pertwk Page 122
Page 122
Kushina Meiyun said slowly.
"Generally speaking, every martial artist first undergoes extensive training to temper their physique and hone their qi and blood. Then, during the training, they grasp the flow of 'qi' and try to master the power of that flow, which is what you call 'hidden strength'. Once they successfully apply it in practice, they have reached the first stage of 'qi'—'activation'."
"But you, on the other hand, mastered the flow of Qi first and put it into actual combat. You know, it wouldn't be surprising if you accidentally crippled yourself, but you were very lucky."
"Your physique is very special, with ample flowing power for you to use, and your power generation technique is also very proficient. As long as you don't overuse it, you won't hurt yourself."
"But that's not what really surprised me."
Kushina Mikumo suddenly paused, her eyes fixed intently on Yato.
"But... after you accidentally mastered the flow of 'qi' ahead of time, you actually went a step further, no longer simply 'activating' it, but 'continuously activating' it. Do you know what that means?"
"Did I accidentally walk to my death?"
Yato was a little nervous.
"...It seems I need to explain some basic knowledge about 'qi' to you first."
Kushinada Mikumo found it somewhat amusing.
"The cultivation of Qi is mainly divided into three stages—"
"First, [launch]. I just explained that."
"Second, [development]. This refers to maintaining openness on the basis of initiation, just like in the end of our contest, you used openness to counteract your attack."
"Third, [Mastery]. Reaching this stage means you've taken the first steps into the realm of an expert."
"And your 'hidden strength' can be activated continuously, which means that you have reached the second stage to some extent... I really don't know what to say to you."
"...Could it be related to my underwater training?"
It turned out to be good news, not bad news.
Yato breathed a sigh of relief, then a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Underwater training is a special training method based on modern scientific theory and combined with ancient martial arts training techniques. It can hone strength while strengthening the body and mind in all aspects.
Muscles, willpower, cardiopulmonary function...
He mastered the continuous activation of 'hidden strength' while practicing underwater.
This is probably because the cardiopulmonary function has become more tolerant, which makes the process of activating internal force easier and less burdensome, and increases the output time without changing the output.
"In short, although you have never undergone the training of 'qi', you have already mastered some of the techniques of the first and second stages, and these two stages are no longer difficult for you."
Kushina Mikumo's tone seemed casual, as if she were just mentioning a trivial matter, but her beautiful eyes revealed a strong interest. She seemed eager to see Yato grow up, or perhaps she was looking forward to the new surprises Yato would bring her during his training.
"Can we let the Qi and blood interfere with the heart and control its function? I'll give it a try first."
Having witnessed Kushinada Mikumo's 'True Qi Protection', Yato also yearns for this power that he has already mastered half of.
"and many more."
Kushinada Miku interrupted.
Her expression was slightly serious.
"Although I'm the one who gave you the method, I'm not going to let you do it yourself."
Using Qi and blood to improve heart function is like having someone jump up by stepping on their right foot with their left.
It is both dangerous and absurd.
think about it.
Controlling Qi and blood requires exquisite techniques. Even if one could interfere with the heart's function, could the blood supply process remain stable the moment the heart changes?
Once the flow of Qi and blood becomes volatile, the intervention will cease.
It's not that it doesn't work; the key issue is what if you accidentally use too much and your blood and qi flow in reverse, causing your heart to burst?
As the one who provided the method, Kushinada Mikumo naturally understood the risks involved.
"As I envision it, it would be best if I repeatedly cut off the blood circulation around your heart, allowing you to gradually master its function as your heart 'reboots' repeatedly, naturally achieving 'unblocked energy channels.' Although it's a bit dangerous, it's at least highly feasible and much better than you doing it recklessly on your own."
"No matter how you look at it, this is just too exaggerated."
Yato's face looked a little stiff.
Miyun Kushinada's approach is actually based on the same medical principles as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
When a person's heart stops beating, various methods are used to revive the heart.
Although it sounds easy, for the person being saved, it's like being pulled back from the brink of death, and the experience is simply indescribable.
Once the heart stops beating and blood circulation is interrupted, a person will fall into a coma. Therefore, to understand the blood circulation patterns of the heart, one must wake up immediately after the heartbeat is revived and feel the changes brought about by the 'restart'. This process is extremely short, so it needs to be repeated many times to become completely familiar with and master it.
Once he achieves this, he can naturally use his Qi and blood to interfere with his heart, connecting Qi and blood, and directly reaching the first stage of Qi cultivation.
"Well, Master Meiyun... I think we should try my method first."
"Your method?"
Kushinada Miku's expression was suspicious.
Chapter 158
Half an hour later, the not-so-bright, standard-sized suite of about 100 square meters became noticeably warmer.
Yato stood at one end of the room.
Facing the wall, practice the stance training.
As if asleep, there was no ripple in my heart.
But contrary to his spirit, his body was 'boiling'.
