In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

Faced with a barrage of doubts and complaints, Shi Geng didn't even lift his eyelids, maintaining his hands behind his back as he calmly swept his gaze over the restless hunters.

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly drowned out all the noise: "If you can't even stand firmly on your horse stance, how can you talk about killing the Devouring Beast?"

Some people disagreed and were about to speak up in rebuttal, but were frozen in place by Shi Geng's cold gaze.

"You think strength comes only from muscles? Only from weapons?"

"If you want to learn my skills, you must listen to me. With a weak lower body and no foundation for power, once the Devouring Beast gets close, rams into you, and tears you apart, you won't even be able to stand firm. How can you fight back? How can you survive?"

He walked slowly to the strongest hunter, whose face was full of defiance, and said calmly:

"You think it's useless? Come here."

The hunter gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and, confident in his strength, said defiantly, "Instructor Shi, I refuse to believe this lousy stance is any more effective than actual combat!"

Shi Geng nodded slightly: "Push me with all your might."

The hunter's eyes hardened, and he no longer held back. His muscles tensed, and he pushed hard into Shi Geng's chest like a bull!

boom--

A muffled thud.

Shi Geng's feet seemed nailed to the ground, his legs slightly bent, in a standard horse stance, his body completely still, not even the hem of his clothes swaying.

On the contrary, the hunter felt as if he had been pushed onto a mountain of immense weight. A force of recoil rushed from his arms to his chest, and he staggered back several steps. His legs gave way, and he almost fell to the ground with a thud. His face instantly turned bright red.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Shi Geng withdrew his gaze, his voice indifferent, yet each word struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart:

"To exert force, one must first establish a firm foundation; a stable foundation generates strength, while a scattered foundation leads to exhaustion."

"You can't even control your own bodies, you can't even maintain your center of gravity. Once you're on the ground, you'll just be meat and dirt to feed the Devouring Beasts."

"Those who don't want to practice can leave now; I won't force them."

The once noisy hunters looked at each other, and no one dared to complain easily anymore. They could only grit their teeth, tighten their legs, and continue to maintain that seemingly simple but torturous posture.

Shi Geng ignored the various expressions on everyone's faces, turned around and walked to the side, sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes and began to practice the breathing method of the Yundao Fist.

This is a unique breathing technique that he has recently figured out and honed on his own. When in operation, it can frantically absorb the profound and strange energy between heaven and earth at a speed far exceeding the norm.

In just a few days, his physical strength increased by several thousand pounds, and the area between his eyebrows was constantly swelling and heating up, as if something invisible was brewing inside, ready to burst out at any moment.

Just as Shi Geng was immersed in cultivating his body, nourished by the strange energy, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out from his earpiece, devoid of any emotion:

"Shangmin Shigen, this is the breeding center. Please proceed to the Dawn Hall at 9 PM tonight to carry out breeding mission number 21448."

Shi Geng's eyes remained closed, but the strange energy flowing around his body suddenly stopped.

The task of breeding, the Hall of Dawn... This is an ironclad rule that no eligible citizen above the lighthouse can avoid or resist—for the continuation of humanity, all emotions and desires must give way to genes.

Shi Geng merely raised an eyebrow, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. He remained seated cross-legged, his posture unchanged, as if the instruction from the breeding center was nothing more than a passing breeze.

The strange energy in the world around him did not dissipate; instead, it was absorbed into him with even greater ferocity. His bones and muscles trembled, and tens of thousands of pounds of force surged within him.

The notification sound in the earphones continued to repeat coldly. Shi Geng finally slowly opened his eyes. The swelling sensation between his brows became even stronger, as if he was about to break through the shackles and unleash his own light.

"Nine o'clock, Dawn Hall, Breeding Mission No. 21448, this is interesting."

Shi Geng narrowed his eyes slightly. Since he had no other important matters to attend to at the moment, he didn't mind taking a trip to the Dawn Hall.

The Hall of Dawn, a place that countless netizens longed for in the previous life, now that the Lighthouse has assigned me a breeding mission, I might as well go and take a look.

The strange energy surging around him slowly receded into his body. He stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his robes.

The mechanical beeping in the headset was still echoing repeatedly when Shi Geng casually pressed a button and cleanly cut off the communication.

His gaze swept over the group of hunters, and seeing that they had already mastered the horse stance quite well, a hint of approval flashed in his eyes, and he nodded to himself. Although he scoffed at the Lighthouse's gene ranking system, he had to admit that these hunters' foundation and comprehension were indeed far superior to those of ordinary mortals.

Mark, in particular, already possessed extraordinary physical strength, so holding a horse stance for an hour was a piece of cake for him.

Shi Geng stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the slightly panting, sweat-drenched people in the queue. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The Lighthouse teaches you firearms and how to pilot gravity bodies, but it has never taught you how to truly control your own bodies."

Many hunters were slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and even subconsciously softened their breathing.

"The horse stance isn't just for show."

Shi Geng moved his feet slightly and landed in the center of the field in an instant. His legs bent slightly and he lowered himself. It was just an ordinary posture, but it made people feel that the entire ground sank. "Power comes from the feet and strength comes from the waist. You can hold on now, but you are just relying on brute force to hold on."

He looked up, his gaze landing precisely on Mark, who remained as upright as a pine tree: "Your physical abilities far surpass those of others. It's not difficult for you to last an hour, but if you train for another three hours, your knees, hips, and meridians will be damaged. This will only deplete your potential, not hone your foundation."

Mark was startled, his arms tensed even more, but he didn't dare to refute.

Shi Geng said no more, his voice turning colder: "Maintain the posture and listen carefully to the incantation. Empty your head, relax your shoulders and drop your elbows, empty your chest and fill your abdomen, and let your Qi sink to your Dantian—"

"The spine is like a spear, the coccyx hangs down, the five fingers grip the ground, all power returns to its root!"

Each word, unlike the mechanical instructions of a lighthouse, carried a strange rhythm that seeped into everyone's minds.

Many hunters felt a sudden relaxation in their bodies, and a warm current seemed to flow through their previously sore and aching legs, making their previously shaky posture more stable.

Shi Geng watched as everyone's breathing gradually calmed down and their legs no longer felt unsteady before slowly speaking: "A firm horse stance is only the first step. Today, I will teach you a set of fundamental boxing techniques—Bajiquan."

"Bajiquan means the eight directions and the farthest reaches. Its fists are fierce and powerful, straight in and out, close-quarters combat, and explosive attacks, without any feints. It is the most domineering for killing Devouring Beasts and fighting enemies."