"Sword techniques rely on finesse. Our Wan Jian sect has never emphasized raw power," thought Cheng Yuran. If he hadn't been imprisoned and seriously injured, he might not have lost in combat.

Chapter 087: Guidance

Subsequently, Long Qian and Qin Lifei ended up in a stalemate. Long Qian's vast combat experience was no less than Qin Lifei's, and their exchange was filled with near-miss moments, making the onlookers gasp.

Zhou You initially wanted to select two students for his class—one with foundational inner strength, like Cheng Yuran, and another without. Both would follow his teachings to see the differential effects.

Upon hearing about learning inner strength with Zhou You, the rest expressed their eagerness to audit.

"Actually, I'll be publicly streaming this lesson tomorrow morning. If you have other matters, feel free to attend to them. There's no need to rush," Zhou You mentioned. There were aspects of the lesson plan he had yet to finalize. He wanted to gauge their understanding first before deciding on the complexity.

But everyone unanimously proclaimed their availability and eagerness to learn.

Zhou You glanced at the beaming Shao Qi and asked, "Even you have nothing better to do?"

Shao Qi replied, "I genuinely have nothing pressing. Instead of testing the lesson on them, why not test it on me?"

Zhou You believed him, but teaching Shao Qi felt like playing a flute for a cow—it might not be well-received.

The secret manual circulating online had been seen by many present. Some, like Miao Miao and two others, had studied it meticulously. Others, like Cheng Yuran, believed their own sect's teachings were superior.

After hearing about the trial lesson from Zhou You, not only did Cheng Yuran not disdain the idea, but he was also keen and acted like a diligent student.

Zhou You tried to explain his understanding in the simplest terms. He could no longer recall the exact feelings when he first successfully channeled Qi into his body. However, the method he'd refined over the years was certainly superior.

"Ancient martial artists created inner strength techniques because the world's Qi could influence the human body. Due to some unknown changes, the environment altered, ending that era. But the methods were likely similar. Initially, the Qi acts on the muscles, but at this stage, it can't be condensed into inner strength."

"Humans have two major meridians, the Ren and Du channels. Those familiar with martial arts novels know this. Having Qi flow smoothly through these channels and throughout the body is crucial. Once it completes a cycle, the Qi sinks into the Dantian, gathering there. The more it accumulates, the stronger one's inner power, and the more one can harness."

Everyone felt it was straightforward. They could sense and internalize Qi, otherwise, they wouldn't have undergone a second growth spurt. But, they struggled with concepts like meridians and Dantian, some even unaware of the Dantian's location.

When Cheng Yuran learned inner strength, no one in his sect could elucidate the manual clearly. He relied on his intuition, and his innate inner strength elevated his swordsmanship. Even if he wasn't the strongest then, he had the most potential.

Zhou You approached Zhuo Hao, grasped his hand, and said, "I will guide the Qi to circulate within you for one cycle and then converge in your Dantian. Focus and feel its path. You should soon be able to cultivate on your own."

As Zhuo Hao nodded, a tingling sensation emerged from his palm. Almost instantly, he felt the cool Qi trace the path Zhou You described. Before he could grasp the full sensation, warmth emerged from a spot in his lower abdomen. Closing his eyes, he memorized the sensation and began emulating Zhou You's hand gestures. Familiar Qi enveloped him, but as Zhou You mentioned, it merely lingered on the surface of his muscles.

A hand landed on his back, and Zhuo Hao almost reflexively retaliated. But once that familiar sensation returned, he realized Zhou You was guiding him.

It was an inexplicable sensation, as if he had an extra set of eyes, seeing the aura flowing within his body, effortlessly returning to his Dantian.

"Stay centered. Drawing aura into the Dantian is fundamental. But ensuring the aura remains within without dissipating, that's the real challenge."

Cheng Yuran nodded subtly in agreement. Every time he meditated, he could only retain a tiny amount of aura, which is why he felt no progress in his inner strength.

The others watched and listened eagerly, starting their own practice. All present, except for Li Yunxi, were experts with some understanding of martial arts. They grasped the concepts quickly, but understanding and success were two different things. After several attempts, they all failed.

They had once contemplated cultivating inner strength, but it seemed too daunting. Now, with Zhou You's detailed explanation, this might be their only chance, and none wanted to miss it.

When it was Cheng Yuran's turn, his hands trembled with excitement. His heart took a long while to calm down. Zhou You, feeling Cheng's rapid heartbeat when holding his hand, thought he was nervous and reassured, "Stay calm. Just channel your inner strength as you usually do, and I'll observe."

Cheng Yuran took a deep breath to steady himself, setting aside the fact that Zhou You held his hand, and went through his regular meditative routine.

The moment Cheng's inner strength gathered, Zhou You sensed it. If Zhou's own inner strength was like a steady stream, Cheng's was akin to drips from a loosely turned tap—too little, too slow.

Zhou You felt the surrounding aura and noticed no significant change. Cheng merely absorbed the existing aura in the air at a normal rate, unlike Zhou and Shao Qi, who could draw a massive amount of aura to themselves during meditation.

"Recite your mantra, and if there's a hand gesture, use it. Use your mental strength to sense the fluctuations of the surrounding aura. The primary function of inner martial arts is to gather aura. A true inner martial arts secret would be a technique that transforms the human body into a massive aura magnet, harnessing the endless energy from the universe."