Wu Yuan looked serious, his innocent, childish face not betraying a single flaw in his acting.
Was it difficult? Gao Yu was somewhat taken aback, turning to Huan Xinyan by his side with a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Junior Sister, despite your role as his instructor, I presume you've not yet fully mastered the Twofold Power Surge?"
Huan Xinyan wore a helpless expression. "Senior Brother, must you always expose my shortcomings?"
"Instructor Huan hasn't fully mastered it?" Wu Yuan feigned astonishment, but something clicked in his mind.
Junior Sister? As expected! His initial guess was now confirmed. Even Headmaster Zhang Da was dismissed, yet Instructor Huan was allowed to stay. He clearly has greater trust in Instructor Huan.
He had been wondering why Gao Yu, a sect Protectorate and first-rate Adept, would suddenly come to Li City. Now it seemed likely that Gao Yu's visit was linked to Instructor Huan.
Furthermore, Gao Yu addressing Instructor Huan as 'Junior Sister' hinted at their shared master's extraordinary stature. A Savant expert? Or even stronger? Their master likely occupied one of the highest echelons in the Cloudstride Sect!
"Wu Yuan, this knowledge is usually taught at tertiary martial academies, like the Southdream Martial Academy or the Cloud Martial Hall," Huan Xinyan began her explanation. "Given that you've already grasped this technique, I'll offer a brief overview. Achieving mastery of your body's strength and unifying it as one is the Fundamentals. Next, leveraging the musculoskeletal system is Power Surge."
"Beyond that, if you can freely employ Power Surge and control it effortlessly... that's Rigid Yet Supple. If you reach that level, you'll be considered a Grandmaster in the thirteen continents!" Huan Xinyan quickly explained the three stages of martial arts skills.
Fundamentals, Power Surge, Rigid Yet Supple!
"The three stages of martial skill? Reaching Rigid Yet Supple earns one the title of Grandmaster?" Wu Yuan's face revealed a hint of longing and curiosity, as though this was entirely new to him.
"It may seem like there are only three stages, but the vast majority of martial artists find it difficult to reach even the second." Huan Xinyan looked at Wu Yuan, "As for those at Rigid Yet Supple, the third stage? The control they wield over their bodies has reached unparalleled mastery. Less than one in a million people reach that level!"
"Is it that difficult?" Wu Yuan pretended to look shocked, but inwardly, he agreed with her. Was it difficult? Naturally. In his previous life, Wu Yuan diligently followed his optimized cultivation method in the ‘Optimal Path of Martial Arts’ and enjoyed the benefits of a personalized training ground. Yet, it took him a full three years to grasp the Rigid Yet Supple stage, followed by another two years to achieve complete mastery.
And in this life? With only four or five months of conscious existence in a brand new body, Wu Yuan still had some way to go before completely mastering the Rigid Yet Supple stage. In terms of physical strength, Wu Yuan had surpassed his past self. But in terms of martial arts skills, Wu Yuan needed more time to catch up with his past life's pinnacle.
"Wu Yuan, your saber technique and footwork are very solid." Huan Xinyan cast a curious glance at Wu Yuan, "But I remember that during the martial academy major tournament, your saber technique was not yet perfectly controlled, how did you progress so quickly?" She was not doubting him, just curious.
"Instructor Huan," Wu Yuan shook his head, "I can't really tell why, but ever since I woke up from that severe illness, I've noticed myself making significant and swift progress during training. "
"Both my physical constitution and saber skills are improving quickly. Not long after the martial academy major tournament, I fully mastered the Fundamentals. For the past two months, I've dedicated myself relentlessly to saber practice. Before I knew it, I figured out this force-exertion technique." Wu Yuan said 'honestly'.
This was the explanation he had prepared after seeing Gao Yu. He wanted to highlight two aspects of his talent: one was physical constitution, and the other was martial arts skills.
Wu Yuan had access to limited resources for physical training due to his background. Even if he did awaken his potential, a few months of cultivation should leave his strength at a maximum cap of around 10,000 catties. If he were any stronger, it would raise suspicions.
But martial arts skills were different. They were about comprehension, which was far harder to quantify than physical strength. Sometimes, one might be stuck in a bottleneck for a decade without progress. Other times, a moment of insight could lead to a breakthrough.
"You naturally figured it out?" Huan Xinyan was taken aback. She couldn't help but recall her personal Strength Training ground and dedicated saber instructor. Even with all that support, it took her several years just to grasp the basics. Furthermore, she hadn't perfectly mastered Twofold Power Surge to this day. Compared to Wu Yuan, her talent was mediocre!
"A martial arts awakening is this amazing?" Huan Xinyan shook her head in amazement. She had heard of this term, but this was her first time seeing a prodigy like Wu Yuan.
