‘No wonder most of the people who could reach the peak of external techniques were children of rich or powerful families.’ Zhao Yunxing sighs with emotion and thinks.
In practicing external techniques, the practitioner surpasses his limits unceasingly, but his body simply does not only generate strength, it also needs to absorb energy. Children of rich families can eat very nutritious foods and special medicinal meals, combined with precious medicinal wines. Moreover, they can ask medical experts to rid their bodies of fatigue through massage.
Having such conditions makes practicing external techniques automatically different than usual.
‘Now, we’re going to carry out strength training. Grasp that iron stick and do 100 deep squats first.’ Zhao Yunxing points to an iron stick at will. That stick cannot be considered very thick. It perhaps weighs about 10 jin. It is, of course, light to adults, but to 8 year old Qin Yu it is a different world.
‘Hum!’
Qin Yu exerts the strength of his arms and lifts the iron stick to his chest in a breath. He even says laughingly: ‘Master, it’s very light.’
‘Finish 100 squats before saying so,’ says Zhao Yunxing coldly.
Qin Yu immediately starts to squat down deeply. At first he finds it very easy. Is it not just squat down and stand up repeatedly? But after doing 30 squats, he feels his legs start to ache. After 10 more squats, his feet get cramp.
Doing 100 squats?
Qin Yu is already feeling unwell at the time of the fortieth.
‘Phew!’ He takes a deep breath and stops for a short time. When the muscles of his feet have recovered, he continues to squat down. But it gets more and more painful to do so. Qin Yu’s eyes glitter. He continuously clenches his teeth and perseveres.
After going on to the seventieth squat without a break, he even feels that his legs can no longer stand up.
‘Hah!’
Suddenly, he utters a low shout and exerts the strength of his back. And unexpectedly, he manages to stand up. Qin Yu’s eyes are blazing with rays of light -- rays of excitement.
‘Hah!’
With another shout, Qin Yu stands up again.
Every time that he shouts is every time that he strives to squeeze out a bit of strength hidden deeply in his legs. His legs gradually heat up. One after another, streams of strength emerge from the depths of his muscles. What is happening is almost a miracle. When Qin Yu utters his last shout, he unexpectedly has finished the hundredth squat!
Even though his legs are shaky as if he can fall down anytime, his eyes are blazing with excitement and madness.
Zhao Yunxing secretly nods from one side.
‘Now it’s time for finger strength training.’ Zhao Yunxing’s expression is as cold as ever. He basically does not allow Qin Yu any time to rest and immediately gives the order. In fact, Zhao Yunxing created a good training plan for Qin Yu. At this moment, his legs feel the most tired but his hands have not reached their limits, therefore Zhao Yunxing goes on with the finger strength training.
‘How can I train the finger strength, Master?’ Even though Qin Yu has almost no strength left in his legs, he asks Zhao Yunxing laughingly as usual.
Qin Yu increasingly loves that exquisite feeling when he transcended his limits. The instant that he transcended his limits, he felt a passion of life. Yes, it was a passion. A blaze of this passion was that madness he showed at his limits. That kind of feeling was very exquisite.
Chapter 11: Limit Training (2)
‘The best way to train finger strength is to practice the One Finger Meditation while doing a handstand. But your finger strength is still too weak at the moment, so you’re going to train according to the method of the Iron Sand Palm first. These are heavenly silk gloves. You’re going to wear them. When training the finger strength you must not injure the muscles and skin of your hands.’ Zhao Yunxing already prepared a pair of heavenly silk gloves for Qin Yu.
Qin Yu happily receives the heavenly silk gloves and puts them on at once.
‘This is white sand taken from a beach. You have to shovel your hands into it by force. Don’t stop. Only stop when I say that you can.’ Zhao Yunxing points to the sand in an iron cauldron not far on his side and says.
‘Yes, Master!’
Qin Yu takes this training session to be a game instead. But his legs are really aching badly. Only by enduring the pain and clenching his teeth, does he arrive at the side of the iron cauldron. Qin Yu, wearing heavenly silk gloves, shoves his hands downward nonstop. Every time he shoves, he tries hard to reach the bottom.
‘Ah!’
Qin Yu cannot help letting out a groan. His fingers are protected by the heavenly silk gloves, but the gloves only prevent the sand from touching his finger, therefore when a hand is shoveled into the sand, the force of the impact affects the hand full on.
As he is shoveling very fast like that, the forces caused by the white sand hurt Qin Yu’s fingers more and more badly. He cannot help reducing the depth of his shoves. In the beginning he shoved his hands to the bottom of the cauldron but now he withdraws them when they are halfway to the bottom. This makes the training much easier for him.
‘Shove to the bottom. Don’t slack off.’
Zhao Yunxing says coldly.
Qin Yu is startled but he has no choice but to clench his teeth and persevere.
Even though Qin Yu loves that feeling when he transcended his limits, the nerves of the fingertips are linked with his heart. The continual pains in his fingers make him suffer greatly. After all, he is only an 8 year old kid. Moreover, he is East Vanquishing Prince’s third son, who has an exalted, wealthy status and has never experienced that kind of pain before.
