Bottleneck

The martial students erupted into an uproar at once.

Zhuang Jin also turned to look. He knew that although Xiong Lei had said a few days ago that he was only one step away, that last bit had still not been completed even today. He had not expected someone to grasp Blood Qi before Xiong Lei did.

"Who is this? He completed the first step of grasping Blood Qi so quickly?"

"I know him. He's from our E-Rank Room Number One, surnamed Xiang—Xiang Qichen!"

"Amazing! I still don't have the slightest feel for the first step of grasping Blood Qi!"

"Oh?" Ping Yongfeng strode over and had Xiang Qichen perform the Black Fiend Stake Stance once. Then, after placing his fingers on the pulse point of the other man's wrist and feeling carefully for a while, delight appeared on his face. "He has indeed completed the first step of grasping Blood Qi and refined Inner Breath. Good! Very good!"

He looked at Xiang Qichen with satisfaction and said, "Once the first step of grasping Blood Qi and refining the first wisp of Inner Breath is complete, the second step is to Gather Inner Breath, break through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck, and complete the circulation of Inner Breath through the first meridian."

"The key to this second step is breaking through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck."

"A bottleneck is neither tangible nor intangible, but something metaphysical. When you do something to a certain degree, no matter how hard you try, you cannot advance even an inch. Yet if you persist for a time, you may suddenly see the light and be able to continue climbing higher. That is breaking through a bottleneck. Of course, you may also remain stuck there. No matter how hard you struggle, you cannot advance an inch, and one blockage can last an entire lifetime. That means you have been trapped by the bottleneck."

Seeing that the martial students seemed to find this difficult to understand, Ping Yongfeng gave an analogy. "You have all seen bamboo, haven't you? A bottleneck is like the membrane between one section of bamboo and the next. Once you rise to a certain point, you must face that membrane. But as long as you break through it, the next stretch of bamboo is clear and unobstructed."

"The Martial Practitioner Bottleneck works the same way. Like the membrane at a bamboo joint, it blocks your ascent. But if you break through it, cultivation of One Meridian will no longer face any obstruction, and you will be able to complete the circulation of Inner Breath through the first meridian."

As he spoke, he looked at Xiang Qichen and asked, "Have you felt that no matter how you try, the wisp of Inner Breath you refine through grasping Blood Qi cannot be guided into the first meridian, as though there is an invisible obstruction?"

Xiang Qichen nodded instinctively.

"That means you have encountered a bottleneck. At a time like this, without miraculous pills or medicines, all you can do is repeat the process, try patiently, and slowly wear it away."

Xiang Qichen's eyes lit up at once. "Master Ping, are there pills that can help one break through a bottleneck?"

"Of course there are, but even I have never seen them, so don't even think about it. It's not that I look down on you—if any of your families had those means, you would not need to come here. Don't dwell on impractical fantasies. Wear it down slowly, and have some patience."

Ping Yongfeng said to Xiang Qichen, "You completed the first step of grasping Blood Qi in seven days. Your aptitude is excellent. Based on the experience I've summed up over the years, an ordinary martial practitioner generally spends about the same amount of time on the first and second steps. With your aptitude, you should be able to break through this first bottleneck in seven or eight days."

"Seven or eight days?" Xiang Qichen raised his voice slightly, as though he found it too slow. "Master Ping, is wearing away a bottleneck that exhausting? Is it really that difficult?"

"Difficult? This bottleneck of entering One Meridian and becoming a Formal Martial Artist is the easiest one. The Second Meridian and Third Meridian afterward each have bottlenecks harder than the last. When a bottleneck traps you then, it will not be something you can break through in ten days or half a month. If your aptitude is lacking or your luck is poor, you may be trapped for three or five years. Some remain stuck there for their entire lives, unable to advance another inch."

Ping Yongfeng spoke with a sigh, his expression complicated. Shaking his head, he said, "This is your first bottleneck. Get used to it in advance. Once you walk the path of martial arts, you cannot avoid dealing with bottlenecks."

At this point, one martial student gathered his courage and asked, "Master Ping, you said Xiang Qichen has excellent talent. How are talent and aptitude classified?"

