Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

Chapter 62 ADVANCED TRAINING PART 1

Outside the courtyard house sat her carefully crafted training weights. Using her earth element, she had transformed ordinary stones from the Great White Mountain into perfectly balanced training equipment. Each piece had been meticulously molded through her earth manipulation—smooth, dense weights of varying sizes. Some were as light as a few jin for speed training, while others rivaled her own body weight for strength training.

Li Hua began her warm-up with practiced efficiency, her movements fluid and purposeful. She started with lighter weights, cycling through a series of precise movements that targeted each muscle group in sequence. Each lift, press, and swing flowed seamlessly into the next, her grace evident even in these basic exercises. The weights moved through the air like extensions of her limbs, each repetition executed with perfect form.

As her muscles warmed, she progressed to heavier weights. Her regime was brutal by any standard—hundreds of repetitions with weights that would have challenged even adult male cultivators. The perfectly balanced weights were tools of pure physical conditioning, each one shaped to push her body to its absolute limits.

"Your form has improved," Little Firefly commented between bites of pastry, his golden light casting dancing shadows as she moved through her exercises. "The way you've refined these weights... they're much more sophisticated than when you first started molding them."

Li Hua smiled through her controlled breathing as she lifted a particularly challenging weight. "In this body... every advantage... counts," she managed between repetitions. Sweat began to bead on her forehead as she maintained perfect control over both the physical weight and her form. "Besides... what would my brothers say... if they knew their little sister... could outlift them?"

The thought of their shocked faces made her grin, even as she pushed herself through another set of movements that would have exhausted most cultivators. In the quiet sanctuary of her inner space, Li Hua could train at her true capacity without worrying about maintaining appearances or hiding her abilities.

Once she was done with her speed and strength training, Li Hua moved into a series of stretches before flowing into her advanced yoga poses. Each position tested the limits of her flexibility—splits that seemed to defy human limitations, backbends that formed perfect circles, and balance poses that would have made master acrobats envious. Her body had become even more flexible in this new incarnation.

After completing her final pose, Li Hua rose gracefully and made her way to the spirit spring that ran between the jade garden pavilion and the courtyard house. The water gleamed with pure spiritual essence, its surface rippling with gentle light. Kneeling beside the spring, she cupped her hands and drew up the crystal-clear liquid. The first handful of spirit water slid down her throat like liquid starlight, instantly beginning to restore her depleted energy. She quickly followed it with a second handful, feeling the spiritual essence spread through her meridians, soothing her tired muscles and replenishing her strength.

"Thank you, Bàba!" they responded in unison, their voices carrying the easy affection of a close-knit family. "You have a great day too!"

He smiled at them one last time before gathering his farming tools and heading out to the fields, his tall figure a reassuring silhouette against the lightening sky.

Li Wei took his position in the courtyard, his stance carrying the natural authority of an eldest brother. "Ready?" he asked, though the competitive gleam in his eyes suggested he already knew the answer.

Li Hua and Li Hao moved into their own positions, forming a perfect triangle. The siblings shared a look of anticipation—these morning sessions had long since evolved from simple practice into elaborate contests of skill and creativity. Each day brought new challenges as they tested their growing abilities against one another, their competitive spirits driving them to ever-greater heights.

The first hints of dawn began to paint the eastern sky, but the siblings were already in motion, their training dance about to begin.

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Note from Author:

Happy Lunar New Year, wonderful readers!

Wishing you joy and amazing stories in this Year of the Snake. What are your hopes for the year ahead?