As he smoothed out his aura, Wu Ying felt his aura grow more compact and stronger and, as importantly for the cultivation exercise, hidden flaws in the membrane were exposed. Those, Wu Ying took the time to patch up, mentally sewing the gaps closed by further layering cultivation. It was, Wu Ying knew, a lot of work for little visible results, but it would, in time, reduce his chi signature, his aura, even further. And as Wu Ying had learned, it also helped him reduce the “waste” that so many other cultivators experienced.
Hours passed, their mutual exercises crossing days. Unlike real school, the random disappearance of a cultivator from their classes was not unexpected. Enlightenment was not something that could be dictated by schedules, so teachers understood and made concessions. Even for those cultivators with assignments that required an individual’s presence, leeway was provided.
Eventually, Tou He stood and stretched, coming out of his cross-legged posture and flashed Wu Ying a smile. After cleaning themselves, the pair headed for the buffet of food laid out for their consumption and set to with gusto. It was long minutes later, when the two were replete with sustenance, that they broke the silence.
“So?” Wu Ying said.
“Interesting results.”
Wu Ying raised an eyebrow but did not inquire further. One of the aspects of being friends with another cultivator was the understanding that there were certain things you did not ask about, especially if the information was not directly offered.
“Library?” Wu Ying said instead.
“Eventually,” Tou He said, a light frown crossing his normally happy face. When Wu Ying stayed silent, Tou He finally relented. “I’ve got to decide which weakness to patch up. And if the sect can help.”
“Oh,” Wu Ying said. If that was the case, whatever weakness Tou He had located in his body, that weakness was not something the sect specialized in fixing. Which meant that it was either an issue with density or storage. Those were significant weaknesses for a cultivator that would, in time, create a “soft” cap on what the cultivator could do. It would, to some extent, also explain how Tou He had progressed so fast in his cultivation, since the density or volume of his dantian might be quite small. Optimal for a quick progression to begin, but a hindrance when one needed to form a Core. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Telling you what?” Tou He said.
Wu Ying’s lips quirked, then he shook his head. “I don’t know either.”
The pair traded glances before breaking into laughter, staring at the remnants of the meal left behind.
As Tou He’s business was done, Wu Ying found himself returning to his own routine. His friend had assured him that he would speak to Wu Ying if he did take further action, but for now, Tou He would train, check the library, and speak to his sponsor. Knowing that Tou He, unlike him, had a reliable sponsor made Wu Ying relax. For once, that burgeoning streak of jealousy had died down, wiped away by the realization that everyone had their own circumstancesand their own difficulties. In the end, the road of cultivation would always have dips and turns.
Over the next few days, Wu Ying worked on his new cultivation exercise. The Iron Reinforced Bones technique was not an easy technique to progress, as the changes it made occurred slowly. And once Wu Ying realized this, he was forced to make a new decision.
“Rebuild my entire body at the same time or concentrate on a few areas?” Wu Ying muttered to himself.
Things would be so much simpler if he knew how long it would take to convert either, but until he committed to the process, Wu Ying could not get a good estimate. If Wu Ying rebuilt his entire body at once, he would have no localized weaknesses but would also not see any effect for a long time. Rebuilding a single bone—or series of bones—meant that he would gain significantly increased defenses in one area. In the end, Fairy Yang’s earlier admonishment about haste rang through Wu Ying’s mind.
“I have nothing to do anyway,” Wu Ying said. Even if he was just at Body Cleansing 9, barring death, he was certain to see at least another seven decades. What was a few years more as a Body Cleanser, working on his cultivation?
Drawing a deep breath, Wu Ying made the choice and pushed other thoughts aside, focusing on the actual process of the exercise. Then he ran into the next roadblock—sensing his own bone structure. If he pressed with his fingers, Wu Ying could feel his bones beneath his skin. But sensing his bones within his body without doing that? It was not something he could do, at least not yet.
Over the next week, Wu Ying added the new exercise to his routine, splitting the time he would otherwise use for his cultivation to increase the base level of chi in his body with the new exercise. In time, by moving his chi through his body and following the pathways and the way they interacted with his bones, Wu Ying located and sensed his skeletal structure. He even managed to begin the slow process of repairing the damage from his regular routine of exercise and fighting.
It amused him, somewhat, that the new cultivation exercise saw the greatest fruits of development after his sparring periods with the martial specialists. There, the constant abuse his body faced, along with the increased exercises he put his body through, saw microfractures arise, microfractures that his chi filled with a greater density of bone than normal. Wu Ying had an inkling that the Bone Strengthening was a technique he could eventually conduct without conscious thought, much like his aura strengthening exercise. But that would require him reaching at least Minor Achievement, if not Major. Considering the actual process required a readjustment of his body, it was probably best that he take it slow.
Feet apart. Wooden dummy ahead. One hand extended. Second one by his ribs, fully retracted. Inhale. Exhale and punch, twist with foot, hip, and shoulders as back arm extends and front hand retracts. At the last second, just before impact, rotate arm to bring top two knuckles in line with the center of the wooden post. Stay relaxed through the entire process, tensing at the end to reduce impact before relaxing again.
The solid impact of fist on wood ran through Wu Ying’s arm, entering his body and jarring him. Even as he felt the reverberations finish, he repeated the process on the other side. Eyes narrowed, Wu Ying repeated the action. Two hundred punches—one hundred on each side—was the minimum number each day. Each motion was planned, focused. Each punch was carefully analyzed as Wu Ying worked to perfect the motion.
Wu Ying focused on the external rotation, the structure of his body, to ensure that he had the movements perfect. Though the manual on external power generation helped in that regard. No, Wu Ying was focused deeper. Sensing the flow of his chi, driving his chi with each motion and pulling it back at the same time. Internal chi manipulation, along with external rotation, was at the heart of the Mountain Breaking Fist.
A hundred punches with each hand against hard rosewood. After finishing the practice, Wu Ying straightened and walked away, shaking his numb and aching fists. Blood dripped from torn open wounds, punches that had landed off-angle and skidded along the hardwood, tearing old scabs and skin.
“Thank you, Ah Yee,” Wu Ying said as he dipped his injured hands into the pail of ice-cold water the servant had laid out for him. The shock made Wu Ying hiss, but he forced himself to keep his hands in the pail, watching the clear water stain with his blood.
“Of course, my lord,” Ah Yee said.
“Not a lord.” Flexing his fingers in the cold, Wu Ying winced as his newly wakened nerves sent their protest over their abuse. In another minute, he would start the next set of forms.
“Yes, my lord.”
Wu Ying ignored the servant as he considered the Mountain Breaking Fist. The more he practiced the style, the more Wu Ying realized that Elder Khoo must have picked this style with care. It was not exactly an internal energy style, nor did the Mountain Breaking Fist rely solely on external. Instead, it combined the two and the flow and projection of chi to provide maximum impact. That the style could be used without the full projection of chi allowed Wu Ying to practice the technique, but at a much reduced effectiveness.