Quantification and Sprint

The lingering warmth from the martial arts class had yet to fade from his muscles and bones when Chen Mo sat back down in his seat at the back of the classroom. His fingertips tapped rhythmically against the cold desk, producing a faint "tap-tap" sound, as if keeping time for the high-speed thoughts racing through his mind. His brain was like a precision instrument running at full capacity, every gear meshing frantically as he meticulously calculated the investment of every minute, the output of every training session, and all the variables and possibilities on the path toward his goal over the next two months.

With a flick of his mind, a pale blue System panel appeared clearly in his consciousness. Every set of data on it was cold and objective, yet directly tied to his future:

[Qi and Blood Value: 78.6]
[Skills: Black Tiger Stance Lv.4 (Proficient) (12/500)]
[Body Tempering Fist Lv.4 (Proficient) (8/500)]

His gaze locked onto the proficiency requirements, and Chen Mo's brows furrowed imperceptibly. From Novice to Minor Achievement, and from Minor Achievement to Proficient, each breakthrough had required an increase of 100 points. He had been mentally prepared for the threshold to jump from 300 to 400 points. Yet this time, the threshold from Proficient to Great Achievement (Lv.5) hadn't followed the conventional 100-point increase to 400; instead, it had surged by 200 points, leaping straight to a high of 500.

500 proficiency points—this was by no means a number that could be easily achieved. Chen Mo calculated in his mind; based on his previous training efficiency at the Minor Achievement stage, this was equivalent to nearly half a year of hard labor. At this moment, these numbers were no longer cold code in his eyes, but a towering mountain. The peak was steep and shrouded in mist, requiring him to climb day and night without a single moment of rest.

To plan the road ahead, he first had to understand his current "foundation." Chen Mo collected his thoughts and began to review his training state after reaching the Proficient level, precisely calculating his current efficiency. After breaking through to the Proficient realm, the biggest change was that his understanding of the essence of the techniques no longer stayed on the surface; he had truly achieved "internalization." His control over Qi and Blood nodes when sinking his shoulders and dropping his elbows, the alignment of his spine—the "Great Dragon"—when keeping his back straight, and the precise coordination of breathing with his internal energy—these insights had drastically increased the efficiency of his Qi and Blood circulation, eliminating any wasted effort.

Coupled with the constant replenishment of Qi and Blood from the Nutritional Meals provided by Zhao Peng, his body could consistently maintain a relatively full state. Previously, at the Minor Achievement stage, a complete training session that gained System recognition and a stable 1-point increase in proficiency took a full 30 minutes. Now, that time had been optimized and stabilized at 25 minutes. While it seemed like a mere 5-minute reduction, the gains would accumulate; over a day, he could squeeze out nearly an hour of redundant time. During this sprint phase, that time was enough to translate into a tangible advantage in proficiency.

Having calculated his base efficiency, Chen Mo's thoughts immediately turned to the restructuring of his daily schedule. Like a rigorous commander, he began to lay out an invisible timetable in his mind, attempting to maximize the utility of every wisp of time and squeeze out every ounce of training value it contained.

First was the early morning period (5:30–7:00). This was the golden hour when the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was freshest and his own mental state was at its peak—the best time for practicing stance work. Chen Mo planned carefully: wake up at 5:30 sharp, head straight to the familiar small woods after a quick wash, which would take about 10 minutes. After arriving, he would make minor adjustments, loosen his muscles to wake up his body, and spend 5 minutes calming his mind, allowing him to officially start training at 5:50. One 25-minute session of Black Tiger Stance, followed by a 5-minute rest, and then a 25-minute session of Body Tempering Fist—the two sessions totaled 50 minutes. After finishing, he would tidy up and head home, arriving just in time for breakfast before 7:00 to store energy for the morning's academic classes. This 90-minute golden window was planned to the brim, with no room for waste.

Next was the noon period (12:30–13:30). In the past, he had to join the long lines at the cafeteria like other students, waiting fifteen or twenty minutes just to get food, leaving him with only a few minutes to rest—nowhere near enough time to train. But now, Zhao Peng's Nutritional Meals solved this major problem. As soon as the 12:00 bell rang, he could quickly clear his desk, grab his meal, find a quiet corner, and finish eating in at most 20 minutes. This allowed him to squeeze out a full 50 minutes for training. The core purpose of noon training was twofold: to use this time to soothe the mental fatigue from morning classes, and to store energy for the afternoon's high-intensity training through gentle Qi and Blood circulation, acting as a bridge between the two. Chen Mo had even decided that noon training would focus on stance work, supplemented by simple fist techniques, to avoid excessive exhaustion that might leave him sluggish in the afternoon.

The afternoon period (14:30–17:30) was the centerpiece of his entire training plan. During these three hours, the school's martial arts classes included high-quality group training. Instructor Xu's professional guidance made every movement more precise, and the value of this effective training far exceeded what he could achieve by fumbling on his own. Based on past experience, a full martial arts class was worth at least two complete self-training sessions, reliably netting him 2 proficiency points. More importantly, the Martial Arts Hall didn't close immediately after class. Many students left after training, and he could use this time in the vacant space of the hall, or find a quiet corner, to grit his teeth and add two more training sessions. Theoretically, the afternoon period could contribute four effective training sessions, yielding 4 proficiency points—making it the most productive time of the day.

Then came the evening self-study period (19:00–22:00). This was originally the golden time for academic study, but now it needed to be reallocated. Chen Mo knew clearly that after the day's high-intensity physical training, his mental state would inevitably decline, and training efficiency would drop accordingly; forcing high-intensity training would be counterproductive. However, these three hours couldn't be wasted. He planned to squeeze out 100 minutes to complete two high-quality training sessions—two sessions of stance work to settle his mind, and two of fist techniques to consolidate his moves. The remaining time would be used entirely for academic review, focusing on tackling problems left over from the morning, organizing his error notebook, and memorizing liberal arts concepts to ensure his academic foundation didn't collapse. After all, the college entrance exam didn't just look at martial arts strength; academic grades were an equally important basis for admission. He couldn't devote everything to martial arts, and training required moderation, or the drop in efficiency would make the effort not worth the gain.

Finally, late at night after returning home (after 22:30). This period had many restrictions; his family would be asleep, so he couldn't perform fist techniques that were too loud or involved too much movement. But Chen Mo didn't want to give up. He planned to perform one training session in the open space downstairs in his residential complex. He would practice the Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist once each. Considering he had to wake up early the next day, this session couldn't be too late, kept to around 60 minutes. After finishing, he would go home, wash up, and rest, ensuring 6 hours of sleep to guarantee basic physical recovery.