Cheng Suyan found the explanation enlightening. He always knew his internal energy cultivation was lacking. The Wan Sword Sect's internal cultivation manual had missing pages, which limited his understanding.

Lost in thought, Cheng Suyan suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy entering from his palm. He quickly refocused, accelerating his internal energy cycles. He could feel a fuller presence at his core, but once he halted his practice, the energy began to dissipate, some being retained by his muscles and the rest returning to the atmosphere.

Zhou You noticed the issue. After withdrawing, he said to Cheng Suyan, "I believe there's a flaw in your technique. It seems incomplete. Discuss this with your sect, perhaps find a more comprehensive technique."

Opening his eyes excitedly, Cheng Suyan said, "Mr. Zhou, let me try the new technique you taught. I still have the task you assigned."

"Alright, give it a shot," Zhou You nodded, then took his hand again.

Shao Qi observed Zhou You guiding each person intently. He had considered this method before, but couldn't transfer spiritual energy for others. Only describing the sensation had proven ineffective.

Nonetheless, he lacked Zhou You's patience to guide others step-by-step, especially through physical touch, which he wasn't fond of.

The cultivation technique chosen by Zhou You was basic and straightforward. Even if mastered, it would only provide a foundational understanding. However, paired with sword techniques, it was beneficial.

Cheng Suyan was aware of this and quickly grasped the essence of the technique. With Zhou You's assistance, he absorbed a vast amount of spiritual energy and directed it to his core. But what should be the next step?

"Regulate your breathing, cultivate according to the method, and focus on refining the spiritual energy within your core. It's essential to integrate your core with your spiritual energy. Only unrefined energy will return to the universe."

"Those with advanced internal energy can refine more energy. This is the result of long-term perseverance in practice. Don't rush. If you can retain even a tenth of the energy, it's a significant achievement."

After finishing his explanation, Zhou You left Cheng Suyan to his own devices and went over to Li Yunxi. She was meditating with her eyes closed. Compared to the others, she could absorb the least spiritual energy but had already identified the location of her core.

By nightfall, everyone had experienced the intricacies of the cultivation technique. Although it was seemingly simple, in practice, it was not. No wonder there are so few internal energy masters in the country.

Worriedly, Zhou You asked, "How many will grasp this when I teach it tomorrow?"

Shao Qi wiped the sweat from Zhou You's forehead and smiled, "Out of hundreds of thousands, if only a few succeed, it would already be a monumental achievement. Did you think mastering internal energy was easy?"

Zhou You sighed, "Indeed, it took me quite some time to grasp the basics. One cannot rush such things. Meditation and internal cultivation are even more tedious than physical training. It's not easy to stay committed for years."

"A master can only show the way; the disciple must walk it. You've done well enough. Martial arts aptitude varies from person to person. Some may struggle their whole lives without mastering it. Do your best; that's all you can do."

The next day, when Zhou You began his lesson, students arrived early. Some thought his previous lectures were just fluff and didn't show up, while others only learned about Zhou You's live broadcast and came early. By the time Zhou You logged in, over half a million viewers were already waiting online.

Due to his popularity, the viewer counts in other instructors' live rooms plummeted. The platform only allows one live room per account at a time.

"He's taking more than his fair share," said the vice-chairman Shi, somberly. The revenue from live broadcasts was tied directly to each faction's interests. Everyone hoped for higher earnings, but they hadn't anticipated Zhou You taking the lion's share.

"What's there to worry about? Being a master doesn't guarantee being a good instructor. Can ordinary people even understand his teachings? He rambled on yesterday. Let's see what he can deliver today. Once people realize his teachings are futile, they'll come back."

Chapter 088: Gratitude Banquet

But evidently, everyone's calculations were off. Not long after the lesson began, every sect leader and every notable martial artist in the base received word: Today, Master Zhou would discuss cultivating inner strength, using the recently leaked secret manual from the Flying Sword Sect as an example.

The majority of the martial arts live stream viewers were ordinary people, with a minority being lower-tier martial artists. For higher-ranked martial artists, they could easily seek teachings from any sect, without the need to watch these basic live streams.

But upon hearing Zhou You would be teaching inner strength, everyone rushed online. Some who didn't have accounts hurriedly registered. Within minutes, Zhou You's live room nearly hit 800,000 viewers, which is noteworthy considering the entire Jiangnan base only had just over a million inhabitants.

Those who attended yesterday's trial class were present too. Everyone had greatly benefited from Zhou You personally guiding them on the circulation of inner power within their Dantian (energy center). They had begun to gather a hint of inner strength, and even Li Yunxi felt she was on the brink of a breakthrough.

Today, they hung onto his every word, recording the lecture where necessary, suspecting this course might become the most popular and valuable nationwide.