Chapter 8: Morning Light and Pile Training

Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Morning Light and Pile Training

When he awoke again, the sun was already high in the sky.

Xu Mo opened his eyes, enveloped by a refreshing clarity he hadn’t felt in a long time—one that felt almost foreign. His mind was clear, no longer hazy. The low-grade fever that had plagued him last night seemed to have completely subsided, and even the dry itch in his throat was gone. For a moment, Xu Mo almost believed he had fully recovered, that he was back to his healthy self.

He subconsciously tried to sit up briskly, but a distinct feeling of weakness emanated from his core and arm muscles, like an invisible rope pulling Xu Mo back to reality.

"Heh..." Xu Mo couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle. Slowing his movements, he used his arms for support and slowly pushed himself up.

This brief exertion made Xu Mo understand. That feeling of being "completely fine" was mostly an illusion, born from two consecutive days of relatively peaceful rest and the sudden relief his body felt after the peak of the inflammation had passed. He was like an overloaded machine that had undergone a makeshift repair. The core malfunction was fixed, but the various parts were still worn down, needing time and energy to slowly return to their original performance.

Xu Mo carefully assessed his body’s condition. His temperature was normal, which was the best news. His mind was sharp, a credit to the ample rest. But his limbs, especially his thighs and shoulders, still felt profoundly weak, as if most of his strength had been drained away. It was a reminder that the road to recovery was not yet over, and now was far from the time to let his guard down.

Getting to his feet, Xu Mo moved his arms and legs, performing a few simple stretches. His joints felt slightly sore but not painful, which gave him a bit more confidence.

Walking to the window, Xu Mo cautiously observed the outside world again. The street was still empty and deathly silent, no different from the day before. This temporary window of "safety" was the perfect opportunity for him to recover and prepare.

He ate half a pack of compressed biscuits, washing them down slowly with water. Then he broke off a small piece of chocolate and let it melt in his mouth, feeling the sweetness dissolve and provide a direct boost of energy. After filling his stomach, Xu Mo began to consider his plan for the day.

The next "door opening" wouldn’t be until tomorrow evening. He couldn’t just sit around and do nothing for a full day. His body needed to recover, but the efficiency of pure rest seemed to be diminishing. He needed a low-exertion activity that could effectively mobilize his body’s functions and accelerate his recovery.

As the thought crossed his mind, it naturally landed on the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training. The scene of his Second Grand-uncle boasting animatedly about it flashed through his mind again. One phrase in particular had left a deep impression on Xu Mo:

"Practice the fists but not the stance, and all your work will be for naught."

Xu Mo found it quite reasonable. Pile Training was the foundation. Unlike practicing forms, it didn’t consume a great deal of stamina. Its focus was on finding movement within stillness, tempering the sinews, bones, breath, and overall coordination. For his current "worn-out" body, it seemed like the most suitable choice.

Clearing a small space in the center of the room, Xu Mo recalled the key points of the Pile Training his Second Grand-uncle had taught him: feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly inward as if rooted to the ground; knees slightly bent in a half-sitting posture; shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, arms held in a loose embrace before his chest as if hugging a large tree; chin tucked in slightly, the crown of his head feeling as if it were being gently pulled upward by a string.

Once he assumed the posture, the first few dozen seconds were manageable. He only felt his body’s structure stabilize and his center of gravity sink. But very soon, things began to change.

The muscles on the front of his thighs began to tremble slightly. A sore, burning sensation spread from above his knees, growing more and more distinct. His loosely held arms also felt heavy, and a numbing ache radiated from near his shoulder blades. Xu Mo struggled to maintain the requirement of "hollowing the chest and straightening the back," but he could feel the muscles in his back pulling taut. His breathing, without him realizing, had become a bit ragged, losing its previous steadiness.

’This has been... what, not even two minutes?’ Xu Mo was inwardly astonished. This seemingly motionless posture demanded far more stamina and muscle endurance than he had ever imagined.

Adjusting his breathing, Xu Mo tried to relax the overly tense areas, focusing his mind on the two concepts of "relax" and "sink." The trembling continued, the soreness persisted, but he fought to keep his form from collapsing.

He didn’t know how long it had been—perhaps only two or three minutes—but when Xu Mo felt his legs trembling almost uncontrollably and his arms aching with an unbearable numbness, he finally, slowly, straightened his body.

"HUUU..."

Letting out a long breath, Xu Mo felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Just those few short minutes had left him feeling more exhausted than if he had walked for miles. But strangely, this exhaustion wasn’t unpleasant. Instead, it was accompanied by a comfortable feeling, as if his body had been thoroughly "awakened." The somewhat stagnant flow of his blood and qi seemed to have become much more active.

