Chapter Thirty-Two: I Understand

For a fleeting moment, Chen Xian was stunned.

"An official-only application—how could it appear on Chen Qiqi's phone?"

Had he not registered as a martial artist and logged into the official Martial Arts Portal, he likely wouldn't have recognized this specialized software. But now that he was a Mingjin-stage martial artist and intimately familiar with the portal, how could he fail to recognize such a distinct mark?

This software was not something that just anyone or any phone could download. According to what he had learned on the Martial Arts Portal, identity verification was mandatory before the download could even begin. If the user’s credentials were not sufficient, the software simply could not be installed. He had the same app on his own phone, and he had only been able to download it after his status as a martial artist was officially registered.

The fact that it now appeared on Chen Qiqi’s phone left him shocked. Looking at her, he was absolutely certain she was not a martial artist. This only deepened his bewilderment. What could possibly allow her phone to host such an application?

"Could it be..." A suspicion began to form in his mind. "If that’s the case, then that really is..."

A phone like this could never be a gift from a classmate, nor could it have been found on the ground; those who possessed such devices were unlikely to lose them.

Having reasoned this out, Chen Xian suppressed his shock and spoke calmly. "Fine. If Mom and Dad find it, just tell them it’s a new phone I bought and you’re just playing with it."

He agreed to her request despite the headache it caused him; he could already imagine his mother lecturing him once she discovered the device.

"Really?" Chen Qiqi squealed in delight. "Brother, you’re the best!" She waved her hands excitedly.

"Alright, I’m going to go tidy up my room," Chen Xian said, waving her off. He turned and retreated into his own room.

Sitting in his chair, his thoughts swirled. He was still fixated on the matter of Chen Qiqi. "She isn’t a martial artist, so the only way she could download that software is if..."

"This is truly astonishing. I just wonder what Chen Qiqi's status actually is?"

Although he had a guess, he kept it to himself. Just as he hadn't told anyone about his own extraordinary powers, he knew it was better not to let others know certain things until he had a full understanding. Otherwise, it would only bring unnecessary risk to himself and his family.

With a rough hypothesis formed, Chen Xian stopped dwelling on it. His mastery of Mingjin was now complete; he only needed to grasp the concept of Anjin to make another leap in his martial arts progression. It was time to consider the theories behind Anjin.

He looked at the scattered texts on his table and, for once, picked up a manual on Taijiquan. While these books weren't profound martial arts secrets, they were genuine health-cultivation techniques. Previously, in his rush to find martial arts legacies, he hadn't paid much attention to them. Now, however, as he sought to understand Anjin, this manual—which expounded on the philosophy of movement and stillness—seemed relevant.

The style was derived from the "Xuanwu True Canon," the foundational heritage of the Xuanwu Temple. It was widely circulated among the general population of the Great Xuan and had become a popular exercise routine for the elderly. Although it was merely a health-focused practice, the martial truths contained within it were authentic, even if very few were capable of actually comprehending them.

As he flipped through the pages, Chen Xian gradually calmed his mind.

"Yin and Yang are the ways of heaven and earth, the guiding principles of all things..."

He fell into a long contemplation over these words. His mind was filled with insights; he seemed to understand something, yet at the same time, nothing at all. After a long while, he finally opened his eyes.

"It truly lives up to its roots in the Xuanwu True Canon. It appears simple, and anyone can practice it—even gain something from it—but to take that next step is incredibly difficult."

He sighed and set the book down. He hadn't expected to instantly grasp its deeper meaning; if it were that easy, it wouldn't have remained so accessible to the public.

*Pop! Pop!*

A sudden explosion outside snapped him back to reality. Although there was still some time before the New Year, the streets were already filled with stalls selling firecrackers. He had seen many such displays on his way home. Since his neighborhood was home to many children, he wasn't surprised to hear the noise.

He walked to the window and looked out. In the distance, people were lighting firecrackers, sending brilliant, colorful sparks streaking across the sky.

Watching the scene, he couldn't help but sigh. "The New Year is almost here."

*Bang!*

A loud explosion erupted right in his ears, and Chen Xian suddenly froze.

"An explosion."

"Taiji is the mother of Yin and Yang; movement causes them to divide, stillness causes them to unite..."

"Yin and Yang. Hardness and softness."

He muttered to himself, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck.

"Hardness and softness... opposing, yet creating one another."

At that moment, he felt a breakthrough. He stared intensely at the bursting fireworks, his eyes growing brighter.

*Pop, pop!*

Successive explosions echoed all around.

"Hardness and softness combined; movement and stillness integrated."

The understanding of the Taijiquan philosophy played over and over in his mind. "I have already mastered Mingjin, which is a force of violent hardness. If I were to focus that Mingjin like these fireworks, causing it to explode within my hand, what kind of change would occur?"

"Would it lead to unexpected shifts? Would it be like these fireworks, bringing a moment of absolute silence after an extreme explosion?"

Chen Xian narrowed his eyes, his expression brimming with excitement. He had a strong premonition that he had found the path to breakthrough into Anjin. If his theory held true, the advancement would not be far off.

He was so thrilled that he could hardly contain himself; he wanted to rush outside immediately to test the sensation. But in the end, he forced himself to stay calm.

"No. An extreme explosion of Mingjin is far too dangerous."

Chen Xian took a deep breath, steadying his racing heart.