Martial Sage from the Vajra Skill

Chapter 277: Chapter 160: Training the Spirit

’It’s this draining on my Heart Spirit!’

Climbing down from the large rock, Xu Yang was astonished to feel his Heart Spirit grow weary.

After a mere four hours of practice, he felt as though he hadn’t slept in two or three days.

Instead of being alarmed, he was pleased. The more profound the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm, the stronger it must be.

Given the circumstances, he didn’t rush to practice the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm. Instead, he began practicing the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture.

He still practiced this, the first Cultivation Technique he had ever learned, every morning and evening.

Although the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture was a foundational Cultivation Technique, its applications were broad. It could nourish one’s qi and blood, temper the Physique, and even extend one’s life.

It wasn’t just him; no Martial Artist would ever abandon their Pile Skill training. Pile Skill was the Foundation of All Laws, and even now at the Marrow Cleansing stage, he could still feel its effects on his body whenever he practiced.

An hour later, Xu Yang was brimming with vigor and energy. The weariness in his Heart Spirit had vanished.

Within the Peach Grove, his figure began to move.

The Fuyue Bear King’s Palm was created by observing the Ancient Exotic Beast, the Fuyue Bear. This Exotic Beast was said to be as immense as a mountain, strong enough to lift one, and utterly ferocious and frenzied in battle.

Thus, the techniques of the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm were primarily wide and powerful, lacking subtlety. Their core principle was that of brute force overcoming all skill.

Two hours later, Xu Yang stopped.

He hadn’t felt the physical strain that the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm was supposed to demand; his body could handle the Palm Technique with ease.

However, he discovered that, just like when he was deciphering it, practicing the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm also consumed a great deal of his Heart Spirit.

After a mere two hours, he felt as if he hadn’t slept in seven or eight days. His spirit was languid, his Heart Spirit felt drained, and all he wanted to do was collapse into bed.

’Going too far is as bad as not going far enough,’ he thought. ’If I injure my Heart Spirit, not even an Immortal could heal me!’

Heart Spirit was something one couldn’t see or touch, but it was undeniably real and could not be ignored. Depleting it excessively could easily lead to disaster.

[Fuyue Bear King’s Palm - Introduction (21/2000)]

Glancing at the panel, Xu Yang casually closed it.

Two hours of practice had increased his progress by twenty. At this rate, he calculated...

...if he practiced twice a day, morning and evening, he would gain forty points of progress daily. It would take about fifty days for the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm to reach Minor Achievement.

Of course, training a Martial Technique was different from cultivating Inner Strength. With a sudden flash of inspiration, he might even reach Minor Achievement in a single day.

On the other hand, if his Comprehension was lacking, it was possible he wouldn’t reach Minor Achievement even after several years. In short, there were many variables, unlike the cultivation of Inner Strength, which relied on steady, daily accumulation.

’This technique, when paired with the Fuyue Bear Scripture, also has a certain body-tempering and Marrow Cleansing effect,’ he realized.

This was another benefit he had discovered.

Practicing the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm was like completing the Fuyue Bear Scripture, significantly boosting its cultivation effects.

By now, it was nearly evening. After eating in the dining hall, Xu Yang returned to his room and was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

He slept soundly and sweetly. It wasn’t until the dim light of dawn the next day that he awoke, feeling invigorated. His energy was abundant, and his depleted Heart Spirit had been restored to its peak.

[Acquired Fuyue Bear King’s Palm, Points +20]

[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 296]

’The point reward for the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm is this high?’

Looking at the panel, Xu Yang’s face lit up with pleasure. The larger the reward, the more useful the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm was for his Martial Arts Longevity.

He casually added a point to his lifespan before closing the panel.

He hadn’t used his Martial Arts Longevity Points in a long time. Now that his Cultivation had reached the Marrow Cleansing stage, advancing a Martial Technique could easily cost thousands of points. A reserve of a few dozen points, like he used to keep, was no longer sufficient.

At this stage, he needed a reserve of at least several hundred, if not a thousand, points to make a difference at a critical moment.

Swallowing a Gathering Essence Pill, he began to practice the Fuyue Bear Scripture, followed by the Guiyuan Posture and the Golden Gang Skill. After eating in the dining hall, he went to the Peach Grove again to practice the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm.

In the days that followed, Xu Yang’s life fell into a cycle. He grew more and more proficient with the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm, and his aura became increasingly sharp and steady.

He discovered that through the process of depleting and then restoring his Heart Spirit, it was actually growing stronger. His five senses became increasingly sharp.

It seemed the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm had the effect of strengthening one’s Heart Spirit and honing the mind.

’Of course,’ he mused. ’Martial Dao Imagery is related to one’s spiritual will, a most mysterious power. If the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm didn’t have this effect, how could it ever lead to cultivating a Martial Dao Imagery in the future?’

As he continued to practice, his understanding of the Fuyue Bear King’s Palm deepened.

At the same time, the Marrow Cleansing effect of the Fuyue Bear Scripture also improved. His bones and sinews grew more crystalline, and his blood condensed until it was as thick as liquid mercury.

Each time he practiced, old blood would seep from his pores, replaced by new.

Recently, the world of the Outer Disciples had been in an uproar.

Not long after Li Chuyang reached the Marrow Cleansing stage, Du Chuan also announced his own breakthrough. Shortly thereafter, Jiang Fan made the same claim.

All three were Ten Heroes Geniuses, but they seemed to be on a completely different level from the others, always leaving them in the dust.

The three had already announced their breakthroughs to Marrow Cleansing, but it was said that the fourth-ranked, Han Feng, had yet to even reach Perfection in the Gang Qi Realm. This meant that even if he could break through, it would be several months from now at the earliest.

It wasn’t just Han Feng; the other Ten Heroes Geniuses had not yet reached Perfection with their Gang Qi, leaving them a long way from the Marrow Cleansing stage.

On this day, Xu Yang finally finished the batch of Gathering Essence Pills he had last refined. He had no choice but to hurry to Cyan Yang City to perform Alchemy.

Fortunately, he had already prepared the three main ingredients; he just needed to purchase the remaining medicinal herbs before he could begin a new batch of Alchemy.

Taking the three main ingredients with him, Xu Yang left his courtyard and headed straight for the mountain gate, striding away purposefully.

’Xu Yang is leaving the mountain!’

A furtive glint of joy flashed in the eyes of Tian Jing, who was guarding the gate. He immediately turned to the disciples beside him and said, "I need to step away for a moment."