146: Chapter 146 Selection Criteria: Character First, Physical Fitness Second

Section 1 Preparation for the Second Selection: The Outbreak of the Standards Dispute.

One week after the first public training session, a fierce debate regarding the "Selection Criteria for traditional martial arts Disciples" was unfolding in the council hall of Taiji Villa.

Zhang Qiming, Director of the Traditional Martial Arts Protection Bureau, Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan, the Sect Head of Taiji Villa, representatives from Wudang, Shaolin, and other sects, as well as Chen Wu's team, were seated around a table spread with thick stacks of the "Secondary Disciple Selection Application List."

With over 20 million applicants worldwide, how to select 100 advanced Disciples from among them had become the focal point of the controversy.

"According to tradition, screening should prioritize 'Bone structure'," Great Master Huineng of Shaolin said, holding his prayer beads with a firm tone.

"Disciples with good Bone structure absorb Qi Energy quickly and understand Moves deeply. Look at the Disciples of Bodhidharma back in the day; weren't they all possessed of extraordinary Bone structure?"

He pointed to a youth on the list who was described as having "naturally unobstructed Qi meridians."

"This child is 16 years old with a meridian purity of 92%. It is a rare Bone structure that only appears once in a century; he should be given priority for selection."

Zhang Qingfeng, the representative from Wudang, raised a different opinion: "Last time, Mohammed's Bone structure was only 75%, yet he passed the selection because of his resilient Heart-Nature. In actual combat, his performance was better than trainees with 90% Bone structure."

"traditional martial arts emphasizes 'using the heart to control energy.' If the Heart-Nature is unstable, even the best Bone structure is prone to Qi Deviation, especially now that we have to fight against the Spirit-Devouring Organization. Those without firm Heart-Nature will only retreat when they encounter danger."

When the argument reached a stalemate, everyone's eyes turned to Chen Wu.

He was the first traditional martial artist to break the tradition of "Bone structure Supremacy." Among his first batch of Disciples, Old Zhao had a Bone structure of only 68%, and Nurse Emily had 72%, yet they became excellent trainees through Heart-Nature and hard work.

Chen Wu picked up the list and flipped to Mohammed's training record: "Although Mohammed's Bone structure is ordinary, he persisted in Cultivate in a refugee camp and refused to retreat even when facing a Spirit-Devouring Puppet. This 'Heart of Guardianship' is more precious than any Bone structure."

He pushed the list to the center: "I propose that this selection be based on 'Heart-Nature first, Bone structure second.' Those whose Heart-Nature does not meet the standard will not be accepted, even with a perfect Bone structure score; those whose Heart-Nature is qualified will be given opportunities to Cultivate, even if their Bone structure is ordinary."

"This is too risky!" Great Master Huineng frowned. "Disciples with ordinary Bone structure might not even achieve a Breakthrough to Brute Force in three years, which will slow down the anti-Spirit-Devourer training progress!"

Chen Wu took the tombskeeper team records from a camphor wood chest and flipped to his great-grandfather's records: "When my great-grandfather accepted Disciples, he prioritized those with 'kind hearts and firm wills.' One of his Disciples had a Bone structure of only 60%, but relied on perseverance to practice 'Guardian Energy,' and once repelled an ambush by the Qijue Sect."

He pointed to the phrase in the records: "traditional martial arts first passes on virtue, then practice energy; practice energy first, then practice the heart."

"The core of traditional martial arts is 'guardianship.' If the Heart-Nature is not upright, even with the best Bone structure, one might use their energy to do evil. Many members of the Spirit-Devouring Organization were also traditional martial artists with excellent Bone structure who fell into the Evil Path due to greed."

Zhang Qiming suddenly made the call: "We will proceed according to Chen Wu's standards! The Traditional Martial Arts Protection Bureau will cooperate with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop a 'Heart-Nature Assessment System' to complement traditional assessments and ensure the fairness of the selection."

"We are looking for warriors who can 'resist the Spirit-Devourer and guard the Legacy,' not machines that only know how to practice energy!"

The global live broadcast camera projected this debate across the world via holographic projection, and the comments section instantly split into two factions: "Support Bone structure Supremacy! Efficiency is the most important!" "I agree with Teacher Chen! Heart-Nature is the key!"

Amir from Egypt sent a message: "The core of the Egypt traditional martial arts team consists of people with resilient Heart-Nature. They have ordinary Bone structure but can fight side by side!"

