Third Uncle stared at Jiang Heng for a long time, then finally sighed slightly, "Heng'er, tell me the truth, is it because of your eldest brother that you want to practice Martial Arts?"
Jiang Heng did not speak, but just kept staring at Third Uncle.
"Originally, your father and I discussed it and were preparing to arrange a marriage for you soon, so you could get married early. Then you could have a Zi Si to inherit your father's legacy. Now that you have the intention, there's nothing for me, your Third Uncle, to hide."
Third Uncle shook his head slightly, a mix of emotion and admiration on his Face.
"If only you had been sensible a few years earlier!"
After some more rambling, Third Uncle finally got to the point and began formally teaching Jiang Heng Martial Arts.
"The Dao of Martial Arts is incredibly arduous; one must proceed step by step, without shortcuts or quick successes!
The Dao of Martial Arts has three major stages in total: first is Strength Refining, second is Meridian Refining, and third is Qi Condensation!"
Jiang Heng listened silently, secretly astonished. It was indeed a world with a Martial Arts system.
"Each of these major stages is further divided into three ranks!"
"Third Uncle, am I currently in the lowest rank?"
"No! You haven't even entered a rank!" Third Uncle shook his head mercilessly.
"The first major stage is Strength Refining. Where does strength come from?"
"Is it from the legs, driving the waist and hands?" Jiang Heng pondered for a moment before replying.
Third Uncle was momentarily stunned by Jiang Heng's words, and after a long while, he hesitantly nodded.
"Roughly, you can understand it that way. But strength rises from the ground; the steadier your lower body, the more power you can exert!
Now, start with the horse stance!"
With that, Third Uncle quickly drew back his leg and kicked, making Jiang Heng stumble and almost fall.
Helpless, Jiang Heng had no choice but to start practicing the horse stance, mimicking the movements of the dart agency's escorts nearby.
The horse stance, which seems like the most basic of basics, actually demands a great deal from one's lower body technique when performed correctly.
After only a few minutes, Jiang Heng felt his legs shaking, trembling like willows swaying in the wind. In that instant, Jiang Heng even considered giving up the path of Martial Arts.
He had never been a person who could endure hardship and persevere; on the contrary, idleness and inconsistency were his true nature, and this body was even more frail.
However, just as he was about to give up, a warm current suddenly surged from his Dantian in his abdomen. The current quickly flowed into his legs, making them feel as if they had instantly been soaked in a hot spring.
The warm current, after flowing into his legs, felt like an immense surge of energy, warm and soothing, just like the most meticulous foot massage.
It directly injected ample energy into his legs.
The sore and numb feeling vanished instantly.
He even felt a bit of enjoyment.
Jiang Heng was overjoyed, but he didn't show it immediately.
This meant his conjecture had been confirmed: the warm current in his Dantian actually provided such significant help for practicing Martial Arts.
"Oh, right! Third Uncle, is practicing Martial Arts just about practicing this?"
Feeling his legs filled with strength again, Jiang Heng no longer gritted his teeth and, now with leisure, asked Third Uncle.
"Heng'er, these most basic things are the foundation of the Dao of Martial Arts. Otherwise, no matter how exquisite your Move, without the support of Qi, the Move you perform will be no more effective than a child's, easily defeated!" Third Uncle replied impatiently to Jiang Heng's question.
"What does it mean to enter a rank? Only by entering a rank do various Martial Arts routines like saber techniques and sword techniques gain power. A body like a charging wild ox, with strength Guan throughout, able to gather all its power to a single point, striking with a single punch that possesses half the strength of an ox—that is entering the initial First Rank."
"First Rank?"
"Precisely!" Third Uncle nodded slightly. "The three major stages of Martial Arts have a total of nine ranks, with the Ninth Rank being the highest! However, even the first three ranks of Strength Refining are extremely difficult to achieve. I, your Third Uncle, am currently only a First Rank Martial Artist who has just entered the rank! And that's after more than ten years of hard training!"
"Furthermore, Heng'er, don't look down on this foundation. Why do all Martial Artists need to start with the basics?"
"It's because the horse stance can both temper the lower body and strengthen Qi and blood to nourish the tendons and bones!"
"And strength also rises from the ground; the steadier the lower body, the more concentrated Qi and strength will be!"
"Heng'er, you must refine your foundation daily, but as soon as you feel your legs are unbearably sore, it means your Qi and blood have been consumed by more than half, and you should stop immediately. Otherwise, excessive consumption of Qi and blood can easily cause internal injuries to the body, which would be counterproductive, so further explanation of this consideration is unnecessary!"
"Later, I'll have someone prepare a few prescriptions for replenishing Qi and blood for the kitchen to procure. After each Martial Arts practice, you can take these supplements. This gradual approach will prevent harm to your fundamental health."
Jiang Heng nodded occasionally, but it seemed his situation was a bit special.
"Heng'er, as this is your first time practicing, I imagine the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn will be your limit."
After he finished speaking, time passed bit by bit. When one stick of incense had burned, a smile began to appear on Third Uncle's Face. When two sticks of incense had burned, Third Uncle's smile grew wider, and he nodded frequently.
However, after three sticks of incense had burned, Third Uncle's expression completely changed.
"Heng'er, the Dao of Martial Arts requires a balance of effort and rest. If you can't hold on any longer, don't force yourself for the sake of Face!"
"It's fine, Third Uncle, I actually feel quite comfortable."
"Comfortable?"
Third Uncle fell silent, scrutinizing him with a look as if he were seeing Jiang Heng for the first time.
He truly meant what he said for Jiang Heng's sake. He had seen many people who were training their bodies for the first time, and most could only last about half an hour at most.
However, people like Jiang Heng, who could stand for so long without having trained since childhood, were truly rare, like a Phoenix feather or a Qilin horn.
Nevertheless, wealthy families ate well, and his nephew had never lacked for rich food since childhood. Although Third Uncle found it somewhat surprising, he was not overly worried.
Fortunately, after a few more minutes, Jiang Heng 'finally' couldn't hold on any longer and shakily stood up.
Seeing this, Third Uncle smiled, but inwardly, he let out a long sigh of relief.
"Good, good, good! For Heng'er to be able to last this long on his first try, his Martial Arts Aptitude is truly exceptional. He might even have a chance to enter a rank!"
Third Uncle was very pleased, yet also a little regretful. If such a promising talent had started practicing Martial Arts earlier, he might have... He was more than satisfied with Jiang Heng this time. He had initially thought his nephew, being accustomed to luxury, might give up quickly, but he never expected him to persevere, exceeding his expectations.
He was afraid that a Young Master like his nephew would only take up Martial Arts on a whim, but now it seemed he might truly have some tenacity. Thus, Third Uncle now truly became serious about teaching Jiang Heng Martial Arts.
"Heng'er, don't sit down yet. Walk around slowly to circulate your Qi and blood."
Jiang Heng nodded and began to slowly walk around the central courtyard.
In fact, he could have continued. The warm current in his Dantian was almost constantly nourishing his legs, making Jiang Heng feel like he always had inexhaustible Qi. Standing for so long hadn't tired him at all; on the contrary, he had found it quite enjoyable.