Chapter 47: Metamorphosis
Chen Chuan attempted the breathing technique again in the training room.
He could feel that this day was different from the others. His breathing was working in perfect tandem with his body. He no longer found it difficult to get the other parts of his body to breathe along with him. Instead, everything progressed smoothly.
Still, he had not truly succeeded in mastering the breathing technique yet, because he could not feel his breathing fluctuating like when Cheng Zitong demonstrated it to him.
He recalled what he had felt back then. The fluctuations should have begun somewhere deeper before they slowly engaged the other parts and spread through the entire body. In the end, it caused a resonance with all mutated tissue.
This had to be the respiration node. Its breath set off the fluctuations.
Cheng Zitong had never given a detailed description, but what Chen Chuan sensed that day left a stronger and deeper impression than any words could.
But knowing alone was not enough. Chen Chuan needed to figure out how to master and control it, which was not an easy matter.
He turned to his second self. As he used his breathing technique to guide the growth of the mutated tissue, the parts where he led the mutated tissue blurred out. All of them were messy and not at all orderly.
This meant that while his breathing could guide how the mutated tissue grew in all parts of his body, they were loosely dispersed and did not form an integrated framework. Even though the Respiration Node Breathing Technique was different from the basic breathing technique, Chen Chuan was sure that he was supposed to have everything converge into a single unit.
Mastering the Respiration Node Breathing Technique was not as simple as gaining control over his qi and blood, like what he had done with the basic breathing technique. He needed to use the Respiration Node as a starting point and spread his breathing slowly throughout his entire body to bring everything together.
He remembered that Cheng Zitong had spread his breathing out from his energy center, which was also likely the place that generated refined force.
Yet Chen Chuan believed that this was not fixed. If each person was different, then it only made sense that every part of the body could serve as the starting point to generate refined force. It was the way to be unrestricted. This was his understanding of the breathing technique, and it was what he intended to do.
He first tried to use his energy center as the main respiration node. This was not hard. All he had to do was use the blurred out parts of his second self as a reference and make corrections whenever he wanted.
As he breathed and guided the mutated tissue, the rest of his body gradually integrated together. The fluctuations were weak at first, but as he continued breathing, they gradually spread.
Cheng Zitong was watching him while occasionally taking a sip of tea from his thermos. When he saw the fluctuations, he sat up straight and stared intently.
After Chen Chuan had his breathing fluctuate through his entire body while using his energy center as a respiration node, he did not stop. He attempted to use the other parts of his body as a starting point. Since he could use the blurred out parts as a reference point and since his control over his body had become better, this step went smoothly. After successfully using another part as a starting point, he tried a new one.
As more mutated tissue grew to serve as respiration nodes, the tissue started resonating, as if they were waking up from a slumber. Slowly, his breathing produced a peculiar rhythm.
Cheng Zitong shot to his feet in shock. Then, he went over to Chen Chuan and placed his hand on his back before relaxing to sense his breathing. After a while, his own breathing started fluctuating a little.
He observed Chen Chuan. Did he actually figure out metamorphosis on his own? That’s a more advanced stage of the Respiration Node Breathing Technique! That’s good. He’s good.
He stopped bothering Chen Chuan and took two steps back to wait patiently.
The day continued on.
When Chen Chuan finally stopped practicing the breathing technique and felt a soothing sensation throughout his body, the sun was already setting.
He was stunned. When did it get so late?
Just then, Cheng Zitong said, “Not bad. You’re good, kid. You’ve grasped the basics of the Respiration Node Breathing Technique.”
Chen Chuan looked over. “Mr. Cheng?” Then, he bowed to him. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Over these past few days, whenever he practiced the breathing technique, Cheng Zitong stayed by his side to keep an eye on him. Chen Chuan was sure that Cheng Zitong had stayed the whole day today as well, so he was deeply indebted to him.
“Let’s see. You’ve been practicing this breathing technique for a total of nine days, and you’ve grasped the basics already! You’re really fast. You didn’t take those pills in vain.”
“How long does the average person take to grasp the basics, Mr. Cheng?” Chen Chuan asked.
“The record holder in the university did it in five days, but he was an exception. You can find even faster ones in the whole country, but normally, the fast ones are like you. They take around eight to ten days. The slower ones take a few months to a year. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re slow at picking it up, though. They could have a mentor who doesn’t teach them properly.”
