As dawn broke, sunlight pierced through the thin mist, casting a warm glow over the Liu family’s courtyard.
The dewdrops on the blue silver grass leaves shimmered with tiny rays of light, reflecting Liu Feng’s focused face.
Liu Feng rose from the lush blue silver grass, a satisfied smile on his face.
Since awakening his martial soul, he had been meditating and cultivating every day in this patch of blue silver grass that he had planted himself.
After studying the habits of the blue silver grass, he changed his meditation time from a whole session to a segmented one, which greatly improved his cultivation efficiency.
Now, two and a half years had passed since his martial soul awakening, and he had been practicing segmented meditation for a year.
Liu Feng had just turned eight years old, and his soul power cultivation had reached level seven.
For the past two and a half years, Liu Feng’s life had been filled with a rigorous training program.
Every day, under his grandfather’s supervision, he engaged in long-distance running, studying, practicing boxing, spear fighting, archery, meditation, dietary supplements, and medicinal supplements.
In the first year, Liu Feng’s soul power increased by two levels.
After scientific observation, analysis, and adjustments to his cultivation methods, his soul power increased by three levels in the past year and a half.
At first glance, it seemed that the cultivation speed had not increased significantly, which disappointed Liu Feng.
But the feeling of his soul power gradually increasing did not lie.
He understood that perhaps the increase was too small to be noticed in the short term.
“Xiao Feng, it’s time to practice your boxing!” Grandpa’s gentle yet urging voice came from behind.
Liu Feng snapped out of his thoughts of observing the blue silver grass, turned around, and smiled and nodded at his grandfather.
In the courtyard, a thick straw mat had already been laid out to prevent injuries from practicing boxing.
Liu Feng walked steadily to the center of the mat, took a deep breath, and slowly adjusted his breathing to allow his body and mind to enter a relaxed and focused state.
He first gently turned his neck, and after a few crisp sounds, he moved his shoulders, wrists, waist, knees and ankles in turn.
After warming up, Liu Feng assumed the standard starting position, with his feet shoulder-width apart and his hands clenched into fists in front of his chest.
Then, after taking a deep breath, he slowly threw the first punch.
At first, Liu Feng’s movements were not fast, but they were steady and powerful.
Then, as he became more and more proficient, the speed of his punches also increased.
Liu Feng’s body moved flexibly on the straw mat, lunging, dodging, and maneuvering.
Each of his punches was accompanied by the sound of wind, demonstrating the results of his systematic training over the past year.
Liu Feng clearly realized that over the years, systematic training had significantly improved his physique, made his muscles firmer, greatly enhanced his endurance, and his soul power had begun to perfectly integrate with his physical movements.
As the wind howled through the air, soul power flowed through his body in accordance with the rhythm of the movements, infusing each punch with immense power.
“Good.”
Grandpa looked at Liu Feng’s impressive performance, smiled with satisfaction, walked to his side, patted his shoulder lightly, and said, “Your fist technique has already developed a method.
Next, you need to learn how to better integrate your soul power into it.”
Liu Feng stopped what he was doing, breathing heavily.
“The key to using soul power lies in the word ‘skill’.”
Grandpa continued, “You must learn to release your soul power at the right time.
Even simple punches and kicks, when enhanced by soul power, are not to be underestimated.”
Liu Feng nodded earnestly, listening attentively to his grandfather’s teachings.
He knew that although his grandfather was only a first-ring Soul Master, his martial arts skills were extremely high; otherwise, he would not have been able to build this family business.
Furthermore, he had even nurtured his father, who possessed innate soul power at level one, to the level twenty-nine Great Soul Master.
Keep in mind that Yu Xiaogang was only at this level before consuming the immortal herb.
Grandpa’s experience was indeed invaluable to Liu Feng.
Liu Bai assumed the starting position and personally demonstrated.
His movements might seem slow, but they possessed an indescribable charm, with each punch he threw carrying a unique rhythm.
Liu Feng watched intently, noticing that his grandfather’s center of gravity shifted slightly when he threw a punch, instantly unleashing tremendous power.
