"Secret" training

"114 115 116 117…."

In front of Hou Yi's building, Ning Yue continues pushing up as his routine.

"Doing that won't help you anymore."

Hou Yi walks out of the building and speaks.

"Uh? Why?"

Ning Yue stops and stands up.

"Martial power helps you with physical strength. If you want to increase your muscle mass or strengthen them, you need to do something MUCH heavier to obsolete your martial power's help, and for my recommendation, at least to have 500KG on your back while pushing up."

Hou Yi walks to Ning Yue and places his hand on Ning Yue's back.

"Or I can do this. Try to push up."

Ning Yue does as his master says but is shocked by the sheer force behind him.

He can't move!

"AGH! AHH!!"

Ning Yue pushes with all his might to the ground and slowly moves Hou Yi's hand back before getting pushed down again.

"1. Do this 10 times should be enough; no need to do it easy task 100 times if you can do hard tasks 10 times, time is valuable."

"I. Will. Remember. That! AH!!!"

Ning Yue continues to push up with Hou Yi until he reaches 10 times.

But he had to spend 1 hour just pushing up 10 times!

"Ugh! Where are you so strong! And heavy too!"

His arm feels so soar; it makes him push up 117 times before it feels like taking a single step compared to running a marathon.

"I'm earth realm cultivation stage 4. Our body may look the same, but inside are completely different."

Hou Yi points and pokes at Ning Yue's tummy and says.

"You didn't even have a core, nor did the mind. Don't try to compare me with yourself; it will only discourage you."

"Core? Mind?"

Ning Yue has questions.

What are these?

"Core is the starting point of your journey to the real world. Your martial power flows everywhere, and you can't cultivate it, but when you form your core, it will be the pillar of your growth."

Hou Yi begins his lecture as usual; he understands Ning Yue was still a rookie, and he doubts that Ning Yue had the fortune to read a book about in-depth cultivation.

Even among elders from many sects and clans, not many people knew about the application of this two.

"But the mind is special; it is the breaking point in the earth realm 3-4. This "mind" is the tool to connect with heaven."

Only those who came from the capital, like the founder of the moon sword sect and high ranking member of the Ma and Cao clan, know the existence of the mind; it is a rare knowledge that a tight community gets hold of.

"Connect with heaven?! That sound cool!"

Ning Yue is amazed by the words, even though he doesn't know what they mean.

"Indeed, but it is still a long way for you, so you don't need to worry about it. Right now, aim to get to the awakening inner power stage and increase a chance of winning the tournament first!"

Hou Yi saw a reaction from Ning Yue and smiled, the same face he saw on his old day when he taught his pupils in the past.

"Yes, master! But I always have this question: What is the awakening inner power? After I trained hard and broke my limit by fighting Liao Liwei, my body finally reached the body cleansing stage because it got pushed to its limit. Still, about inner power, I have no idea of this concept, so I have no idea to train it…."

Ning Yue knows how many stages and realms it has, but he never knows the difference between them; even in the body cleansing stage he is in, he still has no idea what effect it does on him except for the muscle control part.

"I know you already lectured me about it, but I want more detail, more ways to cultivate it."

He remembers that Hou Yi told him a standard way is to eat pills and train, but he needs something more, something faster than this.

"I'm sorry, Ning Yue, but there is no shortcut for this."

Hou Yi speaks, then stop like he realizes something from his memory.

"But there may be a way to accelerate the process."

He considered the new option, albeit a very dangerous one.

"How?!"

Ning Yue shouted in excitement.

And if there are, why his master didn't he tell him sooner!?

"Xiaoli told me she gave you the pill made from a two-tailed tiger, yes?"

Before Hou Yi told Ning Yue this "secret method," he confirmed some basic information first.

"Yes…"

Ning Yue is still haunted by what it did to his body. Man, he can never forget the look Xiaoli gave when it stood up like a pole.

"Have you felt the power flow in you?"

"Yes. It felt like a leak was happening inside my body; it felt refreshed but also heavy."

He felt it, a lot of it. And even more so after eating those extra pills.

It is like drinking water after a hot day; feels good, but both pills feel like too much water and make him very uncomfortable.

The good thing is it was only a short while before it was all gone.

"That is the awakening inner power will feel like, the power burst from inside, not outside like breathing. It's your power, not nature or heaven's power. Your alone."

The awakening inner power is to start having own strength, not borrow from nature, but steal from it.

The body cleansing stage is only the preparation of the human body to start to adapt to the power of heaven.

"Wow, but I still don't get how to cultivate this."

It feels too surreal to him. He can't grasp the practical way to train it.

"Think about your muscle; every bit of food you eat, every move you make helps your muscle grow. The inner power will continue to grow with an external source like breathing, eating, and training."

Hou Yi tries to explain by bringing up a simple example.

"Oh…"

Ning Yue thinks he starts getting it but doesn't know if it is correct, but getting it.

"Remember when I told you the pills will help in the long term?"

"Of course! I think it about time I need to do more mission."

"Yes, but save your pill this time, don't eat it right away."

"Why?"

"There is a risky way an old friend used to speed up his training."

After preparing the foundation of knowledge for Ning Yue, Hou Yi begin to tease him with the secret.

"HOW!?"

Ning Yue is starting to get excited! His body starts shaking, and his eyes go sparkly.

"Wait, wait. Calm down. Let me explain. Xiaoli must have told you about the pill limit your body can handle, correct?"

