Great Progress

Tianhai No. 2 Middle School

Lin Qi drove into the campus. It was nearly six o'clock, 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, entered the password to unlock the iron door, and found the room brightly lit. Amid bursts of noise, several people were already training inside.

"This is only the second day of school, and everyone's already grinding?"

When they noticed Lin Qi's arrival, the others seemed to feel pressured and trained even harder.

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

"My body has been altered. Even my 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 he had become stronger. Getting into the Elite Class no longer seemed impossible.

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

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

The moment Lin Qi assumed the stance, he felt the difference. His stomach grew warm as streams of heat flowed from his spine to every part of his body, opening vein after vein without the slightest resistance, darting like little snakes.

The speed 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.

"Reverence keeps the spirit from scattering; caution as if standing before a deep abyss. Borrow boundless intent, let essence fill the perfectly round body. Seek substance through the Void, and never lose balance and harmony..."

It had once seemed profound and incomprehensible, but now he could understand some of its meaning.

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

[You have gained a new understanding of the Perfectly Round Stance. Tempering efficiency has greatly increased. Blood Qi +0.2!]

[Blood Qi: 5.4→5.6]

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

"My talent really has improved. This is incredible."

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

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

Lin Qi clenched his fists and looked at Template 1% Fusion Rate.

If the Fusion Rate increased further, his martial arts talent would become even stronger, and the improvement would only grow more dramatic.

As time passed, while Lin Qi continued his stance training, the other students gradually arrived at the Martial Arts Classroom as well.

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

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

Lin Qi nodded in greeting.

"As expected of Qi Ge, one of the biggest grinders in the class."

Jiang Tao set his backpack aside, changed into his Martial Arts Uniform, and silently sighed when he came back out.

As he watched, his expression shifted slightly, and doubt filled his mind.

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

Jiang Tao looked curious.

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

Someone nearby asked curiously.

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

They said the first session usually worked well, unblocking the channels and invigorating the blood, filling one's Blood Qi—but could it really be this effective?

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

Lin Qi finished his stance training and wiped away his sweat. Feeling the heat surging through his body, he found endless strength replenishing what he had spent, leaving him without the slightest fatigue.

"Ring ring ring!"

The class bell rang, and Wu Kang appeared at the entrance right on time.

"The Perfectly Round Stance was developed to temper the body, sense Blood Qi, and control Blood Qi. But the human body has limits. Standing 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 immediately.

"That was why Fist Techniques appeared. They can assist in tempering the body, control the strength of the body's muscles, and also defend against enemies."

"Stance Training combined with Fist Technique tempers the body and senses Blood Qi. Only once the body's muscles and organs have continuously transformed and become able to withstand tyrannical Source Energy can one learn Techniques and actively absorb it."

"For this reason, the Xia Kingdom derived the Five Forms Fist Technique from ancient Fist Techniques: five foundational styles."

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

"After building a solid martial arts foundation in middle school, every student must learn all five Fist Techniques, then carefully choose the form best suited to them for deeper training."

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

Many eyes lit up, and everyone quickly moved closer to watch. Lin Qi did the same.

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

After speaking, Wu Kang stood in the middle of the crowd, his aura erupting and stirring up a gust of wind.

His five fingers spread wide, then curled into claws!

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

"Tiger Form Fist uses form as the fist, intent as the spirit, qi to drive strength. In anger, the eyes glare and the neck stiffens, the tiger watches its prey, possessing the force of an angry tiger emerging from the forest and two claws capable of uprooting mountains."

Wu Kang moved with agility, like a fierce tiger pouncing on prey, his momentum savage.

"Roar!"

He let out a great roar like a tiger's howl. His Tiger Claw struck out, whipping up a strong wind.

"Fierce Tiger Exits Cave!"

"Black Tiger Digs Heart!"

"Hungry Tiger Pounces!"

"Angry Tiger Pierces Forest!"

As move after move was unleashed, he truly seemed to become a fierce tiger. His Tiger Claw strikes shook the air like air cannons.

Lin Qi watched with shining eyes.

From up close, he could even see Wu Kang's lean, powerful 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 even be able to block one move."

Someone exclaimed in awe.

"Whew..."

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

"Everyone, start practicing!"

It was as if tiger roars still echoed in everyone's ears as they spread out to find open spaces and practice.

Lin Qi recalled each of Wu Kang's movements as he began practicing Tiger Form Fist.

His five fingers curled into claws and struck out. The key points Wu Kang had mentioned rapidly surfaced in his mind, along with the entire process of Wu Kang's demonstration.

"Use form as the fist, intent as the spirit, joints to generate force, qi to drive strength. Let the fist's momentum be fierce!"

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

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

He did not know 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 energized he became. His eyes seemed to turn into tiger eyes, gleaming with sharp light.

Wu Kang walked through the crowd. His pace was not fast, yet no one could touch him.

He observed everyone's practice.

He did not specifically instruct anyone. Instead, he noted the problems shared by most people and planned to address them together in the next class.

There were over fifty students in the class, and he had a rough grasp of every person's level. Very few could reach Major Achievement; most were at Minor Achievement.

Before he knew it, he had reached a corner, where one person'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.

Yesterday, he had reminded Lin Qi to take care of his body.

Yet Lin Qi's punches now whipped up gusts of wind, his Blood Qi flowed smoothly, and there was clearly no sense of obstruction.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi was immersed in his Fist Technique.

His Blood Qi surged, strength coursed to his fingertips, and he lunged forward like a hungry tiger pouncing on prey.

"Roar!"

His momentum reached its peak as he roared, like a tiger's howl.

[After observing Wu Kang's demonstration, you have gained a new insight into Tiger Form Fist. Fist Technique +2.5%]

[Through practicing Tiger Form Fist, you have gained a new insight. Fist Technique +2.5%]

[Fist Technique: First Order 80%→85%]

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

Was this what being a genius felt like?

It was too powerful.

His Fist Technique Realm had risen by a huge margin. Only 5% remained before 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.

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