The sun hung low over Shrek Academy, casting a gentle amber glow across the outer training grounds. A rare stillness filled the air, disturbed only by the occasional chirp of birds or the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. It was a peaceful morning, one that whispered of change.
Li Wei sat cross-legged beneath a sturdy pine tree, the Diendriver resting on the grass beside him. Trying to remember the full manual from the system. The manual that the system left him can be said to be divide into two. Stat increase and acceleration of spirit power garhering. In his lap lay a weathered notebook—worn at the edges but immaculately preserved. He turned each page slowly, fingers tracing the neat lines of text that he write what was left behind by the system in word that not complete as he do not want unrelated people to learn it.
"Strengthen the body. Accelerate spirit power absorption."
That was the essence of the manual. Simple in words, but complex in execution. It had been left behind the moment his martial spirit awakened, the last gift of a system that had guided him since birth. He had used its techniques for years now, integrating its principles seamlessly into his cultivation. But today, he would share it.
The name of the manual he decide to call it Heaven and Hell martial manual.
Footsteps approached from behind.
"You said to come early," Zhu Zhuqing's voice was quiet but unwavering. Her hair was tied up for training, the sharpness in her gaze already present.
"And you did," Li Wei smiled, standing up.
Soon after, Xiao Wu bounced into the clearing, stretching her arms over her head. "Morning! Are you guys ready to be tortured? Because I'm really am not!"
Hearing that they laugh a little.
"Speak for yourself," Ning Rongrong muttered, already massaging her calves. "My legs still feel like jelly after yesterday's spar." Yet, even then she smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Li Wei looked at them all. Three different spirits, three distinct personalities—yet each one had shown the desire to grow stronger. Not for glory, but for the sake of their friends. That was enough.
"I'm going to teach you something," he began, lifting the manual. "It's a technique meant to refine your body and spirit. With it, you'll absorb spirit power more efficiently, and your physical endurance will rise. But this won't let you cheat past realms or absorb spirit rings early."
"Then what does it do?" Xiao Wu tilted her head.
"It prepares your body and core to handle the shock when the time comes. If your cultivation realm is the gate, this is strengthening the path that leads to it. While it also increase you endurance and stamina that will help all of you last longer in combat"
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed. "So we won't skip stages, but we can reach the peak of each stage faster and safer."
"Exactly," Li Wei nodded.
He gestured for them to sit, and one by one, they settled onto the grass, facing him. The morning breeze ruffled their robes as golden sunlight spilled through the trees above. It felt almost sacred.
"First, we start with breathing. In through your nose, deep into your dantian. Hold. Now exhale slowly, matching the flow of your spirit power."
They followed, brows furrowing in focus.
Li Wei continued, "With every breath, channel a light current of spirit energy through your meridians. Picture it like water moving through a riverbed. Steady. Controlled."
Zhu Zhuqing picked it up quickly. Her breath slowed, her posture straightened, and her internal rhythm became more refined.
Xiao Wu, naturally attuned to her body, swayed a little but adapted soon after, adjusting with a grin. "Heh. Kinda tickles."
Ning Rongrong struggled more. Her spirit power flowed erratically at first, lacking the precision of combat-focused spirits.
"Rongrong," Li Wei said gently. "Support-type doesn't mean weak. Your control is your strength. Start slower. Feel the pulse first, then guide it."
She nodded, biting her lip, and tried again.
As the minutes passed, the clearing transformed. The girls began to glow faintly, their bodies coated in a light sheen of perspiration. Their spirit power moved more efficiently now, synchronized with their breath.
"Now we begin the physical exercises," Li Wei stood, brushing grass from his robes. "These movements help reinforce the muscles and meridians tied to your spirit roots. We'll start with the basics."
He demonstrated a wide, low stance, his arms stretched as if holding up invisible weights.
"This looks like basic martial poses," Zhu Zhuqing observed.
"It is. But focus on keeping your spirit power circulating while you hold them. No breaks."
One by one, they mimicked him. Xiao Wu grunted, already feeling the burn in her legs. Zhu Zhuqing remained steady. Ning Rongrong shook slightly.
"Now, exhale. Push your spirit power to your limbs. Let it support the strain."
For an hour, they rotated through movement drills and meditative holds. Li Wei adjusted their poses, guided their flows, and watched closely.
He wasn't just training them—he was observing. How Zhu Zhuqing posture never wavered, how Xiao Wu compensated for physical stress with inner flexibility, and how Ning Rongrong, despite her complaints, refused to collapse.
When they finally collapsed to the grass, the sky had shifted toward noon, casting a brighter glow over the forest.
"How do you all feel?" he asked.
"Like my legs are going to rebel," Xiao Wu groaned.
"...Good," Zhu Zhuqing muttered, wiping sweat from her brow.
"You're a sadist," Ning Rongrong shot him a glare, but her grin was wide.
Li Wei chuckled. "Good. Then we're just getting started."
"That are just the basic you know that to help you guide the spirit power and know where they moved, now we will goes into the real one. Bombarding your entire body with the spirit power. Let me warn you, this one will hurt like hell."
Hearing that the face of the three blanche.
"Good news is that if you're able to control it properly, you will not need to continue the movement and just sit still to continue spirit bombardment inside you body"
_____________________
The days that followed were rhythmic.
Morning drills. Breathing circulation. Spirit power channeling. Movement precision.
And every night, the three girls fell asleep sore, but with a faint smile on their lips.
They began to notice changes.
Zhu Zhuqing could now maintain Hell Rush for longer bursts. Xiao Wu recovered faster after teleporting. Ning Rongrong could amplify two allies at once for longer durations without exhaustion.
Their spirits were becoming more efficient. Their bodies, more durable.
________________
One evening, the four of them gathered again under the same pine tree. The air was cool, touched by twilight. The sky above shimmered in hues of pink and gold.
"Zhuqing," Li Wei said. "How does your core feel?"
She placed a hand on her chest. "Lighter. Like it doesn't resist when I circulate spirit power."
"Good. Xiao Wu?"
"My steps are sharper. Faster. I don't even think when I jump anymore."
"Rongrong?"
She smiled, breath fogging slightly. "I can feel my limits stretching. Like I can do more before hitting the wall."
Li Wei nodded, pleased. "You're all near a minor breakthrough. Focus. Meditate tonight. Let the energy you've accumulated settle."
They obeyed, slipping into a seated posture under the pine. The moon rose slowly as silence fell upon them.
Li Wei watched as the faint glow of spirit power pulsed around each of them, harmonious and steady.
His mind drifted.
When I first saw them, they were strong. But now... now they're sharp. Focused. Dangerous.
The night deepened.
And one by one, their spirit power surged.
A gentle wind stirred as golden light surrounded Zhu Zhuqing. Her eyes snapped open, gleaming faintly—Level 28.
Xiao Wu grinned as her aura rose in a vibrant pink spiral—Level 32.
Ning Rongrong gasped, startled by her own pulse of rising energy—Level 27.
They had all broken through. Not by force. Not by shortcuts. But by patience, sweat, and trust.
Li Wei smiled faintly under the moonlight.
"That's it. That's the path forward."
And in the silence that followed, the seeds of a stronger team quietly took root.