‘Pu!’
Suddenly the hands are shoved down to the bottom. The acute pain causes tears to come out of Qin Yu’s eyes uncontrollably.
Zhao Yunxing is coldly watching. He sees the 8 year old kid before him keep shoveling his hands into the sand nonstop with staring tearful eyes, but he seems to have no compassion and still urges incessantly…
Qin Yu can shed tears, but he has to keep shoveling.
……
Having been training every day for a half year, add to that his increasingly redoubled appetite, Qin Yu’s body is now much stronger than in the past.
At the lower end of a waterfall on Mount Donglan,
‘Hah!’
With a flying kick, Zhao Yunxing unexpectedly deposits several huge rocks below the water. At this moment, an area on which a man can stand formed by those several rocks has appeared under the waterfall. Because the waterfall comes down from high above, when it hits the rocks on the surface, countless white sprays are scattered around.
‘Your legs must be steady as a mountain and move like lightning. This is not a large waterfall. Having been doing deep squats for so long, your legs should have enough strength for you to take a horse stance under the waterfall.’ Zhao Yunxing points to a blue rock and says: ‘Stand on it. You must stand firmly.’
‘This is not a large waterfall?’ Qin Yu looks at the waterfall that dives down from very high above. With huge momentum, the water smashes the rocks, making rumblings that dash to the sky. If this waterfall is not considered large, then which waterfall is?
Having been doing deep squats for a half year, Qin Yu’s leg muscles are so much stronger than they were in the past.
‘Yes!’ Qin Yu immediately and slowly stands on the edge of the blue rocks. Because the water comes downward, the pressure on the edge of the rocks is not large. Qin Yu takes a horse stance on the edge of the rocks and he can withstand the pressure fairly easily.
‘Stand in the center,’ says Zhao Yunxing coldly.
Qin Yu has no choice but to slowly move his legs and go towards the center of the rocks. The nearer it is to the center, the greater the water’s momentum. Qin Yu feels that his body is already swaying but he must reach the center.
‘No good!’
Qin Yu feels himself shaking. His feet can no long
er hold him up. In an instant, he is thrown into the lake.
‘Continue!’ says Zhao Yunxing indifferently.
……
In the evening, Qin Yu is lying in the hot spring. He narrows his eyes leisurely. Every day, the time when he is in the hot spring is when he enjoys himself the most. He did not have this kind of feeling in the past. But now, he trains to his limits every day, so when he enters the hot spring again with his body aching and tingling all over, he feels very comfortable.
Xiao Hei has grown a bit in the last half year. But some golden feathers suddenly appeared on the top of its head. The other parts of its body are still covered in black feathers. Xiao Hei grows much more slowly than ordinary eagles. At this moment, it is rocking carelessly beside the hot spring.
Qin Yu has fallen into sleep. He is sleeping in the hot spring.
Every day, he trains during the daytime then soaks in the hot spring for 6 hours in the evening. He specially set a deck chair in the hot spring so that he can sleep while soaking in it. After midnight, he has medical expert Weng Xian massage him and apply medicinal wine for him. Then Qin Yu can read books.
It can be said that he does not waste a single minute.
2 silhouettes suddenly appear beside the hot spring. They are none other than Lian Yan and Zhao Yunxing. The 2 of them are watching Qin Yu, who is sleeping like a log.
‘Xiao Yu isn’t even 9 yet. He’s still a kid.’ Seeing the glistening saliva coming out of Qin Yu’s mouth and his still childish little face, Lian Yan feels very sorry for him. Having raised Qin Yu since he was very little, Lian Yan totally considers him to be his own grandson.
Zhao Yunxing gives a faint, rare smile, looks at Qin Yu and says with a nod: ‘Xiao Yu is an exceptionally resolute kid. The training I’ve given him definitely pushed him to his true limits. When he surpassed a limit, his body would be near the point of breaking down. I couldn’t have thought he would be able to persist… At that time, when His Highness let me train the army, I carried out limit training in a 100,000 strong army. But only 1000 of them could persist for a year and fully reached the peak of a regular soldier.’
When Zhao Yunxing was in charge of training the army at that time, most of the soldiers were ordinary soldiers. Unlike Qin Yu, they also were not able to eat precious medicinal meals, soak in a hot spring to relieve fatigue, and have a professional medical expert massage them, etc.
But … those soldiers were all adults whereas Qin Yu is only a kid. That such a kid has been able to persist makes Zhao Yunxing feel both amazed and satisfied.
Seeing how Qin Yu looks in his sleep, Lian Yan and Zhao Yunxing leave with a smile, leaving behind only a sleeping Qin Yu, who totally does not know that he just had visitors. He slightly opens his little mouth and gives a happy, sweet smile. From a corner of his mouth, that thread of saliva glistens.
Perhaps … in his dream, he is meeting his father.
Father, 2 years has flown by, but he has not visited Qin Yu once.
