In the days that followed, Shen Hao immersed himself completely in cultivating the Flowing Cloud Steps. He barely left his room. Aside from the necessary breathing cultivation each day, he spent all his remaining time studying the mysteries of the Flowing Cloud Steps.
This movement technique was far more complex and exquisite than the Basic Footwork Technique he had comprehended before. It had Nine Layers of Realm, each layer building upon the last. Every layer contained different transformations of footwork, and the difficulty grew ever higher. The first layer was "Flowing Cloud First Appearance," which increased movement speed by ten percent after cultivation; the second layer was "Flowing Cloud Surge," which increased movement speed by twenty percent... The ninth layer was "Flowing Cloud Formless," which increased movement speed by ninety percent, reaching a transcendent realm where one truly came without a shadow and left without a trace.
Shen Hao sat cross-legged atop the Jade Bed, carefully studying the cultivation method of the Flowing Cloud Steps. He read it word by word, committing every footwork transformation, every shift in his center of gravity, and every route of spiritual energy circulation firmly to heart, not daring to miss the slightest detail. Cultivating the Flowing Cloud Steps demanded extremely precise control over spiritual energy. The slightest carelessness could cause qi deviation and injure the body, so he had to proceed with the utmost caution.
Once he had memorized the first layer's cultivation method inside and out, he walked to an open space in the room and began practicing.
At first, his movements were clumsy. His steps were unsteady and weak, and he swayed as he walked like a child learning to walk, unable even to perform the most basic footwork steadily. The spiritual energy circulating through the meridians in his legs was also incomparably sluggish, unable to flow as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water.
But he did not lose heart. He practiced again and again. Whenever he fell, he rose to his feet, adjusted his breathing, and started anew. Sweat slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the floor, spreading into small wet stains. Before long, it had soaked through his clothes.
He slowly poured the spiritual energy within his Sea of Qi into the meridians of his legs. The spiritual energy flowed through meridians that had long been tempered by the Meridian Tempering Art into toughness and breadth, and his legs instantly became much lighter. Following the records of the technique, he adjusted his center of gravity, felt the path of spiritual energy through his meridians, and explored the knack step by step.
Time slipped away bit by bit, from morning to noon, then to dusk. The sunlight beyond the window gradually sank westward, and its afterglow spilled across the floor, plating it in a golden halo.
After who knew how many attempts, Shen Hao stepped forward once more, and his figure suddenly became graceful and free. Like drifting clouds, he moved effortlessly through the open space in the room, his steps light and without the slightest stagnation. His speed had increased by more than ten percent.
"The first layer, Flowing Cloud First Appearance, is finally complete!" Shen Hao stopped and exhaled a long breath of stale air, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
He could clearly feel that his movement speed had increased by ten percent. Though it was only ten percent, in actual combat, that increase could often determine victory or defeat, allowing him to evade fatal attacks at critical moments.
He did not rest. After briefly regulating his breath and recovering some of the spiritual energy he had expended, he continued practicing the second layer of the Flowing Cloud Steps, Flowing Cloud Surge.
The second layer's footwork was more complicated than the first, and it placed even greater demands on spiritual energy control. It required spiritual energy to circulate through the leg meridians in a more exquisite manner, making it flow like water, unbroken and continuous, supporting the changes in the footwork.
Shen Hao practiced over and over again, striving for precision with every step and every turn. Sweat streamed from his forehead like pearls from a broken string. His clothes had long since been drenched through and clung tightly to his body, outlining his somewhat slender yet upright frame.
His gaze was focused and resolute, devoid of the slightest weariness. There was only his persistence in cultivation. He knew there were no shortcuts on the path of immortality. Only by keeping his feet on the ground and leaving one footprint after another could he travel farther.
The sun set in the west, night fell, and moonlight filtered through the window lattice into the room, coating Shen Hao's figure in a layer of silver radiance.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Hao's figure became increasingly graceful and nimble. His footsteps flowed like water, unpredictable in their transformations. Though he was in a cramped room, he walked with the feeling of vast, boundless space. His speed had also increased considerably.
"The second layer, Flowing Cloud Surge, is complete too!" Shen Hao abruptly stopped, an excited smile spreading across his face. He could clearly feel that his movement speed had increased by another ten percent, for a total increase of twenty percent. Though he was still far from the peak realm of the Flowing Cloud Steps, this was already enormous progress.
He did not continue to cultivate the third layer. He knew that haste made waste. Cultivating the Flowing Cloud Steps required gradual progress and a solid foundation. Only after training the first two layers to the point where the fire was pure and the green was blue, thoroughly integrating them, could he cultivate the third layer. Otherwise, he would only achieve half the result with twice the effort, and might even damage his meridians.
He walked to the Jade Bed and sat cross-legged. Taking out the Companion Jade Pendant, he infused it with a thread of spiritual energy. Green light flickered, and the Spirit Devouring Vortex within his dantian slowly began to turn, drawing in the scattered spiritual energy in the air. The spiritual energy in the air continuously surged into his body. After being purified by the jade pendant, it transformed into pure spiritual energy and flowed into his Sea of Qi, replenishing his exhausted Spiritual Power.
He needed to recover his depleted spiritual energy as quickly as possible, then continue cultivating the Ziyang Inner Sect Basic Qi Cultivation Art to raise his cultivation. After all, footwork was merely supplementary; cultivation was the foundation. Only by raising his cultivation could he better unleash the might of the Flowing Cloud Steps.
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