As soon as they arrived in the valley, they were greeted by a lush yet formidable landscape. Powerful energies filled the air around them.
"What is this place?" Fruity asked.
"This used to belong to the Blue Feather Hawk Demons, but I wiped them out and repurposed them for your training. It contains powerful treasures, thanks to those demons' obsession with collecting anything rare and powerful," Yuying replied.
"I'm guessing you learned that from my previous self too." Hearing how she casually referred to mass genocide as if it were nothing, Fruity just smiled. He knew he would soon be committing similar atrocities—he had already started—but the teachings of the monks seemed to keep a part of his sanity in check.
Yuying smiled and waved her hand, bringing them to a stop in front of a pond-like structure filled with a powerful kind of water.
"This is Bone and Meridian Cleansing Essence. By tempering your body inside it, your bones will be cleansed, making them much stronger, and your meridians will also be cleansed, making it easier to channel your energies," Yuying explained, and Fruity nodded.
They moved again and stopped in front of a cave-like abode. "This is the Hunting Cave. The deeper you go, the more pressure and pain you will feel in your mind. If you manage to endure, your mind will become stronger than ever."
"How deep does it go?" Fruity asked.
"It's about 12 kilometers deep, but you don't have to go all the way. I only managed to reach 4 kilometers, so you can take it slowly at first," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.
They moved again, stopping at the base of a small mountain with stairs winding up its side to the peak.
"I call it Gravity Mountain. As the name suggests, as you climb those stairs, your body will be under constant pressure, which, theoretically, should improve your body's tempering.
"Of course, the current you wouldn't be able to climb even two steps because you're still just a Qi cultivator, but after going through all the body tempering processes I've prepared, you'll become much stronger before taking on this challenge."
"I'll go with the Ten Thousand Demon Beating Staff technique for now, while I think about the next weapon to choose," Fruity said as he walked away from the techniques section.
"Master, aren't you going to take the technique?" Yuying asked, puzzled.
"No, I've already learned it," Fruity replied with a smile, watching her expression. He knew that he had finally shown something that neither of his past incarnations possessed. That realization was comforting, as he had expected.
"Does that mean you..." Yuying began to ask.
"Yes, I've learned all the techniques. Now, all that's left is to pick up the weapon and practice," Fruity answered, still smiling.
"Interesting. Once you become a Great Sage, we can head to the Chaotic Region and learn all the techniques there. I'm sure, with just an hour, you'll be able to learn everything," Yuying said before waving her hand, and as Fruity expected, they were transported to a new place.
"This will be your resting place for the time you spend here." Fruity and Yuying appeared at a location with a building built into a mountain. All around, the place looked like paradise.
There were various kinds of fruits and other food items that Fruity immediately fell in love with. He had become the type of person who wouldn't complain the moment he saw food. The last thing he wanted was to grumble about something he loved with his entire soul.
"You can rest for the next few days before your training begins. I'll be away for a few days, but when I return, we'll start your training," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.
Finally, this was the "rich kid" treatment he had envisioned back when he and his uncle Monk were in Hammond City. He had seen the luxurious lives most of the youngsters there, who were also there to awaken their classes, were living.
He had asked his uncle about their situation, but all his uncle said was, that as long as Fruity had food and a place to live, he wasn't poor. Fruity, of course, didn't believe him—not even slightly. So, seeing this step up from his life back at the monastery, he was more than happy to spend the next few days relaxing.
Of course, he still had his priorities straight. For seven days, he relaxed and calmed his thoughts. On the eighth day, when Yuying returned from wherever she had gone, they began his training, which would last for the next five years.