Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

The azure sky is about to break.

The mist had not completely dissipated.

Unlike the once bustling Cangcheng, Yaoqing always exudes a chilling and desolate atmosphere.

When Jingliu woke up, he stretched his limbs, feeling refreshed.

The days of starting high-intensity sword-swinging training have lasted for a full half month.

She didn't remember much about what happened after each time, but she always woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and full of energy.

There was no sweaty smell or sticky feeling.

Jingliu knew that it was her master taking care of her...

After all, there was no third person in this remote house.

At first, she felt a little embarrassed.

Shyness began with the reserve her mother taught her from a young age, and shame began with fainting at the end of every training session.

The only option was for her master to take action and clean up the mess for her...

However, after repeated exposure, the mirror flow has become desensitized.

Although the training was painful and strenuous, she felt that she was gradually adapting to the rhythm.

Maintaining the posture and rhythm, swinging the sword three thousand times continuously is not impossible if you grit your teeth and persevere.

She succeeded last night.

From noon until nightfall, the total number of sword swings was probably no less than tens of thousands...

Putting yesterday's experiences aside, Jingliu cheered himself up in his heart and opened the door to welcome a brand new day.

At that moment, she did not realize that what she called adaptation and completion was, in Qi Zhimu's eyes, nothing more than a stepping stone to the next stage of suffering.

Martial arts training ground.

Qi Zhimu was there early, standing in a horse stance, carrying several heavy cylindrical steel bars on his shoulders.

Each one weighs no less than ten jin.

"Master."

Jingliu quickly stepped forward and bowed.

Qi Zhimu didn't speak, but shrugged off the weight, causing the ground to tremble, which showed how heavy it was.

"Starting today, I'll wear them on my morning runs."

When Jing Liu saw Qi Zhimu pull out a pair of arm and leg guards, his gaze momentarily lost in thought.

When I instinctively took it, my hands suddenly sank, and my waist almost bent over.

Good weight!

Jingliu stared wide-eyed and looked down. The arm and leg guards were made of jet black material, and it seemed that light was absorbed by the surface.

Qi Zhimu's voice rang out from above.

"They are made of star iron sand and weigh a total of two hundred pounds."

Two hundred pounds... that's nothing for a regular Yunqi Army.

But for Jingliu, who was still growing and had never received professional weight training, it was several times her own weight...

A hint of hesitation flashed unconsciously in Jingliu's eyes.

But when faced with Qi Zhimu's expressionless face, she silently fastened the cold, heavy instruments to her limbs.

His hands and feet felt like lead, and he was pulling her down.

"Master... how far should I run while wearing these?" Jingliu asked softly.

"constant."

Those two simple words made Jingliu swallow hard.

No, unchanged?

For the past ten days or so, I had been running every morning for 80 li (40 km) without stopping, and my speed had to be no less than 40 li per hour.

If you stop midway or your speed is insufficient, you recalculate the distance, just like when practicing sword swings.

Her daily training consists of only these two items, but these two items are enough to make her suffer from morning till night.

Running 80 miles with a full load of more than 70 kilograms, wouldn't that kill you?

Jing Liu looked up at Qi Zhimu, a pleading expression on her face.

Qi Zhimu remained unmoved and threw out an object, pointing it towards the outer edge of the training ground.

"You only have three hydration pills. You're not allowed to eat until you've run them all, and you're also not allowed to practice swordsmanship."

"..."

The outer track of the training ground is one and a half laps long, and you have to run 160 laps...

Jingliu bit her lip and tried to take a step, only to find that her usual light steps had completely disappeared.

She was like dragging two heavy tree stumps, having to use all the strength in her waist and abdomen with every step.

On the first lap, I was able to barely maintain my running posture.

By the fifth lap, my clothes were soaked with sweat, and my leg muscles began to cramp.

On the tenth lap, it felt like my trachea was blocked, making each breath incredibly difficult.

On the fourteenth lap, she failed and had to recalculate the distance.

As the sun rose higher, the sunlight changed from warm to scorching.

Unlike most masters, Qi Zhimu didn't sit in the shade, sipping her cool tea and leisurely watching the figure shuffling along the track.

Instead, he stood in the center of the training ground, tirelessly practicing his boxing techniques.

Jingliu could hear clearly the occasional commotion caused by the force of the punch.

She is currently in very poor condition, her speed is getting slower and slower, and she can barely maintain the minimum required speed.

The heavy leg braces constantly rubbed against my ankles, and I could feel the skin and flesh breaking through the fabric.

"Lift your feet up."

Qi Zhimu's voice came coldly.

"When the Cloud Cavalry pursues those wicked creatures, they charge even with broken legs. Are you taking a stroll? How can you increase speed with that posture?"

Jingliu bit his lower lip hard, forced himself to take a breath, and forced his numb legs to lift again.

You can't stop... If you stop, you have to start all over again...

Her master would not pity her, much less feel sorry for her...

Time passed, and the blazing sun gradually slanted downwards.

Jingliu collapsed to his knees on the track, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath, instinctively looking toward the figure in the center of the training ground.

"Stand up."

Qi Zhimu was still urging her to continue.

She gritted her teeth, but ultimately collapsed to the ground, her vision blurring rapidly.

Noticing his disciple was losing his footing, Qi Zhimu suddenly swung his elbow horizontally, tearing a terrifying gust of wind through the air, before stopping and adjusting his breathing.

He exhaled and looked at the spot where Jingliu had fallen, a hint of pity flashing deep in his eyes.

The hardships that Jingliu is experiencing now are no less than those he went through as a child.

On the contrary, her training volume was much higher than hers, so she knew how tough it was.

The people of the Celestial Ship are blessed with abundant bounty, and their physical constitution and recovery ability are naturally formidable.

But such grueling training is still too cruel for ordinary girls who haven't reached marriageable age.

but--

If the Cloud Cavalry are not ruthless to themselves, they are being kind to their enemies.

When Jingliu awoke, he felt excruciating pain all over his body, as if his bones were about to fall apart.

The arms and calves looked as if they were being bitten by a swarm of millions of ants, making one want to chop them off.

"You're awake? You have five minutes to get yourself ready, then continue today's training."

My master's devilish urging rang in my ears.

"Master, the difficulty level is too high, I..."

"If you don't push yourself to the limit, once you're on the battlefield, you'll only become food for the monsters."

Qi Zhimu forced himself to be cold and hard, ignoring his apprentice's pitiful and aggrieved little face.

When I was little, I watched my older sister train, and it was far more miserable than what Jingliu is going through now.

The father stood guard by her side, whip in hand, and if her movements were not precise or she slowed down, he would lash her with the whip until her skin was torn and bleeding.

For countless nights, my sister dared not take a bath before going to sleep, only allowing herself to immerse in water once her wounds had mostly healed the next day.

Qi Zhimu still couldn't bring himself to treat Jingliu this way.

She lost her family at a young age, which was already tragic.

"If you beg me to teach you how to kill evil creatures and to give you skills, I will teach you."

"But as I've said before, this path is more painful than death, and once you embark on it, I won't give you a chance to back down."

Jingliu lowered his eyes and said softly, "Disciple understands..."

Qi Zhimu: "I'll say it again: control your breathing rhythm and try to manage the energy flowing from your dantian and distribute it where it's needed."

"As for where it is needed, the body doesn't lie. Only by getting used to freely managing one's physical energy under high pressure can one maintain peak performance for a long time."

"...I will keep in mind my master's teachings."

Five minutes later, Jingliu took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and stepped back onto the track, enduring the pain throughout his body as he chased after the finish line.