Shearing Wool, Shearing Wool

After practicing swordsmanship for a while, Wang Teng put the sword back in the Weapon Room.

After coming out, he switched to practicing his fists.

When the trainee who had been practicing swordsmanship saw this, he shook his head again. Martial cultivation lay in mastery, not variety.

Practicing the sword technique twice like Wang Teng did before going to practice fist techniques was worse than focusing on just one. Otherwise, in the end, he would surely fail to master either.

"This newcomer is diligent enough, but he's a little stupid."

Wang Teng had no idea he had been labeled "stupid."

He practiced his fist technique twice and felt that his grasp of the Basic Fist Technique had grown a little more proficient. Hmm, not bad.

When he turned his head, he saw a tall figure standing beside him with arms folded.

It looked like he had been watching for quite a while.

"Instructor, when did you get here? Why didn't you say anything? You gave me a fright."

This figure was the Martial Apprentice Instructor who had taught Wang Teng the National Ninth Radio Calisthenics Exercise last night. Seeing him now still made Wang Teng's scalp tingle.

"Young man, I've watched you practice for some time. Your fists are good!" The instructor gave Wang Teng a thumbs-up.

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Wang Teng felt embarrassed and said, "Instructor, my name is Wang Teng. I still don't know your name."

"My name is Peng Hai. You don't need to call me Instructor either. Just call me Senior Peng," Peng Hai said.

"Senior Peng." Wang Teng went along with it, then asked, "Did you come this early too?"

"My talent isn't enough. I'm already in my twenties and still only an Advanced Martial Apprentice. I can only rely on hard work," Peng Hai said wistfully.

Wang Teng suddenly did not know what to say.

"Hahaha, don't mind it. I was just complaining casually. Wang Teng, you have good talent and you're willing to work hard. I believe that within three years, you'll definitely become a Martial Warrior. Keep it up," Peng Hai encouraged him.

Three years?

No, three days would probably be enough!

That was what Wang Teng thought, but all he could do was nod and say, "I'll work hard, Senior Peng!"

"All right, I'm going to train on the Third Floor. Other Advanced Martial Apprentices will be responsible for guiding you today. Of course, if you have any questions, you can come find me anytime," Peng Hai said.

"What an enthusiastic Senior Brother!"

Wang Teng watched him head up to the Third Floor and could not help sighing.

Before long, trainees began arriving one after another, and the Training Hall gradually became lively.

"Senior Brother."

"Morning, Senior Brother!"

"Senior Sister, you're as beautiful as ever today!"

Those who knew one another exchanged greetings, then began cultivating on their own. Everyone's time was precious, and they raced against every second.

Looking at them, Wang Teng suddenly felt that these trainees resembled fluffy Big Fat Sheep, each with so much wool that he could shear it forever and never run out.

"How wonderful!" The corners of his mouth lifted into an Old Father-like smile.

Once they grew fat, he could slaughter them... Pah, pah! Such fine sheep were not meant for slaughter. He had to keep shearing them forever.

As everyone began training with fiery enthusiasm, Attribute Bubbles dropped one after another.

Very quickly, the Training Hall became an ocean of bubbles.

Wang Teng happily drifted through it.

"I'm a wool-gatherer, shearing wool, shearing wool..."

He did not dare sing the song aloud for fear of being beaten to death. He merely made a fortune in silence while singing it in his heart.

If there had been notification sounds at that moment, they would surely have gone like this:

Strength *2 and Speed *6 have dropped ahead. You picked them up. Your strength and speed have increased!

Basic Fist Technique *2 has dropped ahead. You picked it up. Your Basic Fist Technique has become more proficient!

Comprehension *1 and Constitution *3 have dropped ahead. You picked them up. Your comprehension and constitution have increased!

There were even more people training on Saturday than there had been last night.

Wang Teng had completely underestimated the number of attributes everyone would drop—or rather, he had underestimated just how hard they trained.

