Ji Ning listened in confusion, unable to understand. He asked, "Father, I barely understand what you mean by preparing my body for sword training, but what does it mean to prepare my 'heart' for sword training?"
"Don't rush," Ji Yichuan said as he looked at his son. A thick book appeared in his hand, which he tossed to Ji Ning. "Take a close look at this boxing technique. It consists of sixteen forms, covering all the basic body force techniques in their simplest form. Once you master this set of boxing techniques, your whole body will feel light and free, and everything will flow with your will."
"A sword is an extension of the body. If your body isn't free and at ease, how can your sword be?" Ji Yichuan looked at his son, concerned that he might aim too high too soon. "You need to calm your heart."
Ji Ning understood the principle of "sharpening the axe doesn't waste time chopping wood."
"Yes, Father," Ji Ning responded and lowered his head to study the book. He carefully memorized the essence of the boxing techniques. The book seemed thick, but that was because it was made of animal hides, with each page being quite thick.
After memorizing the techniques, he began practicing, with his father continuously correcting his mistakes, demonstrating, and revealing key points.
Actually, Ji Ning had already encountered some force techniques in the "Wind Shadow Steps," but that method focused more on leg power. Since he had experience, Ji Ning learned rather quickly.
...
An hour later.
"Take a rest," Ji Yichuan said, noticing his son drenched in sweat. "From now on, practice boxing for an hour every day until I believe your body is ready for sword training."
"Preparing your body for sword training is just one part."
"You must also prepare your 'heart' for sword training." Ji Yichuan produced two black iron swords and tossed them to his son. "Hold these."
Ji Ning grabbed the two swords. At the same time, his father pointed to a nearby open area. Suddenly, a metal puppet appeared out of thin air, holding a sword.
"This is a puppet," Ji Yichuan explained. "In the Qi-refining path of immortal cultivation, some are skilled in crafting puppets. This is a basic puppet, with the strength of a Houtian stage expert. However, its body is incredibly tough."
"Father, why are there some red dots on it?" Ji Ning asked curiously.
The black metal puppet had over a dozen red dots on its body, located on its forehead, throat, chest, abdomen, arms, wrists, back, and other spots.
"Try to stab the red dot on its forehead with your sword," Ji Yichuan instructed. "Quickly."
"Yes." Ji Ning thrust his right-hand sword.
Whoosh!
The sword tip pierced, but it was about an inch off from the target.
"Huh?" Ji Ning was surprised. He had clearly aimed for the forehead but missed slightly. He tried three more times, but each time he was slightly off.
"Do you see now?" Ji Yichuan asked calmly. "Even though you intend to strike the forehead, when you actually execute the move, you can't hit the mark. How can you hit it? First, you need better control over your body, and second, you need to practice thousands of times."
"Any sword technique, when fully broken down, consists of thirteen basic movements: chop, thrust, lift, sweep, collapse, point, slice, block, intercept, twist, hang, scoop, and hook."
"Chop, thrust, lift, sweep, slice, and point are more offensive."
"Twist, collapse, block, scoop, hang, hook, and intercept are more defensive."
Ji Yichuan pointed at the metal puppet. "The puppet will stay still for now. It has nineteen red dots on its body. You'll practice the six offensive techniques—chop, thrust, lift, sweep, slice, and point—on these red dots. I'll teach you the key points of each move, how to coordinate your stance and sword technique. Each basic sword move must be practiced tens of thousands of times!"
"After that, the puppet will begin to move, attacking you with its sword techniques. You'll use the seven defensive techniques—twist, collapse, block, scoop, hang, hook, and intercept—to defend, and you must practice those tens of thousands of times too."
"Offense!"
"Defense!"
"Eventually, when you are proficient, the puppet will engage in combat with you, and you'll need to integrate the basic thirteen sword techniques and use them against it." Ji Yichuan looked at his son. "The day when these basic techniques are ingrained in your bones, precise down to the smallest detail, only then will the essence of 'sword' be imprinted in your heart. Only then will your heart be ready for sword training."
