Training Room, Sweat, and the Virtual World 2

"Then try this Reaction Ball Emitter?" Zhao Peng pointed to another device. "It can adjust launch speed and angle, trains reaction time and dodging skills—really useful in actual combat!"

Chen Mo gave it a try as instructed. The Reaction Ball Emitter was indeed impressive; the balls shot out fast and tricky, their angles unpredictable, forcing him to focus completely and mobilize his Qi and Blood to propel his body in dodges. After twenty minutes of practice, his reaction speed had indeed been trained, but the same problem remained—it offered limited improvement to his core stance work and fist techniques.

Next, he tried the Strength Trainer, the Wooden Dummy Assistant Device, and a few other pieces of equipment. He had to admit, these high-end devices were scientifically designed to target strength, speed, and reaction in different areas, but the more Chen Mo practiced, the clearer it became: these were only "supplements." His advantage lay in the system's efficient proficiency gains and fine control over Qi and Blood, while stance work and Body Tempering Fist, as the foundation, needed not complex equipment but day after day of focused grinding and Qi and Blood nourishment.

"Looks like I'm still better off with the old methods." Chen Mo smiled and shook his head, walking to the open space in the center of the training room. "I'll just practice Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist. A solid foundation is the root."

Zhao Peng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Right! You're improving so fast now, you must have pushed the basics to the extreme! Fine, I'll train with you! I need to consolidate too—can't let you leave me in the dust!"

With that, Zhao Peng also walked to a spot not far opposite Chen Mo. The two stood facing each other and simultaneously dropped into Black Tiger Stance.

Chen Mo spread his feet shoulder-width apart, bent his knees slightly, straightened his spine, and held his hands in front of his chest like tiger claws, eyes half-closed. He quickly entered a meditative state. The nourishing effect of that spirit energy feast now fully manifested; the warm current of Qi and Blood in his Dantian was fuller and richer than usual, flowing slowly through his meridians. With each cycle, his control over Qi and Blood grew a bit more refined.

[Black Tiger Stance (Lv.3 Minor Accomplishment): Proficiency (203/300)]

[Body Tempering Fist (Lv.3 Minor Accomplishment): Proficiency (179/300)]

The proficiency on the system panel rose slowly but steadily, nearly thirty percent faster than when training at school! Abundant Qi and Blood were like ample fuel, greatly boosting the efficiency of proficiency gains. Chen Mo could clearly feel the "Sinking Force" of Black Tiger Stance becoming more solid, as if his feet had truly taken root, tightly connected to the ground. The circulation of Qi and Blood throughout his body grew smoother, with almost no stagnation.

As for the moves of Body Tempering Fist, supported by sufficient Qi and Blood, they became more fluid. He could clearly perceive the flow path of Qi and Blood during each transition between moves—where to exert force, where to withdraw it, where to briefly stagnate Qi and Blood to enhance explosive power—all clear in his mind. The proficiency increase was no longer just cold numbers but a tangible physical sensation: muscle memory, the resonance of Qi and Blood, the smoothness of the moves—all visibly improving.

According to the system's classification, skill levels were: Beginner (Lv.1), Mastered (Lv.2), Proficient (Lv.3), Expert (Lv.4), Major Accomplishment (Lv.5), and Perfection (Lv.6). Now, both his Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist were past halfway. At this rate, in at most half a month, he could break through to Lv.4 Expert!

That level was already first-tier at Sixth Middle School. After all, in the entire third year of senior high, only a handful of people had trained their stance work or Body Tempering Fist to Expert. As for Major Accomplishment, that was even rarer—only someone like Song Yunliang, a natural Martial Arts prodigy, could reach that level in one of them. As for Perfection, among all high school students in Huihe City Area, probably no one had achieved it.

Once he broke through to Expert, not only would the power of his moves greatly increase, but the rate of Qi and Blood growth would also climb another step—the system had hinted that the higher the skill level, the higher the Qi and Blood conversion rate during training, making accumulation faster. Chen Mo's heart was full of anticipation. By then, his Qi and Blood Value might steadily break past 80 points, or even push toward 90!

