Chapter 162: Mastering Control
After spending a serene afternoon with Yun Qingwan, Mu Feng returned to his residence, determined to resume his rigorous training.
Soft moments of tenderness were fleeting, and Mu Feng understood that only by growing stronger could he protect the peace and joy he cherished.
A New Training Regimen
Inside his private training chamber, Xi Yue materialized beside him.
"Yue'er, tell me, how should I start training for control?" Mu Feng asked earnestly.
"Control is determined by three factors," she began. "First, spiritual strength. Second, mastery over energy flow. Third, physical control. While your spiritual strength is exceptional, your energy manipulation and physical control need significant improvement. Let's begin with energy control."
With a wave of her hand, Xi Yue conjured over a hundred small, white pearls. Each pearl, no larger than a thumb, had a series of curved, needle-sized holes running through them. She also produced a bundle of fine, red threads.
"Pearls? Threads? What do I do with these?" Mu Feng asked, holding up one of the pearls, perplexed.
"Your task is simple: use your energy to thread these strings through all the pearls in ten breaths. Only then will your energy control reach the Entry to Precision level," Xi Yue explained.
Mu Feng laughed confidently. "That sounds easy enough."
He quickly summoned his energy, attempting to guide a thread through the pearl. The thread wobbled in the air but struggled to align with the curved path of the holes. His confidence faltered as, even after several tries, he couldn't make the thread pass through.
His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as it took him over ten full breaths just to thread a single pearl.
Xi Yue crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Hmph, next time, don't boast so quickly."
She explained further, "The holes in the pearls are deliberately curved, and the thread is pliant. Without precise control over your energy, threading these quickly is impossible. You must refine your energy into thin, stable strands. And remember—this isn't just one pearl; you have to thread all of them within ten breaths."
Mu Feng scratched his head awkwardly but nodded in determination. Following her instructions, he began refining his energy into a thread-like stream, guiding it to support the thread as it passed through the pearls. With great effort, he managed to thread one pearl within the time limit.
However, controlling two threads simultaneously proved exponentially harder. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead as he struggled, taking nearly ten breaths for two pearls.
Looking at the heap of pearls and threads waiting for him, Mu Feng finally grasped how grueling the training would be.
A Grueling Routine
Day by day, Mu Feng immersed himself in training. His time was divided between practicing energy control, physical training, and refining his skills in crafting pills and inscriptions. His schedule left no room for respite.
One of his training sites was at the western edge of Tianyun Valley, beneath a towering waterfall. The cascading water roared like thunder as it plunged from a cliff over a hundred meters high. Standing beneath the waterfall, Mu Feng balanced precariously on two narrow wooden stumps protruding from the turbulent water below.
His task was to maintain his balance while withstanding the tremendous force of the falling water.
"One breath… two breaths… three breaths…"
Mu Feng's body trembled as the relentless force of the water pushed against him. By the fifth breath, he lost his footing and fell into the icy pool below with a splash.
Climbing back onto the stumps, he resumed his stance, teeth gritted against the physical strain. This exercise not only trained his physical control but also honed his strength and resilience.
Endurance Training
After an hour of grueling balance training, Mu Feng dragged himself to the shore, muscles aching and exhaustion evident. Collapsing onto the grass, he took deep breaths to recover.
"Get up!" Xi Yue's commanding voice rang out. "This is the perfect moment to train your spiritual focus. Fatigue forces discipline."
"Yue'er… at least let me catch my breath," Mu Feng pleaded weakly.
"Get. Up." Her tone brooked no argument.
Sighing in resignation, Mu Feng sat upright, summoned his alchemy furnace, and began preparing a batch of pills. However, his exhaustion caused him to botch the first attempt.
He tried again, forcing himself to concentrate despite the fatigue weighing on him. This time, he successfully refined three pills simultaneously, further pushing his spiritual control to its limits.
A Month of Progress
The days turned into weeks, and Mu Feng's relentless training bore fruit. At the waterfall, he managed to maintain his balance for over sixty breaths, a dramatic improvement from his initial attempts.
In his alchemy training, he successfully refined five different medicinal herbs into potent pills, each perfectly inscribed with delicate energy patterns.
And in his energy control exercises, Mu Feng achieved a milestone. He manipulated twenty threads simultaneously, threading them through all the pearls in under ten breaths.
When the final thread slid through the last pearl, Mu Feng let out a triumphant laugh, collapsing onto the ground in sheer relief. The grueling month of effort had finally paid off.
"I did it! Yue'er, I finally did it!" he exclaimed joyfully.
An Overwhelming Sense of Accomplishment
Lying on the riverbank, the boy who had worked himself to the brink of exhaustion felt a profound sense of achievement. The hours of sweat and frustration had honed him into someone stronger, more focused, and more disciplined.
His lips curled into a satisfied smile as he murmured, "One day… I'll reach heights no one dares to imagine."
Exhaustion claimed him, and he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, with the sound of the river's gentle flow accompanying his well-deserved rest.