The Way of Restraint

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Su Jie could tell at a glance from their demeanor that these three had not truly entered a state of “Stability.”

“Stability” meant setting a fixed daily schedule and rules, following them every day without exception, overcoming laziness, and completing tasks dutifully even when no one was watching.

This process was also a training ground for conquering one’s own inertia. It might be painful, but it was the very foundation of the cultivation path.

Take an ordinary student wanting to become an academic prodigy: they too must establish a daily routine — how much to study each day, how many books to read, how many concepts to master, day after day, without slacking off even when unexpected events arise.

The same applied to an ordinary person wanting to become a martial arts expert: they had to set daily quotas for punches, running distance, physical training, sparring simulations, and so on. No matter how grueling, they couldn’t entertain thoughts of retreat, and had to repeatedly overcome the urge for comfort.

Only by completely defeating the desire for comfort — transforming it into genuine enjoyment — could one successfully progress from “Stability” to “Stillness.”

Of course, realms were just realms. At the same realm, the difference in combat ability could still vary enormously depending on training methods.

For instance, in martial arts practice, someone who insisted on practicing taiji forms every day until they were flawless could also enter a state of “Stillness,” feeling more comfortable the more they practiced.

Yet when pitted against someone who practiced actual sparring and combat, the latter might still be only at the “Stability” level — yet could still utterly demolish the “Stillness” practitioner.

Thus, while mental realm was important, training methods were equally critical.

Back when Su Jie had encountered the world’s top coach — Odell, the God-Maker — who had trained him in the most scientific methods, he had progressed from “Stability” to “Stillness” to “Peace” on his very first day. His mental development had been far faster than others, which was why he had reached his current level.

In some respects, Su Jie’s psychological makeup was that of a once-in-a-generation prodigy.

On his very first day of training in the Great Corpse State, he had entered the zone and grasped the essence of life and death — Odell himself had been astonished.

Unfortunately, such people were extremely rare. Most were ordinary, average individuals.

Even the elite students of Q University — Tan Dashi, Lin Tang, and Wang Shun — had been unable to maintain Su Jie’s training schedule through the winter break and New Year’s.

“Boss, there were just too many obligations over the holidays. It’s not that I’m afraid of the hard work, but I couldn’t get out of certain social obligations,” Tan Dashi said, making excuses for himself first.

“Same here. My hometown is in the countryside. I had to do chores when I got back, and during New Year’s there was even more work. Visiting relatives and friends — I couldn’t refuse any of it,” Wang Shun added.

“Enough. Stop making excuses.” Su Jie waved his hand. “If all it took was a good training environment, then anyone could do it. The real challenge is maintaining your practice in complex environments full of obligations — that’s the true test of the mind.”

This was what Su Shilin had once told him: the dragon could be both large and small. It could soar through the heavens, yet also make its home in muddy fields among snakes and eels, adapting to any situation while never forgetting its essential nature.

That’s why Su Jie hadn’t dropped out of school to train at Minglun Martial Arts Academy. Instead, he had continued his third year of high school and taken the college entrance exam. As expected, his mental state had elevated as a result.

Su Jie had only understood this principle later — it was the same logic as “books borrowed are better read than books owned.”

When you borrow a book from someone else, you know you have to return it, so you read it attentively and quickly. But if the book is yours, you’re in no hurry — you might not even open it once in a year.

So in Su Jie’s view, his roommates had missed a huge opportunity for growth.

Precisely when obligations were most numerous, taking time to train according to a set schedule would have allowed them to concentrate more deeply and achieve unexpected results.

It would also have forced out their full potential.

But as Su Jie spoke, the three of them only half-understood.

Su Jie realized that there really were differences between people.

Not everyone possessed his state of mind.

And even he had been forced into it. If it weren’t for the fact that Feng Yuxuan’s bodyguards had bullied him and he had needed to rescue his sister, he might never have started learning martial arts.

“Never mind. Since you’ve fallen behind, pick it back up and start training again,” Su Jie said. “Set a daily routine.”

It was never too late to mend the fold after the sheep have strayed.

“By the way, this year in PE class we have to learn taijiquan and take an exam. I heard the PE teacher is a beautiful woman — she was the national champion in taijiquan forms. It’s a family tradition, and apparently she has real skill — none of the male teachers can beat her in a fight,” Tan Dashi said. “I’m skeptical of that rumor. Maybe when we have PE class, boss, you could test her out?”

“Is that so?” Su Jie wasn’t particularly concerned. University PE classes did require learning taijiquan, with an exam on standardized movements for credit. The national standard was the 24-form taijiquan — movements that were graceful, expansive, and gentle, suitable for self-cultivation, but useless for actual combat. “Let’s start planning the new semester’s schedule. You need to make up for what you lost over the New Year. We’ll begin immediately — first, let’s go to the track and run ten thousand meters as a warm-up.”

