Beginning

Because he had gone through quite a lot on the first day of school, Chen Chuan planned to turn in early.

According to the schedule, Open Classes would begin tomorrow. Since his supervising teacher had yet to be assigned, he figured he could go take a look first. After washing up, he went to bed.

At six the next morning, just as he finished washing up and was about to head out to exercise, there came a sudden knock at the door.

Who could it be so early?

He walked over and opened the door. Outside stood a middle-aged man of average build, wearing a white shirt and a diagonally striped tie. His jacket was draped over one arm, a briefcase tucked beneath the other. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, with thick brows and large eyes. Though his face was somewhat rounded now, it was obvious he must have been quite handsome in his youth.

He was also holding a pair of decorative sunglasses and a name card. He waved at Chen Chuan. "Student Chen? Hello." Then, with a smile, he said, "I'm your supervising teacher, Cheng Zitong. You can call me Teacher Cheng, or Old Cheng."

Chen Chuan glanced at the name card and promptly replied politely, "Hello, Teacher Cheng." But after thinking back, he felt there did not seem to be any teacher surnamed Cheng in the materials the Dormitory Teacher had given him.

"Quite sudden, isn't it?" Teacher Cheng said with a smile. "It's not just students who choose teachers. Teachers can choose students too. I looked over your record. Not bad—you're a promising prospect, so I came to find you."

Chen Chuan stepped aside. "Please come in, Teacher Cheng."

Cheng Zitong answered with an "ah" and walked in. He sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and looked around before sighing. "This dormitory has looked the same for who knows how many years..." Seeing Chen Chuan pouring water, he waved him over. "No need to fuss. Come sit down. I have some things to tell you."

Chen Chuan still poured him a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table before the sofa. "Please excuse me, Teacher Cheng. There's only plain water here."

"Ah, why be so formal? Fine, you're a very polite student."

Cheng Zitong picked up the cup, then waited until Chen Chuan had settled into his seat before saying, "Student Chen, others think you started practicing the Breathing Method too early and exhausted too much of your potential. But I believe you are precisely the kind of talented student worth cultivating. Still, I think there's an urgent problem with you that needs to be resolved, or it will become very troublesome. Here, let me show you something first."

He picked up the briefcase beside him, took out a stack of papers, and handed it over. "These are records of some former students from Wu Yi University, covering information from when they were seventeen to when they were thirty-seven. You don't need to look at the beginning. Focus on the later parts. Yes, keep flipping."

Chen Chuan flipped to the back of the documents and quickly discovered that nearly every one of those Wu Yi University students had records of medical treatment and surgery from their twenties or thirties onward, and the procedures had been very frequent. A few had even developed such problems before turning twenty.

"You see it now?" Cheng Zitong asked.

Chen Chuan looked up. "Teacher Cheng, what caused this? Were they injured from excessive training during their studies?"

Cheng Zitong shook his head. "If only it were that simple. We'll have to go through this slowly."

"Please enlighten me, Teacher Cheng."

"Don't be so formal." Though he said that, Cheng Zitong was quite pleased with Chen Chuan's attitude. He continued, "You have already begun practicing the Breathing Method, so you can feel the benefits it brings. But perhaps you still don't understand what truly lies beneath it."

Chen Chuan could not help asking, "What is it?"

Under the effects of the Breathing Method, Cheng Zitong said, "Your physical resistance, the strength of your internal organs, the load-bearing capacity of your bones, and every other aspect of your body will undergo a qualitative leap. You should be able to feel it. After learning the Breathing Method, you have begun pulling away from ordinary people who have not practiced it, and you are improving every day."

Chen Chuan nodded. "That's true."

"But it also brings another effect," Cheng Zitong said slowly. "Some tissues and organs that did not originally exist will grow inside your body. We call them Mutated Tissue. For example..."

He pointed at Chen Chuan. "Under the stimulation of the Breathing Method, your body will first grow extra fascia tissue. The reason skilled fighters can generate force beyond that of ordinary people is precisely because of these tissues.

"And when such tissue appears in your body and continues growing, your body will initially feel itchy or feverish. At that time, you will clearly sense that every aspect of your physical fitness is rapidly increasing."

Chen Chuan was shaken. He could not help thinking of how, not long after he began practicing the Breathing Method, his body had started to feel hot. He had even asked Yu Gang about it. As for the improvement in his physical fitness, perhaps it was because he had kept up his Breathing Method practice for so long without stopping, even until now.

Seeing his reaction, Cheng Zitong said, "Looks like you've already experienced it. But don't be nervous. It means your body is in excellent condition and well suited to combat training. You should know that some people are even born with certain Mutated Tissue. Such people are also called people with innate 'talent.'

