Chapter 178 Decline

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Li Jingang's words were unclear, but Sun Yunxiang couldn't ask for more, because in the end, it was just two words, "confidential."

Because of the secrecy, Li Jingang himself didn't understand what exactly was happening. Apart from knowing his brother was more skilled than him, he really knew nothing at all.

However, Sun Yunxiang was full of admiration.

"How old is your brother?"

"One year younger than me."

Sun Yunxiang was extremely emotional, and said, "One year younger than you and able to achieve Inner and Outer Connection, that's really impressive, hmm, impressive. But, on the other hand, if your brother really achieved Inner and Outer Connection, then there is truly a successor. But why did he go abroad then? Such a pity, such a pity! However, on the other hand, it's not possible to achieve this level without going abroad, sigh, maybe that's for the best..."

Sun Yunxiang seemed very dejected, both happy and a bit pained, with his pain tinged with some consolation.

General Luo was puzzled and he whispered, "Doctor Sun, what do you mean by that?"

Sun Yunxiang whispered back, "I started practicing martial arts at the age of six, and I'm seventy-six this year. I've practiced for seventy years. When did I transition from external to internal and truly master the essence of the 'inner' in Internal Martial Arts? I'll tell you, it was when I was forty-seven years old. It took me over forty years to barely touch the threshold of Inner Strength."

Li Jingang whispered back in awe, "That's also very impressive, even my dad never touched upon Inner Strength in his lifetime."

Sun Yunxiang said with a dejected face, "How many can achieve it? In my generation, I don't know anyone who really achieved Inner Strength. Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua; the so-called three major Internal Martial Arts, and not one of their many successors has attained Inner Strength. Can we still call them Internal Martial Arts?"

Shi Lei whispered, "I saw an old lady on TV, with just a light touch, a line of people fell down..."

Sun Yunxiang immediately said, "That's cheating fools! Anyone who believes it is a fool. The reputation of traditional martial arts has been tarnished by these bastards. It's clearly a trick to dupe fools, yet some people believe it. What can we do about it?"

After being quite blunt with Shi Lei, Sun Yunxiang said helplessly, "The real skills passed down from our ancestors are going to be lost, gone, extinct, sigh..."

A long sigh conveyed his immense helplessness.

General Luo coughed lightly and said, "But we can't call it entirely lost, can we? Young people like King Kong, aren't they passing it on well?"

Sun Yunxiang said with a cold face, "Yes, that's why I praised him, didn't I? In the past twenty to thirty years, I haven't seen a young person practice to his level. But how many are there? How many? I've traveled all over the country and met only one Li Jingang. Where are the rest? The successors? Gone! How many can touch upon the real skill? Now the charlatans have the run of the place, and the real skill..."

Sun Yunxiang shook his head again, a face full of helplessness as he said, "There's no environment for it."

General Luo, still not understanding, said, "What do you mean? Isn't the country vigorously promoting the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage?"

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Sun Yunxiang forced a smile and said, "Promote? What are we promoting? It's a sport, understand? From the founding of the country, martial arts was positioned as a sport, but what is true martial arts? Martial arts is a killing art! At its core, martial arts is a killing technique, not a sport, and it's not something to be brought onto a ring for competition."

"Combat sports..."

Sun Yunxiang said with a helpless face, "It's not that combat sports are no good, but they're far below the upper limit of martial arts, and the times have changed. With the rise of guns, martial arts have declined. In the past, people practiced martial arts for self-protection, to survive, to make a living, to guard their homes, escort goods, teach pupils, and even if they couldn't perform for the court, they could still make a living among the common folk. But now, what truly severed the roots of martial arts was national policy. Now, martial arts is sport, it's gymnastics, it's empty forms. As for combat sports, they can be brought to a ring for competition, but combat sports are not martial arts."

He sighed softly and continued, "Martial arts are mysterious, not as magical as in wuxia novels and movies, but can combat sports that barely scratch the surface truly compare to real martial arts? Let me put it this way, if I strike you with my palm and intend for you to die in a month, you won't last two months. If I decide half a year, you won't die a day earlier. General Luo, do you believe that?"

Sun Yunxiang got excited. What he said was impolite and shouldn't be said, but General Luo still nodded and replied, "I believe."

Sun Yunxiang said mournfully, "Very few have truly mastered it, but if you want to master it, then you must practice. You can't just shut yourself away and practice blindly alone, you need an opponent, to practice with someone, to find people to learn from. Look at those martial arts masters, wasn't each of them traveling and challenging famous experts when they were young? Because only by doing this could they have the chance to face real masters and improve themselves."

General Luo nodded and said, "That's true, I understand."

Sun Yunxiang looked at Li Jingang and said, "He's a soldier. Theoretically, his physical condition should be very good, and his fist techniques should be somewhat useful. Plus, after years of hard practice, he has achieved what he has today. But in the end, he never had the chance to truly utilize his fist techniques, so he is still groping around the exterior methods. But his brother had the opportunity for real combat abroad, so his brother could become a master in martial arts. That's the difference. We don't have such an environment here. If you spar with someone and injure them, you can't afford the compensation..."

Sun Yunxiang was deeply saddened, but General Luo spoke with a serious face, "If that's the case, I'd say it's fine for the transmission of martial arts to decline, even be lost. Think about it, when does martial arts flourish? In chaotic times. Our country is a society governed by law, a stable society governed by law. Isn't the decline of martial arts a sign of the country's strength and stability? If only chaos can breed martial artists, then I think it's better to let martial arts decline."

Sun Yunxiang was stunned for a moment, then he nodded and said in a low voice, "You're right, that's the reasoning. So, hasn't martial arts already declined? By now it has reached the brink of being lost, no, most of the true techniques have already been lost."

Li Jingang said softly, "But now, hasn't it become a chaotic world again..."

The few of them paused, then Sun Yunxiang shook his head, looking dejected, "At this moment, I would rather wish for martial arts to be lost than for this chaos, sigh."

General Luo exhaled and asked, "Doctor Sun, given the current situation, let's focus on Gao Yuan for now, let's not speak of anything more. We can exchange thoughts privately later. Now, I want to know about how long it will take for Gao Yuan to wake up?"

"At least two days."

"That long?"

"Yes, at least that much time. Damage to the Vital Energy isn't so easily recovered. Right, I'll need some herbal medicines. I'll make a list, get them prepared first, and also..."

Sun Yunxiang hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Once Gao Yuan wakes up, I'd like to test just how good his physical condition really is."

At this point, Li Jingang let out a wry smile and said, "Elder Master, let me tell you, his physical condition is so strong it's inhuman. The way I am, he can beat me as if he's just playing."

Sun Yunxiang listened and was actually pleased. He thought about it and said, "Well, then I certainly must witness this for myself."