Bang!!
A loud explosive sound was heard, and Finn fell forcefully onto his back.
Finn groaned in pain and was unable to get up.
"Get up."
Wei Qingqing ordered coldly.
Finn stood up slowly while panting heavily.
Two days.
Two days had passed since the training under Wei Qingqing began.
"Sister, I think we have reached our limit," Wei Bin said with difficulty while panting and wiping the blood from his lips.
He had been dragged into this training with Finn because, in his sister's view, he was very weak.
As for Finn, Wei Qingqing was training him so that he would become a personal guard for Wei Bin.
It was true that Finn did not possess any Yuan Qi training, but his unique rubber body and his ability to withstand strong physical blows made him special. Wei Qingqing believed that with sufficient training in Yuan Qi, he would become strong enough to protect her brother in the distant future.
In short, Finn was an investment that she did not mind investing in.
Qingqing dashed forward quickly and struck Finn and Wei Bin.
Wei Bin and Finn flew away and fell onto their backs heavily.
But Finn remained on the ground for a longer time.
Qingqing narrowed her eyes and said, "You do not possess any Yuan Qi and have not opened even a single meridian despite being thirteen years old."
Finn stood up slowly while holding his chest in pain.
He suspected that one or two ribs had been broken.
"This is because Finn's cultivation talent is weak, sister, and he does not possess any cultivation technique that helps him gather Yuan Qi," Wei Bin said.
"Excuses. Cultivation techniques are not essential to open the Eight Qi Meridians," Qingqing said coldly. Then she continued, "Finn, you possess a unique rubber body that can withstand strong physical attacks, but this advantage disappears quickly when your opponent uses Yuan Qi in their attacks. Moreover, you possess no offensive power. Your body is useless and restrains you in combat. You are simply pathetic."
Qingqing said this with intense disdain toward Finn.
Finn stood panting heavily and stared at Qingqing with intense anger and hatred.
Finn had reached his limit.
No matter how much tolerance a person has, everyone reaches an end.
"I… am… not… pathetic!!" Finn shouted angrily.
"Finn, calm down please. My sister is only strict in training. This is how we train soldiers here. I mean, look at me—I am her brother and I was beaten badly just the same," Wei Bin said, trying to mediate, because if Finn insulted his sister in any way, he would not be able to protect him from her anger.
"Training my ass!! Where is the training? I don't see it! All you did in the past two days was brutally beat me!!" Finn shouted furiously.
Qingqing looked at Finn and smiled mockingly and said, "Oh? Has the rubber boy finally broken? Don't be afraid, because this is only the beginning. There is still a lot of suffering coming for you."
Qingqing said this maliciously, and Finn's anger disappeared immediately. His body trembled violently from fear, then he slowly turned around and ran out of the training ground quickly, escaping from this nightmare called training.
Qingqing sighed in disappointment, then grabbed Finn by the collar and dragged him back into the training ground while he screamed at her angrily, ordering her to let him go.
Qingqing looked at Finn in annoyance, then punched him forcefully on the head, causing poor Finn to lose consciousness immediately.
Wei Bin trembled at the scene and tried to escape slowly and stealthily.
But Qingqing caught him as well and forced him to train.
And thus another full week passed.
Finn trained to death during this week at the hands of Wei Qingqing.
He discovered several important things.
The first and most important thing was that he was completely useless when it came to cultivation.
He was literally talentless, and no matter how he tried to feel Yuan Qi or absorb it, he could not. Wei Qingqing cursed him and said that she had not realized that people as useless as him existed, and that he was almost as useless as a cripple who could never cultivate. Therefore, Wei Qingqing taught him a special Qi-gathering technique belonging to the Cang Lan Army, even though this violated army rules and was severely punished because Finn was neither a soldier nor even a citizen of the Great Chu Empire. However, Wei Qingqing's influence silenced anyone who objected to this.
The technique she taught him was a second-grade Yuan Qi technique, a technique many soldiers desired and dreamed of. As a result, hatred and jealousy spread toward Finn among the soldiers, who felt wronged due to Finn's special treatment by the Wei family, because second-grade techniques were only given to officers in the army who had achieved many military merits.
Yuan Qi techniques were divided into nine levels in total.
The first level was the weakest.
The ninth level was the strongest.
The higher the level, the greater the strength and density of the Yuan Qi.
Cultivation techniques became very important and necessary for a cultivator's foundation when entering the Qi Nourishment Realm.
Thanks to this technique, which was called the Star Absorption Technique, Yuan Qi could be absorbed quickly. However, its only flaw was that it could only be practiced during the daytime under the sun. In truth, it was considered trash among second-grade Yuan Qi techniques, but it was the most Wei Qingqing could provide to a stranger like Finn.
After a week of effort, Finn finally felt a tiny strand of Yuan Qi flowing through his body.
"Yes!! Finally!! I managed to absorb Yuan Qi!!" Finn shouted loudly and enthusiastically to Wei Bin.
"Really!! That's great!! Now you can officially become a cultivator!!" Wei Bin said enthusiastically.
"Silence!! What is there to celebrate? You only absorbed a tiny wave of Yuan Qi and did not even open a single meridian! Return to training immediately!!" Qingqing shouted sharply.
Finn lowered his head and said respectfully, "Yes, my lady." Then he returned and sat cross-legged on the ground, trying to gather Yuan Qi.
