This move was one of the set of moves that the one-eyed instructor taught him. It involved reaching the right hand from above to behind the back, and the left hand from below to behind the back, then pulling the two hands together as much as possible while simultaneously lifting one foot to stand on one leg.
This pose is the only one that Chen Xu can actually do in reality, and unlike other abnormal poses, it won't cause severe muscle pain, sprains, or tears.
Guan Yi laughed when he saw the movement and said, "You do yoga too?" Then he easily imitated it, and the smoothness and speed of the movement made Chen Xu feel extremely ashamed.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Xu took out his phone. It was a very ordinary phone, except that it contained photos of the instructor's required movements. In reality, Chen Xu would try to imitate these movements based on the photos, but he also found that it was almost impossible for him to perform such movements on his own.
Chen Xu chose a pose that was slightly difficult, but actually relatively simple and unlikely to cause injury, and showed it to Guan Yi, asking, "Can you do this pose?"
Guan Yi frowned after looking at it, subconsciously mimicking the pose on his own body, and said, "This pose doesn't look like yoga. At least I've never learned this posture before. What's the point?"
"Don't worry about what it's for now, just hold on for three minutes."
Guan Yi gave Chen Xu a meaningful look, then stopped asking questions and started doing what was shown in the photo.
This action is also a standing posture, but it is quite difficult to do. At least Chen Xu could not stand steadily every time he did it.
Guan Yi's flexibility was far superior to Chen Xu's. After taking a deep breath and staring at the photo for a few seconds, the demon let out a clear "Hey!" and lifted one leg, crossing his hands in a bizarre posture. He actually managed to complete the action.
What a difference! When Chen Xu does this action in the virtual reality, the instructor has to forcibly bend his limbs into this shape.
"Hang in there, just a little longer." Chen Xu was timing with his phone. "Two minutes left, one minute, forty seconds left, hold on, hmm, twenty seconds left, ten, nine, eight... Oh no, why did you put it down!"
Guan Yi's face flushed slightly. He spat and said, "Are you kidding me? Making me pose like this is like performing a monkey show, and you're even timing us. Look how many people are watching us!"
Only after she said that did Chen Xu turn around. Seeing that many people were staring at them in disbelief, he chuckled awkwardly, scratched his head, and said, "Sorry, sorry, I made a mistake."
Guan Yi stretched his body and exclaimed, "This movement is really effective! Although I was so tense and uncomfortable just now, I can feel incredibly relaxed all over after I relaxed. I haven't felt this way in a long time. I guess I only started to feel this way after I started learning yoga and stretching my ligaments."
The woman looked at Chen Xu and said, "Compared to the yoga I used to learn, I think this is the real yoga."
"What yoga!" Chen Xu scoffed. "This is something from an ancient book passed down in my family. It's far more profound than yoga!"
Hearing this, Guan Yi smiled enigmatically: "Your family has quite a few heirlooms, one for treating rabies and another for this kind of thing." Then she looked at the photo on her phone and asked, "Who is this beautiful woman in the photo?"
This beautiful woman is naturally Xiaomin! Xiaomin is a virtual character, so she can naturally make any movements and appear in any form. Originally, these movements could have been done using the prototype of the one-eyed instructor, but Chen Xu couldn't help but tremble when he saw this bastard instructor. Anyway, Xiaomin wouldn't refuse his orders... except for the so-called highest authority, so if he could choose a beautiful woman, he would naturally choose to have her as the model.
Xiaomin's realism was very high; aside from looking unrealistically beautiful, everything else, even her skin, resembled a real person. Since photos on a phone are usually small and difficult to see clearly, it's perfectly normal for Guan Yi to mistake her for a real person at first glance.
Chen Xutian shamelessly said that she was my younger sister, and that she had been practicing since she was a child, so she could do the movements very easily.
Seeing how convincing Chen Xu sounded, Guan Yi started to believe her. She said that if there was a chance, she would definitely let me meet her. "I really want to learn this move... By the way, does your family have any rules against sharing these moves?"
