Significant Progress

Tianhai No. 2 Middle School

Lin Qi drove into the campus. It was nearly six, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Without the Opening Ceremony, far fewer people had come to school at this hour.

Lin Qi arrived at the Martial Arts Classroom and entered the password to open the iron door. The room was brightly lit, and amid bursts of noise, several people were already training.

"Only the second day of school, and everyone's already competing this hard?"

After noticing Lin Qi's arrival, the others seemed to feel the pressure and trained even harder.

In the changing room, Lin Qi looked at his reflection. His chest and muscles rose and fell with every breath, as though something were brewing within them.

"My body has been altered. Its proportions look better now."

"When the fusion rate gets higher, the changes to my physique will become even more obvious."

Lin Qi clenched his fists and realized that he had grown stronger. Getting into the Elite Class no longer seemed impossible.

After changing into his Martial Arts Uniform, he began practicing the stance.

His hands formed a circle before him, his shoulders relaxed, elbows spread level, armpits hollow, elbows bent in an embrace...

The moment he assumed the stance, Lin Qi sensed the difference. His stomach felt warm as streams of heat flowed from his spine to every part of his body, clearing vessel after vessel without the slightest obstruction, darting as swiftly as little snakes.

It was much faster than before.

The key points of the Perfectly Round Stance surfaced in Lin Qi's mind, giving rise to many new insights.

"Respect keeps the spirit from scattering; be cautious as if standing at the edge of a deep abyss. Borrow boundless intent, fill the body with perfect roundness. Seek solid truth within the Void, and never lose the balance of harmony..."

It had once seemed profound and obscure, but now he understood some of its meaning.

In just a short while, his face had turned red, his entire body heated up, and sweat poured down like rain.

[You have gained new insight into the Perfectly Round Stance. Tempering efficiency greatly increased. Blood and Qi +0.2!]
[Blood and Qi: 5.4→5.6]

Seeing the increase in Blood and Qi on the Panel, Lin Qi looked exhilarated.

"My talent really has improved. It's so strong."

"It's only been a short while, and my Blood and Qi has already risen by 0.2."

"In one day, my Blood and Qi went from 5.2 to 5.6. That's ridiculous. Before this, it would have been impossible without several months."

Lin Qi clenched his fist and looked at the Template's 1% fusion rate.

If the fusion rate rose further, his martial arts talent would only grow stronger, and the improvements would become even greater.

As time passed, more classmates arrived at the Martial Arts Classroom while Lin Qi practiced his stance.

"Qi Ge, you're here this early again!"

Not long after, Jiang Tao entered the Martial Arts Room as well.

Lin Qi nodded in greeting.

"As expected of Qi Ge, one of the hardest workers in the class."

Jiang Tao set down his backpack, changed into his Martial Arts Uniform, and sighed to himself as he came back out.

After watching for a moment, his expression shifted slightly, and he wondered inwardly:

Strange. Qi Ge's Blood and Qi seems to have broken through again. How did he do it?

Jiang Tao looked curious.

"Have you noticed? Lin Qi's presence doesn't seem weak. It feels like he's broken through."

Someone nearby asked curiously.

This confirmed Jiang Tao's suspicion. Could Lin Qi have gone for a Recovery Package yesterday?

It was said that the first treatment was quite effective. It could loosen the channels and invigorate the circulation, filling one's Blood and Qi—but was it really this good?

An hour later, the classmates had gradually all arrived, and the spacious Martial Arts Classroom was filled with all kinds of sounds.

Lin Qi finished his stance practice and wiped away his sweat. Feeling the heat surging through his body, he found that endless strength replenished his expenditure, leaving him not the least bit tired.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

The class bell sounded, and Wu Kang appeared at the doorway right on time.

"The Perfectly Round Stance was developed to temper the body, sense Blood and Qi, and control Blood and Qi. But the human body has limits. Practicing the stance for two or three hours a day is already the limit."

Wu Kang strode through the crowd with the gait of a dragon and tiger and began teaching at once.

"That was why Fist Techniques emerged. They can not only assist in tempering the body and controlling the strength of its muscles, but can also be used for Enemy Defense."

"Use stance training together with Fist Techniques to temper the body and sense Blood and Qi. Only after the muscles and organs continuously transform and become capable of adapting to tyrannical Source Energy can you learn cultivation methods and actively absorb it."

"For this reason, the Xia Kingdom developed the Five Forms Fist Technique from ancient boxing arts: five foundational Fist Techniques."

