A Choice

As Cheng Zitong spoke, he demonstrated the Hunyuan Jin Stake before Chen Chuan, beginning with the Embracing Breath Stance and concluding with the Mountain-Bearing Stance. It was no different from what Yu Gang had shown him that day. Chen Chuan could not tell whose skill was higher, only feeling that Yu Gang's breathing seemed more naturally attuned to this set of stances. Cheng Zitong pressed a hand against his abdomen and said, "The power of Hunyuan Jin originates right here. In the old era, there was the saying 'sink the qi to the dantian'—which meant using the mutated tissue in the dantian as the core to drive the power of the entire body. "Maintaining this area also preserves your center of gravity. That single word, 'sink,' says it all. It anchors the body like ballast. But once it is engaged, tremendous power erupts forth in turn." As Cheng Zitong explained them one by one, Chen Chuan looked through each of the primary arts of jin on display. There were not many, only a dozen or so; the rest were all forms of lesser jin. According to Cheng Zitong, certain types of greater jin were extraordinarily difficult to cultivate and demanded much from one's mutated tissue. Because of this, students could only start with lesser jin or simply focus on them entirely. Usually, it required combining at least two forms of lesser jin to create real combat viability. However, this made one's fighting system rather fragmented. Leaving aside external advantages and comparing strictly human capability, lesser jin fell short of greater jin. Yet humans always found ways to compensate for their shortcomings—especially through tools. With various auxiliary devices to assist them, the gap became far less pronounced. Nowadays, even those who trained in greater jin cultivated a few lesser forms on the side, which could yield miraculous results in critical moments. Chen Chuan walked over to the last row on the right. The bamboo scrolls here were sparse. On the middle shelf lay only a single, solitary bundle. As he approached it, Cheng Zitong watched him with particular attention. Chen Chuan reached out and lifted the bundle from the shelf. Looking at the label, he saw three characters: *Xuanxiang Jin*. He opened it to find densely packed stance illustrations, accompanied by vertical columns of handwritten annotations from past practitioners. *** Meanwhile, inside the administrative office building, Master Gao, Yue Hong, and Bian Feng were gathered in the Admissions Preparation Office. Yue Hong said, "An hour ago, Director Cheng took someone to the Wenguo Hall training gym. He must be preparing to formally instruct him in the arts of jin." Bian Feng asked, "Will he choose that manual?" Yue Hong was optimistic. "Most likely. It is the academy's finest jin manual, complete with handwritten notes from generations of practitioners. Back then... that one was chosen as well." Master Gao said in a deep voice, "The finest? Not necessarily. Only what suits oneself is truly the best." Yue Hong replied, "Master Gao, students often don't know what their true choice should be. They still need guidance from those who came before." Master Gao said, "If Cheng Zitong were here, he would accuse you of speaking purely as a rationalist. We'll know the outcome soon enough." *** At the same time, atop North Peak opposite South Knoll, the recommended students appeared to be engaged in a group activity. One of them was peering through a pair of binoculars toward the other mountain. "Lin Mian, what are you looking at?" Behind him, several recommended students were shooting at humanoid targets with crossbows. Noticing his behavior, one of them glanced back curiously and walked over. "Is there anything worth watching?" Lin Mian stepped back slightly, adjusted the lens, and said, "Did you know? I just heard that Cheng Zitong brought a student to the Wenguo Hall training gym. They're right across from us. Does that ring a bell?" "Wenguo Hall?" The student had seemed casual at first, but then he froze, startled. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "I remember that obnoxious bastard was taken there too back then..." He turned to Senior Jiang nearby and asked, "Brother Jiang, Cheng Zitong brought a student there? What is the school leadership trying to pull?" Senior Jiang calmly wound his crossbow string and chuckled. "Certain people were dissatisfied with what happened two years ago, so the academy administration has always wanted to find someone like that again. They probably pinned their hopes on this new student." The recommended student grew agitated. "Then what do we do? We handled things two years ago. Should we...?" Senior Jiang smiled faintly. "No need to rush. Let's see how things play out first." With that, he raised the crossbow, aimed forward, narrowed his eyes, and lightly pulled the trigger. *Thunk.