Martial Arts Genius!?

"Here's your training uniform and changing-room number tag. Go change first, and I'll take you to the training ground."

Early in the morning, Qi Hao was already waiting for Fang Qingyu at the martial arts gym.

"Okay."

Fang Qingyu took the clothes and entered the changing room, where quite a few people were already inside.

Aside from Qi Hao, he didn't know anyone there. He quickly changed and followed Qi Hao toward the training ground.

"Qingzi, don't worry about the tuition. I believe that with your talent, you'll definitely become an elite disciple in the future."

"When you go out and compete, even if you only place somewhat near the top, you'll be able to win tens of thousands in prize money."

On the way, Qi Hao was afraid Fang Qingyu would feel bad about the tuition, so he comforted him.

Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback.

"Compete? What competition?"

"Martial arts competitions. They're generally organized jointly by the various martial arts gyms in the city and the authorities. The prize money is very high. The first-place winner can get more than a million, but only elite disciples can sign up."

Fang Qingyu frowned.

He had never heard of competitions with such high prize money, not even online.

"These competitions are all closed to the public. Other than the martial arts gym's disciples, there aren't any spectators, so it's normal that you haven't heard of them."

Qi Hao could tell what Fang Qingyu was thinking at a glance and explained further.

Fang Qingyu nodded, then asked the key question.

"How can I become a formal disciple or an elite disciple?"

"There aren't any specific requirements for formal disciples. As long as the coach thinks your stance work has reached the required standard, you can become a formal disciple. As for elite disciples—"

"Besides looking at your martial arts foundation, they also look at your talent."

Qi Hao's expression grew somewhat bitter as he spoke.

"Got it."

Seeing his expression, Fang Qingyu didn't ask any more questions.

"But with your talent, you'll definitely make it."

Qi Hao quickly recovered and put an arm around Fang Qingyu's shoulders.

Fang Qingyu laughed helplessly.

"You really have that much faith in me?"

"Of course. I've already spoken with your coach. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask him directly. Don't worry about bothering him."

"Okay, thanks."

Finally, the two bumped fists and returned to their respective training areas.

The newly enrolled disciples were assigned to the first row.

"My surname is Qin. You can call me Instructor Qin."

Seeing the newcomers in the first row, Instructor Qin introduced himself before getting straight to the point.

"Without stance work, martial arts have no foundation; without pillars, a house cannot stand!"

"Stance work is the foundation of martial arts. If your lower body is unstable, even the most exquisite techniques will be hollow."

"Today, I'll teach you the first form: Rooted Mountain Stance."

As he spoke, Instructor Qin suddenly removed the jacket of his black training uniform, revealing a massive, scar-covered arm.

He ground both feet into the floor and turned them until they were half a foot apart. Then his left foot retreated half a step, and his spine sank joint by joint like a dragon descending into an abyss.

"Watch the nose with your eyes; watch the heart with your nose."

Instructor Qin's Adam's apple did not move in the slightest as he enunciated each word, yet his voice made the air beside their ears buzz.

He held the posture for a full three minutes. Only when the bulging veins on his neck gradually subsided did he suddenly exhale and shout, "Turn!"

His right leg cleaved through the air like a giant ax. When his sole slammed into the ground, a ring of dust burst up.

"This is the closing posture."

Instructor Qin slowly straightened.

"When holding a stance, you must take root like a mountain. When turning in a stance, you must be like a giant python shedding its skin."

The newcomers had yet to recover from the shock when Instructor Qin had already put his clothes back on.

"Now everyone, assume the preparatory stance."

Fang Qingyu had no Brain Condition to trouble him, and his memory was just like an ordinary person's, so he could roughly remember the movements.

However, perhaps because Qi Hao had given Instructor Qin a warning, or perhaps because Fang Qingyu was in the first row—

The moment he bent his knees, Instructor Qin, who had walked over, nudged his feet with his own. "Your knees are too far apart."

Fang Qingyu's expression did not change as he adjusted his posture.

Only then did Instructor Qin move on to the next person.

Before beginning martial arts training, Fang Qingyu had thought this would test physical fitness and comprehension.

He had not expected that the first test after practicing stance work would be control over his body.

It was so awkward. So incredibly awkward!!

Rooted Mountain Stance seemed to be teaching you all over again how to operate an old, poorly maintained tractor.

Every part of his body exuded the word "awkward."

It wasn't tiring.

But every part of his body was telling him that it couldn't go on anymore, that it couldn't move.

That feeling made people stop unconsciously.

The other disciples were the same.

One after another, they collapsed, and cries of agony rang out.

Before long, only some older disciples and Fang Qingyu remained on the field.