"Yes, it 2 pills, I think?"

Ning Yue felt fuzzy when she told him that, so he wasn't sure.

"Yeah, 2 pills / 8 hours are a normal limit for a cultivator, but as I said before, inner power is like a muscle, and a pill is like food."

Hou Yi tries to give Ning Yue a hint of this secret, and letting the boy figure it out is better than telling him straight.

"What abo—Oh… OH!!!!!!"

When Hou Yi said it, Ning Yue instantly put all the bread crumbs together and formed a picture in his mind.

"Hmm~ I see you got some idea now, isn't it?"

Hou Yi smirk, looking like his pupil is more intelligent than he seems.

"I sometimes remember, after training or helping my father in a field, I can eat more food. If the two work the same way, I can use more pills if I use more power!"

Ning Yue is in awe of this so-called "risky way."

"But isn't this too simple? If it can help, why is everybody not using it now?"

But he quickly snaps out of it and questions the reliability of this method; it sounds too simple to be a secret technique he needs.

"If you can choose between cultivating by just laying down in your comfort house or coming out and pushing your body past its limit to the point that pills can't keep up, what would you choose?"

"The second? Sitting and waiting for the pills to digest must be boring."

"Ha! Listen to this making me happy I invite you to be my pupil. But Ning Yue, people are lazy by default. You are the oddball who likes hard work."

Hou Yi left out a big laugh before looking at his pupil like looking at a walking treasure.

"Cultivators, especially young ones like you, want adventure, want to dominate, but not everyone has the gut to do the ugly part like training. So, they try to minimalize the process as the time comes to meditating your mind and forgetting your body becomes a norm."

Today, getting strong only means having a more significant number, not about one skill or body, only power.

"But can't blame them, it statically faster to train your mind and inner power to grow, but in a real fight, those with a well-trained body will dominate."

Even though he hates how society has evolved to this conclusion, he still accepts it because it is true; it is not worth your time working out instead of cultivating your inner power.

"Meaning, I can grow faster in terms of power if I aim to increase my mind and inner power, but overall strength is better but slower in the long term?"

This is what Ning Yue gets from this information.

In the long term, building 3 will net you more strength, but in the short time, the mind and inner power to break through the realm is better.

Considering that cultivation in the early stage will start to stagnate at around age 20, focusing all effort so they can push for as high as possible and then start working out when the power level stops seem to be the better option.

"Correct, at first, I almost told you to stop the way you are doing because you already lag, but after some consideration, it is your only chance to grow in this world, so why not? It may slow but slow and steady win the race, I hope."

And it is a better option for most people. But Ning Yue is trash; if he relies on his mind and inner power, he still being a commoner. The only way for him to grow is to push his body to its limit and let the body pull the rest after.

Slower for sure, but stronger.

"But if you can train 3 of them by using exceed the limit of pills and continue spending, why aren't people doing it?"

In the cultivation world, being strong means everything, so he thinks people would pick the option to get the best of all world.

"Because it is risky. Have you heard of muscle injury or failure?"

"No?"

"It happens when you overwork your muscle to the absolute point of no return; the muscle in your body will give up and die. You may still use them if you are lucky, but you can no longer move them most of the time. This with inner power is more severe because you need to eat the pill first, then start spending, and if you stop for whatever reason before the pill's energy is depleted, you will explode."

Hou Yi warns with a serious expression. The risk is one, but a huge one with no way to go around it or prepare for it.

His friend that used this method almost didn't make it alive after using it, and that man is way stronger than he is.

"!!!"

"Yeah, and trust me, if 2 pills are the limit doctors said it is, it's for a good reason. But with your body already this strong, I believe you can handle the workload, but if you are afraid, we can do a normal routine; eat pills and train."

Hou Yi will not force Ning Yue to do this. If the boy wants, it is his ambition.

It is the only way Hou Yi will not feel guilty if Ning Yue fails.

"No, I'm not afraid! I accept this method."

Ning Yue answered loud and clear.

"Wow, no hesitation. You still have times to think about it. You may die, you know?"

Hou Yi admires his confidence, but he wants to see Ning Yue, at the very least, consider the risk.

"Yes, but I don't have time. My father is dying; I'm still in the first stage in the first realm, so I have to take everything I can to become stronger. Besides, I trust my hard work; I can endure it!"

Ning Yue knows the risk of death.

But he trusted his body; he spent his whole life with it, cultivated it, trained it.

If he will not use it to its limit, why even live?

"So reckless… But maybe it is a good thing for you. For now, gather as many pills as possible; I will have Xiaoli calculate the program for you."

Hou Yi left a big sigh and smiled; seeing the boy like this reminded him of his old day.

"Where are you going, master?"

Ning Yue notices that Hou Yi is going somewhere, not staying here and helping him train as he did before.

"I have a meeting."

Hou Yi's expression suddenly turns cold; remembering what he needs to do makes him sick.

"Oh… Then goodbye, Master. See you next time."

Ning Yue joins his right fist and left palm and then bows to wish his master good luck.

"And one last thing, take this."

Before he goes, Hou Yi toses Ning Yue a scroll.

"What is this?"

Ning Yue looks at the scroll. It is brand new! Unlike the 3 scrolls he had seen before.

"Your martial art, practice it while you go farming."

Hou Yi smiles with anticipation before leaving the building, leaving Ning Yue reading the scroll with a furious eye like a maniac.