"But this cannot be left unchecked. Especially after you begin combat training, prolonged and deliberate external stimulation will cause these tissues to grow rapidly. Without proper guidance, if these tissues and organs are allowed to grow wildly, at best they may seize some of the normal functions of your body's tissues, leading to all kinds of illnesses. By then, parts of the tissue will have to be surgically removed. At worst, they may mutate or even cost you your life."

After considering it, Chen Chuan asked, "Teacher Cheng, how long before these problems usually appear?"

Teacher Cheng tapped his knee with the decorative sunglasses in his hand. "It varies from person to person. Everything in the world has its advantages and disadvantages. The more talented someone is, the faster their Mutated Tissue grows, and the higher its upper limit."

He gestured toward the documents with his chin. "The shortest case on there was less than a year. Yes, less than a year—eleven months, to be exact. Tell me, how long has it been since you first mastered the Breathing Method?"

"Three months," Chen Chuan answered.

"Three months already..." Cheng Zitong murmured.

After thinking it over, Chen Chuan realized that the Second Self might not be able to solve this problem.

From what he could tell, the Second Self could only bear relatively direct physical damage. But the premise for removing damage was that there first had to be a complete "self," and these tissues were likewise considered part of "him." Just as he could not simply remove his own blood or internal organs out of thin air.

He did not know how the Second Self might change in the future, but at least for now, it could not do something like this.

So he asked, "Then Teacher Cheng, how can this be avoided?"

"Don't think of it as something too terrifying." Cheng Zitong waved a hand, then said seriously, "You should face it head-on. I even think it is a gift from heaven. Without this Mutated Tissue, the original human body cannot surpass its limits. But if we can put it to use, it may become the staircase that allows us to climb higher.

"As it happens, combat techniques are one such method.

"Yes, combat techniques stimulate the tissue, but if they are guided in an orderly manner, there is a chance to turn harm into benefit. The prerequisite is that the method of guidance must be correct."

Chen Chuan asked earnestly, "Teacher Cheng, what counts as an orderly and correct method?"

"Sit still," Cheng Zitong instructed.

He stood up and felt around Chen Chuan's shoulders, the joints of his hands and feet, his neck, spine, and other areas. Chen Chuan could feel faint tingling numbness wherever Cheng Zitong's hands touched.

Cheng Zitong frowned. "Your progress is this fast? You've really only practiced for three months? Some people might not reach your level even after three years. It must be innate talent..."

He sat back down, his expression grave. "It seems I need to accelerate your progress. If this continues, I'm afraid things won't go well."

Chen Chuan remained fairly calm. "According to what you said, Teacher Cheng, how long before that situation occurs for me?"

"Hmm..." Cheng Zitong said heavily. "Hard to say. The most optimistic estimate would be half a year. If it happens faster, then within two or three months, your Mutated Tissue may become difficult to restrain. At that point, if we want to preserve your health—or even your life—we may have to consider the least ideal methods."

Chen Chuan did not ask what those methods were, but he could roughly guess.

Cheng Zitong said solemnly, "You are probably practicing the basic Breathing Method. Starting tomorrow, I will teach you a higher-level Breathing Method. And you must master force as soon as possible—as soon as possible! Even Small Force will do. That will prevent your Mutated Fascia from growing on its own and instead make it grow in the direction you need.

"If, after ten days, there is no stabbing pain, soreness, numbness, bruising, or swelling inside your body, that means your direction is temporarily correct, and we can continue training. If it is wrong, we will need to adjust again, until you master complete force. Then you can be said to have passed one difficult hurdle.

"But that does not mean it is over. If your Mutated Tissue continues to grow by then, you will need to find a way to enter the next stage. This must continue until the first period of rapid growth slows down. Only then can you breathe easy."

He looked at Chen Chuan and said with utmost seriousness, "Since I have decided to become your supervising teacher, no matter how difficult it is, I will help you overcome this hurdle. But you need determination of your own. Otherwise, no matter how hard I work, it will be useless. What is your answer?"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chuan said, "Teacher Cheng, thank you for telling me all this. Do you know that after hearing your words, my first reaction was happiness?"

"Happiness?"

Chen Chuan nodded. He looked out the window, his eyes filled with longing. "Only powers that transcend common sense can allow people to break free from their original restraints, take them to higher places, and let them see the scenery there." He turned back toward Cheng Zitong and said with complete sincerity, "Teacher Cheng, I will give it everything I have, because this is exactly what I seek and look forward to."