Chen Chuan agreed with it. Aside from his second self and his determination, Cheng Zitong also played a huge role in helping him by taking care of him constantly and making exceptions for him when it came to taking pills and skipping public lessons. He was a responsible mentor who was not rigid either.
“Will my speed at learning the breathing technique affect my training later?” Chen Chuan asked.
Cheng Zitong waved off his concern. “That doesn’t decide anything. It only shows how fast the student can grasp that one technique. You need to learn all sorts of things in martial arts, so you won’t be able to be ahead of everyone else just because of a single talent.
“No matter what you do, the further you progress, the harder it is to improve, and thus, the difference in power between you and your peers will decrease while they catch up to you. These few days are not going to determine how far you will go in your path as a martial artist. So, grasping the basics sooner or later doesn’t really make a difference.”
Chen Chuan nodded in understanding. “Can I start learning refined force now?”
“Yes. You’ve grasped the basics really quickly, so we can begin your training of refined force, which will allow us to truly make your mutated tissue grow in an orderly manner.
“But you’ve just finished grasping the basics. You need to rest and recover, so the results of your training can take root. Coincidentally, all students in the university are having a break tomorrow and the day after. I’ll give you a break tomorrow as well so that you can take care of your personal matters. You’re a Yangzhi City local and have not gone back home since the start of the semester, have you? Go back and visit your family. I’m also going to relax and prepare your new training schedule.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cheng,” Chen Chuan said gratefully.
Cheng Zitong patted his shoulder and laughed. “You’re so polite. By the way, your neighbors have come to visit you a few times. You’re going to be living with them for the next three years, so talk to them and relax for the rest of the evening.”
“Okay,” Chen Chuan said.
“That’s settled, then. I’ll come find you the day after tomorrow.”
“Let me see you off.”
“You don’t have to. Bye, now.”
After Cheng Zitong left, he didn’t go back to rest. Instead, he headed straight to the administrative office. On the way, all the people who saw him greeted him warmly, and he returned their greetings with a smile.
When he reached the admission supervisor’s office, he knocked on the door and smiled at Gao Ping. “Can I come in for tea, Mr. Gao?”
Gao Ping gave him an unimpressed look and said, “Tea leaves are in the cabinet. Get them yourself.”
Cheng Zitong walked over to the cabinet and helped himself to a can of tea leaves. He checked it and gasped, “Wow. The Grand White Phoenix? How very refined, Mr. Gao.”
“It’s not refined at all in front of you, Mr. Vice Director of the Logistics Department. If you have something to say, say it. Don’t beat around the bush. I still have something to do,” Gao Ping grunted.
“It’s about that student. Don’t you want to hear it? Where are the other two? Call them here as well so I won’t have to repeat myself,” Cheng Zitong said.
Gao Ping did not waste any more time chit-chatting. He picked up the phone receiver and called an internal phone extension. “Tell Yue Hong and Bian Feng to come to my office.”
Soon, both Yue Hong and Bian Feng arrived and greeted Gao Ping and Cheng Zitong. “Mr. Gao, Mr. Cheng.”
“Sit down. He has something to say,” Gao Ping ordered.
Yue Hong and Bian Feng exchanged glances before they sat down.
Cheng Zitong sat up straight and cleared his throat. “Senior Brother, since you asked me to become Chen Chuan’s mentor, I came to tell you the results of my mentoring.”
Yue Hong smiled. “Not bad, Mr. Cheng. You got him to improve in just nine days?”
“That’s not all thanks to me. Chen Chuan himself is the main reason behind his success. Under my guidance, Chen Chuan has grasped the basics of the Respiration Node Breathing Technique, and I will now proceed to teaching him how to use refined force.”
“Nine days? That’s fast! Isn’t the record holder for the fastest pick up of the basics of the Respiration Node Breathing Technique only a few days faster?” Yue Hong exclaimed in surprise.
“It looks like his mutated tissue has an unusually high growth potential. He needs to learn refined force as quickly as possible, or the consequences will be dire,” Bian Feng said softly.
Cheng Zitong’s expression turned serious. “Exactly, which is why I came here today to talk to you about it. What direction should his training take, and what sort of refined force should he practice?”