"It's not the awakening that's amazing, but Wu Yuan," Gao Yu said with a smile, "Although a martial arts awakening is rare, even more so for young martial artists who have yet to train for long, our Cloudstride Sect's territory is vast. It's not uncommon to witness awakenings among young martial artists every few years, sometimes even multiple times in a year."
"But very few are as amazing as Wu Yuan!" Gao Yu said in admiration.
"Very few?" Wu Yuan was puzzled.
"Extremely few!" Gao Yu emphasized, "The so-called awakening is, in fact, the early unlocking or opening of the dantian lobe in extremely gifted individuals."
Huan Xinyan looked a bit puzzled. Wu Yuan looked even more quizzical, but in his heart, he was a bit curious. The martial arts of this world were profound, and Wu Yuan didn't find it surprising that they had a thorough understanding of the dantian lobe. But it was strange that they used the same terminology as his past life!
"The cultivation of martial arts is based on the essence, qi, and soul."
"The human brain represents the marrow sea, the upper dantian lobe, the abode of the soul. It's also called Niwan Palace or wisdom sea!" Gao Yu was clearly well-versed in these details. "The heart represents the vital flame, the middle dantian lobe, the dwelling place of qi. It's also known as the heart pulse, the qi sea."
"Three inches below the navel is where one's essence is stored, the lower dantian lobe also called the life pulse."
"Martial arts cultivation, in essence, entails the continuous strengthening of the lower dantian lobe, nurturing the life pulse," Gao Yu explained. "When the life pulse steadily grows in strength, traversing the 108 acupoints, it ultimately unlocks the lower dantian lobe, pushing the human body to its limits. Through the life pulse, one transcends their physical capabilities."
"The human body's limit is reached when one's single-arm strength reaches 200,000 catties. At this point, a practitioner is recognized as a first-grade martial artist, also known as a martial arts Grandmaster, or a Land Ranker," Gao Yu said.
Martial arts Grandmaster! First-grade martial artist!
Gao Yu spoke eloquently, sharing some common knowledge he was familiar with. As Wu Yuan listened, his eyes glowed with interest. At last, he was learning about the pinnacle of martial power in this world!
Just as the Human Federation in his previous life had its unique approach, the cultivation of this world represented a different means to the same end.
Grandmaster was a title bestowed upon those who reached the limit of the human physique. The only difference between the two worlds was the genetic limit. The martial arts Grandmasters of this world had physical constitutions far superior to the Grandmasters of his previous life!
A single-arm strength of 200,000 catties was considered the human limit of this world? Wu Yuan was intrigued.
"Land Ranker? That's far too difficult! There are only a few Grandmasters in the entire world." Huan Xinyan shook her head.
Wu Yuan listened in silence. Since regaining consciousness, he had immersed himself in rigorous training, and his understanding of this world, especially when it came to advanced information, was rather limited.
"It is indeed difficult. A Grandmaster of martial arts can literally split the earth! It's not an exaggeration to say any martial arts Grandmaster can single-handedly take on a calvary of 10,000. They can be marquises in great nations, or start sects in the Huang Continent!" Gao Yu said, "Only by reaching the human body's limit can there be any hope of unlocking the middle dantian lobe..."
"The three dantian lobes each serve wondrous functions."
"Typically, these dantian lobes remain sealed and may sporadically open for a brief duration, resulting in a range of miraculous changes within the body— this is what we refer to as an 'awakening.'"
"When the lower dantian lobe is unlocked, one can metabolize ordinary food with the efficacy of a natural treasure, and the body's physical constitution will progress swiftly..."
"As for the middle dantian lobe, my knowledge is limited, but it shares similarities with the lower dantian lobe, significantly enhancing the body's potential."
"According to the literature of our sect, among the martial artists in the world, 99% of awakenings are caused by the unlocking of the lower and middle dantian lobes." Gao Yu said.
Wu Yuan found his horizons expanding with this newfound knowledge. In the Human Federation, there were some theoretical studies on the existence and functions of the three dantian lobes. However, even among martial arts Grandmasters like Wu Yuan, not many could truly unlock their dantian lobe. Data was sparse, and the human body was incredibly mysterious; in-depth research was challenging, hence the Human Federation had not been able to systematize this.
As for martial arts awakenings? This was something Wu Yuan had never heard of in his previous life. But this was not the case in the Middle Land. From what Gao Yu had said, it was clear that martial arts in the Middle Land flourished at a level beyond his imagination!
"The upper dantian lobe is the most mystical of the three, and openings are rare. Once unlocked, it impacts both the middle and lower dantian lobes, enabling them to unlock some of their functions. But this is only secondary." Gao Yu continued, "Its primary function is comprehension!"
"When the upper dantian lobe is unlocked, it greatly enhances the martial artist's comprehension, be it memory, computational ability, or even comprehension, all would be significantly enhanced. In simpler terms, it results in a remarkable surge in intelligence!"
"Therefore, I suspect," Gao Yu looked at Wu Yuan, "Your martial arts awakening was instigated by the opening of your upper dantian lobe."