Even though it was his first recovery day, Caleb awoke early as usual the following day. Caleb started with an hour-long stretching session. knowing the value of flexibility in martial arts and how essential it was for performing fluid and powerful movements. Caleb concentrated mentally and directed his energies towards his body as he began his stretching routine.
He warmed up his muscles and prepared them for deeper stretches by beginning with simple warm-up activities. He could feel the stress releasing with each step, making his body more supple. Caleb was mindful of his breathing, inhaling fully to oxygenate his muscles and exhaling fully to let go of any remaining tension.
Caleb worked his entire body through a series of dynamic stretches. His muscles lengthened and expanded as he stretched out his limbs, stretching up to the sky and touched his toes. To extend his range of motion and enhance joint mobility, he used fluid motions including arm swings, leg swings, and torso twists.
Caleb also concentrated on targeted stretching for certain muscle areas. He flexed his hip flexors, calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings while holding each stretch for a long time to gradually deepen it. Knowing that a flexible spine and agile shoulders were essential for carrying out a variety of martial arts techniques, he paid extra attention to his shoulders and back.
Caleb paid attention to his body as he stretched, concentrating on the sensations and feedback it gave. One benefit of establishing body unity was that he found no discomfort or suffering during his stretches, which allowed him to challenge himself even more. The cultivation of the heart came next. Throughout his grilling training, Caleb never lost sight of the Songs of Solomon Scriptures and made time each day to chant the song in his heart.
After completing the way of the heart mantra, Caleb paused to think of the Six Stances that had been taught to the children at the start of their training camp. His mind was filled with images of the Third Captain skillfully performing the complex manoeuvres. He remembered the serpentine stance, the bear form, the tiger blood form, even the more complex Eagle Bones Form and Dragon Marrow Form that some of the gifted kids had begun training in.
With a deep sense of determination, Caleb realised that he needed to revisit those stances and work on mastering them. He understood that these foundational techniques formed the basis of his martial arts journey and would serve as the building blocks for his progress. By honing his skills in each of these stances, he would be able to develop a solid foundation of technique, balance, and control.
Caleb retrieved his spear and made his way to a clear space inside the Cultivation room. He started practising some basic spear moves while wearing a grave expression, paying attention to his form and technique. He focused on his footwork and body alignment while he executed thrusts, strikes, and spins. Caleb intended to make the most of the spear's versatility as a weapon by using it both offensively and defensively.
Caleb made an effort to capture the essence of the stances he had seen with each step. He channelled bear strength and force in his attacks, serpentine grace in his flowing spear movements, and tiger agility and accuracy in his footwork. He imagined himself to be these beasts, and infused his spear with their energy.
Caleb analysed his performance as he practised, examining his strengths and flaws. He worked to improve any technical errors in his movements, aiming for absolute perfection. He realised that becoming proficient in the stances needed not only physical practice, but also mental discipline and focus.
Caleb experienced difficulties and obstacles during his training. His footwork occasionally appeared sloppy, and his spear strikes occasionally felt awkward. But he persisted, reminding himself that success required commitment and tenacity. He restored his alignment, adjusted his posture, and painstakingly repeated the actions until he felt better.
He relaxed after practising his techniques. Caleb persisted in cultivating his faith while tending to his open meridians and concentrating on gathering enough energy to excavate his inner space.
In the cultivation room, Caleb sat cross-legged and thought about his master's remarks about the development of the inner space. It was a notion that had a lot of weight in the world of cultivation. His master said that after the meridians were opened, the cultivator could create an inner space for themselves. His master had underlined the importance of this inner space in establishing one's potential as a cultivator.
Caleb pondered the implications of the inner space while thinking deeply. He was aware that his cultivation process would be significantly impacted by the size of this area. The more space there is inside, the more energy it can store. Caleb would be able to use more potent and powerful skills, which would improve his ability to fight and overall strength, if he had more energy reserves.
When their inner space reached its limit, some cultivators turned to external aids like potions and treasures to increase it. They were able to artificially expand their space and gain access to even more energy thanks to this outside help.
Caleb thought about the results of this strategy. He realised that while having a larger interior space had its benefits, it also had some disadvantages. He might make less progress and take longer to advance to higher cultivation levels because a larger space took longer to fill with energy.
Caleb pondered, his mind racing with curiosity and intrigue. "I suppose this is why most people are hesitant to embark on this path," he said. He realised that comprehending the inner space and its importance required a deeper understanding. It's possible that there are unspoken rules and strategies that he hasn't fully mastered.
