Chapter 22: Elite Martial Artists
Snowflakes fell from the sky, covering the entire world in a white carpet. Wu Yuntian and his son Su Hao stood side by side in front of the eaves, quietly observing this silent world.
Usually, children would be playing in the snow at a time like this, but today was different. Even the most playful children like He Qingqing chose not to go out and play.
Wu Yuntian glanced at Su Hao and sighed inwardly, "This child is good in every aspect, but he's too mature for his age. This is the time when he should enjoy playing the most, but he appears so calm. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
His wife had died protecting this child, and he should have felt some resentment and frustration towards him. However, he had already let go of those negative emotions. The resentment had dissipated, replaced by anticipation for the child's future.
Su Hao stood quietly by Wu Yuntian's side, rare moments of peace allowing him to appreciate the rare sight of snow. He didn't know what his father was thinking or why he remained silent, but he was content with the joy he derived from admiring the snow.
After a while, Wu Yuntian spoke first, "Martial artists are a group of individuals who disrupt their body's balance to gain greater power. The cultivation of martial artists begins with the comprehension of qi, followed by continuous transformation and accumulation, breaking through their own limits step by step to reach higher levels. However, every advancement for a martial artist is extremely difficult. Xiangwu, have you encountered the first hurdle?"
Su Hao snapped back to reality, pondered for a moment, and nodded, "Yes, it seems that the amount of my qi has reached the limit my body can bear. Although I can still continue to transform qi, it won't bring any increase in power. On the contrary, it would harm myself. So, my question is, what should I do next?"
Wu Yuntian sighed rarely, "For ordinary people, there are three hurdles. The first is the accumulation of qi. The speed of accumulation varies for each person due to different understandings of qi. To reach your level, it would take most people 5 to 8 years, and for those who are slower, even longer.
The second hurdle is the bottleneck of qi. When qi reaches a certain accumulation, a new balance is formed within the body. At this point, continuing to accumulate qi is impossible. The balance must be broken for qi to continue to accumulate.
The third hurdle is the one you are facing now. When qi reaches the limit of the physical body, it can no longer be enhanced. At this point, there are two methods: first, to enhance the strength of the physical body, pushing its limits higher; second, to change the nature of qi, allowing it to generate new functions and improve the body's explosive power.
For example..."
As he spoke, Wu Yuntian casually scraped the snow on the ground, picked up a dry branch, and shook it lightly. The snow on the branch fell to the ground.
"Watch closely!"
He thrust the branch, and it penetrated deeply into a stone.
Su Hao widened his eyes. It was astonishing to see the fragile branch pierce through the hard stone, especially for someone who valued science.
"This is the power of an elite martial artist, right?"
Wu Yuntian nodded with a gentle smile, "Indeed, this is a characteristic of elite martial artists. Do you find it difficult to understand?"
Su Hao nodded, then couldn't help but ask eagerly, "Father, how did you do that?"
Wu Yuntian handed the dry branch to Su Hao and said, "Take a look at this branch. Can it pierce through a stone?"
Su Hao tried it and honestly said, "No, it can't."
"Indeed, it can't. No matter what, a dry branch cannot pierce through a stone. So, what pierced through the stone just now wasn't the branch, but qi!"
"Qi? Why can qi transmit to the branch? Isn't qi a type of energy substance in the body?"
Wu Yuntian shook his head, "I'm not sure what you mean, but it's indeed difficult for qi to transmit to the branch. This is the hurdle that ordinary martial artists face when advancing to become elite martial artists, but it's not impossible."
Su Hao pondered. It sounded reasonable, but also mystical.
Su Hao asked the final question, "So, how can I make my qi move?"
Wu Yuntian squatted down, placing his hands on Su Hao's shoulders, and said seriously, "Xiangwu, don't think about breaking through to become an elite martial artist for now. Your body is too fragile at the moment. Rushing into becoming an elite martial artist may not be a good thing. Do you understand what I mean?"
Seeing his father's serious expression, Su Hao nodded, "I understand."
"I have no doubt that you can easily break through to the elite level. I am just concerned about your fragile body's ability to withstand any risks. Your current level of qi is sufficient. Wait patiently for your body to grow stronger. Once you have a sufficiently strong physique, I will teach you the methods to advance to an elite warrior."
"Okay." Su Hao agreed with a nod. Then he asked, "When will my body be strong enough?"
Wu Yuntian looked at Su Hao for a long time, but he didn't have a clear idea of what constituted a strong enough body. He had never encountered such a question before, so he simply gave a rough estimate, "Maybe three years! I will teach you then."
"Alright." Su Hao agreed without doubt. Having three years to slow down and focus on studying qi wasn't a bad thing. What Wu Yuntian said was true; he was only a little over four years old, and his body was indeed too fragile. Even a slight accident during training would be disastrous for his frail body. If he rushed, he might end up harming himself more than the wolves in the wilderness.
For Su Hao, managing his own life was about managing risks. When the unknown risks outweighed the risks of martial arts training, he would take the risk to gain greater strength. But when the risks of training outweighed the others, he would choose to stop.
Wu Yuntian pondered for a moment and suddenly said, "During the next three years, you can learn martial skills from me! We'll take some trips to the wilderness when we have the time."
Su Hao's eyes lit up, and he immediately exclaimed, "Thank you, Father."
"Prepare yourself for some hardships."
"I'm not afraid of hardships."
Wu Yuntian nodded and looked at the snow falling from the sky, uncertain whether his decision was right or wrong.
(translated by begs)