"Want to try the Reaction Ball Emitter?" Zhao Peng pointed to another device. "You can adjust the launch speed and angle. It trains your reflexes and dodging skills, which are especially useful in real combat!"
Chen Mo gave it a try. The Reaction Ball Emitter was impressive: the balls shot out fast and at tricky angles, changing direction unpredictably. It forced him to focus completely, channeling his qi and blood to dodge. After twenty minutes, his reflexes had definitely improved, but the same problem remained—the gains to the core skills of stance training and fist techniques were limited.
Next, he tried the Strength Trainer, the Wooden Dummy Assistant Device, and several other pieces of equipment. There was no denying that these advanced devices were scientifically designed to target strength, speed, and reflexes in different areas. But the more Chen Mo trained, the clearer it became: they were only "supplementary." His advantage lay in the efficient proficiency gains granted by the system and his precise control over his qi and blood. For foundational skills like stance training and Body Tempering Fist, what he needed most wasn't complicated equipment, but the patience to refine them day after day and nourish them with qi and blood.
"Looks like the old-fashioned way suits me best." Chen Mo chuckled and shook his head, then walked to the open space in the center of the training room. "I'll stick to Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist. Building a solid foundation is what matters."
Zhao Peng froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Right! You've been improving so quickly because you must have perfected your fundamentals! All right, I'll train with you. I need to reinforce mine too. I can't let you leave me too far behind!"
With that, Zhao Peng walked over to stand a short distance opposite Chen Mo. They faced each other and settled into Black Tiger Stance at the same time.
Chen Mo planted his feet shoulder-width apart, bent his knees slightly, and straightened his spine. He held his hands before his chest like tiger claws, closed his eyes, and quickly entered a meditative state. The nourishing effects of that feast of spiritual energy now fully revealed themselves. The warm flow of qi and blood in his Dantian was fuller and richer than usual, trickling steadily through his meridians. With every cycle, his control grew a little more precise.
[Black Tiger Stance (Lv.3 Minor Accomplishment): Proficiency (203/300)]
[Body Tempering Fist (Lv.3 Minor Accomplishment): Proficiency (179/300)]
The proficiency values on the System Panel rose slowly but steadily, nearly thirty percent faster than when he trained at school. The abundant qi and blood were like a full tank of fuel, greatly boosting the efficiency of his progress. Chen Mo could clearly feel the sinking force of Black Tiger Stance growing more solid. It was as if his feet had truly taken root, firmly joined to the ground, while the flow of qi and blood throughout his body grew smoother and smoother, with hardly a hint of resistance.
With his abundant qi and blood, the movements of Body Tempering Fist also became more fluid and unified. He could clearly sense how qi and blood flowed with every transition: where to apply force, where to draw it back, and where to briefly hold the flow to strengthen an explosive strike. It all felt perfectly clear. His rising proficiency was no longer just a cold number. It showed in tangible ways—the muscle memory, the response of his qi and blood, and the fluidity of his movements were all visibly improving.
According to the system, skill levels were divided into Beginner (Lv.1), Adept (Lv.2), Skilled (Lv.3), Proficient (Lv.4), Major Accomplishment (Lv.5), and Perfected (Lv.6). Both Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist were now more than halfway to the next level. At this rate, he would reach Lv.4 Proficient in no more than half a month!
At that level, he would be among the top students at Sixth Middle School. After all, only a handful of students in the entire senior class had brought their stance work or fist techniques to Proficient. Major Accomplishment was rarer still. Only a natural martial arts prodigy like Song Yunliang could bring one of them to that level. As for Perfected, probably no high school student in the entire Huihe City Area could claim it.
Once he reached Proficient, not only would his techniques grow much more powerful, but his qi and blood would also improve faster. The system had told him that the higher a skill's level, the more efficiently qi and blood were converted during training, naturally making it faster to build them up. Chen Mo was full of anticipation. By then, his Qi and Blood Value might break through eighty and even push toward ninety!