The harder the trainees trained, the more likely they were to drop attributes.

It was like milking a cow: the harder you squeezed, the more milk you got.

After an entire day, he had actually completed his transition from a Low-level Martial Disciple to an Intermediate Martial Disciple.

Whether it was strength, speed, or constitution, all of them had surpassed the threshold for an Intermediate Martial Disciple, without the slightest bit of exaggeration.

Not only that, his Basic Fist Technique, Basic Footwork, and Basic Sword Technique had all reached Small Success!

According to proficiency, combat techniques could be divided into Rudimentary Proficiency, Mastery Level, Small Success, Great Success, Subtlety...

Upon reaching Mastery Level, one could already unleash a combat technique's proper power. Small Success offered even greater advantages, with its power at least doubled.

If one reached Great Success or even Subtlety, its power would multiply several times over.

Besides that, Wang Teng had also obtained the Basic Saber Technique and pushed it to Mastery Level.

His gains could not be called anything less than enormous.

By evening, it was time to eat.

After training all day, the trainees were already starving. They packed up and left the Training Hall one after another.

At this moment, Wang Teng was in a corner, inspecting his gains.

Holding the Black Iron Sword, he coordinated it with his footwork, darting, turning, and shifting as he swung the long sword, producing the sound of air being torn apart.

The young man who had practiced swordsmanship that morning was returning his sword and walked out of the Weapon Room.

He happened to pass by Wang Teng and glanced over absentmindedly.

"Th-this..."

He was utterly stunned. His mouth fell wide open as he rubbed his eyes hard, as though suspecting he was hallucinating.

"This is definitely not Mastery Level Basic Sword Technique. Small Success—it must be Small Success!"

He himself was at Mastery Level. Although he had not reached Small Success, he still had the eye for it.

But how was that possible? That morning, when he had watched Wang Teng train, Wang Teng had only been a beginner, his swordsmanship extremely crude.

Yet after a single day, it had actually reached Small Success!

This had to be a joke, right?

Could such geniuses truly exist in the world?

He felt as though he was beginning to doubt his life. That morning, he had mocked Wang Teng for being stupid, but thinking about it now, he himself seemed rather laughable.

"Madness! Madness!"

The young man looked utterly dejected. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he walked out of the Training Hall.

Wang Teng did not notice his existence at all. After practicing the saber, sword, fists, and footwork once each, he felt an all-over sense of smooth flow.

"Whew!"

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and returned the weapons to the Weapon Room.

As he walked toward the Martial Arts Hall's Underground Parking Lot, he summoned his Attribute Panel.

Comprehension: 28

Constitution: 52

Strength: 455

Speed: 185

Combat techniques: Basic Fist Technique (Small Success), Basic Footwork (Small Success), Basic Sword Technique (Small Success), Basic Saber Technique (Mastery Level)

"What a bountiful haul today!" Wang Teng drove home with a beaming smile.

At home, Li Xiumei was cooking. A rich aroma of meat drifted out from the kitchen, and Wang Teng's stomach immediately began growling.

"Mom, what delicious food are you making today? It smells so good!" he asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Star Beast Meat. Your father specifically told me to buy it for you," Li Xiumei said with a smile.

"Really? Dad is willing to spend that much?" Wang Teng said in surprise.

Star Beasts were wild beasts that had mutated under the influence of Primal Force. Since Primal Force originated from the cosmic stars, they had received that name.

Their meat was highly nourishing, far beyond that of ordinary beasts, and extremely expensive.

"It smells amazing. Let me have a taste."

He spotted a plate of braised pork on the stove. His mouth watered, and he could not resist pinching up a piece and tossing it into his mouth.

"Mmm, it's so good! Mom, your cooking is amazing."

"Oh, you really are the reincarnation of a starving ghost. And look at you, covered in stinking sweat. Hurry up and take a bath." Li Xiumei drove him out of the kitchen.