When Yu Gang was seated, Chen Chuan could already sense his sheer stature. But when the man stood up, Chen Chuan realized he was easily over two meters tall. Yet his massive frame did not project an overbearing pressure; instead, it conveyed a grounded, steadfast solidity.
Bathed partially in the afternoon light, Yu Gang spoke in his distinctly deep, resonant voice. "For the entrance retest, Wuyi College arranges for an upperclassman to spar against candidates. That has been their standard practice for decades. As long as you can defeat that student, you pass.
"The specific upperclassman is determined only a month before the term officially begins, at which point detailed dossiers are released so candidates can study their opponent. They then have one month to conduct targeted preparation and training. You will need that period too, meaning you effectively have only two months."
"Two months..."
Chen Chuan thought to himself. Even with his Second Self, he could not help feeling a surge of urgency.
Yu Gang continued, "In two months, through ordinary means, closing the gap of ten-plus years of hard work in a mere sixty days is impossible. Which means we can only resort to drastic measures."
Lu Ke piped up softly from the side, "Master, do you mean banned drugs?"
Yu Gang raised his arms and crossed them over his chest, saying in a low voice, "Prohibited drugs that stimulate latent potential are one option, but if you want to walk far along this path, you'd best not touch them. Nor is that what I'm talking about."
He looked at the handsome youth before him. "Chen Chuan, next I will teach you a breathing technique. Pursued with perseverance and cultivated deeply, it can comprehensively enhance your physical constitution. Even mere entry-level mastery will bolster your strike resistance and multiply the effects of your training. If you can master this breathing technique before the bout, passing the retest becomes a real possibility."
Before the exams, Chen Chuan had browsed books on competitive combat, yet this was the first time he had heard of breathing techniques. Curiosity piqued, he asked, "Mr. Yu, is this breathing technique some kind of secret art?"
"It's no secret art," Yu Gang replied. "It's practiced in some of the boxing clubs out there too. Pay your fee, and they'll teach you. But practicing a breathing technique prematurely at too young an age inflicts irreversible harm on the body. To avoid that, students who have trained since childhood usually wait until after enrollment to take it up under the guidance of coaches and instructors. Dangerous though it may be, this breathing technique is currently your only shortcut. What do you say?"
Chen Chuan answered without hesitation, "Please teach me, Mr. Yu!"
Yu Gang gave an approving grunt at his decisive reply. To gain, one had to sacrifice. If a person lacked even this much resolve, whatever training followed would be nothing more than going through the motions.
Still, pretty words meant nothing. It all came down to Chen Chuan's actual performance. The agony of initiating training in the breathing technique was not something ordinary people could endure.
"Your time is short," Yu Gang said. "Every single day must be put to use. Since you're here today, we start right now. Any issues?"
"None at all," Chen Chuan replied firmly.
Yu Gang pulled a ten-yuan Jianzhi note out of his pocket and handed it to Lu Ke. "Go buy five jin of black rat meat. Remember to bring back the change."
"Right away, Master!" Lu Ke took the note, glanced at Chen Chuan, and bolted out the door.
Yu Gang walked to the side, fetched a wooden round stool, and placed it before Chen Chuan. "Come, sit."
Once Chen Chuan took a seat on the stool, Yu Gang spoke in a measured tone. "Sit steady. Relax your breath. Don't tense your muscles, but don't slouch either." As he spoke, he patted Chen Chuan's shoulders, lower back, and spine.
Chen Chuan followed his instructions, gradually letting his entire body loosen up.
Seeing that he had settled into the proper posture, Yu Gang began detailing the specific steps of the breathing technique. As he demonstrated, he had Chen Chuan imitate him, instructing him on how to grasp its cadence—where to rein in, where to ease off, and how to coordinate with the abdomen.
A complete cycle of this breathing technique took over ten minutes. But since parts of it were repetitive, breaking it down revealed it wasn't overly complex. After three or four demonstrations, Chen Chuan had committed it to memory.
Yu Gang then had him try it once on his own, pointing out and correcting mistakes along the way. Once Chen Chuan was thoroughly familiar with the sequence, Yu Gang said, "The key to the breathing technique is not to treat the individual steps as intermittent, disjointed breaths, but as an integrated whole. That is also the hardest part. When your breathing becomes seamless and unified, that's when you've truly mastered it.