Can't find the book by title? Try searching by author—maybe it just changed names!

On the other side, Zhao Peng's situation was a bit different. His Black Tiger Stance was also Lv.3 Proficient, with proficiency around sixty percent, on par with Chen Mo—clearly, he had also broken through to Proficient some time ago. But when he stood in stance, though his posture was standard and his Qi and Blood abundant enough, he lacked that "calm and focused" essence that Chen Mo had.

Chen Mo could sense that Zhao Peng's Qi and Blood were a bit "floating" inside his body. Though the quantity was large, it wasn't condensed enough, and its circulation wasn't smooth, occasionally showing subtle stagnation. This was exactly the root of the "weak force" he had mentioned earlier—Qi and Blood control couldn't keep up with the total amount.

"Brother Peng," after more than half an hour of practice, Chen Mo opened his eyes and saw fine sweat beads on Zhao Peng's forehead and his breathing a bit unsteady, so he spoke up to remind him, "When you stand in stance, try focusing more on the soles of your feet. Imagine the Qi and Blood sinking down through the meridians all the way to the Yongquan Acupoint, instead of just staying in your chest. Also, slow your breathing rhythm a bit more. Exhale with a little force to push out the Turbid Qi inside your body—that'll make your Qi and Blood more condensed."

Zhao Peng quickly adjusted his posture and tried the method Chen Mo suggested. After a few minutes, his eyes lit up, and he said in surprise, "Hey! It actually works! My feet feel much more stable, and the Qi and Blood aren't so floaty anymore! Brother Mo, your sense for this is spot on!"

"I just figured it out by messing around." Chen Mo smiled. "Your foundation is thicker than mine; you're just a bit lacking in Qi and Blood control. Practice your focus more, and it'll get better gradually."

In the time that followed, the two trained together, guiding and verifying each other's insights. Chen Mo would point out the stagnation points in Zhao Peng's Qi and Blood circulation, while Zhao Peng would share small force-application tricks he had summarized from practice—though most were experiences he'd heard from his father, occasionally they gave Chen Mo new inspiration.

With ample Qi and Blood replenishment and the broader perspective from their exchange, both trained more efficiently than usual. Zhao Peng's proficiency also saw a slight increase, but more importantly, his control over Qi and Blood became noticeably finer.

Time slipped by. Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened, and the sensor lights in the training room automatically turned on, casting a soft white glow over the entire space.

Chen Mo remained immersed in his training state, Qi and Blood cycling through his body, moves transitioning smoothly and naturally, with no sense of fatigue. But across from him, Zhao Peng was about to give out. His movements slowed, his breathing grew heavy, and sweat dripped down his cheeks onto the soft cushion, soaking a small patch.

"I can't go on, I can't!" After holding out another ten minutes, Zhao Peng abruptly stopped his practice and plopped down on the floor, gasping for air. "Brother Mo, you're way too intense! From afternoon till now, you haven't stopped! My legs are almost numb, and my Qi and Blood are nearly spent. If I keep going, I'll be overdrawing!"

Only then did Chen Mo stop. He felt he still had strength left; the Qi and Blood in his Dantian remained abundant, even more condensed from the sustained practice. But seeing Zhao Peng collapsed on the floor in exhaustion, he felt awkward about continuing. Smiling, he said, "Alright, let's take a break."

The two walked to the rest area in the corner of the training room and sat on the sofa. Zhao Peng grabbed an iced juice from the table, twisted off the cap, and chugged several gulps before recovering. "What the hell are you made of? Your stamina is insane! I usually can't last more than an hour, but you've been at it for almost three hours and you're still fine!"

"Maybe my Qi and Blood activity is high, so I recover fast." Chen Mo also picked up a glass of juice and took a sip. The cool liquid dispelled the heat from training.

They sat on the sofa, chatting casually. The topics drifted from training to funny school stories, then to recent Martial Arts news, the atmosphere very relaxed. Before they knew it, another half hour had passed. The sky was completely dark, and lights began to twinkle in the villa complex outside the window.