After several days of training, Finn began to appreciate and respect Wei Qingqing, even though he hated her at first, but he was deeply moved when she stood against the army commanders to give him the Star Absorption Technique.
After several hours of training and absorbing Yuan Qi until sunset, Finn stood up and groaned in pain.
Sitting on his butt all day was tiring and boring. No wonder there were not many people who achieved accomplishments in their lives in this world, because cultivation was very boring and exhausting and required great patience and dedication.
"Well Finn, how does it feel to absorb Yuan Qi?" Wei Bin asked cheerfully.
Finn smiled and said, "It felt wonderful, as if I was born anew."
Finn clenched his fist and felt that he was much stronger after Yuan Qi finally entered his body.
"Do not rejoice too much, because your cultivation speed is very slow like a turtle. At this rate, you might not be able to open your first meridian before eight months," Qingqing said coldly and poured cold water on him.
Finn sighed tiredly.
Qingqing looked at Finn and said, "Now attack me with your strongest attack."
"Yes, my lady," Finn said respectfully, then retreated several steps and tried to attack Qingqing, but his hands flailed randomly and his attacks did not hit her.
Qingqing defeated Finn quickly and said, "Your body has become a burden in combat because you do not know how to use it. At this rate, you will be useless even if you open all eight Yuan Qi meridians."
Finn stood up unsteadily and said, "I know the method and many techniques, and I have many ideas, but I cannot apply them in reality. Why?" Finn asked in genuine confusion.
He wondered whether he truly needed ten years of training to use the rubber fruit like Luffy did.
Qingqing looked at Finn carefully, then stepped forward, pinched his arm, examined his body, and said, "You are very weak. Your muscles are weak and pathetic, as if they are made of cotton."
"What?! What do you mean by that?! I endured your attacks and the general's attacks as well. I don't think anyone weak could do that," Finn said in frustration.
Qingqing did not speak and ordered one of the servants to bring some weights.
The servants brought more than one hundred kilograms of weights and placed them on the ground.
Then Qingqing said, "Wei Bin, go and lift these weights."
Wei Bin looked at his sister, stopped trying to catch the fly that was hovering around him and annoying him, then went to the weights and lifted them easily with one hand.
Qingqing nodded, then said, "Good. Now put the weights down, Wei Bin, and Finn, go and try to lift them."
Wei Bin dropped the weights immediately with a loud sound, then ran to try to catch that cursed fly again.
This fly had truly irritated him, and no matter how he tried to catch it, it easily avoided him, as if it possessed superior evasion instincts.
"Alright, look at me while I lift these weights," Finn said confidently. He tried to lift the weights, but they did not move at all.
Finn tried to lift them with all his strength, but he could not. He pulled his hands hard, but they only stretched and did not move the weights. After several minutes of trying and failing, Finn fell onto his back while panting heavily.
Qingqing stood over him and said, "You are very weak. You are even weaker than the servants who brought these weights. You were able to endure my attacks and my father's attacks without Yuan Qi because your body has rubber properties that absorb shock, but these properties do not make you strong or increase your physical strength. They only make you more durable and flexible."
Finn's eyes widened in shock when he heard Qingqing's words, and realization struck his mind like lightning.
Because Qingqing was right.
Before he came to this world and obtained the rubber fruit, he naturally could not lift one hundred kilograms. After coming to this world and obtaining a rubber body, his strength increased only slightly, without any major change. He was the same Finn who had been in New York more than ten days ago; nothing had changed except that he became rubber.
Now everything made sense to Finn, and he felt foolish for constantly comparing himself to Luffy.
What kind of monster was Monkey D. Luffy?
He was very strong even as a child due to Garp's training and being thrown into mountains full of beasts.
Even as a small child, Luffy could easily defeat the beasts inhabiting the mountains.
Giant bears and ferocious tigers.
Yet despite that, Luffy needed a full ten years to properly use his devil fruit and throw a respectable punch.
If Luffy needed ten years while already being that physically strong, how could Finn expect to do the same while being far weaker physically than Luffy even as a child?
Despair spread once again in Finn's heart, but it dissipated when he heard Qingqing say, "For this reason, we will begin physical training and strength exercises starting tonight. I will train you with the military training methods we use for soldiers here in the army."
Finn stood up and looked at her with hope, because after all, thanks to Qingqing, he managed to sense and absorb Yuan Qi within a single week.
Finn said in a tone full of gratitude and appreciation, "Really? Will you teach me army training methods even though this is against the rules?"
Qingqing smiled mockingly and said, "Against the rules? Rules do not matter as long as I am training you to become a personal guard for my weak younger brother."
"Hey!! I'm not weak!!" Wei Bin shouted angrily.
Qingqing ignored him and said to Finn, "But you must remember one very important thing, Finn. If you ever dare to betray us, try to escape after I taught you all these techniques, or attempt to harm my brother, I will cut off your head immediately. Is that clear?"
Qingqing threatened Finn coldly, and a terrifying and threatening aura spread from her.
Finn swallowed his saliva and said, "Do not worry, my teacher. I am not stupid enough to bite the hand that fed me and helped me become stronger." Then Finn thought to himself, even though that hand is crazy and beat me many times for no reason.
Qingqing smiled gently and her terrifying aura disappeared as if it never existed, and she said, unaware of Finn's thoughts, "Well said. Now start with one hundred push-ups."
Finn only nodded his head and began doing the exercises, ignoring the pain in his arms and clenching his teeth tightly.