After giving Chen Chuan a few pointers, Cheng Zitong said, "You are practicing the Zhouyuan Jin technique. Compared to other jin techniques, it has no specialized direction and no prominent expression. In my humble opinion as your teacher, the key is simply to reinforce your foundation.
"Beyond training, that means medicinal supplements. In the past, herbs capable of producing such effects were exceedingly rare and difficult to find. Fortunately, that's not an issue today—it's merely a matter of price. I'll arrange some for you shortly."
He pulled a card from his briefcase and pushed it across to Chen Chuan.
"The remuneration for your two commissions has cleared. I opened an account for you and deposited the funds. You can withdraw and use them whenever you like. If the supplements require extra payment, I'll deduct it directly from there, and let you know if more is needed."
Chen Chuan took the card and said, "Thank you, Teacher."
Cheng Zitong reminded him, "Even though you've grasped the jin technique, remember to use it sparingly. Every use places a certain burden on your body. While medicine can repair it, there's no need to strain yourself unless you encounter genuine danger."
With his Second Self, Chen Chuan was not particularly worried about the bodily strain caused by using jin, but in front of Cheng Zitong, he dutifully acknowledged the advice.
Cheng Zitong's expression turned slightly graver. "Apart from that, even though your mutated tissue has been restrained, we still need to observe it for a few days to see if its growth rate has slowed down. That's crucial, and we should know in a few days."
Chen Chuan said, "I will keep an eye on it and inform you immediately of any changes."
"Don't be overly tense," Cheng Zitong said. "Even if it does grow, it will certainly go through a lull. You don't need to keep yourself wound as tight as before."
Having said this, his expression relaxed considerably. "Now that your jin technique is mastered, I can breathe a sigh of relief as well..." He chuckled. "It's been more than two months since enrollment, and you haven't attended a single open class or invitation class, have you?
"You'd best attend once or twice before the midterms, even if just to go through the motions. Otherwise, your name won't be on any course roster. While it's no major offense, someone might make an issue of it."
Chen Chuan said, "Then I will attend one in the next few days."
With everything necessary addressed, Cheng Zitong took his leave, thoroughly satisfied.
After he left, Chen Chuan took out the alarm clock and carefully checked the time progression. The mastery of Zhouyuan Jin had indeed spurred the growth of his Second Self.
It had increased by a full seven minutes and more! Factoring in the previous piecemeal gains, the total now exceeded a quarter of an hour.
Now that he had mastered the jin technique, he could continue strengthening himself while engaging in more real combat to accumulate even more overlapping time.
After a moment's thought, he stepped outside the dormitory. When he returned, he held two invitation letters for invitation classes.
Time had been too tight before; between necessary commissions and required rest, he had possessed no spare time to waste. Now that Zhouyuan Jin was mastered and Cheng Zitong had brought it up, he could afford to attend a session.
Invitation classes were not restricted to Class A or Class B students; admission depended entirely on the instructor's discretion. However, Class A students generally received invitations, which were sent out roughly a day in advance.
Of the two invitations in hand, one was for tomorrow, while the other was scheduled for this very afternoon. He checked it: it came from an instructor named Xu Wei in the Joint-Locking Division. In that case, he might as well attend this instructor's lecture.
As he turned the card over, however, he spotted a line of small print inside. Reading it, his eyebrows rose slightly.
At noon, he thought to look for Luo Kaiyuan and Feng Xiaoqi to have lunch together, but neither was around. Across the hall, Wei Dong was nowhere to be seen either; they were likely all training with their respective advising instructors. So after eating alone, Chen Chuan returned to the dorm to freshen up, then headed toward the venue designated for the invitation class.
Since entering Wuyi Academy, this was the first time he had walked through the campus in such a relaxed manner, taking in the scenery.
It was now November, and most of the maples along the path had turned red, weaving together a tapestry of gold and crimson. Leaves drifted down from time to time, imbuing the air with a deep autumn atmosphere.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, he arrived at the designated venue—a semi-circular auditorium fronted by a raised lecture stage.
Having arrived relatively early, with roughly twenty minutes until the lecture began, he found an empty seat near the aisle in the middle section and sat down.
Before long, students filed in one after another. Most were female, which was hardly surprising, as the Weaponry and Joint-Locking Divisions had the highest proportion of female students.
Just then, a girl wearing hand wraps, a chin-length bob, and a white training uniform stepped inside. She moved with an agile build and brisk strides, her entrance sparking a flurry of whispers.
"Look, isn't that Guan Yinyin?"
"Yeah, Teacher Guan's daughter. A Class A student. I heard she ranks near the very top among the girls, highly skilled and pretty too. She's only here today because it's Teacher Xu's class; otherwise, Class A students who have personal advisors wouldn't bother coming."
