Chapter 12: Blood Qi

Faced with his father's inquisitive eyes, which looked surprisingly childlike in their curiosity, Su Hao didn't bother being cryptic and directly answered, "A blind person!"

"Why can't a blind person see a doctor?" Wu Yuntian asked, clearly puzzled.

"Because a blind person can't see, so naturally they wouldn't be able to look at a doctor," Su Hao explained with a sigh.

After hearing this, Wu Yuntian fell silent for a long time.

Su Hao couldn't help but worry if his father might be questioning whether he was a fool.

....

Wu Yuntian and Su Hao sat cross-legged, facing each other. One was large and the other small, the contrast between them striking.

After pondering for a moment, Wu Yuntian slowly began to speak. "You want to learn martial arts, but first, you need to understand what 'martial arts' actually is. For the next six months, I'll gradually teach you the basic principles of martial arts. Once you've mastered your own body, we'll begin the real training."

"Humans are different from beasts. Beasts are born with innate strength—it's a natural instinct. But humans gain strength through wisdom. Our ancestors, after long struggles against ferocious beasts, discovered the secret to the beasts' strength—'Blood Qi' . They then developed various kinds of blood qi exercise methods, allowing humans to eventually confront the beasts head-on. These methods are called 'Blood Qi Manuals' or 'Blood Qi Techniques.' They function similarly, with only minor differences."

"As for what Blood Qi is..." Wu Yuntian paused here, glancing at Su Hao, who was listening intently. He seemed to wonder if his young son would understand what he was about to explain.

At that moment, Su Hao looked up and asked, "What is Blood Qi?"

Wu Yuntian chuckled at his hesitation and decided not to hold back any longer. "Xiangwu, raise your hand."

Su Hao did as he was told, lifting his hand.

"Now, why are you able to raise your hand?" Wu Yuntian asked.

Without missing a beat, Su Hao replied, "Because the muscles in my arm contract, pulling up my forearm, which raises my hand."

Wu Yuntian didn't ask how Su Hao knew this but continued his questioning, "And why can muscles contract?"

In his mental Marble Space, an article about muscle contraction popped up, but Su Hao knew that wasn't what his father was really asking. He hesitantly answered, "Because there's energy in the muscles?"

Wu Yuntian nodded in approval, impressed that Su Hao understood the concept of energy. "Exactly. Not just muscles—every part of our body contains energy. It's through this energy that we can walk, jump, and grip."

Pointing to a stone about the size of a basketball nearby, Wu Yuntian said, "Xiangwu, go move that stone over here."

Su Hao's eyes twitched slightly as he glanced at his thin arms and legs, uncertain if he could move it. Nonetheless, he didn't complain. He ran over to the stone and first tried to lift it, failing. He then went behind it, using both hands to push. After straining every bit of strength he had, he managed to roll the stone over to his father.

Wu Yuntian gestured for Su Hao to sit back down and, with one hand, effortlessly picked up the stone. He tossed it up and caught it a few times before asking, "Is the stone heavy?"

Su Hao, enviously eyeing his father's strong arms, nodded honestly. "Yes, it's heavy."

"For you, it's heavy, and you can barely move it. But for me, it's very light," Wu Yuntian said, tossing the stone back to its original spot. "Why do you think that is?"

Su Hao was rendered speechless. He had just pushed that stone all the way over here, only to have his father toss it back like it was nothing? Why go through all that effort if it was just for a question? Begrudgingly, Su Hao followed the logical thread and replied, "Because my arms are weaker, while Father's arms are stronger. In other words, my arm has less energy, and Father's arm has more energy."

He didn't mention age, as he knew that wasn't the point his father was getting at.

Wu Yuntian nodded, "Exactly. My arms have more energy, while yours have less. Now, the energy we've been talking about—let's give it a name: Blood Qi. We can say that the Blood Qi in your arms allows you to lift things. The stronger your Blood Qi, the heavier the things you can lift."

"Got it," Su Hao nodded, indicating his understanding.

At this, Wu Yuntian finally smiled—a rare sight for Su Hao. His father continued, "Now that you understand this, we can move on to the main topic."

Pausing briefly, Wu Yuntian said, "The so-called Blood Qi training method is essentially a way to increase the energy in your body. The more Blood Qi a warrior accumulates, the stronger they become. When a body's energy reaches a certain level, it's even said that one could punch through a mountain."

"Wouldn't that be like a nuclear bomb?" Su Hao thought, his eyes wide with shock. He looked at his father, asking, "Father, have you ever seen a warrior like that?"

Wu Yuntian shook his head, "No, it's just a legend."

Seeing Su Hao's disappointed expression, he explained further, "I'm only telling you that, with enough training, humans have the potential to reach such levels. It's said that the most powerful Mystical-level warriors can achieve this."

Su Hao nodded in acknowledgment. Wu Yuntian then asked, "Then Xiangwu, here's the last question. We use a lot of energy every day during our activities, so where does this energy come from?"

"Eating!" Su Hao immediately answered.

"Exactly!" Wu Yuntian nodded, pleased with the quick answer. "We consume large amounts of food daily, and by converting that food, we gain energy. So, Xiangwu, make sure you eat a lot."

For once, Wu Yuntian's voice held a rare touch of warmth. "Xiangwu, you're the smartest child I've ever met. Even when people begin martial arts training at six, not everyone grasps these concepts so quickly. I hope that in the future, you'll grow to become a powerful warrior for the human race. Perhaps… you might even break through the warrior bloodline shackles."

Curious, Su Hao asked, "What do you mean by 'the warrior bloodline shackles'?"

Wu Yuntian shook his head, "You'll understand in time. But back to the topic of food becoming energy."

"Do you know the chubby kid at the outpost?"

"Yes, I know him."

"Good. The food we eat not only provides us with energy for normal activities but also leaves behind surplus energy. This leftover energy has two possible fates: one, it transforms into Blood Qi, which is highly active and directly boosts strength. The other, it turns into fat, stored in the body, making someone look plumper."

"However, the body's default is to convert the energy into fat because fat can be stored longer. The essence of Blood Qi training is to intercept the energy that would normally become fat and convert it into Blood Qi instead, storing it in the body."

"The chubby kid is an example of failed energy conversion. If you start martial arts training too early but fail to convert the energy, you'll…"

"Get fat!" Su Hao blurted out, his eyebrows twitching at the thought. The possibility of turning into a chubby kid frightened him a bit.

At that moment, Wu Yuntian pulled a booklet from his robe and handed it to Su Hao. "Take this and memorize it. Once you've memorized it, I'll help you understand it."

Su Hao took the book and looked at the title: ≤Nine Palaces Blood Qi Manual≥.

"Sounds like a good name," he thought.