Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Fifty-Six: Breaking Through the Body Training in One Night

Suppressing the discomfort brought by the first line of the introduction, Chen Chang’an once again moistened his fingers and turned to the second page, only to find another introduction. It read: The preceding methods are the simplest, most effective, and most beloved by male martial artists; yet, popularity does not equate to a high success rate. Most attempts end in failure, and only the most robust should attempt them; thus, the editor does not recommend them.

For true body training, refer to the following content.

“What nonsense!” Sure enough, the book that Li Shu had given him was as indecent as the man himself.

After venting his frustration, Chen Chang’an turned to the third page, finally relieved to see the main text at last. The page was covered in dense, tiny script. Skimming quickly, he gathered that the content was mostly composed of methods, with supplementary mental techniques.

After all, for body training, the most important thing is the how; the mental methods are more relevant to later stages.

It wasn’t too tedious, as there were illustrations beside the text. When flipped through at a certain speed, the images formed a complete set of dynamic martial arts movements.

“Ha, the design is actually rather novel!”

Chen Chang’an immediately began to practice according to the instructions. To his surprise, it felt quite similar to the aerobics often performed by women in his previous life, given the slow frequency and transitions.

He wanted to move faster, but the prescribed postures made it impossible. For example, one position required him to reach behind his back to touch his navel, while the next demanded he press both feet to his neck—such transitions could not be rushed.

After practicing for some time, Chen Chang’an gradually felt his bones and tendons ache, an unpleasant tingling that forced him to lean against the camphor tree in the courtyard to rest. Yet, to his dismay, the pain only intensified the longer he paused.

Helpless, he could only continue practicing, matching his movements to the illustrations and the text.

What even Chen Chang’an failed to notice was that with each punch or shift, the green bamboo hairpin tucked in his hair shimmered faintly, scattering a dust-like glow that settled onto his skin and seeped into his limbs.

Nearly an hour passed. Chen Chang’an could distinctly hear the crack and pop of his bones, the stretch and strain of his tendons—like an old machine, long unused, whose gears grind anew after being oiled, or a bowstring pulled gently after decades of neglect.

A treasured sword shedding its rust, a flawless jade being polished free of stone.

Through the process, he found his body becoming agile and light, as if he could leap to a terrifying height with a simple bounce.

“There’s a change!”

Muttering to himself, Chen Chang’an felt invigorated, his strikes now slicing the air with a whistle far fiercer than before.

Of course, he was now drenched in sweat and his breathing was heavy and quick—but he felt no fatigue or weariness whatsoever.

By the hour of the rabbit, Chen Chang’an felt as though his body was nothing but flesh, his skeletal frame wholly stripped away. All warmth and blood surged toward a point three inches below his navel, swelling ever more until it seemed ready to explode.

“How could this be? Did I do something wrong?”

Just as he was muttering to himself, a voice called out from the night: “With your method, you’ll never break through the body-training realm in your lifetime. Still, to have the will to learn and step on the path of martial arts is no small feat—better than that scholar Zhu Jiawen at least.”

Chen Chang’an looked up to see his brother-in-law, Su Dingfeng, standing on the rooftop, finishing his business and fastening his belt. It was truly awkward—anyone else might be tolerable to catch him practicing martial arts in the dead of night, but not this blockhead!

Suppressing a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Chen Chang’an forced a smile. “Hey there, brother-in-law, still up?”

Su Dingfeng cast him a sidelong glance. “Nope. At my level, I can go ten days without sleep. I heard noise outside, so I came to have a look.”

In a flash, he appeared before Chen Chang’an, picking up Li Shu’s body-training manual with disdain. “This kind of manual isn’t even fit for a dog. Who gave you such rubbish? Are they trying to keep you from the martial path?”

He scrutinized the flushed, sweat-drenched Chen Chang’an. “Really takes guts to give it, and even more to practice it!”

A blatant insult—why must this cultivator always nitpick those who practice martial arts? It’s like a heavy-machinery operator from Lanxiang lecturing a New Oriental chef on cooking—utter madness.

But Chen Chang’an kept his thoughts to himself, politely greeting and asking for advice. “So, brother-in-law, in your opinion, how could I break through the body-training realm in the shortest time?”

Su Dingfeng waved confidently. “I told you, it’s impossible. Not in this lifetime. You’re already married and only now starting martial arts? You haven’t a hope.”

Chen Chang’an felt a pang of disappointment, but as he was about to say something, Su Dingfeng cut him off. “Don’t even think about switching to our path of cultivation. If you’re not fit for martial arts, you’re even less suited for cultivation.”