Section 2 The Design of Heart-Nature Assessment: A Dual Test of Crisis and Morality.

Three days later, the intelligent traditional martial arts training ground was transformed into a "Heart-Nature Assessment Area." Chen Wu and the technical team designed two major assessment links: "Crisis Choice" and "Moral Test."

The entire process was broadcast live globally, allowing 20 million applicants to watch simultaneously and helping everyone understand the meaning of "Heart-Nature first."

The first link, "Crisis Choice," took place in a simulation cabin complex. Applicants had to enter a "Spirit-Devourer Raid" scenario.

Inside the simulation cabin, "civilian NPCs" (holographic projections) were surrounded by Spirit-Devouring Puppets. Applicants had to choose between "protecting civilians" and "personal safety."

If they chose to run away, the simulation cabin would automatically record "Heart-Nature unqualified"; if they chose to protect, even if injured, they would be scored based on their performance during the protection process.

The first applicant was Li Wei, a "Bone structure Genius" recommended by Great Master Huineng, 16 years old, with 92% meridian purity.

After entering the simulation cabin, he saw three "civilians" being besieged by Puppets. His first reaction was to gather Qi Energy to prepare for a counterattack.

But when the Spirit-Devouring Energy of a Puppet grazed his arm, leaving a black mark, he suddenly retreated: "My Qi Energy hasn't been practiced well yet; I can't get hurt!"

After saying this, he turned and ran out of the simulation cabin. The screen of the simulation cabin instantly displayed: "Heart-Nature Score: 30 points (Unqualified)."

The global live broadcast comments section was in an uproar: "No matter how good the Bone structure is, what's the use if you are afraid of death!" "Teacher Chen is right, Heart-Nature is the key!"

Great Master Huineng's face was a bit embarrassed, but he had to admit: "Although this child has good Bone structure, he lacks 'responsibility' and is indeed not suitable for selection."

The second applicant was A-Ya, a young girl from the mountains of Yunnan, 18 years old. Her Bone structure was only 65%, but because she had taken care of her disabled mother for many years, she wrote in her application: "I want to practice traditional martial arts to protect my mother."

After entering the simulation cabin, facing five Puppets besieging two "civilians," she did not hesitate at all. She gathered all her meager Brute Force Early Stage Qi Energy into her arms and used the Ward-off Energy taught by Chen Wu to protect the "civilians."

Even though her back was hit by Spirit-Devouring Energy, leaving a black mark, she gritted her teeth and persisted until "rescue" arrived.

The simulation cabin screen displayed: "Heart-Nature Score: 95 points (Excellent) — Fearless in the face of danger, extremely strong sense of guardianship."

Chen Wu watched the screen in the control room, his eyes full of admiration: "This is the Disciple that traditional martial arts needs. With ordinary Bone structure but a 'Heart of Guardianship,' as long as she is trained a little, she will surely achieve great things."

Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan nodded: "Back then, the Taiji ancestor Yang Luchan also had a Bone structure of only 70%, but because of his resilient Heart-Nature, he worked as a handyman in Chenjiagou for ten years and finally created Yang-style Taiji. It shows that Heart-Nature is more important than Bone structure."

Section 3 The Profound Meaning of the Moral Test: The Choice Between Interest and Persistence.

The second link, "Moral Test," was even more profound. Applicants entered the "traditional martial arts Resource Choice" scenario.

Inside the simulation cabin, a "Spirit-Devourer Breaking Manual" (representing personal interest) and a "Civilian Rescue Map" (representing the safety of others) were placed on the table.

Applicants had to make a choice within 10 minutes: If they chose the manual, they could get a virtual reward of "rapidly improving Qi Energy," but the "civilians" would be harmed by the Puppets because they missed the rescue.

If they chose the map, they had to give up the manual and go to the rescue on foot, which would consume a lot of Qi Energy in the process.

Carlos, an applicant from Brazil, had 80% Bone structure and was a local traditional martial arts coach, once famous for "quickly mastering the Taiji Sword."

After entering the simulation cabin, he hesitated for a moment when looking at the manual. His daughter suffered from "Qi Energy Disorder," and the "Qi Energy Regulation Method" in the manual might save his daughter.

But when the screen popped up with a prompt that "civilians will be attacked by Puppets in 5 minutes," he suddenly pushed the manual aside and grabbed the map to run: "My daughter's illness can be treated slowly, but if I stand by and watch people die, what is the point of me practicing traditional martial arts?"

