After a while, Lian finished his meditation and slowly rose from the ground. His muscles groaned with each movement, sending faint creaks and cracks through his limbs as he straightened his posture. His body, which had undergone the strain of the first two poses, felt heavy yet strengthened. The aches in his legs, thighs, torso, and back were now replaced by a tightness—an unfamiliar sensation of power building within his muscles.

He glanced at the scroll once again, and the next illustration depicted a new posture, this time focusing on the upper parts of his body, particularly his shoulders and neck.

Lian took a deep breath and positioned himself according to the illustration. This stance required him to stand with his feet slightly apart, back straight, while raising his arms outward and upward, as if lifting an invisible weight. His neck bent slightly backward, stretching the muscles along his shoulders and upper back. Every movement felt deliberate, as he carefully entered the stance, making sure to align his body as instructed.

As soon as he assumed the position, the muscles in his shoulders and neck creaked and tightened, sending ripples through his upper body. It was as though the tension from the previous exercises had pooled here, and now, the muscles were constricting and adjusting, strengthened by the boundless light that had circulated earlier. He felt the familiar sensation of intense pressure building in his upper body, a tightness that signified the muscles were being pushed to their limit.

Following the same routine as before, Lian held the pose for several minutes. The pain started out as a dull ache, but soon intensified as the stress mounted in his neck, shoulders, and upper arms. This time, he could feel the pain grow sharper, but unlike the earlier exercises, he was more accustomed to it now. A series of muffled groans escaped his lips, but the sound was less audible than before. His body had grown used to the pain, helped by the previous strengthening of his legs, torso, and arms, which seemed to offer some form of support. The agony was still there, but his endurance had improved.

Sweat drenched his body again, and his limbs wobbled as he maintained the position. After several minutes, when the prescribed duration had passed, he collapsed to the ground once more, his entire body shaking from exertion. But without wasting time, he quickly assumed the meditative pose again, closing his eyes and focusing on circulating the Boundless Light through the newly trained muscles in his shoulders and neck. As before, the cooling sensation flowed through him, soothing the strained areas and tightening the muscles as they strengthened in real-time. He could feel the energy working, healing and fortifying the places that had been pushed to their limits.

After resting for a few moments, Lian got up and moved on to the next illustration. The fourth pose, however, was different from the previous ones. This one didn’t just involve training his muscles—it focused on opening acupoints in his body. This phase of the body refinement technique seemed to be about unlocking key energy pathways, something foundational for explosiveness and strength.

The illustration depicted a series of movements rather than a single pose, and Lian began to perform them. His body shifted through intricate motions, constantly moving between different stances. At first, he didn’t feel much beyond the usual muscle strain, but as he continued to follow the scroll's guidance, something started to change. He felt faint pricks of sensation, as if certain points within his body were being poked from within.

His body creaked and constricted with each movement, his bones and muscles groaning under the strain. But as he performed the shifting motions, it became clear that his previous training had prepared him for this. The strengthening of his legs, torso, and upper body all contributed to his ability to carry out these more complex movements. Without the earlier preparation, he would not have been able to endure the strain.

As he raised his arms and twisted his body in precise patterns, Lian felt certain regions in his body begin to open up. These regions, which were referred to in the technique as the Heavenly Nodes, began to awaken. There were six such nodes, scattered across key points of his body—two in his shoulders, two in his abdomen, and two in his legs. At first, they felt like subtle pricks, but as he continued the routine, the sensation grew more pronounced.

His fat frame wobbled under the strain, but it was clear now that his body was changing. The fat was burning away at an alarming rate, his figure becoming noticeably firmer with each passing moment. The Heavenly Nodes continued to open, and with each motion, Lian could feel a strange energy flowing through them. Sweat poured from his brow, and his muscles ached with the familiar burning pain, but this time, the strain was accompanied by a new kind of strength, as though each opened node was unlocking hidden reserves of power.

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The intricate poses took him to the brink of his endurance, but after what felt like an eternity, the designated time passed. Lian’s body trembled violently, his muscles rippling with exertion, and as the final movement concluded, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. His upper robe had long been discarded, leaving his sweat-soaked chest exposed, trembling with each labored breath.

