Yu Xiaogang's ambitions
"Cultivation is never without hardship," he mumbled. "The second level will be a little painful at first, but you'll get through it if you just bear with it."
Zhao Wuji nodded and did not ask any further questions.
As the two were talking, Flender walked over from the school building in front, holding a letter in his hand, his expression somewhat subtle.
"Grandmaster, Zhao Wuji." Flender walked into the courtyard and waved the letter. "He's from Spirit City. All-Continent Genius Soul Master Tournament, jointly organized by six parties. Anyone under thirty can participate. Although our Shrek Academy's performance has been mediocre in recent years, we've still received an invitation to participate."
Zhao Wuji took the letter and read it once.
"Seven people for the team competition, and open registration for the individual competition. There are still six months until the registration deadline." Zhao Wuji handed the letter back to Flender. "Can our academy currently muster seven people under the age of thirty?"
Flender adjusted his glasses and thought for a moment, "After Tang San and Xiao Wu left, the main force is left with Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing have been training with Jiang Lan outside these past few years, and their strength has increased quite a bit. Ma Hongjun has been lazy these past few years, and his level hasn't changed much. Dai Mubai and Oscar can barely make up the numbers. All in all, three."
"Four more are needed," Zhao Wuji said.
"I know." Flender folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve, then turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Xiaogang, can your new technique improve Dai Mubai and the others' strength within six months?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded slightly, saying with absolute confidence, "Within six months, they can all reach level 50."
Flender and Zhao Wuji gasped in shock.
Reaching level 50 in just six months?!
Terrifying!
Looking at the horrified expressions on Flender and Zhao Wuji's faces, Yu Xiaogang almost felt a surge of smugness welling up inside him.
He stood with his hands behind his back, slightly raising his chin, adopting the air of a reclusive master. "The core of the Holy Dragon Divine Art I've deduced lies in using Soul Power to cleanse the meridians and break through bottlenecks with external force. As long as your foundation isn't too weak, reaching level 50 in half a year isn't a problem."
Zhao Wuji rubbed his hands together and took half a step forward. "Grandmaster, just how painful is it to practice this technique?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze for a fraction of a second, then he waved his hand vaguely. "It hurts a little, but it'll pass if you just bear with it. Think about it, you've leveled up more than ten times in half a year, what's a little bit of hardship?"
Flender pushed up his glasses, and his eyes behind the lenses lit up.
He thought more deeply than Zhao Wuji. Shrek Academy hadn't produced many outstanding individuals in recent years, and its decline had been even more dramatic after Tang San and Xiao Wu left.
If Yu Xiaogang's technique can truly produce level 50 Soul Master in batches within six months, Shrek Academy will not only be able to hold its head high in the Genius Soul Master Tournament, but it will also have no worries about recruiting students in the future.
"Xiaogang, first organize the techniques and let Dai Mubai try them out." Flender made the decision. "If it works well, our academy will open a special training class."
"No problem." Yu Xiaogang nodded, turned around and walked towards his hut, his steps much lighter than usual.
He pushed open the door of the small house, took out the booklet he had been carrying and placed it on the table, then took out several other manuscripts and spread them out beside him.
The manuscripts were covered with dense marks of revisions; some parts were crossed out and rewritten several times, and the ends of the pages were worn smooth.
Yu Xiaogang sat at the table, picked up his pen, turned to the first page, and prepared to compile the Holy Dragon Divine Art into a formal teaching material.
He wrote three lines, then suddenly stopped.
The pen tip hovered above the paper, and his brows slowly furrowed.
The energy circulation path of the first level of the Holy Dragon Divine Art is correct. He practiced it for several months, and his Soul Power did indeed become thicker, and his meridians did indeed widen.
However, starting from the second level, the energy circulation route must pass through the perineum, then down to the Qihai point, and then around to the Mingmen point.
This route was modified from the original Sunflower Manual, replacing the original method of severing meridians with Soul Power.
It's theoretically feasible; he's simulated it many times. But he hasn't tried it out in actual practice.
He practiced for several months before he could barely maintain his footing on the first level, and he hadn't even started touching the second level yet.
"It will hurt," Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself, "But how much will it hurt...?"
He put down his pen, stood up, and walked around the room twice.
Should we find someone to try it out first?
After this thought popped into his head, the first person he thought of was Ma Hongjun.
That kid is young, physically strong, and talented, but he's become a bit lazy these past few years.
If we call him over and let him try the second level first, we can watch and adjust it if anything goes wrong.
Yu Xiaogang sat back down at the table, turned to the second page of the booklet, and carefully looked through the energy circulation route diagram.
"It should be fine," Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself again, then picked up his pen and continued writing.
It was already evening when I finished the first draft of the textbook.
Yu Xiaogang carefully put the booklet away and went out of the small house to find Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun was squatting at the cafeteria entrance, gnawing on a chicken leg, when he saw Yu Xiaogang approaching. He mumbled a greeting, "Grandmaster, is there something you need?"
"Hongjun, come with me for a moment." Yu Xiaogang beckoned to him, "I have a new martial arts technique I'd like you to try."
Ma Hongjun threw away the chicken bone, clapped his hands, stood up, and followed Yu Xiaogang to his hut.
Once inside, Yu Xiaogang spread the booklet on the table and pointed to the energy cultivation route diagram on the second page, explaining it to Ma Hongjun.
After listening, Ma Hongjun scratched his head.
"Grandmaster, this route passes through the perineum? Is it safe to circulate qi there?"
"I've done the calculations, it's possible," Yu Xiaogang said. "You have a good foundation, you should be able to handle it. It'll hurt a little, but if you can endure it, your Soul Power will increase significantly. Reach level 50 within six months, and you'll be a key player in the Genius Soul Master Tournament."
Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up when he heard the words "level 50".
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
He sat cross-legged on the futon in Yu Xiaogang's room, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his Soul Power according to the energy circulation route Yu Xiaogang had instructed him to take.
At first, he didn't feel anything. His Soul Power flowed slowly along his meridians, feeling warm and comfortable. Ma Hongjun even muttered to himself, "Isn't this quite comfortable?" Then, his Soul Power flowed to his perineum.
His whole body tensed up abruptly.
That feeling is hard to describe.
It felt like someone had taken a red-hot needle and stabbed it all the way up from his perineum, past his dantian, past his mingmen point, until his entire lower body was convulsing.
Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead, his lips turned white from biting them, and a muffled groan escaped his throat.
"Grandmaster... this..." Ma Hongjun managed to squeeze out a sentence through clenched teeth, his voice trembling.
"Just bear with it, just bear with it and it will pass." Yu Xiaogang squatted down beside him, holding a handkerchief in his hand to wipe his sweat. He said it lightly, but he wasn't really sure himself.