Even though Lu Ke had never studied yoga, he knew that it was abnormal for a yoga pose not to be stable for an extended period of time. The essence of yoga was about endurance, focus, and breath control. It wasn't like jumping rope, where you follow an instruction with a movement. It was more about a static continuation and a settling of thoughts.
So, losing his balance just three seconds after getting into the pose meant that his movements were wrong, or at least some parts were not in the right position.
If the first movement was so difficult, there were still four more waiting to be learned. Lu Ke had a strong suspicion that if he continued at this pace, he probably wouldn't be able to complete the daily training mission tomorrow. Was today the day his five-month streak of completing daily training missions was going to end?
Deep breath, another deep breath.
From the system's past mission arrangements, it was clear that the system's goal wasn't to make Lu Ke fail, but to challenge his limits. This meant that every day's missions were completable, and they were almost tailor-made to his abilities, with adjustments made as he improved. This meant the five yoga movements were no exception.
Lu Ke forced himself to calm down and watched the video again. This time, he was able to taste a slight difference. After watching it repeatedly, a light bulb went off in his head, and he finally discovered the secret of the movement: when the pose was correct, the entire body formed a golden ratio, perfectly aligned with photographic composition—which was also the golden ratio of art.
Did this mean he needed to adjust his center of gravity? Perhaps, this was the reason his previous attempts had failed.
This time, he would start from the beginning.
Lu Ke didn't rush to do the movement. He carefully analyzed every step of the video, then followed the video, starting from standing with his feet together. He slowly began to move his body, adjusting his center of gravity little by little until he was finally in the right position. His whole body was like a drawn bow, standing upright, with his right palm extended, looking for the stability and balance of his core.
The feeling was strange. It felt like every muscle was tense, yet it also felt like all his muscles were relaxed. His restless mind unknowingly settled down, and all his thoughts were focused on himself, gradually becoming blank.
Lu Ke didn't even notice that the red light next to the video in his mind had turned green, indicating that his movement was finally correct. He was just concentrating, slowly adjusting his breathing. A subtle, indescribable feeling gathered in his core, and he couldn't tell if it was the airflow around him or the air in his body, but he was sure his mind was clear.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
"I'm back... Jesus Christ, Lu, what are you doing?" Jay opened the door and saw Lu Ke in a strange pose. He blinked, and his jaw almost dropped. Then Logan came in and whistled. "Wow, Bambi, is that a position from the 'Kama Sutra'? I remember the name of that pose, I definitely do! Don't tell me, let me think."
Logan's clown-like antics and Jay's excited circling immediately broke Lu Ke's concentration. As a yoga rookie, he still needed more practice and experience, which he clearly lacked right now. So, his breathing was instantly messed up, and his whole pose fell apart like a tower of blocks.
He stumbled back a few steps, finally stopping when he leaned against the back of the sofa. Looking at the gloating Logan and Jay, Lu Ke said to Logan with a straight face, "Tonight, in bed, you'll know what the pose is. I'm sure you'll enjoy being on the bottom."
Jay whistled again and shouted excitedly, "Lu Ke, touchdown; Logan, failed."
Logan immediately held his arms in an exaggerated, shy maiden pose—but with his big body, he didn't look... shy at all. He looked a little strange. "Please be gentle, it's my first time, and I'm a little shy."
"Logan, touchdown!" Jay was enjoying the show from the sidelines, only missing a bag of chips.
"Don't worry, I'll be very considerate, you little temptress," Lu Ke said, raising an eyebrow exaggeratedly and winking at him. He extended his right index finger to tickle Logan's chin. Before his seductive hand could get close, Logan couldn't take it anymore. He turned and ran away with a look of horror, then started gagging, raising both hands in surrender. "I give up, I give up."
Jay, who was standing nearby, took a step forward and raised Lu Ke's right hand. "Round 1,001, Lu Ke wins!"
In terms of verbal sparring, Logan and Lu Ke had competed countless times, but the outcome was never a surprise. Lu Ke was always the winner. In fact, even Jay himself admitted defeat in front of Lu Ke. If Lu Ke weren't a professional football player, Jay believed he would make an excellent journalist.
