Chapter 4 Progress

In the Spiritual Energy World, atop the Endless Marsh.

Chen Yi stood inside the boat's canopy, adopting the posture of a standing stake. His body was relaxed, but his mind was immersed in the flow of Vitality and Blood driven by a special Breathing Technique.

Perhaps due to the presence of spiritual energy in the air of this world, Chen Yi was more sensitive to the flow of Vitality and Blood.

His legs were flexed, his body balanced, and he could feel in his heart the invigorated blood driven by the air entering his lungs rushing towards his legs.

Especially when his legs felt sore or bloated, a surge of Vitality and Blood would flow there, slightly relieving the discomfort.

The next moment,

A big wave hit,

Chen Yi's body swayed to the right with the small boat. Just like an unconscious puppet, his center of gravity shifted to his right leg.

Remarkably, Chen Yi's mind remained focused on his breathing and the rhythm of his Vitality and Blood, not interrupting their flow.

Bang!

Then, an even bigger wave came. Chen Yi's pendulum-like center of gravity couldn't adjust in time, and he tumbled within the cabin.

But even so, according to Chen Yi's perception, it was after he fell that his flow of Vitality and Blood was almost cut off.

"That's it!" Chen Yi's eyes flashed open, a bit excited.

"Emphasize the meaning, not the form, grasp the essence, disregard the surface, that's how it is!"

This boat stake, which was a few levels harder than a stationary stake, might be difficult for unenlightened ancients to understand. But for Chen Yi, who had experienced higher education, this was easy to understand.

Focus only on the essence, only the core, just like this!

The core of this pile skill was the flow of Vitality and Blood driven by the Breathing Technique, and the standing stake posture was just to stimulate this flow.

This time, although Chen Yi was overturned by a bigger wave, he successfully shifted his center of gravity with the first smaller wave!

Since he got the method right, it was only a matter of time till he mastered it.

Next, Chen Yi put aside all distractions and wholeheartedly practiced his boat stake in the Spiritual Energy World.

After half a day, he had made considerable progress. In a state of complete immersion, his body acted instinctively and he was able to successfully shift his center of gravity and maintain his stake even during small waves.

As he spent longer standing stake in the Spiritual Energy World, his sensitivity to his Vitality and Blood became more acute.

Chen Yi relied on his familiarity with the water waves to immerse himself in the circulation of air and Vitality and Blood.

He believed that one day, after elevating the circulation of his breath and Vitality and Blood to an instinct, he could focus his mind elsewhere, such as standing, walking, rowing, fishing, or even making it a backdrop to his life, evolving this skill into a passive ability.

Of course, this was Chen Yi's ideal, to achieve that, he still had a long way to go.

But his rapid progress also made him hungry. The palm-sized cake he had eaten in the morning at home did not last until noon.

Having left the martial arts school and having practiced the stake in the Spiritual Energy World for half a morning, Chen Yi felt his stomach sticking to his back.

Considering that Chen's Mother counted every grain at home, Chen Yi chose not to go home for food.

He shifted his attention outside the cabin.

Despite the rough waters on the Great Swamp that day, there were still many fishing boats. As Chen Yi's small boat drifted, it crisscrossed with large and small fishing boats. From the cabin, he saw others fishing, netting, and trident fishing. Some, with a good knowledge of the water, dived in to catch fish.

"Now that my stake skills have improved, and my body is stronger, particularly with my senses becoming sharper, I can try fishing again."

Chen Yi looked at the rusted fishing fork, the fishing net full of holes, and the broken pot inside the cabin and decided to give it a try.

Soon, a three-sided fishing net was cast into the water, and Chen Yi, holding the fishing fork, stood by the boat attentively.

Without any bait, he could only rely on his fishing experience.

After lifting the fishing fork, under focused concentration, his senses were sharper than before, and he could clearly observe the movements within one to two meters underwater!

The next moment, his eyes focused, a black fish got caught in the net and was struggling to escape through the torn net.

Whoosh!

Chen Yi plunged his fork down, skewering the black fish, missing it by about three inches.

Then, a struggling three-pound black carp was lifted up.

With nearly ten years of fishing experience, he had long understood the laws of light refraction in water.

Added to the significant effects of his pile skills training over the past two days, his fork seemed to miss the target, but it hit the bull's-eye!

Descale, clean, light the fire, make soup, all in one go,

In less than a quarter of an hour, a pot of fresh fish soup was ready.

"It's a pity there is no salt or pepper, but it's already very tasty!"

Chen Yi took a mouthful and found the fish meat tender and delicious, even more flavorful and chewy than the fish in the lake of the original world!

In two to three mouthfuls, both the fish and the soup went into his stomach.

Soon he felt a warm flow rising in his stomach, gradually giving strength back to his limbs.

"This fish definitely helps with cultivating Vitality and Blood!"

Chen Yi took advantage of the remarkable effects of the fish soup, got up, and practiced the stake again,

It wasn't until half a two-hour period passed and his strength was depleted once again that he rested.

Looking at the sun almost at its zenith and taking into account the similar time trends of both worlds, it was almost lunchtime.

Before returning, Chen Yi cast another net into the lake.

A quarter of an hour later, Chen Yi returned to the original world, holding a black carp that had been speared through.

"Mom, I caught a three-pound carp, let's have it for lunch."

Chen's Mother took the skewered carp, feeling heartbroken:

"Tsk, tsk, what a pity! How come it's skewered dead? Otherwise, this fish could have fetched three copper coins!"

Whining, she quickly cleaned the fish and put it in the pot.

"By the way, Xiao Yi, don't fish for the time being. Focus on practicing martial arts, and I'll take care of things at home. You won't starve."

