Chapter 24: My Son Possesses the Bearing of a Celestial Being

Cheng Guang rose to his feet and walked into the courtyard, beginning his practice of the Divine Python Coiling Technique. He assumed the posture of the first form, his expression earnest, executing each movement with precise care. As his body struck the poses, his muscles quivered faintly. The fibers stretched, bones pressed against one another—every motion was fraught with pain.

For someone who had never trained in martial arts, the body was exceedingly stiff; the first tempering of the physique was akin to having one's muscles torn and bones wrenched apart—a torment most people could never endure. Children, their bodies still supple and not yet fully grown, could bear this pain more easily. But for Cheng Guang at this moment, the pain was pushed to its very limit.

Qingluan, standing nearby, watched as Cheng Guang began his cultivation. Initially anxious, she rushed forward to stop him, but paused mid-step. Though Cheng Guang’s face betrayed the strain, his gaze remained resolute, showing not the slightest hint of surrender. To her surprise, every movement he made was flawless, even as his body trembled from the agony. Despite the immense suffering, not once did his form falter.

This... Qingluan parted her lips in astonishment, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief, rendered speechless. The master had asked her to supervise Cheng Guang, but clearly, supervision was unnecessary. They were not the same; his perseverance was on another level altogether, and his comprehension was almost inconceivably high.

With conflicted feelings, Qingluan stood quietly by, prepared to intervene at the first sign that Cheng Guang could go no further, determined not to let him come to harm.

Yet Cheng Guang was not nearly as tormented as Qingluan imagined. Though it hurt, he had already survived the agony of his bloodline being replaced, a pain that felt as if he were being torn limb from limb. Compared to that, the stretching of muscle and the pulling of bone was nothing. Gritting his teeth, he endured each and every form.

He persisted through all thirty-eight postures of the Divine Python Coiling Technique. When he completed the final move, his muscles and bones vibrated in unison, surging blood energy flooding his flesh, and only then did he collapse from exhaustion. Before his body could even touch the ground, a delicate fragrance enveloped him, followed by the softness of an embrace—Qingluan caught him just in time, preventing him from falling.

“My lord, you should rest now. To perform the entire Divine Python Coiling Technique on your first attempt is already an extraordinary achievement,” she said.

Cheng Guang managed a weak smile. “Enough with the flattery. Just help me back to my room so I can rest.” Qingluan immediately complied, assisting him to his chamber.

Simply completing one full set of the Divine Python Coiling Technique had left his body feeling utterly spent—he could barely even lift a finger. Even with his current physique, the toll of practicing this technique was clear, which spoke volumes of its difficulty.

Cheng Guang thought to himself, “Though this manual is difficult, its effects are remarkably evident. If I continue practicing for a few more days, I should be able to complete several sets in a single day. I might even break into the Foundation Forging Realm within a week.”

Although the Foundation Forging Realm was nothing impressive, he mused, he was still but a lowly creature. Nonetheless, with a bit of strength, as long as he continued to train methodically, even if his identity were exposed and he had to leave the Duke's manor, he would have the means to survive.

With this thought, determination began to burn in his eyes.

After a period of rest, Qingluan brought in a dish of spirit-infused meat from the Misty Forest Spirit Tiger. Cheng Guang didn’t know the exact value of this meat, but he imagined it must be beyond anything he could fathom. Too weak to feed himself, he let Qingluan attend to him.

After only a few bites, he felt his blood energy surge, his battered body swiftly recovering. He realized he needed to reassess his expectations— with the resources of the manor at his disposal, perhaps he could reach the Foundation Forging Realm even faster than he anticipated.

By dusk, Cheng Guang lay on his bed, his fatigue largely dissipated. Just as he was about to rise, he noticed a figure standing at his bedside.

“Brat, how many forms of the Divine Python Coiling Technique did you reach today?” Cheng Zhihai’s eyes gleamed keenly, his stern face betraying a hint of emotion. He had only given Cheng Guang the manual at noon, expecting him to slack off and skip practice. Yet to his surprise, Cheng Guang’s body already bore the marks of training in the technique. That was no small progress—surely he had made it to the tenth form at least.

Secretly pleased but wanting to keep Cheng Guang on his toes, he resolved to encourage further effort. After all, it had taken great effort to resolve the injuries from the bloodline rejection, so Cheng Guang could not afford to slacken now.

“Father, must you always appear so mysteriously? Can’t you knock before entering?” Cheng Guang complained, exasperated. Thankfully, he had a strong heart, or else he would have been frightened to death.

“Enough nonsense. How many forms did you complete?” Cheng Zhihai pressed.

“I just managed to finish the whole set once. I wanted to go for a second round, but I was too exhausted,” Cheng Guang replied nonchalantly.

Cheng Zhihai nodded absentmindedly. “So you only—” He froze mid-sentence, his eyes widening. “What did you say?”

“You completed the entire Divine Python Coiling Technique in one go?” he asked in disbelief.

Cheng Guang nodded, looking at his father in confusion. “Yes, is there something wrong?”

Cheng Zhihai’s expression shifted, his gaze growing stranger as he looked at Cheng Guang, momentarily at a loss for words. Could this brat’s martial talent truly be so high?

He knew well the technique’s difficulty: even with guidance, mastering its intricacies usually took days, and the pain of cultivation was immense. Even he, as a child, had only reached the thirtieth form on his first attempt—any further, and he would have risked injuring his tendons.

Yet Cheng Guang had managed to complete the entire sequence in one sitting? Was this real? And he wasn’t hurt?

Cheng Zhihai stepped forward, grabbing Cheng Guang’s arm, probing carefully with his vital energy. The flesh trembled, bones resonated, muscles bulged with a serpentine vigor. There were some minor injuries, but all were normal signs of training—nothing a little ointment and spirit food couldn’t heal.

He drew a sharp breath. It was true—this brat’s martial talent was astounding!

A pang of regret struck Cheng Zhihai. If only Guang’er were a bit younger, his achievements in martial arts might even have surpassed his own.

After a moment of contemplation, Cheng Zhihai pulled out a scroll with a black cover and handed it to Cheng Guang.

“Take this. It’s a cultivation manual for the Spiritual Path. Keep up the appearance of training in martial arts, but focus your efforts here instead. As for why you’re able to practice the Spiritual Path, I won’t explain. Just remember: unless there’s no other choice, never reveal that you’re cultivating the Spiritual Path.”

Then, with paternal affection, he ruffled Cheng Guang’s bewildered head. “Now that you’re able to train and have grown sensible, I won’t stop you from leaving the manor—that’s your reward. I’ll assign some guards to protect you in secret; as long as you don’t leave the capital, I won’t interfere with what you do. Of course, don’t spend all your time in brothels; your mother is looking for a suitable marriage for you. If you keep frequenting those places, it won’t look good.”

Having said his piece, Cheng Zhihai left with a contented heart, suppressing the urge to throw back his head and howl at the moon, striding out of the courtyard with pride.

“My son, truly blessed by heaven!” he laughed heartily.

“Father, close the door, you’re making me blush!” Cheng Guang called after him.

Startled, Cheng Zhihai hurriedly turned back and shut the door with great care, then left the courtyard in high spirits, heading straight for the Wu family’s quarters—clearly eager to share the news of Cheng Guang’s progress with his wife.