Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 - The Prodigy

After the teacher departed, the class monitor, Lin Xue, stepped onto the podium.

It wasn't clear where she pressed, but a button activated the podium, causing the large screen behind her to slowly split down the middle. This revealed a pristine white lotus flower intricately carved on the back of the screen.

The lotus flower consumed nearly half of the wall's space. Its intricate lines and petal textures were clearly visible, emanating a faint, mystical glow.

Looking down at the students below, Lin Xue spoke calmly, "Zhenwu is an incredibly powerful skill that requires a solid foundation. Building this foundation necessitates meeting two simultaneous requirements: having a sufficiently active mental strength and having well-circulated blood throughout the body."

"The stone carving on the wall behind me is known as Lotus Platform Meditation. It embodies the wisdom of a formidable practitioner and can help all of you quickly initiate your meditation practice."

"When your spiritual power is able to clearly outline the lotus platform, it signifies that you've met the spiritual standard."

"As for achieving the standard of unobstructed qi and blood circulation, you must complete the Ten-Turn Cast Body Art within half an hour. The foundation can only be established when both standards are met simultaneously."

Most of the students in the class appeared calm as Lin Xue explained this, indicating that they were already familiar with these requirements. However, a few, like Chen Chu, seemed to be hearing this for the first time. Their expressions were thoughtful, and they listened attentively.

"Remember, being able to build foundations and practice real martial arts is a great privilege for ordinary people like us. Not everyone is born with innate abilities."

"Alright, everyone, spread out. Let's begin our first meditation practice." Lin Xue concluded her instructions, stepped down from the podium, and found an open spot to sit cross-legged.

Other students followed suit, sitting down on the floor. Chen Chu settled at the edge of the group, as Lin Xue had suggested. He focused on the stone carvings, and suddenly, the lotus flower seemed to magnify in his vision.

For ordinary people who had not practiced, spiritual power was elusive, impossible to perceive or touch. But as the lotus flower filled his vision, Chen Chu instinctively closed his eyes, and for the first time, he clearly sensed the presence of spiritual power.

Amid the endless darkness of his consciousness, a transparent lotus flower, outlined with dotted lines, rotated slowly, existing within his mind.

"Is this what they mean by a 'quick start'? It's incredible!" Chen Chu marveled.

Even though this was his first time meditating, he understood how challenging it was for ordinary people to perceive their spiritual power through meditation alone.

In normal circumstances, individuals who hadn't practiced meditation might become easily distracted with closed eyes, making it difficult to concentrate, let alone achieve a meditative state.

One could only imagine how much time and effort this visualization saved.

However, when Chen Chu attempted to clearly envision the lotus flower in its entirety, he realized that progress was painstakingly slow and incredibly draining.

In just half an hour, he felt dizzy, mentally exhausted, and had to abandon the meditation practice.

"I'm so tired," Chen Chu mumbled, rubbing his temples.

He took a brief rest and, when he felt better, glanced around. He noticed that most students had also withdrawn from their meditation states. Some appeared dazed, while others continued staring at the stone carvings, their faces mirroring Chen Chu's exhaustion.

Nevertheless, a few students persevered in their meditation, including Lin Xue, Yi Rui, and four others in the front row—three men and two women. Among them was the plump Xia Youhui.

After a while, Xia Youhui and the others, one by one, ended their meditation practice. Finally, only Lin Xue, Yi Rui, and another boy remained.

In this scenario, without any reminders, everyone maintained silence to avoid disturbing them.

"The meditation session is over, and now we'll commence Body Casting Jue training," announced the horn mounted on the wall. Lin Xue and the two remaining students slowly opened their eyes.

At that moment, Xia Youhui had somehow seated himself in front of Chen Chu. In a hushed voice, he said, "The length of time spent during the first meditation session is actually a reflection of one's talent."

Chen Chu turned to him, finding that the chubby student appeared to be well-informed.

Xia Youhui spoke enviously, "Don't look at me. Although my spiritual talent is slightly better than yours, I'm still inferior to those three."

"I can confirm that they each have at least three petals."

"And they don't seem tired at all. They're clearly full of energy. They might complete the entire lotus flower in just two or three days of meditation."

"Three petals!" Chen Chu was astonished. He hadn't even visualized one petal entirely, and they already had three. The disparity was staggering.

Xia Youhui patted Chen Chu on the shoulder reassuringly and said, "Don't be too surprised. This is the difference between geniuses and ordinary individuals. It's like comparing heaven and earth."

"Although they didn't practice beforehand, they've most likely used some resources to nourish their spirits. Their innate conditions are much superior to ours."

"But don't get disheartened, Chu. Meditation just starts you off faster, and we still have the opportunity to surpass them."

As Xia Youhui finished speaking, the large screen closed and then lit up again. A middle-aged man in a white exercise suit appeared at the door, and he began demonstrating a sequence of movements.

"Everyone, pay attention," Lin Xue said from the front row. "Next, we'll learn the Body Casting Jue. The eighteen postures must be practiced in a specific order, which helps clear the body's meridians and aids in physical training."

"The bloodstone in the training room will activate soon. Under its light, we can more easily feel the blood energy in our bodies, enabling us to begin quickly."

"When practicing, use your spiritual power to stimulate the flow of energy and blood. After one full practice session, it will complete one cycle."

"Alright, let's start."

On the large screen, the middle-aged man began practicing at a slow pace, and each posture was executed with precision. It felt reminiscent of Tai Chi or ancient yoga.

However, as he reached the sixth posture, the difficulty level suddenly spiked. Some positions defied human anatomy entirely, and the final few postures were downright spine-chilling.

A few minutes later, after the middle-aged man had completed his demonstration, students began their second round of practice.

Simultaneously, a red gem on the ceiling, about ten meters high, began emitting a scarlet light that enveloped everyone in the room.

Under this red light, Chen Chu felt a surge of heat throughout his body. His blood seemed to boil slightly, and he started practicing automatically.

The first few postures were manageable, and the second posture was a bit challenging, but he soldiered through. However, as he started the ninth posture...

Hiss!

The moment he bent down with one leg stretched out, his hands extending in opposite directions, Chen Chu experienced an excruciating cramp in the fascia of his lower back.

His face turned pale with pain,

and he dared not move a muscle.

It took a while for the pain to subside, but Chen Chu was already drenched in sweat, his face glistening.

It wasn't until he felt more comfortable that he cautiously resumed the fourth posture.

Meanwhile, as he practiced, Chen Chu sensed that the blood throughout his body was becoming increasingly heated. A peculiar 'Qi' flowed through his blood vessels.

Feeling this subtle 'Qi and blood,' Chen Chu's expression froze.

He couldn't afford to be careless. He quickly harnessed the meager mental power he had developed, skillfully guiding the faint blood energy to circulate in tune with his practice.

During this time, everyone else in the class was also practicing, but many were struggling. Only a dozen or so students, including Lin Xue and a few girls, managed to follow the demonstration on the screen with relatively precise movements.

These students displayed remarkable flexibility and grace in their postures, catching the eyes of many male classmates who found themselves momentarily distracted from their practice.

Yet, one student outshone them all. He completed a full rotation the fastest, sweating profusely and exuding a thin veil of white steam from his head. It took him only ten minutes.

In light of this comparison, Chen Chu couldn't help but feel inadequate. He continued to labor through the postures, struggling to bend, stretch, and hold his poses.