First Meditation

After understanding the essence of cultivation, Zhou Qi's feelings about these secret manuals and swordsmanship cultivation methods were quite different.

He clearly understood the meaning of these practices, so he naturally wouldn't feel lost during the cultivation process.

In fact, because he understood the essence, he could even draw upon modern national martial arts and meditation content to optimize these methods.

However, before that, he had to confirm one thing.

"Teacher, I'm already 27 this year. Is it too late to start cultivating?" Zhou Qi asked.

"27?" Koshiro looked Zhou Qi up and down, a little surprised. "I thought you were only twenty!"

"Uh, well, life back where I'm from isn't that demanding, so I look younger?" Zhou Qi thought for a moment before saying.

Even though he was screwing bolts at an electronics factory, the factory had air conditioning and no sun, so he didn't look haggard.

The main reason was he didn't have a girlfriend.

"This..." Koshiro nodded, looking admiringly. "I'm very curious about the country you live in. It must be paradise..."

Zhou Qi shook his head. "There's no such thing as paradise in this world. Everything we have now, we fought for with our own hands and built brick by brick."

Koshiro nodded. He couldn't fully understand yet, but he was even more eager to learn Chinese as soon as possible. Because only by learning the language could he understand that country better and learn from that great nation more conveniently.

"Your age is a bit advanced, but as long as you work hard, you can still achieve something!" Koshiro comforted him. "In this world, there are plenty of people who start training in their early twenties, and many of them become super-strong individuals!"

You're talking about the Three Admirals, right!

Aokiji enlisted at 22, Akainu at 24, Kizaru at 25.

Before that, they likely hadn't trained at all, yet they still became powerhouses who suppressed the world.

Perhaps they benefited from their Devil Fruits, but it doesn't matter, Zhou Qi is also seeking a Devil Fruit.

"Shall we start now?" Zhou Qi asked.

"Follow me!"

In the dojo's main hall, Koshiro introduced the two to his other disciples.

Zhou Qi was still a bit socially awkward, especially since he seemed to be the oldest here, while everyone else was a bunch of little sprouts...

Fortunately, the villagers were simple and honest. Children were mostly full of admiration and goodwill towards older kids, not the troublesome kind.

Afterward, he was given a bamboo sword, 1.2 meters long, and began practicing suburi under Koshiro's guidance.

"Did you two have any prior experience?" Koshiro asked after watching them demonstrate once.

"Yes, I, I also have a family sword manual..." Tashigi said. "I've been practicing with Qi-kun!"

"Oh!" Koshiro nodded. "Without any guidance?"

"Indeed not!" Tashigi replied.

"I see!" Koshiro said. "Your stances are fine, and you have the spirit when you swing your swords, but there are still some flaws in your power application. Watch my movements!"

He stood sideways in front of them and first pointed to his abdomen. "Pay attention here!"

Then, he saw the muscles in his waist tighten, flowing rapidly upward from his waist, and finally transferring to his arms.

"Buzz!" Although it was a bamboo sword, it cut with a sharp killing intent. Zhou Qi had no doubt that in Koshiro's hands, this bamboo sword would have considerable destructive power!

"Swinging a sword uses not only the strength of your arms but also your shoulders, chest, waist, and even your legs, the ground..." Koshiro said softly. "Of course, beginners don't need to achieve it all at once. We can start with the basics. When you swing your sword, incorporate the strength of your shoulders, like this!"

Zhou Qi watched intently, then meticulously followed suit. He didn't have photographic memory, nor did he have the physical talent to perfectly replicate someone's movements after watching them once. To become stronger, he could only learn and try again and again until it became an instinct.

Fortunately, he didn't lack the effort.

After all, every swing of the sword now was for himself, not for capitalists.

Even if he died of exhaustion here, wouldn't it be much more meaningful than screwing bolts on an assembly line for 12 hours?

It took him half a day to finally grasp the basic principles of one suburi move.

