LRAB Page 121
Page 121
Just then, Yato twisted his heel and rose up from the ground.
The explosive power of the "Storm Kick" is converted into force that penetrates through the shoulders, elbows, knees, waist, hands, and feet.
This is……
Left-handed inch strike!
boom!
The air defense was breached, and this time the fist accurately 'touched' Kushina Mikumo's skin.
The left hand, honed by the gold wrist guards, delivers an incredibly powerful and fierce punch.
Before the fist even landed, the pressure alone left dents on her skin.
And indeed, it hit.
There was a loud 'boom'.
Yato felt the arena beneath his feet shake violently.
No, it's the location they are in.
In that instant, it turned into a deep pit...
Chapter 156
The arena of the 'Gu Poison' base is undoubtedly extremely sturdy. After all, it is a base built to train advanced combatants, so the situation of the users must be taken into account.
But the arena, which would not have been marked even by a tank, is now in pieces.
Spiderweb-like cracks covered almost the entire countertop, and dust filled the air.
The very center of the arena.
Yato and Kushinada Mikumo were trapped in a pit more than a meter deep, still holding onto their last pose.
"..."
Kushina Miku looked down at the fist that had landed on her abdomen, and her usually indifferent expression suddenly changed, turning into a smile of appreciation.
"My beloved student, congratulations, you have won."
"..."
Yato withdrew his fist, his expression somewhat numb.
Can this really be considered a win?
"What are you thinking? Do you think a victory that didn't inflict any harm on me isn't something to boast about?"
Kushina Mikumo saw through his thoughts at a glance and said with some helplessness:
“Actually, if I hadn’t transferred all your power to your feet, I would have been sent flying by now. Although it wouldn’t be much of a problem for me, it would still have been rather embarrassing.”
"Besides, the fact that I, Kushina Mikumo, have personally admitted defeat is itself a remarkable thing. You should be proud of it."
"...No, it just feels unreal to win like this."
Yato sighed.
"Then keep working hard. When you become a 'master,' I will fight you one-on-one to the death as a 'martial artist,' and then you will have the chance to achieve the victory you desire."
Kushina Miyun said calmly.
"An expert?"
Yato composed himself and smiled easily:
"I will achieve it sooner or later."
"...Although I really want to say that becoming a 'master' is not as easy as you think, to be honest, after seeing your performance just now, I think that reaching the level of a 'master' is no longer a big challenge for you."
Kushina Mikumo pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Ok?"
Yato was slightly taken aback.
"Let's talk in another place."
Kushinada Mikumo didn't rush to explain.
“Your body is not suitable for the next stage of cultivation after just intense exercise. You should go back and recuperate. I also need to cleanse myself.”
"Uh."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yato's face.
He then noticed that Kushinada Mikumo's shrine maiden outfit was tattered and torn.
It cannot even be described in detail.
Otherwise it would definitely be censored.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go and have someone prepare a new set of clothes."
Since it was caused by the Tempest Kick, Yato felt he had to take responsibility for it.
Also, although Kushinada Mikumo doesn't seem to care about this, wandering around the base like this could lead to serious trouble.
……
after an hour.
In the standard suite that 01 arranged for himself.
Yato and Kushinada Mikumo sat down facing each other again.
The latter could no longer wear her shrine maiden outfit, so she went to the warehouse and found a combat suit that was similar in height and build to use temporarily.
Although she has lived for almost a century, she is more well-maintained than a woman in her twenties. Not only is she fair-skinned and beautiful, but her figure is also far superior.
Especially now that they've changed into the tighter-fitting combat uniform, it's even harder to describe in words.
Yato doesn't know how he would deal with Kushinada Mikumo if he were the male protagonist in a Japanese light novel. He'd probably have a nosebleed every second.
01 After learning that Kushina Miyun was his master, that tagalong didn't dare to show his face and stayed far away, afraid of getting into trouble by accident.
"Aye, do you know what 'qi channels' are?"
I took a sip of the coffee from Kushinada Mikumoku, which had a very Japanese Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman) style.
Although she gives the impression of being an old-fashioned person who only drinks Japanese green tea, she actually has a wide range of interests and is very open to new things.
What is 'A-Ye'? 'A-Ye'...
Yato muttered to himself.
But he also knew that this was an affectionate term the other party used for their disciple.
After they fought each other with the open-mindedness of martial artists, their relationship clearly progressed further, no longer limited to a verbal agreement of 'master and disciple'.
