Su Yu stood atop a giant boulder, his posture upright and straight, while the golden wheel of Merit behind his head emitted a soft yet sacred glow, making him look like a divine being. He looked first at Suiren with a slight smile on his face. "Suiren, your skill in making fire by drilling wood has taken our Human Race a huge step forward. Now, I am going to teach you two extremely powerful martial arts: the Nine Yang Manual and the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. With these, whenever those major and minor demons see you in the future, they will have to walk around you!"
Suiren's face flushed red with excitement, and he said repeatedly, "Brother Su, this is fantastic! I've been looking forward to learning some powerful martial arts to make myself stronger and protect our people!"
Su Yu jumped down to the ground, walked over to Suiren, picked up a twig, and drew a few simple diagrams on the dirt. As he drew, he explained, "This Nine Yang Manual focuses on pure yang energy. When you circulate the spiritual qi within your body, you must imagine that spiritual qi turning into a blazing ball of fire, burning all the way from the soles of your feet to the top of your head, making your entire body feel warm and cozy. That feeling is just like basking under the sun in the dead of summer—just make sure you don't get roasted!" With that, he circulated the Nine Yang Manual himself, a faint golden glow enveloping his entire body, radiating intense heat as if the surrounding air had been ignited instantly.
Suiren tried to copy him and attempted to circulate his spiritual qi, but after a long time, he couldn't find the feeling. He scratched his head in frustration and stammered, "Brother Su, why do I feel like a headless fly, completely clueless?"
Su Yu smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't rush; it's always like this at the beginning. Close your eyes, imagine yourself standing beneath the blazing sun, feel the scorching heat of the sunlight, and then blend that heat into your spiritual qi, slowly guiding it to circulate through your body."
Suiren took a deep breath and followed the instructions. After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes and shouted in pleasant surprise, "Brother Su, I think I feel it! There's a warm current surging inside my body!"
"That's right, exactly like that. Keep it up, practice diligently, and once you master the Nine Yang Manual, you'll be a walking little sun whom no one will dare to underestimate!" Su Yu encouraged him.
Next, Su Yu began to impart the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. He took a few steps back, assumed a stance, and shouted loudly, "Watch closely! This first palm is 'Proud Dragon Repents'!" With that, he raised his right palm high and struck fiercely forward. The palm wind roared like a raging dragon, and the air in front of him seemed to distort from the force of the strike. A small tree not far away was brushed by the palm wind, and its branches rattled as leaves fell in a flurry.
Suiren watched in utter shock, his mouth wide open. "Brother Su, this is way too fierce! I feel like if I learned this, I could flatten that little hill with a single palm strike!"
Su Yu smiled and said, "Every move of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms contains immense power, but you can't use it blindly—you must use it where it counts. Come, give it a try."
Suiren mimicked Su Yu's posture and threw out a palm strike, but his blow was soft and powerless, failing to stir even the air directly in front of him. He looked somewhat discouraged. "Brother Su, why is mine so far off?"
"Don't be discouraged; this skill can't be mastered overnight. You need to gather all the spiritual qi in your body into your palm, imagine your hand as a dragon's claw full of power, and then strike out fiercely." Su Yu instructed patiently.
After multiple attempts, Suiren finally managed to execute a decent "Proud Dragon Repents." Although its power was nowhere near Su Yu's, it still earned cheers from the surrounding tribesmen.
Having finished teaching Suiren, Su Yu walked over to Youchao. "Youchao, you built tree-nests and provided a safe dwelling for the tribe, and that is no small contribution. Now, I want to teach you the Lesser Wudang Kung Fu and the Six Meridians Divine Sword. With these two arts, you'll have no problem flying around in the air just like a bird."
Youchao trembled slightly with excitement. "Brother Su, really?"
Su Yu nodded. "That's right! This Lesser Wudang Kung Fu allows you to mimic various martial arts and also enhances your inner strength. Look, when you circulate your spiritual qi, it's like turning the qi into little sprites dancing happily through all the meridians of your body." As he spoke, Su Yu circulated the Lesser Wudang Kung Fu, emitting a strange glow from his body as the trajectory of the spiritual qi flowing within him became faintly visible.