In the evening, he and Tashigi resumed their meditation practice.

The Tidal Meditation Method didn't have strict requirements for posture, so Zhou Qi used the double-lotus position he was accustomed to on Earth.

He tried hard to calm his mind, but the more he tried, the less he could.

He thought about his family's pharmaceutical company growing bigger and bigger, crushing Roche, stepping on Novartis, and making AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson bow their heads...

He thought about his factories spreading throughout China, strictly adhering to labor laws, making 996 companies jump up and down in frustration with no recourse. Perhaps one day there would be a company article stating that the rise of the Morning Star was the darkest day for Chinese enterprises...

He imagined himself with a beautiful woman on each arm, a sword on his back, treading on clouds, with the vast sky above.

Riding the wind with a sword, eradicating demons between heaven and earth, leaving with a flourish after the deed, hiding his merits and fame deep...

"Ding..." A soft chime suddenly caught his attention. He opened his eyes and saw Koshiro lightly tapping the long sword in his hand with his finger.

Seeing Zhou Qi open his eyes, Koshiro smiled and nodded, then closed his eyes again.

Zhou Qi closed his eyes again this time, and the sound of the sword chime continued to echo in his ears. His mind drifted with the sound of the sword. Although it was still chaotic, it transformed from countless thoughts into a single thought: the sound of the sword.

Unknowingly, even this single thought disappeared...

"Such high comprehension..." Koshiro praised, looking at Zhou Qi, whose breathing had gradually calmed.

Tashigi had already entered a meditative state long before Zhou Qi did, but they were different.

Tashigi was naturally simple-minded and had a year of cultivation experience.

However, this was Zhou Qi's first time meditating today, and he was already able to enter a state of deep concentration. Aside from being exceptionally talented, there was no better description.

"Perhaps he can truly become a Sword Saint!!" Koshiro smiled with relief, sheathed his sword, and quietly left the quiet room.

One night passed in the blink of an eye.

With a ray of sunlight, Zhou Qi suddenly opened his eyes.

He only felt refreshed and clear-headed, with none of the usual headache or grogginess after waking up.

Even the world before him seemed a little clearer.

"I didn't even dream..." He took out his glasses and put them on, Zhou Qi curiously felt his state.

Had he gotten stronger?

There wasn't a very obvious feeling.

But his condition had indeed improved a lot.

He had stayed up too late before, and dark circles under his eyes weren't something that could be eliminated with just one or two days of sleep.

But now he found that the dark circles under his eyes, which hadn't disappeared in years, were gone after just one night.

Moreover, he had pimples on the upper right side of his eye, below his lip, and at the back of his head yesterday, and they had all disappeared today.

"Is it that effective immediately?" Zhou Qi recalled his state last night and was a bit confused. He didn't know if he had meditated all night or slept all night.

"Holy crap..."

"Qi-kun, what's wrong?" Tashigi, who had already woken up, came in with a basin of water. Seeing Zhou Qi lying on the ground, she quickly helped him up.

"My legs are numb..."

"Huh?"

After washing up and having a breakfast with a One Piece theme, Zhou Qi felt full of energy, wishing he could practice sword swings three hundred more times right now.

However, before that, he still had to check his phone to see if anyone had messaged him.

9:24 AM, from A Linlang Consulting Yan Yun.

"General Manager Zhou, I've gathered information on four pharmaceutical companies for sale. Feel free to take a look when you have time!"

Below were four documents.

"This efficiency..." Zhou Qi touched his chin. It was quite high!

Four companies found in five days. If it were him, he probably wouldn't even find one in a week.

Actually, he didn't know that Yan Yun could have given him this information on the first day because the information on these pharmaceutical companies was already in their company's database.

But if they didn't wait a few days, how would the client know they were working?

That's why it was delayed until today.

"Let me see, Baofeng Pharmaceutical, Junhe Pharmaceutical, Taian Pharmaceutical, Guanghe Biomedical Co., Ltd..."