The shirtless, muscular upper body was a breathtaking crimson red, every muscle bulging and contracting with each heartbeat due to excessive blood flow, and the surface of the body was covered with bulging blood vessels and veins, making it impossible to distinguish between the two.
It was as if an invisible net was tightly binding him, while he was constantly exerting his strength to break free. The opposing force generated by this process of mutual restraint stimulated his bodily functions, resulting in the desperate power to break through the limits!
The sound of his heartbeat, like a drumbeat, echoed in the silent room.
Each strike was so powerful, and the frequency was far more intense than ever before, making one worry that their heart might give out at any moment.
After an unknown amount of time, Yato opened his eyes.
It was as if a bolt of lightning had flashed, instantly illuminating the entire room.
He spread his hands out and clasped them together in front of his chest.
This is not chanting scriptures or reciting Buddhist mantras, but rather a modern, popular form of static exercise without equipment.
Use both arms to push the other hand away.
The muscles trembled with an imperceptible amplitude.
However, his hand remained completely still.
It was as if the clasped hands had become one.
So where did all that power go?
The answer is the heart.
Yato can only use 'hidden power' with his hands, so he has to use his hands to exert force into his body, thereby interfering with his heart function.
Soon, visible changes appeared on his body.
Body surface temperature is decreasing.
The skin gradually lost its congestion.
The heartbeat also slowed down in both frequency and intensity.
It seems to have returned to its original state.
However, a gurgling sound, like flowing water, could be heard emanating from the inside of his body, along with a faint whistling sound, like the wind!
Everything seems so unreal.
But this is precisely the sign of 'open flow of Qi'!
Yato's unique "hidden strength" relies on converting the heat generated by blood circulation and sugar breakdown into special kinetic energy. However, he no longer needs to convert it. After the blood circulation changes, every bit of inertial force generated by the blood flow is genuine "hidden strength," or you could say, "qi."
If he had only trained his body to be the hardware for fighting, then from this moment on, his internal organs, especially his heart, were also completely trained to be the software for fighting!
From the outside in, body and mind become one.
The so-called "returning to one's original nature after birth" is nothing more than this.
Compared to now, Yato felt that his past self was like a skinny dwarf wearing a large suit of armor. Although he was able to operate the large suit of armor perfectly using special techniques, he was still not 'fitted and free' enough.
No matter how refined your skills are, sometimes you'll feel powerless. But now that feeling has vanished without you even realizing it, replaced by a wonderful experience of feeling like you can do anything.
There was no longer a thin, short manipulator, nor large suits of armor.
You are who you are.
An individual more agile than the manipulator, larger and stronger than the armor.
You can control everything you own as you please.
Yato tentatively flicked his finger.
A special kinetic energy called 'Qi' instantly reaches the fingertips and is propelled out with the movement.
The next second, a hole appeared in the wall.
It looked like it had been shot out.
"It seems to be no different from the Tempest Kick..."
Yato fell into deep thought.
The nature of 'qi' is not as mysterious as magic or true qi. The difference between it and the Tempest Kick is that one is transformed within the body, while the other is transformed outside the body.
The storm kick shattered the air, creating a vacuum blade.
Qi itself is the 'impact force' generated by the movement of blood in conjunction with the exertion of muscles, which is then released.
But that alone is already pretty awesome.
It can be described as a technique 'in the realm of superhumans'.
Once anyone learns Qi, it's equivalent to possessing power beyond the human body.
As one's mastery of Qi deepens, this power will also grow stronger.
"Congratulations, you are now a true martial artist."
Kushinada Mikumo, who had been quietly waiting in a corner of the room, spoke softly at this moment.
"You taught me very well."
Yato, whose strength had greatly improved, was in a very good mood.
"...No, I just moved my mouth."
Kushinada Mikumo had mixed feelings.
“This level of ‘teaching’ is something that any martial artist with ‘qi’ could do, let alone an expert.”
"That's what they say, but I can't find them now."
Yato shrugged.
"Alright, enough with the pretty words. Tell me about your technique." Kushina Mikumo waved her hand impatiently and narrowed her eyes, saying, "That technique that makes your heart beat faster and forcibly enhances your physical abilities, it can't be your own talent, can it? I can see that it has strong artificial traces."
"This is called 'Divine Possession,' a technique I just learned from someone else."
Yato explained.
The principle of [Divine Power] is to accelerate blood supply to the heart and enhance overall physical fitness, but this power that exceeds the limit is too violent and difficult to control, and it will also affect one's own power generation, so it was not used when competing with Kushinada Mikumo.
But that doesn't mean this tactic has no value.
At least I just gave him a lot of help.
Since the power of "divine intervention" originates from the heart, conversely, as long as one can fully adapt to and control this power, one can indirectly control the heart's function and minimize the risk of subsequent "blood and qi interference".
In fact, the result was as smooth as he had expected, everything seemed to fall into place naturally, without any mistakes along the way. If there was any problem, it would be...