The courtyard gradually darkened, but Fang Mo was still holding his stance. His body rose and fell like a crouching tiger. With each breath, his blood surged and flowed through him, nourishing his flesh. Sweat dripped onto the gravel and shattered into countless droplets.
Just then, five people emerged from the central hall.
Three men and two women. These were Guan Lie's five chief disciples—or, more precisely, four disciples. The tall woman among them was his daughter, Guan Lu.
The other young woman, who carried herself with an air of pride, was Chi Jing, the fourth junior disciple. The men were Feng Qingyuan, the eldest senior disciple; Miao Ping, the second; and Yang Yunxing, the third.
The five walked out chatting and laughing. From the look of it, they were going out to eat. They had even changed clothes.
No other students remained in the courtyard. Fang Mo alone was still holding his stance, a solitary figure who stood out all the more.
They all noticed him and glanced his way.
"That's the new student, isn't it?" Yang Yunxing looked at Fang Mo and smiled. "His Tiger Subduing Stance isn't bad. He's starting to get the feel of it. Showing this much after just two days—his comprehension must be pretty good!"
"He works hard. I saw him leave last yesterday, too," Feng Qingyuan said with a smile.
Chi Jing said coolly, "What good is comprehension alone? What matters most in martial arts is natural aptitude. Without it, all that effort is wasted!"
Her own aptitude was excellent, and she came from a wealthy family, which had left her rather proud.
"Junior Sister Chi is right!" Miao Ping looked at Chi Jing, his usual haughtiness gone, and smiled. "Without the aptitude for martial arts, reaching Bright Force within six months is probably impossible!"
Feng Qingyuan gave a slight smile. "I wouldn't put it so absolutely. He might break through."
Mockery flashed in Chi Jing's eyes. "That's a pipe dream. With his aptitude, I doubt he could reach Bright Force in ten years!"
"Why are we talking about him?" Hearing how harsh Chi Jing sounded, Guan Lu hurriedly said, "Let's go! The gathering's about to start. We'll miss the sparring if we don't hurry!"
The others dropped the subject and headed out. Fang Mo had heard every word, but he pretended otherwise and kept training with all his might.
Standing in the hall, Guan Lie watched Fang Mo sweat like rain in the gathering dusk. He shook his head, then turned toward the rear residence.
He shared their view.
Natural aptitude mattered most to a martial artist. Without it, everything else came to nothing. Besides, Fang Mo was already eighteen. His body had taken shape and could no longer be changed.
If he had been a child, there might still have been a chance: a Dan Jin martial artist could have massaged and guided him, medicines could have tempered his body, and plenty of Exotic Beast Meat could have nourished it.
But his family did not seem well-off. Otherwise, they would never have let his body fall into such poor condition.
Guan Lie sighed softly and walked away. He had seen how hard Fang Mo worked, but it was wasted effort. He had seen too many children from poor families strive with all they had, only for it to come to nothing.
[Tiger Subduing Stance: Beginner (42/100)]
Fang Mo stopped training and looked at the information on the Bronze Mirror, excitement rising in him. At this rate, he would break through in less than a week.
He did not care what anyone else said. With his divine ability, he believed he would reach Bright Force.
Dragging his exhausted body back to his small courtyard, Fang Mo cut off half the Exotic Beast Meat and put it on to stew. He cooked a pot of rice, then heated water for a medicinal bath.
This time, he stayed awake, and the effects were far clearer. The medicinal liquid burned hot. Energy streamed into his body now and then, as though countless warm little hands were massaging his muscles and easing his fatigue. At the same time, the medicine entered his body, followed the flow of his blood, and strengthened him.
In response to requests from our many readers, VIP Members can now enjoy an ad-free experience.
Click to view.
After soaking for two hours, he felt refreshed, and much of his fatigue had faded.
Once he had bathed, he ate three large bowls of rice with the Exotic Beast Meat. With his stomach full, he resumed his stance to digest the meat's energy.
He completed seven cycles of Heavenly Cycle Breathing. Only when the energy from the Exotic Beast Meat began to wane did he stop and give himself a quick wash.
It was already past midnight, so he went straight to bed.
Another night of pleasant dreams followed.
When he woke the next morning, he felt refreshed, light on his feet, and full of strength.
During his morning stance practice, he could now complete three cycles of Heavenly Cycle Breathing with ease. With the Exotic Beast Meat and medicinal baths working together, he was improving rapidly. His body was far stronger than it had been three days ago.
That drove Fang Mo to train even harder. Each day, after practicing his stance at home, he went to the Martial Hall and kept at it until eight or nine at night.
Then he returned, soaked in the medicine, ate Exotic Beast Meat, and practiced again.
He was obsessed. Apart from the rest he needed, he spent all his time holding his stance. The people at the Martial Hall saw it too. Though they thought his efforts futile, his persistence and near-mad intensity still shook them.
Time flew.
In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. Fang Mo could now complete four cycles of Heavenly Cycle Breathing, and he was just five proficiency points from advancing.
Anticipation filled him. He was about to break through, and he desperately wanted to know what it would feel like.
He settled into a bow-legged stance, his hands poised as if to seize and pin a tiger. His body rose and fell in small waves with each breath, driving his blood through its course.
One cycle.
Two cycles.
He held on with all his might. Sweat fell from his body like rain, splashing against the dirt until a large patch of ground was soaked.
At last, he completed the fifth cycle.
[Tiger Subduing Stance: Elementary Mastery (1/1000)]
The Bronze Mirror trembled in his mind, and golden words appeared upon it. His Tiger Subduing Stance had finally advanced.
Thunder seemed to roar through Fang Mo's mind. Then an unseen flash of understanding fell across his heart like the warm sun of spring. A new door opened in his grasp of the Tiger Subduing Stance. Every movement, every breath became utterly clear. His body seemed to form a wondrous connection with heaven and earth, and every inch of his skin could sense subtle ripples of power.
At the same time, blood surged through him with a force he had never felt before. Like a rushing river, it poured from his Dantian, traveled through his meridians, and flowed into every limb and bone, washing every cell of his body anew.
That warmth reached not only his body but his soul. His exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by boundless strength and vitality.
"So this is the first body tempering Ding Zhiyuan talked about!"
Five days. It had taken him only five days to complete his first body tempering. That was not slow, surely!
But when he saw that the second stage required 1,000 proficiency points, his excitement settled. The road ahead was harder. With the requirement rising so sharply, he could not slack off if he wanted to break through again. Later stages would likely demand even more.
Fang Mo took a deep breath. He felt no fear. Instead, his eyes burned with fierce light. In his previous life, he had never had the chance to explore the pinnacle of martial arts. In this life, he finally did.
He wanted to see what lay at that pinnacle. Would it be like the novels, where one shattered the void?
Before you continue