Sunlight passed through the dense canopy. The smell of roasting boar wafted into the clearing.
Wei Shun slowly turned the boar on top of the fire, mumbling something underneath. "Wouldn't this attract the demon beasts, master?"
Fang Laoyun languidly lay on a rock, large leaves shading his face.
"I drove them off. You don't have to worry about that."
Wei Shun shook his head and asked another question, "Is this also part of the training?"
"Everything is training, brat. Cooking's part of it." Fang yawned, fanning himself with a leaf. "You have to survive by yourself — that's the plan. This is just the beginning."
His nose twitched and rose, feeling the tender meat with his washed hands. "The seasoning's a bit messy, but you've done enough. Stop it, let's eat."
The two shared a meal, sitting under the makeshift shade from leaves and branches.
Fang Laoyun slowly munched on the meat, savouring the aroma and taste. He noticed Wei Shun, grabbing pieces of meat without pause.
"A steady pose, and quick hands." Fang muttered under his breath. "Maybe I should try that later..."
After eating, he handed a bucket of water to Wei Shun, "Wash your hands. We have more to do."
Then, walked to the other side and started making a small circle. Wei Shun obeyed, washed his hands, took his staff, and followed his master.
"Done? Step in. Don't leave until I say so." Fang gestured, holding the staff firmly in his hands.
Wei Shun stared at him, having an idea of what would happen next.
"Qi surrounds this world," Fang circled him, voice steady. "Cultivators bend it at will. Their strikes don't always come from where you see them."
He tapped the staff against the circle's edge. "Inside this line is a moment of unpredictability. Only your muscles, mind, and instincts can save you. Hold your ground, or you will learn how fast qi can crush an unsteady body."
Wei Shun tightened his grip on the staff, his eyes following his master's body and staff movement.
So this is what he meant by control.
Fang's staff flicked forward without warning. Wei Shun adjusted his body, letting his staff push Fang's aside.
"Good!"
Fang shifted his body, retrieving the staff. Wei Shun's body adjusted again, his eyes locked onto him.
Fang's staff pushed forward, then suddenly changed its angle of attack.
A feint! Wei Shun cursed inwardly. His body, unaccustomed to the sudden changes, stumbled back. Despite blocking the attack, his right foot stepped outside the circle's edges.
"Out already? A cultivator would've torn your legs after this."
Fang stepped back, giving him a breather. "Again."
Wei Shun stepped back in, jaws clenched. He wasn't faster than his master, but he was learning where the next strike would start.
At that moment, Fang arrived on his right, prompting Wei Shun to turn his head and body. The attack struck low, aiming to sweep his feet.
Wei Shun held the staff vertically, blocking the attack. Strong!
The impact almost caused him to lose his footing. Before he could curse, Fang struck again behind him, this time over the head.
Wei Shun was forced to turn around in full motion while raising the staff. His back bent unnaturally, but his feet remained planted inside the circle.
He's gone!
The weight pushing him down suddenly vanished, only to see another strike aimed at his head.
Pang!
Wei Shun was thrown aside, dust flying.
Fang lowered his staff, looking at Wei Shun's dishevelled face. "Qi bends. The world bends. What won't bend is your body when you've trained it firmly enough."
He drew a line through the dust. "A cultivator feels the flow before he moves. You will feel the air, the earth, and your surroundings instead. That is how you will deal with one."
Wei Shun pushed himself up and returned to the circle, his eyes burning with unwavering persistence.
Fang struck, driving his staff straight into his face, but Wei Shun parried it away. Using the momentum, Fang turned around and delivered another blow.
Wei Shun gripped his staff in reverse, blocking the second attack.
"Good, you didn't flinch this time. There's more to go!"
Thuds resounded incessantly in the clearing, creating a rhythmic noise in the surrounding air. Their session continued slowly throughout the afternoon, with Fang's attacks growing faster, stronger, and more unpredictable.
Wei Shun's body adapted, blocking the relentless attacks without stepping out of the circle.
The shadows stretched across the clearing as the sun started to set. Each clash slowed down more than the last. Fang's strikes finally stopped, his staff resting on the ground.
"Enough for today," he said. "Let your body remember what it learned."
Wei Shun stood in the fading light, gasping for breath as sweat rolled down his face. His grip on the staff never loosened, but strengthened instead.
Control, he thought. That's what this is!
Fang Laoyun left him alone to reflect on the day's practice and went deep into the forest to hunt another boar.
"Wei Shun's body is adapting quickly. Gentler methods will not work on him," he muttered, traversing the forest in ease. With a flick of his finger, his right hand suddenly grasped the hilt of a silver sabre. Its sharp edge gleamed in the darkness of the dusk.
"Skills and techniques can be taught later. Right now, he has to hone his body and instincts first."
His body fluttered agilely, moving faster than a monkey as he jumped between branches at high speed.
