It took Bai Feng a good while in her walk to return to the sect. It seemed during her shameful stupor she had managed to walk a surprisingly far distance away. But once she had made it back she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her time. Opening her meridians was all well and good and would definitely be something she still had to do. But she had been as helpless as a rat to a bird when Zou Yawen had attacked her. Part of that was certainly just her being further ahead cultivation-wise with all the benefits that came with it, though there was another reason that she'd be remiss to dismiss. She was both ill-equipped, which she going to have to solve later, and she was untrained which she could solve now by beginning in the training fields.
It wasn't like she didn't know how to fight. If anything, Bai Feng was confident she had been in far more real fights than that damned girl had ever experienced. She could and had in the past taken down boys and girls far bigger than her by taking advantage of her smaller size and hitting them wherever it would hurt the most. She had also taken more beatings than she could count to have gotten to that point. But in all those fights the most someone might've had was a dull knife or some makeshift weapon on the verge of falling apart. Anything akin to a sword or other proper weapons were rare back in the slums and if you were rich enough to own one you certainly wouldn't be in a gang. Frankly, she had no experience properly defending herself against one and her fists were not going to cut it against a greatsword, especially on the defense.
Well, at least not right now they wouldn't, but she certainly wasn't going to wait until she became so strong her fists could be an equal to a blade.
Bai Feng was just going to have to learn to fight with weapons of her own. Striding with purpose into the training fields she found what she was looking for swiftly. Stands filled with a wide variety of practice weapons to train with alongside some simple straw dummies. There were even proper versions of all the practice weaponry on some other stands which even her untrained eye could tell were of high quality.
She wondered for a moment if she could buy them from the sect with her spirit stones but she cringed at the thought of how much they might cost. She had already used four of her ten stones during spiritual cultivation and was on track to run out before the month. Though it might be necessary for completing any of the new tasks on the notice board that Elder Ning had said would be available. She shook her head, she'd figure that out later. First, she had to figure out where to even begin here.
Bai Feng thought about what it was exactly she wanted. She had her share of half-remembered fantasies when she was younger of fighting but those had always been with a staff or a polearm. Those had always been fantasies though, and she was used to fighting up close and personal now, not keeping whoever her foes were at bay. Her gaze drifted towards the rack set with countless shields and after a moment she went over and grabbed one at random.
It was a rounded shield that extended outwards mostly made out of a wood that seemed to spiral outwards from its core and had a steel rim surrounding it. Gripping the handle on the inside of it with her right hand and raising it she found it a little weighty and unwieldy but she'd was confident she could get used to it. It'd be perfect for warding off any strikes against her before responding with a strike of her own. Now she just needed a weapon to pair with it.
It took Bai Feng a while before she finally decided upon an axe. She had thought of taking a sword or one of the many other fancy weapons there she could wield in one hand but decided to keep to something simple in the end. That and it had some more practical uses compared to the other weapons.
The axe she had chosen had a bit of a long wooden shaft but its head was made of steel and just like every other weapon here it seemed to be incredibly well-made. It had a spike on the top as well extending from it alongside a hook on the other side of the shaft from the head. Lifting it she found it weighty but just like the shield, she was sure she'd get used to it.
Hefting her new armaments around she went over to one of the unoccupied straw dummies available to train with. There were quite a few others training before the physical cultivation lessons began though most seemed to be using either some variation of a sword or polearm. A few were using shields or practicing with a bow or crossbow but not a single one she could see were using an axe. Strange.
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Shaking it off she gazed at the straw dummy before her as she began to practice.
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Time passed quickly as Bai Feng practiced with her chosen armaments. It was awkward at first, though she felt herself slowly getting more comfortable fighting with the axe and shield even if she still struggled a bit to properly aim the weighty axe right where she wanted it to go. The training was also very tiring and she had to take a few breaks to catch her breath and rest a bit before continuing on. She took that time spent resting to practice the meditative exercises she'd learned during Elder Bao's lessons and she was slowly beginning to feel like the process of weaving qi into her body become easier and easier. Was she getting close to finally awakening physically?
Whatever the case, the other disciples were beginning to gather in front of the silent Elder Bao who had arrived at some point while she was training. Yi An surprisingly was nowhere to be seen. Putting away the shield and axe she made her way over and stood alongside the other disciples. Around a dozen more disciples filtered in before Elder Bao greeted them and announced what their initial exercises would be before starting the lesson with his customary thunderous snap.
The exercises passed as normal to Bai Feng. They pushed her to her very limit before the Elder would inevitably take notice before guiding her towards whatever other disciples had reached their own limits to perform the meditative exercises. Though around the middle of the lessons he'd be giving for the day when she was performing the meditative exercises something was different.
While Bai Feng slowly directed the qi within her around her body and wove it into her flesh and bones she felt bits of her qi meld with them, no longer simply dispersing after a while as it usually did. Focusing on the feeling, Bai Feng wove more and more qi within herself and slowly began to feel a pressure building up within her, alongside a twinge of pain. Undaunted by it she continued onward, timing the pulses of qi she wove to the rhythm of her own breathing.
And just as the pressure within herself began to feel unbearable, the dam broke and qi surged within her.
Her eyes shot wide open while she took a sharp breath. Energy flowed within her and she felt like she could run the length of the training field one-hundred times and barely even be winded. Her body tingled with newfound strength as she opened and closed her hand. She could see the surprised gazes of some of the other disciples on her, though most hadn't even seemed to notice with how engrossed in their own exercises they were. And Elder Bao-
Bai Feng flinched back a bit as she found the elder had somehow appeared right in front of her. She looked up at his handsome face and saw an approving look in his eyes. "Disciple Bai Feng, I congratulate you on your physical awakening. You have taken the first step of many on the path. But now let us learn of your new limits. Begin running the track once more." He snapped his fingers and thunder roared in Bai Feng's ears as she sprung into motion.
Of course, he wouldn't stop pushing her today just because she had finally awakened physically. But she couldn't help but grin wildly as her legs began to pump and her feet smashed against the ground with each stride. She was running faster than she ever had before and while she was nowhere near the speed of the more advanced disciples she had still grown. As shitty as her day had begun, it had turned around in an instant with this living proof of her progress even if she still had so much more to do to catch up.
Eventually, even with her new well of energy, she did tire out and she was once more led to begin the meditative exercises by Elder Bao. Though this time he had her not simply weaving qi into her body but now cleansing herself of her impurities with her qi. It felt different yet similar to what she had been doing before and she quickly took to it. She wasn't entirely sure just how much progress she had made in cleansing herself but she was confident it had been at least a decent bit. Though she did notice while performing it she was absolutely famished.
Soon enough, Elder Bao had finished with his lessons and Bai Feng headed back to her home within the sect. She was eager to both gobble down whatever food she could get her hands on and to inform her friend Yi An about her progress. Strangely enough though when she arrived Yi An was nowhere to be found. She did find a note written in the neat and minimalistic style Yi An used in the dining room though.
Bai Feng.
I may not return until tomorrow and if so, I do apologize for the short notice. I am undertaking one of the new sect missions. Do take care.
Yi An.
Bai Feng frowned a bit while she read the letter, she had been looking forward to telling her too. At least she could make some food for herself though, she was absolutely starving. So that's what she did. Before she knew it she had devoured a good deal of food and now they were running a bit low. They'd have to get some more from the storehouse soon.
That was something she could deal with tomorrow though. She spent a bit of time meditating and attempting to open her arm meridian, coming close though she was still missing something, before heading to bed for the night. Today might have had its ups and downs but in the end, she had made progress. And that was enough for her right now.