Chapter Eighteen: The Stratification of True Qi (Part Two)

For Zhao Li, adapting to the use of combat techniques while in motion was an easy matter; it took him only two days to move with complete ease. The real difficulty lay in choosing between the basic body-strengthening technique and the combat technique.

The basic body-strengthening method was currently Zhao Li's greatest pride. Not only could he easily enter a state of meditation, but he had also surpassed the limit of nine cycles through the meridians. At present, Zhao Li had already achieved six sets of nine cycles, an extraordinary accomplishment—perhaps not the last ever, but certainly unprecedented.

However, the combat technique was the kind of method commonly found among civilians for building physical strength, and it was also a necessary skill for Zhao Li’s future service in the military. Yet, whether in terms of the quality of the vital energy produced or the comfort during practice, it could not compare to the basic body-strengthening method.

In truth, the combat technique required attention to all the body’s meridians, and the range of vital energy generated was large. Each time it produced vital energy, its effect was several times stronger than the initial results of the basic method. But after being compressed and refined through six sets of nine cycles, the vital energy produced by the basic method was still superior. Even the vital energy generated by the combat technique had to undergo compression through the basic method before it could fully integrate into the dantian.

Now, within Zhao Li’s dantian, it seemed there were two types of vital energy—one, dense and solid, produced by the basic method; the other, loose and diffuse, generated by the combat technique. These two kinds of energy naturally separated into two layers, the inner being solid, the outer diffuse.

If anyone could see inside Zhao Li’s dantian, they would be astonished to find that it was like a sphere wreathed in mist. The core, dense and solid, was the vital energy from the basic method; the surrounding mist was from the combat technique.

Both types of vital energy were formed within Zhao Li’s body and thus had no conflicting properties. Aside from their density, there was no difference. In fact, the mist-like energy could be compressed by the basic method, becoming refined and merging with the other. Yet some portion stubbornly remained loose and unrefined.

The key issue was that the combat technique could only use the diffuse, mist-like energy, while the basic method could utilize both. Zhao Li had tested this many times, and were it not for that portion of uncompressed energy, practicing the combat technique would have been almost pointless.

This realization frustrated Zhao Li. Judging by the amount of diffuse energy accumulated, he had only a limited supply available for the combat technique. Moreover, in terms of effect, there was little difference between using it and the basic method.

After all, the combat technique was meant for actual battle, while the basic method, though improved by Zhao Li, offered no real advancement in effect beyond providing remarkable physical recovery. The refined vital energy, however, made this recovery astonishing—after one full cycle, Zhao Li would feel no fatigue at all.

To have two distinct types of vital energy coexisting in the dantian without interference or confusion was a phenomenon that, if revealed, few would believe. Zhao Li knew well that if he ever spoke of it, his fate would be confinement, perhaps even dissection.

The secret he had painstakingly hidden since his first year of high school now seemed to demand even more concealment. Fortunately, even the remaining diffuse energy, after compression and refinement, was on par with his teammates, allowing Zhao Li to convincingly imitate the appearance of an ordinary practitioner.

Even more gratifying, the diffuse energy that resisted compression was still stronger than that produced by the combat technique alone. It seemed that during the six sets of nine cycles, the basic method refined all vital energy, including that from the combat technique, though not as thoroughly. Even so, in terms of quality, Zhao Li’s use of the combat technique was by no means inferior.

Practicing the combat technique always required the integration of combat skills. As members of a special unit, Zhao Li and his team focused their training on control and subduing opponents. Whether in unarmed combat or with weapons, this was the guiding principle. Firearms, marksmanship, tactical formations, hand signals, explosive ordnance disposal, gas mask usage, and special vehicle operation were all basic skills required of a soldier, but not the main focus.

The core of their training was riot control, management, and subjugation. Hand-to-hand combat training was standard, utilizing the army’s well-known techniques for restraining opponents. As members of the correctional administration, their primary skill involved the use of the police T-baton.

The police T-baton, a common weapon among police and special forces, was derived from traditional Chinese weaponry, now crafted from steel-reinforced polymer instead of wood. Its elasticity and hardness were ideal, making it extremely effective for restraining suspects.

Zhao Li seemed to have a natural affinity for the T-baton. Though he had never used such a weapon before, once he held his training baton, he knew it was the weapon for him. His future duties required mastery of it, and he appreciated that, unlike firearms, it was not overly lethal.

At least with this weapon, he did not have to worry about accidentally taking a life. Despite being a soldier, Zhao Li had no concept of the brutality of the battlefield. Perhaps he was simply not cut out to be a killing machine.

Training was effortless for Zhao Li. He enjoyed wielding the T-baton, eager to keep it always in hand. He mastered every technique—striking, smashing, rolling, bouncing, blocking, lunging, patting, grappling, hooking, hanging, intercepting—almost instantly. His skills in restraining techniques were so refined that, ignoring the influence of vital energy, even the instructor could not be certain of defeating him.

This delighted Instructor Xiao Qiang all the more. Zhao Li seemed born for this role—a promising talent who deserved special cultivation.

The days of specialized training passed quickly, and the date for the combat technique assessment drew near. As the day approached, all team members trained and practiced with tense anticipation, awaiting the grading and evaluation that would soon arrive.

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