Without hesitation, he once again assumed the meditative pose, knowing the next step was to circulate the Boundless Light. As he stirred the energy within him, he felt it flow toward the newly opened Heavenly Nodes. The sensation was unlike anything before—intense yet controlled. The boundless light rushed into the nodes, and it felt as though they acted as conduits, pulling in the energy and distributing it to the connected muscles. It was a complex, web-like network, linking the nodes to the muscles he had trained in the earlier exercises.

The energy surged through him, flooding the nodes and strengthening the connected muscles. His bones creaked, and his muscles twitched as the boundless light filled them, amplifying the effects of the training. The sensation was overwhelming—a piercing, tingling feeling that spread through his entire body as the energy cycled through the newly opened pathways.

As the light continued to flow, Lian could feel the intensity of the transformation. His muscles tightened and firmed even further, and his body seemed to grow lighter and stronger by the second. Though exhausted, he reveled in the sensation of power flooding through him, knowing that he had passed a critical milestone in his body refinement journey.

He sat in meditation for several minutes, feeling the Boundless Light flowing through his body and into the Heavenly Nodes. As the energy absorbed into the vortexes formed by the nodes, he noticed a gradual decrease in intensity. The Heavenly Nodes, which had greedily drawn in energy earlier, now seemed to settle, their absorption slowing until it finally stopped.

Recognizing this as his current limit, Lian ceased the circulation of energy. He had reached the threshold for now—these nodes could not take in any more energy until the next cycle of training.

Still seated in the meditative posture, Lian took a moment to reflect. He scanned his body, observing the transformation that had occurred since starting the foundational layering of the body refinement technique. His muscles, though still heavy from the grueling exercises, felt charged with an explosive power.

The changes were drastic, and though the creator of the technique had cautioned that initial progress might not feel significant, Lian sensed something unusual. He felt a profound shift, more than anticipated, which left him wondering if the Boundless Light was amplifying the effects of the technique beyond normal expectations.

Satisfied with his progress, he stretched his aching body, a series of creaks and crackles rippling through his limbs, and stood up from the ground. His muscles twitched, as if brimming with untapped power. Even though the transformation was far from complete—he knew that he would need to reopen and strengthen the Heavenly Nodes each day for them to become permanent—he couldn’t help but feel proud of his accomplishments. Lian was no longer the same person who had started the training that morning.

He collected his thoughts and retrieved the scroll from where he had left it, tucking it safely into his bag. With the day’s training done, he set off toward another part of the training center. The sun had already begun to set, casting a red glow across the horizon as evening fell. The direction he headed led toward a lush, green area within the training center, where a stream flowed through the landscape, its waters feeding into a large pool.

This was a place where the trainees came to wash themselves after a long day of practice, and Lian was eager to clean off the sweat and grime from his intense session.

The pool, fed by the stream, was connected to other parts of the city but remained secluded within the training grounds. It was a serene spot, made all the more mystical by the formations arranged throughout the area. These formations generated a warm mist that floated above the water, giving the surroundings a hazy, almost dreamlike quality. The mist wasn’t just for show—it created a blanket of privacy, partially obscuring the Vision of those nearby and making the experience a bit more intimate, even in the presence of others. The formations also enriched the water with spiritual energy, making it ideal for recovery after training.

As Lian approached the stream, he could already see several men washing themselves, their silhouettes clearly visible through the thick mist. This section of the pool was designated for men, with a separate area for women on the other side. Privacy wasn’t much of a concern here; everyone was focused on cleaning themselves after their day of exertion, and no one paid attention to the nakedness of others.

He stripped off his garments, noting that a few lingering gazes were cast in his direction. His body had changed noticeably since the morning, and those who had seen him earlier couldn’t help but be surprised at his transformation. Though still plump, his frame had visibly tightened, with muscle definition showing in places where it hadn’t before. His rapid progress had caught the attention of many, though they kept their curiosity to themselves for the most part.

Among those who looked at him, a young man in his early twenties caught Lian’s eye. The man smiled and nodded approvingly. “Nice work,” he said, acknowledging Lian’s effort and the changes he had already undergone. Lian returned the nod, though he quickly shifted his focus to washing away the day’s exhaustion. He immersed himself in the warm, mist-covered water, letting the mist and water from the pool seep into his skin, his body recovered which further solidified the gains from his training.

Once he was done, Lian dressed and left the stream, heading out of the training center as the last rays of sunlight faded from the sky. His mind was already focused on tomorrow’s training and the next steps in his body refinement. The path ahead was long, but today’s progress

filled him with confidence and determination.