C4 Beginner Martial Arts

"Well, Dark Night—fight!"

Aotian whispered under his breath, "Master, I've got it!"

"You should rest for now. You've lost quite a bit of blood earlier. Go back, recuperate, and we'll start our official training tomorrow."

"Okay, Master. But how can I see you if I need to? Do I just call out to the ring?"

Aotian's eyes sparkled with anticipation for the next day.

"There's no need for that," his master reassured. "Keep the Soaring Dragon on your finger. I reside within this Soaring Dragon Ring now. Your blood has bound the ring to you as its master. So, whenever you focus your thoughts, you'll be able to contact me."

"Got it. Then, Master, I'll head back to rest. We'll begin training tomorrow!"

With that, Aotian slipped the blood-red, dragon-shaped Teng Long ring onto his finger and dashed off to his courtyard, filled with excitement.

His small silhouette stretched long in the sunset, seeming to stand taller than ever.

Upon reaching the courtyard, he nodded to Aunt Maria, who was doing laundry, and then retreated to his room to prepare for the next day's training.

"Aotian!"

Maria, busy with the clothes, tried to catch his attention as he returned, but Aotian, seemingly oblivious, hurried straight to his room. Maria watched his beaming smile with a touch of concern. "Has the boy been struck so hard he's lost his senses? No, what am I saying? Aotian's not crazy." She pondered, "But what's really going on? He should be heartbroken about the Nine Yin Meridian, shouldn't he? I need to check on him. I can't let anything happen to him!" And with that, she rushed to Aotian's room.

"Aotian, open up! It's me, Aotian!" Maria called out, knocking frantically. The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss, and her unease grew.

"Aunt Maria, I'm coming!" The door swung open, revealing Aotian's delicate face.

"Ah, Aotian! I heard about yesterday. So what if it's the Nine Yin Meridian? If we can't pursue martial arts, then we won't. There are plenty of people on the continent who live well without it. Don't lose heart or feel down. Remember, if not martial arts, we can always enter civil service! Aren't you allied through marriage with the Hwa and Elton families? They're civil officials. In time, you could join their ranks. Please, heed my advice—never give up on yourself," Maria implored with concern.

"Okay, Auntie, don't worry. I won't let you down. I'll be strong!" Aotian declared with confidence.

Maria scrutinized Aotian's expression carefully, and only when she was sure he was alright did she allow herself to relax.

"Really? That's a relief!"

"Yes, rest assured!"

"Well, I must be going now. Get some rest! I'll come to get you for dinner later!" With those words, Maria turned and left.

After eating dinner that evening, Aotian retired to his room early. He had martial arts practice to begin the next day and needed to prepare. Moreover, he wanted to avoid the pitying and scornful looks from others that he found so distasteful. Once in his room, Aotian took out the samurai outfit that Aunt Maria had gifted him for his birthday. As he gazed at the garment, he vividly recalled her words: "Aotian, you're turning eight this year, and you'll undergo the family's initiation ceremony. I hope that starting tomorrow, you'll train diligently in this outfit. I dream that one day, you'll be as formidable as your grandfather, your father, and the rest of them!" Lost in these thoughts, Aotian was suddenly struck by a surge of determination, his eyes blazing with fervor and defiance.

"Aunt Maria! Don't worry, I won't disappoint you. I'm determined to become strong! Not just strong—I will surpass Grandpa and the rest!"

With everything ready, Aotian went to bed early, eager to face the next day's training.

Come morning, the crowing of a rooster roused Aotian. The sky was just beginning to lighten. He rose and began his preparations for the first day of practice. And so, our young hero embarked on the first step of his epic journey.

Once he was fully prepared, Aotian reached out to his master, Dark Night Zhan, eager to commence his training.

"Master, may I start practicing now? How should I go about it?"

"Ah, lad, you're up early! Since you're prepared, we can start the training. But first, a word of caution: mastering this martial art is a treacherous path, akin to walking a narrow trail on a steep mountain with a deep abyss below. Any misstep could have grave consequences. Consider this carefully—you still have time to back out if you have any doubts."

"No, Master, I'm ready. I will persevere. I must become a powerhouse!" Aotian declared.

Darkness: Zhan nodded with a sense of pride and said, "Since you're mentally prepared, we can get started. Our sect's martial arts are vastly different from the ordinary martial arts you're familiar with. Typically, martial artists are categorized into 11 levels, but the Blood Refinement Arts are divided into 7 stages: the first stage of Body Tempering, the second stage of Flesh Strengthening, the third stage of Bone Burning, the fourth stage of Meridian Cleansing, the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, the sixth stage of Nascent Soul, and the seventh stage of Great Achievement! Each stage is further split into two sub-levels. Completing the first stage puts you on par with an intermediate swordsman, the second stage equates to the strength of a swordman, and the third stage matches the prowess of a Blade Master. By the fourth stage, you'll possess the power of a Sword Emperor, and after the fifth stage, you'll have the might of a Sword God. Starting from the sixth stage, you'll wield the strength of a deity, and regarding the seventh stage, no one has yet achieved it. However, my master once mentioned that reaching the seventh stage grants you the power to stand tall and unchallenged under the heavens! I myself have only reached the upper sixth stage, where I attained strength comparable to that of a God King, so you can imagine the formidable force of this martial arts technique! Moreover, it has two main advantages—firstly, the efficiency of practice in the initial three stages is incredibly high, meaning you'll progress through these stages faster than you would with other martial arts at the same level of strength. How much you'll improve depends on your personal insight! Secondly, at equivalent levels of strength, we hold an edge over other martial artists, making us slightly stronger than our peers at the same level. I'll leave you with this overview for now; the rest I'll explain over time. Begin your training with the first step of Body Refinement! True to its name, this stage focuses on physical conditioning, which is the most accessible practice and achievable by most. Starting today, we'll concentrate on enhancing your bodily strength! I've devised a plan for you last night—now it's time to put it into action!"

As Aotian listened to his master's detailed explanation of the martial arts techniques, he found himself increasingly in awe of their depth and complexity, his heart swelling with longing for mastery. Lost in daydreams of his future strength, a smile unwittingly spread across his face.

"Kid, snap out of your daydreams! Remember, everything I've said hinges on your ability to keep up with the training. If you don't have the grit to stick with it, we'll see if you're still grinning then," Zhan said with a wry smile, playfully knocking Aotian back to reality.

Jolted from his reverie, Aotian eagerly responded, "Master, let's get started with the training!"

"Alright," his master nodded. "Here's the regimen I've planned for you: First, each morning, you'll run from here to the back mountain—a distance of about 1,000 meters—and you'll do ten laps, totaling 20,000 meters. Second, after your run, you'll head to the mountain peak where you'll find a stone weighing roughly 100 kilograms. You're to lift it 100 times daily. Finally, you'll put on this pair of shoes and perform 1,000 jumps." As he spoke, a pair of heavy shoes materialized from his ring, flying towards Aotian. "I crafted these shoes from materials in my ring just yesterday; they weigh about 50 kilograms. Start with these three exercises. Once you've adapted, I'll ramp up the difficulty and volume of your training."

"Understood, Master. I'll begin my practice right now!" Aotian declared, filled with determination.

"Good. Get to it," his master replied with a nod of approval.