章節 4: Chapter-4: Feng Fu Star, 1st Star of the Nine Stars! Training With Buddies!

A booming noise reverberated and the frightening energy filled Long Chen's whole body. A tyrannical energy exploded out of its own accord, shaking the room into smoke and dust, with waves of energy surging about.

As the smoke and dust slowly scattered, it exposed a tranquil and refined Long Chen, his eyes filled with excitement. He could sense a bean-sized body on the bottom of his foot from which endless energy would flow out of into his body, giving Long Chen a feeling of wanting to lift his head up to the heavens and roar.

He feels energy within his right leg and as he sees in the sky he feels a the translucent and almost invisible Ring, red in color and of 100 meters diameter. He finally steps into Qi Condensation Stage and sitting over the rubbles starts to stabilize his cultivation while other household workers and his mother Mrs. Long come to look at the situation getting shocked and start to query after which Long Chen clams then down stating his pill refinement had failed and noticing the cauldron upside down and the room a mess, everyone feeling the same believes in his words and return to their respective rooms. After a few hours he starts to refine the other four different pills. Having been able to feel energy moving within his body Long Chen feels wondrous and motivated as for some reason his soul started to yearn for more power.

Letting that feeling take over him Long Chen afterwards started to start his training. Having only taken one pill out of 100 Fengfu Star Pills that he had to make, he thought of waiting and slowly devouring the pills while also taking the other four pills together with some dear friends.

Long Chen had already condensed an embryonic form of the Fengfu Star.

Although it was just an embryonic form and couldn't store much spiritual energy, it was still able to store more than what could be stored in just a body's meridians. After all, the meridians were like rivers, while the Dantian was like the ocean that fed the rivers, sometimes even being called the 'energy sea'.

Although a river might appear large, its capacity was limited; without the Dantian to support it, it would quickly be used up. But this problem was completely resolved with the condensing of the FengFu Star. The most important thing was that with the embryonic form of the Fengfu Star being formed, as long as there was enough energy, it would eventually become a complete Fengfu Star.

At that time, Long Chen would have something unique to himself to use as a 'Dantian'; this was the most unique point of the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art.

When all nine Stars were opened, it would be equivalent to having nine Dantians. Anyone could understand just how powerful this kind of forceful spiritual energy source was.

With his Fengfu Star about to be completely condensed, his body's spiritual energy had gradually risen and he could already begin to train in martial Battle Skills so, together with Shi Feng, his closet mate and his dearest brother-like friend, and other close friends, who were unable to cultivate and spent most of their time with him; Fatty Yu Yong, Su Heng, Chen Hong, Song Ming and Yan Qi upon Long Chen's order all started to gather up together and under Long Chen's guidance, pills and motivation all of them started to cultivate together and practice together while hiding from others.

Initially everyone who couldn't cultivate except Shi Feng had no hope to cultivate but seeing Long Chen able to release Qi they all got excited and then accepted not knowing the 'Hell' that awaited them.

Under Long Chen's command all the people including Long Chen and Shi Feng had to put on the weights suitable such that it pushed them through physical limit and had to start running for 1 miles after which they took some breaths of time for rest and started to practice the basic combat techniques. Having been all tired, Long Chen would then distribute one Qi Gathering Pill and one Body Tempering Pill to all including himself as after intense training the cultivation result is the most fruitful.

He also provided them with Body Tempering and Recovery Pills and told them not eat before sleeping so that their body suffers pain the whole day and at night before sleeping taking the Body Tempering Pill at first and then recover pill after which they just need to cultivate in lotus position circulating the Qi flow everywhere within their body along which the medicinal power of other pills will also act together to strengthen the body while also excluding impurities and increasing cultivation.

Every day, they immersed themselves in rigorous practice sessions, striving for mastery of their techniques under Long Chen's guidance. He suggested suitable weapons for each of them and addressed their individual challenges. Despite the initial hardships, the first two weeks felt like hell for everyone, including Long Chen and Shi Feng. However, fortified by the Qi Gathering and Body Tempering Pills, they persevered. The pills mitigated their physical strain, enabling them to push through the grueling regimen.

After the initial struggle, a transformation occurred. The exercises became not only bearable but also enjoyable, transforming into a thrilling challenge. Their bodies grew stronger and more refined with each session, shedding impurities and revealing their true potential.

While Shi Feng, with his natural affinity for the sword, immersed himself in refining his basics polishing them to perfection, others among Long Chen's comrades faced a dilemma in choosing their weapons. Some were initially uncertain, torn between swords, spears, and other armaments. Long Chen, recognizing their potential and eager to guide them, encouraged each to explore their strengths and preferences before committing to a weapon.

Fatty Yu, known for his formidable strength, eventually settled on wielding a massive axe. With Long Chen's help, he dedicated himself to mastering the weapon's weight and power. With each swing, Fatty Yu focused on harnessing the axe's momentum to deliver devastating blows. Long Chen emphasized balance and timing, ensuring that Fatty Yu could maximize the axe's impact while maintaining agility and control.

Others, less decided in their preferences, gravitated towards swords and spears as they experimented with various weapons during their training sessions. Long Chen stressed the importance of mastering the basics before advancing to more complex techniques. They practiced foundational stances, footwork, and the sequence of attacks and defenses under his watchful eye. Through diligent practice, they cultivated a solid understanding of weapons suitable for them.

