Chapter 22: First Meditation
Yang Potian accepted the book his father gave him and began reading it carefully. Meditation itself was relatively straightforward, something all Spirit Masters learned. But as he read, he couldn't help but recall Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Technique. This technique could be considered a unique form of meditation, intertwining current Spirit Master meditation methods with the concept of inner meridians from martial arts. In a way, it was a more advanced form of meditation; after all, Douluo Continent didn't even have a concept of meridians. The Mysterious Heaven Technique made the process more tangible, potentially enhancing meditation results.
Thinking about this, Yang Potian eagerly embarked on his first attempt at meditation.
He closed his eyes and focused inward, directing the flow of spirit power within his body. Gradually, he could sense and control the movement of his internal energy, which seemed to flow smoothly through different parts of his body as though guided. The surrounding spirit energy responded, slowly seeping into him and strengthening his spirit power just a little.
His first meditation session lasted a full hour. When he opened his eyes, he said, "Dad, I finished my meditation, and it feels like my spirit power has grown, if only slightly."
Yang Zhentian observed his son carefully, ensuring he was unharmed, and nodded approvingly. "Meditation is about accumulation, son. Only through constant practice can you become stronger. Judging by how well you did this time, it seems you have a natural talent for cultivation."
"Still, as a Battle Spirit Master, meditation alone won't be enough. You'll also need to train your combat skills and physical fitness. The three are inseparable."
Potian grinned. "Don't worry, Dad. I already drew up a detailed training plan." He handed over his proposed regimen for his father to review.
Thanks to his knowledge of the original story, he was aware of effective training techniques and knew what to focus on. His plan detailed various practices: mornings would be devoted to basic spear techniques, followed by a few hours of basic academic study. Afternoons would include running with weighted vests—weights adjusted according to his physical limits—alongside weighted hill runs, frog jumps, and even swimming with weights.
Following physical training, he'd take a medicinal bath to aid recovery. After dinner, he would meditate to strengthen his spirit power.
Since he was still young, he'd postpone combat practice for the time being.
"Your plan is solid, but isn't it a bit intense?" Zhentian said. "You're still just a child, only six years old."
"Actually, Dad, the younger you start, the better the results."
Zhentian sighed. "Alright, but listen—you need to be careful not to overtrain and injure yourself. We don't want any hidden injuries from pushing too hard."
"Well, Dad, that's why I'll need you to adjust the medicinal bath based on my training intensity," Potian replied.
"You little rascal!" Zhentian shook his head, amused. "When it comes to medicinal baths, no one beats the Po Clan. Back in the day, even Haotian Sect disciples used our formulas. Both Tang Hao and Tang Xiao relied on our medicinal baths."
That evening, Zhentian brought the training plan to his father. "Dad, what do you think of your grandson? Not a bad training regimen, right?"
Yang Wudi looked over the plan, nodding here and there in approval. "Not bad. Impressive plan for my grandson."
But he glanced up and added, "However, Zhentian, did you notice something missing?"
Zhentian hesitated. "I think it's fine, Dad. What's wrong with it?"
Wudi gave his son a look of exasperation. "Potian is just a six-year-old boy. Are you really okay with him doing this on his own? What if he gets hurt while training? Also, as deputy clan leader, didn't it occur to you that we could apply this training method to the entire clan?"
Zhentian felt embarrassed. He had come to boast about his son's plan and was now getting scolded for not thinking bigger.
"Well, don't just stand there," Wudi urged. "Go get your uncle and the other elders. We need to discuss this plan."
Little did Potian know that his proposed training regimen would soon be imposed on all the young Po Clan children, marking the beginning of an exhausting training journey for them all.
The next morning, after breakfast, he went alone to the clan's school. All 12 of the other recently awakened children were also there.
The school consisted of five or six small rooms where children, mostly from previous years' awakenings, gathered for their studies. This year's class, with 13 students, was the largest in a while. Some years had only ten or eight students; others had as few as five.
The teachers were elders of the clan, men whose bodies had begun to weaken with age and who were no longer suited for demanding work or missions. At Yang Wudi's request, they took on the role of instructors, passing on knowledge to the younger generation.
Each of these teachers commanded deep respect, and none of the children dared misbehave around them. Their classes covered a broad range of subjects, from the fundamentals of the Po Soul Spear and basic medicinal knowledge to the Po Clan's meditation methods and an overview of Douluo Continent's various spirit types.
Compared to the average academy, the curriculum was far more specialized, with knowledge accumulated by countless generations of the Po Clan.
In the afternoon, Yang Potian had planned to train independently. However, he was informed that all children in the Po Clan would now be following a uniform training schedule.
When he arrived at the training grounds, he was speechless.
All around him were weight vests of various sizes, ranging from a few kilograms to over a hundred. Every child in the clan's education program was there, spanning all ages—there were around 50 or 60 kids altogether.
It appeared that the recent conflict with Haotian Sect had spared the Po Clan's younger generation. Many were from families who'd come with him to Tian Dou City, while others might have been brought in through other clan arrangements.
The afternoon's exercise consisted of all the children scaling a nearby mountain while wearing weighted vests. For the youngest or those physically weaker, the requirements were lessened to simpler hill climbing.
The goal was straightforward: tire everyone out as much as possible. The teachers closely monitored all the children to prevent overexertion or injury.
And so, Yang Potian embarked on his rigorous training journey—the beginning of his life as a Spirit Master.
(End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.