Instructor Qin, standing at the very back, was slightly astonished when he saw this.

Could that brat Qi Hao really have found a genius?

Unbeknownst to him, Fang Qingyu was currently struggling to hold on while staring at the book before his eyes.

Job Chart, page two.

Martial Arts Apprentice profession activation in progress (8/100)

Activation experience +1

He had no idea how much time passed.

It was not until Fang Qingyu felt a hand land on his shoulder that he finally could not hold on any longer.

Fortunately, that hand caught him and stopped him from falling.

"Thank you, Instructor Qin."

Fang Qingyu turned his head, nodded, and thanked him.

"You've trained before?"

Instructor Qin slowly helped Fang Qingyu sit on the ground and asked with a slight frown.

"No. This is my first time."

Fang Qingyu was stunned for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not bad."

Only then did Instructor Qin give a faint nod and walk to the front.

"Rest for half an hour. It's best not to sit still. Move around and loosen your muscles and bones."

With that, he walked toward the edge of the field.

The disciples immediately erupted. The groans they had been holding back burst out all at once.

It wasn't tiring.

But it hurt.

Fang Qingyu was no exception.

At that moment, it felt as though every muscle in his body had been pierced by needles.

However, when he looked at the Job Panel, whose activation progress had already reached eleven percent, the pain seemed to lessen by a fraction.

Once anything had a progress bar, a person's inner motivation would be magnified infinitely.

"Awesome, Qingzi!"

Just then, Qi Hao also finished training and came over to pat Fang Qingyu on the shoulder.

He had been training on the other side, but had occasionally kept an eye on what was happening here.

"Hiss—ouch, ouch, ouch."

Fang Qingyu sucked in a breath of cold air.

"It's fine. Train boldly. Once class is over, I'll take you somewhere fun."

Qi Hao found this amusing. He had come through the same thing back then. He leaned closer, raised his eyebrows, and lowered his voice.

Fang Qingyu looked at him strangely.

No matter how he looked at it, Qi Hao seemed incredibly sleazy.

Half an hour passed quickly, and Instructor Qin returned.

This time, the disciples were divided into two groups.

The first group, including Fang Qingyu, continued practicing Rooted Mountain Stance.

The others practiced the next stance form.

The groups cycled through two rounds like this.

"Stop."

Instructor Qin suddenly called out to Fang Qingyu.

Fang Qingyu slowly straightened, confusion on his face.

"Your progress is sufficient for you to learn the second form."

Instructor Qin brought Fang Qingyu over to the group practicing the second form.

He took two bamboo poles from the wooden rack beside them and laid them across Fang Qingyu's shoulders. "The second form is called Horse-Riding Stance. Watch carefully."

He spread his legs to one and a half shoulder-widths apart. The angle of his bent knees was as precise as if it had been carved by a protractor. "Your hips should feel as though you're sitting on a saddle. Turn your toes inward fifteen degrees."

His cloth shoes ground against the floor with a squeak.

Fang Qingyu copied his posture and squatted down. A tearing soreness immediately spread through his thighs.

Instructor Qin suddenly jabbed the end of a bamboo pole into the back of his knee. "Don't let your knees go past your toes!"

The force transmitted through the bamboo pole nearly made Fang Qingyu fall to his knees. He hurriedly shifted his center of gravity backward.

"Let your breathing follow your heartbeat." Instructor Qin circled behind him and pressed a palm against his heaving ribs. "Breathe into here. Don't raise your shoulders." His callused thumb pressed against Fang Qingyu's diaphragm, and Fang Qingyu suddenly began coughing.

"Keep going!" The bamboo pole struck his trembling calf. "Imagine there's a chair behind you that you're about to sit on, but haven't quite sat down yet."

When his sweat seeped into the ground and left wet marks, Fang Qingyu realized that Horse-Riding Stance was even more torturous than Rooted Mountain Stance.

The muscles at the front of his thighs twitched violently, while his feet felt as though they were planted on red-hot iron plates.

But when he secretly glanced at the other disciples, he found that even the older students could barely hold on for five minutes.

"Rotate your hips!" Instructor Qin suddenly kicked toward his left hip.

Fang Qingyu staggered and turned halfway around. The bamboo pole fell to the ground with a clatter.

Just as he bent over to pick it up, a bamboo strip struck his wrist. "Once your horse stance falls apart, you have to start over!"

It was not until his third attempt that he barely completed the hip rotation.

Next, Instructor Qin placed three blue bricks on his thighs. "Only when the bricks stop shaking will you have entered the gate."

This sudden, harsh, hands-on instruction left Fang Qingyu in a state of pain and happiness.

The pain came from his body.

The happiness came from the activation progress on the Job Panel, which was soaring.