Breathing heavily, a few small aches already dispersing as John subtly directed Chi to those areas, he regarded the trainees laid out on the ground and the few who remained watching from the sidelines.
"Now you see," he stated, his voice raspy from exertion but firm, "there was no arrogance in my words. You have now felt the difference of seeing Chi being used in combat, and when it's not. That was what my last assessment was like, but with a more experienced and ruthless mentor."
John's dog walked to him, rubbing its head against his leg, a silent comfort. John's gaze remained on the trainees. "Your next assessment with your mentor will be just like mine," he continued, his voice chillingly calm. "So I am serious when I say: without a higher proficiency in your Chi, you can bring no help to me."
John turned to walk away, but then stopped. While he had undeniably proven his point, he couldn't deny that they had, indeed, managed to put pressure on him. Their combined efforts had forced him to integrate his Chi usage into active combat much more effectively. With them, he could learn to move his Chi in the chaos of a fight—something he'd found almost impossible to do when his mentor was pressing him so strongly, never giving John a moment to learn or adapt his internal focus during a live exchange. This was a valuable training ground.
John stood there for a moment longer, a subtle shift in his thought process. The realization settled in: while his mentor offered brutal assessments, these trainees, his "test subjects," offered something uniquely valuable, a dynamic training environment where he could practice integrating Chi into a live, unpredictable combat scenario without the immediate threat of being crippled or killed. His mentor's pressure was too absolute, leaving no room for experimentation. Here, he had a chaotic, yet survivable, crucible.
John turned back to face the still-recovering trainees. His voice, though still calm, carried a new edge of calculated demand. "Very well," he announced, his eyes scanning each face, ensuring they understood the gravity of his words. "This is what you will do. Those of you who have made contact with Chi will spar with me daily. Five at a time, more if needed. You will not hold back. You will use every skill, every nascent bit of Chi you can muster to push me, to land a clean strike. Your objective is to force me to use my Chi, to move beyond merely physical response, while at the same time force your own growth"
He paused, letting the weight of the demand sink in "The rest of you will observe. You will learn from their mistakes and my responses. When one of the original five performs not as expected, it will be your turn to take over."
The trainees exchanged nervous glances, but then, a glint of fierce determination sparked in their eyes. This was the opening they desperately sought, a chance to truly accelerate their own growth. They had challenged him, and he had given them a path. It would be brutal, but it was a chance at survival.
John felt a familiar, cold satisfaction. His new pattern was set. The remaining month before the final assessment would be a period of unprecedented, high-intensity growth for him and the others.
The remaining weeks before the final assessment transformed the training grounds into a brutal, accelerated forge. John's new pattern of "controlled chaos" began immediately, pushing everyone to their breaking points and beyond.
The first week was a baptism of fire for the Chi-aware trainees. The initial groups of five stepped forward, their determination quickly clashing with John's overwhelming skill. He didn't hold back, but he didn't aim to cripple either. Instead, he moved with fluid, Chi-augmented precision, the lines of The Broken Step making him seem untouchable. He deflected, evaded, and disarmed with blinding speed, using his Dog Fang Grapple to tie them in knots, or his Iron Flow Method to absorb their most desperate strikes.
The difference was immediately apparent. Facing John's Chi-infused movements was like sparring against a force of nature. Their nascent Chi, which had given them confidence, felt sluggish, unresponsive under the pressure. They were exhausted within minutes, sprawling on the ground, winded and frustrated.
For John. this week was crucial for refining his active Chi integration in combat. He learned to flow Chi into his movements instinctively, not just reactively. He discovered how to subtly use Chi to enhance his speed, power, and resilience without appearing to "glow" or make overt displays. The sheer number of opponents forced him to adapt faster, to anticipate multiple attacks from different angles simultaneously.
He figured out ways to train his super power and Chi at the same time by boosting his adrenaline. The mental exertion of maintaining this heightened state for prolonged periods was immense, but each session chipped away at his mental fatigue, building his endurance.
For the Trainees, it was a brutal awakening. Their initial confidence was shattered, replaced by a grim understanding of the vast gap between them and true Chi mastery. However, the sheer pressure forced them to try and activate their Chi in combat something they'd only done in meditation before.
They began to experience flashes of heightened awareness, brief moments where they moved slightly faster or absorbed a blow a little better. The fear of being replaced kept them pushing, even as their bodies ached. By the end of the week, a few more of the observing trainees, driven by desperation, finally made their first contact with Chi during their solo meditation, seeing the tangible progress of those who sparred.
The second week saw a significant shift. The sparring trainees, battered but unbroken, began to adapt. They learned from their previous mistakes, watching John's movements more closely, understanding how he exploited their patterns. They began to move with less wasted motion, their defenses becoming tighter.
Crucially, those who had made Chi contact started to actively, though clumsily, infuse their own Chi into their movements. A punch would carry a little more weight, an evasion would be fractionally faster. It was rudimentary, but it was there. The coordination among the sparring group also improved; they started to leverage their individual styles more effectively, attempting to flank John, to create openings for each other. They landed more solid blows, forcing John to rely more heavily on his Iron Flow Method and the advanced applications of his Chi.
For John, he pushed his Chi integration further, learning to fine-tune the amount of energy infused into each strike or evasion. He discovered new ways to leverage his Chi not just for raw power, but for subtle misdirection and even disruption of their nascent Chi flow.
The coordinated attacks from the improved group provided the dynamic, evolving pressure he craved, further solidifying his ability to maintain Chi awareness amidst genuine chaos. His mental strength for adrenal manipulation continued its steady, albeit slower, growth as he constantly monitored and adjusted their states during downtime. He noted the increasing mental "pushback" from the Chi-aware trainees, forcing him to exert more nuanced control.
For the Trainees, this was the week of minor breakthroughs. The frustration began to mix with genuine glimmers of hope. They felt their bodies responding, their minds sharpening under pressure.
check out patreon.com/Emmaony