Bai Yu arrived back at his own small, private training ground – a modest patch of packed earth surrounded by a low wall, offering more privacy than the main clan grounds. It was here he had spent countless fruitless hours perfecting his Body Refining techniques. Now, it would be the crucible for his first real martial arts.
He placed the two jade slips carefully on a stone bench. Following the instructions within, he pressed his forehead against the cool jade of the "Azure Cloud Steps" slip. Information flooded his mind – intricate footwork patterns, weight distribution principles, breathing techniques synchronized with movement. He absorbed it quickly, his enhanced soul power making comprehension almost instantaneous.
Then, he did the same with the "Crescent Moon Kick." The mechanics were more complex: the precise chambering of the leg, the explosive rotation of the hips, the snapping extension, and the controlled recovery. He felt the flow of Qi required, the strain on specific muscle groups.
With the knowledge absorbed, the real work began.
Two hours later, Bai Yu was gasping for air, leaning heavily against the courtyard wall, his clothes drenched in sweat. Dust coated his limbs from repeated falls and scuffed steps.
"Fuck... it really is difficult!" he panted, frustration warring with determination in his golden eyes.
The last three hours had been a blur of constant motion. He relentlessly practiced the Azure Cloud Steps, weaving and shifting around his courtyard. Then he would switch to the Crescent Moon Kick, launching attempt after attempt at an imaginary opponent, sometimes using a sturdy wooden post as a target.
His progress was uneven. With the Azure Cloud Steps, he felt a surprising affinity. His movements, while not yet perfect, were becoming lighter, quicker. He could already string together short sequences of evasive maneuvers, changing direction with a fluidity that would have been unthinkable just that morning. He already had some accomplishments in this technique, demonstrating a level of proficiency worthy of far more than only three hours of practice.
The Crescent Moon Kick, however, was proving as challenging as advertised. Although he could perform the basic motion, replicating the sweeping arc described in the jade slip, it was still way too slow. Each kick felt laborious, requiring conscious effort to coordinate the complex movements. He knew instinctively that in actual combat, telegraphing the move so obviously would be suicide. He lacked the seamless integration of Qi and muscle memory needed to execute it with lethal speed and precision.
If other disciples of the Bai Clan, particularly those who had struggled for weeks or months to gain basic proficiency in High-Tier Mortal Grade techniques, had witnessed Bai Yu's 'slow' progress with the kick and his already noticeable competence with the steps after only three hours, they would probably cry tears of envy and disbelief. His insane learning speed was setting a pace far beyond any norm, even if he felt frustrated by the kick's difficulty.
Undeterred, Bai Yu pushed himself harder. He ignored the burning in his lungs and the ache in his muscles. He practiced the steps until his footwork felt almost instinctive, then threw himself back into the demanding practice of the kick, trying to smooth out the transitions, to quicken the rotation, to infuse the strike with more Qi.
He trained relentlessly for another two hours. The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Long shadows stretched across the courtyard as darkness gradually rose.
Finally, utterly spent physically, Bai Yu stopped. His body screamed for rest. But the feeling of Qi circulating within him, the memory of its effortless gathering, called to him.
Bai Yu didn't go inside to sleep. Instead, he retrieved the silk cushion he'd used earlier, placed it in the center of the now-dark training ground, and sat down. Closing his eyes, he calmed his breathing and turned his focus inward, beginning the familiar, yet now profoundly different, process of training in Qi.
Instantly, the ambient energy responded. Qi started to swirl towards him like moths to a flame, drawn into his body through countless acupoints. It flowed smoothly through his meridians, converging in his Dantian, adding to the small but growing reservoir of power there. The process was peaceful, restorative, a stark contrast to the grueling physical exertion moments before. He immersed himself in the sensation, feeling his energy replenish, his Dantian slowly filling, pushing him further along the path of the Qi Refining Realm.