The "Moral Score" of the simulation cabin instantly jumped to 98 points, and a "Rescue Successful" prompt popped up on the screen.

When Carlos walked out of the cabin, his eyes were red but he was relieved: "I finally understand that traditional martial arts is not for making oneself stronger, but for protecting more people."

In the global live broadcast comments, the audience was deeply moved: "This is the responsibility of a traditional martial artist!" "Much better than those Bone structure Geniuses who only think of themselves!"

Real-time data from the Technical Department showed that only 30% of applicants chose the map, and 70% of them had a Bone structure below 80%, confirming that "there is no necessary correlation between Heart-Nature and Bone structure."

The most surprising one was Hamid, a boy from a Syrian refugee camp, with a Bone structure of only 60% and a disabled left hand due to the war.

After entering the simulation cabin, facing the manual and the map, he did not hesitate at all and chose the map.

When asked for the reason, he gestured with his only right hand: "Brother Mohammed said that the traditional martial arts taught by Teacher Chen is the 'power of guardianship,' not a 'tool to make oneself stronger.' I want to protect my partners in the refugee camp, just like Brother Mohammed."

The simulation cabin's score showed "Heart-Nature Perfect." Chen Wu walked into the cabin himself and handed his Qi Energy Induction Bead to Hamid: "Although you have ordinary Bone structure and a physical disability, you have the most precious 'Heart of Guardianship' of a traditional martial artist. This bead is my recognition of you."

Section 4 A New Way to Verify Bone Structure: Auxiliary Rather Than Decisive.

After the Heart-Nature assessment, only 200 applicants passed. In the subsequent "Bone structure Verification" link, Chen Wu's team completely changed the traditional method.

They no longer determined superiority based on "Bone structure purity," but used an intelligent device, the "Qi Energy Potential Analyzer," to evaluate the applicant's "cultivability of Bone structure" and "Heart-Nature's compensation ability for Bone structure."

On the device screen, next to each applicant's Bone structure data, was marked the "Heart-Nature Compensation Coefficient."

A-Ya's Bone structure purity was 65%, but her Heart-Nature compensation coefficient reached 120%. The device displayed: "Through systematic training, she can break through to the Middle Stage of Brute Force within 1 year."

Hamid's Bone structure purity was 60%, and his Heart-Nature compensation coefficient was 130%. The device prompted: "Although his left hand is disabled, he can develop the potential of his right hand through special Qi Energy guidance, and his Qi Energy strength may exceed that of ordinary people."

As for the previous Bone structure Genius Li Wei, although his Bone structure purity was 92%, his Heart-Nature compensation coefficient was only 30%. The device displayed: "Qi Energy improvement is prone to stagnation, and there is a risk of Qi Deviation."

"Traditional Bone structure assessment only looks at the 'Innate,' but ignores the influence of 'Acquired Heart-Nature'," Chen Wu pointed to the device data.

"A-Ya's Heart-Nature is resilient and can endure high-intensity training, so her Qi Energy absorption efficiency will improve over time; Hamid's Heart of Guardianship allows him to break through physical limitations during Cultivate. These are incomparable to Innate Bone structure."

Great Master Huineng looked at the data and finally nodded: "It was my stubbornness before. The 'Bone structure' of traditional martial arts is not just the Bone structure of the body, but also the Bone structure of the heart. If the Heart-Nature is not upright, even the best physical Bone structure is useless."

Finally, the list of 100 advanced Disciples was determined. Among them, only 15 had a Bone structure above 80%, 65 had a Bone structure between 60%-80%, and 20 had a Bone structure below 60%. Hamid, A-Ya, and other outstanding individuals in Heart-Nature were all selected.

Zhang Qiming announced in the global live broadcast: "From today on, the Traditional Martial Arts Protection Bureau will incorporate 'Heart-Nature first, Bone structure second' into the official selection criteria. All intelligent training grounds will be equipped with a Heart-Nature Assessment System to give more 'heart-rich but bone-poor' traditional martial artists a chance to inherit the Legacy."

Section 5 The Impact of Standard Implementation: A New Direction for traditional martial arts Inheritance.

After the results of the second selection were announced, a craze of "valuing Heart-Nature, neglecting Bone structure" swept through the global traditional martial arts circle.

The "Heart-Nature Training Manual" of the Traditional Martial Arts Protection Bureau exceeded 50 million downloads within 24 hours. The content included "Guardianship Awareness Training," "Moral Choice Simulation," and "Anti-Frustration Ability Cultivation," becoming compulsory teaching materials for global traditional martial arts teaching points.

