The students asked questions one after another, and Sun Xiong listened intently before answering.
After half an hour, Sun Xiong frowned and said, "It seems that most of the students' questions are focused on True Qi manipulation, and they're all over the place. I have already advanced to the Vitality Stage, with Qi, blood, body, and strength unified. I demonstrated for you, but you guys still don't understand. Zhou Leng, come here and demonstrate as I instruct for the class."
"Yes." Zhou Leng stepped forward and stood beside Sun Xiong.
"Let's first talk about how to direct strength to the palm. Here, many students have a misconception, believing True Qi is a stream that flows from the Dantian to the arm, which is both right and wrong."
"In real combat, True Qi fills the entire body, and at this point, True Qi is not a river but a sea. I repeatedly say not to imagine True Qi as a line but as a kind of field, omnipresent..."
"...Zhou Leng, you demonstrate..."
"...Look, Zhou Leng's application of True Qi in this move is very precise..."
As the teacher spoke, Zhou Leng demonstrated, and the students nodded slightly.
Approaching the end of class, Sun Xiong asked, "Alright, who still has questions now?"
Feng Wenhao raised his hand and said, "I've always been curious about Zhou Leng. After he got injured, his inner power remained at Minor Achievement First Heaven, and the amount and intensity of his True Qi barely increased, yet his control over True Qi improved remarkably, and his Overlapping Waves Palm and Eight Trigrams Step advanced rapidly. Can you explain why, teacher?"
Everyone looked at Zhou Leng.
Sun Xiong smiled slightly and said, "Let Zhou Leng summarize what he did first, and then I'll give my opinion. Zhou Leng, tell us."
Zhou Leng was silent for a moment before saying slowly, "This matter, speaking of it, was a coincidence. You all know I was bedridden for more than a month and couldn't do anything. I couldn't even look at textbooks, so I could only read the 'Miscellaneous Collection of Zhao Dongjun.'"
"Only the collection of Martial Saint Zhao could pacify my unease at that time."
"The first and second volumes of the collection record an incident about Martial Saint Zhao. Whenever Martial Saint Zhao was injured and couldn't practice martial arts, he would use 'Heart Cultivation.'
"Which means closing his eyes and repeatedly visualizing the details of martial arts moves in his mind, focusing on extreme details. Martial Saint Zhao said that if you can't visualize a specific detail in your mind, it means you haven't practiced it enough, and the martial art hasn't been ingrained in your mind."
"Yes, you heard right. Martial Saint Zhao said it in a very unique way, so it's etched in my memory. He said you must practice your skills into your mind and also practice the skills in your mind into your body..."
"At that time, I kept reading the 'Miscellaneous Collection of Zhao Dongjun,' kept watching video teachings online, kept memorizing the related cultivation processes, and kept reconstructing the details in my mind... That period was probably the time I used my brain the most in my life."
"This type of cultivation doesn't exhaust the body but the mind, so the sense of fatigue is even stronger..."
"Then my control over True Qi slowly improved, plus I gave up on everything else, focusing exclusively on Overlapping Waves Palm and Eight Trigrams Step, so these two External Skills unexpectedly improved significantly. That's about it."
The classmates silently pondered.
Sun Xiong said, "Very good, I'll give my opinion."
"Zhou Leng overlooked something crucial: spirit, or will, which you often hear referred to as Martial Arts Will. This kind of thing is fundamental for an Innate Master, but for most people, it's elusive and indefinite."
"The reason Zhou Leng could achieve those things while bedridden, I guess, is that he went through a life-and-death experience. The torment and pain didn't break him down but instead stimulated his will to survive or his will to cultivate."
"In short, his spirit underwent a rare refinement, complemented by the Martial Saint's cultivation methods, enabling him to advance without regressing."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Here's another point, my speculation. In the past, he mostly used his body for cultivation, but this time, lying on the hospital bed, he was forced to use his mind continuously, and by chance, his mind unlocked." Sun Xiong laughed.
Everyone laughed along.
"Among many detailed aspects of this, it might be luck, it might be coincidence, and you can't learn that. But the spirit Zhou Leng displayed in the face of injury and illness, theoretically, you all can achieve. I believe, with that kind of spirit, it won't be long before each of you can discover your own talents, and eventually break through..."
...
After the inner skill class ended, everyone gradually left, and Sun Xiong said, "Zhou Leng, you stay."
Zhou Leng walked over, while Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao stood at the door.
Sun Xiong said, "I have some understanding of your situation. I wasn't kidding earlier, I suspect you should have triggered a low-level Martial Arts Will, but it's too subtle for you to have sensed it because your martial arts perception is not that strong."
Zhou Leng nodded lightly.
"However, your injuries indeed have greatly affected both your academic and physical examination, ranking seventy thousandth in the city. Even if a miracle happens, it's challenging to enter the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall, let alone the Martial Arts University."
"Yes." Zhou Leng admitted.
"I have two suggestions. First, you continue with this Heart Cultivation. Know that many people are unable to conduct such training. Many who have higher talent and greater strength than you cannot easily achieve Inner Vision as a Painting like you can."
Zhou Leng nodded.
"The second suggestion is, if you fail to get into the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall, do not give up. I can't say you're suited for martial arts because the current system cannot assess that. Even Martial Saint Zhao noted, whether in technological civilization or martial arts civilization, the current education and selection system definitely cannot cover everything and will miss some people."
