Old Man Mo and Kai were preparing dinner, roasting beast meat with fragrant spices…
While they cooked, Kai replayed in his mind everything he'd learned that day. It was as if he were going through the entire training session again, constantly thinking about the mistakes his master had pointed out. He desperately wanted to start cultivating techniques right away, but the old man had said that for the next year he shouldn't even dream about it. Kai firmly decided that within that year he would become as strong as possible, not wasting a single second!
After they finished their meal, they immediately went outside. By then, it was late at night, and the moon and stars shone brightly in the sky. Below the cliff, the waters of the passing river glittered, creating a mesmerizing sight.
Suddenly, Old Man Mo waved his hand—and Kai felt the entire world plunge into darkness! In an instant, he could no longer see the shining sky or anything else around him.
"Well then, let's begin… Now focus as much as you can on your hearing and sense of touch. Feel the wind moving across your skin, feel all the flows around you. Try sending an impulse from your head to your ears and other senses. You must concentrate!"
Kai slowly closed his eyes and began listening to everything happening around him. He heard distant beasts running through the forest and cicadas buzzing. The wind howled around them, and below he could hear the rush of water…
Fwoosh! — A sudden sharp sound rang out!
Kai felt something fly past his head! It was so close it almost brushed his skin! Remembering how that same sound had recently been followed by a stone slamming into his backside, cold sweat instantly broke out on his body.
"Kid, for now I won't aim directly at you. But my kindness will only last for a quarter of an hour. After that, my throws will only get more accurate! Heh-heh," the old man laughed, sitting beside a huge pile of small stones.
"I understand, Master!" Kai said firmly and focused even harder.
After a while, he began to dodge the stones flying at him. At the very last moment, Kai would feel a new stream of air appear near his body and barely manage to react. Over time, the stones were thrown more and more accurately… From time to time, Kai took painful hits, but he kept concentrating regardless.
An hour later, he was already dodging quite well, but then one nailed him right in the forehead! Kai realized that previously Master Mo had been throwing stones from only one direction, but now it seemed as if the old man had begun to move in a circle.
Now I have to expect attacks from everywhere… maybe even from above! he thought, sweating all over.
This training went on for several hours, but neither the old man nor the boy grew tired of it. Kai turned out to be a maniac when it came to cultivation! He was drawn to any kind of training and paid no attention to anything else. The old man, for his part, was deeply impressed and decided he would pour his whole soul into Kai.
When the training finally ended, Kai suddenly asked:
"Can I go to the Ice Lake?" he said with a heavy breath, but smiling.
This surprised Mo slightly… Sitting in the lake was incredibly beneficial, but also extremely painful! Very few people would willingly go in there. Still, after thinking for a moment, he decided to agree.
It would help wash and temper Kai's body and mind. In the future, when he began trying to absorb energy, there would be no obstacles left within him.
If we keep this up, in a year his body will become a true treasure. There won't be any impurities left at all… Mo thought to himself.
"Alright, boy. You need to draw all the junk out of your body. The more time you spend in the Ice Lake, the better," the old man nodded approvingly. "Every mortal has various impurities in their body—polluting the muscles, the blood, and the energy channels. These impurities build up from the air, water, bad food, and even harsh living conditions. Direct descendants of divine sects eat only spiritual food from childhood, food that's completely free of such filth. For you, it'll be good enough to at least get rid of it… Just sit in the lake and don't resist the cold. Over time, it will force everything unnecessary out through your pores," Master Mo explained calmly.
"Energy channels? What are those?" Kai asked, eyes burning with interest.
"Look at your hands. See those green and blue lines under your skin?" Mo pointed. "Those are veins, carrying blood that nourishes your whole body. There are other kinds of channels in the body as well…" the old man began to explain. "Energy channels are like veins—they spread throughout your entire body. But you can only feel or see them with the help of energy.
"Along all the energy channels there are acupuncture points, like tiny energy centers. There are about eight hundred of them. Cultivation techniques lay out a strict system for circulating energy along the correct route through these points. But that alone isn't enough… At each point, energy must be processed in its own specific way, and that's what allows for countless different techniques," Master Mo explained meticulously, going over every nuance.
"Only after you've perfectly learned your technique's patterns will you drive the energy along its memorized route again and again. That's when your cultivation truly begins! Deviating from the route and experimenting is incredibly dangerous… Only High Masters can do that! They're able to understand the subtlest patterns of nature and energy. Such martial masters can even create their own techniques… The level of the technique they create depends on their power and understanding.
"Most major Sects were founded by such masters. Sects exist to pass heritage down to their successors. Even if I tried to create a new technique or change an existing one… most likely I'd only cripple myself," Old Man Mo added seriously.
"I understand, Master! Thank you very much for the explanation!" Kai shouted and ran toward the lake.
It might have seemed he didn't fully delve into everything that was said, but he had definitely grasped the main idea. Right now, what interested him most was getting to the lake!
While their training continued, about two months passed. With each day, Kai's progress became more and more obvious. A young body, with solid meals and regular training, grew quickly. Not long ago, he had even moved on to practicing the full training cycle on his own.
Old Man Mo simply increased the loads bit by bit and gave him weights. The only thing Kai couldn't practice alone was reflex training—after all, the stones wouldn't throw themselves. What was most surprising was that Kai had started spending half the night in the lake. There his wounds healed quickly, and a black oily sludge slowly seeped from his pores. That was a clear sign that his body was being purified of impurities!
At one point, the old man handed Kai a knife and had him work on butchering beast carcasses. At the same time, Mo explained the structure of animal bodies and their weak points. He gave tips on how to hold a weapon correctly, how to more easily cut tendons or bones, how to identify vulnerable spots, and so on… Kai didn't realize it, but this was a gradual preparation for the Ghost Blade Technique. He needed to become completely accustomed to the knife—and to how it cut flesh.
After some time, the old man began taking him on hunts and taught him how to hide his presence. The art of silent approach and killing with a single motion was extremely important… In this way, Mo slowly began to explain the movements of the Ghost Blade Technique.
This technique was meant for instant killing, no matter who the target was. You learned to see the essence of your opponent, find their weak points, and strike them in a flash. Mo also taught Kai silent movement and showed him some tricks, such as traps, poisonous plants to coat a blade with, and more.
Time flew by, and the two grew closer and closer. Kai no longer teased the old man as he used to and always spoke to him with respect. That respect came straight from his heart. Though sometimes, he still called his master "old man"…
And so, under constant hellish training, a little more than a year went by. Kai finally turned nine!
By that time, he had fully absorbed all of the old man's fundamental and basic knowledge. He had tempered and gained control over every muscle in his body, hunted on his own, and moved like a born killer. He had also developed a solid understanding of the Ghost Blade Technique. Just as important, he had completely mastered basic reading and writing!
Kai was always eager to learn new hieroglyphs, and sometimes he even created his own, crafting new meanings from them. Even in a noble family, he would have been considered a highly educated child.
Most importantly, he had completely cleansed his body and mind of impurities! In the last few months, he had simply been sleeping in the lake! During training, he would submerge himself completely, not just up to his neck.
Now he'd grown taller, his body had developed visible muscle, and his gaze was filled with cold calm and serenity. Only while hunting did sparks of bloodlust flash in his eyes. But only for a second—because a moment later, his target was already dead.