Chen Xiaojun lived a very disciplined life—mainly because he was extremely self-disciplined.
The next morning, just after five o'clock, he got up and began his full day of cultivation and study.
Around 5 AM: He did half an hour of warm-up—leg stretches, frog jumps, horse stances, and other physical training.
6 AM: Ten laps running around the village.
7 AM: Back home for breakfast and a quick wash.
7:30 AM: Sword practice began at the training ground beside the main courtyard.
Sword techniques were divided into four major types: striking, thrusting, parrying, and disarming (twisting away weapons).
Striking techniques included: chopping, slashing, cleaving, slicing, pointing, bouncing, flicking, hooking, sweeping, piercing, drawing, and wrist flourishes.
Thrusting techniques: level thrusts, upward thrusts, downward thrusts, and reverse thrusts.
Parrying: high block (interception), horizontal block (redirect), and low block (cut-off).
Disarming techniques, mostly involved twisting movements to lock and disable the opponent's weapon.
At this time, the lovable little chubby Zhu Wuneng would usually show up to train together. He focused more on physical conditioning and fist techniques, along with the rake technique from his maternal side. His family had great natural endurance—something they were known for.
Others occasionally joined too—like his older brother Chen Jianjun, his cousin Chen Feng, or Zhu Wuneng's elder brother Zhu Wukui.
After basic sword training, Chen Xiaojun would add a personal practice: Iaido (sword-drawing technique)—the only sword move he currently deemed practical and worthwhile.
In his memories from his previous life, there were countless legends about this draw-and-strike technique. Though a basic move, it was incredibly powerful—known for its lethality and precision, focusing on defeating the opponent in a single strike.
"A single sword stuns the heavens. Once the blade is drawn, the opponent falls."
The technique emphasized rapid execution—the entire move was completed in an instant, often before the opponent even realized the blade had left its sheath.
He recalled the Heaven-Slaying Draw Sword Technique of Demon Lord Qiye from A Chinese Ghost Story—a supreme sword style, brilliant and terrifying, leaving all in fear.
Iaido emphasized the character "拔" (draw), which in turn stressed "藏" (concealment).
One must first calm the mind, focusing spirit, energy, and body, like a venomous snake coiled in waiting, or a hidden assassin poised to strike.
No action is taken unless it's decisive. When executed, it must be a swift, thunderous, and fatal blow.
Every day, he used this sword-draw technique to slice a large wooden post. His father had installed not only wooden posts for cutting practice but also plum blossom poles nearby.
After that came the Chen clan's ancestral footwork—Sword Steps.
Let's clarify: movement techniques and footwork are different concepts.
Movement techniques (身法) refer to the blending of flexibility and strength—a natural skill developed through training to optimize the body's capabilities. As martial artists say, "Practice your fists three thousand times, and natural movement techniques will emerge."
Footwork (步法), on the other hand, is a skill or combat method. Sword Steps emphasized unstoppable force, upright stance, relentless advance, and seasoned mastery.
Practicing on the plum blossom poles helped him improve flexibility, agility, coordination, and especially lower-body stability, balancing rapid advance and retreat movements.
While training footwork, he incorporated basic sword techniques and the Chen family's grappling and sword-hand strikes into practice.
By the time this finished, it was nearly 11 AM, at which point he and Zhu Wuneng would spar to gain combat experience.
It was unclear whether the chubby one was just simple-minded and earnestly obeyed instructions to "go all out," or if he was sneakily cunning like a farmer—but in any case, he truly fought with full force.
Since they were still young, their sparring sessions lasted about half an hour, leaving them both bruised and swollen. It was the norm.
Overall, Chen Xiaojun fared a little better—thanks to his superior body movement and footwork, which were far more refined than Zhu Wuneng's.
Afternoons were usually spent with Granny Xin or his mother, who would teach him and other under-six children from the clan—such as younger siblings, cousins, and children from follower families like the Zhu family.
Lessons included literacy, arithmetic, daily knowledge, heroic tales, and mythology—in essence, it was the clan's preschool.
Possibly due to the world's rich spiritual energy and natural laws, children here grew faster than those on Earth, and their intelligence developed 20–30% faster. So their curriculum was also broader.
After 4 PM, it was his self-designated rest time.
Uniquely, while others liked to walk after dinner, he preferred walking before dinner. Behind the village lay Shaolin Lake, where he enjoyed sitting or lying on a small slope by the water.
As the lake shimmered under the light, it lifted his spirits.
The lakeside was lush with blooming lotus flowers. Dewdrops danced on the lotus leaves; birds occasionally came to feed or play.
"The setting sun and the lone wild goose fly together; the autumn waters stretch endlessly beneath the sky."
Such serenity and beauty brought him a deep sense of peace and contentment.
At nightfall, he either soaked in a medicinal bath or read books. The family had many types of baths—some to strengthen the body, others to speed recovery or calm the mind and focus. They rotated through them regularly.
