"The path of Martial Dao is profound and extensive. A Martial Disciple who has fully tempered their body becomes a Martial Artist, and a Martial Artist who masters Qi Force is called an elite warrior. If one can transform Qi Force into True Qi, they can become a martial master. Step by step, one must progress in order, and shortcuts are not allowed."
"But for now, talk of Qi Force and True Qi is all abstract to you. You only need to know that, before cultivating True Qi, the most important thing for a Martial Artist is strength! A towering building rises from the flat ground, and your strength does not lie in how much you can lift or how forcefully you can strike, but in whether you can fully unleash the potential of your own constitution!"
"It's like a five-year-old child; if he can lift a 10-jin bottle of milk, I would praise him as exceptional, a fine seedling... But for a twenty-year-old Martial Disciple who has undergone long training, even if he can lift 300KG, I will not only refrain from praising him but, if he were my student, I would severely punish him, because he has not tapped into the limits of his potential!"
"So, how can one unleash their potential? It's simple, strength comes from the ground. When you throw a punch, you should not only use your fist. Your legs must stomp, your hips must rotate, your shoulders must push, and your arms must spin. This series of actions must be performed in one go, without losing the transfer of power, focusing the body's full strength into one point. Therefore, to practice Martial Dao, one must first train their body—and this 'training' is your physique."
The instructor shouted loudly.
Spread your legs apart, shoulder-width distance.
Slowly bend your knees to 90 degrees and exclaim, "Puff out your chest, lift your head, straighten your back, tuck your stomach, keep your head straight, level your shoulders, thighs flat, lower legs vertical, feet flat on the ground, knees at 90 degrees, stay stable, regulate your breathing, inhale deeply and exhale slowly, compressing the breath."
.........
Lin Yuan listened very seriously.
This fundamental basis was extremely important for him.
You should know, the instructor in front of him, Lin Nan, is a duly registered elite warrior!
His strength is indeed very formidable.
And it seemed that he was taking special care to teach these most basic concepts to Lin Yuan, the newcomer.
But he only demonstrated for a few minutes before releasing the horse stance, saying, "Standing in a horse stance for just a moment is not very effective; it requires at least a couple of hours. You guys pay thousands for a single lesson, and if I just had you stand in a horse stance the whole time, you probably wouldn't be willing... So practice on your own after you return, for as long as you want. It's up to you whether you're lazy or not. But let me remind you that after each lesson, Nutritional Recovery Agents will be distributed, which can restore your body's injuries to the greatest extent. Consuming it after practicing the horse stance will yield even better results!"
With that, the instructor moved on to teach some knowledge about Martial Dao.
A class lasts only two hours.
Instructor Lin was very conscientious, explaining various pieces of knowledge, in conjunction with the actual operation of the body, in a simple but thorough manner, determined to ensure every student personally experienced it, making the money spent worthwhile.
In just two hours, Lin Yuan felt as though a new world had been opened up to him.
When the class was over,
Almost every student had collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.
Lin Yuan, by contrast, was one of the only three who still stood.
Although his body was soaked through, he had originally thought he'd have to stand in a horse stance for two hours; he had not anticipated that this intense learning session would be far more demanding than merely standing in a horse stance for that time.
Even he had left a damp mark on the floor.
Lin Nan looked at Lin Yuan with a surprised and appreciative gaze, commending, "You have a decent constitution."
Lin Yuan replied, "It's okay. I studied liberal arts before, but I've always been fascinated by Martial Dao, so I've never stopped practicing the third set of fitness exercises at school."
Indeed, it was okay. Although he was new and followed along with such high-intensity learning,
Whenever he felt like he couldn't persist, the circulation of Spiritual Power would soothe his body, not only enabling him to last until now but also leaving him warm and comfortable after the strenuous exercise, like the relief of a post-exercise cooldown.
Moreover, the most important thing was that after just a single session of training, he felt that he was beginning to gain some control over the tremendous physical abilities bestowed by Spiritual Power.
The effect was immediately evident.