"The five forms of the Five Form Fist are Dragon Form, Tiger Form, Crane Form, Ape Form, and Snake Form."

"After laying a solid martial arts foundation in middle school, every student must learn all five Fist Techniques before carefully choosing the form best suited to them for deeper study."

"Today's lesson is on one of the Five Form Fist Techniques: Tiger Form Fist!"

Many eyes lit up as the students quickly moved closer to watch. Lin Qi did the same.

He practiced Tiger Form Fist himself, and opportunities to watch the Teacher demonstrate it up close were rare.

After finishing his explanation, Wu Kang stood in the center of the crowd and unleashed an overwhelming aura, stirring up a gust of wind.

His five fingers spread and curled into claws!

His eyes fixed ahead, and in an instant, he seemed to transform into a fierce tiger.

"Tiger Form Fist emphasizes using form as the fist, intent as the spirit, qi to drive force. When enraged, the eyes glare and the neck stiffens, the tiger watches its prey, possessing the force of an Angry Tiger Pierces Forest and two claws that can uproot mountains."

Wu Kang moved with agility, like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey, his aura savage and imposing.

"Roar!"

He let out a great shout like a tiger's roar, and his Tiger Claw struck out, kicking up a fierce wind.

"Fierce Tiger Exits Cave!"

"Black Tiger Digs Heart!"

"Hungry Tiger Pounces!"

"Angry Tiger Pierces Forest!"

As move after move unfolded, he truly seemed to become a fierce tiger. Each swing of his Tiger Claw made the air tremble like an air cannon.

Lin Qi watched with shining eyes.

From so close, he could even see Wu Kang's lean muscles bulging, veins twisting around his arms like steel bars, while waves of heat rushed toward him.

"As expected of a Third Realm Martial Artist. He's too fast. If we faced Teacher Wu, we wouldn't be able to block even one move."

Someone exclaimed in amazement.

"Whew..."

After completing the sequence once, Wu Kang withdrew his aura and returned to calmness.

"Everyone, start practicing!"

It was as if a tiger's roar still echoed in everyone's ears. They spread out and each found an open space to practice.

Lin Qi recalled every move Wu Kang had demonstrated as he began practicing Tiger Form Fist.

His five fingers curled into claws and struck out. The key points Wu Kang had explained flashed through his mind, even the entire process of Wu Kang's demonstration replaying before him.

"Use form as the fist, intent as the spirit, joints to release force, qi to drive power. The fist's momentum must be fierce!"

"The tiger is king of all beasts. When it roars, all beasts submit. When a fierce tiger passes through the forest, winds and clouds shift, and mountains tremble."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

He had no idea how many times he had gone through the routine. Lin Qi was already thoroughly familiar with it. Though he felt tired and his muscles ached, he paid it no mind.

The more he practiced, the more spirited he became. His eyes seemed to turn into tiger eyes, flashing with sharp light.

Wu Kang walked among the crowd. His pace was unhurried, yet no one could touch him.

He observed everyone's practice.

He did not specifically correct anyone. Instead, he noted the issues shared by most students and planned to address them all in the next class.

There were more than fifty students in the class, and he had a general grasp of each of their levels. Very few had reached Major Achievement; most were at Minor Achievement.

Before he knew it, he had reached a corner, where one student's Fist Technique made his eyes light up.

"It's Lin Qi!"

The class's Basic Skill Master, the student with the best fundamentals, was also his favorite student.

He had reminded him yesterday to take care of his body.

Yet as he watched Lin Qi punch with the force of a tiger, his Blood and Qi flowed smoothly, without the slightest sense of obstruction.

At that moment, Lin Qi was immersed in the Fist Technique.

His Blood and Qi surged, power coursed to his fingertips, and he lunged forward like a Hungry Tiger Pounces.

"Roar!"

As his momentum reached its peak, he roared like a tiger.

[After watching Wu Kang's demonstration, you have gained new insight into Tiger Form Fist. Fist Technique +2.5%]
[Through practicing Tiger Form Fist, you have gained new insight. Fist Technique +2.5%]
[Fist Technique: First Order 80%→85%]

Lin Qi performed the Concluding Stance and looked at his Panel.

Is this what being a genius feels like?

Too strong.

His Fist Technique realm had risen by a huge amount at once. He was only 5% away from Major Achievement.

Fist Technique realms were divided into four stages: 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100%.

They corresponded to Entry Level, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, and Perfection.

Meanwhile, Wu Kang, who had been watching, also showed a surprised expression. Lin Qi's Tiger Form Fist had improved this much?