First Cultivation

While Zhao Ping'an was diligently reading the Body Tempering Art, Zheng Hetong had already left.

Of course, he hadn't gone far, but was instead teaching Zhao Ping'an's senior disciples from a distance.

At this moment, Zhao Ping'an's face was filled with excitement. With the game panel's boost, he would have infinite possibilities.

However, as an adult, a cuckolded adult at that, Zhao Ping'an knew well that one shouldn't flaunt their wealth. Lying low was the true path to victory.

He was still just a child who couldn't even lift a chicken right now.

If Zhao Ping'an were to cultivate according to the methods recorded in the Body Tempering Art, it would take at least three years for him to master it, and that's assuming he was a prodigious genius.

If his aptitude was mediocre, being able to master it before the age of eighteen would be considered extremely fortunate.

But with the simplified method provided by the panel, he felt he could master the Body Tempering Art in half a year at most.

"Ping An, time to eat! Familiarize yourself with the Body Tempering Art this afternoon. I've also prepared some medicinal ingredients for you, and I'll personally guide you in starting your cultivation tomorrow morning!"

Zhao Ping'an, who had been grinning foolishly, suddenly heard his Master's voice and immediately suppressed his smile, standing up.

At this moment, Zheng Hetong and his three disciples had finished their morning training and were walking briskly towards Zhao Ping'an.

"Yes! Master!"

"Little Junior Disciple Brother! Keep it up! Strive to surpass your Fourth Senior Disciple Brother. Senior Sister is rooting for you!"

Third Senior Sister Mu Yunmeng, who had approached, patted Zhao Ping'an's shoulder and clenched her right fist upwards.

"Keep it up!"

"Keep it up!"

Second Senior Disciple Brother Cui Kang'an and Fourth Senior Disciple Brother Liu Zhe followed suit, patting Zhao Ping'an's shoulder in the same manner as they walked past him.

"Uh..."

Zhao Ping'an was speechless.

In reality, his aptitude had long been thoroughly examined by his Master, Zheng Hetong. He was an ordinary person, not a gifted genius.

His appearance was also only slightly above average; not handsome, but rather pleasant to look at.

Meanwhile, Fourth Senior Disciple Brother Liu Zhe was a renowned genius disciple of the Blazing Blade Sect, and he was exceptionally handsome, undoubtedly the dream lover of many young ladies from prominent families.

If Zhao Ping'an hadn't awakened his golden finger, the gap between them would only grow wider.

It was rumored that upon entering the sect, he was fiercely sought after by several elders, and he ultimately chose to become Zheng Hetong's disciple.

Therefore, he knew that his senior disciples were just teasing him, not genuinely believing he could surpass Fourth Senior Disciple Brother Liu Zhe. They simply wanted him to practice martial arts without any psychological pressure.

But with the game panel on his side, Zhao Ping'an would one day make their playful words come true, and it wouldn't take long.

The entire Feather Mountain was divided into five levels. The uppermost level was the summit, three hundred meters high, uninhabited and covered by dense bushes.

The second level was where the Sect Master and his personal disciples resided, approximately at the eight hundred to one thousand meter mark of Feather Mountain.

The third level was the residence of the four Great Elders, located in the east, south, west, and north directions. Apart from an artificially carved circular mountain path, most of the area was covered by dense forests, situated at an altitude of five hundred to eight hundred meters.

The four Great Elders were also responsible for defending the mountain summit from approaching enemies.

The fourth level was where the deacons resided, approximately at the two hundred to five hundred meter mark. They were all concentrated on the sides of the only mountain path, as the other directions were sheer cliffs, extending from the foot of the mountain to over five hundred meters up the mountainside.

The final fifth level housed institutions such as the Assembly Hall, Enforcement Hall, Combat Hall, Logistics Hall, and External Affairs Hall, located at the foot of the mountain.

Zhao Ping'an, along with his senior disciples and Master and Mistress, lived in a courtyard partially embedded in the mountainside on the western slope of Feather Mountain. They occupied the western side, while the Master and Mistress lived on the eastern side (closer to the mountain cliff).