"No, not really." Chen Xu originally wanted to say yes, but the problem was that he had already easily shown the photos to others, so saying no would seem a bit deliberate. Besides, this was just a set of physical exercises, not some top-secret document, so it was fine to spread it, as long as it wasn't known to the whole world.
Guan Yi took the phone and scrolled through the photos one by one. There were 108 photos in total, forming a complete and coherent routine. The more Guan Yi looked, the more shocked he became. Some of the movements were simply unbelievable, each one pushing the limits of the human body more than the last.
Guan Yi has practiced dancing since she was a child, and her flexibility is excellent. Even so, she believes that she can only do half or a small part of these movements at most.
"Could I borrow these photos to make copies? I didn't bring my phone." Guan Yi was quickly defeated by these actions. She could feel the power within her body from the previous gesture, and she asked in a pleading tone, "Is that alright?"
Seeing the woman's devout expression, Chen Xu felt that she might grant him any unreasonable request at this moment. So he cautiously said, "Let me kiss you and I'll give it to you..."
Guan Yi was taken aback. Her eyes first showed some annoyance, then suddenly turned charming. She giggled and leaned her face close, saying, "Go ahead and kiss me if you dare."
This startled Chen Xu, who waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Sister, please forget it. I was just joking with you."
Guan Yi snorted and said that was more like it. If you really dared to do that, I guarantee that your mouth would kiss the earth before it touched my face.
Chen Xu chuckled, then after a moment said solemnly, "It's fine to show you these photos, but you can't circulate them."
This request was reasonable, and Guan Yi immediately said, "I will never tell anyone."
"And another thing..." Chen Xu scratched his head, "Actually, I really want to learn, but my flexibility is too poor. Can you teach me?"
"No problem!" Guan Yi answered readily. "Does this set of physical techniques have a name?"
Chen Xu had no idea what the name was. Since Xiao Min hadn't told him, in his haste, Chen Xu quickly blurted out, "The name of this set of physical exercises, um, it's the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics..."
Chapter 49 of the main text: The Ninth Set of Broadcast Gymnastics
"No problem!" Guan Yi answered readily. "Does this set of physical techniques have a name?"
Chen Xu had no idea what the name was. Since Xiao Min hadn't told him, in his haste, Chen Xu quickly blurted out, "The name of this set of physical exercises, um, it's the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics..."
"..."
Chen Xu didn't know he had actually guessed correctly, at least a few words. In fact, the full name of this set of physical exercises should be called the 19th Set of Special Military Gymnastics of China. This military gymnastics was also a "product" from the future, but it already had a vague prototype.
This military gymnastics originated from ancient Taoist health preservation techniques and ancient boxing styles. After scientific research proved its effectiveness, it gradually began to be promoted.
Many people have a rather narrow understanding of Taoist health preservation techniques, believing that so-called health preservation is simply sitting in meditation and practicing qigong, sitting cross-legged without moving. This is actually a big mistake.
While meditation and energy cultivation are common methods, they are not the only ones; many physical techniques also have significant effects.
Among the physical techniques passed down in Taoism, while some may not be effective, many are quite miraculous. The methods of practicing these techniques are quite similar to Indian yoga, but their spread is far less extensive than yoga's... This is not to say that our techniques are bad, but rather that they haven't been promoted, commercialized, and popularized on a larger scale.
Just like yoga and taekwondo, which are very popular now, are the skills learned in these gyms and taekwondo halls really the same as yoga and taekwondo?
Of course not! These are merely modified versions, tailored for the general public and ordinary people. To put it bluntly, it's a case of false advertising! The true essence of Taekwondo and ancient yoga cannot be learned in places like these.
Well, that's beside the point, so let's leave it at that.
These ancient Taoist physical techniques look very awkward. In fact, when looking at the drawings of these techniques, nine out of ten people will slam their fists on the table and curse, "Damn it, can a human do these kinds of movements?"
Another person, trembling with fear, stretched out their finger and said that anyone who could do such a thing must be boneless.
But that's not actually the case.
This kind of physical skill can be done by people whose flexibility is several times greater than that of ordinary people... like the knights-errant who practiced martial arts in ancient times, and athletes and dancers in some sports today, but it is by no means easy!
This kind of martial art is about pushing the limits of the human body, not about intentionally harming others.
