The Dragon Elephant Wisdom Art is famous for being easy to get started but getting ridiculously tough as you go. The upgraded version of the Wisdom Art? Same deal. So honestly, if you expect to unlock some mind-blowing superpower at level one, you’re dreaming.
Wisdom Art, first tier: Sharper senses. Sure, it’s called 'Sharper Senses,' but really, it boosts all five senses—sight, hearing, smell, you name it.
Jack Young had been squinting for years, so waking up with perfect vision hit him like a truck. That’s why it felt extra dramatic.
The Jingwu Athletic Association—now officially the Jingwu Gymnastics Club—still mostly teaches martial arts. And let’s be real, all that punching and kicking means buckets of sweat, so showers are a must.
“Good morning, Mr. Young!” “Morning, Mr. Young!” Everyone from the Jingwu Athletic Association greeted Jack Young on his way in. Yesterday’s class really made him a household name around here.
Jack kept nodding and waving back, and after a quick wash, he looked up and saw John Zhao—one of the Jingwu instructors. John’s a whiz at Zhao Family Boxing, and rumor has it his Iron Horse Stance is so solid, you could park a car on him.
“Mr. Young, you’re up earlier than me, and I’m supposed to be the martial arts guy! Now I feel lazy,” John Zhao joked, stepping over with muscles on muscles—seriously, the guy looks like he eats dumbbells for breakfast.
Jack Young grinned, “I just got woken up by a bathroom emergency—so that doesn’t count!” Glancing at the pumped-up trainees, Jack asked, “Master Zhao, are the students always this hyped? Or is today special?”
“Ha! You’ve got a good eye, Mr. Young,” John Zhao laughed. “Today, Master Samuel Lee is visiting to give a Bagua Palm seminar. Of course everyone’s excited!”
Samuel Lee? Jack Young didn’t know much about martial arts legends from this era. Honestly, the only one he recognized was Henry Huo—and that’s just from watching Chen Zhen movies. But he’d at least heard of Bagua Palm, and now that he was in this world of martial arts, how could he pass up seeing it for himself?
Jack Young asked eagerly, "Master Zhao, can I go take a look?"
John Zhao laughed, "Why not? I’m going to learn too!" He checked the time. "Master Lee likes to start early, never late. Looks like it’s about time—let’s go together!"
Chinese folks are notorious for their cliquey attitudes, especially in martial arts. Back in the day, Yang Luchan had to jump through hoops to learn Chen-style Tai Chi. One 'Chen Family Boxing is not for outsiders' and boom—door slammed on a ton of hopefuls.
Things only started to change with Henry Huo. Thanks to his reputation and patriotism, the Jingwu Athletic Association brought together martial artists from all over. Even grandmasters who weren’t official members would drop by for a guest lecture.
These guest lessons weren’t exactly a full reveal, but with so many experts watching, you had to show off at least a trick or two.
"Hello everyone! Today I’ll be introducing Bagua Palm."
Of course, Samuel Lee himself wasn’t teaching—he’s over sixty and busy chatting with Henry Huo. The instructor was a young woman, probably one of Lee’s students or disciples.
Jack Young was right in the middle of the crowd, snagging a prime spot so he could see every move the instructor made.
"Bagua Palm comes from saber techniques—one palm is like a single blade, two palms are double blades, and just like with sabers, it’s all about aggressive attacks." The woman glanced around. "So, who wants to try it out? It’s easier to talk with your hands."
The students exchanged glances, but John Zhao stepped forward. "Miss, I’m John Zhao. Let’s give it a shot."
"Nice!" The young woman didn’t hold back—she launched a fierce attack. Her hands moved so unpredictably, it was like she was wielding two blades, dazzling the crowd and earning cheers all around.
One student gasped, "Bagua Palm is insanely fast—so much variation!"
But Jack Young just frowned.
To him, the woman’s moves didn’t seem all that quick.
The Bagua Palm technique was impressive, but way different from the palm strikes Jack Young was used to. In his mind, palm moves should be like the classic 'Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms'—all about smacking things. Even in his experience with Ishiguro and the little girl, it was all about slapping.
But the woman’s Bagua Palm had almost no slapping—instead, it was all chops, slices, and thrusts. Maybe it was because her opponent, John Zhao, was all brute force, charging straight in. She had to rely on agility and slicing moves.
But Jack Young wasn’t even watching her hands—he was glued to her footwork. Maybe it was his dance training, but he always paid attention to the feet.
Get the footwork right, and your center of gravity follows—then your hands can do whatever you like.
The woman stepped and twisted, circling around John Zhao nonstop. Her unique footwork let her shift her center of gravity with agility, making it easy to dodge or attack.
Jack Young was so absorbed, he didn’t notice the match had ended until he saw the two bowing to each other.
"Bagua Palm lives up to the hype. I’ve learned a lot," John Zhao said.
"You’re too kind, Master Zhao. Your hard-hitting style left me with nowhere to attack—really opened my eyes."
After a few polite words, the woman started demonstrating Bagua Palm routines. Since Bagua Palm is based on the eight trigrams, each set matches an element. She picked one set to demonstrate, and the students followed along.
But Jack Young slipped off to the side, frowning and deep in thought. He ignored the woman's hand techniques and started circling around on his own.
"How was that footwork again?" Jack Young muttered, shuffling around and trying to get the moves right, testing and correcting until it felt familiar.
In the Jingwu Athletic Association lounge, Henry Huo, Samuel Lee, and Dr. Thomas Tang were deep in conversation. Samuel Lee bowed to Dr. Tang: "Dr. Tang, I’ve heard of your reputation for years, and you truly are remarkable. Combining Bagua and Xingyi has given me some new ideas—thanks for your guidance."
"Guidance is too strong a word—just sharing and learning together," Dr. Thomas Tang replied with a smile. "Bagua and Xingyi, combining hard and soft, inside and out, has been inspiring for me too."
Henry Huo glanced out the lounge window at the training ground, where students were practicing under the woman’s demonstration. He asked, "Is she one of your top students? She’s so skilled at such a young age—congratulations, Master Lee."
"Haha, she’s my granddaughter, Xuelian. She’s got talent, but still needs lots of practice," Samuel Lee said, turning to watch the scene. Suddenly, he asked, "Master Huo, who’s that young man in the corner?"
"Oh, he’s not a student—he’s Jack Young, our Western sciences teacher," Henry Huo said admiringly. "He studied abroad and came back to teach. He’s got a real passion for sharing knowledge, and his classes are always impressive."
"A teacher of Western sciences?" Samuel Lee sat up and looked more closely. "Does he know any martial arts?"
"Nope, today he’s just excited to watch with us," Henry Huo replied. "Are you interested in Mr. Young, Master Lee?"
"Haha," Samuel Lee said, watching Jack Young’s footwork. "Let’s keep watching, let’s keep watching."