After three days of consideration, Uchiha Yoru gave up on the idea of learning the Eight Gates.
That forbidden technique was simply too painful to train.
Worse, it offered no positive feedback at all. Forcing himself down that path was not something he could endure.
Yoru had a very clear understanding of his own willpower.
More importantly, at the Foundation Building stage, his core objective was to develop natural energy and the physical body in tandem—laying the most solid possible groundwork for the next stage of cultivation.
From what he vaguely remembered, Daoist cultivation systems all emphasized one principle:
The body was the vessel that carried one across the world.
Once damaged—
Before completing foundation building, one must absolutely avoid any harm that could cause permanent injury, or damage the fundamental essence of the body.
Even indulgence was forbidden.
Compared to that—
The training intensity of Might Duy and Might Guy was even more terrifying than indulgence.
If an ordinary person trained like that, it would only take a few days before symptoms like blood in the urine appeared.
Yoru was certain—
Over the past ten years, Might Duy had experienced that condition at least ten times.
His body was riddled with damage.
His arms, legs, waist, abdomen, and back all bore traces of muscle breakdown—repeatedly, not just once.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be such severe fiber adhesion.
In contrast—
Might Guy, despite being only eleven, trained at the same intensity as his father—
Yet had no hidden injuries at all.
This shocked Yoru.
In the end, he could only conclude:
Might Duy was not only an outstanding taijutsu expert—
He was also a great father.
That level of training inevitably caused damage.
The reason Guy remained unharmed could only be due to Duy's meticulous care—
And the use of sufficient medicinal support.
Given Duy's status as a lifelong genin, it was obvious:
He spent all his money on his son.
As for himself—
He endured everything through sheer will.
He probably couldn't even afford painkillers.
If Yoru hadn't embarked on the path of cultivation—
If he hadn't successfully completed foundation building—
He might have decided to spend a fortune to hire Might Duy.
That man could absolutely design the most effective taijutsu training plan.
And having him supervise would eliminate laziness completely.
But now—
That was no longer possible.
Yoru's body had undergone drastic changes.
The transformation brought by foundation building was too extreme.
Even without a direct examination—
Just describing his condition to a taijutsu expert like Duy would expose everything.
An Uchiha should not possess regeneration beyond the Senju Clan.
Nor should they have chakra reserves surpassing the Uzumaki Clan.
Those were secrets that could get him killed.
So—
He would wait until he completed the Foundation Building stage—
And explore things on his own.
With ten times his body weight pressing down on him, Yoru forced himself step by step through his route.
After circling Konoha once, he dragged himself all the way back home.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, trembling, he took the final few steps to his door.
He glanced at the clock inside the living room—
And immediately brightened.
"7:49… five minutes earlier than yesterday."
"Not only am I improving—the rate of improvement is accelerating."
"Honestly, meow… I didn't expect such a stupid training method to work this well."
Miwa Masayo circled around him with elegant steps, carefully observing his upper body as he removed his gear, and let out a surprised remark.
After such intense training, his muscles were engorged with blood, swelling visibly.
He looked far stronger than before.
Nothing like the first day—
When his body had gone into spasms and even foamed at the mouth, despite his mind feeling euphoric, frightening her badly.
Nor like yesterday—
When he had collapsed in the hall, feeling as if his soul had ascended in bliss.
Today—
The sensation of pleasure was even stronger.
Yet he could calmly remove his weights and vest, standing upright as natural energy flowed through him, repairing his entire body.
On just the third day—
He could already finish training while standing.
The speed of his progress made him decide to try something new.
Standing meditation.
To see what effects stillness training might bring.
After a quick rinse, Yoru changed into loose training clothes.
Under Miwa Masayo's puzzled gaze, he attempted a horse stance.
Feet shoulder-width apart.
He slowly lowered himself, shifting his center of gravity downward.
Then, following what he remembered from short videos in his previous life, he widened his stance further and raised his arms to shoulder height.
Three minutes later—
His brows furrowed.
His thighs ached intensely.
They even began to tremble.
This is wrong.
He had seen others practice horse stance before.
Those people were far less physically capable than him—
Yet they could hold it for half an hour without any trembling.
Something was off.
Right… they all said the key to horse stance is relaxation… loosening the body…
But my thighs are as tight as iron pillars. There's no way to relax… what's wrong?
Let me think…
Right. Horse stance isn't the first step. The first step is… Hunyuan stance… something more relaxed… let's try that.
Hunyuan stance was simple.
Following his memory, Yoru adjusted his posture—
Feet shoulder-width apart.
Breathing steady.
Body relaxed.
As his breathing stabilized and his mind calmed, he slightly bent his knees, entering a half-squat posture.
His hands rose to shoulder level, fingers spread, palms facing inward.
Relax…
Relax…
Gradually, he began to feel something.
His posture shifted naturally.
His wrists rotated inward, forming a posture of inward embrace and outward expansion.
His shoulders relaxed more and more—
Yet did not slump.
Yoru felt it—
His feet seemed to root into the earth.
Slowly, he formed a posture of sinking shoulders and dropping elbows, hollowing the chest and lifting the back.
It was as if he were embracing a large bell.
Though his posture leaned slightly backward—
He stood perfectly stable.
Miwa Masayo watched, confused but intrigued.
She leapt around him, climbing over his body curiously—
Yet failed to disturb him as he unknowingly entered a state of stillness.
This was not sleep.
His mind remained alert.
If danger appeared, he could react instantly.
But familiar, trusted contact would not disturb him.
After entering natural stillness, his body relaxed further.
His posture subtly adjusted itself over time.
Standing meditation did not pursue low stances at first—
It cultivated qi and blood.
As qi and blood became abundant and began circulating naturally, the body would gradually transition into tendon stretching and bone alignment—
Eventually forming a naturally lower stance.
Normally—
This foundational training required two to three years before the body could meet the necessary conditions.
But Yoru's physique was far beyond ordinary humans.
It could hardly even be considered the same species.
Naturally—
His progress could not be measured by normal standards.
Before he realized it—
His stance had shifted into a horse stance.
And not just that—
His knees naturally sank into a low, stable structure.
Two hours later—
He began to perceive his "tendons and bones."
They started to pulse.
As they pulsed, his body moved subtly up and down.
His thigh muscles finally relaxed—
Similar to a "stand at ease" posture in military stance.
After about fifteen minutes of this—
He began to perceive qi and blood.
It wasn't literal qi or blood—
But a state of awareness.
Yet it felt—
As though a current of energy filled his entire body.
He even felt as if something lifted at the crown of his head—
While something sank at the base of his body.
A strange—
Yet profound sensation.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/SorenSwiftTL