner Fist Technique actually integrated much knowledge from the Regit Body Tempering Technique, and He Ao tried to engage all the potential energy circuits the technique might utilize early on in the process.

With diligent practice of this Fist Technique, one could gain a clear sensory and cognitive understanding of their own energy circuits.

When it actually came time for ’Qi Induction,’ the threshold would be greatly reduced. It wouldn’t be like He Ao’s initial experience, where he could only grope his way through.

Hence, He Ao called it the ’beginner Fist Technique.’

It’s not just a physical fitness technique that increases combat power, but also a kind of ’preschool material’ that aids learners in familiarizing themselves with their energy circuits, a ’beginning stage of martial arts training.’

Of course, the fact that Elfia could find her energy circuit so quickly was only partly due to the effectiveness of He Ao’s beginner Fist Technique.

The other significant reason was that she had tirelessly practiced the movements He Ao had taught her for several weeks. Even though those movements weren’t as comprehensive as the beginner Fist Technique, they were actually sufficient for her to have a vague ’perception’ of her own energy circuits. She just hadn’t been awakened to it.

What she lacked was just an opportunity.

While Elfia was continuously practicing and searching for the feeling, He Ao turned his head to look at Lin Chichi, who was imitating Elfia’s movements on one side.

Lin Chichi’s state was different from Elfia’s; she had once directly received the ’Enchantment’ of the Maiden Puppet, and the powerful energy had filled her body, strengthening and restructuring her energy circuits.

Thus, her energy circuits were actually more ’prominent’ and easier to discover than Elfia’s.

But Lin Chichi had not gone through the extensive practice like Elfia had, so her ability to quickly find her own energy circuit would depend on her individual comprehension and Talent.

And indeed, this was the case. After repeating the beginner Fist Technique several times, Lin Chichi felt none of the so-called ’energy’ circuits.

Towards the end, she even started to doubt herself.

"Calm your mind, and stop overthinking," a steady voice rang in her ear.

At that moment, the girl paused and glanced at He Ao, who was looking at her. She nodded slightly, took a deep breath twice, and then resumed her movements.

"Your step is too wide, bring it in a bit."

"Don’t raise your head, look straight ahead."

"Your hands lack force, integrate your hips, waist, and shoulders—that’s how you’ll pack power into your punches."

With each calm ’correction’, Lin Chichi’s thoughts gradually quieted down.

The cool breeze, accompanied by the rustling of leaves, brushed through her hair strands, and she felt as though she was immersed in this pure and quiet world.

There was only the sky, the earth, the teacher, and herself.

He Ao shifted his gaze from the two individuals deeply engrossed in their Fist Technique before him, slowly lifting his head to look at the sky.

The lines where the sky met the earth seemed to intertwine within this small courtyard, and the invisible rhythm between heaven and earth resonated with a song that seemed to pass through the soul.

At the edge of the world enveloped in darkness, a hint of white was seemingly beginning to emerge.

He Ao lowered his head to look at the two before him, his voice calm, slowly rising along with that distant rhythm,

"Next, I will explain the method of Qi Induction for the first time. It’s alright if you don’t feel the Energy Circuit; I’ll just speak, and you can just listen."

Lin Chichi’s trembling arms returned to stability.

"First, take a deep breath."

Like a sharp sword cleaving through the firmament, the first ray of Dawn Energy shone upon the earth.

Following the distant voice’s reminder, Lin Chichi subconsciously took a deep breath.

As if by some invisible force, it seemed like a kind of power had entered her chest.

But before she could react, that distant voice resonated once more, "Calm your Divine Sense, and try to guide the energy that has entered your body."

Subconsciously, following those words, Lin Chichi calmed her Divine Sense and tried to touch that bundle of energy.

Then, she discovered that the bundle of energy miraculously began to move with her thoughts.

Her hand movements did not stop, and for some reason, with her concentration fully invested, she vaguely felt the trace of some ’Strength’ surging within her body.

"Out from the chest cavity, through the heart chambers."

The distant voice rang out again.