Perhaps because Xiang Qichen, a promising martial seedling, had appeared today and he no longer needed to worry about meeting this month's quota, Ping Yongfeng was in a good mood. When asked, he did not put on a sour face and was willing to say a little more. "As for martial aptitude, those with excellent talent can complete the first step of grasping Blood Qi in five or seven days, ten days at most. Those with middle-top aptitude can complete grasping Blood Qi within half a month."

At this point, he stopped speaking.

"Master Ping, what about those below that?"

"Below that? There's no need to mention them!" Ping Yongfeng snorted. "If you do not even have middle-top aptitude, why practice martial arts at all? Go home while you still can!"

Hearing this, Zhuang Jin's heart stirred. He recalled what Ping Yongfeng had just said: according to experience, martial practitioners generally spent about the same amount of time on the first and second steps. If the first step of grasping Blood Qi took more than half a month, then the second step of breaking through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck would naturally also take more than half a month. It would be impossible to become a Formal Martial Artist within one month.

At this moment, a martial student thought for a moment and asked, "Master Ping, if I cannot complete the first step of grasping Blood Qi within half a month, and after one month I am still a little short of breaking through the Martial Practitioner Bottleneck, can I go back and practice on my own? Where can I buy Qi Channel Opening Soup?"

This martial student also knew that Stance Training only produced results after drinking Qi Channel Opening Soup, which was why he asked about it.

"As long as you pay enough, I can make the decision to get you Qi Channel Opening Soup. But if you fail to become a Formal Martial Artist within a month and still want to keep drinking Qi Channel Opening Soup and practicing, then go ahead if you want to die young."

Ping Yongfeng glanced at the martial student and snorted coldly. "What did you feel after drinking Qi Channel Opening Soup? Did you feel a faint prickling pain in your Five Viscera and Six Entrails? I told you long ago that while Qi Channel Opening Soup contains highly nourishing medicinal ingredients, it also squeezes the body's potential. If you cannot guide Inner Breath into your meridians and become a Formal Martial Artist within one month, then even if you continue taking Qi Channel Opening Soup and forcibly achieve that step, you will be crippled. Not only will you have no hope of ever opening the second meridian, you will also shorten your lifespan."

"Then there is no need to worry if we become Formal Martial Artists within one month?"

"Of course." Ping Yongfeng said, "Martial arts seize the creations of heaven and earth for oneself. Once you guide Inner Breath into the meridians and truly enter the Qi Condensation Realm, you can withstand the medicinal effects of Black Essence Powder, refine it into Inner Breath, nourish your body, and make up for the slight damage sustained during the channel-opening stage. After one month, the Five Viscera and Six Entrails will be damaged beyond recovery; medicines and stones alike will be unable to mend them."

"In short, this one-month period was established by our predecessors through countless lessons paid for in blood. It has its reasons." He waved his hand. "Enough, that is all for now. Start practicing your Stance Training. Strive to complete the first step of grasping Blood Qi before half a month has passed."

After letting the martial students practice their Stance Training on their own, Ping Yongfeng called Xiang Qichen aside again and reminded him not to slack off, among other things, before finally leaving.

Once Ping Yongfeng had left, quite a few martial students immediately gathered around Xiang Qichen, showering him with flattery and currying favor. After all, he was a martial seedling personally acknowledged by Ping Yongfeng!

Zhuang Jin watched their behavior and shook his head slightly. If they cannot remain after one month, they and Xiang Qichen will belong to different worlds. What is the use of all this empty posturing? When all is said and done, iron must be hard to be forged!

Naturally, he did not crowd around Xiang Qichen like the other martial students. As usual, he went with Xiong Lei to practice off to one side. Perhaps stimulated by Xiang Qichen, Xiong Lei practiced his Stance Training today as though he had been injected with chicken blood, not taking a break even once.

Many of the other martial students were the same. With Xiang Qichen as an example, they had all gathered a fire in their hearts and were no longer as lax as before. In the past, they would rest off to the side after practicing a few times, and by lunchtime, most would already be sitting around the edge of the Training Ground, with few still practicing.

It was visible to the naked eye that the entire Training Ground had grown somewhat restless. For now, however, that was a good thing—it gave them greater motivation to practice martial arts.