After bidding farewell to Gamajay, Veigar followed Fukasaku to his home.
Just as they reached the entrance, Fukasaku called out to the inside:
"Old wife, I've brought Veigar. Is his food ready?"
Shima from inside replied:
"It's ready. Come quickly and sit down to eat!"
At the dining table, Veigar looked at the array of delicacies, and the types of dishes were exactly as he expected.
They were all made from insects.
The alias for this table of dishes: "The All-Insect Feast."
Many people wouldn't agree that dishes made from insects are delicacies, but those who have tasted them know that insect dishes are no less delicious than those made from other ingredients. When prepared by a skilled chef, they are truly a rare treat.
Veigar sat down without batting an eye, his appetite stimulated by the rich array of dishes on the table.
Although he couldn't name the strange insects in the various platters, this "All-Insect Feast" displayed a full range of cooking methods: frying, deep-frying, braising, stir-frying. From this, it was clear that Shima was indeed a highly skilled home-cook.
The ingredients were insects, and she excelled at cooking insects.
"Veigar, how is it?"
"Aren't my old wife's dishes delicious?"
Shima asked with a smile, looking at Veigar.
Veigar quickly nodded and replied:
"Mm, very delicious."
A satisfied smile appeared on Shima's face as she said:
"As long as you like it, let's eat quickly."
Subsequently, Veigar savored Shima's All-Insect Feast, and the three of them ate with great relish.
Pan-fried, deep-fried, braised, stir-fried, insect soup – Shima brought out all her best skills for this meal.
The person and two toads quickly devoured the entire feast. Seeing how much Veigar enjoyed his meal, Fukasaku quickly praised:
"Veigar, aren't my old wife's dishes tasty?"
Veigar, still craving more, replied:
"Mm, very delicious!"
"Thank you for the meal."
Seeing that Veigar enjoyed it, Fukasaku and Shima exchanged smiles.
A few days later, Veigar was completely familiar with Mount Myōboku and had integrated into its way of life.
On this day, Fukasaku decided to begin teaching Veigar the method of Sage Mode training at Mount Myōboku.
Since Veigar had come specifically for Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, there was no reason for him to refuse.
Following behind Fukasaku and Shima, Veigar arrived at Mount Myōboku's forbidden area, a stone forest deep within the mountain where towering, sharp-pointed stones rose from broad bases.
Surrounding the stone forest were numerous stone toads.
Pointing at the stone toads around them, Fukasaku said:
"These stones are the predecessors of Mount Myōboku who failed in their Sage Mode training."
"Forever petrified here."
Shima next to him also spoke:
"If you give up now, you won't have to bear this risk."
Veigar took a deep breath, very calmly and confidently stated:
"I won't give up, and I will definitely succeed."
Seeing Veigar's continued persistence, Fukasaku and Shima secretly nodded, then Fukasaku continued:
"In that case, I will now teach you how to train in Sage Mode."
Although Veigar generally knew the method of Sage Mode training, it was only superficial knowledge.
Veigar listened intently as Fukasaku explained:
"Our Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku pursues a delicate balance between human and nature, emphasizing achieving a fusion of self and nature in a state of stillness."
"Only then can one perceive and absorb natural energy for Senjutsu Chakra."
"So, the first step in training is to achieve stillness."
Talking without practicing is a pretense; only through practice does one know the difficulty of training.
"To achieve stillness, you must do as I do."
Next, Fukasaku found a wooden board, then leaped up, placed the board on a pointed peak, and sat down on it.
Sitting on the peak, Fukasaku swayed slightly, then remained as steady as a statue, perfectly balanced and completely still.
Afterward, Fukasaku looked at Veigar below the peak and said:
"This is the first step in training for Sage Mode."
"As long as you can maintain your body's balance as freely as I do, then you've completed it."
In Fukasaku's opinion, it would take at least one to two weeks for Veigar, who had no prior experience with Sage Mode training, to maintain balance on the peak.
To achieve complete mental emptiness and stillness like him, it would definitely take at least half a year.
Looking at Veigar, Fukasaku recalled Jiraiya, who had also trained in Sage Mode back then.
Jiraiya had initially taken three weeks to find the knack for maintaining balance, barely managing to sit on the peak.
However, Jiraiya had spent nearly a year on emptying his mind and achieving stillness in his training, taking three years of practical experience to complete his Sage Mode training.
Nevertheless, achieving stillness had nothing to do with personal strength; it required one's own coordination and harmony with nature.
One had to persist day and night, regardless of wind or rain, to train consistently, only then could one master stillness more quickly.
"Mm, I understand."
Veigar's eyes showed an eager expression; he was already impatient to begin his training.
"Then come up!"
At this point, Shima handed Veigar a wooden board, signaling him to begin his training.
Without further ado, after taking the wooden board, Veigar mimicked Fukasaku, leaped up, and then stood steadily on the peak.
However, Veigar's stability lasted for only five seconds.
This result was entirely within Fukasaku's expectations. Seeing Veigar unable to maintain his balance, Fukasaku said:
"I can't help you with this."
"You must rely on yourself."
Veigar nodded at Fukasaku and resumed his training.
With a burst of determination, Veigar made more than ten attempts under Fukasaku's watchful eye, all of which, without exception, ended in failure.
This was also because Veigar was not using chakra, relying solely on his natural balance for training.
Training is endless; training completed through cheating is meaningless and will only lead to further degradation.
Therefore, Veigar continued to persevere.
Fukasaku supervised from the side.
For Veigar, supervision wasn't important; what mattered was that Fukasaku could guide him.
This was extremely important.
It wasn't until nightfall that Veigar slowly grasped the trick, able to stay on the peak for a good while.
Fukasaku, who was beside Veigar, was deeply relieved to see Veigar find the knack so quickly.
"This talent, it's countless times stronger than my own."
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TN: This fanfic has been fully translated and is available on my Patreon —— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]