A little before dawn, the day after I visited Sister Jasmine, I stood in front of my estate at Flame Fiend Peak and waited for my mother to show up. Due to the early hour, and the perpetual layer of black clouds that occupied the sky above Flame Fiend Peak, it was gloomy out. This made for an odd combination when paired with the sweltering heat that pervaded the entire area.

  Yesterday, after I managed to calm Sister Jasmine down after telling her that I secured Senio-Hall Master Bonefire’s backing for her, the two of us spent the rest of our time together talking and sharing cultivation insights. However, I had to resist the urge to share intimate acts with her. I didn’t want to break my own rule, since Sister Jasmine and I weren’t together. Even so, this took a toll on my willpower.

  When afternoon arrived, I headed back to Flame Fiend Peak. I then spent the rest of the day letting my friends and acquaintances know that I would be in secluded training in the months leading to the Rising Heroes Tournament. Afterwards, I stayed up the entire night with Ellen, since we wouldn’t be seeing each other for a little while. This left me a little tired, but I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

  As I stood there, waiting for my mother to arrive, I wondered about where we would go for secluded training. When I asked her about it, she just said that it would be the perfect place for me to train, but didn’t go into further detail beyond that. From the way they acted, it was clear that my sisters knew. However, when I asked them, they just said that they didn’t want to spoil the surprise. This piqued my curiosity further, but they remained tight-lipped.

  Was it some kind of hidden realm? Or a sacred area located in the Dawn and Dusk Mountains, reserved only for members of our family? Maybe it was some kind of training hall for the core disciples of Flame Fiend Hall. I let my imagination run wild.

  All of a sudden, my mother appeared out of nowhere and put me into a hold. It happened so fast that I didn’t have time to react. One moment I was standing there on my own, the next I found myself in my mother’s arms. They were hard and unyielding, making it impossible for me to break free, at least with my current strength.

  “Let’s go.” My mother said, the smell of spirit wine on her breath.

  Before I could respond, my body moved, similar to when I went through a teleportation array. I remained in my mother’s arms the entire time. In the blink of an eye, I disappeared from my current location and found myself someplace else. It took me a moment to adapt to the sudden change in my environment. During that moment, my mother let go of me.

  After I regained my composure, I looked around and my jaw dropped. An endless desert made of golden sand surrounded me on all sides, stretching off into the horizon in every direction. The temperature in this desert wasn’t too hot or too cold, but perfectly comfortable. There wasn’t any wind, yet the golden sand moved and undulated, creating vast wave-like dunes that rose up for a while before disappearing. The soft sound of shifting sand filled the air. Mountains made from black rock dotted the landscape, jutting towards the heavens.

  A night sky stretched above me, boundless and eternal, dotted by countless golden stars. These stars shifted and moved, dancing to some unknown rhythm. When two of them drew close enough together, a thread-like golden line formed between them. The reverse also happened, when two of them drew far enough apart. These countless dancing stars formed and unformed constellations that looked like arcane runes, though these were far too mysterious and profound for me to understand.

  I didn’t know what this place was, or where it was located, but it was like a holy land for someone like me. Not only was it beautiful, but the qi here was rich, plentiful, and perfect for my cultivation. It was a mix of divine qi, star qi in particular, as well as demonic qi. Cultivating here would increase my speed by several fold.

  A smile stretched across my face as I gazed at it all. However, at the edge of my perception, I noticed something even more amazing. On my left, it appeared as if the golden desert was rising up to become the starry sky. On my right it appeared as if the starry sky was falling to become the golden desert. These phenomena only appeared at the corners of my eyes. I couldn’t look directly at them, no matter how hard I tried.

  “Do you like it?” My mother asked, a hint of pride in her voice.

  Dazed, I nodded.

  “It’s beautiful.” I said, trying and failing to take everything in. “What is this place?”

  I looked in my mother’s direction. When I saw her, my jaw dropped. I almost didn’t recognize her. My mother still wore the loose robes that gave her a sloppy and slovenly air. However, almost everything else about her was different.

  Her skin now resembled the night sky above: black sprinkled with glowing golden motes that resembled stars. Like me, her hands and feet were clawed and covered in black and golden scales, though her neck and face remained bare. A large pair of black horns protruded from her forehead. Her long curly hair now resembled a waterfall made from liquid starlight. Even her golden eyes seemed brighter than before.

  With her current appearance, my mother looked like some kind of goddess, one whose body consisted of the night sky. I stared, unable to take my eyes off her.

  “Ah, right,” my mother said, her lips twisted into a knowing smirk. “You’ve never seen me like this.”

  “Are you an immortal?” I asked, blurting out the words.

  It was a ridiculous question, I knew. However, at that moment, in this place, it seemed plausible.

  “Of course not,” my mother said with a snort, “This is just my Demon Form.”

  Her words pulled me out of my daze. My cheeks heated up and I felt ashamed by my childish reaction.

  “Don’t be embarrassed.” My mother said. “Each of your sisters asked the same question when I first brought them to this place and revealed my Demon Form.”

  That made me feel a little better.

  “To answer your earlier question,” my mother continued, spreading her arms out. “This is my domain.”