The way this power was used was both ingenious and efficient, which greatly impressed Liu Feng.
“See?
The key is in the coordination and rhythm of the body.”
Grandpa stopped what he was doing and looked at Liu Feng.
“You need to find this rhythm in your movements and then integrate your soul power.”
Liu Feng had gained some understanding and tried the starting position again.
Although he was still not as good as his grandfather, he had already felt the secret.
“Very good, Xiao Feng, you’ve already mastered part of it.”
Grandpa smiled with satisfaction as he saw Liu Feng’s progress.
“Keep up the good work, you’ll get stronger and stronger.”
A warm feeling welled up in Liu Feng’s heart.
He adjusted his breathing again and focused more intently on practicing his fist techniques.
His movements became more and more skillful, and he became more and more adept at using his soul power.
He practiced the boxing techniques over and over again, taking a short break when he got tired, drinking a cup of tea to regain his strength, and then continuing to practice.
“Xiao Feng, let’s stop practicing here for today.”
Seeing that Liu Feng looked a little tired, Grandpa stopped the practice and said, “Keep it up tomorrow.”
Liu Feng stopped what he was doing, turned around and saw his grandfather standing to the side holding a soft towel.
“Wipe your sweat first.”
Grandpa handed the towel to Liu Feng, his face full of kindness.
Liu Feng took the towel and carefully wiped away his sweat, feeling the warmth and care it conveyed.
“After training for so long, your body must be very tired.”
Grandpa gestured for Liu Feng to sit on the straw mat, “I’ll give you a massage to help you relax.”
Liu Feng sat down as instructed, leaning forward and placing his hands on his knees.
Grandpa walked behind him, gently placed his hands on his shoulders, and began to knead them rhythmically.
Grandpa’s technique was skillful and powerful; every press and pinch landed precisely on the sore muscles, bringing Liu Feng a sense of relief.
“When practicing boxing, the body’s muscles are constantly tense.
If they are not relaxed in time, fatigue will accumulate.
Therefore, relaxation after practice is crucial.”
Grandpa said as he massaged him.
Liu Feng closed his eyes, fully enjoying the comfort brought by his grandfather’s massage.
As his grandfather kneaded him, the soreness in his body gradually dissipated, and his muscles slowly relaxed.
Grandpa’s hands moved from the shoulders to the back, and then to the waist, carefully massaging each part thoroughly.
After the massage, Grandpa gently patted Liu Feng’s shoulder: “All done, how do you feel?”
Liu Feng stood up and stretched, feeling much more relaxed: “Much better, Grandpa, I feel so much better now.”
“That’s good.”
Grandpa nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
“When the body is relaxed, the training will be more effective.”
Then, the white spirit ring on Grandpa’s body suddenly lit up, and a radiant blue silver grass appeared in his hand.
“Xiao Feng, this is my first soul skill—Hidden Knowledge Without Revealing It.”
“Eating it will quickly restore your physical strength and soul power, and also nourish your body,” Grandpa said in a deep and gentle voice.
Liu Feng took the blue silver grass and examined it curiously.
This blue silver grass had a peculiar appearance, resembling ginseng in shape.
Its leaves were soft and had a warm, lustrous sheen, and it also emitted a faint bitter taste.
“Thank you, Grandpa.” Liu Feng put the blue silver grass into his mouth and chewed it carefully.
Blue silver grass had a sweet taste with a hint of coolness.
As he chewed, a warm current spread from his mouth to his whole body, infusing every cell with vitality.
Fatigue instantly disappeared, replaced by boundless energy.
“How are you?
Can you feel it?” Grandpa asked with concern.
Liu Feng nodded vigorously, his face full of surprise: “I can feel it!
The fatigue in my body has disappeared all at once, and now I’m full of energy!”
“This is the power of a Soul Master.” A hint of pride flashed in Grandpa’s eyes.
“Although blue silver grass is not well-liked by outsiders, its advantages are also obvious.
Its vitality, reproductive capacity and adaptability are all its strengths.”
Grandpa said earnestly, “As long as we dig deep enough, we will definitely be able to discover its potential.”
