After the Technique was explained to him, Aeric attempted it.
He sat cross-legged on his chamber, his palms a little below his chest, spread open and lifted upwards like a woman cupping her breasts. However, this was more difficult than that.
The Divine Tortoise Method was as rigorous as it was meticulous, focusing on controlled, rhythmic breathing and slow, deliberate movements.
To temper his body, Aeric had to visualize a steady river of Divinity coursing through his veins, holding onto the energy as he guides it with the calm and patience required of the method.
The technique required an imaginative ability to perfectly visualize the Divine river and the river channel through which they were passing through which were his Divine Vessels.
It involved cycles of inhaling deeply while using the open palms to mirror the movement of his breath from the lungs out of the nose, holding his breath for extended moments, then exhaling slowly. Each of these breaths would wind his body's energy flow into a dense, refined circuit.
Moving his hands in this slow, particular motion, he concentrated on releasing any form of stress that could cause blockage, allowing the Divinity to settle into every muscle and bone, strengthening his body piece by piece.
To stabilize. That was the goal.
Body Tempering, especially with the Divine Tortoise Method, required an extraordinary degree of self-discipline to stabilize the power within him.
The method's steady, almost immovable nature helped him contain the intense Divinity that was presently flooding his body.
Like a tortoise withdrawing into its shell, he learned to ground and temper his Essence, making his muscles denser and more resilient, his skin tougher, and his nerves steady.
With stronger muscles, tougher skins and bones, more Divinity could be housed. This put in simple terms was; the weaker the body, the lesser amount of Divinity it could host.
So, strengthening the bones, muscles, fibers and even the Divine Vessels themselves with his reserves of Divinity was the way to go.
However, the process was taxing. Every breath demanded he fought the intense surges, and more than once, the energy overpowered him, causing his limbs to tremble and his concentration to waver.
"Ugh!" he groaned after disconnecting with the cultivation for the fourth time. "This is... frustrating."
[Rushing is the path of the fool, but the slow and steady pace of the tortoise is unbreakable. In cultivating strength, let each breath deepen like the tortoise's step].
[Take slower breaths, do not guide your hands with the breath, instead guide the breath with your hands. Move your hands up and down slowly while your breath follows].
[Divine Tortoise Method completed]
[Next exercise - Star Fish Stretches for 10 minutes]
Aeric looked at the interface. 'Yeah, what are star fish stretches?'
[Star fish stretch is a cultivation exercise not a technique. To perform the Starfish Stretch, the practitioner lies flat on the floor, taking up a star-like position by extending all limbs — arms and legs — to their furthest reaches, almost as if trying to touch the edges of their surroundings. This intense stretch engages not just the muscles and joints, but also applies a gentle, persistent pull on the internal organs and Divine Vessels].
[The exercise focuses on loosening knots, smoothing out clogs, and realigning any dislocations within the Divine network to ensure the unimpeded flow of Divinity throughout the body].
Aeric read with understanding. 'I have to hold it for 10 minutes? Seems a bit much.'
Nevertheless, the system's orders were orders, and although Aeric had been curious of what would happen if he disobeyed them, he didn't want to find out yet. Besides, this was for his own good.
He laid down on the ground and stretched his hands and legs to the very length that they could reach.
After five minutes, he was already sweating and his limbs were already hurting. But he held on. The next five minutes was one of the most horrible five minutes of his life.
However, the moment the timer went out and he sat up with relief, there was one very feeling that completely filled him up. It was a sense of pride. Pride in himself.
'I am?' he thought. 'I'm actually... proud of myself.'
It was something that he had never thought he would say or believe. No one had ever even told it to him as well. But the moment the system rewarded him with the 25XP for his endurance, it felt like he had won a million dollars.
He was so proud of this little achievement and was ready to do more in the next routine.
'So this is how those gym rats feel whenever they finish benching 100 pounds?'
Knock knock.
'Mmh?' Aeric's eyes moved to his door. He sighed. 'Why won't mother leave me alone? Just for tonight?'
He stood up and walked to the door then opened it. "Mother, I said I do not want their apolo—"
Aeric paused. It wasn't his mother by the door.