And so they took weapons favorable and understandable to them which were suitable for their fighting style.

Su Heng chose the spear for its reach and agility, focusing on precise thrusts and rapid footwork to exploit opponents' vulnerabilities.

Chen Hong prefers the sword, mastering controlled cuts and defensive parries with fluid movements that emphasize balance and poise.

Song Ming chose to dual wield short swords for versatility, practicing rapid strikes and coordinated movements to maintain pressure and adaptability.

Yan Qi utilizes the broadsword for its power, focusing on robust slashes and crushing blows that emphasize strength and resilience in combat.

Meanwhile, Long Chen himself wielded a heavy saber, a weapon as formidable as the challenges he set for himself and his comrades. The saber, with its weighty blade, required strength and finesse to wield effectively. Long Chen's training regimen included a variety of movements: he swung the saber in wide arcs, testing his endurance and refining his muscle memory. He practiced thrusts, driving the blade forward with precision and speed, simulating strikes aimed at vital points.

In addition to these fundamental movements, Long Chen incorporated advanced techniques into his training routine. He combined strikes with agile footwork, circling imaginary opponents to find openings and exploit weaknesses. His training sessions were not just physical exercises but strategic simulations, each movement calculated to improve his combat prowess and refine his understanding of battle tactics.

As they trained diligently, their movements became more fluid, their strikes more precise, and their confidence in their chosen weapons grew.

As their cultivation progressed, they supplemented their training with sparring sessions to gauge their progress and enhance their ability to assimilate the medicinal benefits of the pills. Each day brought greater ease in performing their tasks, prompting Long Chen to increase the intensity periodically. By maintaining the challenge, they ensured that their efforts remained fruitful and their skills continued to develop.

Sparring sessions were structured as simulated battles, each participant required to exert themselves fully. Long Chen utilized techniques to seal their Qi circulation i.e. Long Chen would pressure some acupoint such that one could utilize Qi circulation throughout their body for cultivation as while battling but couldn't use for other purpose including reinforcing themselves or fighting on a one-on-one.

This restriction forced them to rely on technique and strategy rather than sheer energy, fostering tactical thinking and resilience in adverse conditions.

A week of time and a batch of 5 Fengfu Star Pills, 10 Qi Gathering Pills and 10 Body Tempering Pills were required in total for Long Chen to enter the 1st Heaventhstage of Qi Condensing Realm and the shocking fact was that in his Dantian which is the Fengfu Star he could feel a huge cyclone of about 10 meters long rotating at an amazingly high speed.

With each passing week, the proficiency and endurance of the group of youngsters grew, making their daily routines not just exercises but tests of fortitude and skill. Long Chen's leadership extended beyond physical training; he encouraged his comrades to explore their strengths and overcome their uncertainties due to which the camaraderie among the group strengthened while they all also shred joy and thoughts with each other, enjoying as they train.

At a constant way, expected result started to show i.e. within just one month they all except Long Chen reached 3rd Heaventhstage of Qi Condensing Realm with Long Chen only at 2nd Heaventhstage and Shi Feng at 4th Heaventhstage, Long Chen gave them 'Concealing Pill' to hide their cultivation Auras and explained not to reveal till they are all at least 15-years-old and strong enough to defend themselves.

While Long Chen lagged behind in terms of cultivation speed by a bit, in terms of combat he was strongest. Not only did he master the Basic Saber Styles and Footwork along with Basic Techniques to perfection in just a month, he also had devoured about 50 Fengfu Star Pills causing the Divine Ring to be more and more visible to eyes unlike it's initial transparency.

Also he could now carry 200 pounds of overall weight and run for about 10 miles without using Qi with just pure physical prowess. Also the two typhoons within his Dantian were as large as 15-meters long just like that of a normal cultivator person is i.e. 10-20 meters long. Also his overall combat power is equivalent to a Cultivator at 5th Heaventhstage of Qi Condensing Realm without actually using the 'Nine Star Hegemon Body Art' i.e. without support of Fengfu Star and divine Ring but if he use their support the current Long Chen can be compared to a 8th Heaventhstage of Qi Condensing Realm if it were a battle till death with significantly heavy injuries

Along which Long Chen forged a Spiritual Root with Spiritual Strength within his Sea of Consciousness. Spiritual Root unlike Spirit Root is not a physical entity but something that resides in one's Sea of Consciousness and used by Soul Cultivators. While Long Chen was not a Soul Cultivator nor that he intended to be one, he forged the Spiritual Root so that as his cultivation increases his Spiritual Strength as well which will help him to refine Pills with higher efficiency and accuracy.

Not only had they progressed in terms of power, but even Long Chen had started to secretly sell his pills at the Hundred Herbs Market without being detected by his father's and empire's enemies and earning tons of profit as his pills provide purity of medicinal essence of about 60% to 70%.

After that Long Chen started to take them to jungle twice a week to fight wild animals and Grade -1 Beasts to enhance their fighting capability and make them more friendly to danger sensing capability and mental state of being always alert and on guard as they sense danger.

To Be Continued...