* The bolt struck dead center into the distant red bullseye. *** Inside the Wenguo Hall training gym, Chen Chuan slowly turned the bamboo slips in his hands. Since he had started browsing the manuals, this was the longest he had spent examining any of them. Cheng Zitong sat quietly nearby, not uttering a word. Chen Chuan could tell from its placement alone that this manual was anything but ordinary, and the descriptions within confirmed it. The scroll detailed only the cultivation methods and key precautions, without specifying which part of the body's mutated tissue would develop. However, judging from the illustrations of the human figure, tattoo-like patterns would appear across the practitioner's chest and back. They seemed to grow clearer and more intricate the deeper one progressed, eventually resembling a wrathful human face. After reading it through, Chen Chuan said, "Master, this jin art is quite unusual." Cheng Zitong said, "Xuanxiang Jin is one of the most profound arts of jin in the entire academy. I've never practiced it and had little contact with it, so I can't say for sure how the mutated tissue develops. All I know is that its barrier to entry is extremely high. Those who chose it in the past have all achieved great things. Before you—about three years ago—another student chose this art..." He seemed deliberately trying to steer the conversation in that direction, but Chen Chuan asked nothing. Instead, he placed the scroll back on the shelf, walked over to the floor mats, sat down, and asked, "Master, are there other arts of jin?" "What?" Cheng Zitong looked surprised. "You don't want to learn Xuanxiang Jin?" Chen Chuan replied frankly, "I feel it isn't suited to me." Cheng Zitong's expression grew complex for a moment, tinged with a hint of regret, yet also appearing somewhat relieved. After a brief pause, he said, "If it doesn't suit you, then so be it. But having looked through so many manuals, did none of them catch your eye?" Chen Chuan glanced toward the shelves. "Are all of the academy's arts of jin kept here?" Cheng Zitong shook his head. "No. There are others that lack distinct characteristics and are fairly common, so there's no need to store them here. Tell me, what kind of jin art are you looking for? I'll help you look." Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then asked, "Is there an art of jin that balances every attribute?" "An art that balances every attribute?" Cheng Zitong was taken aback, his expression turning subtle. "Is that what you have in mind?" Chen Chuan nodded. Cheng Zitong pondered for a while before saying hesitantly, "There is one, actually. It is called Zhouyuan Jin, and it fits your request quite well. But you must understand: while it balances every aspect, balancing everything means being mediocre in everything." His face grew sterner. "Past experience tells us that an adept fighter must specialize in specific strengths and continually hone them. Humans use tools, and certain weaknesses can be completely compensated for with equipment. Furthermore, human energy is finite. Even with mutated tissue, one can only fully enhance a single area of strength. Making a choice like this will only scatter your focus, leaving you with no distinct advantage at all." Chen Chuan considered this and said, "Thank you for the guidance, Master. May I take a look at this manual?" Cheng Zitong sighed. "Fine. I knew you were a student with a mind of your own. Wait here." He stood up, went into a side room, and emerged shortly after holding an old, yellowed printed volume, which he handed over. Chen Chuan took it and flipped through the pages. It was just as Cheng Zitong had described: this art balanced all aspects, prioritizing comprehensiveness above all else. The mutated tissue did not undergo specialization; instead, it formed minute fragments distributed into every corner of the body. If one knew a wide variety of techniques, in theory any form of jin could be imitated to some degree. Yet the practical results would differ by worlds. After all, every greater jin relied on specialized mutated tissue for support; by trying to encompass everything, it might fail to properly sustain even a lesser jin. Just as Cheng Zitong had said, pursuing total versatility would only lead to mediocrity. However, Chen Chuan understood one fundamental truth: the foundation of all techniques lay in physical conditioning. Mutated tissue itself was simply another component of one's physical foundation. If a person's physical attributes far exceeded normal limits, all of those theoretical limitations would cease to matter. And with the Second Self by his side, he firmly believed that continually expanding and reinforcing his own foundation would surpass any specialized technique. Moreover, he could sense that the Second Self was still growing, harboring even greater potential waiting to be tapped. With that thought, he looked up and said earnestly, "Master, this is precisely the art of jin I was looking for."