The waterfall was impressive, a hundred feet high and at least fifteen feet across. It stood alone on top of one of Mount Pazou's peaks, it's clear waters tumbling into the valley below. While it's hardly the largest waterfall on the mountain, it was the steepest. It's waters formed the widest river in the valley. The sun was just poking it's head over the horizon, it's golden light dancing wildly with the crystal waters. The waterfall diffracted the sunlight, splitting it's colors into an array of vibrant blues and yellows. Vod would've found comfort in this wonder of nature, if he wasn't in so much pain.
The Crane Hermit had submerged himself under the waterfall, and was floating several under feet above the river. The strain to even hold himself under the tumbling water was immense, as the weight of an entire river was constantly beating down on his body. But Vod not only held himself in place, he practiced. An endless series of punches and kicks cut though the waves, each one flowing into the next. It was dusk when Vod first stepped under the the water and his attacks were slow and deliberate, emphasizing proper form and technique over speed or power. He gradually picked up the tempo as the night continued, every punch and every kick was slightly faster then the one before. It was agony, the weight of the water seeped into his very bones and the endless repetition of combos bored him to the point of insanity. He had only performed this type of training once before, back when he had started his apprenticeship under the late Master Clear. Vod was a much younger man then, the regime chiseled away the weakness- washing it away over a process of twelve hours. It turned a shy teenager into a martial artist.
By the time the sun finally broke over the eastern horizon, Vod's combos had accelerated into a blur.
Day Two - The River Submerge yourself Your Ki becomes the rock The separates the current
The river was long, stretching though the entirety of Mount Paozu's valley. It was snakelike in shape, consisting of several consecutive bends that drift lazily around Paozu's numerous peaks. While long and deep, the river only measured fifteen feet across at it's widest point. Therefore the current was powerful, it's waters were either white water rapids or swirling typhoons. There was beauty in such things, a stark reminder of nature's sheer power and how little one was compared to it. Vod made his camp along it's banks, and it was here where he decided to start the day's training.
The hermit was submerged up to his chest, his naked legs crossed over one another. Even here on the shallows the current was powerful, the old man struggled to even keep his place against the tide. His muscles ached from the night before, a dull throb that pulsed against his entire frame. While the cool waters took the edge away somewhat, the pain was still nested within the hermit's thoughts. For this, he was thankful. Pain has been the old man's constant companion, it had accompanied him though every step of his training. The creaking of his bones drove him onward, the screams of his muscles were what he drew his strength from. There is no progress without pain, it molds the weak into the strong.
Vod sighed before he took in a deep breath. Inhaling for several seconds though his nose, and began to tug at his Ki. He held that breath for a moment, long enough for his Ki to flow throughout the entirety of his body then let it out through his mouth. 'One...' Another breath, another pull of his Ki. 'Two...' By his third breath, he was near bursting with energy. It was an uncomfortable sensation- his skin crawled, his teeth itched, but the old man continued to mold his Ki.
Keeping count on his breathing didn't matter. Where he was didn't matter. The noises that faded away from his ears didn't matter. What time of day it was didn't matter. His wet, naked, frame didn't matter.All that mattered was the flow of ki through his body. It started at his center. The source of his power. A source that was simultaneously a tranquil pool, and a raging fire that needed fuel from the body. From there, it spread to every limb, every fiber of muscle. It was as much a part of him, and as necessary, as his blood. And much like blood, it flowed.
It flowed out of him; though his pores, his breath. He felt his own power embrace him, cocooning around his naked frame like a blanket. It pushed against the river, forming an invisible bulwark that the water could find no purchase on. With every breath, more Ki tumbled out of him- further forcing the water back. Eventually the hermit was sitting naked on dry land, with the river flowing around himself as if he was a bolder.
It was taxing, much like lifting weights. The water's strength was endless, it has cut it's way though the mountain itself. Given enough time, the water will eventually spill off the other-side of Mont Paozu. To defeat nature is a fool's errand, the purpose here is to endure, to meditate as one's body is strained to the absolute limit. Vod centered his focus again. The world, the river, and the pain bled away. There was just him and his ki, a burning light that roared and churned. He followed the light back to the source of all of his energy, a mix of emotions and images. Vod saw his master, smiling over her defeated enemies. He saw his parents, crippled by their own wealth. He saw himself, standing among a pile of charlatans. Pain, strength, power- those words echoed like a mantra through it all.
Vod grimaced, the waters reclaimed an inch. He dived deeper, focusing his attention on the road of memories. A brief flash came back to that botched tournament of his, laying facedown under his opponent's grin. The humanitation of that fight continued to haunt him. 'Never again' he decided, years ago. Another torrent of water smashed against the cocoon, jerking the old man out of his memories. Pain flashed, his shoulders buckled- Vod found himself nearly keeling over as his conscious mind realized the exertion on his body.
