"Is that person the coach's relative?"
"Probably. Otherwise, when have you ever seen Instructor Qin take such an interest in anyone?"
At the front of the training hall, Fang Qingyu had been singled out by Instructor Qin for one-on-one instruction.
Jealous remarks filled the air.
But at that moment, someone suddenly spoke up from the side in a haunting tone.
"Could it be that he's just learning faster?"
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Sure enough, the truth was the sharpest blade.
"Not bad."
Instructor Qin looked at Fang Qingyu's final stance posture, which was quite standard, and a hint of approval showed in his eyes.
"Does this count as having grasped the basics of stance training?"
Fang Qingyu wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at Instructor Qin with a slight frown.
Compared with the others, he had indeed been fast.
Instructor Qin's attitude also wasn't something he could fake.
But when he had left the martial hall yesterday, his progress had been at 34 percent.
Classes had started today.
Instructor Qin had immediately taken Fang Qingyu's hands and taught him the remaining three forms step by step, and the activation speed had been considerably faster than yesterday's.
Yet the activation progress on his Job Panel had become stuck at 80 percent.
"There's one final step."
"Remember, a stance is alive."
Instructor Qin shook his head and walked aside.
With that, he removed his outer garment, revealing his sturdy upper body. His feet spread slightly like the roots of an ancient tree, while his spine slowly stretched as if suspended by invisible threads.
His waist and hips sank first, his knees compressed like springs, and only then did his ankles complete a subtle twist.
Then he suddenly leaned backward at an uncanny angle, while his arms clasped forward as if embracing a full moon. His body formed a perfect arc under the extreme stretch.
The stance techniques he had practiced before suddenly came alive.
When Instructor Qin brought his palms together to end the form, Fang Qingyu was still frowning in deep thought.
"Do you understand now?"
"The five stance forms are linked together. The stability of Rooted Mountain Stance, the liveliness of Horse-Riding Stance, the suppleness of Moon-Embracing Form, and the variations of Soaring-Dragon Form must ultimately be unified through Return-to-Origin Stance, bringing yin and yang together."
"I don't really understand."
Fang Qingyu thought for a moment, then honestly shook his head.
The five movements had almost nothing in common. They were nothing like something as simple as lifting one's foot and kicking.
"Stance training is like drinking water. You know for yourself whether it's cold or warm. Some are strong pines atop a cliff, while others are green vines beneath a ravine. With different meridian pathways, the air revealed through their stances also took countless forms."
"So that's all I can teach you. Whether you can grasp the basics from here on depends on you."
Instructor Qin wasn't surprised in the slightest. It was already rare for a modern person to master the basics of stance training in two days.
Previously, Fang Qingyu had merely learned the postures.
Fang Qingyu pondered after hearing this.
After thanking Instructor Qin, he walked over to the area for practicing punches and stances.
This was where those who had already grasped the basics of stance training could continue their practice. They were still all ordinary students, though.
However, when Fang Qingyu watched their shadows as they practiced their punches, they really were just as Instructor Qin had said.
Each one was different.
It was somewhat like the Military Boxing he had seen people practice during military training in the past.
Some people punched awkwardly, some looked imposing, and some were a little effeminate.
"I'll give it a try first."
Fang Qingyu watched for a while, then walked aside and began practicing on his own.
Qi Hao happened to be taking a break midway through his training. Seeing Fang Qingyu practicing enthusiastically, he didn't disturb him and instead walked over to Instructor Qin.
"How is he, Instructor Qin? Qingzi has quite a talent, right?"
"Not bad."
Instructor Qin nodded, though his expression didn't change much.
"Then does he have a chance of getting into the Elite Class?"
Qi Hao suddenly leaned beside Instructor Qin and asked in a low voice.
"."
As Instructor Qin listened, he turned to look at Fang Qingyu, who was trying to connect the five forms together, then glanced at the time.
"If he can grasp the basics today, then there's still a one-in-ten chance."
"His physical foundation is simply too poor. If his foundation were a little better, the odds could increase by another two-tenths."
Qi Hao had initially wanted to argue, but the moment he heard the latter sentence, he immediately fell silent.
Indeed.
He had begun building his foundation from childhood, and it had been over ten years by now.
That wasn't something that could be made up for in a short time.
Fang Qingyu knew nothing about their discussion. He only knew that he seemed to have found a new use for the Genealogy Chart.
The difficulty in mastering the basics of stance training lay in connecting the five forms together.
There had originally been no way to know the answer directly.
But the progress bar on the Job Panel was like a lighthouse at the finish line, illuminating his path.
When he moved in the right direction, the progress bar rose.
When he moved in the wrong direction, the progress bar stopped.
