Chương 22: Training montage

You would think that someone like Tian could train a platoon of young women to become strong in a few weeks. Well, perhaps... if he had the resources at his peak. Without those... we managed, with a lot more pain, effort and tears. I looked the 13 teenage women brought to my yard for training. As expected, most of them were peasant girls, shunned by their community after their Yin Meridian started to freeze the men around. There was also a soldier's daughter, wearing an old breastplate under her blue robes.

"Imagine this, my friends! The sky freezes, and 13 stars fall to the ground in the middle of an enemy army! The Thirteen White Stars! They start blasting, and thousand of demonic cultivators blow up, ending their miserable lives and their rapist ways. You are them! Just young and untrained yet." I proclaimed in a grand voice, and flew a few meters up, arms wide open. The women stared at me in awe, then glanced at each other. I flew lower, and began examining their meridians in turn, even Mina.

"As I said, young and untrained. From now on, I can tell you I shall speak in generalities, so if you know an exception, keep silent. Men and women are born equal. This goes on for about 12 years, when things change. Boys start generating Yang energy, and they become stronger, faster and more agressive. How much stronger? A man's grip strength is 20 times stronger than a woman's. Yes, metal tits?" I asked the soldier girl who raised her hand.

"I can beat up most men." she declared in a confident voice. I ignored the sad exception and flew around.

"As I was saying. Men are strong. However, women are devious. They don't need to fight a man directly, if they can convice another man to beat up the first guy. We usually call that marriage. Next, we are not mortal people. Cultivators can use their muscles, but it's generally a bad idea. We can use qi instead of muscles, and its works better. Yes, Mina?" I asked again.

"When will you beat us up, and why?" she asked curious. I grinned at the devious question.

"So, cultivators. Most of them die before forming their Foundation. In general the ratio is 90% dead, and 10% live on. This happens for many reasons, but it's mostly money. With money you can get training, spirit fruits and perhaps even an Elder to help you form the Foundation. However, just like mortals, most cultivators are poor. This means... you. If I wasn't here to find a wife, most of you will die. Yes, metal tits?" I asked the recalcitrant girl.

"Who is your wife?" she asked on a different tangent. I glanced to the side, where Quinhue and Fenghue were observing the training.

"If you don't want to die young and beautiful, we need to do something else. Like beating you up and other types of methods, all painful, gruesome and generally unpleasant. Well, you might enjoy one method, but certainlly not the rest. So, first thing: spread your legs in a split. If you reach the ground with your ass, you win." I commanded, watching the girls struggle. None of them managed the split, since it's not a natural position. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen.

Report the violation.

"I did mention pain, did I? Here it comes..." I said and pushed my qi downwards, and heard 13 tragic screams. Perfect splits though. I kept my qi going, and ignored their pain.

"Please be silent. Pain is personal, and nobody else can feel it. It's yours, and yours alone." I demanded in a harsh voice. Tian surely remembered this part. The first minute was the worst... but it got a bit easier after 10 minutes. So I waited, and sipped some tea in mid-flight. Healing pills were much too expensive for poor people, so this kind of training was not used here. Rich people could afford the pills, but would not subject their kids to the pain, thus wasting the entire thing.

My wife raised an eyebrow at my methods, but her sect also did not invest in poor people. Rich girls could buy fruits or rare herbs, but most of the poor girls died... and often too young. After ten minutes, I drew back my qi.

"Congratulations, White Stars! You all win the first test. Perfect splits. Over the course of the next months, we will repeat this until you can achieve it by yourselves. I can guarantee that it will happen, and you will be very motivated to train for it. Now the next part begins. The beating! Mina, you were asking something?" I mused in a cheerful voice, and took out my wooden sword. Mina shook her head, having learned the lesson.

Since they were all still flat on the ground, it was even easier to fly over and blur my wrist into a hundred strokes, bruising their flesh and meridians. Ten minutes later, the first training session was mostly over. I just went and had all girls eat a healing pill, then arranged their limbs flat to the ground.

"I knew it. Alchemy had to be involved for this training!" Fenghue said while observing my methods.

"I did this without healing... but I don't recommend it. It's kinda brutal." I answered with a shrug, while Quinhue scowled at my past pain. After an hour, the torn ligaments and bruised flesh healed back up, and the girls stood up, a bit confused they were healthy again.

"Don't worry White Stars. The training is designed to make you strong. It's near impossible to die, unless you smash your brains on those stones a dozen times. Now go on to your regular schedule as... whatever the blue robes mean. Go, go!" I waved them off, and they ran away.

"The Thirteen White Stars? Husband, do you want to raise a squad of Nascent Souls?" Quinhue asked after examining my words.

"I won't be here by then. But my training will stay with them, in their brains and their bones. Even if they want to, they will never forget. Pain works like that..." I said with a grim smile, then went back inside my room. Fenghue walked behind me, and wrapped her hands around me.

"Pef Tian... please forgive me. I was unfair to you, but you're not who I thought you were." she said in a different voice, perhaps impressed.

"Should have been obvious though. Alchemy and sword skills? Core Realm at 16? Do you think your Sect Master is stupid, my dear?" I wondered as her hands moved lower, and cupped my balls.

"Mhhmm. I know... I have 10 spirit stones for you." she whispered in an enticing voice. Quinhue entered behind me, and went to power up the fish Formation. I guess we're cultivating faster today.