"However, everyone is different, and no two people share the exact same breathing rhythm. As a result, when it comes to actual practice, an outsider can hardly help you. You have to find the knack through your own continuous trial and error."
Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu, what does finding the knack feel like?"
Standing before him, Yu Gang said, "I can give you a demonstration. Pay close attention to my breath." With that, he intentionally deepened and accentuated his breathing.
Chen Chuan focused with all his senses and discovered to his surprise that Yu Gang's breathing was smooth, expansive, and deep. At a glance, the rise and fall seemed slight, but probing deeper revealed that it maintained a distinct cadence—a continuous thread strung together by countless minute rhythmic pulsations.
At the same time, his chest, abdomen, and other parts of his body maintained subtle micro-vibrations. Broken down section by section, it was precisely the method he had just taught, but because the transitions were so seamless, on the surface it hardly looked any different from normal breathing.
Yu Gang circulated the breath for a short while before stopping. "Understood?"
Chen Chuan drew in a breath. "I have a general grasp."
Yu Gang said, "The breathing technique is paramount. If you want to go far in combat cultivation, you must master it, and the earlier the better."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I understand, Mr. Yu."
Yu Gang said, "Becoming proficient in breathing is only the first step. The entire breathing technique must be paired with medicinal formulas. The medicine stimulates your vitality and accelerates the flow of your qi and blood, and you then use the breathing technique to channel, connect, and locate the pathways between breath and force. In the parlance of old martial arts, this is called 'suspending the life mechanism.'"
He walked behind a partitioned alcove where clothes were hung, returning with a packet of medicinal powder in hand. "I originally prepared this for Lu Ke, but he gave up after one try. For now, it can be prioritized for you."
Just then, a voice called from outside, "Master, I'm back with the meat!"
Lu Ke ran inside carrying a black bag. Yu Gang took it and opened it; immediately, a pungent, bloody stench wafted out, filling the entire room.
Chen Chuan glanced inside and saw it was full of butchered cuts, the skin black on the surface while the flesh beneath had a normal meaty hue.
Completely oblivious to the stench, Yu Gang nodded. "Good color. Very fresh." He tossed it back to Lu Ke. "Take it and stew it. Call me when it's done."
"Rest easy, Master," Lu Ke said. As he turned, his eyes caught the powder on the table. He paused for a beat, then immediately lowered his head. "Master, I'm heading out."
Yu Gang grunted an acknowledgment. Lu Ke walked out slowly, looking back over his shoulder at the doorway before quickening his pace.
Yu Gang then had Chen Chuan practice the breathing technique one more time. After confirming there wasn't a single flaw, he said, "Right now, your breathing must not become too routine. If it turns into second nature before you begin, grasping the pathways will be exceptionally difficult. That is why we must start training without delay. Are you ready?"
Chen Chuan said, "I'm ready whenever you are, Mr. Yu."
Wasting no time, Yu Gang brought out a bottle of medicinal liquor, poured in the powder, and stirred it into an even paste. He then instructed Chen Chuan to strip off his shirt and trousers and sit relaxed on the stool.
He patted and smeared the dissolved medicinal paste across Chen Chuan's back, then guided him to rub it over his own chest, abdomen, waist, and legs. Finally, he grabbed a clean blanket and tossed it to him, instructing, "Wrap it tight. Don't let the medicinal potency dissipate too fast. This should last about half an hour. Now make the most of your time. Use the breathing technique I just taught you and try to find the pathways."
Chen Chuan's focus sharpened immediately. Forcing himself into the zone, he systematically began guiding his breath according to the technique.
At first, he felt nothing unusual. But after only a moment, needle-like pain pricked across his skin. Visible to the naked eye, his skin flushed crimson, like a boiled lobster.
Truth be told, the pain itself was still bearable, but it proved immensely disruptive. Surging in wave after wave, it grew steadily more intense as the medicine took effect. It made concentrating almost impossible; though his breathing began steadily enough, before long, his rhythm broke down completely.
Chapter 6