In the martial arts room, master and disciple sat facing each other.
Lu Chenzhou said,
"Yes, Master. I asked around at school, and it seemed the instructors didn't teach this stuff. It was all Form-Emulation Fist... I wanted to try Hard Qi Training."
Ji Xuantong said,
"Hard Qi Training doesn't really align with the mainstream direction of martial arts today. Not only our school—even the affiliated high schools of other Wudas hardly teach it anymore."
Lu Chenzhou was somewhat puzzled.
"Master, if Hard Qi Training is cultivated to profound heights, can't one become impervious to blades and spears, indestructible as diamond? Why doesn't anyone teach it now?"
Ji Xuantong smiled.
"It's simple. Hard Qi Training is too difficult, and firearms and other thermal weapons are growing ever more powerful. Even if ordinary third-rate Hard Qi Training is cultivated to perfection, it might not be able to stop a regular pistol bullet. You'd be better off wearing protective gear... Second-rate and first-rate Hard Qi Training are more effective, but cultivating them is both painful and time-consuming. Unless someone is an exceptionally rare horizontal-training prodigy, there's no need to learn it.
In today's society, only people in certain special professions or extreme enthusiasts would cultivate Hard Qi Training.
I tried it back then, then gave up."
In fighting Void Entities, Martial Artists were the backbone. Internal martial arts produced Martial Artists far more efficiently than Hard Qi Training did. The superior survived and the inferior were weeded out, and Hard Qi Training declined.
In short, none of the Wudas listed it as a required course anymore.
Some schools might arrange a few elective classes.
Lu Chenzhou said,
"I understand, Master."
Ji Xuantong changed the subject.
"Of course, if you can learn Hard Qi Training well, it definitely has its benefits. At Jiangnan