Stance Training Breakthrough

Tianhai City No. 2 High School was one of Tianhai City's key high schools.

It gathered a large number of martial arts geniuses.

The entire school covered a vast area, with red-and-white buildings surrounded by towering metal walls that separated the world inside from the world outside.

Teaching buildings rose one after another within the grounds, while countless students in blue-and-white school uniforms gathered at the entrance and filed in one by one.

A row of burly security guards stood at the main gate, their eyes sharp as torches as they patrolled like great bears.

"So this is No. 2 High School? They really are all genius students."

"Son, study hard. Our family is counting on you!"

"..."

The new first-year students, having just entered high school, walked into the campus one after another with curiosity in their eyes.

Lin Qi looked at the vibrant new students with a hint of nostalgia. Two years ago, he had entered No. 2 High School by picking up a bargain, just as green and immature as they were.

Lost in those memories, he followed the crowd into the school.

After parking his bicycle, he made his way to the sports field with practiced ease, found his class's designated spot, and prepared for the Opening Ceremony.

An hour later

The tedious Opening Ceremony ended, and everyone returned to their respective classes—but not to ordinary classrooms.

Instead, they entered a vast, open room spanning over a thousand square meters, its walls lined with all kinds of common weapons, including sabers, spears, and swords.

In one corner, thick fist stakes over two meters tall stood on padded mats.

After Senior Year 3, Class 3 entered, everyone consciously went to the changing room, changed into loose Martial Arts Uniforms, and began training.

Some stood in place practicing stance training, while others began practicing fist techniques.

Some moved like a fierce tiger leaving the mountain, some spread their arms like crane wings, some swung their arms through the air like apes, while others coiled like nimble snakes...

Others struck the fist stakes, producing a rapid series of crackling sounds.

Some even picked up sabers, spears, swords, and other weapons and swung them about freely.

They chatted while practicing martial arts, sharing stories of their pleasant holiday lives. The air was filled with a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere.

Lin Qi did not join in the conversation. He hid alone in a corner, popped a Qi and Blood Capsule into his mouth, then began loosening up his body.

Once his body was thoroughly warmed up, practicing martial arts would be less likely to result in injury.

The muscles throughout my body are tired and sore. It's been several days already—why haven't they recovered?

Lin Qi rotated his body and silently sensed the abnormality within himself.

"Look at yourselves. Your muscles are stiff, and your punches are weak. How long has it been since you practiced martial arts?"

"You wasted an entire summer, and you still have the nerve to grin and fool around here?"

A booming rebuke rang out among the crowd, drowning out everyone else.

Lin Qi looked over and saw a middle-aged man nearly 1.8 meters tall, with lean, powerful muscles, an ordinary face, and a distinct scar.

He wore a white tracksuit and strode through the crowd with forceful steps.

A formidable aura radiated from him, and the entire Martial Arts Room instantly fell silent, everyone as quiet as cicadas in winter.

This was their Class 3 martial arts teacher—Wu Kang.

He was responsible for teaching martial arts and was a Third Realm Martial Artist.

Wu Kang's gaze was sharp, like a sharp blade scraping across everyone's cheeks. He sneered.

"Some of you haven't even reached Major Achievement in your fist techniques, yet you have the nerve to practice weapons? You haven't learned how to walk, but you already want to run? Do you think that makes you look cool?"

Those being criticized instantly lowered their weapons in shame. Only two or three remained unmoved, puffing out their chests and tightening their grip on their weapons.

Wu Kang clasped his hands behind his back, swept his gaze around the room, and spoke again in a voice like a great bell.

"Why do you practice martial arts?"

"Because Martial Artists have the most promising career in this world. They possess strength beyond ordinary humans."

"And in this world invaded by Calamity Beasts, strength means safety, money, and status."

"According to the latest social survey report, the average income of Martial Artists ranks first in the world, far surpassing the second-ranked profession."

"This is an era where everyone practices martial arts. From the moment they are born, everyone must strive to become a Martial Artist. Countless ships race across the sea, and thousands of troops fight to cross a single-log bridge."

"Only a small portion of people are destined to become Martial Artists."

"And right now is your golden age, the period when you can improve the fastest."

"With your current attitude, how are you supposed to compete with others?"

After Wu Kang finished speaking, the entire Martial Arts Room fell silent. The relaxed atmosphere had completely vanished, replaced by heavy pressure.

"Class begins!"

Seeing that he had achieved the desired effect, Wu Kang continued.

"In Martial Arts Calendar Year 1999, the Otherworld invaded, and Calamity Beasts descended."

"Our Blue Star opened countless Space Rifts. Calamity Beasts rushed out from those Space Rifts, and along with them came an extraordinary power—Source Energy!"

