"Because not everyone is suited to practicing internal martial arts. Most people are born without a Qi Sea, so how can they store true energy within it?" Yao Yao chuckled.
"...I have one, don't I?" I quickly asked.
Chu Qi nodded, "You definitely do, otherwise Bai Ze wouldn't have reincarnated into you."
Yao Yao glanced at me with suspicion. I quickly interjected, "It's good that I have one. It's good. But I want to cultivate both internally and externally. Please continue."
"No need to continue," Chu Qi rearranged two bricks. "It's your turn."
"...Two bricks right away?" I frowned and mimicked Yao Yao's stance and method of exertion – she was a martial artist, so her method should be the most logical.
But as I neared the end, I still didn't dare to chop. I performed the full set of movements several times, but stopped at the final hurdle.
Seeing this, Yao Yao became impatient. "Can you do it or not? You're such a weakling. Where did all the spirit and energy go that you had with me last night?"
Chu Qi covered her mouth, giggling, her face flushing. But she quickly regained her composure, lowered her voice, and, with her hands behind her back, said, "Just chop down with all your might, there won't be any problem!"
I focused my attention on the bricks, controlling my left hand, not lifting the bricks to cheat (I instinctively wanted to do that). At the same time, I controlled the demon core of the Bai Ze within my Qi Sea, not transmitting true energy outwards. The demon core seemed to know what I was doing, and was restlessly active. As soon as I had the thought, it would likely send true energy to my arm, perhaps even protecting my palm.
After mustering my energy three times, I finally overcame these two temptations. My left hand steadied, and the demon core quieted. I took a deep breath and brought my palm down!
Crack!
How to describe it? It felt like snapping a cucumber...
"Is it really this easy?" I looked at my palm in disbelief. It was also unharmed; I didn't even feel any pain.
These were two bricks! Before today, I wouldn't have even dared to think about it!
"Come on, add two more!" Yao Yao, never one to shy away from excitement, placed four bricks for me.
Yao Yao had failed when she challenged four bricks earlier. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I probably could. She had almost succeeded, and my arm's dimensions and raw muscle strength were definitely superior to Yao Yao's.
Repeating the previous process, clearing my mind, I jumped up, held the conviction of victory, and brought my palm down!
Crack!
The four bricks broke with a crisp sound. I even felt like there was still some power left!
"Let's try adding two more," I said with a smile, feeling a bit addicted to chopping.
Yao Yao stacked six bricks for me, but Chu Qi removed one.
"Why?" I asked, feeling confident.
"Six bricks is unlikely and could easily injure your hand. Generally, only those who have trained their arm strength, like athletes, can break six or more bricks. Five bricks is already the limit for an average man."
Alright, she was the expert at brick breaking, so I chose to believe her.
Similarly, I easily broke five bricks. The feeling was no different from breaking four.
I looked at Chu Qi doubtfully. She understood my meaning and pouted, "Still don't believe it, huh? Then try six bricks. Don't blame me if you get hurt."
I was wise enough to know when to stop and immediately stopped Yao Yao. "No need to stack them. Listen to advice, and you'll have a full stomach."
Chu Qi nodded deeply. "A teachable student! In learning martial arts, it truly is about listening to advice and having a full stomach, especially with our external martial arts. Alright, now for the second lesson."
"What's the second lesson?" I asked. The first lesson was brick breaking, I presumed.
"Breaking trees," Chu Qi said, pointing to a small tree by the roadside.
"With my hands?" I frowned.
Chu Qi shook her head. "Hands don't have that much power. We use our feet, a sweeping kick. Breaking trees – that's why I need a mountain forest with plenty of trees. If you want to advance from the first level of external martial arts to the second, you'll need to sweep and break at least a hundred large trees..."
"How thick?" I asked.
Chu Qi gestured with her hands, drawing a circle. My heart sank. Thicker than her waist?
Was that even possible?