Ji Ning held his breath as he listened.
"Once your body is ready..."
"Once your heart is ready..."
"Then you can truly begin learning sword techniques," Ji Yichuan said, gazing at his son. "Sword techniques are complex combinations of the basic thirteen moves. If you haven't mastered these basics, how far can you go with the sword?"
"Once you've fully mastered the sword techniques I teach you, you'll have reached the first stage of swordsmanship—'Foundation.'"
"Swordsmanship has three levels."
"Foundation, Subtlety, Unity of Man and Sword!"
"The Subtlety level of footwork involves precise control of the body. But the Subtlety level of swordsmanship requires both body and sword control, and they must act as one! The difficulty increases tenfold!"
"And Unity of Man and Sword? That's even further off."
Ji Yichuan looked at his son. "Ji Ning, do you understand the path you must walk?"
"Yes," Ji Ning nodded firmly.
The Chi Ming Nine Heavens Diagram training would give him the body of a god or demon, with incredible strength.
However, his mastery of footwork and swordsmanship would determine how much of that strength he could truly wield.
"Father, how long will it take me to achieve the Unity of Man and Sword?" Ji Ning couldn't help but ask.
"Hard to say," Ji Yichuan shook his head. "It took me six years to lay the foundation and another six years to reach the Unity of Man and Sword. Twelve years in total."
"Twelve years?" Ji Ning held his breath.
His father, the foremost expert in the Ji clan's West Manor at such a young age, had taken twelve years to reach that level. Many ordinary people would never achieve it in a lifetime of sword training.
"Don't aim too high. You must take it step by step," Ji Yichuan advised. "Let's start. I'll first teach you the basic technique—thrust!"
...
Under his father's guidance, Ji Ning's form was very standard. He practiced thrusting repeatedly. Then chopping. Then lifting. Then pointing.
It was boring.
It was tiring.
Fortunately, Ji Ning's recovery abilities were remarkable, and his past life of suffering from illness had built his resilience. He never gave up easily.
After an hour of offense training, he moved on to an hour of defense practice. The metal puppet never tired, and it attacked Ji Ning continuously, forcing him to defend.
"Yichuan," Yuchi Xue stood at a distance, watching her son practice diligently.
Ji Yichuan walked over to stand beside his wife, watching their son sparring with the puppet. "Xue, I never expected... our son to have such strong willpower. I was even prepared to force him to train if he found it too tiring. But there's no need for that!"
"In the morning, he practices footwork," Yuchi Xue said, her heart aching for her son. "Even though he says he's tired, he never stops. Three hours in the morning, three hours in the afternoon... He's training for six hours a day, and he's still so young."
"I remember when I was young," Ji Yichuan said softly. "Back then, my father forced me. I felt it was too tiring, I almost broke down. But every time I gave up, my father would beat me with a whip. I cried as I swung my sword, thrust again and again... Until I was ten years old, when my father was killed by a great demon in Dongshanze. My mother and I lost our standing, and I saw how cold the world could be. My mother soon fell ill and died... That was when I woke up. I stopped complaining about the pain and hardship and trained diligently every day."
Those who haven't trained would never know how exhausting continuous practice is.
It tires both the body and the mind.
Without enough persistence, enough desire, one can't continue.
"I used to doubt my son's future potential," Ji Yichuan said softly. "He has a natural gift for the Divine Demon Body Refinement, but if he doesn't work hard, he won't achieve much... But now, I believe in him. My son will surely become a true powerhouse on this land. Without a doubt!"
Yuchi Xue listened to her husband, looked at her son who was immersed in training, and nodded gently. "I believe that too!"
...
Becoming stronger, surpassing the superheroes he saw in movies in his previous life, felt amazing!
A year later.
Whoosh—From a distance, Meng Yu hurled four stones into the air. A now taller Ji Ning drew his bow, gripping four arrows in his hand, his five fingers holding all four at once.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The four arrows shot out, each leaving a trail of air behind them, striking the four flying stones in the distance. The stones shattered and fell to the ground.
"Good