Qi and Blood surged steadily through Chen Mo's body like a rushing stream, nourishing every meridian and muscle. He closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, focusing all his attention on the flow of Qi and Blood and the sensations of his stance training. He could clearly feel his feet taking root as his stance deepened, anchoring him firmly to the ground. A steady force rose from the soles of his feet and spread through his legs into his whole body.
His focus grew sharper. As Qi and Blood flowed through him, he could even "hear" the faint sounds of his muscles and fascia being nourished and slowly strengthened. The proficiency on the System Panel rose at a visible rate:
[Black Tiger Stance proficiency + 1] [Body Tempering Fist proficiency + 1] [Black Tiger Stance proficiency + 1] [Body Tempering Fist proficiency + 1]...
Each cycle of Qi and Blood, each slight tremor of his muscles, added to his growing proficiency. The clear sense of progress drew Chen Mo deeper into his training and spurred him to work even harder.
All morning, Chen Mo set the pace and intensity in the training room. At times he held a stance to refine his Qi and Blood; at others, he practiced Body Tempering Fist to polish his moves. Occasionally, he paused to adjust his breathing, but he maintained an efficient training rhythm throughout. Zhao Peng gritted his teeth and kept up, but it was clear that he had fallen behind Chen Mo, whose progress was astonishingly fast, in stamina, fine control of Qi and Blood, and understanding of the techniques' fundamentals.
Chen Mo's advice was especially useful. He could pinpoint Zhao Peng's problems and offer simple, practical ways to improve—better than the private coach Zhao Peng paid for. This only strengthened Zhao Peng's conviction that Chen Mo was a superstar in the making. This level of skill couldn't be achieved through effort alone; it required exceptional insight and a profound understanding of the body and martial arts. It looked like he really had struck gold this time!
At noon, they brought their training to a temporary halt. Mama Wu had prepared a lavish lunch. Though it was a little simpler than last Saturday's meal, it was still a nutritious spirit-energy medicinal spread: clear-braised Spirit Rhino Bird soup, pan-fried Red Ridge Fish, stir-fried vegetables, and mixed-grain rice. The two were ravenous and dug in, quickly replenishing the Qi and Blood and energy they had spent training.
After a brief rest, they resumed training at half past one. This time, Chen Mo focused on linking the moves of Body Tempering Fist, trying to make each transition smoother and more natural and his Qi and Blood flow more freely. Zhao Peng practiced quietly nearby, occasionally asking Chen Mo about a detail or two.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Outside, the sun sank toward the horizon, bathing the training room floor in warm gold. Chen Mo stopped and let out a long breath. His Qi and Blood surged powerfully through him, filling every limb and bone with strength. He opened the System Panel and looked at the values, a flicker of delight in his eyes:
[Black Tiger Stance (Lv.3 Proficient): proficiency 276/300] [Body Tempering Fist (Lv.3 Proficient): proficiency 268/300]
He was just over twenty proficiency points away from the threshold for Lv.4 (Mastery)! At this rate, he would break through in two or three days at most!
Dinner was served promptly at six. Mama Wu had made a nourishing lamb hotpot and a few refreshing side dishes. Their spirit-energy content was even higher than lunch, and they replenished him more effectively. By the end of the meal, Chen Mo felt his Qi and Blood growing fuller and more substantial. He was one step closer to reaching the Critical Point.
After dinner, the two had planned to play virtual reality games for a while, as they had last time. But Chen Mo considered how intense the day's training had been and decided that too much entertainment might hinder his body from settling and absorbing the Qi and Blood. So he took the initiative and said his goodbyes.
"Today's training went really well. I should head home and let everything settle," Chen Mo said with a smile. "Besides, I can't keep imposing on your family. There'll be plenty of time to play games next time."
Seeing how set Chen Mo was on leaving, Zhao Peng didn't press him to stay. He simply told the driver, Xiao Liu, to bring the car around, just as he had last time.
"Brother Mo, wait!" Just as Chen Mo was about to step out of the villa, Zhao Peng suddenly remembered something. He turned and hurried back inside, returning moments later with a black USB drive and an exquisite Rosewood pastry box.
"Take this USB drive." Zhao Peng pressed it into Chen Mo's hand, his voice sincere. "It has study materials for my Cultural Class exam prep that my dad pulled strings to get for me, along with sets of practice questions from some top middle schools and Master's lecture notes. You can't buy them anywhere. I've seen you working hard on your Cultural Class lately, and these should help. That way, you won't have to waste time looking for materials yourself."
Chen Mo felt a warmth in his heart as he accepted the USB drive. It was cool to the touch and light in his hand, yet heavy with meaning. He knew these materials were invaluable. They would save him a great deal of time and money searching for resources and help him avoid many wrong turns in his revision, greatly improving his efficiency.
"And this, too." Zhao Peng handed him the Rosewood pastry box. When he opened it, he found more than a dozen delicately shaped pastries that gave off a faint fragrance. "Mama Wu specially made these Qi and Blood Nourishing Cakes. She added a few mild herbs that replenish Qi and Blood. They're not greasy, and they'll nourish your Qi and Blood gradually. Have one if you get hungry tonight, or eat them for breakfast tomorrow. They're much healthier than store-bought snacks."
Chen Mo looked at the pastries in the box, then at Zhao Peng's sincere expression. This time, he didn't protest. He accepted the pastry box with both hands and said earnestly, "Brother Peng, thank you so much. These materials and pastries are incredibly helpful to me. If you ever need anything, just ask. If it's something I can do, I'll do my best to help."
"Come on, we're buddies. You don't have to be so formal!" Zhao Peng patted him on the shoulder with a hearty smile. "Be careful on the way, and remember to come by again next week. Let's get your stance training up to Mastery!"
"I will!" Chen Mo nodded and got into the black car waiting at the entrance.
The car rolled steadily through the night. Chen Mo leaned back against the soft seat, holding the small USB drive and the exquisite pastry box tightly in his hands. His Qi and Blood still felt full after training, and his strength seemed to be growing. His heart, meanwhile, was warm and his resolve high.
He knew Zhao Peng's investment in him was quietly taking shape in a way that was comfortable and acceptable to him. And he hadn't let that kindness and investment go to waste; he was growing at a visible pace. He now had Cultural Class materials, a steady source of daily Qi and Blood replenishment, and the chance to occasionally train in a top-tier environment. His martial arts, too, were improving by leaps and bounds...
All of it was like a gentle stream, gathering into a mighty force that propelled him forward, pushing him step by step toward the threshold of Mastery and toward a wider world.
The car pulled into the familiar Xingfu Residential Area. After getting out, Chen Mo watched the car disappear into the night before turning and entering the building.
When he got home, his parents had left the light on and warmed some milk for him, as usual. Chen Mo quietly washed up, but didn't go straight to bed. First, he turned on his computer and copied the files from the USB drive to his hard drive. Looking at the folders packed with lecture notes from elite schools, internal practice questions, and exam-prep strategies, he felt full of anticipation.
Then he put a Qi and Blood Nourishing Cake in his mouth. It was soft, sweet, and not at all bitter from the herbs. After he swallowed, a gentle warmth spread slowly from his stomach, soothing his tired body.
He went to his desk and opened the System Panel again. Seeing how close the Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist were to breaking through, he couldn't help smiling with determination.
Eat the pastries, study the materials, and let his Qi and Blood settle.
Then he would make one final push toward Lv.4 (Mastery)!
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