Chen Yi did not mention how his appetite had grown, but just smiled and said:

"Mother, the martial art I'm learning can be practiced both on the boat and on the shore. I can fish while training, though my catch will probably decrease a bit."

"It doesn't matter if you catch less fish. It doesn't matter at all, as long as you practice your martial arts well, everything will be alright."

"Mother, has anything happened when selling fish recently?"

"Don't listen to idle talk, your mother is doing very well selling fish. All you need to do is focus on your training."

"Okay mother, I've improved in my martial training recently. If something happens, let me know immediately."

"Okay, okay."

Neither the mother nor son mentioned Lazi Liu's issue, but it hung over their hearts like a chronic illness.

At dinner,

Chen Rang drank his fish soup happily, his eyes squinted in bliss:

"Brother, your fish soup is so fresh. It's really delicious~"

"Here, Ranran, have some meat."

Chen Yi's Mother's chopsticks came over in a timely manner: "Xiao Yi, you eat it yourself."

Chen Yi persisted in serving Chen Ran: "Mother, my sister is growing now, she can't miss out on crucial nutrition. Also, if our conditions allow it in the future, I think she should learn martial arts too, given the uncertainty of these troubled times."

Chen Yi and his mother insisted on each other, but in the end, seeing Chen Yi's seriousness, his mother allowed it. Chen Ran had two big bites of carp meat, her eyes twinkling with satisfaction as she looked at her brother.

Even Chen Yi's mother couldn't resist it, she was forced to eat two mouthfuls of fish meat, murmuring :

"This must be a big carp from the deep lake, the taste is too delightful. Xiao Yi, don't you go too deep when you fish, I heard there are water monsters in the deep parts."

Listening to her mother's chattering at the dinner table and seeing the happiness on her sister's face when eating, Chen Yi felt content with these simple days.

How nice it would be if these peaceful days could continue without disturbances.

...

More than ten days later, Chen Yi was in the martial arts school doing his morning exercises.

His whole body was muscular and defined due to frequently drinking the spiritual energy fish soup from the lake. His vitality was at its finest, and he always felt an undying surge of energy in his lower back, boosting his stamina!

Presently, Chen Yi could do the standing stake for more than half an hour and even sense the surge of vitality within his body occasionally.

This was a sign he was getting the hang of manipulating his vitality and blood!

However, in the martial arts school, he only showed he could keep it for about fifteen minutes.

Even then, it sent a wave of anxiety through the other teenage boys standing next to him. They estimated that if Chen Yi continued training for another one or two months, he might achieve the level of half an hour!

This was already the most gifted among the impoverished boys!

This time, they didn't look at Chen Yi with hostility,

Because they knew, the protective courtyard position of the Wang Family had already included him. Those with some power were starting to flatter and befriend Chen Yi. After all, there was a bond amongst those who graduated from the same martial arts school.

Wang Xiaohu even brought some dried meat, candies, and various other treats for the students who performed well in standing stake. He often gave a portion to Chen Yi,

Obviously, he acknowledged Chen Yi's strength. Given Chen Yi's current rate of progress among the fifteen or so beginners, Chen Yi was second only to Wang Xiaohu himself, a moderate genius!

He was worth befriending.

Chen Yi found it amusing that these fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys were already so scheming.

He didn't take it too seriously, not actively accepting anyone's alliance, but he didn't isolate himself either.

He just came to stand half an hour every morning, subtly showing his daily progress,

And he kept a friendly face with the other young boys, nothing more.

Over these ten odd days, as Chen Yi's vitality became more substantial and his senses more sensitive, his fishing skills improved further.

Together with the fish that his mother sold these days, they had almost saved up over 70 copper coins.

Chen Yi was considering whether to save up for a couple more days and buy a bowl of decoction with one hundred copper coins to try it out.

Since he hadn't drunk any decoction yet and merely improved by standing stake in that unknown place, what effect would the decoction have on him?

But he didn't push for it, after all, other people's children drank one bowl a day. If he could only afford one bowl every ten days or half a month, it probably wouldn't be much help.

"Hmm, let's try and see."

But he never expected to be denied by the third senior disciple.

"Chen Yi, I'm sorry. Due to bandits causing trouble outside recently, fewer people are gathering medicinal herbs, and there's a shortage of medical materials. The decoction is being supplied in limited amounts, and frankly, it'd be a waste to give it to you."

But Wang Xiaohu is at the same stage as Chen Yi: standing stake and not yet able to control his vitality and blood, how is it possible for him to drink one bowl every single day?

Of course, Chen Yi didn't ask out loud. He simply nodded in silence and turned to leave.

There must be a reason for this unusual behavior. He had never offended the third senior disciple, so he didn't know why he was being targeted.

Chen Yi soon found out why. It was Wang Xiaohu who told him:

"Chen Yi, did you offend the Fish and Dragon Gang?

Someone from the gang, called Lazi Liu, seems to have given a gift to the third senior disciple, asking him not to sell you the decoction.

I found out about this through my brother who works in a gang.

The third senior disciple seems to have some connections with the Fish and Dragon Gang, so he couldn't easily refuse,

If it's not too serious, I think you should apologize to Lazi Liu first,

Only after you resolve this matter can our family dare to hire you as a protector.

Otherwise... you understand, we don't want to bring trouble upon ourselves."

Chen Yi sincerely thanked him.

It's Lazi Liu again? Is he afraid that I'll pose a threat to him after I get good at martial arts?

If that's the case, then I cannot reveal my progress anymore.

And the third senior disciple, you regard the Fish and Dragon Gang as your friends, but what about me? Am I not your fellow disciple?

You simply see that Lazi Liu is powerful, and belittle me just because I am weaker.

Lazi Liu, third senior disciple, you're doing just great, I will remember both of you.