"COCK-A-DOODLE DOO!"

With the crowing of roosters, it was now dawn as the sun slowly rose. As the various beasts of the jungle emerged to start another day, Muyou, Yiqi and Grandmaster Hong had already started their day.

"So Muyou is ten years old and Yiqi is nine years old, and they picked up their martial arts from these random tomes they have stolen... Hmmm... How should I proceed from here..."

Grandmaster Hong had learnt more about them after chatting with them through the night. He saw potential in them, but due to their unstructured learning with no guidance, he was unsure of their basic knowledge regarding martial arts.

"Now, can any of you two explain to me what is the difference between Inner Strength and Qi?" Grandmaster Hong asked. This was a basic question and he hoped that they could get it correct, so he could skip all this basic boring introduction.

"I know I know!" Muyou raised his hand immediately. "Inner Strength is the physical capability of a person and Qi is the spiritual energy gathered! Inner Strength allows you to punch a hole through a person, but Qi allows you to directly attack a person's internal organs!"

After hearing that, Grandmaster Hong nearly fainted. "How ignorant can these kids be!"

Meanwhile, Muyou was smirking and felt very proud of his answer. Grandmaster Hong shook his head and glanced at Yiqi. Yiqi merely shrugged his shoulders and gave a sheepish look.

"Guess I will have to go through the basics of martial arts to you guys." Grandmaster Hong sighed, the thought of having to give a long lecture already made him bored. He was hoping for some action, some entertainment to relieve his boredom.

"Listen up! To practise martial arts, you have to understand Inner Strength and Qi. Inner Strength is more than physical strength. A person's strength will be limited by his physical attributes no matter how hard he trained. Look at me, I am so small compared to this tree." Grandmaster Hong lectured as he walked towards a huge tree.

"With just my physical strength, I can never hope to topple this tree with my palm, because there is a limit to how much strength my arm muscles can exert. However if I were to utilise my inner strength..."

*BAM!*

Grandmaster Hong slapped the tree with his palm, and the tree toppled. Witnessing this, Muyou and Yiqi's eyes sparkled. They were amazed.

"So simply put, inner strength helps you overcome the limits of your physical strength, it is like a realm above. Naturally, martial artists focus on their inner strength more. However, that does not mean you can neglect your physical strength training, if your physical strength is shit, you can forget about having a top-class inner strength."

Muyou and Yiqi continued to listen attentively, this was the first time they heard a proper lecture regarding martial arts. Moreover, Grandmaster Hong's explanations were so succinct, the Wudang lectures paled in comparison.

"To train your inner strength, you also have to understand your body's meridian points. Meridian points are the major blood flow crossroads in your body. Many people would tell you that in your body there is a total of 150 meridian points, however I can confidently say that there is a minimum of 158 meridian points. The inner strength energy is carried by your blood. In a normal human body, most of the meridian points are only partially opened by about 10%. By fully unblocking a meridian point, your inner strength will grow faster and you will be able to utilise more inner strength. So the more you fully unblock, the better it will be."

"Ok now, to increase your inner strength, there are inner strength exercises where you have to focus on grasping your inner strength energy circulating inside your body, and all of your body functions including your heartbeat and breathing rate. However, my personal philosophy is that your body is like a vassal which contains the inner strength. So unless your physical strength is up to par, I would forbid you from cultivating inner strength."

Muyou and Yiqi's faces sank at this point. They were really eager to start growing their inner strength. Grandmaster Hong smiled, when he saw their gloomy expressions.

"However, both of your strength were monstrous. To be able to wield that metal chain and that huge ass sword with such proficiency, by simply relying on brute force, you have passed my test."

Muyou and Yiqi immediately jumped to their feet, eager to start training.

"Regarding Qi and Martal Arts Stances, I will teach you two some other day. Now are you guys prepared for my speciality, Hong's Hell Training Lesson I?"

Grandmaster Hong's eyes sparkled and he grinned at them. "This is going to be entertaining."