"I… want to fight back to West Sea Demon City." Zhou Leng said slowly.
"Good!" Sun Xiong said, "Once you get your results, if you don't get into the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall, come find me. We will discuss a path suitable for you. I can't promise what will happen, but I can ensure you won't fall too far behind your peers."
"Thank you, Teacher Sun!"
Sun Xiong stood up, patted Zhou Leng's shoulder, and said, "Go on."
After the inner skill class, everyone went on to learn at different primary external skills classes according to their martial arts.
Hu Yi went to the Finger Technique classroom, Feng Wenhao went to the Fist Technique classroom, and Zhou Leng went to the Palm Technique classroom.
After finishing the palm technique class, the three met again at the outdoor step technique class…
Some teachers answered questions, while others explained deeper martial arts philosophies, or talked about life at the Martial Arts University, stirring the students' imaginations.
When the noon dismissal bell rang, students poured out of the classrooms everywhere.
Some headed to the main cafeteria, some to the small one, while others stayed in the classroom.
Zhou Leng and two others, along with the labor committee member, carried the large container filled with the third class's lunchboxes back to the classroom, where some students gathered to find their lunchboxes.
As usual, the three opened their aluminum lunchboxes and spread them out on the table.
After lunch, they casually washed their lunchboxes. On their way back, through the corridor window, they saw people leaving the small cafeteria downstairs.
Xu Qingjin's ponytail was swaying among the crowd.
"I bet they've been having Meat Herbal Cuisine every day lately. The food in the small cafeteria is really tempting," Hu Yi said.
"Either get into the elite class or spend over ten thousand a month on food; it's unaffordable," Feng Wenhao replied.
At that moment, the familiar broadcast sounded.
"...Wishing all the third-year students..."
"...As in previous years... The rewards set by Eighth Middle School for the college entrance exams..."
"...If you get into Yunhua or Jinjing University, you'll be rewarded with ten Qi Nourishing Pills, three Replenishing Essence Pills, and three Blood Cleansing Pills..."
"...Getting into the Top Ten Martial Arts universities will earn you three Qi Nourishing Pills, one Replenishing Essence Pill..."
"...Additionally, we have established a martial exam improvement prize. For every ten thousand ranks you climb city-wide, you earn one Qi Nourishing Pill..."
"...The one who improves the most by over thirty thousand ranks will be the improvement champion, receiving an additional Replenishing Essence Pill and a martial arts instructional video worth 1000 war merits or contribution points of your choice..."
Everyone pretended not to hear, but Zhou Leng paused for a moment.
A fire ignited in Zhou Leng's heart.
After the college entrance exam, the monthly subsidy of over a thousand yuan would come to an end.
Zhou Leng hesitated between focusing on martial arts to compete for the "martial arts scholarship" or temporarily leaving martial arts to earn money, planning to return to cultivation once he had saved enough.
If he could get an extra three Qi Nourishing Pills and a Replenishing Essence Pill, his strength would surely see a small increase.
Then, he could directly earn martial arts scholarships.
Whether it was breaking through the Eighteen Copper Men Array, accumulating war merits by slaying enemies in the Demon City, or other methods, he could sustain himself, making much more than any job.
Even selling pills for more cultivation time would be worth it.
Improving by thirty thousand rankings might seem difficult for others, but that Mysterious Forest, that Frost Giant Tree...
Zhou Leng fell into deep thought.
"What's up with you..." Hu Yi suddenly reached out and lightly patted Zhou Leng's shoulder.
The next moment, Zhou Leng stepped back half a step, dodging, his right hand lifted to block, but stopped instantly.
Simultaneously, True Qi surged.
???
Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao stared at Zhou Leng with confused expressions.
"Qi follows body movement? You haven't reached that stage yet, but you're close," Hu Yi said.
Feng Wenhao widened his eyes and said, "We agreed to slack off together, but you secretly broke through!"
"I was just thinking about variations in the Eight Trigrams Step, and then Hu Yi struck, so I reacted," Zhou Leng made up an excuse.
"I see, I thought you not only recovered but made great progress."
"However, you do look much better than last week."
"Let's go back to the classroom," Zhou Leng changed the subject.
Hu Yi and Feng Wenhao didn't think much of it and headed back to the classroom together.
After lunch break, they attended two more classes. Next was the time to seek answers from teachers.
When the school bell rang, all the students except those in the martial arts elite class left; they no longer attended the martial arts evening self-study as before.
The three walked to the entrance together, seeing a familiar old man with white hair and beard, smiling at the students as they exited.
"Goodbye, Principal!" The third-year students all saluted Principal Lu.
"Goodbye, Principal," Zhou Leng also bowed in respect.
"Zhou Leng, take good care of your health," Principal Lu kindly patted Zhou Leng's left arm.
"Thank you, Principal!" Zhou Leng replied.
Walking out of the school gate, Hu Yi said, "Our Principal Lu is really amazing, he even called my name a few days ago."
"He just didn't have high martial arts talent, and his generation didn't practice martial arts from childhood, otherwise, he could've been a big shot."
"A school's headmaster is already a big shot, isn't that right?"
The three looked back at the entrance of Eighth Middle School, unusually silent, and walked home quietly.