Chapter 9: The Path of StrengthThe m air was crisp, carrying the distant st of damp earth as Feiyin followed his father toward the training grounds. His heartbeat thrummed with excitement, a quiet yet persistent energy filling his chest. Today, he would begin.Cai Feng walked ahead, his pace steady and unhurried, yet each step seemed to hold an unshakable weight. Feiyin's young eyes observed his father’s every movement, and instinctively, he focused.Then, as always, he saw it.The world around him pulsed in an endless symphony of movement—subtle osciltions, vibrations that whispered of ford resistance, of stored tension and coiled potential. His father’s body moved in perfect harmony, every muscle, tendon, and joint flowing together like a fiuned instrument.Feiyin had always been able to see the rhythm of things, the way forces verged and released, but it was only now, as he prepared to train, that he truly uood how valuable this gift was.But uanding was not enough.He would still have to train, sweat, and endure.And he weled it.
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Cai Feng led Feiyin to the wide training field just behind their home. The area was simple—packed dirt, a few wooden posts for training, and a small open-air shed where supplies were stored. But to Feiyin, it felt like a battleground waiting te him anew.His father turned, crossing his arms."Before we begin, you o uand something," he said. "Training is not about breaking your body. It's about f it. There is a difference."Feiyin nodded, listening ily."Many think strength es from pushing to the limit every day, from exhausting yourself until you colpse. That’s foolish. A body trained improperly is a body ruined. Overexertion without rest leads to injury. Poor nutrition leads to stagnation. Training without bance leads to weakness disguised as strength."Feiyin absorbed his father’s words, his brows furrowing slightly."Then how should I train?""With discipline, not recklessness."Cai Feured toward a wooden bench where a prepared meal waited—a bowl of pe mixed with medial herbs, a serving of dried meat, and a small fsk of warm tea."You will eat before training, and you will rest when necessary. After each session, we will stretd massage the muscles, reinf the body rather than wearing it down." His eyes locked onto Feiyin’s. "A warrior who destroys his body before battle is a fool. A warrior whes it properly is unstoppable."Feiyin ched his fists, determinati in his chest."I uand."His father smirked. "Good. The's begin."
"Today, we train muscles and tendons—the foundation of movement," Cai Feng said as he stepped forward. "And for that, we will use the Python Postures."Feiyin had heard of the teique before. Pythons were not the fastest creatures, nor the most visibly powerful, but their true strength y in their coils—in their ability to store ford release it in a single, explosive strike.Cai Feng shifted into a stance, l his body into a deep squat, his knees bent, his spine curved, his arms positioned as if preparing to lunge. His entire body looked coiled, tense, yet eerily trolled."This is the Coiled Python Stance," he said. "It forces the tendons and muscles to work together, to store power instead of wasting it. This is how you learn to gee explosive movement."Feiyin focused, watg not just with his eyes, but with his perception. He could see the way his father’s muscles oscilted, how the tension rippled through his frame, verging into his legs before being held in pce like a drawn b.Then, in a fsh, Cai Feng released.His body shot forward like an arrow, his feet barely making a sound as he nded a few meters away, pletely in trol.Feiyin’s breath hitched. It erfectly effit movement."Your turn," Cai Feng said.Feiyin stepped forward, l himself into the same stance. Immediately, he felt the strain.His legs burned, his tendons ached, his back felt tight. The posture was unnatural—his body instinctively wao rex instead of maintain tension."Hold it," his father instructed.Seds passed. Then a full minute. Feiyin’s legs trembled, his calves twitg. His arms felt stiff, his back cramped.The osciltions around him seemed erratic, his own body’s rhythm struggling to match what he had seen."Do not fight against the strain. Feel it. Accept it. Your body is learning."Feiyin grit his teeth, f himself to endure."Now—release."He tried. He truly did.But instead of a fluid unch, his movement was awkward—he lost trol of the stored tension, stumbling forward and colpsing onto the ground.Cai Feng sighed, walking over."You’re wasting energy. You must guide the stored forot just unleash it blindly." He crouched beside Feiyin, pressing a firm hand to his lower back. "Feel it again. Your strength is here."Feiyin nodded, pushing himself up."Again," Cai Feng anded.
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The m sun climbed higher as Feiyied the stance over and over.Each time, he felt his trol improve—his tendons adapting, his muscles adjusting. His osciltion perception allowed him to see the imperfes in his movement, to study where his body lost energy.By midday, he was still far from perfect, but the ge was undeniable.When he finally colpsed onto his knees, breath heaving, his father called for a break.Feiyin sat beh the shade of a tree, drinking warm herbal tea as his father massaged his legs, w through the stiffness in his tendons."You did well," Cai Feng said, his tone softer than usual.Feiyin looked up at him. "Really?"His father smirked. "For your first day? Yes. But don’t get arrogant. Tomorrow, we do it again."Feiyin grinned despite the ache in his muscles.He weled it.
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As the sun began its dest, Feiyin’s training came to an end. His muscles were exhausted, but there was something different—his movements felt a little sharper, his stance a little steadier.Even now, as he watched his father move, the osciltions were clearer than before.Cai Feng folded his arms. "Tomorrow, we refine your movements further. Then, we push beyond them."Feiyin nodded, already looking forward to it.Pai progress.Effort meant growth.Tomorrow, he would train again.And the day after that.And the day after that.He would op.