'Nngh- I can do this! -Just gotta focus, a little big longer.'
Vod breathed and pulled from his reserves, sending a rush of Ki to further reinforce the cocoon. It helped but not by much, a few inches at least. Long enough for Vod to regain a "hold" of the channels that his ki flowed through, again pulling his mind down the roads of his Ki. Then, like before, he began to probe his own power- tugging at the fundamentals that made up who he was. Unlike before, however, he kept a conscious hold on his body's status. It was an unwilling reaction, the hermit was made keenly aware of the dangers he is in and his subconscious refused to let that bit of information go.
Vod did his best to keep his breathing and ki flow steady. The former was easy, the latter was more difficult. The cocoon demanded a constant flow of Ki to keep from falling apart. He had to manage his ki reserves, while keeping them from opening so wide that he lost control. It was a bit like holding some amorphous hose, multiplied a thousand times over in every part of his body. A strain that he certainly felt in the way his muscles tensed, a physical action that mirrored the metaphysical one. His body began to break out into a cold sweat, his eyes scrunched and his brows furrowed. His jaw clenched together to grit his teeth. It was difficult. Oh so very, very difficult, but he did it. For fifteen cycles of breath, he kept the water at bay
It became too much after that. Vod was forced to drop the cocoon, releasing the torrent of water over his body. The river popped, the force of the impact sent the old man sliding for a feet feet, and Vod came back to the real world. His eyes flew open, taking in the dense collection of thick tree-trunks, the rolling peaks, the stark beauty of Mount Paozu. For a long moment, all the hermit could do was sit in the river, panting and clutching at his chest. He picked up oh the sounds of birds chirping, insects buzzing... and the occasional rustling from animal movement and wind. There something else, a subtle change in his Ki. He felt, different. Stronger perhaps, or maybe he was simply exhausted. Regardless, the experience was enlightening. To see your values, your ideals, all the things that forged you into the person you are? The wisdom in that alone was worth any price on your body.
"Alright then..." He panted out as he slowly pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he rose from the riverbed Mud caked his bare ass and thighs, and droplets of murky water ran down his entire person. "Food. Rest. Bath" The three heavens, a reward every warrior craves. Despite every inch of his body screaming at him, Vod was in good spirits. It was only the second day of his training and he's already felt the effects. The refresher under the waterfall had tighten the old man's forms to perfection, he honestly believed that he could preform those attacks in his sleep- flawlessly. While it was too soon to feel his gains from the river, Vod nonetheless expected a dramatic improvement to his Ki control.
By the time he reached his camp, the Hermit simply collapsed- and drifted off to sleep.
Vod awoke the next day at the crack of dawn, to the screaming of beasts and cawing of birds. The hermit groaned and sat up, feeling the sharp stabs of pain digging into his arms and shoulders. It was his rest day, and the old man would've liked to have slept in abit more, perhaps an hour after dawn. The local fauna of Mount Paozu, however, seemed to disagree. It didn't matter now, he was awake and there was no point griping about it.
He started his morning with the basics, a set of routine exercises to keep his body going heathy. O Some stretches, followed by a thousand reps of push-ups, squats, sit-ups, pull-ups. Which was all capped by a good old fashioned run around the forest. After that. Vod prepared breakfast, An omelette, seasoned with whatever game Vod managed to get his hands on. Today it was fish, neatly diced and fried within the omelette- and paired with two glasses of tea.
After breakfast, Vod usually didn't bother with getting dressed. Instead, he walked naked away from his campsite to the river's bank. He sat there, a few feet short of yesterday's location, legs crossed ontop of eachother. It was his rest day, but that didn't mean Vod couldn't do something more productive then work out and get fat off eggs. The crane hermit spent the entity of the on the riverbank, and simply relaxed. Vod focused on many things as the hours went by; the upcoming tournament, his own progress during this week, the aches in his body. Mostly however, he thought of Zaru- the young monk he met days earlier. Zaru had potential, a deep well of power that could be forged into true strength. The problem was that Zaru was alone, he had no real background or academic knowledge on the philosophy of martial arts He had no tutor to guide him. It was just him, puzzling and poking at his own limits.
Vod never really considered bringing in students, the thought honestly hadn't crossed his mind. The old man had bigger plans for himself, the world- and didn't need the complication of instructing. Or so his thought. Zaru brought something out in the hermit, a joy he hadn't felt since the first time he strode at his Master's side.
