When Eryndor woke up, he felt completely refreshed, his mind and body full of energy.

With a swift and nimble movement, he jumped out of bed and headed out of his room to freshen up and take care of his morning hygiene.

Entering the main hall, he found Jin Valen and Serene Skyshade already seated. Serene greeted him with a warm smile,

“Eryndor, come have breakfast. Everything is ready for you.”

“Yes, Mother!” Jin Eryndor replied cheerfully and quickly sat down at his spot, immediately digging into the meal with gusto.

He felt an insatiable hunger and thirst, needing to replenish the energy he had expended the day before. After just one full day of formal body training, his appetite had increased significantly. Thankfully, his parents were quite well-off, so there was no concern about him eating them out of house and home. The phrase “cultivate literature to feed warriors” wasn’t just empty words.

Watching her son devour his meal like a storm, Serene Skyshade felt immense joy. She picked up several large chicken drumsticks and placed them on his plate. The chicken was no ordinary poultry—it came from Fire-Tail Fowl, a type of spirit beast bred in the sect’s Spirit Beast Mountain. It was a delicacy typically reserved for inner and outer sect elders, though most of them had already adopted the practice of fasting, only occasionally indulging for variety. Recently, the Fire-Tail Fowl population had grown considerably, and Eryndor’s voracious appetite was helping keep their numbers in check.

Once martial artists embark on their path of cultivation, they must consume substantial food to fuel their practice, taking the route of refining essence into energy. Without sustenance, where would the strength to train come from? Without stored internal energy, their martial training would be meaningless.

Jin Eryndor’s body was sturdy and resilient, and his digestive system had adapted to match, allowing him to quickly process and absorb nutrients from his meals. After expending a significant amount of energy the previous night, his body rapidly replenished itself with the morning’s hearty meal.

Jin Valen observed his son with satisfaction. “A child like this,” he thought, “causes no trouble, eats well, sleeps well—that’s all a parent could ask for. Let him train and grow in his own way.”

After finishing his breakfast and resting briefly, Jin Eryndor headed to his personal training ground. Upon arrival, he noticed the weightlifting pulley system his father had prepared, neatly arranged and ready for use. Circling it a few times, Jin Eryndor couldn’t help but feel impressed. “Father’s craftsmanship truly lives up to the stories,” he thought with a grin.

He started his routine by warming up with squats, deep breathing exercises, push-ups, and running laps. With his body fully warmed up, Jin Eryndor moved on to weightlifting.

As the morning progressed, he resumed his relentless practice of the Foundation Claw Technique for body refinement. Over and over, he repeated the sequences. By now, he had become exceedingly proficient in the movements—what he needed was for his body’s physical strength to reach the next level and break through to new heights. The Foundation Claw Technique wasn’t just a hollow set of moves; it continuously strengthened and refined Jin Eryndor’s physique with each repetition.

In the afternoon, Jin Eryndor began with the 5kg weights again. Building on the experience from the previous day, he adjusted his technique, synchronizing his breathing with his movements. He inhaled deeply while lifting the weights and exhaled steadily as he lowered them.

Although this new rhythm felt unfamiliar at first, Jin Eryndor quickly noticed its benefits. His movements became more fluid and efficient, and the results of his training seemed even greater than before.

Today, he made progress, managing to lift the weights seven times.

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Next, he switched to bench pressing. Pushing himself again, he successfully completed seven reps.

"Looks like my body is developing pretty evenly," Jin Eryndor thought with satisfaction.

After working through the various weight equipment, Jin Eryndor approached his pulley machine.

He assumed a horse stance, positioned with his back to the machine, and gripped the circular handles connected to the 5kg weights. Using the "Crouching Tiger Strike Claw" motion, he executed powerful pulls.

The machine, designed to strengthen the rear shoulder muscles, was repurposed by Jin Eryndor to enhance the speed of his claw strikes. His goal was simple: if he could maintain normal strike speed under resistance, his claw techniques would improve significantly.

Thanks to the pulley design, Jin Eryndor managed 10 reps per hand before pausing. He resolved that whenever he could perform 20 reps without a break, he would immediately increase the weight instead of focusing on additional repetitions. This method ensured steady and balanced progress.

By late afternoon, Jin Eryndor returned home for a satisfying meal. After eating his fill, he resumed his stance training in the evening.

This time, he pushed his limits further, standing for an additional five minutes before collapsing from exhaustion. As usual, his mother lovingly carried him to bed, ensuring he rested well for another day of relentless training.

Jin Eryndor's horse stance training still hadn't uncovered his core balance or "root," but he could now endure it for a full 5 hours. Through constant mental focus to endure the pain and exhaustion, his willpower had grown immensely. While the actual intensity of his spirit hadn’t increased, his determination had become like forged steel, far surpassing anyone of his age by a hundredfold.

His physical strength had reached the upper limit of what his age and training allowed, and he felt on the cusp of breaking through to a new level—a major milestone in his development.

Using the resistance training machine, he could now pull 30kg weights in his horse stance with ease. When practicing his claw techniques, his movements had started to produce faint whistling sounds, indicating that his Claw Technique was nearing initial mastery (minor completion).

Over the past two weeks, he had made substantial progress from his intense and varied training regimen.

Now, as he pushed himself to lift the 20kg stone weights for the seventh repetition, Jin Eryndor finally felt fatigue settling in. He set the weight down and rested, reflecting on his progress and challenges over the last two weeks.

“Physical training is a long-term commitment. It’s not something that can be completed in a day or two. My Basic Claw Technique is coming together, but it still feels like there’s something missing—something crucial that would help me break through. What could it be? Should I go home and ask Father?

No, I can’t just rely on ready-made answers all the time. That would only hurt my growth as a martial artist.

Today’s training has gone well enough. Maybe it’s time to observe others’ training methods. Martial arts should be a collaborative pursuit, and trying to master it alone is like building a cart behind closed doors—it won’t lead to true success.”

Resolving to broaden his horizons, Jin Eryndor decided it was time to venture out and learn from others’ experiences.

Jin Eryndor, having made up his mind, returned home to clean himself up and change into a fresh set of clothes before heading out.

However, as he looked at his clothes, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated. All his outfits were bright yellow, almost gaudy. Although they didn’t resemble the royal robes of an emperor, they had an undeniable flashy richness to them, as though someone desperately wanted to announce their wealth to the world. The embroidery on them, featuring golden ingots, was particularly over the top. Jin Eryndor had often refused to wear them, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any other clothes to choose from.

“Seriously, Mother, what were you thinking?!” he muttered to himself.

As he stepped out, he called out,

“Mother, I’m heading out to explore.”

Serene Skyshade looked up from her tea and asked,

“Oh? Where are you planning to go?”

“I want to see how others train,” Jin Eryndor replied honestly.

Serene Skyshade thought for a moment, then pulled out a medallion and tucked it into his pocket. “Take this. It’s my Elder Medallion. If you run into any trouble, just show this, and no one will dare bother you. Go ahead and explore.”

Jin Eryndor glanced at the medallion, noting its weight and the intricate carvings of the sect's insignia. It was a mark of his mother's high status in the sect. While he doubted anyone in the sect would dare to trouble him, it was reassuring to have a backup plan.

With a cheerful, “Alright, I’m off!” Jin Eryndor dashed out of the house.

It was his first time venturing out alone. Even though he was staying within the sect grounds, a twinge of excitement and nervousness bubbled inside him. The thought of exploring new areas and watching others train filled him with anticipation.