Old Man Mo and Kai were preparing dinner, roasting the meat of the beast with fragrant spices....
During the process, Kai was going over in his mind everything he had learned today. It was as if he was going through the entire training all over again, constantly thinking about what mistakes his master had pointed out to him. He really wanted to start practicing cultivation techniques right now, but the old man had said that he couldn't even dream about it for the next year. Kai was determined that he had to become as strong as possible in this year without wasting a single second!
After they finished their meal, they immediately went outside. At this moment, it was already late night outside, and the moon and stars were shining brightly in the sky. At the bottom of the cliff, the waters of the river flowing nearby were glistening, which was quite mesmerizing.
Suddenly, Old Man Mo waved his hand and Kai felt the whole world fall into darkness! He instantly stopped seeing the shining sky and any other things around him.
- So, let's get started... Now concentrate as much as possible on your hearing and tactile sensations. Feel the wind on your skin, feel all the currents around you. Try to send an impulse from your head to your ears and other senses. You need to focus!
Kai slowly closed his eyes and began to listen to everything going on around him. He could hear distant animals running in the forests and cicadas buzzing. The wind howled all around, and he could hear the flow of water below....
- Fshuuuh! - Suddenly there was a sharp sound!
Kai felt something fly near his head! It was so close that it almost touched his skin! Remembering how he had recently been hit on the ass with the same sound, he was instantly thrown into a sweat!
- Kid, I won't be aiming directly at you just yet. But my kindness will only last for a quarter of an hour. As time goes on, my throws will only become more accurate! Hehehe. - Laughed the old man sitting beside a large pile of small rubble.
- I got it, master! - Firmly said Kai and focused even harder.
After a while, he started to dodge the rocks flying at him. Kai literally felt a new stream of air near his body at the last moment and barely had time to react. As time went on, the rocks flew more and more accurately.... From time to time Kai caught himself in painful hits, but he kept focusing.
After an hour he was already dodging pretty well, but then he got hit in the forehead! Kai realized that Master Mo had only thrown stones from one direction before, but now it seemed as if the old man had started moving in circles.
"We have to expect attacks from everywhere now, maybe even from the sky!" - Covered in sweat thought Kai.
This training went on for hours, but neither the old man nor the boy was tired of it. Kai turned out to be a cultivation maniac! He was attracted to every training session and didn't pay attention to anything around him. The old man, for his part, was completely delighted and decided that he would put his whole soul into Kai!
When the training session was over, Kai suddenly asked:
- Can I go to the ice lake? - Breathing heavily with a smile, he said.
This slightly surprised Mo... Although sitting in the lake was incredibly beneficial, it was also very painful! Few people would voluntarily want to go in there, but after thinking for a bit, he decided to agree.
It would help to wash and temper Kai's body and mind. In the future, when he tried absorbing energy, he would have no obstacles left.
"If we continue like this, in a year's time, his body will be just a treasure. It won't have any impurities in it..." - Analyzed Mo in his mind.
- Alright, my boy. You need to get all the impurities out of your body. The more time you spend in the Ice Lake, the better. - Every mortal has impurities in his body that contaminate his muscles, blood, and energy channels. These impurities accumulate through air, water, eating bad food, and even through harsh living conditions. The direct descendants of divine sects eat only spiritual food from childhood, which is completely cleansed of such impurities. You, on the other hand, would do well to at least get rid of them to begin with...'' Just sit in the lake and don't resist the cold. In time, it will completely expel all the excess through your pores. - Master Mo calmly explained.
- Energy channels? What are these? - Kai asked with eyes burning with interest.
- Look at your hands. Do you see these green and blue lines under your skin? - Pointing with his hand, Mo asked, "These are veins through which the blood flows, nourishing your whole body! There are also other channels in the human body... - The old man began to explain, "Energy channels are like veins and run throughout your body. But you can feel or see them only with the help of energy.
- Also, there are acupuncture points along all the energy channels, they are like small energy centers. There are about eight hundred of them. Cultivation techniques just tell a strict system of energy circulation along the correct route of the acupuncture points. But that's not enough. Each point needs to process energy in its own way, allowing countless techniques to exist. - Master Mo painstakingly explained, recounting every nuance.
- Only after perfectly learning the patterns of the techniques would you scroll the energy along the memorized route time after time. That's when the cultivation of your technique will begin! Deviating from the route and experimenting is incredibly dangerous.... Only High Masters can do such things! They are capable of understanding the subtle patterns of nature and energy. Such martial artists can even create their own techniques... The strength and understanding of such an expert will determine the level of techniques they create.
- Basically, all the big Sects are founded by such masters. Sects exist to pass on the legacy to their descendants. Even if I try to create a new technique or modify an existing technique... I would probably just cripple myself. - Old Man Mo added seriously.
- I understand, Master! Thank you very much for the clarification! - Shouted Kai and ran towards the lake.
Kai didn't seem to have delved much into everything that was said, but he definitely understood the main message. He was now interested in heading towards the lake!
As their training continued, about two months had already passed. With each passing day, Kai's progress became more and more obvious. The young body, with a fairly hearty diet and regular workouts, was growing rapidly. Recently, he had even switched to practicing full-body training on his own.
Old Man Mo simply gradually increased the loads and gave him weighted weights. Only with reflex training, Kai couldn't handle it on his own, as the stones themselves wouldn't fly at him. What was most surprising was that Kai started spending half of his nights in the lake. There his wounds were healing quickly, and a black oily slurry was slowly oozing out of his pores. Such a thing was a clear sign of the body being cleansed of impurities!
At one point, the old man gave Cai a knife to develop the carcasses of beasts. Simultaneously, Mo talked about the structure of the animals' bodies and their weaknesses. He advised on how to hold the weapon properly, how to cut tendons or bones more easily, how to identify weak points, and so on... Although Kai didn't realize it, it was a smooth preparation for the Ghost Blade Technique. He needed to get used to the knife and the way it cut flesh.
After some more time, the old man began taking him hunting and explaining how to conceal his presence. The art of silently attacking and killing with a single movement was no small thing.... Thus, Mo slowly began to explain the movements of the Ghost Blade Technique.
This technique was meant to kill instantly and it didn't matter who. You learned to look into the enemy's essence, find their weaknesses, and strike them lightning fast. Moe also taught Kai how to move silently and showed him some tricks, such as traps, poisonous plants to grease the blade with, and so on.
Time flew by and the two got closer and closer. Kai didn't even tease the old man anymore, but always spoke to him with respect. That respect came straight from his heart! Though sometimes he would still call his master an old man.....
Thus, under the constant hellish training and a little over a year flew by. Kai had finally turned nine years old!
By this time, he had completely absorbed all of the old man's fundamental and basic knowledge. He had hardened and taken control of every muscle, went hunting himself and acted like a natural born killer there. He had also developed a pretty good understanding of the Ghost Blade Technique. Not insignificant was the fact that he had completely learned basic writing and reading!
Kai was constantly curious about new characters, and sometimes mastered new ones himself. Thus creating his own meanings. Even in a noble family, he would have been considered a very educated child.
But most importantly, he had completely cleansed his body and mind of impurities! For the last few months, he simply stayed asleep in the lake! And when practicing, he would immerse himself in the water completely, not just up to his neck.
He was taller now, his body had gained muscle, and his gaze was coldly calm and serene. Only during the hunt did sparks flicker in his eyes with a lust for killing. But only for a second, for in a moment the target was dead!