……
Running while carrying heavy objects, squatting while carrying heavy objects, keeping a horse stance under the waterfall, continuously performing explosive movements while being hindered, practicing unarmed fighting techniques in water, exercising while carrying heavy objects all day long, training the flexibility and toughness, training the finger strength, training the reactions and sensitivity, training the agility…
Those are the various training techniques that Zhao Yunxing uses according to a certain rule to train Qin Yu extensively. Under the tutelage of Zhao Yunxing, Qin Yu continuously transcends his physical limits. His body’s capabilities also improve at a very fast speed.
One year later,
9 year old Qin Yu is bare-chested and wearing pants. His whole body is not bulging with muscles but it is almost perfectly streamlined and he looks like a hunting leopard.
‘Xiao Yu, you’re very strong-willed. In limit training, everything else is unimportant. The most important thing is to be strong-willed.’ Zhao Yunxing looks at Qin Yu and gives him a smile that has never been seen: ‘It’s time your master returned to the army. Remember, the limits, challenge the limits, and surpass the limits. As long as you try hard nonstop, you’ll eventually be successful.’
Qin Yu looks at the master before him. During the last year, Qin Yu even felt very angry that his master was too merciless -- every training session was every time Qin Yu shed tears nonstop. But today, when he sees the delighted smile on his master’s face, he suddenly understands everything.
‘Master, I definitely won’t disappoint you.’ Qin Yu looks at Zhao Yunxing and says resolutely.
Zhao Yunxing smiles at him and nods. Then he suddenly turns around and leaves in strides, immediately going out of Misty Villa. Following a roar of a Fierce Tiger, Qin Yu’s eyes slightly redden. He knows, from today onwards … he is going to train all by himself.
Chapter 12: Aurora (1)
The Immense Wilderness is covered with high mountain ranges and thick, vast forests. Many magical beasts are hiding deep in it. The wilderness has a large area, which basically no one can measure. The 3 Eastern region counties declared to the outside that they have a 600,000 strong army in total whose 400,000 are stationed on the border with the wilderness.
The other 200,000 soldiers are stationed outside the Black Water mountain range. In the Black Water mountain range there are approximately 200,000 bandits. This is the number one place for bandits in the world. Because these bandits are very familiar with the terrain of the Black Water mountain range and have the advantaged geographical position, the 200,000 soldiers whom East Vanquishing Prince controls have always been stationed outside the mountain range to frighten the Black Water bandits.
In Tiefeng City on the border with the wilderness, there is a forbidding mansion. At this moment, East Vanquishing Prince Qin De is quietly reading a book in a room of the mansion.
‘Your Highness,’ standing outside the door, Zhao Yunxing bows and says.
‘Yunxing, come on in.’ Qin De basically says at once without raising his head. Then Zhao Yunxing enters the room with his body bent. He stands quietly on one side of the room waiting for Qin De to talk first. He holds East Vanquishing Prince Qin De in nothing but high esteem.
Qin De puts the book in his hand down and turns to Zhao Yunxing. He says with a smile: ‘Yunxing, you have taught Yu’er for a year. Tell me, does Yu’er have any prospects on the path of external techniques?’
‘Your Highness, Third Prince is exceptionally hardworking and persistent. His willpower is stronger than that of many adults,’ says Zhao Yunxing immediately. Hearing that, Qin De’s face has a faint smile. Zhao Yunxing continues: ‘But Third Prince’s aptitude can only be considered above average whereas most of those who have reached the peak of external techniques are highly talented people. But thanks to having the nourishment of Misty Villa’s hot spring and eating precious medicinal meals frequently, Third Prince still has a chance of reaching the peak of external techniques.’
The peak of external techniques is the peak of the Houtian level and close to the Xiantian level. Anyone who has practiced external techniques to that extent can even give early-phase Xiantian internal experts a good run for their money.
‘How long will it take?’ asks Qin Yu in reply.
Zhao Yunxing considers carefully for a while and says: ‘Perhaps it will take 30 years. And this will only happen if Third Prince is to persevere all along. On the path of external techniques, the closer one gets to its late phase, the harder it gets to improve. Take, for instance, strength. After practicing for 10-odd years, Third Prince won’t have any difficulties lifting 300 or 400 jin with one arm. At the peak of external techniques, he should have 700 or 800 jin of strength in one arm. But it gets harder and harder toward the end. 30 years, won’t be far from the truth.’
Qin De shakes his head and sighs: ’30 years is too long. But if he can protect himself after 10-odd years, this could still be considered not bad.’
‘All right, Zhao Yunxing, you should return first.’ Qin De says with a smile. Zhao Yunxing immediately bows and says: ‘I take my leave, Your Highness.’ After that, he goes immediately, leaving only Qin De in the room. After a long time, a deep and low sigh rises in it …
******
Qin Yu is standing in a horse stance under the continuous attack of the waterfall. He is persevering on the blue rocks under the waterfall.
Feeling the hitting force of the waterfall, Qin Yu secretly rejoices. Luckily for him, when he just started training, Zhao Yunxing attached great importance to the body’s resistance to attacks. In addition, he has consistently been having medicinal wine applied to his whole body. These occurrences have given Qin Yu a fairly high resistance to attacks. Otherwise, he basically would not have been able to withstand the hitting force of the waterfall.
Stellar Transformations Page 10