The girl unconsciously began to guide the energy according to the instructions, moving it out of the chest cavity, and as she moved, the previously obscure trajectory of the energy became gradually clear.

"Down from the left shoulder, passing the elbow, to the tip of the middle finger."

"Then back from the middle finger, through the arm, passing the collarbone to the right shoulder,"

Sentence by sentence, the voice was distant and lingering, line by line, the pathways became clear.

"Down from the left shoulder, passing the elbow, to the tip of the middle finger."

"Back to the chest cavity, continuing this cycle."

When the final phrase fell, the scattered energy also returned to the chest cavity, and with the girl’s guidance, it began to circulate through her body anew.

A joy beyond words welled up in the girl’s heart, and her thoughts became immersed in it, repeating the process over and over, until the energy drawn from her breath wholly integrated into her body. Only then did the girl slowly open her eyes.

Not sure if it was an illusion, or if she indeed felt a slight enhancement in her strength, she lifted her head and looked towards the "teacher" ahead.

At this moment, she suddenly noticed that He Ao, standing not far away, had closed his eyes at some point.

An invisible and mystical aura spread from the young man’s body, as if the heavens and earth were playing a symphony with nature.

Such an extraordinary power would typically make one stand out and seem conspicuous, but at this moment it harmonized with him so well that he seemed like the grass, the breeze, the bright moon, and the dawn itself - as if he were an intrinsic part of nature.

Nature and he had become indistinguishable.

Lin Chichi lifted her head and looked up at the sky.

The morning sun had just begun to rise, but the hazy dawn light had already started to emerge in the place where the sun was ascending.

She turned her head and looked towards Elfia at her side.

But Elfia also shook her head, indicating she didn’t know what was happening.

However, both of them knew that He Ao seemed to be at some critical moment and thus maintained their silence. They even dared not make any loud movements for fear of disturbing their own "teacher."

It was only when the morning sun began to rise, the dawn’s glow shimmering, that He Ao woke from that seemingly intoxicating sensation.

The mystical aura surrounding him naturally dissipated, merging into the space around him.

He Ao looked up at the pale dawn light that covered only a small portion of the sky and sensed the condition within his body.

At this moment, there were three dense "Divine Senses" inside him, located in his brain, navel, and chest, these three clusters of Divine Sense as if there existed some invisible connection among them, yet they could not merge.

Just now, while "preaching," he had also absorbed energy from the dawn.

Perhaps due to the special location and the "response" from heaven and earth, Lin Chichi and Elfia received about seven to eight times the normal amount of Dawn Energy.

And He Ao received a bit more than them, roughly hundreds of times the normal Dawn Energy.

Moreover, he had an "Epiphany." With the boost of this epiphany, he refined this excess power that had surpassed his current limits in a very short time and then directly gained nearly five Divine Senses, making up the last bit of energy needed for a B-level breakthrough.

But he did not directly break through to the B-level in Martial Arts; instead, he stopped just a step away from the threshold.

His power was already fully prepared, even exceeding that limit, but it seemed that he was missing a little something.

He lacked a natural, self-evolving opportunity.

The recent epiphany gave him a vague understanding of some "keys."

He lowered his head to look at the two people in front of him.

Both of them looked at him somewhat nervously.

He Ao glanced at the two of them.

For some reason, after he finished preaching, when his Divine Sense swept over them, he could "see" more information.

His gaze briefly lingered on Lin Chichi, then he nodded lightly, "You have both completed the Qi Induction, very good."

The worry of the two diminished substantially and began to mix with some of the delight of being praised, especially Lin Chichi, who had given up hope for herself.

"Today’s teaching can end here; I also have to attend to my own matters,"

He Ao said with a smile, looking at their expressions, "You can do your own things, but at least practice the entry-level Fist Technique twenty times a day. Next time we meet, I will check. Whoever fails to do so will have to practice five hundred times more right in front of me. You can rest only after you’re done."

Just as a faint joy began to surface on the faces of Lin Chichi and Elfia: "Ah?"