Before the class, Lin Yuan had thought the course was expensive... but after one lesson, he realized that even without the Nutritional Recovery Agent and medicinal baths, the price was more than reasonable.
The Xuan Dynasty had done a good thing by gathering all the regular Martial Arts Halls into training centers.
This also led to fierce internal competition among them.
"Is that so... Seems like a promising seedling..."
The instructor was noncommittal about Lin Yuan's answer.
He just looked at Lin Yuan, a hint of regret in his eyes, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
He just sighed, saying, "What a pity."
He didn't engage with Lin Yuan any further but turned to all the students and asked, "Do you feel very tired? Tired is good. Descending Dragon Martial Hall has so far trained sixty-seven elite warriors and two hundred and seventy-one Martial Artists, including seven who became Martial Artists even without attending the Dragon Gate exams, directly sent to higher Academies. Every one of them has extraordinary talent, but the hardships they endured, the sweat they shed, the injuries they sustained—you haven't seen any of it!
Remember, the Martial Hall has arranged medicinal baths for you. Before you leave, be sure to pick up the Nutritional Recovery Agent. The combination of medicine and baths will allow your bodies to recover to the greatest extent."
Having said that, he turned and left with his hands clasped behind his back.
As soon as the instructor left,
everyone instantly relaxed.
They all slumped powerlessly onto the mats.
A girl of about seventeen or eighteen, with flaxen long hair, fanned herself weakly and complained, "Ah... I'm so tired. Thank goodness it's only one class a week, otherwise if it were daily, I might not even be able to get out of bed."
And the boy next to her, who seemed to be her boyfriend, feigned anger and said, "That's too much, aside from me, I won't allow anyone else to make you unable to leave the bed."
The two immediately started frolicking and playfully fought each other.
Another student sighed with admiration, "But the progress is indeed huge, becoming a Martial Artist even before taking the Dragon Gate exam... I'm so envious. I heard that if you can become a Martial Artist without the Dragon Gate exam, you can directly qualify for a guaranteed spot. I'm so jealous; that's it, when I get back, I'm going to practice horse stance for an hour!"
"You're dreaming too much, the Descending Dragon Martial Hall has been established for over thirty years, and there've only been seven! Where would you get such luck?"
"I think that in so many years, only having seven isn't just about luck... The hall master really has some serious skills..."
............
They chattered and laughed, heading towards the changing room.
No one paid attention to Lin Yuan.
But between the lively conversation, when they glanced at Lin Yuan out of the corner of their eyes, there was something odd about their looks...
It wasn't disdain or contempt, but rather a hint of incongruity, much like how one might look at a rare animal in a zoo.
Lin Yuan ignored them too and followed behind them to the changing room.
The medicinal bath was for individuals, each marked with their names.
Lin Yuan found the spot belonging to Zuo Jianqing.
He took out a black card, swept it, and the sealed door immediately opened.
Inside, the room wasn't large, just five or six square meters, empty except for a large bath tub, a simple cabinet for changing clothes, and a shower head for rinsing off.
At that moment, the brown medicinal liquid in the tub was bubbling away.
From the next room came sounds of comfort,
Mixed with the vigorous splashing of water...
That couple seemed to be in the same partition, not minding the others around them at all.
Lin Yuan changed out of his sweat-soaked training clothes and tentatively touched the water, finding that although it was bubbling, it wasn't very hot, only about forty to fifty degrees Celsius...
He plunged in with a splash.
Instantly, his whole body felt tingling, as if sparks were dancing on his skin, stimulating his limbs and bones.
"Ah~"
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
After soaking for more than an hour...
By the time Lin Yuan got out, the originally murky medicinal liquid had turned clear to the bottom, seemingly completely absorbed by his body.
Lin Yuan also felt refreshed and invigorated.
At the door, he swiped his card and received a Nutritional Recovery Agent.
But he didn't plan to drink it, as his Spiritual Power was constantly nourishing his body, and he didn't feel tired.
"Ordinary people can only come once a week, if they come too often, it might harm their body, but for me, even if I come every two days, it seems there are no big issues."
Lin Yuan muttered to himself.
He felt he was getting a bit addicted.