Quantification and Sprint 2

The tapping of fingertips ceased. Chen Mo picked up his pen and began calculating on the scratch paper. His movements were steady and fluid, his gaze focused and determined, as if the thrilling two-month projection he had just completed was merely a casual break between classes.

Only Chen Mo knew that from this moment on, the passage of time held a new, more profound meaning for him. Every minute, every second, was no longer just passing time, but building blocks leading to the door of a Martial Artist. He would use his sweat, willpower, and persistence to personally lay these blocks, one by one, until a path to the peak was paved.

With his thoughts organized, Chen Mo quickly tallied them in his mind: once in the early morning, once at noon, four times in the afternoon, twice during evening study, and once late at night. In an ideal scenario, he could achieve up to ten effective training sessions a day! This meant gaining 10 proficiency points for both Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist daily, a total of 20 points combined!

This number made Chen Mo's heart race slightly, but he quickly calmed down. He knew very well that this was just the theoretical maximum; reality would inevitably present various variables. He had to account for fluctuations in his condition—humans aren't machines and can't maintain peak performance every day. Occasional fatigue would reduce training efficiency and might even prevent a complete effective session. He also had to consider unexpected disruptions, such as teachers extending class time, classmates interrupting to ask questions, or even weather changes preventing outdoor training. Most importantly, his body's recovery limits and mental endurance were insurmountable red lines. Overtraining would only lead to injury, disrupting his training plan and proving counterproductive.

Based on these considerations, Chen Mo began to adjust his expectations and make conservative estimates: reducing the two evening study sessions to one and a half (one full session plus a half session, calculated as 1.5 proficiency points) and the late-night session to a half session, ensuring his body could fully recover. This way, consistently completing eight effective training sessions daily, earning 8 proficiency points, was a more realistic and sustainable goal.

"From Proficient Intermediate to Master, Black Tiger Stance requires 488 proficiency points (500-12), and Body Tempering Fist requires 492 proficiency points (500-8). At 8 points per day, it will take approximately 61 days," Chen Mo calculated in his mind, a glint flashing in his eyes. 61 days, roughly two months. Within two months, mastering both core foundational skills would be astonishing, not just at Sixth Middle School's Third Year High School level, but even in the top high schools across the city!

After a brief moment of excitement, Chen Mo's gaze shifted back to the Qi and Blood Value on the System panel: 78.6. If skill proficiency was the ladder to becoming a Martial Artist, then Qi and Blood Value was the power source for climbing that ladder and the key credential for accessing school resources. Instructor Xu had mentioned the "priority cultivation student" qualification, with the core requirement being a Qi and Blood Value exceeding 90 points. This was his most urgent short-term goal.

He closed his eyes and carefully felt the circulation of Qi and Blood within his body. He clearly sensed that since breaking through to the Proficient realm, his body's ability to generate and control Qi and Blood had qualitatively improved. In the Minor Accomplishment stage, his daily Qi and Blood growth was around 0.1 points. After reaching Proficient, this figure increased to 0.13-0.16 points. While it seemed like only a 0.03-0.06 increase, it accumulated over time. A month's accumulation would yield an extra 0.9-1.6 points of Qi and Blood, a very welcome change.

However, Chen Mo did not let his guard down. He clearly remembered that when he first awakened the System, his Qi and Blood Value was very low. With the System's assistance, his Qi and Blood growth was extremely rapid, with noticeable improvements almost daily. But after his Qi and Blood Value exceeded 65 points, the growth rate began to slow down. After breaking through 70 points, the growth curve became exceptionally stable, with the daily increase essentially fixed within a certain range. This wasn't the System failing, but the objective law of Qi and Blood growth. Instructor Xu had reminded him, and the original owner's memories also contained related common knowledge: the closer the Qi and Blood Value gets to the mortal limit of 100 points, the more difficult the growth becomes. The bottleneck feels like a tightening rope, constricting more with each step forward.

Chen Mo mentally projected the trajectory of his Qi and Blood growth: at the current daily increase of 0.13-0.16 points, it would take about 10-11 days to go from 78.6 to 80 points. From 80 to 85 points, at this rate, it would take 33-42 days, but considering the later slowdown in growth, the actual time required might be longer. After 85 points, the growth rate would slow down further, perhaps only increasing by 0.1 point or even less daily. Above 90 points, each point of Qi and Blood increase might require several days or even over a week of hard work. As for pushing from 95 to the mortal limit of 100, that was an even greater hurdle requiring long-term accumulation, waiting for opportunities, and perhaps even a desperate gamble, impossible to achieve in the short term.

"Assuming the most optimistic linear projection (it will actually be harder)..." Chen Mo's mind raced. "To go from the current 78.6 points to 90 points, I need to increase my Qi and Blood by 11.4 points. Even with a later slowdown in growth, averaging 0.14 points per day, it's possible to reach it in a little over two months. Once both Black Tiger Stance and Body Tempering Fist reach Master (Lv.5), the excavation of my body's potential will reach new heights. My Qi and Blood carrying capacity and generation speed may significantly increase again, possibly even helping me break through the later growth bottlenecks!"

At this thought, Chen Mo's heart involuntarily quickened, an irrepressible excitement surging through him. A crystal-clear growth path unfolded before his eyes: use the next two months to accumulate proficiency at a near-brutal pace, aiming for Master in both skills; simultaneously, steadily increase his Qi and Blood, quickly breaking through the 90-point threshold to secure the school's priority cultivation student status and monthly Qi and Blood subsidy; then, with the powerful boost from reaching Master in both skills, launch a final assault towards the Martial Artist threshold of 100 Qi and Blood!

Reaching 100 Qi and Blood before graduation, even attempting to break through to the Martial Artist realm! This once unattainable, almost impossible goal, had now become a highly tempting possibility! If successful, he would completely escape the original owner's mediocre fate, step into the true world of Martial Arts, and embark on a completely different life path.

Of course, Chen Mo was also well aware that all these beautiful visions were built on two solid foundations. First, he had to be like a precision clock, strictly adhering to this near-brutal training plan. His daily training, studies, and rest had to be meticulously followed without any slackening, and absolutely no interruptions. Second, his training resources had to keep up. After breaking through to Proficient, each training session consumed far more Qi and Blood and Mental Strength than before, and the demand for "fuel" had increased accordingly. Although the nutritional meals sent by Zhao Peng were a lifesaver, supplementing some of his Qi and Blood, they were far from enough for high-intensity training. He still needed a large amount of Qi and Blood Capsules, Qi and Blood Powder, and similar training resources to replenish his consumption. The key to obtaining these resources was the school's 90-point Qi and Blood subsidy threshold.

"I must be faster!" A fiery flame ignited in Chen Mo's eyes. He cast aside his initial conservative estimates. He didn't want to leave himself any room for error; he wanted to challenge his limits, pushing as close as possible to the theoretical maximum of ten training sessions per day within what his body could endure! The noon session had to be guaranteed; it was the crucial link between morning and afternoon. He had to find ways to squeeze more time out of evening study, aiming for two and a half or even three sessions. The late-night stance training also needed to be of high quality, not to be slacked off just because it was late. Every extra effective training session meant one more proficiency point, one step closer to the Master realm, and one step closer to the 90-point Qi and Blood goal!

He took a deep breath, pulling his gaze away from his internal calculations and back to the math exam spread before him. Academic subjects were the stabilizers on this aggressive training path, an absolute bottom line that could not be breached. The System's "Knowledge Solidification" effect was his greatest reliance. He had to utilize every minute of class time and fragmented moments, not only to maintain his academic advantage but also to strive for further improvement, leaving himself more fallback options for the future.