Through future scientific research, scientists have also discovered that once the human body maintains this strange posture, changes occur in cell activity, enzyme activity, and other aspects, all of which are beneficial to the human body.
Science is not omnipotent, at least not at present, and there is still a long way to go. Although scientists cannot reach a unified conclusion, their research results are consistent: this physical exercise is very helpful in developing human potential. Therefore, it should be first promoted as military gymnastics to a few special forces units, and then to the entire army. When the time is right, we will see whether to promote it to the general public.
However, the last possibility is very small, because this kind of physical training is completely torturous, especially in the early stages of practice. The pain can make people want to commit suicide, and it is impossible to persevere without great willpower.
Of course, the advantages of this physical exercise are also obvious. According to research results, people who can skillfully complete 108 movements and link them together, and who practice once a day and control their diet properly, will see a significant improvement in their strength, awareness, reaction and other abilities. If they persist, their physiological functions at age 40 will be stronger and healthier than those of an average person at age 30!
Chen Xu is naturally unaware of the benefits of this set of physical techniques. He only wants to complete it to advance further in the game... He's locked in a life-or-death struggle with that one-eyed instructor!
Out of caution, since it came from a computer from the future, Chen Xu thought it best to keep a low profile. Besides, this physical technique was incredibly painful; even Guan Yi grimaced the first time he did it… You know, women care about their image more than anyone can imagine. This vixen viciously searched Chen Xu for everything he could use to take pictures—his phone and camera were gone—so he couldn't take a picture of her like that, much less let anyone else see it.
To keep it a secret, Chen Xu went to a gym near the school and bought two membership cards, even booking a private, luxurious suite. Although it cost a lot, Chen Xu didn't really care about money, and since his dad had just made a fortune and had plenty of cash on his cards, he wouldn't hesitate to spend it.
In the initial stages of practicing this martial art, two people must help each other!
Because some of those movements are so extreme that it's difficult for one person to do them on their own, and it's usually quite painful the first time, so very few people can persevere without someone supporting them and forcibly holding them down.
But alas, men and women should not touch each other!
But at this point, he had no choice but to accept it... Chen Xu felt like a beast. Holding her small hand and pinching her waist, he was so close to her, smelling her feminine fragrance... Chen Xu sneezed, a strand of hair tickling his nose.
Chen Xu rubbed his nose. He thought of a very lewd word. Cough cough, actually the word itself is not lewd, but it is different in certain situations... The word is called dual cultivation.
"Uh, what shampoo do you use?"
"Pantene".
"What perfume is it this time?"
Guan Yi turned her head and glared at him: "If you have nothing to say, shut up. Nobody thinks you're mute. Why would I wear perfume when I'm here to exercise?"
Chen Xu chuckled, avoiding looking at her face so close to his, and said, "Don't we also have a sporty perfume?"
Actually, Chen Xu was just making conversation, mainly because their current posture was too ambiguous! Guan Yi had one foot on the ground for support, while the other foot was being held by a hand, and both hands were on her back being squeezed by Chen Xu... Chen Xu was pressed against her back, and anyone who saw this would definitely think that Chen Xu was taking advantage of this pretty girl. In fact, even Chen Xu himself was a little puzzled. Logically speaking, although a woman like Guan Yi was quite open, it would be better to have another girl help with this awkward situation. He only said not to spread this around, meaning that it shouldn't be spread to everyone. It's not a problem to spread it within a small circle.
"Hey..." Chen Xu didn't know what to call her, so he just said "Hey." "I said, you could actually bring a girl with you, cough cough, I think that would be more convenient."
Guan Yi's body jolted, and Chen Xu, who was pressed close to him, immediately felt it and asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"
Feeling Guan Yi gently pull her hand away, Chen Xu immediately released her. The woman smoothed her slightly disheveled hair, sat down, and said, "To be honest, I don't have any friends to bring."
"How is that possible?" Chen Xu was surprised, then laughed, "I see you're quite popular and have a lot of friends."
"Is that so?" Guan Yi chuckled self-deprecatingly, then emphasized, "I meant friends! True friends!"
