Atlas of Heaven and Earth-Chapter 9: The Great Loose Hand

Chen Chuan, hearing Yu Gang's call, also came to the center of the field and stood in front of Yu Gang.

Lu Ke, who was training on the side, slowed down his pace and glanced over.

Yu Gang stood there expressionlessly, not urging with words, but Chen Chuan felt an invisible pressure as if reminding him to act quickly.

He instinctively used the breathing technique, clenched his fist, and then punched towards Yu Gang's chest. With a bang, it felt like hitting a thick tire, with a shock force coming back, causing him to step back a few steps.

Yu Gang commented without hesitation: "The punching posture is that of an amateur among amateurs, the strength is insufficient, and the speed is as slow as a snail. Any trainee who has been trained for a month can easily knock you down. You can't pass the entrance exam like this, not even with connections."

Lu Ke, sitting on the side, watched with a slight curl at the corner of his mouth.

Yu Gang, looking at Chen Chuan's calm expression, added: "But it seems you're holding back. Use your full strength, otherwise, I can't arrange a plan based on your actual situation."

Chen Chuan knew that during the training process, he would inevitably show the power of the Second Self, so he decided not to hold back this time.

So he took a breath and walked back to his original position. He shouted lowly and punched again, and this time, the Second Self standing behind him instantly overlapped with him. With a bang, the same shock force came, and he stepped back several steps again, but everyone could feel that this punch was quite powerful.

Lu Ke couldn't help but sit up a bit.

Yu Gang still stood motionless, but there was some surprise in his eyes, thinking to himself: "Talent..." He commented: "This time it looks a bit better. Correct the force, and if the breathing is well coordinated, the striking power can be further improved. Hmm, in that case..."

He seemed to be considering, and after a while, as if he had sorted out his thoughts, he said: "The current combat system can be roughly divided into old martial arts and new martial arts. The mainstream in the academy now is new martial arts, focusing on bare-handed strikes, throws, grappling, and other techniques. The training system of new martial arts is practical and reliable, and it is also the most applied, and the mainstream of Wuda[-], so we will start with new martial arts."

Chen Chuan heard about the old and new martial arts for the first time. For the purpose of understanding, he asked: "Mr. Yu, are we learning new martial arts now? What about the old martial arts?"Yu Gang said: "Old martial arts are complex and varied, but they generally focus on weapon-based combat, with hand-to-hand combat being secondary. This is because martial arts in the old era were not only for fighting people but also for survival.

In the old days, this choice had its necessity. If you were in a life-and-death fight, including hunting wild beasts, would you choose to go unarmed if you had tools?"

Chen Chuan responded decisively: "Of course not."

Yu Gang said: "So the direction of old martial arts is very clear. Many of the hand-to-hand techniques in old martial arts are just complementary exercises for using weapons. Thus, in terms of bare-handed combat, many movements seem redundant and are at a disadvantage compared to new martial arts, which focus purely on bare-handed combat. However, some improved pure bare-handed combat techniques are quite good.

Of course, new martial arts do not mean they do not master weapon combat, but after all, it is separated from bare-handed combat, which is different from the old martial arts that emphasize the combination of weapons and fists.

Alright, the topic has strayed. Let's talk about the present. I will teach you a basic combat technique, known in the folk as "Silian Shou" or "Da San Shou[-]'. The difference lies only in the emphasis on offensive and defensive concepts. There is another set called "Zheng San Shou[-]" that is not taught outside, only allowed to be used after obtaining a martial arts academy certificate. The set I will teach you is the "Da San Shou[-]'. Watch my movements carefully."

He walked to the side and assumed a boxing stance, with one foot in front of the other, his body slightly lowered, light in front and heavy in the back, one hand reaching forward, the other protecting the abdomen.

He said: "This stance is not fixed. Depending on the enemy and the strategy, the stance can vary. For example, when facing someone skilled in grappling, you can lower your center of gravity. When facing someone with swift movement, you can raise your center of gravity to speed up your movement. The hand holding the fist can also change into a finger or palm at any time, depending on how you fight and the level of skill you have mastered." After saying this, he stood up straight and said: "Now you try to do it once."

Chen Chuan walked to the center and assumed a stance similar to Yu Gang's. Yu Gang came over again, corrected his posture, and said: "Don't be so tense, don't raise your head so high, tuck your chin in, and have a sense of protection with both hands..."

