บท 33: Help from an Old Enemy
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[Torrential Stampede
High-rank Mortal-Class Movement Technique
A Movement Technique that focuses on explosive strength and maneuverability to reach high speeds in an instant. The stronger the user's body, the stronger the effects will be.]
"Yeah, it's a simple technique, that just requires my body to be strong enough…", Zhang Baichi was sprawled out on the training grounds, covered in dust, and breathing heavily.
The past few hours, he had done nothing but training in the Torrential Stampede Movement Technique, yet he hadn't made any noticeable progress.
"My body's fine and so is the ground, so why is this so f*cking hard?", he complained to no one.
Starting his movements in an explosive fashion wasn't the issue for Zhang Baichi, as his body was truly powerful compared to other cultivators at the same level.
However, the Torrential Stampede Movement Technique also required him to come from a full sprint to a complete standstill instantly.
Not only that, but he also needed to be able to change his direction whenever necessary without loosing any speed.
While this was easy in theory, truly learning how to do it required lots and lots of training.
Still, Zhang Baichi grit his teeth and stood up again. "Ah, sh*t. Let's try again."
He took a deep breath and relaxed his body. A moment later, his whole body grew rigid and his legs tensed up to the extreme. Without a word, he shot forward like an arrow, passing the hundred-meter mark in barely more than a second.
Another hundred meter further, he twisted his body to the side and stamped on the ground with his right leg, boosting himself 90 degrees to the left.
Only, he didn't get boosted forward, but skittered other the dusty ground and lost his balance. He keeled over after loosing body tension and landed face first on the ground for the hundredth time today.
He lifted himself up from the ground and coughed and spit, trying to get the dust out of his mouth, cursing the whole time.
By now, the other disciples in the training grounds had already grown numb to his curses and simply ignored him.
Zhang Baichi had been behaving like this for the past few days; He came to the field in the morning, ran around the edges, landed in the dirt and cursed like a sailor, then left in the evening.
Even the people that still remembered his imposing presence when he trained in the sword or fought Ji Jian could only sigh at this sight.
If it wasn't for his status as the Sect Master's disciple and his own personal strength, someone would have definitely tried to make trouble for him, but for now, no one dared to do so.
Old Yu, the scarred middle-aged man walking with a cane, watched Zhang Baichi every day.
Yu Hao, Old Yu's son, had already grown accustomed to that. Still, he also started to form a grudge against Zhang Baichi since his father was always comparing him to Zhang Baichi.
For a while now, Yu Hao had purposefully avoided the part of the training grounds his father was in charge of and went to the far end instead.
But now, with Zhang Baichi running around the whole training grounds like some grazing animal, he had no choice but to see him and was naturally noticed by his father.
"Hao. What do you think about Zhang Baichi?", Old Yu asked that evening.
"Huh?", Yu Hao was surprised. His father's expression was serious, so he contemplated for a moment before giving an answer. "His mentally in regards to training are admirable, but his constant cursing is really pulling his reputation through the mud."
"Oh, you think so? I think it's a good thing.", Old Yu said while sipping from a spiral shaped bottle. "At least it shows that he's serious about training. Failing makes him angry, and that really shows his drive to improve."
"You always admonish me when I'm complaining or cursing, though…", Yu Hao muttered, annoyed by his father's double standards.
"Hmpf. That's because you're complaining that the training is too hard, not because you want to improve.", Old Yu snapped back.
"How would you even know that he- Ugh, forget it." Yu Hao gave up. In a war of words, he had to admit that barely anyone could match his father.
"It's good that you know when to retreat.", Old Yu grinned. "Tomorrow, you go and train with Zhang Baichi."
"Why?" Yu Hao frowned. Old Yu took another sip from the strange bottle before answering. "He's training the Torrential Stampede."
"That's supposed to be the Torrential Stampede?" Yu Hao was stumped. Zhang Baichi was training the same Movement Technique that he was using?
"He's always just sprinting and then falling on his face. If he doesn't even know how to run properly, how does he plan to learn a real Movement Technique?" Yu Hao sighed.
