High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices-Chapter 157: Resolute

Zeng Bonan was once the top genius at Honghe First Middle School. He had fought his way to Star Martial through sheer hard work.

But here, in the face of true genius and a vast gulf in resources, the effort he had always taken pride in seemed utterly insignificant.

He had chosen a B-Level Body Refining Technique in a desperate attempt to close the gap, but reality had dealt him a crushing blow.

Xu Wuyi listened quietly without interrupting.

He could understand Zeng Bonan’s feelings.

Back when he chose the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, he probably would have been plagued by self-doubt during the difficult initial phase if not for the confidence the Martial Arts Diligence Record provided.

The difficulty of a B-level Body Refining Technique was far beyond that of a Basic Cultivation Technique; it demanded a certain level of comprehension, a solid foundation, and even a bit of luck.

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you remember when we first started practicing Martial Arts? How long did it take you to achieve a sense of qi with the first form of the Basic Body Refining Technique?"

Zeng Bonan froze, seemingly caught off guard by the question. He thought back. "About... a week, I think?"

"Same here." A smile appeared on Xu Wuyi’s face. "I was at the bottom of the class then. I assume you were, too."

"Yeah." Zeng Bonan nodded, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

He was indeed considered a genius at Honghe First Middle School, but if you went back even further, he hadn’t been a genius there at all.

Even after he was selected for High School Class 1 and became first in Life Energy Level, some teachers still remarked that his talent was merely average, and he had gotten where he was purely through effort.

Back then, the gap between everyone was small enough that he could close it with effort. But now... the disparity was so great it drove him to despair.

But Xu Wuyi looked at him and said, "Back then, we thought a week was incredibly slow. Some of our classmates found it in a single day. But looking back now, was that week of struggling really a waste of time?"

Zeng Bonan was lost in thought.

"The path of Martial Arts isn’t a hundred-meter dash; it’s a marathon," Xu Wuyi said slowly. "A temporary difference in speed doesn’t prove anything. If a B-Level Body Refining Technique were that easy to master at the Entry Level, it wouldn’t deserve its B-level classification."

"Before I started learning the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, I practiced the Basic Body Refining Technique over a hundred times a day. I’ve kept that habit up to this very day..."

As if remembering something, Xu Wuyi added, "When we first fought on the Battle Network, our skill in the Basic Body Refining Technique was pretty similar. What about now? Do you still practice it consistently?"

"I..."

Zeng Bonan looked lost. He did practice the Basic Body Refining Technique, but certainly not as frequently. He might only remember to do it every few days, practicing a few times on a whim.

After all, there were just too many other Martial Arts to practice. A technique like the Basic Body Refining Technique, inefficient and offering almost no returns, had long since been cast aside and forgotten.

"Keep at it," Xu Wuyi said earnestly. "Don’t limit your focus to short-term progress, like one or two months. Sometimes, the path of Martial Arts just requires ’brute-force’ effort. Persevere, and quantitative change will eventually trigger a qualitative one."

"You can’t know what the future holds. The payoff for this persistence might not show up for a year or two, or maybe five, or even ten or twenty years. It might not even show up in your entire lifetime..."

"But it’s the only thing we can do."

"On the path of Martial Arts, effort is everything."

Zeng Bonan listened in a daze, his clenched fists unconsciously loosening a bit.

He recalled his original reason for choosing this B-Level Body Refining Technique: he had been drawn to its ability to temper one’s foundation, embodying the principle of Thick Accumulation and Thin Emission.

’It’s only been a month, and I’m already desperate for success. My mindset has really become unbalanced.’

"I understand..." Zeng Bonan exhaled a long breath, much of the confusion in his eyes clearing away, replaced by a flicker of resolve. "I was too impatient. I was so focused on catching up to you all that I forgot the path I chose is one that requires patient accumulation."

He stood up and gave Xu Wuyi a solemn fist-and-palm salute. "Wuyi, thank you for setting me straight."

Xu Wuyi waved it off with a smile. "We’re old classmates; there’s no need for that. If you’re ever truly lost, you should go talk to the school’s teachers. The university has so many resources, why not use them?"

Zeng Bonan nodded emphatically. "Right!"

After sending off the re-energized Zeng Bonan, Xu Wuyi checked the time and entered the Battle Network.

Today was the last class of Body Refining Basics.

...

His consciousness sank into the Star Martial Battle Network. After the familiar sensation of teleportation, Xu Wuyi appeared in the virtual lecture hall for the Body Refining Basics class.

The huge lecture hall was still packed with students.

Even though the course was about to end, most of the new students maintained their initial diligence, and no one left early.

On the lecture platform, the Teacher Han in charge of Body Refining Basics was unhurriedly explaining the various subtle key points one might encounter during the Body Refining process.

Some of this knowledge Xu Wuyi already understood thanks to Han Mo’s guidance, while other parts confirmed his own experiences.

"Martial Arts cultivation is like building a platform from packed earth; the solidity of the foundation determines the heights one can reach in the future," Han Mo summarized at the end of the course.

"I hope you all will remember the importance of the fundamentals and not overreach. Today marks the end of the Body Refining Basics course. I wish you all great success on your Martial Arts journey!"

As his voice fell, the lecture hall was silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous applause.

Xu Wuyi also rose with the crowd and bowed slightly towards the lecture platform.

The class ended, and everyone began to log out of the Battle Network one by one.

Xu Wuyi didn’t linger, teleporting directly to [Lingyun Small Building - Jiasan].

Inside the bamboo house, the aroma of tea lingered in the air. Han Mo was seated at the tea table, just as always.

"Teacher." Xu Wuyi bowed respectfully and sat down opposite him.

He dispensed with the pleasantries and got straight to the point, clearly and methodically outlining the new problems he had encountered over the past week while cultivating the Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace, along with some of his hazy insights on using Heart Fire.

Han Mo held his teacup, listening quietly, occasionally taking a sip of tea.

Only after Xu Wuyi had finished speaking did he put down his teacup. His gaze fell on Xu Wuyi, and in his usual concise style, he got to the heart of the matter in just a few words.

The process of answering questions and clearing up doubts was, as always, efficient and brief.

In less than twenty minutes, all of Xu Wuyi’s questions had been answered.

Just as he was about to bow and take his leave as usual, Han Mo, in a rare departure from the norm, didn’t immediately dismiss him. Instead, he looked at him and said, "I need to leave the school for a while. I’m heading to the Star Realm Battlefield. I’ll be gone for a month, maybe two."

Xu Wuyi was slightly startled.

’The Star Realm Battlefield...’ That was the front line where the Federation clashed with the Alien Race, a perilous meat grinder of a place. Even for a Quasi-Grandmaster Level expert like Han Mo, venturing deep within was far from safe.

He instinctively wanted to ask something, but seeing the placid calm in Han Mo’s eyes, he swallowed his words. He simply said with great solemnity, "I wish you a safe journey, Teacher, and a swift return."

Han Mo nodded slightly, said no more, and picked up his teacup.

Xu Wuyi knew this was a gesture of dismissal. He bowed respectfully again and exited the bamboo house.