  I frowned at that.

  “This is your domain?” I asked, looking around.

  My mother nodded.

  “Yes,” she said. “Most people know that Domain Creation cultivators can impose their domains over the world and exert their will. However, what they don’t realize is that it is possible to enter a domain. After all, a domain is an internal world, an expression and manifestation of the soul. Think of it as a hidden realm that exists inside of me, if that makes it easier for you to understand.”

  Thinking of it that way did make it easier to understand. Second Master once told me that Domain Creation cultivators superimposed their internal worlds over reality. However, I hadn’t realized that he meant that they had literal worlds inside of them. The thought both filled me with awe and humility. Not for the first time, I realized just how little I knew and how powerless I was in the grand scheme of things.

  “This is the perfect place for secluded training,” my mother said, gesturing to her domain, “Which was why I brought you here. No one will interrupt us in this place.” She gave me a sadistic smile. “It also means that there is no escape for you.”

  Dread crawled its way up my spine, replacing the awe and wonder I felt. I took a step back.

  “What exactly do you have planned for me?” I asked, my voice trembling.

  “Sidra gave me a brief summary of your conversation with her,” my mother said. “You told her that you don’t know the limits of your strength. We’re going to fix that by pushing you to the limit over and over again. By the time we’re finished, you’ll know exactly what your limits are and how to exceed them.” She nodded with a satisfied expression on her face. “Yes, that’s a good way to spend our first month here.”

  A month repeatedly being pushed to my limit? That sounded like hell. For a moment, I faltered. I was tempted to try and escape, or at least beg my mother for mercy. However, the rest of me looked forward to this training. I remembered all the times where I wasn’t strong enough and only survived due to luck or the outside intervention. I couldn’t rely on either forever. I needed to become stronger, so I could protect myself and my loved ones. If this training helped me achieve that, then I would go through it as many times as necessary.

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  I took a deep breath to settle my lingering nerves and straightened up.

  “When do we begin?” I asked, looking my mother straight in the eyes.

  My mother eyed me with approval.

  “We begin right now.” She said.

  She pulled five large rings out of her storage ring. They were made from some kind of yellow material that I couldn’t identify. Each ring depicted the image of a mountain range on its surface. It was obvious that they were magic treasures of some kind, ones with an affinity for Earth based on their aura. They exuded a heavy pressure, which I felt by just looking at them. A part of me wondered if they actually contained mountains inside them.

  Before I could react, my mother tossed the rings towards me. They grew in size, until they were the size of bracelets. Four of the rings attached themselves to my wrists and ankles, while the fifth wrapped itself around my neck. The rings felt warm to the touch. They fit me perfectly, neither being too tight or too loose.

  As soon as the last ring was in place, a heavy pressure settled over my entire body, overwhelming me. It felt as if I now bore the weight of an entire mountain. I fell to my hands and knees, unable to remain standing. Even that much took all of my strength.

  “These are the Mountain-Bearing Rings.” My mother explained. “They’re called that for obvious reasons.”

  I couldn’t answer, since I was too focused on resisting the weight bearing down on me.

  “You will spend the entirety of your secluded training wearing those rings.” My mother continued. “I adjusted their power, so they should be light enough for you to use without issue.”

  I wanted to swear at her. How was this light enough for me to use? I couldn’t even stand! At least the weight was evenly distributed over my entire body, which made it easier to bear.

  “Well?” My mother said. “What are you waiting for? Stand up.”

  ‘I can’t,’ I said, resorting to telepathy, ‘It’s too heavy.’

  My mother walked over and crouched in front of me, so our eyes were almost level.

  “Didn’t you read the jade slip I gave you?” she asked, a frown on her face. “You should’ve mastered the basics of intent already.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Did you slack off? I told you that I would test you once we saw each other again.”

  I gave her an incredulous look. This distracted me long enough that I lost focus and fell face first into the sand. I twisted my head to keep my mouth and nose free. A part of me noticed that the golden sand felt soft and soothing against my skin, instead of course and irritating.

  “That was just a few months ago!” I said in a strained voice. “You told me that it would be years before we saw each other again.”

  My mother walked over until she was in sight again.

  “True.” She admitted. “Even so, you should’ve mastered One With The Fist by this point.”

  “I started to, yes,” I said, “I even used it in battle, but I haven't mastered it yet.”

  My mother sighed.

  “Darian,” she said. “One With The Fist isn’t an ability that you use in battle. It is a state of being where you can imbue every action you take with your full strength. Honestly, it should be called One With The Body, but everyone kept scoffing at that name, especially those damned sword cultivators. They said it was stupid since we’re always one with our bodies, so there was nothing special about it. Fools. I found it irritating, so I changed the name. It was either that, or start a massacre.”

  I realized, not for the first time, that my mother was a strange and odd person. However, I was getting used to it at this point, so I didn’t say anything.

  “I mean, aren’t we always one with our bodies?” I asked instead.

  My mother snorted.

  “No,” she said, “Though most people think so.” She paused. “Let me show you what I mean.”

  My mother walked a few feet away before stopping.

  “When most people walk, they move like this.” She said.

