Chapter 65

During this period, Qin Xia'er, apart from repeatedly practicing the few songs Li Pu had given her, also tried to complete her homework during her breaks, leaving her with little time to interact with Li Pu—she had promised her parents that even if she participated in this competition, she would still aim to be among the top students in the final exams of the year.

Li Pu, on the other hand, had no such concerns. As usual, besides training, he continued to update his online serial. The number of fans, both in China and abroad, for "Don't Panic, Douglas's Guide to the Starry Sea" had already reached tens of thousands and was still growing.

People on the internet were speculating about who "Time and Space Drifter" really was, whether it was a veteran science fiction writer. However, there were only a few well-known science fiction authors in the Chinese-speaking region, and their writing styles were not in this vein. Those with connections in the industry knew that this was a true "newcomer."

Li Pu had never shown himself, merely maintaining a pace of uploading 10,000 to 20,000 words every two to three days.

Just like participating in the "Global Idol" competition, this was just his indirect way of giving a gift to his childhood friend.

Just as he had uploaded today's 10,000-word update, Li Pu's phone rang.

When he answered, Zhang Shi's steady and concise voice came through the receiver. The Little Fist Saint, without any pleasantries, went straight to the point: "I watched the video of you and Xia'er's cousin participating in the preliminary selection. You actually used the subtle true words of qi circulation to play around in a singing competition? I guess you're the only one in the world who would do that."

Li Pu put down his computer and plopped back onto the sofa. He said leisurely, "Martial arts is about developing and elevating the potential of the human body. It can be used anywhere, right?"

"True, but your lack of sincerity in martial arts will make you fall behind me in the future," Zhang Shi's voice carried a hint of amusement.

Although both Li Pu and the Little Fist Saint were passionate about martial arts, their perspectives and orientations were different. Zhang Shi treated it as a lifelong goal without regret, while Li Pu believed that although martial arts were revered, they were essentially a technique or method for self-elevation. Since it was a method, it should be flexible and not rigidly bound.

During the half year they spent together, the two often sparred and discussed techniques when they were in the mood. Zhang Shi's words were a continuation of their past discussions.

So, Li Pu didn't argue with Zhang Shi, just gave a strange laugh, "Whether I fall behind or not is another matter. But you're too serious, you'll probably go bald in the future."

Zhang Shi's tone faltered. His father, Zhang Xiezu, was a tragic case of baldness that no amount of money could cure. According to genetics, he would eventually face the same fate.

"Hmph, my cultivation is growing deeper. Once I reach the secret essence of the dan stage," Zhang Shi said firmly, "it won't be a problem at all."

Li Pu burst out laughing, "Why make it so complicated? Since you're a monk who chants but doesn't fast, why not just get ordained? It would be more straightforward."

Zhang Shi retorted, "I've already said, I'm not a monk or a disciple of Buddhism. I just learned some Buddhist martial arts, so I read some Buddhist scriptures as well."

"But the mental techniques you cultivate and refine in your mind, aren't they all Buddhist deities and venerable monks?" Li Pu had a deep personal understanding of these techniques.

"I need to cultivate the Great Vajra Power and the Heavenly Buddha's Great Hand Seal, so I naturally have to refine the images of deities and the wrathful lotus in my mind. Otherwise, how could I cultivate divine will and intent? Besides, don't I also have the momentum of the Qilin?" As he spoke, Zhang Shi's topic was led astray by Li Pu.

"Speaking of which, can the mental techniques used to refine images in the mind also refine other things, like airplanes, tanks, cannons, and warships?" Li Pu asked, suddenly having an idea.

"Theoretically, it should be possible," Zhang Shi raised an eyebrow, "like what?"

"For example, airplanes, tanks, cannons, and warships?" Li Pu began to give examples.

"Are you a military arsenal? It's a mismatch," Zhang Shi paused, then added with a sneer, "However, after the Americans integrated and compiled Asian martial arts into a system called 'American Military Way Fist' or CQC, there is a similar mental technique. My uncle once mentioned that among the three aces of the U.S. military's last line of defense, Admiral Moby-Dick's secret fist technique gives the feeling of a submarine lurking in the depths of the sea suddenly launching a torpedo, which is extremely powerful."

"That sounds like a direction worth exploring, even if it's a mismatch!" The imaginative young man was intrigued.

"It seems good, but it's actually a bit misguided," Zhang Shi continued, "Using mental images as an entry point is a form of hypnosis, but the core is the cultivation of mental willpower, commonly known as cultivating the Heavenly Dan."

"Heavenly Dan? Is it the upper dantian, the Niwan Palace?" Li Pu asked.