This discovery directly caused Fang Qingyu's activation progress to surge once again.
An hour passed.
It had already reached 99 percent.
He was only one step away.
"Haah!"
After completing the final Return-to-Origin Stance, Fang Qingyu naturally threw a punch forward, unlike the way Instructor Qin had practiced it just now.
The sound of it cutting through the air wasn't loud, but Instructor Qin, who was in the distance, immediately turned his head.
"This kid really has something."
Only then did Fang Qingyu feel exhaustion all over his body. He slowly sat on the ground and opened the chart.
Congratulations! You have successfully unlocked the "Martial Arts Apprentice" profession! Congratulations! You have obtained the profession Basic Skill "Hidden Dragon Stance"!
A brand-new Job Panel appeared before his eyes, and both new entries were currently Lv.1.
However, even amid his excitement, Fang Qingyu didn't forget to flip to the introductory page.
From the moment he mastered the basics,
he could clearly feel the changes in his body.
Aside from being tired,
his limbs and body all seemed to have a warm current flowing through them.
This was something he had never felt before.
Sure enough,
the basic information panel on the introductory page had also quietly changed.
Strength: 7.8→8.0
Speed: 8.1→8.2
Physique: 7.9→8.1
The effect was frighteningly good.
He had to remember that he had only practiced for two days.
Compared with this, practicing martial arts really had been the right choice. The results were far better than working out!
"Not bad."
Instructor Qin had approached at some point. This time, not only did his eyes contain approval, but the corners of his mouth also held a smile.
"Instructor Qin."
Fang Qingyu closed the chart and stood up.
"I didn't expect you to really master the basics this quickly."
Instructor Qin shook his head and chuckled.
"Do you have anything urgent to do later?"
Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback.
He had to work as a Delivery Driver in the afternoon, which counted as having something to do.
But if he had to be strict about it, it could also be considered nothing urgent.
So he shook his head.
"Then go to Clear Pool Club, 200 meters after turning right when you leave. Tell them you're from Chenfeng Martial Hall and want the Medicated Massage Package."
Instructor Qin walked over to Fang Qingyu and lowered his voice slightly as he spoke.
The corner of Fang Qingyu's mouth twitched.
At ten thousand per session, how could he possibly afford it right now?
"You've been there?"
Seeing that Fang Qingyu didn't speak, and noticing his expression, Instructor Qin frowned slightly.
"Yeah. I went there with Qi Hao yesterday."
Fang Qingyu answered honestly.
"Then you should know about the Elite Class, right?"
"I know a little."
Fang Qingyu nodded.
Instructor Qin thought for a moment, then explained the purpose of sending Fang Qingyu to Clear Pool Club.
"Your physical foundation is very poor. If you want to enter the Elite Class, you'll have to train at high intensity every day. And the prerequisite for training at high intensity every day is going to Clear Pool Club. Understand?"
"I understand."
"Good. Go whenever you can. It's very effective there for relieving physical fatigue and aiding recovery."
Instructor Qin left after saying that.
He had already done everything he could.
After all, Fang Qingyu wasn't guaranteed to enter the Elite Class. The only thing he lacked was a physical foundation.
If that had been the case, Instructor Qin probably would have lent him the money even if he had to borrow it himself.
At present, Fang Qingyu merely had a chance.
Fang Qingyu watched Instructor Qin's departing back and sighed softly.
He understood, but it was useless.
Even if he used all his sleeping hours to work part-time now, it would still be impossible to earn ten thousand in the short term.
Unless he really could sleep for money.
"Awesome, Qingzi! Hahahaha!"
On the other side, Qi Hao had just finished training when he dashed over and threw an arm around Fang Qingyu's shoulders.
His hearty laughter drew the gazes of the people around them.
"What's so awesome?"
"I was just talking to Instructor Qin about you. I didn't expect you to turn around and master the basics of stance training."
"How did you know?"
A look of surprise appeared in Fang Qingyu's eyes.
It was understandable that Instructor Qin, as a coach, could tell. But Qi Hao could tell too?
"Because everyone has a certain presence around them. You learn this after becoming a Formal Disciple."
Qi Hao gave him a brief explanation.
Upon hearing the words "Formal Disciple," Fang Qingyu didn't ask any further.
"Come on. To celebrate you mastering the basics of stance training, I'll take you somewhere fun again!"
By then, the students had begun packing up and leaving one after another. Qi Hao also dragged Fang Qingyu toward Clear Pool Club again.
"Don't. I have something to do this afternoon. You go."
Fang Qingyu's mind was already filled with the number 10,000. He couldn't wait to mount his electric scooter and fly off right then.
Besides, treating someone once was one thing.
Doing it often would mean something else entirely.
Before you continue