Chen Xiaojun loved reading. His family's library was vast, though they had few specialized soul master books. Most focused on soul master knowledge, geography, history, local customs, astronomy, biographies, and more.
He loved them all. There were two full rooms of books. After learning to read at age four, he had spent two years reading—and still hadn't finished even a quarter. That showed just how rich their collection was.
He heard that the ancestral temple had even more books—and once he awakened his martial spirit at six, he could access it. It contained more soul master-specific texts.
Occasionally, under the moonlight, he would practice swordplay to improve his night-combat ability—a beautiful pursuit, for the night always held a certain romantic mystery.
As a child of only a few years old, Chen Xiaojun's greatest trait wasn't just diligence, obedience, or intelligence—but his self-discipline.
A self-disciplined child will always achieve good results in the future. It's a trait with high potential and a solid baseline.
Three days later—June 17th.
"Father, Xiuxin, Jianjun, Xiaojun—I'm back!"
A loud, resonant voice came from outside the main courtyard gate—it was the protagonist's father, the pillar of the Chen family's current generation: Chen Xun.
Now forty-seven years old, he was already a level 78 Soul Sage, expected to reach Title Douluo in his sixties.
He had a square, broad face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose, and a wide mouth. His hair flowed with traces of frost, and his nearly 1.9-meter height gave him a powerful and commanding presence. His gaze was full of authority.
He wore a sky-blue combat suit, with a white cloak trailing behind. Though travel-worn, his imposing aura remained unmistakable.
Behind him followed a round-faced, solidly built middle-aged man, a bit shorter but sturdier—Zhu Tianhao, the Chen family's steward and Zhu Wuneng's father.
Hearing the familiar voice, Ye Xiuxin and Chen Xiaojun came out to welcome him.
"Dad, Uncle Tianhao—you're back!"
"How've things gone over the past six months?" Ye Xiuxin asked with concern.
"Master, Madam, Second Young Master—I'll excuse myself now," said Uncle Tianhao respectfully.
"Alright, Old Zhu—you've had a long journey. Go home, your wife and kids are waiting," Chen Xun replied.
Ye Xiuxin nodded at him as well.
Chen Xun then said, "Xiuxin, overall things went smoothly. A few minor hiccups, but nothing major."
Turning to Chen Xiaojun, he added with a smile, "Xiaojun—your old man rushed back a few days early just for you. Your awakening is in three days, right? Haha! We ran out of Awakening Stones last time, but of course, I didn't forget! Look—"
As he spoke, he opened his bag and took out six pitch-black round stones.
Awakening Stones were man-made, with soul-guiding stone as the main material. They were fairly common across the continent, and not difficult to make. Any halfway capable group knew how to produce them.
However, the production process was slightly complex—so only medium to large powers usually manufactured and sold them. The Spirit Hall produced and sold their own, with shops in every city above county level—proof required, of course. But Chen Xun hadn't gone through Spirit Hall for these.
"Hmm… Where's Father and Jianjun?"
He suddenly noticed their absence. "Did they go to Uncle Hong's place again?"
Chen Xun was already used to his father's and Uncle Hong's decades-long rivalry like roosters ready to spar. Old children indeed—when bonds were close, logic didn't apply.
"No, Jianjun broke through level 30, so Father took him to Shaolin Mountain to hunt a thousand-year soul beast for his third soul ring," Ye Xiuxin explained gently.
Chen Xun grinned broadly.
"Ha! That fast? Two levels in six months—not bad for my son!"
"Did he say when they'd return?"
"Father said they'll be back in a couple of days—before Xiaojun's awakening on June 20th."
Why was Xiaojun's awakening taken so seriously?
First, in the Douluo Continent, martial spirit awakening was the most important event in a person's life—no exaggeration. A person's future was determined the moment their martial spirit awakened. It was even more important than the college entrance exam on Blue Star (Earth).
Second, Chen Xiaojun had an exceptional physical constitution. Although not outwardly bulky, his body was dense and powerful. His arms were long, with excellent explosive force. His vitality was active and responsive—absorbing the effects of the family's ancestral medicinal bath better than even Chen Xun, Chen Jianjun, or the scholarly elder Chen Yu. He was especially suited to sword cultivation.
Third, Chen Xiaojun possessed extraordinary comprehension—unparalleled in both Chen Yu's and Chen Xun's lives. He mastered sword techniques instantly, and his grasp of sword principles was uncanny. Sometimes, during casual discussions, he would spark new insights even for them.
In a swordsmanship-oriented family like the Chens, this meant everything.
Not to mention—half a year ago, Chen Xiaojun shocked both top-level soul masters with a self-created draw sword technique. Chen Xun had underestimated it in practice and nearly failed to dodge it in time.
Even though it wouldn't have seriously harmed him, it still proved his terrifying talent.
Taken together, his extraordinary sword talent, hardworking discipline, and early brilliance made him the pride and hope of the entire family.