Chapter 2: Feng Lei's Provocation

"Hey! Ha! Hey! Ha!"

In the Feng family's martial arts training ground, a group of young figures leaped and bounded, practicing a set of basic boxing techniques. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, and the children were drenched in sweat, but no one complained. Their shouts of encouragement filled the air, creating a lively and intense atmosphere.

In the Heavenly Martial Continent, martial arts were revered by all, and the Feng family, which had established itself through martial prowess, was no exception. This tradition had been passed down through generations and had deeply ingrained itself in the people's souls.

"Put more effort into it! Did you not eat breakfast?"

A middle-aged man with a rugged appearance stood nearby, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light, his face stern. He occasionally barked out commands.

The man was named Feng Ren, and his strength had reached the Martial Master realm, making him one of the pillars of the Feng family. In the city of Yulan, he was also well-known.

He was also the most feared elder by the children, and under his stern commands, they redoubled their efforts.

Seeing this, a faint smile appeared at the corners of Feng Ren's mouth, clearly indicating his satisfaction with the children's performance.

"Hey! Ha!..."

This was a twelve-year-old boy, with a handsome face that still retained some childish features. His expression was serious, and his long hair was tied back. With every swing of his arm, he exerted his full strength, and his clothes were already soaked with sweat. He had been in this state for three hours, but he showed no signs of slowing down.

This was Feng Hao!

"Ha! Hey!..."

Every punch and kick from Feng Hao was executed with precision, and each movement produced a slight wind sound.

As a third-level intermediate Martial Disciple, all he could do was to strengthen his body.

In the path of cultivation, strengthening the body came first. Only by tempering one's body to be as solid as a rock could one practice martial arts to cultivate 'Martial Essence.' Only after cultivating 'Martial Essence' could one be considered a true martial artist.

"Morning practice is over!"

Feng Ren looked up at the scorching sun and shouted.

"Phew! I'm exhausted."

"Huff... Huff..."

The children collapsed on the ground, their complaints and heavy breathing filling the air. However, when they caught sight of Feng Ren's dark expression, their voices gradually faded.

They were all around ten years old, and two hours of morning practice had already drained all their energy.

"Huff! Ha!"

Feng Hao was the only one still persisting on the training ground. His feet were drenched in sweat, and with every swing of his arms, countless drops of sweat fell.

Feng Ren glanced at him but said nothing, then strode away from the training ground.

"Hmph! Putting on a show!"

A boy with a tiger-like appearance glared at Feng Hao, muttering resentfully, "If I had the same medicinal herbs for conditioning, I would already be a fourth-level Martial Disciple!"

He was the grandson of the Feng family's second elder, named Feng Lei, and was the same age as Feng Hao. He had already reached the third-level Martial Disciple, though only at the initial stage. On the surface, Feng Lei's talent seemed to surpass Feng Hao's, which was why he was extremely不服 (unconvinced) of Feng Hao.

Feng Lei was not the only one with this mindset; even the second-level Martial Disciples among the children harbored similar feelings.

Because of this, Feng Hao was largely isolated among the younger generation of the Feng family and often mocked in front of him.

Strength was everything. Without strength, one would not earn the recognition and respect of others. Feng Hao, who showed average talent, clearly could not command respect.

"Huff! Ha!..."

Feng Hao ignored the resentful remarks and continued his practice.

Since he was young, these voices had accompanied him, but he had no way to explain that the medicinal herbs had not worked for him.

With the sun high in the sky, Feng Hao finally stopped his practice, as continuing would not bring any improvement and might even damage his muscles, which would be counterproductive.

This was a lesson he had learned from experience.

"Huff... Huff..."

After a brief rest, he did not join the other children in their sparring or play. Instead, he dragged his tired body toward a courtyard.

"Hey! Our genius is tired already?"

Feng Lei, along with three other children, blocked Feng Hao's path, their faces filled with mockery.

"Here we go again."

"Haha! Serves him right!"

"A mediocre talent is still a mediocre talent, yet he takes up the best resources!"

The children on the training ground pointed and whispered, but no one stepped forward to intervene, all of them watching the scene unfold.

Feng Hao frowned, sidestepped, and continued forward.

"Hey? Our genius is still putting on airs? Haha..."

Feng Lei stepped sideways to block him again, a mocking smile on his face.

All four of them were third-level Martial Disciples and had no fear of Feng Hao. In fact, every time they fought, Feng Hao was the one who suffered, as one skilled hand could not match four fists. Moreover, Feng Hao was only one small rank higher than them, so the gap was not significant.

"Move!"

Feng Hao looked at him coldly, his voice hoarse.

"What? If I don't move, are you going to teach me a lesson again, genius?"

Feng Lei glared and stepped forward, closing in on Feng Hao.

"Bang!"

Feng Hao's fist met him, and the daily event unfolded once more on the training ground.

The result, as always, was that Feng Hao ended up being beaten up.

...

"Hao, you're back."

As soon as he entered the courtyard, a beautiful woman came out to greet him. Seeing him drenched in sweat and exhausted, her eyes filled with concern.

She was Feng Hao's mother, Qiong Su, from another town, a family of equal standing to the Feng family.

"Don't push yourself so hard next time."

Qiong Su took out a white handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Feng Hao's face. "You're so stubborn. If something happens to you, what will we do?"

It was clear that Feng Hao had often overexerted himself during his body-strengthening exercises, causing muscle strains.

"Mother, I understand!"

Only in front of his mother did Feng Hao's eyes show a hint of warmth.

In his heart, his mother was the person who loved him the most in the world, so he usually followed her advice without question.

"You!"

Qiong Su gently pinched his cheek. "Go take a shower, then come to the dining hall for lunch."

"Okay!"

Feng Hao nodded and walked toward a side room.

He winced as he took off his clothes, revealing dozens of bruises, both old and new. This kind of pain was something he had become accustomed to.

"Rinse!..."

The cool water washed away the heat and sweat. Feng Hao changed into a clean set of clothes that Qiong Su had prepared and then went to the dining hall.

Inside the hall, a square redwood table was set with several dishes, their aromas wafting through the air.

A middle-aged man with a stern expression was eating, and Qiong Su was serving him soup.

He was the current head of the Feng family, Feng Chen.

Seeing Feng Hao enter, Qiong Su put down her ladle and called him to sit down.

"Father!"

Feng Hao respectfully greeted Feng Chen.

"Hmm!"

Feng Chen responded indifferently, and the three of them finished lunch in silence.