Night enveloped the university; inside the dormitory, all was quiet.
A cool night breeze drifted through, the temperature difference between day and night unusually sharp, painting the campus in a tranquil, serene atmosphere. The dormitory building had settled into silence.
Tap, tap—a faint, rhythmic sound echoed through the quiet dormitory, blending into the tranquil night.
The gentle tapping continued, barely disturbing the serene atmosphere of the room.
Andrew Han paced back and forth, his eyes gradually brightening.
Following his master’s instructions, the basic prerequisite for the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance was the Martial Artist realm. In reality, it only required the circulation of Condensed Mist Internal Power within the body, then through visualizing mountains and rivers, one could evolve a stance as majestic as those landscapes.
So,
Condensed Mist Internal Power was the key to practicing the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance!
Thinking this, Andrew Han pursed his lips, opened his palm, quietly sensing the fused power in its mist‑like state, feeling increasingly certain in his mind.
"Condensed Mist Internal Power will work."
"Then, the fused power in its mist‑like form should work too!"
With this thought settled, he didn’t immediately attempt the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance. Instead, he took a few deep breaths and continued the Complete Solar Pillar Stance exercise.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to—it was that he couldn’t.
The mysteries of the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance were many and unpredictable... In the early stages of practice, one needed to visualize towering, majestic mountains; inevitably, the practitioner’s strength would leak out, unconsciously pressing downward on the ground—an unavoidable trait.
Only after mastering the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance could this be alleviated.
At this stage, when control was not yet perfect, Andrew Han worried that if he couldn’t restrain the urge to press downward with his power, he might instantly collapse the dormitory floor.
After all, this was different from other heavy objects.
If it were something like a heavy truck, the tires would distribute the force over a large area. But practicing the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance, the force was concentrated on just the soles of his feet—it might even collapse two floors at once.
A moment of silence lingered, broken only by the soft hush of the wind outside.
Time passed; soon it was dawn.
As the sky just began to lighten, Andrew Han left the dormitory building, seeking out a secluded grove. He carefully scanned the area, ensuring no one was nearby before focusing his mind.
"Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance."
"Visualize the most majestic, imposing mountain ranges I can imagine, then match that with the entry posture of the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance... Whenever I can perfectly control the downward force, that means I've succeeded."
Perfect control is exceedingly difficult.
Even Miles Ning treats this Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance as a treasure, never showing it lightly. Because once mastered, it can be practiced all the way to the Martial Lord realm—and this is only the First Mountain Realm, the initial layer of the art.
The First Mountain Realm is the first layer of stance mastery.
Yet even the very first layer of the Mountain‑Sketch Pillar Stance far surpasses any seemingly advanced stance work; across Sinovera, it is an exceedingly rare art.
Of course,
Andrew Han never planned to master it in just a few days. If it were that easy, Miles Ning wouldn't guard it so closely. Yet even without reaching the First Mountain Realm, the stance’s effect still greatly exceeds that of the Complete Solar Pillar Manual.
Even the smallest piece of steel is far sturdier than a plank of wood.