"So, what were you doing?" After the jokes were over, Logan asked curiously. "Yoga? Is that yoga?"
"Yeah, my footwork was terrible in the game last night, and my flexibility wasn't good enough when I was trying to evade," Lu Ke said, reciting the information he had read in the system's instructions. "So, I thought maybe yoga would be a good choice."
"I heard that yoga can also help with concentration," Jay said, not at all curious. He walked straight into the living room. "Lu Ke, why don't you keep going? Let's see. Your pose just now looked incredible. How did you do it?"
"Actually, I'm not entirely sure," Lu Ke said, thinking back and laughing. "Maybe I should buy a videotape and learn properly."
"A videotape? Jesus Christ, Lu Ke, what era are you living in? The seventies?" Logan started complaining again, a prime example of someone who had forgotten the pain after the wound had healed. In fact, the wound hadn't even healed yet.
Lu Ke didn't argue. He just shrugged and laughed, admitting Logan's point. "Actually, I don't mind, and I'm enjoying it. Didn't you know that the best music, best movies, and best art are all from before the nineties?"
Lu Ke's cheerful answer made Logan and Jay exchange a glance, both putting on a goofy "kill me now" face. Lu Ke ignored the two clowns, brought up the video again, and repeated the movement from before. Slowly and gently, his body seemed to find a knack for it. He completed the movement without much difficulty, then smoothed out his breathing, allowing the pose to become stable.
Just as he expected, the missions arranged by the system weren't for nothing. Each mission was arranged after evaluating Lu Ke's physical condition and skill level. The five basic yoga movements, which seemed incredibly difficult, were definitely at a level Lu Ke could complete at this stage.
One movement, two movements... five movements. Lu Ke carefully tried all five movements. Besides the last one, which was still a little difficult, he had completed the rest successfully. The fifth movement was giving him trouble because it required a split. His legs weren't flexible enough. He couldn't even do a full split. There was still a big gap between his crotch and the ground. He honestly thought he wouldn't be able to do this movement by tomorrow.
"Ah!" Lu Ke was about to stand up when a strong pressure came from his back, pressing him down firmly. A sharp pain shot through his thighs, and before he realized it, he was in a full split. Lu Ke genuinely thought his legs were going to be dislocated! "Logan Newman!" Lu Ke said through gritted teeth, squeezing out each syllable.
Logan put his full weight on Lu Ke's back. "Hey, buddy, it looks like you can do it after all. All you needed was a little help. You're welcome." Logan laughed proudly.
"Logan, I can't feel my legs anymore. I have no feeling," Lu Ke's exaggerated cry didn't panic Logan. He even leaned closer, his face magnified in front of Lu Ke's. "Dude, I noticed you were struggling to do this movement, right? Now you're good. Just stretch your muscles, and once you're fully relaxed, you'll have no problem in the future."
Lu Ke held his breath, not saying anything more. He focused his attention, then suddenly raised his hands, grabbed Logan's shoulders, and lunged forward, flipping Logan over. Logan's back hit the ground hard, and he immediately started wailing like a ghost, squirming like a worm and rubbing his back muscles, making moans of "Ooh, ooh" that were just soul-stirring.
Jay, who was about to join in the fun, immediately shut his mouth and quietly turned to leave, pretending nothing had happened. "Is something wrong? I think you have something to say. You must have something to say. You'd better spit it out." Lu Ke's voice came from behind him. Jay had no choice but to turn around and force a smile.
Looking at Logan rolling on the ground in pain, Jay chuckled awkwardly, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Uh, I just wanted to ask... um... oh, right, the Rose Bowl. If the Bruins get into the Rose Bowl this year, has the coach mentioned who the starting quarterback will be? Do you feel confident? How's the injury of our previous quarterback, Kevin Craft? Can he recover? Or will he have to continue to rest?"
Lu Ke was still in the split position on the floor. He honestly thought he couldn't get up. Staying in this pose seemed fine, though. "No, no news yet. But given the situation, it looks like I won't be able to make it to the Rose Bowl, either." Lu Ke pointed to his straight legs with a look of frustration.
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