Chen Xu was taken aback, and Guan Yi continued, "You see, I get along well with the girls in my dorm? But do you know what they say about me behind my back? They say I'm scheming, hard to get along with, and that my smiles are fake. After what happened with Liu Lingtian, they said behind my back that I deliberately seduced him because it's rumored that Liu Lingtian's family is quite wealthy."
"How is this possible!" Chen Xu exclaimed in shock. "This is simply outrageous!"
"Impossible?" Guan Yi sneered, pointing to his ear. "I heard it with my own ears when I was at the door! I admit I'm cunning, but I never lie to my roommates and I have no reason to! What could I possibly want from them?"
Chen Xu nodded. He could tell that Guan Yi's family was actually quite wealthy, so there was really no need for her to be after anyone else... As for scheming, using the word "scheming" was a bit harsh. Perhaps "clever" would be better. From their first meeting, Chen Xu felt that this woman was quite clever, and overly clever women... are generally not the kind of women many men are willing to get close to.
Guan Yi smiled and said, "You don't understand. The relationships between women are very complicated, even among women of the same age or even those from different generations. Whenever women meet, sparks will fly. To give a simple example, the war between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law has lasted for thousands of years. This is the most typical example of conflict between women. There are far fewer such conflicts between fathers-in-law and sons-in-law."
"Give me a break!" Chen Xu rolled his eyes dismissively. "My neighbors, the father-in-law and son-in-law are both football fans, and they're always arguing!"
Guan Yiqi said, "No, generally speaking, people in this kind of relationship should have a lot in common."
"Damn! One of them is an Inter Milan fan, and the other is an AC Milan fan. They're always more exciting on TV than during the Milan derby!"
Guan Yi chuckled, his previous gloom vanishing, and then deliberately put on a serious face and said, "You're quite good at making people happy, aren't you?"
Chen Xu chuckled a few times and said, "So-so, third in the world."
The two looked at each other and smiled. Guan Yi sighed softly, "Chen Xu, you really are a good person."
Chen Xu was a little embarrassed. He stood up, walked to Guan Yi's side, put his hand on the woman's shoulder, and made her face him. He said very seriously, "Beautiful lady, I'll say it again, I'm a bad guy, really!"
Chapter 50: Don't Touch!
Stretching ligaments is no easy task, and Chen Xu was very glad he had booked a private room, especially since the soundproofing of this luxurious suite was excellent. Otherwise, if he had been screaming in pain day and night, the sounds might have made the staff outside think they weren't exercising, but rather engaging in some kind of inappropriate, violent, and lewd activity...
What impressed Chen Xu was that Guan Yi's supervision was very strict... almost as strict as the one-eyed instructor, but the feeling was very different.
Chen Xu wanted nothing more than to stab the one-eyed instructor, but in front of Guan Yi, he often had to keep himself in check... After all, a grown man can't lose face in front of a woman. And Guan Yi, that vixen, had a sharp eye; she could easily tell when Chen Xu was truly exhausted or injured, and when he was just pretending to be dead or acting like a rogue.
Guan Yi had studied yoga, so she could be considered a decent instructor. Under her guidance, Chen Xu's flexibility and range of motion have improved significantly.
Because Guan Yi's teaching wasn't as brutal as the one-eyed instructor's; he didn't care at all whether Chen Xu's body could handle it. And newcomers learning yoga naturally have a gradual process... but Chen Xu felt like he wasn't practicing yoga but rather the Toad Style, just look at Tony Leung's look in East Meets West.
Although it had only been a few days, Chen Xu felt his body's flexibility had improved significantly. He could now barely manage to do the tenth movement of the ninth set of broadcast gymnastics... In reality, he could only manage three movements even if he worked himself to the bone!
Some people might ask, how can you improve so quickly in just a few days?
Actually, the movements in the first few sets of "Ninth Set of Broadcast Gymnastics" weren't very complicated; Guan Yi could do thirty sets independently. The later sets became increasingly complex. Chen Xu, having never received any special training in this area, also made rapid progress initially, but by the tenth movement, he was finding it extremely difficult. Currently, he can only repeatedly perform the first ten movements, but the effects seem very noticeable.