C6 Body Refining(part I)

As Aotian drifted into a deep sleep, the ring on his finger began to radiate an eerie glow. Unlike before, the red light slowly spread, creeping over Aotian's entire arm before continuing to grow, eventually enveloping his whole body in its luminous embrace.

Yet Aotian, encased in the red glow, remained blissfully unaware as the light gradually faded to nothingness.

Inside the ring, Dark Night finally exhaled in relief. "Phew, that was exhausting! This kid, I tell you... Hehe." Observing the slumbering Aotian, Zhan spoke softly to himself. Aotian's face, relaxed with a gentle smile, suggested he might be lost in a pleasant dream. Zhan couldn't help but smile contentedly, proud of Aotian's performance that day. The training had been grueling for an eight-year-old, and Zhan had initially thought completing two tasks would be an achievement. But Aotian had surpassed all expectations, displaying the same stubborn determination Zhan recognized in himself from years past. Zhan had used his own soul's energy to cleanse Aotian of his weariness, ensuring the boy could rise and train again the next day. Reflecting on Aotian's defiant spirit, Zhan felt his efforts to alleviate the boy's exhaustion were well spent. He hoped Aotian would continue to endure.

"Alright, time for me to rest as well. I've expended quite a bit of my soul force," Zhan mused.

The following day dawned with a soft drizzle, but Aotian was already up and about. A night's rest had left him feeling rejuvenated, his body seemingly stronger than before. The invigorating sensation bolstered his confidence for the day's training—a feeling he owed entirely to his master's intervention.

"Master, I'm about to begin my training!" Aotian announced to the ring before dashing off towards the mountain's rear.

Today, Aotian approached his training with a lesson learned. He didn't rush headlong into his exercises as he had the day before. Guided by his master's advice from the previous night, he adopted a steady pace. With a lightness in his step, Aotian ascended the mountain.

Before he knew it, he had completed six round trips. Fatigue began to set in, but Aotian understood this was to be expected. After all, he had covered a distance of 12,000 meters. His stamina was at its limit, and this was the point of greatest exhaustion. He knew that if he could just push through this barrier, he would be alright.

Clutching firmly to his belief, Aotian gritted his teeth and powered through his seventh lap.

Maria's morning routine hadn't changed; she was out in the courtyard tidying up as usual. But today was slightly different. When she entered Aotian's room, she discovered he had already risen early. With a resigned shake of her head, she finished straightening up the room, gathered her laundry, and headed to the sink to wash the clothes. That's when she spotted Aotian jogging toward her.

"Aotian, what are you up to? Why are you out running so early?" she called out, noticing Aotian drenched in sweat.

"Aunt Maria! I'm just getting some exercise. I need to keep fit! Don't worry about me; I won't be home for lunch today. See, I've packed my own," he said, catching his breath. "After I finish my run, I'm planning to read some books on the back mountain and will return in the evening." With that, Aotian picked up the pace and continued his run toward the back mountain.

"Hey! Aotian, Aotian!" Maria's call was cut short as Aotian vanished from sight. "What's gotten into that boy?" she sighed in resignation, turning back to her laundry.

Finally, after much perseverance, Aotian completed his run before the noon hour. He took a brief rest, then promptly moved on to the next challenge.

Approaching a large stone, he felt its surface, preparing to lift it. Just then, he received timely advice from Dark Night Zhan, "Kid, hold on! Before you lift, you should know that every object has a center of gravity. Find it, and lifting becomes much easier."

"Center of gravity? Find the center of gravity," Aotian mused on his master's advice.

"Yes, center of gravity. But to find it, you must rely on your own understanding and exploration. You'll discover it through the act of lifting," his master explained.

With these words in mind, Aotian tackled his second task of the day. He carefully lifted the stone, then set it down, engaging his whole body's strength and focusing particularly on his waist. Though he was still exhausted, it felt significantly easier than the day before. Aotian, at last, completed his task. Tired but elated, he was pleased because today's effort had taken far less time than yesterday's.

After a belated lunch, Aotian resumed his final task of the day. Slipping into his iron shoes, he began to leap with determination.

Dark Night Zhan watched Aotian train and nodded with satisfaction. It was heartening to see how quickly Aotian had grasped the concepts from yesterday's lesson. Although his execution was still imperfect, overall, Zhan was quite pleased with his progress. Moreover, Aotian was beginning to get a handle on the rock's center of gravity, and Zhan was confident that within a few days, Aotian would fully adjust to the training regimen.

Exhausted after a hundred jumps, Aotian collapsed onto the grass, resting and gazing up at the star-filled sky, his confidence in his future training buoyed by the celestial display.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Aotian greeted Aunt Maria, finished his meal, and took a refreshing shower before heading to his room. He didn't immediately succumb to sleep; instead, he meticulously reviewed the day's training, reflecting on his achievements and areas for improvement before finally settling down to rest.

As Aotian slept soundly, a soothing red glow enveloped him, with Dark Night Zhan once again easing the weariness from his body.

A week passed, and Aotian had fully acclimated to the demands of his training. He had learned to manage his energy wisely, making full use of his muscles in a harmonious effort. His greatest accomplishment was mastering the rock's center of gravity, which significantly expedited the lifting process and lightened his workload.

Observing Aotian's weekly progress, Dark Night Zhan nodded in approval. He reminisced about his own beginnings with the cultivation technique at the age of eight, taking a month to reach the milestones Aotian had achieved in mere days. Zhan was in awe of Aotian's superior talent; even as a prodigy himself, he felt humbled in comparison. Aotian's potential filled him with pride, and he was convinced that taking him on as a disciple was a stroke of wisdom, anticipating the remarkable feats Aotian would accomplish with continued dedication.

"Ah, Aotian, you've been doing quite well lately. You've adapted to the current training regimen, so it's time to ramp things up! Starting today, you'll lift stones 200 times and perform 300 standing jumps! I hope you can stick with it and quickly adjust to the increased intensity!" Dark Night Zhan told Aotian, contemplating the new challenges.

"Understood, Master! I'll adapt for sure!" Aotian replied, then immediately dove into the day's training.

Though today's session was tougher and Aotian struggled to adapt, he managed to finish everything before nightfall.

As time swiftly passed, a month flew by in no time. The training that once challenged Aotian was now easily completed in just over half a day. He even intensified his workouts with the extra time, and his body showed significant improvement, transforming from frail to robust.

Then came a new challenge from Dark Night. "Your training is about to undergo a major shift! Starting today, you'll run in this specially crafted suit I made for you, weighing a hundred kilograms. You'll need to complete twenty laps in it, then run ten laps, or ten thousand meters, in the pool behind the mountain wearing these hundred-kilogram shoes. Lastly, wearing the same gear, find a large tree to tie this rope around and perform two hundred pull-ups. These are your tasks moving forward!"

Aotian didn't question her master's demands and agreed with straightforward determination. She knew that starting today, she was about to face yet another arduous challenge.