Caelum stirred awake, a soft groan escaping his lips as the fog of slumber lifted from his mind. His eyes snapped open, only to meet the familiar figure of his father, Icaris, who was sitting just a few meters away, meditating in a calm and disciplined manner. His usual composed expression remained, but there was a slight spark in his eyes as he noticed Caelum's awakening.
"You cheeky brat, you finally decided to wake up," Icaris spoke, his voice a mix of amusement and sternness. "Just when I thought you'd sleep the entire day away. Now, you need to start cultivating to stabilize your foundation. How do you feel?"
Caelum stretched his limbs, feeling lighter than he ever had before. His body felt strange, almost as if a weight had been lifted from him, yet his thoughts were still muddled from the overwhelming experience of the awakening. He clenched his fists, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Strange... it's as if I'm lighter," he said softly, almost to himself.
Icaris smiled knowingly, the lines of his face softening. "That's to be expected. You just completed the first step in cultivation, the foundation phase. It's a monumental shift. Now, we must focus on grounding your body and soul further."
With that, Icaris stood up and gestured for Caelum to follow him outside. The morning sunlight filtered through the trees, casting long shadows across the snowy landscape. Together, they moved to an open training ground, where Icaris would begin teaching Caelum the basics of battle stance and movement.
As Icaris demonstrated each stance, Caelum watched intently. His mind absorbed each movement like a sponge, and without hesitation, he began to imitate them. His posture was fluid, his movements graceful but precise. Icaris observed him closely, knowing that his son's comprehension was far beyond his own at the same age. In fact, Caelum's ability to pick up techniques was fourteen times faster than Icaris had been at his age.
Icaris considered explaining the deeper meanings behind each of the stances, but he hesitated. There was something different about Caelum's movements. His body seemed to understand something beyond the basics, and Icaris wasn't sure whether it was the right time to delve deeper. Instead, he simply watched, a hint of pride in his eyes as Caelum continued to perfect his stance and technique.
The training that day was intense, focusing on the core principles of combat: striking techniques, grappling techniques, and defensive maneuvers. Icaris emphasized each movement's purpose and timing, teaching Caelum how to utilize his body as both a weapon and a shield.
The training included:
Striking Techniques: Jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts; front kicks, side kicks, knee strikes; close-range elbow and knee strikes.
Grappling Techniques: Single-leg and double-leg takedowns, joint locks to control or submit an opponent.
Ground Control: Maintaining advantageous positions on the ground and applying submissions.
Weapon Retention and Disarmament: Keeping control of a weapon and preventing opponents from gaining access to theirs.
Situational and Environmental Awareness: Recognizing threats and using surroundings to gain an advantage.
Self-Defense and Tactical Movement: Techniques to evade and control the flow of combat, and strategies for avoiding conflict when possible.
As the day wore on, Icaris increased the gravity around Caelum, pushing him to adapt and endure greater physical strain. Caelum's body responded to the pressure, though he was no stranger to pushing himself. His training continued well into the night, until exhaustion finally overtook him. Despite the fatigue, Caelum remained determined.
By the end of the week, Caelum had not only mastered the basic stances, but he had also merged them into a fluid, powerful form. His control over his body was astounding, and the techniques he had learned were already second nature to him. But Icaris, ever the perfectionist, knew that there was still more work to be done.
Despite the impressive progress, Icaris kept his praise inward. Externally, he discouraged Caelum, always telling him to work harder, to push further. "There is no time for complacency," Icaris would say, reminding his son that the path to greatness was always uphill.
After each training session, Caelum replenished his energy with raw vitality from purified herbs and spirit beast meats, ensuring that his body was fueled for the next round of intense practice. His stamina continued to grow, and soon, he began hunting and fighting spirit beasts, pushing his limits even further. With every battle, his strength and understanding deepened.
One evening, during a hunt, Caelum faced off against a large, ferocious spirit beast. As the beast lunged at him, something within Caelum stirred. His eyes flared with a strange, otherworldly light, and for the briefest of moments, the space around him seemed to shift. He saw the beast's movements in a way that was almost unnatural. It was as if time itself slowed, and the space around him became malleable, granting him a glimpse into the future.
Caelum barely moved, yet he could perceive every motion, every angle, and every potential strike from the beast. The drain on his energy was overwhelming, and after a few moments, he shut his eyes and refocused. The feeling was too intense—too taxing on his mind. It was a power that drew from the very fabric of space itself, a strange new ability linked to his "Serene Void" eyes.
Despite the draining sensation, Caelum's perception of the space around him had become terrifying. It was as though he was connected to everything, to the very fabric of reality itself. The beast's movements, which once seemed unpredictable, were now completely under his grasp. Every attack, every evasion, was calculated with frightening precision.
Icaris, watching from the sidelines, was impressed. Caelum's perception was beyond extraordinary for someone who had not even opened his meridians. To call it terrifying was an understatement. For a child to possess such an ability—such control over the space around him—was unheard of. It reminded him of certain powerful cultivators he had heard of in the past, but none with this raw ability at such a young age.
"Terrifying," Icaris muttered to himself. While it wasn't comparable to his own abilities, it was far beyond the norm. Most children did not even begin to manifest control over their body, let alone their surroundings. It was more likely that such a power would be tied to someone with a deep affinity for space, or perhaps, as Icaris suspected, someone who had been touched by fate or karma. But no one he knew had demonstrated space manipulation abilities as Caelum had.
For now, Icaris decided to let it be, continuing to push Caelum harder. His growth had been rapid, but there was still a long way to go. The space power would need to be refined, and Caelum's meridians—his true cultivation path—would eventually need to be opened.
For now, the boy needed to temper his mind and body even more. The road ahead was long and uncertain,