Chapter 27: Exercise

Ben looked at her.

"That’s quite a lot."

"It is. The first cycle won’t be too difficult, but every following cycle becomes more demanding as the energy continues to accumulate inside your body."

"So the pain gets worse with every cycle?"

"Exactly."

Ben looked down at the book again.

"And I don’t get any benefits unless I complete a full cycle?"

Amanda nodded.

"That’s right. The Supreme Celestial Art only begins strengthening your body after you complete an entire cycle."

"Stopping halfway through won’t give you the benefits of the technique. It will only leave your body exhausted and injured."

Ben took a deep breath.

"Alright. Then I’ll make sure I complete every cycle."

Amanda stepped back.

"Good. Start slowly and focus on controlling your celestial energy. Don’t worry about speed."

Ben nodded and closed his eyes.

He began moving his body according to the instructions while carefully circulating celestial energy through his meridians.

At first, the process felt strange.

The energy moved through pathways he had never used before, creating a slight pressure throughout his body.

Ben continued following the movements.

As the first cycle progressed, the pressure slowly increased.

His muscles began to ache, and his bones felt slightly warm.

Ben gritted his teeth and continued.

Amanda watched him carefully.

"Don’t force the energy. Let it follow the circulation pattern naturally."

Ben adjusted his breathing and continued the exercise.

The first cycle slowly approached its end.

For the first time, Ben began to understand why Amanda had warned him about the difficulty of this technique.

"This is definitely going to take some getting used to," he muttered.

As the first cycle neared its end, the pressure inside Ben’s body continued to increase.

The energy became harder to control with every movement.

His muscles began to ache badly, and the warmth in his bones turned into a burning sensation.

Ben gritted his teeth and continued.

"This is getting harder..."

His movements became slower, but he did not stop.

Amanda watched him closely.

She had expected the first cycle to be difficult, but Ben was handling it better than she had anticipated.

The pressure continued building until Ben’s entire body was trembling slightly.

Even so, he maintained the circulation pattern and completed the final movement.

The celestial energy finally returned to its starting point.

The pressure inside his body immediately disappeared and was replaced by a soothing feeling as he felt his entire body being strengthened little by little.

Ben quietly enjoyed the sensation. It felt like he was gaining the strength he had always wanted.

The rush of power he felt was incredible, although it was still much weaker than the sensation he had experienced when his cultivation had increased.

"I really do seem to have grown stronger," he muttered.

"Hmm, well, this is only the result of completing one cycle. You need to complete all twelve cycles before you can see a significant improvement. What you gained from this cycle is only a minor improvement," Amanda explained as Ben nodded.

"Though I can already imagine how difficult the remaining cycles are going to be," Ben said with a sigh.

Amanda smiled.

"Don’t worry. Your talent is quite impressive. You completed a single cycle on your first attempt, which is definitely a good sign."

"People like you are very rare, Ben."

"You are very talented. Don’t worry. You should be able to complete one or two layers before entering the academy."

Ben looked at her and nodded.

"I guess so."

"Okay. Now this is your first task. Complete the first layer while going into the secret realms to increase your cultivation as well."

"Only after you complete the first layer will I teach you offensive arts," Amanda said.

Ben nodded.

"What secret realms do we have?" he asked curiously, wondering if they would be similar to the Goblin Forest.

"Naturally, we have many," Amanda replied. "Maya will help you get into one."

"But only the first time will be free. After that, you will have to gather resources inside the secret realm yourself. Once you have enough resources, you can exchange them for another entry ticket."

Ben nodded as he understood.

Amanda left Ben alone so he could continue practicing on his own.

Ben closed his eyes again and began moving his body according to the instructions of the Supreme Celestial Art.

He carefully circulated his celestial energy through the required pathways.

The second cycle began.

The pressure returned much faster than before.

Ben gritted his teeth and continued moving while maintaining control over his energy.

The second cycle was clearly more difficult than the first.

By the time he reached the final movements, his entire body was trembling.

Still, he managed to complete it.

The moment the cycle ended, the pressure disappeared and the soothing energy once again strengthened his body.

Ben didn’t stop.

He immediately began the third cycle.

This time, the pain became even stronger.

His muscles felt like they were being torn apart from the inside, while every bone in his body felt extremely heavy.

Ben’s breathing became rough, but he continued following the movements.

"I have to finish it."

He kept circulating his celestial energy and slowly completed each movement.

After what felt like a long time, the final movement was completed.

The celestial energy returned to its starting point.

The pressure disappeared.

Ben’s body immediately relaxed.

However, he had no strength left to stand.

He collapsed onto the floor and began panting heavily.

"That was fucking difficult..."

Ben remained on the floor for several minutes, trying to recover his strength.

He had successfully completed three cycles.

It was already far more difficult than he had expected.

After resting for a while, Ben tried to stand up, but his legs were still trembling.

"This technique is definitely not something I can casually practice."

Just as he was about to sit down again, the door opened.

Maya returned and looked around before noticing Ben lying on the floor.

"Ben?"

She quickly walked over.

"What happened to you?"

Ben slowly raised his head.

"I’m fine."

"I just completed three cycles of the Supreme Celestial Art."