New Skill: Combat Rewind

"Assemble!"

Old Liang blew the whistle hanging around his neck, its piercing shriek gathering the scattered students.

Led by Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng, they formed two rows according to height.

"This is the new student, Qin Shi. Like you all, he's one of Old Factory Street's worker's children. Get to know each other."

After a brief introduction, Old Liang began assigning the training:

"Same old rules. Run ten laps first, forty-minute limit. The last one gets five extra laps!

Later, we'll practice Standing Post and frame-holding. Punches, footwork, and movement techniques have mostly been covered these past few days. We'll have a practical combat test shortly."

Whoosh!

Everyone surged toward the track, sprinting at full speed!

Everyone knew Old Liang's methods. When students made mistakes, he showed no mercy with punishments.

Ninth High School was nothing like the schools in the Metropolitan Area. Even the most unruly troublemaker would become obedient after a few slaps.

Running home to complain to their parents did not work on Old Factory Street, either.

Worker families had always held a simple, trusting attitude toward teachers.

That was why those little hooligans who had once studied under Old Liang but dropped out early, even after they were no longer in school—

Would avoid him like the living King of Hell whenever they saw him again.

"Qin Shi, stay behind."

Old Liang stopped Qin Shi.

"After Grasping Qi Sensation, ordinary physical training won't do much for you. It's too inefficient at digging out your potential.

We'll continue with Muscle Twisting this morning. This time, you don't rest until they've finished running."

The sun hung high overhead, and the heat was unbearable.

Forty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

Standing beneath the blazing sun, Qin Shi's face twisted in agony. Sweat poured down like rain, and his skin was red like a boiled shrimp.

The thick tendons hidden within his body throbbed violently, making his muscle groups twitch and shudder.

Clearly, every second consumed an enormous amount of his strength.

"Muscle Twisting is very important. As the body's major tendons are stretched, blood circulation improves and bone density increases.

Over time, the skeletal frame supporting your flesh will grow denser and heavier.

That's what Old Martial Arts calls 'heavy bones, nimble tendons.'

Once you reach that point, your punches will hurt like hell. One punch of yours will be worth ten from your opponent!"

Old Liang did not hide anything as he gave Qin Shi extra instruction in front of everyone.

He had explained these things countless times.

Old Martial Arts had never been empty theory. Listening alone was useless; one had to grasp the meaning and train deeply.

Old Liang asked:

"Qin Shi, what do you feel right now?"

"My upper body is numb and itchy, while my lower body is sore and swollen..."

Qin Shi gritted his teeth. The longer he stood, the clearer the current of heat inside him became.

This time, the sensation came quickly.

In just over ten minutes, he had grasped the Qi sensation, but he could not form a complete cycle.

Every time he tried to keep his breathing continuous, his lack of stamina threw it into disorder.

As a result, the faint Qi sensation he had grasped would break off.

"That's it!"

Old Liang was greatly pleased.

"From an earthworm lying in the mud, shedding its skin to become a snake or python, and finally transforming into a flood dragon that soars into the sky—how could that be easy!

Keep going. Ten more minutes!"

Old Liang was ruthless!

He was really training me to death!

Qin Shi cursed inwardly.

If he had not had the buffs from [Deep Sleep] and the enhancement effect of [Muscle Memory]—

He might not have been able to endure this hellish training!

"Those two portions of Nutritional Paste every day weren't wasted, and neither was waiving his enrollment fee.

This kid would have had naturally excellent tendon and bone in the Old Era!

Polish him a little more, and raising an 'ape's arms, wasp waist, and mantis legs' won't be a problem."

Old Liang was positively delighted as he watched Qin Shi suffer.

In the Old Martial Arts Cultivation Method, training one's tendon and bone was an indispensable key step.

But not everyone could endure it.

The pain of stretched tendons, the agony of tearing, and the grinding of joints, like blades cutting and awls stabbing... none of it was pleasant.

These torments, resembling brutal corporal punishment, repeatedly stimulated the brain, making it impossible to concentrate and breeding fear of hardship.

That was why Old Martial Arts only selected promising seedlings.

As the saying went, "A hundred seedlings yield one stalk; among a thousand trees, one alone towers into the sky."

That was exactly how it was.

By comparison, New Martial Arts was much gentler.

Advanced cultivation halls and major corporate clubs often employed medical teams of dozens or even hundreds.

Through all sorts of technological methods—nutritional supplements, electromagnetic therapy, high-energy slow-release fluids, and the like—they carefully adjusted the body's systems.

This both reduced the risk of injury and ensured steady Life Force growth.

As for the drawback—

It was simple and unadorned.

Four big words—poor bastards, get lost!

