Perception of Wind and Airflow

On the morning of the fifth day, the wind was calm. Lin Chen stood at the eastern edge of the platform. The wind was nearly still, with only the occasional wisp of airflow rising from the bottom of the valley, like hidden currents churning beneath the surface of water. Son Gohan stood some distance away without saying a word, simply watching him stand there. Lin Chen remained where he was, waiting for the wind. About three minutes later, it began to blow again, sweeping diagonally across the platform from the northeast. It was not strong, but when it touched his body, he felt his center of gravity naturally adjust with the wind, without any deliberate effort to steady himself.

"You're starting to get used to the wind here." Son Gohan stepped closer. "No more breathing exercises today. Follow me." He turned and headed west along the edge of the platform. Lin Chen followed behind him. The two crossed the low partition wall along a gravel path and arrived at a training ground where the soil was softer. The wind here was weaker, and a layer of tiny grass seeds and pollen floated in the air, clearly visible in the sunlight. Son Gohan stopped beside a dead tree. Its branches had long since dried out, and its surface was covered in wind-eroded cracks, as though it had been battered by the wind for many years. "Try striking the base of this dead tree with your palm. Don't use brute force—just your palm," Son Gohan said. "The instant your palm touches the trunk, apply force along the contact surface. Don't push forward. Instead, let the force flow from your palm into the tree, like water seeping into sand. Release the force beneath the contact surface instead of leaving it on the outside."