Chapter 35: Really Interesting (Patreon)

Afterward, Ramsay focused with everything he had.

Bit by bit, he regulated the rhythm of his breathing, making each breath he drew in cling to and guide the faint thread of primal energy within his body.

Step by step, the breath he drew from the outside world finally connected with the primal current that had settled inside him over the past several days, and the two slowly merged. The instant they touched, the two streams fused without the slightest resistance into one warm, lingering current. It followed the steady rhythm of Ramsay's breathing, seeped into the meridians throughout his body, and began to circulate!

The moment he succeeded, Stephen Chow gently pressed his palm against Ramsay's back, lending his own strength to steady the newborn sensation of qi and help Ramsay better control the energy flowing within him!

In the blink of an eye, a thick stream of energy slowly welled up from Stephen Chow's palm and poured, through their joined hands, entirely into Ramsay's body.

Once this guiding internal force took root in his meridians, the inner breath Ramsay himself had kept hidden was instantly and completely awakened. If one could have seen the energy inside him with the naked eye, the surging true qi would have looked like the raging Yellow River, rushing along his meridians and circling again and again without end!

The energy flowed through his limbs and every bone, nourishing sinew, bone, skin and flesh bit by bit. At last it condensed into a pure, gentle power that soaked every inch of his flesh and every organ!

By now, Ramsay's whole body felt scorching hot. A surging, tidal force burst out of his dantian and filled him, as though an endless supply of strength lay hidden within, waiting to be released.

Then Stephen Chow's voice rang out at just the right moment, cutting through the turmoil in his mind.

"Calm your mind first!"

"This is only the first step, drawing qi into the body."

"Next, use your own will to guide the internal qi stored in your five organs and make it flow outward."

"Then learn to breathe in and out the qi of heaven and earth through every pore of your skin. Close your eyes, steady your mind, and take it step by step."

"Only when your pores can breathe on their own and your true qi leaves your body without scattering have you truly mastered projecting internal qi!"

Ramsay did as he was told. He focused, closed his eyes, and began adjusting the rhythm of his breathing. Following the mental method Stephen Chow had taught him, he silently circulated his true qi.

Before long, an invisible current spread from his dantian through his entire body. Tens of thousands of pores opened slightly with each breath, and wisps of inner breath slowly seeped outward!

Who knew how many hours passed before Ramsay slowly opened his eyes.

He raised a hand and threw a light punch. The air erupted with a piercing crack, and the sound of force tearing through the air rang out clearly.

"Ramsay!"

"Your talent is just ridiculous!"

Stephen Chow couldn't help exclaiming aloud at the sight.

"I always thought I was exceptionally gifted. Back when I trained at the Shaolin Temple, the abbot said that mastering the projection of internal qi in three months made me a prodigy the whole temple hadn't seen in a hundred years."

"Who would have thought? In just a few days, you've cleared a hurdle that took me months to break through."

Ramsay chuckled and cupped his fist modestly. "Hehe! It's all thanks to your careful guidance."

"Honestly, I figured it would take at least a few months just to find a clear sense of qi. I never expected progress this fast."

Stephen Chow waved a hand and grinned. "No need to be so modest. You and I simply started from different foundations."

"Back then, I was driven into a corner by the Eighteen Bronzemen taking turns against me. Under the pressure of life and death, I forced out a thick sense of qi in a hurry. You, on the other hand, calmed your mind, felt your way through it, and broke through steadily on your own!"

"Mm! That kind of comprehension is right here in front of me, plain as day!"

With that, he fetched a whole slab of beef weighing about five jin and handed it over.

"Come, try the method of channeling force. Use your will to wrap true qi around your fist, and the moment your knuckles touch the beef, release all the internal qi you've stored up."

Ramsay took the beef and laid it flat on the table. He focused and drove the internal force in his dantian. Wisps of true qi instantly coiled around his fist and finally gathered in his palm.

The next second, he sank his waist, set his stance, and drove a heavy punch forward.

The instant his fist struck the beef, the vast internal qi detonated with a deafening, muffled thud.

The entire slab of beef burst apart on the spot. Fine shreds of minced meat sprayed in every direction and scattered across the table.

Ramsay stared blankly at the meat strewn everywhere, deeply shaken. A whole, intact slab of beef had been pounded into mince by a single heavy punch. This power was far beyond anything he had imagined!

"Mm! With that blow, you've finally seen the true trump card of Kung Fu cuisine, haven't you?"

Stephen Chow smiled at his stunned look. "Next, what you need to do is precisely control the internal qi you project. Simply put, you must learn to release and withdraw it freely and adjust the strength of your force as needed."

"Once you've mastered that, a single punch will shatter only the muscle fascia of the beef without blasting the whole piece apart."

"Beef with its fascia completely broken down will turn tender and flavorful once cooked. That's the finest texture a dish can have."

Ramsay grasped the deeper meaning. With a thought, several wooden dummies appeared out of thin air, and he drilled his force-control technique over and over inside the space!

Time quietly slipped by. After several hours of repeated practice, Ramsay finally mastered his new power completely and could control the strength of his internal qi output as he pleased.

Just as he was about to leave the virtual training space, Stephen Chow gave him a solemn reminder.

"In the lessons ahead, I'll teach you to convert pure internal force into various elemental forces."

"Like my Fire Cloud Palm. It uses a cultivation technique to give internal force the attribute of fire."

"Later, I'll also teach you a water-attribute method. Master it deeply enough and you can condense qi into ice. You won't need a refrigerator. Your own force alone will chill and preserve all sorts of ingredients."

"In short, that's the beauty of Kung Fu cuisine."

"Train with a focused heart, and one day you'll make every opponent tremble before your cooking."

In a flash of light, Ramsay stepped out of the training space. Outside the window, it was already bright daylight.

He got up and washed up quickly, then raised a hand and circulated his internal qi again. An invisible current of true qi flowed out of his body and steadily wrapped around both fists.

"Heh! This is really interesting!"