“The most important thing is, among those who can enter the state of the Great Corpse Spreading Method on their first try, only one in ten thousand can do it, and he actually managed it? He directly comprehended how to live in the state of a corpse. If he continues like this, he might reach the mental state of forgetting both self and the world, transcending life and death. This kind of mental training is simply beyond the reach of artificial intelligence.” A smile appeared on Richard Grant’s face.

After sleeping for two hours, James Carter woke up naturally, feeling completely refreshed, as if he had never felt so comfortable before. His mindset was lively, as if he could let go of anything, be satisfied with anything, and felt relaxed and happy at every moment.

“You have to promise me one more thing. Don’t tell anyone about my training for now. Take time every day to come and train in secret. Also, if you get the chance in the future, I hope you can participate in a few fighting matches and say that I am your coach.” Richard Grant made his request.

“Alright.” James Carter thought for a moment and nodded.

It seemed that Richard Grant’s plan had succeeded, and he smiled.

“What I taught you today, take your time to understand and digest it. Following this training will benefit you for life. But to truly learn martial arts, this is far from enough. So, come here to study whenever you have time every day. There’s only one month—after a month, I’ll be leaving here.” Richard Grant waved his hand.

James Carter didn’t continue to ask Richard Grant about martial arts.

The knowledge from today was enough to digest for many days.

“July 8th. I actually met the coach of a world-class fighter, Richard Grant. He told me a lot about traditional martial arts and opened up a whole new world for me. When practicing, the kind of hatred of ‘hating the sky for not having a handle, hating the earth for not having a ring,’ and the ruthlessness of not returning without enemy blood in a fight, and even more amazing, the mindset of the Five-Horse Dismemberment Great Corpse Spreading Method—living as your true self in the state of a corpse. I feel my mindset is very good, very peaceful and comfortable. In training, I found the true meaning of my existence. Traditional martial arts, traditional cultivation methods, are they really so magical? I don’t know if there are supernatural powers, but it’s definitely a kind of cleansing for the body and mind. No wonder, throughout history, so many people have become monks and gone deep into the mountains to cultivate.”

“Tonight, the fight with Scott Miller continues. He can still hit me easily. I haven’t become completely different just because I learned Coach Richard Grant’s techniques. It seems that kung fu must be practiced step by step; there’s no way to make rapid progress. When I sleep tonight, I’ll continue to practice the Five-Horse Dismemberment Great Corpse Spreading Method. I checked online—the Great Corpse Spreading Method is a kind of practice in Esoteric Buddhism, and the coach added the meditation of being torn apart by five horses, which probably means stretching and pulling the body. Also, even when eating, there’s a set of massage and swallowing techniques to aid digestion. If you integrate health-preserving details into every aspect of life, your physical fitness will definitely improve greatly. The two most important things in life are eating and sleeping, which take up a huge amount of time, so you must master the details.”

“James Carter, remember, details determine success or failure. You must remember this.”

As usual, James Carter wrote a diary to summarize each day.

Chapter 7: Three Types of Training—Literary, Martial, and External

On the morning of July 9th, at just three o’clock, James Carter got up.

He had gone to bed at nine the night before, and as soon as he lay down, he started using the Five-Horse Dismemberment Great Corpse Spreading Method that Richard Grant had taught him to sleep. Gradually, he entered a very peaceful state.

Although he only slept for six hours, he felt more energetic than when he usually slept for ten.

When he got up, James Carter felt completely refreshed.

He quickly washed up and went to the small courtyard outside the school where Richard Grant lived.

Richard Grant seemed to have known he would come, sitting in a grand armchair, reclining in the courtyard, watching the light clouds drift across the sky. Early summer mornings are actually very pleasant, with a gentle breeze and extreme coolness. Also, it seemed that some kind of insect repellent had been spread inside and outside the courtyard, as not even a single mosquito could be seen.

“You’re here, even earlier than I expected.” There was a hint of surprise in Richard Grant’s eyes. “You must have slept well last night.”

“Slept like a log.” James Carter felt full of energy. “Coach, what are you going to teach me today?”

“First, I’ll teach you a set of joint exercises.” Richard Grant stood up and demonstrated a few movements. “Before training, the most important thing is to warm up, and among warm-ups, the joints are the most important. Of all the joints, the knee and wrist joints are the most fragile and most easily injured, so you must protect and strengthen them. Boxers always wrap their wrists to prevent wrist injuries when hitting the sandbag. They also wear knee pads. Of course, it’s best to apply some medicinal oil for relaxing the muscles and activating the channels when doing joint exercises. The various medicines from Minglun Martial Arts School are quite good.”

James Carter followed Richard Grant in doing the joint exercises.

These joint exercises were gentle and calm, with slow movements, somewhat similar to Tai Chi.

“Coach, is this a new style of Tai Chi?” As James Carter moved, his whole body gradually warmed up, especially around the joints, feeling very comfortable, and his cerebral cortex produced a sense of excitement.