inspire-indiana Chapter 7 The Boy with a Broken Sword
Chapter 7 The Boy with a Broken Sword
[Ding! Congratulations to the host disciple "Shi Tie" for reaching the first level of the Body Refinement Realm, successfully stepping into the threshold of cultivation. Cultivation feedback is beginning...]
As Shi Tie successfully entered the first level of Body Refinement, the system notification sounded again. The disciple's cultivation level had improved, and Lin Mu could also receive the corresponding cultivation reward!
On the [Innate Dao Diagram] in his mind, the position corresponding to the Thick Earth Star once again emitted a dazzling light. Then, the familiar warm current swept through his meridians and finally converged at his dantian!
In just three days, Lin Mu's cultivation level improved again. He believed that when Shi Tie reached the second level of the Body Refinement Realm, he would be able to successfully advance to the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm!
Indeed, this method of continuously increasing cultivation without needing to put in hard work and training is much more suitable for good young people like us! It's a pity that only one of the 20 star positions has been activated; there's still a long way to go...!
On the other side, Shi Tie slowly withdrew his fist, looking at the ancient tree that had been broken in half, and then at his own slightly reddened finger joints, his chest began to rise and fall involuntarily.
Those eyes, which had been somewhat dull, now blazed with an unusually intense flame!
He's done! He's finally reached the first level of Body Refinement!
He could now clearly feel that his skin had become several times tougher. If he were to be hit with an ordinary wooden stick, he probably wouldn't feel any pain at all; on the contrary, the stick would be broken by the impact!
Under the influence of the "Primordial Overlord Body Technique," and through the continuous tempering of his body by spiritual power, Shi Tie's muscles became denser and stronger, and his strength more than doubled!
More importantly, his perception of the thick and gentle earth elemental energy in the surrounding world became clearer, and his body absorbed and circulated it much more smoothly, no longer as sluggish and difficult as it was at the beginning.
"Get up and take a rest!" A calm voice sounded behind Shi Tie. Lin Mu had been standing behind him at some point, nodding slightly with a hint of approval in his eyes.
"Very good! You've mastered the basics in just three days. Your talent, temperament, and perseverance are worthy of the 'Thick Earth Star Position' inheritance!" Lin Mu praised without reservation.
"Thank you for saving me, Master!" Upon hearing Lin Mu's words, Shi Tie immediately knelt down and kowtowed three times to him.
He would never forget that if it weren't for his master's appearance, he would still be that good-for-nothing who was bullied by everyone and whose future was bleak. Even if he had another ten years, he probably would not have the power he has now!
"Get up." Lin Mu raised his hand slightly, then continued, "The Body Refinement Realm is merely the foundation of cultivation. The subsequent realms will become increasingly difficult and painful, so you must not be arrogant or impatient!"
"Now that you have successfully entered the Body Refinement Realm, you should be able to control your internal spiritual energy steadily and skillfully! You can start learning that Yellow-Rank martial art, 'Mountain-Splitting Fist'!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Tie's eyes immediately lit up.
He had already memorized the moves and secrets of the book "Opening Mountain Fist" and practiced them silently in his mind countless times, just waiting for the day when his physical foundation would meet the requirements!
"Look carefully!"
Lin Mu stepped forward slightly with his left foot, his hands hanging down naturally at first, then his right hand slowly rose from his waist in a fist and then extended forward horizontally.
There was no fancy stuff at all; the whole set of movements was so simple it was almost plain, and the speed wasn't fast either. By the time he threw his punch, his opponent would probably have already disappeared!
But when Lin Mu used his spiritual power to demonstrate for the second time, Shi Tie, who was watching intently from the side, was suddenly startled!
This time, when Master threw that seemingly casual punch, his entire aura suddenly changed!
The lazy and leisurely atmosphere from before vanished without a trace, replaced by a sense of grandeur and solemnity.
At this moment, Lin Mu seemed to be one with the earth beneath him. His fist suddenly became extremely heavy, faintly revealing a sharp intent that could split mountains and shatter rocks, and was indestructible.
What shocked Shi Tiexin even more was that he could vaguely "see" that as his master's fist moved, the spiritual energy in the surrounding air also flowed and gathered, gradually merging into the trajectory of that punch!
"Remember, the essence of the Mountain-Opening Fist lies in the intention, not the form. When you throw a punch, your intention must be sincere, your fist's intent pure, concentrating all your power into one point, with no retreat, no life or death!"
As Lin Mu unleashed his punch, a huge rock behind Shi Tie shattered with a loud "bang," and the force of the punch, driven by the flow of spiritual energy, uprooted some of the vegetation along the way!
Lin Mu slowly withdrew his fist and stood up, his breathing calmed down, and he instantly returned to his previous calm and composed demeanor.
……
For the next two days, dull thuds, suppressed groans of pain, and heavy panting from exhaustion could be heard from time to time in the open space behind the mountain. This continued almost from morning till night without stopping!
Shi Tie never imagined that the process of practicing boxing would be so painful.
Each punch requires mobilizing all the muscles and tendons in the body, coordinating with a unique breathing rhythm, and constantly trying to draw in spiritual energy to flow.
If you can land two or three successful punches out of ten, that's already considered pretty good! Moreover, this thing consumes a lot of physical strength; often, after only half an hour of practice, you'll feel sore all over.
Now he finally understood why his teacher insisted that he must enter the Body Refinement Realm before he could practice the Mountain-Opening Fist. Without a strong body, he simply couldn't withstand the strain on his body after each punch!
Shi Tie gritted his teeth and repeated the monotonous punching motion over and over again, and he seemed to enjoy it immensely!
Because with each swing of his fist, he could feel his own strength increase by a bit, his control over spiritual energy become more effortless, and of course, his understanding of the "Mountain-Splitting" fist intent would also deepen.
Deep down, he had always harbored a fierce determination. With the academy's annual assessment just around the corner, he was determined to make all those who had looked down on him and trampled on his dignity open their eyes and see that he, Shi Tie, was no good!
……
In the southeast corner of Notting College, in a secluded corner behind the work-study dormitory where miscellaneous items are piled up, a thin boy is quietly leaning against an abandoned wooden box, lost in thought.
He was holding a sword in his hand, or more accurately, a broken sword.
The sword broke in the middle, leaving only about a foot long. The broken edge was jagged and grotesque, clearly caused by a tremendous force.
The sword blade had no bright luster and was almost covered with mottled rust. If you looked closely, you could even see several scratches of varying depths!
Just by looking at it, it gives people a feeling that it looks very cheap, probably not much better than a kitchen fire poker!
But the boy held it tightly in his hand and was wiping it back and forth with great care.
From the broken hilt to the rust-covered blade, and the jagged, menacing break, every movement he made was so careful!
The last rays of the setting sun cast his shadow long and thin, creating a stark contrast between his detached and lonely demeanor and his somewhat youthful face.
His name is Ling Chen, and he is only twelve years old. Like Shi Tie, his innate soul power is only level one.
His martial spirit is this broken sword in his hand, a useless martial spirit that sounds even more ridiculous and hopeless than Shi Tie's stone martial spirit!
In Notting Academy, he was even more transparent than Shi Tie. He would often hide alone in this deserted corner and wipe the broken sword over and over again, as if only in this way could his soul find solace!
Just now, his broken sword suddenly rose into the air without warning, emitting a deafening sword cry...!
After a few breaths, it returned to mediocrity once again…!