"Such a remarkable body for martial arts. How come he wasn't blessed with the path of immortality instead?"
Fang Laoyun wondered about Wei Shun's past. The boy's body constitution, in itself, was nothing short of miraculous and magical. He even suspected that Wei Shun was a hidden cultivator, but after numerous checks, he hadn't found anything.
"That mark on his forehead," his eyes narrowed, pondering in his mind, "It might be from Tian Ming Ling. I have to ask around later."
...
Meanwhile, Wei Shun's mind buzzed as his system prompted again.
[ Practice Encounter Finished ]
[ Gained: Strength +2. Agility +4. Endurance +2. Willpower +2. Perception +3. ]
[ Gained: Skill Points +1.5 ]
He exhaled deeply, feeling refreshed as he saw his attributes increase.
"Agility had a huge increase this time, too. It might grow faster than Strength and Endurance. I hope that tomorrow's practice is different, or I might be forced to add points in my Strength."
To Wei Shun, an imbalance in attributes would lead to flaws in his combat techniques when fighting cultivators. An all-rounded distribution was more to his liking.
"Speaking of skills, should I increase one level in my Unrivaled Physical Prowess skill?"
He said while hovering his hand over the plus sign of the said skill. After considering for a while, Wei Shun pressed the plus sign.
[ Skill Points -2. ]
[ +1 level to Unrivalled Physical Prowess. ]
[ Tier 1 Skills for Unrivalled Physical Prowess branch has been unlocked. ]
[ New bonuses gained. ]
[Unrivalled Physical Prowess (Level 2): Overall amplification increased to 4 times (Strength, Agility, Endurance). Muscles adapt more quickly to growth and change. ]
Wei Shun's eyes widened at the changes to this skill. From 3 times to 4 times amplification? Quick adaptation? Truly unrivalled!
He now felt excited about further developing his skill. However, he felt dismayed when he saw the requirements.
[Unrivalled Physical Prowess (Level 2) Upgrade Requirements ]
[ At least 2,500 in Strength, Agility, and Endurance (boosts are not included in the calculation). 5 Skill Points. Unlocked all Tier 1 skills under this branch. ]
"Fine, let's check the Tier 1 skills then." Wei Shun grumpily accessed the Skill Tree for the Unrivalled Physical Prowess branch. The moment his eyes landed on the skills, his grumpiness instantly vanished.
[ Active Skill - Strength Amplification (Requires Level 2 UPP, 1 Skill Point) ]
[ Effect: Amplifies Strength by 2 times. Does not account for boosted stats. Reduces Strength by 50% after use, for 6 hours. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 6 hours. ]
...
[ Passive Skill - Physical Regeneration (Requires Level 2 UPP, 1 Skill Point) ]
[ Regeneration from cuts and minor injuries. Regeneration speed increased by 50%. ]
...
"An active skill... and a passive skill?!"
The passive skill looked great. Regenerating wounds, no matter how small, could prove helpful to Wei Shun, especially since he was undergoing rigorous training from a master martial artist. With high Endurance, quick recovery, and regeneration on top of it, he could easily rest between practices and continue at a high intensity for long hours each day.
"But then I'll only have 3 skill points left. Strength Amplification isn't particularly useful at this time. Ah, I'll save the skill points for the future."
[ -1 Skill Point. ]
[ Passive Skill — Physical Regeneration has been activated. ]
Wei Shun instantly felt a cooling sensation wash over his body. The tender, scraped wounds from earlier slowly healed, and the numbness in his limbs and torso faded.
"That's better." He let out a breath and clenched his fists tightly. "With this, I can ask master to continue our training into the night."
His eyes blazed with flames, revealing his relentless pursuit of Strength. To become stronger was his primary goal, and avenging his mother and father was his secondary.
At this moment, Fang Laoyun had just returned, carrying another large boar on his shoulders. He noticed that Wei Shun's vitality seemed to have returned, determination rising in him.
This brat must have encountered an epiphany.
He silently trodded into the hut, not wanting to disturb Wei Shun at all.
...
The forest wind cooled the clearing, carrying faint traces of roasting meat.
Wei Shun lay back against the trunk, watching fireflies drift between the leaves. His muscles no longer ached, a testament to the power of his Physical Regeneration skill and high Endurance stat.
"Brat, what are you daydreaming there about?" Fang Laoyun's cold voice echoed in the darkness.
Wei Shun sprang up and cupped his fists. "Master, I wonder if we could continue the training into the night."
"You sure have a lot of energy, don't you?" Fang grinned, waiting for Wei Shun to spill the obvious.
"I can't help it," Wei Shun narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist. "Staying idle won't help me. Training with you will!"
"Resting is an important part of training too," Fang reminded, sticking out his index finger, "Have you rested well enough?"
"I have." Wei Shun nodded.
Fang smirked as he noticed the young boy drawing a small circle around himself.
"Very well then, prepare yourself."