To put it in terms of the twenty-first century: You’re the kind of slacker who can’t get into a vocational school, yet you dream of Tsinghua?

Brimming with pride.

“Forget it, just stay home, have kids, and take care of the family. Quick, get my—no, your nephew out soon,” Su Dingfeng said, turning to head back inside.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, Chen Chang’an let out a resounding fart, a cloud of dust rising in his wake. The heat pooling three inches below his navel reached saturation and exploded within him like thunder.

His hipbones, cheekbones, coccyx, kneecaps, lumbar vertebrae—every calcium deposit in his body—were instantly crushed, only to re-form at incredible speed as he was about to collapse.

From Chen Chang’an’s perspective, it was as if his body was emptied and refilled in an instant. His organs felt clear and unburdened, his meridians brimming with power.

Clenching his fists, he could feel the smooth, polished movement of his joints—like metal honed to perfection.

At this moment, his entire skeleton felt as though it were cast in steel.

Su Dingfeng, who had been clicking his tongue in scorn, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “You—you broke through the body-training realm?”

Chen Chang’an shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

Su Dingfeng rushed over, pressing and probing from his shoulders to his chest, abdomen, hipbones, down to his ankles—even the club in his trousers was not spared. After a thorough inspection, he gasped, “No mistake, you’ve broken through the body-training realm! When did you start practicing?”

“As soon as I got back,” Chen Chang’an replied matter-of-factly.

Su Dingfeng calculated on his fingers. “You returned at the hour of the tiger, and now it’s halfway through the hour of the rabbit. So, Chen, you broke through the body-training realm in less than two hours?”

“When did the threshold for martial artists become so low?”

Su Dingfeng raved, then quickly denied himself. “No, no, even though martial artists are far inferior to us cultivators overall, the threshold can’t be this low.”

He stooped to pick up the manual he had discarded minutes before, now staring at it as if it were a treasure. “Could it be this? Is this the reason? Yes, it must be. Let me study it carefully.”

Shouting, Su Dingfeng dashed back inside.

Once again, Chen Chang’an read the idiocy in that retreating figure, but he wasn’t bothered. His mood was still buoyant—after all, breaking through the body-training realm in two hours was nothing short of miraculous.

Stretching languidly, he prepared to head to bed.

Suddenly, the sound of fluttering pages split the air. The body-training manual flew out from Su Dingfeng’s room, accompanied by a loud rebuke: “Bah! What is the body, but the foundation of martial arts? To remain steadfast even in the company of women is to succeed naturally.”

“Chen Chang’an, to think you used such a method to break through the body-training realm—I am ashamed to share a courtyard with you!”

Caught completely off guard, Chen Chang’an could only catch the manual and mutter, “If I’d really used that method, I’d need your sister to cooperate.”

...

The next day, Chen Chang’an rose early, took the body-training manual, and set off for the Office of Penitence. Now that he had broken through the first martial realm, it was time to pursue the second: soul refinement. He needed more information.

“Oh, right, and the foundational pills Wu Yuanheng gave me.” Chen Chang’an promptly took them all in one gulp—no reason to waste them.

Setting out at the hour of the dragon, he arrived at the Office of Penitence by the fifth quarter. The guards at the gate, recognizing his handsome face, let him through without question.

Familiar with the place, Chen Chang’an made his way to the Purity Hall, stopping a few meters away to greet, in a smooth tone, “Greetings, Lord Li.”

Li Shu, hunched over his desk, perked up at the sound. “So it’s young Chen. What brings you here?”

Before Chen Chang’an could answer, Li Shu’s face twisted in shock, and he rushed over to thump his chest, producing a metallic clang. He exclaimed, “Body-training realm peak! I haven’t given you the book for long—how did you advance so quickly?”

“You—you didn’t use the method from the introduction, did you? Your kidneys must be extraordinary!”

Chen Chang’an: “...”

...

Meanwhile, in the Su family estate, Su Dingfeng paced anxiously outside his third sister Su Wanqiu’s door, plucking leaves from a camphor twig as he muttered, “Tell her... don’t tell her... tell her... don’t tell her...”

When the door creaked open, he tossed away the twig and blurted out without hesitation, “Take care of yourself and rest well. Refuse him when you should. That Chen Chang’an is using you for his martial arts training!”

Su Wanqiu looked utterly baffled, a huge question mark written across her delicate face: “...”