In contrast, things were a little different for Zhao Peng, across from him. His Black Tiger Stance was also Lv.3 Skilled, with roughly sixty percent proficiency—about the same as Chen Mo's. Clearly, he had reached the Skilled level quite some time ago. But although his stance was correct and his qi and blood abundant, his movements lacked some of Chen Mo's calm, focused composure.
Chen Mo could sense that Zhao Peng's qi and blood were somewhat "unsettled" inside him. There was plenty of it, but it wasn't condensed enough, and it didn't flow smoothly. Every now and then, the current would meet slight resistance. That was the root of the "hollow force" Zhao Peng had mentioned earlier: his control hadn't kept pace with the total amount of his qi and blood.
"Brother Peng," Chen Mo said after training for more than half an hour. He opened his eyes and saw beads of sweat on Zhao Peng's forehead and his breathing growing uneven. "When you're holding your stance, try focusing more on the soles of your feet. Imagine your qi and blood flowing down through your meridians to the Yongquan Acupoint instead of stopping at your chest. And slow your breathing a little. Exhale with a bit more force to push the Turbid Qi out of your body. That should help your qi and blood grow more condensed."
Zhao Peng hurriedly adjusted his posture and tried Chen Mo's method. A few minutes later, his eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "Hey, it really works! My footing feels much steadier, and my qi and blood aren't floating around as much! Brother Mo, how are you so good at sensing this stuff?"
"I just figured it out by trial and error." Chen Mo smiled. "Your foundation is better than mine. You just need a little more control over your qi and blood. Practice staying focused, and you'll get there."
For the rest of their session, they trained while offering each other pointers and comparing notes. Chen Mo pointed out where Zhao Peng's qi and blood were meeting resistance, while Zhao Peng shared little tricks he'd picked up for applying force. Most of them were things he'd heard from his father, but every now and then, they gave Chen Mo a new idea.
With plenty of qi and blood to draw on and fresh insights from exchanging advice, both of them trained more efficiently than usual. Zhao Peng's proficiency also rose a little, and, more importantly, his control over his qi and blood grew noticeably more precise.
Time passed, and the sky outside gradually darkened. The motion-sensing lights in the training room came on automatically, filling the space with soft white light.
Chen Mo remained immersed in his training, the qi and blood in his body flowing in steady cycles as his movements transitioned naturally. He wasn't tired at all. Zhao Peng, on the other hand, was nearly at his limit. His movements slowed, his breathing grew labored, and sweat trickled down his cheeks, dripping onto the soft cushion and soaking a small patch.
"I can't do it anymore!" After forcing himself to continue for another ten minutes, Zhao Peng abruptly ended his stance and dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. "Brother Mo, you're way too intense! You've been at it since we ate this afternoon without stopping! My legs are about to go numb, and I've used up almost all my qi and blood. If I keep going, I'll push myself past my limits!"
Only then did Chen Mo stop. He still had energy to spare, and the qi and blood in his Dantian remained abundant. In fact, the prolonged training had made them even more condensed. But seeing Zhao Peng sprawled on the floor, exhausted, he felt he couldn't keep going. He smiled and said, "All right, let's take a break."
They walked over to the rest area in the corner of the training room and sat on the sofa. Zhao Peng grabbed a chilled bottle of juice from the table, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down several mouthfuls before catching his breath. "What are you made of, anyway? You've got incredible stamina! I can barely manage an hour of training, but you've gone for almost three hours and still look fine!"
"Maybe my qi and blood are more active, so I recover faster." Chen Mo picked up a glass of juice and took a sip. The cold liquid chased away the heat from training.
The two sat on the sofa and chatted casually, moving from training to funny things at school and then to the latest martial arts news. The mood was relaxed. Before they knew it, another half hour had passed. Night had fallen, and lights glimmered across the villa complex outside the window.
Before you continue