Under his guidance, Chen Chuan soon assumed a decent stance. Yu Gang then taught him how to make a fist and hold a palm, how to generate power in simple punches and kicks, and the use of common forward and backward steps."Since the techniques taught at the beginning were not many, after practicing for a whole afternoon, although far from mastering them, Chen Chuan at least remembered them all.

By the afternoon, besides continuing to familiarize himself with these techniques, his main focus was on training various basic skills, all under the strict guidance of Yu Gang. There were breaks for rest and nutrition, and this training continued until around 5 PM, after which he was allowed to run back.

Throughout this process, he did not forget the most important breathing technique. Besides using it fully during the day's training, he also used the Second Self to practice basic breathing techniques at night. This process would continue until the Second Self appeared almost completely virtualized, at which point he would go to bed and rest.

In the following days, he basically maintained this training rhythm. In less than ten days, he was able to perform some techniques from the Da San Shou[-] with relative proficiency.

At the same time, he discovered that once the movements became familiar, whenever he used the breathing technique, he naturally knew how to coordinate the force needed for the moves correctly.

If there was a hitch or the movement was incorrect during the execution, the breath would not flow smoothly. Conversely, once the breath flowed smoothly, the power would correspondingly condense, allowing him to better guide the movements with his breath.

This undoubtedly demonstrated the role of the breathing technique, and it was no wonder that Yu Gang said the breathing technique was the core of the core.

Because he could always feel the gains, he immersed himself fully. Daytime training gradually strengthened his physical condition, allowing him to maintain the breathing technique for longer periods under normal conditions, and the breathing technique in turn promoted the efficiency of training. This state was undoubtedly excellent, and progress was very noticeable.

Moreover, he also discovered that the upper limit of time he could utilize the Second Self was slowly increasing, possibly a positive feedback generated from the training, driven by the sense of pleasure from becoming stronger.

By mid-June, he approached Yu Gang and said, "Mr. Yu, recently I've noticed that after each session of practicing the basic breathing technique, my body slightly heats up. I wonder what the reason for this is?"

Yu Gang seemed somewhat surprised, looking at him intently, and said, "Heating up? After each breathing exercise, are you sure?"

Chen Chuan nodded and said, "I'm quite sure, it's right after each breathing technique session. At first, it was just a slight sensation, but it's become more noticeable these past two days."

Yu Gang asked again, "About how long has this been happening?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "About four or five days."

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Yu Gang couldn't help but cross his arms and ponder deeply.

Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu, is there a problem?"Yu Gang said: "There is no problem, this is a natural phenomenon that occurs with the practice of the breathing technique, but it usually takes some time. I didn't expect it to appear so early in you, it seems you can proceed to the next stage of training ahead of schedule."

The sign of the body heating up during the practice of the breathing technique indicates that the practitioner's body is fully adapting to this breathing rhythm, especially for teenagers whose bodies are fully developed. As they grow older, there will be a longer period of improvement.

However, for ordinary people, this situation often occurs after dozens of days or even a year or two of practicing the breathing technique. Some people may never feel it in their lifetime. And how long has Chen Chuan been practicing?

At most half a month.

He couldn't help but think: "Is it really talent..."

In the afternoon, Yu Gang called Chen Chuan and Lu Ke to him and said: "Chen Chuan, for the next period, you can start combat training. Lu Ke, you will be Chen Chuan's sparring partner, your training can be put on hold for a while."

Lu Ke felt a bit uncomfortable, but he smiled and said: "Okay, master." He also said, "Young Master Chen, if there's anything, just let me know."

Chen Chuan said: "Lu Ke, you're too polite."

From that day on, his training included two-person attack and defense drills, as well as some reaction training under cooperation. Mainly, Lu Ke cooperated with him to further familiarize him with the application of Da San Shou[-] in attack and defense.

After continuing this for seven days, Yu Gang started to let the two try actual combat sparring. To avoid injuries, they naturally wore protective gear and gloves.

But in Wuyi University[-], unless it's weapon teaching or regular sparring, there is no protective gear. So later on, he would gradually remove these protections.

"Today is your first day of combat, so we'll have three rounds, each round is temporarily capped at three minutes, with a five-minute rest in between. I will score, and whoever has fewer points will be responsible for organizing the equipment and cleaning the venue today."

After briefly explaining some precautions, Yu Gang stepped aside and signaled that the two could start.

Chen Chuan and Lu Ke walked to the center, and bowed to each other according to the martial arts etiquette, but before Chen Chuan could completely lower his hands, Lu Ke suddenly threw a punch, heading straight for his chest and abdomen!

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