Xu Mo didn’t push himself further; he knew that overdoing it would be counterproductive. He walked to the sofa and sat down. As he rested, he savored the physical sensations from the Posture Stance he had just performed, comparing them to the vague mnemonic chants in his memory and pondering how to adjust his form to be more effortless and correct.

After resting for about half an hour, once the soreness in his muscles had mostly faded, Xu Mo stood up again, returned to the cleared space, and resumed the stance.

This time, with his previous experience, Xu Mo deliberately guided himself to relax, especially his shoulders and back. Sure enough, he managed to hold the pose for slightly longer than the first time. Although it was still a short duration, the progress was tangible.

And so, eating, resting, and performing the Posture Stance made up Xu Mo’s entire day.

With each session of the Posture Stance, he could hold it for ten-odd seconds longer than the last, and he gradually started to get a feel for controlling his muscles and coordinating his breath.

When evening arrived and Xu Mo completed his final Posture Stance session, his body felt exhausted, but his mind was exceptionally clear. He could distinctly feel that the deep-seated weakness that had been clinging to him had dissipated significantly, and his limbs felt a bit stronger.

Watching the sun slowly set outside the window, Xu Mo’s heart was calm. He hadn’t wasted this day. He was using this ancient, fundamental method to repair his body and accumulate strength, bit by bit.

That night, Xu Mo leaned back on the sheet-covered sofa, holding the half-empty bottle of Coke and taking small sips. The cloyingly sweet liquid slid down his throat, bringing a sliver of comfort.

The Posture Stance sessions during the day had been arduous, each one leaving him drenched in sweat with trembling, aching muscles. But now, as he rested, a sense of pleasant relief spread from deep within his body, the kind one feels after a good stretch. Xu Mo knew this bit of exercise would have a negligible impact on his actual strength; it was even uncertain if it could accelerate his recovery at all.

However, this familiar scene—focusing on himself, feeling the trembling of his muscles and the flow of strength—was like a key that had inadvertently unlocked the floodgates of his sealed memories.

His Second Grand-uncle’s boisterous, country-accented bragging rang in his ears once more, along with the descriptions of the realms that he had once dismissed as wild fantasies. Now, the thought of them filled him with longing as they clearly resurfaced in his mind:

First Realm: Cowhide Realm

Core: Temper the skin and membranes, enhancing toughness.

Manifestation: Skin becomes dense, able to withstand ordinary scratches, bites, and club strikes. Sharp blades can cause superficial wounds but struggle to penetrate deeply. Personal strength is doubled.

Phenomenon: When channeling energy, the skin turns yellow and becomes as rough as old cowhide.

Second Realm: Iron Bone Realm

Core: Refine the sinews and bones, solidifying the foundation.

Manifestation: Fascia like a bowstring, bones like iron. Ordinary blades and swords have difficulty causing injury. Can resist handgun bullets. Strength can reach over ten times that of a normal person.

Phenomenon: When in motion, the sinews and bones resonate in unison, producing a sound like muffled thunder.

Third Realm: Golden Body Realm

Core: A state of perfect unity, transitioning from the external to the internal.

Manifestation: The entire body has no weak points. Muscle and tissue density increases dramatically, making it difficult for even rifle bullets to penetrate. At this stage, blood and qi reach their absolute peak, igniting the first wisp of a "True Qi Spark" in the Dantian and marking the official transition from external to internal cultivation. The physical body is perfected and becomes immune to viruses.

Phenomenon: A faint golden light flows across the surface of the body, resembling a solemn and majestic Vajra statue in a temple.

As his recollection reached this point, Xu Mo’s grip on the Coke bottle tightened unconsciously.

"Impervious to blades and bullets... immune to viruses..."

Xu Mo repeated these words in a low voice, his gaze passing through the window to the pitch-black, perilous world outside. In this apocalypse, what did such abilities signify? They meant being able to ignore the scratches and bites of zombies, to walk through the ruins with ease, to possess the power to control one’s own destiny!

’If I could just reach that level...’ An incredibly powerful thought arose in Xu Mo’s mind. ’Even just the lowest Cowhide Realm, being able to withstand ordinary scratches and bites, would be a quantum leap for my chances of survival! If I could reach the Iron Bone Realm or even... then maybe I could truly live securely in this hellish world?’

This was no unrealistic fantasy, but the most instinctive, fervent desire of a person who had glimpsed a sliver of hope in a desperate situation. The door that connected him to supplies gave him the foundation for survival, while this seemingly ethereal Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training pointed toward a potential path to "power."