Old Yu grinned again. "Oh, he does know. He's just using the Torrential Stampede completely wrong. That's why he's always falling when he tries to change direction."
"Hasn't it been like that for a few days now? He still hasn't figured it out?", Yu Hao said.
"You had me to tell you what you did wrong, you brat. Jian Wubai's not helping him, though."
Yu Hao frowned again. "Then you go and help him, Head Instructor Yu. I've got to train myself."
"Brat, are you asking for a beating? If I tell you to help him, you help him. That's it." Old Yu slammed the spiral-shaped bottle onto the table.
Yu Hao clicked his tongue. "Fine, whatever you say… I'll only help him tomorrow, though."
"That's enough. I wouldn't be surprised if he already gets it with some small advice. His talent for Martial Arts is surreal." Old Yu spoke with admiration, failing to notice Yu Hao's ugly expression.
"I'm going to meditate.", Yu Hao said and stood up. He went back into his room and sat down on the bed, meditating. 'Yeah, yeah, he's oh so talented…'
.
.
.
Zhang Baichi returned from his training and first went to the well behind the cottages. He rinsed himself of with water and went back to his cottage, annoyed that he didn't make any progress again.
"Phew… Am I not cut for that kind of Technique? Or is there something I'm doing wrong?", he lost himself in thought afterwards, not cultivating again.
He had to stay at the peak of the Body Forging Realm until after he visited the Mystic Realm, so cultivating was useless to him for now.
He once again meditated for an hour before going to bed.
The next morning started like any other: Zhang Baichi woke up, wore a clean set of clothes, stuffed himself with food a servant brought over and then went to the training fields.
He stretched for a while and was ready to start training the Torrential Stampede Movement Technique, but his motivation was low.
He took a deep breath and relaxed. "Let's just take it easy today."
For the past few days, he always went in with full power, but he decided to slow it down today. His power was still great and he shot forwards at breakneck speed, but his speed was only half of what it was on other days.
After a few hundred meters, he once again stamped his foot on the ground and tried changing direction. His body twisted to the side and Zhang Baichi's eyes went wide. 'Huh?!'
He didn't make the turn, but he also didn't land on his face, and only stumped a few steps.
"Wait, what was that?", he questioned. Just now when he went for the turn, it felt like his whole momentum was shifting to the side.
'I would've succeeded if I wasn't so surprised.' Zhang Baichi was sure of that, and he got into position again.
A deep breath, a relaxed body, then shooting forward with explosive momentum. He once again stamped the ground and tried to make a turn.
The same feeling as before washed over him – it was like his body was pulled along by an invisible pressure and he successfully made a sharp, 90 degree turn.
Not only did he succeed, but he also didn't lose any speed. 'Next up… Full stop!'
From a full sprint, Zhang Baichi lifted both of his feet off of the ground, the stamped them both on the ground at an angle in front of him.
He slid over the dusty ground and nearly lost balance, but he managed to stay standing and came to a stop. 'Not good, but that's a start, I guess…'
"F*ck me… you really are talented.", a voice came from the side, surprising Zhang Baichi.
Yu Hao stared at him with a surprised expression. "Up until yesterday, you were always falling flat on the ground, but now you managed to keep standing? And that turn before was nearly perfect."
"You are..?", Zhang Baichi asked. He seemed to have seen Yu Hao before but couldn't remember the youth.
Still, he didn't feel any danger from Yu Hao, so at least the youth shouldn't be some powerhouse in disguise.
"Yu Hao. We met before.", Yu Hao answered, not caring that Zhang Baichi seemed to have forgotten him.
The latter gasped in surprise. "Right, you were with the guys rummaging through my house."
"Don't say it like that. We were merely doing our duty.", Yu Hao's lips twitched.
That incident back then really was an embarrassment. Not only did they fail to apprehend Zhang Baichi with five people, but the whole accusation of him being a traitor was actually a lie.
"Right, the past is in the past. What brings you here?", Zhang Baichi questioned.
Yu Hao sighed in annoyance. "I was told to help you out. What you're trying to learn is the Torrential Stampede, right? I'm at the Perfection realm for that Movement Technique."
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