"'Qi meridians'... Master Meiyun, do you mean the eight extraordinary meridians of Taoism or the twelve meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine?"
Yato thought for a moment and said.
The eight extraordinary meridians of Taoism do not exist at the anatomical level, while the meridians of Traditional Chinese Medicine include some visible blood vessels due to the relationship with acupoints.
"neither."
Kushina Mikumo shook her head slightly, then patiently explained:
"You should know about Qigong, right? It's a technique derived from breathing methods. Although it sounds mysterious, it's something that can actually be done in my world. And to generate 'Qi,' you first need to open up the 'Qi channels.'"
"But this energy channel does not refer to meridians or acupoints, but rather to the connection and communication between qi and blood and pulse."
"To explain it scientifically, Qi and blood are the life processes that accompany breathing in the body. The continuously flowing blood is like the airflow brought up by a waving hand. Blood is the hand, and Qi is the airflow."
"In other words, the inertial force and heat generated by flowing blood is the power of qi and blood. And you have actually mastered this power."
"...Hidden strength?"
Upon hearing the word "calorie," Yato instantly thought of the 'hidden strength' he possessed.
"Hidden strength? You call that hidden strength?"
It was as if I had heard something interesting.
Kushinada Mikumo laughed.
"You underestimate yourself. That's not the hidden strength described by martial artists; it's just 'qi' you generated by using breathing techniques in conjunction with blood and qi... It's only a half-finished product, but in any case, it can't be something as simple as hidden strength."
"..."
Yato looked down at his hands, his feelings a mix of emotions.
The 'hidden strength' he thought he had mastered... wasn't it actually 'hidden strength' in the traditional sense?
"No wonder I couldn't master it completely."
"That's because you haven't been able to open your energy channels... If I'm not mistaken, you didn't develop this skill on your own, did you?"
Kushinada Miyun hit the nail on the head.
"That's right. I have been taking secret medicines researched by the Ryukyu Karate school for a period of time. My skin, nervous system, and hands have all been modified."
Yato told the truth.
"That's right. Because of the medicine's effects, you completed half of the 'opening up the meridians' step ahead of time, which gave you the skills to circulate and generate power through qi and blood. True internal strength is also included in this part of the technique. By the way, aren't you curious? Why can you continuously release internal strength?"
"You have to understand that strength is often a one-time thing. Even if you keep pushing against a wall, you will eventually run out of strength. But... the power of qi and blood is different. Theoretically, as long as your qi and blood are still circulating, it will keep exerting force. Even if you are tired, that's just your tiredness, it has nothing to do with the circulation of qi and blood. Unless you die, it will never stop."
Kushinada Mikumo said with relief.
"..."
So, for the past few days...
What have they been practicing?
Yato was speechless.
Chapter 157
"As for 'pulse,' it refers to the heartbeat."
Seeing that Yato understood, Kushinada Mikumo continued to explain.
"The heart is the core of human activity. Every time it beats, it generates a force that propels blood to circulate throughout the body. So as long as the heart is still beating, the blood and qi will not be depleted."
"Since the relationship between 'qi and blood' and 'pulse' is so close, how can we connect and communicate with them to achieve 'unimpeded flow of qi and blood'?"
Yato asked, puzzled.
"It's very simple. As long as you can influence the heart with your Qi and blood, and then in turn make the heart increase its power to generate Qi and blood... that's how you 'open up the Qi channels'."
That's it!
Kushina Mikumo's words were like a wake-up call for Yato.
In an instant, I gained a new understanding of the origin of 'qi'.
The heart, which is the body's engine, is constantly working to power the blood, keeping it circulating and maintaining the body's vitality.
That alone is not enough to achieve 'open flow of Qi and blood'.
Because this is passive and uncontrollable.
Yato was unable to fully cultivate what he considered 'hidden strength,' which was actually a higher level of qi and blood power, throughout his body, mainly because he only remained at the level of 'using' it.
They know how to use a gun, but they don't know how to make one.
So what if we have an endless supply of ammunition?
Without developing production technology, a pistol will always remain a pistol, and weapons will never be upgraded.
To achieve 'unimpeded flow of Qi and blood,' one must use Qi and blood to intervene in the heart of the engine, to strengthen and change it, which means developing one's own arsenal.
"To be honest, this is the first time I've seen a case like yours."