“It may be necessary to encounter tons of defeats in order for one to truly understand where he is at and how can he still come out of it.”

Qai leaped from one side and tried to cut the current crosswise until he landed on the other end of the waterfall.

While he did that, he focused his eyes and carefully watched whether the water current would stop even for a second.

‘Maybe it really is impossible.’

Qai felt tired but his determination was not something to easily fade.

He tried it another time, then another, and another.

Qai apparently didn’t make use any of the 3 moves he mastered. He just tried to cut the water current with a basic slash sideways.

“Haaaaah!”

He tried and tried.

The next thing he knew, it was almost late in the afternoon. The last of the 3 suns had already set while the first of the 7 moons was already appearing in the horizon.

As he intently looked at the water falling with great pressure, his hands bled from the grip of the Guandao.

‘Time to go home.’

The following day, he came back and did the same. He did the same method the entire day—as well as on the second day, then on the third.

A week then a month passed and he still failed to make a cut across the current. But he did the same routine every day, nonetheless—and only took rest every high noon seated in a lotus position under the tension of the waterfall.

‘Maybe I should try to understand myself how does the waterfall feel.’

The idea was crazy but there was nothing for him to lose if he tried.

So this time, he meditated under the current. Evidently, with his current Gold rank physical strength, the pressure coming from the current onto his back and shoulders felt like a pillow.

If before, he mainly trained under the water current to physically resist it, now he sat there in order to attempt to be one with it.

Qai offered no resistance. For a time, he just let his mind go with the flow.

Then his state of mind went in a sudden stupor.

Meanwhile, some miles away from the waterfalls, somewhere in the mountains, an old-looking man in a robe was keenly watching over what Qai was attempting to do.

“So he really has a body forging cultivation,” the old man said. “No wonder he can take on a level 1 Spirit Beast. With that strength, he might even surprise a mid-Foundation Establishment stage.”

The man kept on watching and mused once before he disappeared.

“I can see that’s he’s gaining a bit of enlightenment. That’s good! I just hope he has the spiritual roots required.”

Back in the waterfalls, Qai woke up from the abrupt trance and continued his attempt to cut the current.

As time went on, he added the meditative method in his training routine as he felt some improvement with it.

More months passed until it became a year in total.

Qai had already turned 11 and his mother gave birth to a baby girl which his parents named Little Xi.

Although it was a momentous occasion in the family, Qai felt sorry when he realized he was still far from succeeding.

’After a year of training, I only managed to cut a third of the current. Then the water reforms again.’

Qai could only sigh.

‘I should just hunt Spirit Beasts instead. It’s been a while since I tasted the Bison. Maybe it’s time to head deeper into the mountains.’

After he said that, he reluctantly picked up his things and went home.

Qai discussed his decision to talk his parents since it meant that he was finally venturing into the mountains. He also notified Master Han and Nabi, as well as the reserve squad, about it.

Life already became much peaceful in the village, and the reserve squad members were already beyond ordinary, especially Mak and Song.

In fact, the hunters and soldiers started to copy the squad’s training routine in the past years—and had the chance to study ‘Fundamentals of Spearmanship’ from the young ones.

Although, most of them were already old, many of them unknowingly became Iron rank Knights as a result.

Unfortunately, no one bothered to explain it to them. But the impact was, undoubtedly, unprecedented.

Knowing that however, Qai felt assured that even if there would be another beast horde any moment soon, the village would survive.

Qai thus spent the remaining time with his family and acquaintances. He explained clearly, though, that he would still be back only that there was no specific time.

”I’ll just be tempering my experiences,” Qai respectfully said.

“With the legacy you brought to the people, I wouldn’t doubt that this village will soon have its chance to grow bigger,” Master Han thankfully expressed.

Qai thanked the herbalist in return for all the teachings and requested the latter to also take his younger sister as his ’reading’ student.

Of course, since Qai left some writings for his sibling, it was only natura for him to guarantee that she would learn to read as well.

And as soon as Qai felt that he had readied everything he needed, he finally left the village and headed to the northern forest close to the mountains.

From the walls, a wide area of fields can be seen. The fields were the village’s primary source of vegetation.

Beyond the fields was the vast forested zone—and the entire periphery of the forest was practically the village’s hunting grounds.

Technically, it can still be considered a safe zone since most beasts found in there were mere wild beasts.

Qai once read that the village was actually located on a large island. And he recalled that few miles away, south of the nameless village, was a seashore.

Whether the entire lands we're indeed an island or not, remains to be seen.

But since no one ever dared in the nameless village to venture beyond the forests, Qai might eventually be the first to prove it.

After the thickly forested area laid the entrance to the mountain range.

‘No wonder the mountainous region and the Evercloud mountain is in the north. That probably means that the village is practically the southern tip of the island.’

Qai looked back as he walked.

’One day I would like to check the sea monsters myself if they are real.’

He actually took an entire week to finally cross the forests. And along the way, he encountered a number of wild beasts which he easily subdued.

His current strength proved to be way above wild beasts. In fact, many among them chose to stay away from him even if the spot was actually their territory.

When Qai finally set his foot on the mountain entrance, he immediately felt a sudden change in the air.

He did not know what it was, but he was certain that there was an invisible difference between the atmosphere in the forests and that of the mountains.

The effect was, in fact, so relaxing that he wanted to just lie down and rest on the spot.

However, Qai was alert.

His logic dictated that the villagers didn't assess the place dangerous for nothing.

‘Maybe this feeling is an illusion.’

He then tightened his grip on his Guandao and swept a glance around him to check if there was anything that lurked in the shadows.

Slowly, he moved forward with his senses fully activated.

He suddenly felt the ground was gradually getting steeper upwards. So he knew that he was already, or most probably, at the foot of a mountain.

Apparently, Qai had not got too far when all of a sudden an old voice echoed near his ears.

“Either you are confident or stupid to come to the mountains by yourself. Which one are you?”

The voice actually sounded with a sneer.

Qai looked around carefully and saw no one. He was startled at the thought.

All his fights against the wild beasts had been technically a one-sided battle, with him always having the advantage. So a sudden encounter with someone he could not see was undoubtedly a fight he could not afford.

Based on his understanding, he could vaguely guess the owner of the voice.

"Who goes there!?" Qai asked in vigilance.