“Isn’t that a bit too intense?” Tan Dashi was startled.

“Move!” Su Jie wouldn’t tolerate their laziness. He was ready to get physical.

“Okay, okay, okay. We’ll do it immediately.” Wang Shun finally remembered the terror of being under Su Jie’s command from last semester.

Led by Su Jie, the three went to the track and started their ten-kilometer run — and this was just the basic warm-up. Su Jie would oversee all their subsequent training.

It was early March, just after winter break, and B City was still cold. The wind cut like knives. As the four ran, the other three shivered and chattered, but Su Jie wore only a tight-fitting athletic shirt. He stood unshaken in the cold wind, his entire body radiating heat like a furnace — being near him felt warm.

Within five feet, there was an almost scorching sensation.

After finishing ten thousand meters, Su Jie was calm and composed, while Wang Shun, Lin Tang, and Tan Dashi were gasping for breath, utterly exhausted. But Su Jie gave them no time to rest. He immediately made them adjust their breathing, then moved on to体能 training.

“Ten sets of crunches!” Su Jie ordered.

“Ten sets of push-ups!” Su Jie ordered again.

Under this demonic training regimen, the three were nearly driven to the brink of collapse.

“This is sheer recklessness!” A female teacher walked over, scolding Su Jie. “This kind of training can cause rhabdomyolysis. In severe cases, it can lead to blood in the urine and damage to the liver and kidneys. Stop it immediately.”

Su Jie glanced at the female teacher but didn’t respond.

He had noticed her earlier, practicing on the track. She was doing taijiquan, her movements very slow and relaxed, her steps rising and falling as if stepping on cotton or clouds.

But he didn’t care about any of that. When he was training, he didn’t care who was watching.

“Are you not stopping?” the female teacher scolded again.

“It’s fine. I know what I’m doing.” Su Jie looked at the female teacher. She was quite young, only a few years older than him. Overtraining could cause many harmful effects — Su Jie had seen countless data points on this in Larry’s life sciences lab.

He had mastered this data down to the finest detail. His insight into the human body had reached the level of true *Divine Enlightenment*.

What he was doing now was pushing his three roommates to their physical limits without injuring them — holding them precisely at the critical threshold. That was the mark of a truly great coach.

Inheriting the knowledge of Odell the God-Maker, Su Jie’s coaching ability was likely among the top ten in the world.

“What do you mean, you know what you’re doing?” The female teacher grew angrier. “Stop right now. I’ve been watching you for a while. No one trains this recklessly. If something happens, the university will be responsible.”

As she spoke, she moved to intervene.

Su Jie quickly stepped in to block her.

But she suddenly turned her arm and used a small grappling technique, twisting Su Jie’s wrist and using leverage to try to throw his entire body off balance.

This was a taijiquan grappling move called “Golden Silk Entwines the Wrist.”

But she caught nothing. Su Jie’s wrist had been right there — and then it vanished.

She lost her balance, her steps unsteady. She stumbled forward as if missing a step on a staircase. In her attempt to grapple Su Jie, she had moved with lightning speed and considerable force, fully expecting to succeed. But when she found nothing, the sensation was extremely uncomfortable, and her body naturally lost its balance.

Fortunately, her balance was excellent. Just as she was about to fall, she spun, straightened up, and lowered her center of gravity, becoming extremely stable — demonstrating the fruits of thousands of hours of stance training.

Taijiquan placed the utmost importance on stance training. When practiced to a high level, the lower body became as solid as iron — like a roly-poly doll.

“Not bad. The air-fall only made her lose her balance — it didn’t actually bring her down. Her taiji skill is almost catching up to Old Chen’s.” Su Jie silently praised her.

Su Jie’s “air-fall” technique had reached a near-miraculous level — manipulating the opponent’s psychology so they fell on their own, leaving no trace.

“You’re a master?” The female teacher reacted instantly. She knew all too well the power and speed of her own “Golden Silk Entwines the Wrist” — and she hadn’t even touched Su Jie’s hand.

An ordinary person, upon failing such a move, might assume it was their own mistake.

But a master had practiced their techniques thousands of times and possessed immense confidence in them — they wouldn’t make mistakes. If a technique failed, it meant the opponent was too strong.

” ‘Golden Silk Entwines the Wrist’ is a good move, but your qi flow is slightly obstructed at the micro level. It originates from the ground, is governed by the waist, flows through the spine, and reaches the fingertips. The power and speed should erupt in one continuous motion. But I noticed that when it passes through your spine, there’s a slight disconnect — a subtle one, but it nonetheless lacks some roundness.” Su Jie suddenly made his move. Using the same “Golden Silk Entwines the Wrist,” he seized the female teacher’s pulse point in an instant. With slight pressure, her entire body went numb and she couldn’t move.

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