"This was something Blue Star had never possessed before."

"Scientists discovered that after the human body absorbed Source Energy, it could unlock the Gene Shackles, allowing the body to transform and evolve."

"Humans could also gain power like the superhumans found only in comics, novels, and film."

"The ancient martial arts rose again, setting off a frenzy of evolution in human life."

"Based on the joint research of every country on Blue Star, the Nine Martial Domains and nine shackles were established."

"The realms of Martial Artists were divided into the Nine Realms."

"Each time one domain was opened, one's strength would undergo an earth-shaking transformation."

"Source Energy is overbearing. Ordinary human organs cannot absorb it directly and can only take it in through food, or slowly absorb tiny traces of it over many years."

"To allow us Martial Artists to improve our strength more scientifically and efficiently,"

"Our Xia Kingdom derived the Perfectly Round Stance and the Five Forms Fist Technique from ancient health-preserving arts, techniques, and ancient fist arts."

"For the first lesson of the school year, you'll practice the Perfectly Round Stance and thoroughly loosen up those slack bodies of yours."

Wu Kang shouted, and the fifty students quickly spread out and began practicing their stances.

"The Perfectly Round Stance was derived by our Xia Kingdom from countless ancient forms of stance training. It is the most universally applicable and most effective stance training method."

"The First Martial Domain is Flesh Refining!"

"It requires us to train the major muscles of the body and comprehensively improve our Physical Fitness."

"The Perfectly Round Stance can fully mobilize the body's Blood Qi, tempering every muscle without leaving anything out."

Lin Qi devoted himself completely to the stance.

"Stance training connects form, intent, qi, and force."

"It emphasizes lifting the crown with empty strength, sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, containing the chest and stretching the back, sinking the breath, lifting the hips and tightening the anus, gripping the ground with all five toes, and sinking qi into the Dantian..."

"It can not only temper the fleshly body, but also stretch the muscles and bones..."

As Wu Kang explained, Lin Qi gradually entered the proper state as well.

After practicing stance training for more than ten years, he had long since turned the Perfectly Round Stance into instinct.

His breathing was natural, his muscles relaxed, and his arms formed a circle, his entire body becoming one as he sensed the changes in his spine.

In just a moment, his body began to heat up and tingle, trembling involuntarily.

"Drip!"

Sweat seeped out and continuously dripped onto the padded mat.

His body seemed to come alive as the Blood Qi throughout him was stimulated.

The vertebrae in his back bulged outward, as though a Major Tendon had been lifted.

This was the Dragon Bone, something that only appeared when the Perfectly Round Stance had been practiced to its essence.

At that moment, Lin Qi also felt a large hand rest against his back.

"Some people have studied stance training for over ten years and still haven't grasped its essence. Their lower stance is unstable."

"You can take another look at Lin Qi's stance training. His stance training is the best in your class."

Wu Kang's voice rang out again as he looked at Lin Qi with approval.

His words immediately drew the attention of many people, who gathered closer and began discussing it.

"As expected of the Basic Skill Master. He has the best fundamentals in our class. His stance really is like something from a textbook."

"Every time I see it, it feels perfectly rounded and unified. It's too perfect."

Some were amazed, while others were dismissive.

"No matter how strong his fundamentals are or how good his stance looks, it's useless. Without enough resources like Qi and Blood Capsules and Qi and Blood Elixirs, his Blood Qi value won't rise."

"As a Martial Artist, Blood Qi value is what matters most."

Meanwhile, Lin Qi had completely immersed himself in the stance.

His entire body burned with heat, sweat soaking his clothes. Blood Qi rose from his feet and rapidly coursed through every corner of his body.

One part drove the whole body, joining upper and lower into a single whole. An invisible current of qi darted through his body, flowing extremely smoothly aside from slight resistance.

"Hah!"

Lin Qi suddenly widened his eyes. As he exhaled, a surge of force burst forth.

A wave of heat rose from his body.

[Your Perfectly Round Stance has made a new breakthrough. Your Blood Qi value has increased. Blood Qi value +0.1!]

[Blood Qi value: 5.2→5.3]

Joy flashed across Lin Qi's face as he rose from the ground.

"Hah!"

He clenched his fists, and streams of heat spread through every joint in his body as his muscles rippled.

He had finally broken through again!

The higher one's stance training realm, the more efficiently one could temper the body.

Looking at the Blood Qi value of 5.3 on the Panel, Lin Qi felt invigorated. His entire body was like a blazing furnace.

The so-called Blood Qi value represented the vigor of a person's Blood Qi and also represented their realm.

The Nine Martial Domains divided Martial Artists into nine levels, while Blood Qi value provided a more detailed classification.

It allowed one to directly see the progress of bodily tempering.

Every bit of progress could be seen.