Tianxin Ki

Seeing that Mu Yang seemed somewhat dazed, Aisafu smiled faintly and could not help recalling the first time he had witnessed Tianxin Ki.

Only when reminiscing did one realize how moving those bygone days had been. Time was like an elegant dancer, performing all manner of scenes in the world. Without noticing, he too had accumulated so much worth remembering.

He had been young then, hadn't he? Just like Mu Yang now, awestruck by the power of a Ki Blast!

Such a powerful means of attack actually existed in this world. Could you believe it?

It was truly terrifying!

"Haha, Mu Yang, you have good talent. Perhaps you won't even need decades—ten-odd years may be enough!" Aunt Carl said heartily.

Aisafu nodded lightly, thoroughly agreeing.

"..."

What else could I say?

At that moment, Mu Yang truly did not know how to express his feelings.

He had already known that, for Earthlings, releasing a Ki Blast was extremely difficult. But if, as his teacher Aisafu said, it took decades or even ten-odd years of training before one could release it, then by the time he mastered Ki Blasts, it would be far too late.

Heh, decades from now, the plot would probably have already begun! What use would mastering Ki Blasts be then? To put it bluntly, he would only be a slightly bigger grasshopper, still at the mercy of others.

For Mu Yang, who knew the future plot well, this was clearly unacceptable.

Since Krillin in the original work had been able to quickly master releasing Ki Blasts in just a few years, Mu Yang had reason to believe there must be some crucial trick that Aisafu and the others did not know.

It was like understanding and summarizing a certain physical phenomenon. Different schools had different understandings of ki, so their methods of releasing Ki Blasts were certainly different as well. In this regard, the Kame Style and Crane Style undoubtedly stood at the forefront of all schools.

Of course, theory was merely the foundation. Whether one could ultimately release a Ki Blast did not depend on how much theoretical knowledge one possessed, but on actual strength!

When something was full, it overflowed. Strength was the prerequisite that determined everything. Aliens did not have so many twists and turns; their understanding of ki might be crude, but that did not stop them from firing off Ki Blasts one after another, flashy and ostentatious.

Such powerful racial talent could only be described as... not to be messed with. Absolutely not to be messed with.

"Once I learn the principles behind releasing Ki Blasts, I need to get out and see the world as soon as possible. The more I travel and the more I see, the stronger I can become."

A stone from another mountain could be used to polish jade. Mu Yang quietly made up his mind. After completing his studies, he planned to visit the area around Karin's Holy Land and see whether he could make breakthroughs faster.

After a brief rest, Aisafu's complexion had improved considerably. Seeing that Mu Yang had also recovered from his brief "stunned" state, he nodded to himself.

He glanced toward Yula, signaling her to lead Meixia away, then began teaching Mu Yang the principles behind releasing Tianxin Ki in private.

"Mu Yang, after so many years of training, your body has now been tempered to a highly refined state. Next, you must learn to mobilize the energy within your body. We call this energy 'ki.'"

"...We have no way of knowing the exact source of ki. It may come from the body's internal organs, or it may come from every cell in the body. Our Tianxin Style believes that ki is the fusion of essence, energy, and spirit. Spiritual power and physical power are refined together, and the essence produced is 'ki'!"

"Chakra?"

Upon hearing Aisafu's description, the first thing that flashed through Mu Yang's mind was Chakra—the source of power the protagonists in the Naruto world used to "roll little balls"!

Since they were both creations of Japanese manga artists, it was hardly strange for some concepts to have similar settings.

But this was the Dragon Ball world. As this world's manifestation of energy, ki still had considerable depth.

Seeing Mu Yang listening with rapt attention, Aisafu continued:

"Because ki is the union of spirit and strength, the first stage of cultivating ki is meditation. Use your spiritual power to sense the ki within your body!"

"When you can sense ki, the first stage will be complete. Then you can begin trying to make it circulate through your body. At first, this process will be extremely difficult and may even be accompanied by intense mental pain. That is all normal; it means the ki has begun growing within your body."

"After passing this stage, everything will follow naturally. The ki inside your body will condense into clusters and spread throughout every part of your body. Continue nurturing it and let small amounts accumulate. Once the total reaches a certain level, along with the proper technique, you will be able to release Ki Blasts like your teacher."

"Of course, every school understands ki differently, so their cultivation methods differ as well. But broadly speaking, they should have much in common." Aisafu explained the Tianxin Style's understanding of ki with a serious expression.

Mu Yang listened with exceptional focus, comparing the Tianxin Style's understanding of ki with what he knew.

Clearly, the original work had never mentioned adding spiritual power when cultivating ki. The Kame Style and Crane Style seemingly had no such requirement.

More broadly speaking, throughout the entire Dragon Ball world, ki was simply equivalent to strength.

As long as one knew how to release it, that was enough.

Simple and brutal!

Mu Yang did not know whether the Tianxin Style's overly elaborate understanding of ki had gone down the wrong path—pursuing perfection until it became trapped in a narrow alley, obsessing over trivial details—or whether this was precisely what distinguished it from other schools, its shining point.

Mu Yang was not yet capable of judging which was superior and which was inferior, so he committed every word to memory, intending to study it in greater depth in the future.

After roughly explaining several key points of Tianxin Style ki cultivation, Aisafu stopped and gave Mu Yang ample time to think.

Seeing his disciple Mu Yang deep in thought, Aisafu nodded in satisfaction. After a while, he continued explaining.

About an hour later, Aisafu finally finished describing the method of cultivating ki.

"Alright, you have remembered all the key points. Go back and contemplate them carefully. Strive to refine the first strand of ki within your body as soon as possible. The beginning is always the hardest; once you get through this stage, everything afterward will follow naturally." Aisafu smiled at Mu Yang. By his estimate, his first disciple would need at least a month to refine his first strand of ki.

After a pause, he reassured him, "But you needn't be too anxious. Compared with other schools, our bodies have been nourished by countless medicinal herbs, so it is relatively easier for us to produce the first strand of ki."

"Teacher, I understand. After I return, I will definitely train even harder," Mu Yang said earnestly and solemnly.

Aisafu laughed, patted Mu Yang on the shoulder, and said with great satisfaction, "Know when to stop. Everything must have moderation. You are still young, so there is no need to push yourself too hard mentally."

"Mm." Mu Yang nodded obediently, though he had already begun planning his next stage of training.

Having come into contact with a higher level of cultivation, Mu Yang knew he would have plenty to keep him busy in the days ahead.

The Tianxin Style's understanding and cultivation of ki had opened a brand-new door for him, allowing him to enter a new stage of training.