A courtyard of about five hundred square meters (approximately 25 meters long from north to south and 20 meters wide from east to west) was situated in between. A bluestone path, about three meters wide, ran through the center of the courtyard, lined with various rare flowers, plants, and trees.

These were usually tended to by Mistress Zhao Xiuyun and a few servants, and it was one of her greatest hobbies.

The entire courtyard was not enclosed by a wall but was surrounded by a dense forest.

After lunch, Zhao Ping'an did not head to the training grounds but instead stood in a clearing behind his house in the woods.

This spot had been left by the Senior Disciple Brother when he used to train. Since the Senior Disciple Brother had broken through to the Martial Practitioner Realm and descended the mountain, no one had come here for a long time, and it was already overgrown with weeds.

As for the other senior disciples, they preferred to cultivate in the leveled training grounds.

Zhao Ping'an wanted to test if what the game panel said was true.

"Begin!"

One hundred jumping jacks might seem like a lot at first, but as his realm increased, it would undoubtedly become simpler.

In the quiet forest, besides the occasional whistling wind and birdsong, a third sound soon emerged.

"Pa, bang! Pa, bang! Pa, bang!..."

A series of rhythmic sounds continuously echoed, the sounds of Zhao Ping'an's slapping palms and landing feet.

Once, five times, ten times...

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!..."

After about two minutes, Zhao Ping'an stopped his jumping jacks, bent over with his hands on his knees, and began to pant heavily.

And on his panel, the number behind Body Tempering Art had indeed changed.

[Body Tempering Art (Low-grade): 1/100 (Not yet initiated, simplified), 100 jumping jacks increase proficiency by 1 point]

"It really increased! But ten thousand jumping jacks... that's so hard!"

Zhao Ping'an, his heart rate finally calming, somewhat regretted why he had designed it to be one hundred reps instead of ten in the first place!

But it was a done deal. This was still countless times faster than practicing the complicated movements recorded in the Body Tempering Art.

After resting for more than ten minutes, Zhao Ping'an continued to complete his ten thousand jumping jacks.

Time flew by like this. The first set of one hundred jumping jacks took about two minutes, while later sets of one hundred took a full five minutes.

Zhao Ping'an did a total of thirteen sets, and now he couldn't do even one more.

Zhao Ping'an lay sprawled on the weeds in a 't' shape, looking up at the setting sun in the distance, not wanting to move at all.

He was so damn tired!

He felt like his arms and legs no longer belonged to him, trembling uncontrollably and refusing to obey.

He lay there for a full half-hour. Only when dew began to form on the weeds did Zhao Ping'an slowly get up and walk towards his room.

He was now thirsty, tired, and hungry, feeling worse than if he'd been beaten up, but the pain was accompanied by joy.

Because:

[Body Tempering Art (Low-grade): 13/100 (Not yet initiated, simplified), 100 jumping jacks grant one point of proficiency]

This meant he could initiate the Body Tempering Art and reach the first level in about a week at most.

Dragging his exhausted body back to his not-so-large room, he took in the sight. The roughly twenty-square-meter room contained only a bed, a table, two stools, and a cabinet. The rest was empty.

Zhao Ping'an first picked up the kettle on the table and drank several cups of water before lying directly on the soft bed, not wanting to move at all.

When the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon...

"Ping An, Ping An! Come out for dinner!"

A gentle female voice sounded from outside Zhao Ping'an's room.

"Coming! Mistress!"

The person who arrived was Zhao Ping'an's Mistress, Zhao Xiuyun. She was a lady from a prominent family. It was rumored her father was the biggest cloth merchant in South Ridge City. As for why she married Zheng Hetong, no one knew.

All that was known was that because of this matter, the Mistress hadn't returned home in a long time, clearly indicating that the two parties had a very unpleasant falling out.

After a sumptuous dinner, Zhao Ping'an bid farewell to his Master and Mistress, then went straight back to his room and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.

He had to get up early tomorrow morning!