The intelligent training grounds added a "Heart-Nature Cultivation Area," setting up scenarios such as "Civilian Guardianship" and "Resource Choice" for trainees' daily training.

Among Chen Wu's first batch of Disciples, Old Zhao's changes were the most obvious. He had a Bone structure of 68% and used to feel inferior because of his "poor Bone structure." Now, through Heart-Nature training, his Qi Energy absorption efficiency had increased by 30%, and he could even guide trainees with 80% Bone structure in their Cultivate.

Nurse Emily integrated "Heart-Nature Cultivation" into rehabilitation therapy. Through the training of "helping others," her patients not only improved their Qi Energy Disorder but also enhanced their confidence in facing diseases, increasing the recovery rate by 40%.

At the Egypt Pyramid training ground, Amir selected trainees according to the "Heart-Nature first" standard. One boy with a Bone structure of only 55% was selected because of his experience of "protecting his sister against war militants."

Three months later, his Qi Energy strength actually exceeded that of trainees with 75% Bone structure, becoming the "anti-Spirit-Devourer little expert" of the training ground.

Amir sighed in the global live broadcast: "Teacher Chen's standards make us understand that traditional martial arts is not the patent of a few Bone structure Geniuses, but a power that every ordinary person with a Heart of Guardianship can learn."

The Flower Girl stood in front of the "Heart-Nature Stele" of the intelligent training ground, holding the inheritance grass. The stele was engraved with "traditional martial arts first passes on virtue, then practice energy; practice energy first, then practice the heart."

The eight-colored petals of the inheritance grass unfolded toward the stele, and dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the scenes of global trainees' Heart-Nature training: A-Ya in the mountains of Yunnan was teaching children to protect animals, Hamid in Syria was teaching his partners in the refugee camp to practice Ward-off Energy, and Carlos in Brazil was rescuing lost tourists in the rainforest.

"Elder Zhou said, 'The true standard of traditional martial arts is to see how many people you have protected with your energy, not how much Bone structure you have'," the little girl said softly. "Now, more and more people understand this truth."

Section 6 The Mission Behind the Standard: The Core Power of Resisting the Spirit-Devourer.

On the night the second selection ended, Chen Wu stood under the starry sky of Taiji Terrace with 100 advanced Disciples, each wearing a "Heart-Nature Certification Badge" on their chest.

Chen Wu raised the Taiji Form-Fusion Advanced Manual in his hand: "Some of you have ordinary Bone structure, and some of you have physical disabilities, but you all have a 'Heart of Guardianship'—this heart will become your strongest weapon against the Spirit-Devouring Organization."

He pointed to the direction of the Secret Realm in the distance: "The exploration of the Pavilion of Supreme Treasures and global cleanup operations all need your strength. Remember, as long as the Heart-Nature does not collapse, even the strongest Spirit-Devouring Energy can be defeated."

100 Disciples bowed at the same time, their voices resounding through the night sky: "traditional martial arts first passes on virtue, then practice energy! Guard traditional martial arts, resist the Spirit-Devourer!"

The global live broadcast camera recorded this solemn scene, and the comments section flashed with neat text: "Heart-Nature first breaks tradition, Bone structure second reveals the truth; traditional martial arts inheritance relies on the original intention, resisting the Spirit-Devourer with courage and responsibility!"

150 billion viewers lit up their screens at the same time, forming a colorful river of light that illuminated the entire Taiji Villa.

Zhang Qiming looked at this scene and sighed to Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan: "Chen Wu not only formulated new selection standards but also reshaped the core values of traditional martial arts."

"In the past, traditional martial arts was a 'practice for the few,' but now it has become the 'guardianship of the many.' This is the key to traditional martial arts surviving in the new era and withstanding the threat of the Spirit-Devourer."

Grandmaster Yang Mingyuan nodded: "Taiji Villa will engrave the 'Heart-Nature first' standard into the ancestral teachings, so that every generation of successors will remember that the root of traditional martial arts is not in the bones, but in the heart."

Chen Wu stood among the Disciples, and the Four Symbols Qi Energy in his Dantian resonated with the Leyline Qi Energy of the starry sky.

He knew that the standard of "Heart-Nature first, Bone structure second" was not only the criterion for Disciple selection but also the new direction for traditional martial arts inheritance.