  She walked around for a bit to illustrate her point, before facing me again.

  “This,” she said, “Is what it looks like to walk when you’re one with your body.”

  Once again, my mother walked around for a bit. On the surface, the second walk seemed the same as the first walk. However, I noticed a difference right away, though it was a subtle one. My mother imbued her will into her every action, down to the most minute movement. She didn’t just walk. She walked. It was sublime. After witnessing this, I realized that the way I moved was far cruder in comparison, like a toddler just taking his first steps. Or maybe I was more akin to a baby learning to crawl.

  “Do you understand now?” My mother asked.

  I nodded, my cheek rubbing against the sand.

  “Good.” My mother said. “Then stand up. I know you can do it. You’re strong enough to bear that much weight.”

  Rather than try to push myself up right away, I closed my eyes. Seeing my mother’s movements earlier had given me insights into One With The Fist (or One With The Body), and I needed to internalize those insights first. My mother remained silent, as if she knew what was going on and didn’t want to disturb me.

  I thought back to all those instances of when I used-… No. I thought back to all those instances where I achieved the One With The Fist state, where my entire being was in perfect harmony. Back then, I just used my strength to attack with my fists. However, as my mother demonstrated, I could use it for every action I took. Instead of using One With The Fist or achieving it for a brief period, I needed to be One With The Fist (or One With The Body).

  I fell into a trance-like state as I meditated on the insights I gained from my mother just now, as well as the ones I gained during my first forays into One With The Fist. I felt as if I were on the edge of a breakthrough or an epiphany. Time lost all meaning to me as I laid there and meditated.

  And then, almost unconsciously, I lifted one of my fingers. A small movement, but one that I achieved with my entire being. It would’ve been impossible otherwise, with the Mountain-Bearing Rings weighing on me. After taking that first step, taking the next one was much easier. Soon, I could move all of my fingers and toes. After that, moving my limbs and my head became possible.

  It took a long time, but after a while I pushed myself to my feet. The effort strained my entire body, but I just barely managed it. Even so, maintaining the One With The Fist state while under the weight of the Mountain-Bearing Rings wasn’t easy. I almost faltered a few times, but recovered at the last moment.

  “There you go!” My mother said, clapping. “I knew you could do it.”

  I couldn’t tell if she was mocking me or not. In the end, I decided that it didn’t matter.

  “Finally,” my mother continued, “The real training can begin.”

  She cackled, and I had a foreboding premonition.

  My premonition proved accurate. The next month proved to be the most hellish and grueling I ever endured in my entire life. My mother pushed me to my limit time and time again. She tested my strength, endurance, and agility by putting me through various training exercises and obstacle courses.

  One time, I had to push a giant boulder up a mountain. However, it grew heavier and heavier the higher up I pushed it. Another time, my mother forced me to walk across a tightrope situated high above the ground while she tried to knock me off balance by throwing pebbles at me.

  The simplest, and most frustrating, exercise was when she made me crack eggs. This proved very difficult, since cracking the eggs without completely destroying them required precise control of my strength; something I lacked under the current circumstances.

  I endured all this, and more, while laboring under the weight of the Mountain-Bearing Rings. There were several times where I failed to maintain the One With The Fist state and fell face first into the sand. When this happened, my mother hounded me until I pushed myself back onto my feet.

  This happened less and less as time went on, until the One With The Fist state came as naturally to me as breathing. At some point, without my noticing it, I stopped thinking about it altogether.

  My mother tested my mystical strength and endurance as well, forcing me to exhaust my internal qi time and time again. This, on top of my constant physical exhaustion, left me feeling hollow and stretched thin. I grew to resent my mother for putting me through all this. I even complained to her once, saying that she was being too harsh.

  “You’re more than welcome to quit,” she said in response, “However, if you do, you will no longer be my disciple. I am doing all this for your sake. If you think I’m being too harsh, then you can leave and never come back.”

  I was tempted to. By my ancestors, I was tempted to just leave and never come back. My mother’s version of training felt like torture. Why would anyone willingly put themselves through all that? However, in the end, I stayed.

  Why? For one simple reason: my mother’s methods worked. I didn’t know if they would work for others, but they did for me. She pushed me to the breaking point over and over again, allowing me to discover the true limits of my strength. That was the whole point of all this after all. So, I gritted my teeth and continued forward.

  After a while, I lost track of time. Day and night had no meaning in my mother’s domain, since there was no sun or moon. There was only the starry sky. I ate when I grew hungry, I drank when I was thirsty, and I slept when I collapsed from exhaustion. Everything blurred together, until I could no longer distinguish one day from another. It was just an endless cycle of pain and exhaustion.

  One day, when I woke up, my body felt much lighter than before. As I laid there, it took me a while to realize that I no longer wore the Mountain-Bearing Rings. I looked around, a little dazed and confused. My mother appeared by my side and laid a hand on my forehead.

  “Go back to sleep, Little Demon.” She said in a gentle voice. “It’s over. You can rest now.”

  In my fugue state, it took me some time to understand what she meant. When I did, I went limp, as if my body had turned to mush. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

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  This chapter was edited by Radriel7