Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 113

Chapter 113: LIGHT CULTIVATION SESSION

“Now, about our training,” Li Hua said, her voice taking on that precise tone that reminded her of board meetings in her past life. “We’ll start every morning with flexibility training in the eastern wing—two full hours of proper stretching and mobility work. This is crucial for both cultivation and combat.” She gestured to the mirrored training room. “This will help prevent meridian strain during intense cultivation sessions, and yes, both of you will need the full two hours.”

Her brothers nodded, though Li Wei’s scholarly expression suggested he was already analyzing the connection between physical flexibility and spiritual pathways.

“The majority of our time will be dedicated to cultivation,” she continued. “But four hours each day will focus on physical conditioning.” She pointed to the open area beside the courtyard house. “Running six miles to build endurance, strength training to reinforce your cores, and intensive conditioning work. A strong physical foundation will support higher levels of cultivation.”

“Six miles?” Li Hao’s eyes widened. Even for a warrior, that was intense.

“And proper form is essential,” she added, her tone brooking no argument. “We’ll start with basic movements—proper lifting techniques, core strengthening exercises. Everything must be precise and controlled.”

Li Wei’s scholarly nature couldn’t resist. “Sister, this training method seems… unusually structured.”

“Trust me,” she said softly. “Every element has its purpose. We have three months to build the foundation for what’s coming. We can’t waste a single day.”

She paused, then added, “Every sixth and seventh day, we’ll replace the physical training with combat techniques and qigong practices. Your bodies will need time to integrate the changes, and these sessions will help stabilize your essence flow.” Her eyes took on a knowing gleam. “Combat training will be essential for both of you—no matter your cultivation path, you need to be able to defend yourselves in close quarters. I’ll teach you both methods I’ve… acquired over time.”

Li Hao’s eyes lit up with anticipation, while Li Wei nodded with uncharacteristic intensity. The temporal bindings had taught her scholarly brother a harsh lesson about the importance of direct combat skills.

“We’ll spend the entire three months training in here,” Li Hua continued, gesturing to the space around them. “Even though we’re in the Ascending Plateau Realm now, the spiritual essence in my space is far denser. Your bodies being constantly submerged in this environment will accelerate your cultivation.” She led them toward the spirit river, its waters gleaming with concentrated energy. “You’ll need to drink from this river with every meal. The spirit water will not only replenish your depleted essence after cultivation but also heal any non-life threatening wounds you might acquire during training. Most importantly, it will help your bodies adjust to the dense spiritual environment.”

Li Wei’s scholarly eyes studied the river with new interest, no doubt noting how the spiritual essence within it was more concentrated than any spring he’d encountered before. Even Li Hao, usually more focused on practical combat applications, seemed to sense the profound nature of the water, his usual boundless energy temporarily subdued by appreciation.

“The constant exposure to such dense spiritual essence, combined with the river’s properties,” Li Hua explained, “will help prepare your bodies for the higher realms. We can’t afford to waste the advantages this space provides.”

Li Hao could barely contain his excitement, practically bouncing on his toes despite his attempt to appear mature. “When do we start? Can we begin now? The spiritual essence here is so—”

“Today you’ll both start with light cultivation only,” Li Hua cut in firmly, though her lips twitched at her second brother’s enthusiasm. “I need to make you both some proper training clothes first. Your current robes won’t be able to handle the intensity of the training.”

After settling her brothers in the training room to begin their light cultivation, Li Hua made her way to the jade pavilion’s storage area. She headed straight for her collection of spandex and performance fabrics—materials that would be perfect for the intense training ahead.

With practiced efficiency, she began crafting what looked like modern athletic wear: compression shirts and training pants that would allow full range of motion. One glance at her brothers’ builds had been enough—her eye for detail told her they would both be mediums in both shirts and pants. For each brother she made two sets—the fabric cool and smooth beneath her fingers as she worked with the familiar materials from her past life.

The clothes were simple but functional—black compression shirts with long sleeves, and matching training pants that would allow unrestricted movement. She added strategic reinforcement at key meridian points, ensuring the fabric could withstand both physical training and spiritual pressure.

For footwear, she selected lightweight, flexible materials to create training shoes similar to the ones she’d worn in her past life—thin-soled for maximum ground feel, but with enough protection for intense movement. She added grip tape to strategic points on the soles, ensuring perfect traction regardless of movement speed.

Holding up the finished sets, she smiled with satisfaction. Her brothers might be confused by the modern design at first, but they couldn’t argue with the functionality. She gathered the clothes and headed back to her room, already anticipating their reactions to these strange but practical garments.

Placing the new training clothes on her bed, she went to the training room and joined her brothers. It’s a light day, so four hours would be more than enough for their first session. She found them both cross-legged on the polished floor, already deep in meditation. The dense spiritual essence of her space swirled around them, their cores adjusting to the heightened environment.

Setting her digital timer for three hours, she settled into her own pose. While gathering essence, she kept part of her attention on her brothers’ spiritual signatures, monitoring for any signs of strain. The last thing they needed was qi deviation from trying to absorb too much spiritual energy too quickly.

Li Wei’s scholarly essence flowed like water, each breath drawing in the spiritual energy with measured precision, while Li Hao’s warrior spirit burned bright and eager, though she could sense him trying to temper his usual impatience. A small smile touched her lips—even in cultivation, their personalities shone through.

When the beeping of her timer went off, Li Hua opened her eyes to find quite a scene before her. Li Wei had already traced a defensive formation in the air, his scholarly composure forgotten in the face of the strange noise, while Li Hao had dropped into a fighting stance, fists raised against the unknown threat. Both were staring at the small device with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.

“What kind of spirit beast makes that sound?” Li Hao whispered, still maintaining his combat stance.

Li Wei’s formation glowed faintly as he studied the timer with intense concentration. “The sound pattern is unlike any alarm array I’ve encountered in the texts…”