"What's so special about Class A students? Look over there—isn't that tall guy also a Class A student?"
"Oh, right, he's a Class A student too."
Chen Chuan's five senses had grown extraordinarily sharp ever since he began his cultivation, and mastering the jin technique had honed them further. Knowing they were talking about him, he paid it little mind.
Soon, however, he felt a gaze settle upon him. Looking over immediately, his eyes met a pair of clear, vivid black eyes. It was Guan Yinyin looking his way. He offered a polite nod in greeting.
Guan Yinyin returned the nod just as politely, exchanging a brief greeting between two Class A students.
As more students trickled in, the starting time drew near. A young instructor in his early thirties walked up onto the stage. This was presumably Teacher Xu Wei. His knuckles were thick and broad, conveying an impression of formidable strength, and his gaze was piercing, striking like needles whenever he looked at someone.
Xu Wei swept his gaze across the room, lingering ever so briefly as his eyes passed over Chen Chuan before quickly looking away. After a brief self-introduction, he began his lecture.
The class primarily addressed how joint-locking coordinated with other striking styles. Xu Wei's language was concise and forceful, his explanations clear and precise, making the concepts easily graspable.
Theory alone was dry, however, and difficult to comprehend deeply or retain in a single pass. Thus, he called several students onto the stage to assist with demonstrations. The session proceeded smoothly, and more than half the class soon elapsed.
Xu Wei then said, "Hard joint-locking coordinates most frequently with Sanshou, typically striking before seizing. But when it comes to submission holds, pairing them with grappling on the tournament stage is far more effective. Therefore, today we have invited Qiu Xin from the Grappling Division. He is also a graduate of our Wuyi Academy and is here today as my special assistant."
With that, he began to applaud, and the students below clapped along. Moments later, a tall, burly young man stepped up from the side. He appeared to be in his early twenties, broad-framed and solidly built. His feet stepped lightly and silently across the floor like tapered wedges, giving the impression of a large, remarkably resilient rubber ball buoyed upon the surface of water.
Qiu Xin first bowed to the audience, then said, "It is my privilege to assist in Teacher Xu's class today. I am not an instructor and do not excel at lectures, so for a clear demonstration, I will need a student to come up and assist me."
"I'll do it," a crisp voice rang out. Guan Yinyin stood up and said, "I'll assist Assistant Qiu."
Qiu Xin looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. His gaze drifted seemingly at random toward Chen Chuan. "Classmate over there, would it be convenient for you to come up and assist?"
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "Certainly." He rose from his seat and walked up to the stage along the aisle under the gaze of the surrounding students.
Guan Yinyin glanced at him and sat back down.
Chen Chuan came before Qiu Xin and asked, "Assistant Qiu, how would you like me to cooperate?"
Qiu Xin replied, "Just a simple demonstration. Regular students might not know how to protect themselves properly, but I trust that won't be an issue for you."
"In that case," Chen Chuan said after a pause, "I also have a few questions regarding grappling practice, and would like to ask Assistant Qiu for guidance on some techniques afterward. Would that be all right?"
Qiu Xin readily agreed. "Of course that's fine."
With their exchange concluded, Xu Wei stepped back to clear the stage for the two of them. The students below watched with keen interest; many were new recruits who had never witnessed the true strength of a Class A student, and this presented a rare opportunity.
Qiu Xin stepped forward, gripping Chen Chuan by the shoulder and waist. "Don't move. Just like this. I'm going to demonstrate the spinning ground-slam throw. Classmate Chen, be sure to protect yourself."
Chen Chuan simply looked at him calmly.
The moment he finished speaking, Qiu Xin's eyes abruptly turned cold. His fingers clamped down, and a surge of jin abruptly penetrated into Chen Chuan's body. Keeping the hand on Chen Chuan's shoulder fixed in place, he spun sharply behind Chen Chuan, scooped upward with his other hand to lift his entire body into the air, and slammed him downward toward the floor!
The stage shuddered violently. The students below gasped in shock, several crying out in alarm, while Guan Yinyin's brows drew together.
Qiu Xin seemed to freeze in place, appearing frantic as he took two steps forward and called out to Xu Wei, "Teacher Xu, I think I used too much force! Call medical staff, quickly!"
Yet Xu Wei's expression seemed peculiar. He stood there in complete silence, while the students below were eerily hushed.
Qiu Xin glanced around, as if realizing something, and took a step back.
Right behind him, Chen Chuan's figure slowly rose to his feet. Straightening his cuffs with one hand, he said calmly, "Assistant Qiu, it seems you used too little strength."
Chapter 66