Qian Renxue pointed at a large stone nearby—one Tianyu had often used for training in the past. It wasn't far from them and was quite big, about two meters tall and roughly one and a half meters in diameter.
"Your task is simple. You must bore a hole through the center of that stone without destroying it completely. And you may not use your spirit power."
"Is that all?"
Qian Renxue didn't answer his question. She merely shifted her gaze and pointed to another, smaller stone near Tianyu.
"Before you try with that one, test yourself on this."
Tianyu turned to look at the stone Qian Renxue indicated. It was still fairly large, about one meter tall and around one meter in diameter. Even so, it was clearly smaller than the first stone she had pointed to.
"Isn't this task too easy, Sister Xue?"
But Qian Renxue remained silent, watching him without replying a single word.
With a resigned sigh, Tianyu walked over to the one-meter-tall stone. Once he was in front of it, he immediately got into his punching stance.
He took a deep breath, feeling the flow of strength in his body even without using his spirit power. He focused entirely on the center of the stone, calming his mind and loosening his muscles before unleashing all his physical strength.
"Haa—!"
His fist shot forward with speed, striking the center of the stone.
Deng! A harsh sound rang out in the air. The stone immediately shattered into pieces under Tianyu's punch.
Tianyu's expression froze a little. He turned toward Qian Renxue and scratched the back of his head even though it wasn't itchy.
Qian Renxue let out a slow breath, her eyes fixed on him.
"Now do you understand what you have to do?"
"Yes, Sister Xue. I have to control my destructive power and aim precisely at the point I want to hit."
"Good, as long as you understand. Remember, if the stone cracks even slightly in other places, it means your power still isn't fully focused."
Qian Renxue crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze sharp yet calm as always.
"This task isn't just about strength, Tianyu," she continued. "It's about control. About how deeply you understand your own body. A body that can't control its power is worthless on the battlefield."
Tianyu nodded slowly this time, not arguing. He turned his eyes to the large stone that was his ultimate target. It stood solidly, two meters tall and about one and a half meters in diameter. Its surface was hard and dense—clearly far more challenging than the smaller stone.
He walked toward it slowly, examining every side, searching for any hint of a weak point he could use to his advantage.
"I can't just rely on raw muscle. There has to be technique, rhythm... and focus," Tianyu muttered to himself.
He then sat cross-legged in front of the stone, closed his eyes, and took a long, steady breath. Time passed in silence, broken only by the sound of gentle wind and rustling leaves around them.
Qian Renxue said nothing. She simply watched, letting Tianyu find his own rhythm.
After a few minutes, Tianyu opened his eyes. They were calmer now. He stood up, returning to his stance, but this time he didn't strike right away. He rotated his wrists, adjusted his posture, making sure all his strength was aimed at a single point—the center of the stone.
His fist lashed out again. Fast, but this time controlled. There was no roar, no shout. Just a deep, solid "duk," like a hammer pressing into metal.
Tianyu immediately pulled his hand back to inspect the result. On the surface of the large stone was now a small dent, several centimeters deep. No cracks on the sides. No shards.
He hadn't broken through the stone yet, but he hadn't shattered it either.
Qian Renxue offered a faint smile.
"Now you're on the right track."
Tianyu nodded, sweat starting to bead on his brow. He knew this would take time—maybe hours, maybe days. But one thing was certain: he wouldn't stop until he could bore a hole through that stone without a single crack appearing elsewhere.
And Qian Renxue stayed right there, a silent witness to every punch he would throw from now on.
Time passed, and four days went by with Tianyu training to control his power. Now, on the fifth morning, dew still clung to the grass as Tianyu stood firmly in front of the same stone.
Qian Renxue, as always, stood nearby. She hadn't offered a single word of praise or criticism over the past four days. She simply watched him intently every time he punched the stone. Today was no different.
Tianyu took a deep breath, letting the cold morning air calm the pounding in his chest. He raised his fist slowly, as if measuring the path of his punch down to the last millimeter. His eyes were filled with determination that today he would succeed.
He felt the flow of power moving from his feet, pooling in his waist, then channeling to his arm. This time, every muscle and joint moved in perfect harmony.
"Focus... not on strength, but on penetration."
"Hup—!"
His punch shot out like an arrow released from a bow. No explosion. No shout. Just one pure surge of power concentrated on a single point.
Duk.
The sound was different from before—deeper, heavier. Tianyu slowly pulled his hand back.
In the center of the stone was now a perfect hole.
It went all the way through to the back, precisely in the middle, with a diameter the size of his fist. No cracks. No shattered fragments. The stone still stood strong and whole—only now it had a clean tunnel carved through its body.
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow.
"Not bad."