"Yes, the Niwan brain chamber is the abode of the spirit. In yoga and esoteric practices, it is the seventh crown chakra, the gateway to heaven, the most important one, which can connect to the ether and activate supernatural powers. At the peak, it can refine and cultivate divine will and power in the mind, and with a thought, create illusions to kill. It might also be one of the fundamental secret techniques for 'breaking through the void.'"

Zhang Shi explained, "Choosing the most fitting natural or supernatural images to refine and cultivate mental techniques, the more refined they are, the more they align with your inner beliefs, blending seamlessly, making them much stronger than those strange and bizarre ones."

Li Pu asked curiously, "How far have you cultivated your mental techniques?"

"I'm still at the level between 'image generated by will' and 'image changes with the mind,'" Zhang Shi sighed slightly. "There are five stages of mental techniques: the first stage is 'self-hypnosis,' the second stage is 'image generated by will,' the third stage is 'image changes with the mind,' the fourth stage is 'demonic transformation of the image,' and the fifth stage is 'mindful transformation at will.' A boxer who reaches the second stage is already quite outstanding, and most grandmasters of internal energy are at this level. Those who can use the third stage skillfully are rare, and the fourth stage is even rarer because it is no longer a branch of martial arts but a completely independent mental technique. Even grandmasters of dan energy are mostly at the third stage."

The Little Fist Saint paused and continued, "But even at the fifth stage, compared to the most top-tier mental cultivation masters, there might not be a significant advantage. After all, the methods of mental cultivation are quite different from martial arts. We practice martial arts to gather the body's essence and energy into the qi sea and form a golden dan. But this path focuses on cultivating mental willpower, refining an 'intangible and formless entity' in the mind, which can even temporarily separate from the body. In Daoism, it's called the Yangshen, in Buddhism, it's called supernatural power, in esoteric practices like Vajrayana, ancient yoga, Jewish mysticism, and Sufism, it's called astral projection. Although many charlatans claim to have this ability, almost all are fake. To truly cultivate it, the difficulty is probably not much less than our journey from understanding energy to forming a great dan. After all, the body is easier to train, but the mind is harder to cultivate."

Li Pu's knowledge of mental techniques was learned after meeting Zhang Shi. He was very interested in these new insights, thinking that this might be the entry-level technique for Earth's psychics.

The two, who had fought to the best of their abilities and formed a deep bond from their first meeting, chatted freely for a while. Just before hanging up, Zhang Shi said he would cheer for Li Pu and Xia'er's cousin.

But Li Pu couldn't resist adding a joke, "If I face your cousin Xia'er in the competition, who will you cheer for?"

"Are you asking for special treatment?" Zhang Shi laughed, using a typical college student response. He immediately received a series of "roll, roll, roll, roll, roll!" before the call was hung up.

__________________________________________________________________

The next day, in the backstage area of the Shanghai district competition building, 80 contestants from across the country gathered to prepare for the elimination round, which would officially start on the weekend, to group and select songs.

In the eyes of the online public and media, this year's contestants were widely recognized as the strongest and most talented. Several of them, if placed on the world stage now, would be among the top performers.

In the backstage hall, Qin Xia'er, wearing a warm-toned ELLE (French for "she") dress from the current season, had her hair styled in a slightly retro princess bun. A makeup artist had given her a simple and elegant makeup that suited her youthful appearance. She looked both noble and gentle, like a flower on a hill.

Among all the contestants, she stood out—looking every bit the rich and beautiful girl. Occasionally, some contestants would approach her to chat.

Qin Xia'er responded politely, but her mind was elsewhere. She kept glancing at the entrance.

"Damn Li Pu, it's almost time for roll call, why hasn't he arrived yet!"

Just as she was about to take out her phone to call her longtime rival, Li Pu finally walked in.

Li Pu was dressed similarly to the preliminary selection—Qin Xia'er was speechless, this was clearly his usual daily attire! The loose-fitting blue camouflage pants were suitable for high-intensity movement, and the white shirt with a jacket was simple and straightforward...

What made Xia'er, the class monitor, a bit irritated was that Li Pu, after seeing her quickly, raised his hand and smiled at her from a distance, then found an empty seat nearby and sat down.

—He found an empty seat nearby and sat down!

Qin Xia'er instinctively wanted to go over, but it didn't seem appropriate... She was a girl, after all! She should be more reserved.

But, it didn't seem quite right.

Li Pu and she were just classmates, at most friends. She owed him a bit of a favor, okay, a lot of favors. But it wasn't to the point of falling in love, they hadn't even held hands! She had only cried on his shoulder and hugged him when he was unconscious... but those were special circumstances, beyond her control!

So, they were friends, yes, definitely friends. Did she need to be reserved with a friend? Especially a friend who had saved her and helped her achieve her dreams...

Ugh~~ Why can't I stop thinking about him!... Is my brain a bit broken?