This high-intensity physical training continued for four days.

Every morning, Qin Shi left home, and every evening, he returned exhausted like a dead dog.

Muscle Twisting and Back Stretching went from forty minutes to two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

Grasping Qi Sensation became guiding it through circulation, ensuring at least two Lesser Heavenly Cycle rotations.

Old Liang showed no mercy, thoroughly squeezing every bit of potential from Qin Shi's body.

He wanted every bit of Nutritional Paste Qin Shi consumed to be transformed into abundant Life Force.

"There really is no such thing as a free lunch.

If it were Zhou Ning, Old Liang would've trained him until he foamed at the mouth and passed out on the spot!"

In the shack bedroom on Baogong Street, Qin Shi opened the wardrobe and took out some clothes, glancing at the full-length mirror embedded inside.

The figure in the mirror had firm muscles, taut skin, and a well-proportioned body. Every line was just right.

Crack! Crack!

Qin Shi lightly clenched his fist, making his knuckles pop.

The fascia in his arms and shoulders rose instantly, hard as cowhide.

In his previous life, achieving results like this would have required at least two and a half years of hard training.

And that would have meant strictly controlling his diet and following a professional muscle-building regimen.

"In less than a week, I can already beat two of my former selves."

Daily Muscle Twisting and back stretching, along with Grasping Qi Sensation, had caused Qin Shi's physical qualities to improve at an astonishing rate.

His joints stretched, the gaps between his bones opened, and his tendons lengthened!

All these changes had even made him grow taller.

He had reached around 1.82 meters.

"Old Martial Arts really can reshape the human body. My physique has changed a lot too.

My shoulders are broader, my back is thicker, and I've even trained shark muscles."

After admiring himself for a moment, Qin Shi casually pulled on a loose T-shirt, concealing his fine physique.

The black-bordered Monument Panel unfolded. After all his hard grinding, the achievement progress looked promising.

[Beginner Achievement—Deep Sleep (7/7)]

[Beginner Achievement—Muscle Memory (61%)]

I wonder what skill it'll unlock.

Qin Shi rubbed his hands in anticipation and focused all his attention on the Monument Panel.

As the requirements were met, the gray stone monument that had resembled a small dirt mound turned into a solid white granite slab.

It gave off a strange sense of hardness and solidity!

Then—

A waterfall of text rapidly refreshed—

[Intermediate Achievement—Deep Sleep]

[Deep Sleep: Being young is great—you fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow. The growth stage of any living creature cannot do without sufficient rest, much less you, an embryo seed still developing.]

[Traits: You will no longer suffer from insomnia. With less sleep, you can recover more physical strength and energy. Your immune system has been reorganized, and your resistance to viruses has greatly increased.]

[Advancement Path: Maintaining a good routine is essential. If you persist in going to bed early and rising early for thirty days, you can upgrade again.]

"Never having insomnia, rapidly restoring my energy bar, plus a buff close to immunity from all diseases. Perfect!"

Qin Shi nodded, deeply satisfied.

Humans spent nearly a third of their life journey asleep.

If he could shorten that portion of time, he could carry out more rounds of physical training.

For an achievement like [Muscle Memory], he needed to complete more than twenty sets of Exhaustion Training every day.

But because he had to train under Old Liang and practice Standing Post—

His schedule was too packed with all sorts of courses, making it hard to complete it on time and in full.

[Skill Unlocked: Combat Rewind]

[Effect: Capture every detail of your opponent, magnify every movement they make, and find openings and opportunities for victory within them.]

"If it's an active skill, that would be incredible. Activating it halfway through a fight would practically be the same as stopping time!"

Qin Shi's eyes flickered as his thoughts scattered.

The next moment, he mobilized his mind and attempted to use the newly unlocked skill.

Several seconds passed without any response!

The imagined slow-motion scene of entering bullet time did not appear!

"What a shame. Looks like it's passively triggered."

Qin Shi suppressed his disappointment and returned his gaze to the updated data panel.

[Anchor Point: Qin Shi]

[Growth Stage: Embryo]

[Progress: 0.009%]

[Monuments: Deep Sleep (Intermediate), Muscle Memory (Beginner)]

[Skill: Combat Rewind]

"My efforts weren't wasted. [Deep Sleep] upgraded, the progress increased a little, and I even unlocked a new skill..."

Qin Shi silently considered whether this number representing embryo growth progress was connected to Life Force.

If it was, did that not mean his Life Force Development had reached 9 points in such a short time?

"I need to find a way to get a comprehensive test, so I can learn my current Life Force level.

If it's exactly 9 points, that'll prove my progress has indeed been enormous, and passing the amateur Rank-Placement Exam will be a piece of cake."