Youchao tried to follow along, but as soon as his spiritual qi began to circulate, it acted like a wild horse breaking free from its reins, completely out of control. With a wry face, he said, "Brother Su, these little sprites are too mischievous; I can't control them at all!"
Su Yu smiled. "Don't worry, take it slow. Try using your intent to guide them first, getting familiar with the route bit by bit, just like leading a group of children across the street—you need patience."
Under Su Yu's careful guidance, Youchao gradually grasped the knack of the Lesser Wudang Kung Fu, and the circulation of spiritual qi inside his body became increasingly smooth.
Next, Su Yu began to teach the Six Meridians Divine Sword. He extended his right index finger, and a sharp sword qi shot from his fingertip, whistling through the air into the distance and leaving a deep gash on a giant boulder. "See that? This is the Six Meridians Divine Sword, shooting sword qi from the fingertip to kill without being seen. What you need to do is compress the spiritual qi in your body to your fingertip and then release it instantly."
Youchao's eyes widened. "Brother Su, this is simply amazing! I feel like once I learn this, I won't even need to climb trees to pick fruit anymore—I can just shoot them down with sword qi!"
Su Yu was amused by his words. "That's an interesting idea, but the Six Meridians Divine Sword is primarily meant for combat. Come, give it a try."
Youchao concentrated hard and tried to gather his spiritual qi, but after several attempts, he only managed to shoot out a few weak wisps of air. He looked somewhat disheartened. "Brother Su, am I just too slow? Why can't I shoot it out?"
"Don't say that; this art is naturally difficult. You need to be more focused and concentrate all your strength on your fingertip." Su Yu encouraged him.
After some effort, Youchao finally managed to successfully shoot out a streak of sword qi. Although the power was modest, it still filled him with excitement.
Finally, Su Yu walked over to Zhiyi. "Zhiyi, the clothes you made have spared the people from the suffering of the cold. Now, I am going to teach you the Nine Yin Manual and the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hands. Once you master these two arts, you will be able to protect not only yourself but also those around you."
Zhiyi's eyes sparkled. "Brother Su, thank you so much! I will definitely study hard."
Su Yu said, "This Nine Yin Manual is an extremely yin martial art. When practicing it, you must feel the spiritual qi in your body as falling snowflakes, slowly drifting down and condensing into a cold force within your meridians." As he spoke, he circulated the Nine Yin Manual; the surrounding air instantly turned frigid, and a thin layer of frost even formed on the ground.
Zhiyi tried to circulate her spiritual qi, but the sensation inside her body was entirely different from what Su Yu had described. Perplexed, she said, "Brother Su, why does my spiritual qi feel like a tangled ball of yarn, all knotted together?"
Su Yu smiled. "Don't panic; this is normal. You need to calm your mind, slowly untangle the spiritual qi, and guide them according to the pathways of the Nine Yin Manual. It's just like sorting out a messy ball of yarn—you have to untangle it strand by strand."
With Su Yu's help, Zhiyi gradually grasped the introductory secrets of the Nine Yin Manual.
Next, Su Yu taught the Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hands. He extended his hands and made a few gentle, empty grabs in the air. His movements were light and graceful, yet a rushing sound echoed through the air as if an invisible force was surging. "These Tianshan Plum-Plucking Hands can catch an opponent's attack and also borrow their strength to strike back. Look, when you make a move, it's just like picking plum blossoms—gentle yet concealing hidden power."
Zhiyi imitated Su Yu's movements, but she always struggled to get the force and angle right. She grew somewhat anxious. "Brother Su, why can't I ever seem to catch it?"
Su Yu said, "Don't rush; this art relies on clever force. You need to sense the direction of your opponent's strength and then grab along that direction, just like going with the flow of the current. Practice more, and you'll definitely get the hang of it."