Liu Feng swallowed the blue silver grass completely, and felt a warm current slowly flowing through his body, rapidly restoring his physical strength and soul power.
Even more remarkably, deep within his body, unseen by him, the blue silver grass was quietly nourishing him.
This unprecedented comfort and fulfillment gave Liu Feng a completely new understanding of the potential of the blue silver grass.
Liu Feng took a deep breath, feeling the abundant power within his body, his eyes filled with determination: “Grandpa, I’m in excellent condition right now, and I want to continue cultivating!”
“Okay, let’s move on to physical training.”
Grandpa nodded slightly, his eyes filled with expectation, “The body is the foundation of cultivation.”
“For us ordinary spirit masters, only by having a strong physique can we better exert our spirit power.”
Grandpa turned and went into the warehouse.
A moment later, he steadily carried out a pair of small stone locks and placed them neatly in a corner of the yard.
The stone lock had a rough surface, covered with the marks of time, and it was clear at a glance that it had gone through many vicissitudes.
“Today, we’ll practice stone weights and horse stance.”
Grandpa spoke, his voice filled with unwavering determination, “Stone lock training will greatly enhance your arm strength, and will be of great help to your practice of fist techniques and control of soul power.”
“As for the horse stance, it is the foundation of martial arts training.
It can make your lower body as stable as Mount Tai, and improve leg strength and body stability.”
“You were too young before to handle intense training.
Now that you have a solid foundation, start by practicing with these small stone locks.
When you grow up and your bones are fully developed, you can challenge your father’s big pair.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Feng quickly walked to the stone lock, squatted down, and firmly grasped the handle of the stone lock with both hands.
The stone lock didn’t look big, but its weight far exceeded his expectations.
He took a deep breath, exerted all his strength, and the veins on his arms bulged.
After some effort, the stone lock slowly left the ground.
Grandpa smiled with satisfaction, and then said, “Now, try lifting the stone lock above your head.”
Liu Feng did as instructed, his arms trembling as he slowly raised the stone lock until it was above his head.
At this moment, his arm muscles were taut, and every bit of strength was used to resist the weight of the stone lock.
“Pay attention to adjusting your breathing; exhale when you exert force and inhale when you relax.”
At the same time, you must maintain your balance and avoid swaying.
Grandpa patiently guided him from the side, his steady voice like a stabilizing force, instilling Liu Feng with a continuous stream of confidence.
Liu Feng tried his best to regulate his breathing, maintain his balance, and gritted his teeth to persevere.
Sweat poured from his forehead and slid down his cheeks as he finally managed to lift the stone lock fifty times.
“Take a break first, relax a bit, and then continue practicing.”
Grandpa said with concern.
After a short rest, Liu Feng resumed his practice.
Each time he lifted the stone weight, his arms became increasingly sore and swollen, as if he were challenging the limits of his body.
“Very good, Xiao Feng, you did an excellent job!” Grandpa praised approvingly.
“Stone lock training can not only increase arm strength, but also temper your willpower.”
“Remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you must grit your teeth and persevere to the end.”
After Liu Feng finished practicing with the stone lock, Grandpa asked him to walk to the center of the courtyard and said, “Next, stand in the horse stance.”
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, as if sitting on an invisible chair, back straight, and never hunch over.
Keep this posture.”
Liu Feng followed instructions and assumed a horse stance.
At first, he felt he could handle it easily, but after a while, his leg muscles began to protest, and waves of soreness struck him.
“Stay steady, lower your center of gravity, and use the strength of your legs and waist to support your body.”
“This horse stance may seem simple, but it is actually the best way to train people.
The longer you stick to it, the better the results will be.”
His grandfather kept encouraging him from the side.
Liu Feng took a deep breath and tried to adjust his physical condition to make himself more stable.
As time went on, sweat soaked through his clothes, and the soreness in his legs grew stronger, but he gritted his teeth and persevered…
From initially only being able to persist for a short while, to gradually being able to sustain it for longer periods, each instance of perseverance was a challenge and a transcendence of oneself.
[end of the chapter]