Hearing Fu Shen's proposal, Wo Shie thought that it was a good idea that he goes with him to a city even though he didn't know him. He also thought this may be his opportunity to strengthen himself and maybe learn more about this world.
"Okay I'll stay here with you and go to Lone Wolf city with you when you leave, what are you doing out here in this forest anyway?" Wo Shie agreed to stay out here with Fu Shen.
With a thoughtful expression Fu Shen then said, "Initially I'd come here to battle strong beast and possibly find a breakthrough I planned to stay out here another 3 years but with your help with that fish I've already had sort of a break through."
"I didn't breakthrough in my cultivation but It was like a qualitative change within every part of my body. So I think I'll be able to break through faster than I initially thought. Seeing that we'll be spending the next year together, if you can't tell me how you ended up here can you at least tell me where you're from?"
Wo Shie was slightly taken aback not because of the question but because he didn't know the name of the village where he stayed was called. It also reminded him how his mother and the witch doctor we're dead.
Being reminded of their deaths after rembering it for so long in his perspective was like reopening a fresh wound and ended up sending his thoughts and emotions into disarray. Wo Shie looked at the ground and clenched his fist as tears could be seen falling from his face.
Seeing this Fu Shen felt like someone grazed a blade across his heart, what did a 6 year old kid have to go through to respond like this to such a simple question. He decided to just remain silent and wait for Wo Shie to say something.
After around 10 minutes Wo Shie finally said "I don't know what the village was called but I lived with my mother until…" Wo Shies voice trailed off at the end as he abruptly stopped as his raging emotions and thoughts rose again like a fiery phoenix trying to set his soul ablaze.
Fu Shen seeing Wo Shie trebling with blood leaking from his clenched fist was able to make a few assumptions from Wo Shie's actions and words.
"It's alright kid I don't know what you been through but they say the strongest of us have the hardest trials in life im sure as long as you keep your head up and your back straight you'll find life more rewarding than not." Fu Shen tried to console Wo Shie with his words as it seemed to at least ease some of the tension in his fist.
Wo Shie looked at Fu Shen his eyes burning with determination, "Senior Fu, can you help me get stronger this year in the forest I promised that I'd get strong… I'm technically a cripple but that doesn't mean I can't become stronger physically or mentally, it only means I won't be able to use the spirit energy of earth and heaven."
A few questions popped in Fu Shen's head when he heard this 'if he's a cripple how'd he make that fish into such a treasure, and he seems to have some knowledge about cultivation?'
Ignoring the questions how could Fu Shen refuse the kid that helped him so much, "Okay I can do that but since you're a cripple I can't teach you cultivation methods I can only show you how mortals and youth's in the body transformation stage strengthen their bodies."
Wo Shie finally started seeing some hope in his journey as Fu Shen agreed to help him become stronger.
Fu Shen continued, "Let me tell you first about the body transformation that even cripples can go through to completion. Cripples can actually cultivate their body as long it's mainly their dantain and not their soul or body that's affected. Hell even your meridians could be all janked since you'd be focusing mainly in your Chi or life force connections in your muscles."
"The body transformation stage is when one transforms their body from a mortal body to that of a higher being. It's actually extremely similar to body cultivation with rigorous training and tempering of every cell in your body"
"Most youths just train their bodies with exercise and martial arts. While they temper their body by consuming pills or going into tempering chambers. But seeing as we're in the forest and there are no body tempering pills or chambers you'll have to do it the old fashioned way." Fu Shen finally paused in his explanation.
After a few breaths of time he continued again, "to complete the body transformation stage you'll have to strengthen your blood, organs, bones, skin and muscles normally you'd go through them in that order but the old fashioned way actually tempers them all concurrently. Lucky for you I also transformed my body the old fashioned way so I'm probably one of the best people to guide you in it."
Wo Shie was extremely excited he was finally going to grasp some level of strength. "What do I have to do Senior Fu and when will we start? I'm ready right now if you are!"
"Woah woah hold your horses we've got to prepara a couple things first and stop calling me senior it's a little weird I know I'm older than you but I'm only 29 I'm still a youth in my prime!" Fu Shen then told Wo Shie what they had to do to prepare and they got to work preparing things for Wo Shie to begin transforming his body.
Wo Shie watched on as Fu Shen cleanly sliced down a hundred trees with his bare hands he also brought over a large boulder that was 15 feet tall by 20 feet wide. Seeing all the things he was gathering Wo Shie couldn't help get nervous wondering what he was going to have to do with all these things.
After gathering all the materials they sat down by the river and Fu Shen began explaining how Wo Shie will have to temper his body, he broke it down into a few phases of his training.
He was to first do nothing but strengthen his body and increase his stamina in the first month through mortal exercises like climbing trees running and static exorcises like push ups squats and pull ups. He told him he has to climb 100 trees run 15km and do 500 push ups, squats, and pull-ups in a single day before he can start the second phase of his training.
Hearing this Wo Shie looked around at the trees that were standing that were at least 100yds up each an looked at Fu Shen like he was crazy.
Fu Shen laughed at his antics and said "There is a price we pay for strength and that price is called nothing is too much. Also this method of tempering your body will actually give better results than pills that have impurities and the chambers where you're not actually using your body. You can go at your own pace but I won't share the second stage until your passed my requirements for the first stage."
After a few moments the burning determination returned to Wo Shies eyes as he clenched his fist and looked Fu Shen in his eyes and said, "Alright, thank you for your guidance I won't let you down I'm going to get started right away!" After saying this Wo Shie turned around and began running back and forward along the shore line from the cave to where he came from, not wanting to accidentally encounter a mythic beast during his training.