Caleb made a resolute decision, filled with determination and the desire to forge his own path. He wasn't the type to accept mediocrity or follow the rules of cultivation. Instead, despite the longer training period required, he focused on pushing the limits and attempting to create the largest inner space possible.
Caleb was unflinching in his resolve, knowing that this choice would demand a great deal of commitment and endurance. Though he knew it would not be simple, he was willing to put forth the necessary effort and make use of all of the resources at his disposal.
Caleb had many useful tools at his disposal, including the faith arrays offered by the ranked houses. These arrays were created with the purpose of enhancing cultivation and offering a focused flow of faith energy. Caleb saw a chance to take advantage of these arrays by using them to his advantage after realising the potential advantages they provided.
He came up with a plan for including the use of the faith arrays in his daily cultivation routine. He would devote time each day to cultivating in the ranked house's cultivation room, which was surrounded by the intense energy that the faith array emitted. Caleb wanted to soak up and assimilate the abundant faith energy, using it to feed his meridians and enlarge his inner space. He did this by immersing himself in this powerful environment.
When a Believer was cultivating, there wasn't typically any physical manifestation, but Caleb would have been amazed if he could have seen the phenomenon in the room. The room was filled with a rich, faith energy that appeared to have a life of its own. It was divided into three separate streams, each of which moved artfully in Caleb's direction. Two streams came together and met in his palms, pulsing life into them. Another stream enveloped his neck and sent a powerful energy resonating through his meridians.
With each second that went by, the energy of faith grew stronger, reviving Caleb's spirit. His minor meridians were strengthened as the energy drilled into the foundation of his cultivation and flowed through them. Warmth and strength filled his body as the energy carved a path and solidified his progress.
Caleb emptied his mind and fell into a trance-like state as he focused intensely. He closed his eyes and imagined the intricate processes occurring inside his body. He noticed an amazing transformation taking place as he turned his attention inward.
Within his foundation, a cave—a representation of his inner space—began to take shape. It seemed like a small cavern at first, but Caleb's ambition drove him further. He persisted in channelling the influx of faith energy, pouring it into the growing cave because he was determined to increase his inner space.
The cave increased in size over time, eventually doubling within his foundation. Caleb could sense the immense potential that lay within this growth and its profound effects. Others might be happy with this accomplishment, but Caleb's insatiable curiosity kept him moving forward. In the depths of his foundation, there was something else that called to him and teased his senses.
Caleb's keen eyes spotted something intriguing buried deep inside the enlarged cave. It appeared to be some sort of treasure and gleamed alluringly. As he considered the opportunities before him, his heart quickened with excitement and curiosity. Caleb was enticed to learn more about the treasure because it held the promise of untold power and knowledge.
Caleb continued to push himself because of his unquenchable determination to learn the location of the hidden treasure. He kept channelling the flood of faith energy, focusing it on enlarging his inner realm. Within his foundation, a cave had formed, and it had grown exponentially, doubling once again in size.
Caleb's excitement peaked as the cave expanded to its new size. He awaited the discovery of the hidden treasure with anxious anticipation. It was a perfectly round crystal ball suspended weightlessly within his expanded inner space, which astounded him. Ethereal spatial rifts which radiated an otherworldly aura surrounded the crystal ball, captivating Caleb's senses.
"What's this?" With his eyes fixed on the mysterious crystal ball, Caleb murmured in awe. The ball started to gently rotate almost as though in response to his question. It began to spin faster and faster with each revolution as it gained momentum. Caleb's body released an even greater amount of faith energy in response to the motion, which caused his meridians to pulse with a stronger flow.
The crystal ball layered itself with a shimmering aura as it spun by absorbing the surrounding faith energy. Caleb marvelled at the layers of faith energy that kept forming and expanding until they completely engulfed the ball in brilliance. The layers suddenly exploded outward with a surge of energy, sending a powerful shockwave through Caleb's entire interior space.
Caleb was momentarily startled by the explosion's sheer power and believed for a split second that the object he had discovered was intended to cripple him. But he couldn't have been more wrong. After the explosion, the object's true nature started to become apparent. Caleb's inner space's remaining foundation was destroyed by the explosion, demonstrating that he had completely excavated his foundation.
The crystal ball was joined by another object that had now appeared in his now-expanded inner space; this new object was intricately related to the floating ball. Caleb's entire being resonated with the electrifying energy of the golden lightning bolt. The bolt appeared to have enormous power, pulsating with potential that was just waiting to be harnessed.
Caleb's mind raced with questions as he considered the discovery's immense significance. What was the meaning of this crystal ball? What secrets did the golden lightning bolt conceal? The true nature and function of these objects remained a mystery, but he was aware that he had unlocked a profound source of knowledge and power within his inner space.