Twenty minutes flew by in a flash.
Jiang Ping and the others stood quietly on the Training Ground, each with their backs straight and spirits high.
Head Escort Liang stood before them and said,
"Our Escort Agency's Nourishing Life Technique consists of eighty-one movements. When practicing them, you must coordinate them with the proper breathing and exhalation techniques. Its defining trait is slowness rather than speed, but it places great strain on the body. Therefore, it is best practiced after meals, so that you can absorb the essence of beef and rice to the fullest."
"So after practicing, you must eat meat—beef is best. Otherwise, if your food cannot keep up with your training, you will only get half the result with twice the effort."
"Now I will demonstrate this Nourishing Life Technique carefully. Watch closely and learn well!"
With that said, the Head Escort began his demonstration.
His movements were slow, yet they carried the smooth, flowing grace of drifting clouds and running water.
At the same time, Liang Sheng taught them the secrets of breathing and exhalation during the demonstration.
The Pre-Escorts naturally widened their eyes, staring without blinking as they desperately committed everything to memory. Even their breathing unconsciously slowed.
A full fifteen minutes passed before Liang Sheng stopped. He looked at the crowd. "Do you remember it? Who will come forward and demonstrate it once?"
Silence filled the Training Ground.
This Nourishing Life Technique had eighty-one movements, and they had to be coordinated with breathing techniques. Unless one was extraordinarily gifted and could remember everything at a glance, how could anyone possibly memorize it all after seeing it once?
Just as everyone hesitated, afraid of making fools of themselves, a voice rang out. "I'll do it!"
Jiang Ping looked over and saw that it was Qian Dele, his dormmate.
With a serious expression, Qian Dele stepped forward and began to practice.
"Did he really remember all of it?" Luo Tiegen asked in astonishment.
"Probably not." Jiang Ping shook his head.
Luo Tiegen let out a breath of relief, then looked puzzled. "Then why would Brother Qian dare demonstrate it?"
"He probably wants the Head Escort to correct his mistakes through the demonstration. This is actually an opportunity to receive personal instruction."
No sooner had Jiang Ping spoken than he saw the Head Escort cursing Qian Dele out while correcting his movements.
After Liang Sheng's guidance, everyone realized that the movements of this Top Five finisher in the Fist Force test had begun to look rather convincing.
"If I'd known, I would've gone too." Luo Tiegen, who could not remember the movements clearly, felt rather regretful.
Coming back to his senses, he lowered his voice and asked Jiang Ping, "Jiang, since you knew you could receive guidance, why didn't you go up?"
"Because something showed up in my system."
Naturally, Jiang Ping would never dare say that aloud.
Though his expression barely changed, excitement had long become impossible to suppress within him.
Just after the Head Escort finished demonstrating the Nourishing Life Technique, golden light flashed in Jiang Ping's mind.
A golden seal engraved with the words "Late Bloomer" suddenly appeared in his mind.
[Destiny: Late Bloomer] [Attribute: Perseverance will surely lead to success]
This Destiny might not allow Jiang Ping to break through as quickly as a genius, but its ability foretold that his fate would be rewritten from this day onward!
"Perseverance will surely lead to success!" This meant that as long as Jiang Ping kept training diligently, he would certainly be able to cultivate the Nourishing Life Technique to Great Accomplishment and become a Martial Artist.
Likewise, with the blessing of this Destiny, he had already committed the key movements of the Nourishing Life Technique firmly to heart.
All that remained was to accumulate through sweat, and Blood Qi would arise on its own!
Thus, he gave up the opportunity to receive the Head Escort's guidance.
Training Ground.
As time passed, everyone discovered that Qian Dele's movements were becoming increasingly standard, and many finally realized something.
This was clearly a golden opportunity for personal instruction. What a pity they had missed it.
When Qian Dele finished the entire set of movements, everyone craned their necks in anticipation, hoping the Head Escort would choose another person to demonstrate.
But Liang Sheng gave them no further opportunity and said directly,
"I'll practice it once more. You all will follow my movements and practice along with me."
Hearing this, everyone sighed inwardly in regret. Qian Dele, however, walked back toward the crowd with a smug expression.
It might have only been a set of movements, but he had learned them first. This was where the gap began.
"Brother Qian is so clever!" His old friend Sun Zheng gave him a thumbs-up, proud of his friend.
The more outstanding Qian Dele became, the more Sun Zheng, as his friend, could bask in the reflected glory—and perhaps get him to give him some private tutoring.
Buzz!
As everyone began practicing the Nourishing Life Technique, Jiang Ping's vision flickered. A line of words appeared upon his Purple-Gold Fate, as though carved into it.
[Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (0/100): Practice ten times daily, and it will be achieved in ten days.]
"The Destiny has started taking effect!"
Jiang Ping was delighted.
Then he gathered his thoughts and practiced the technique while recalling the key points Head Escort Liang had explained.
But as he practiced, Jiang Ping discovered something was wrong.
[Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (1/100)] [Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (2/100)] [...]
He found that the number was continuously rising, completely at odds with the stated effect.
To be more precise, the growth rate was absurdly fast.
After completing one set of movements, his proficiency had risen from 0 to 9.
Something was wrong. Very wrong!
According to the Destiny's description, he needed to practice ten times a day for ten days.
Broken down further, each practice should only increase his proficiency by one point.
But he had only gone through it the first time. How had it already risen to 9?
At that moment, Head Escort Liang stopped and told everyone to practice the second time on their own.
Jiang Ping immediately threw himself into it.
He wanted to see whether the Destiny was acting strangely, or whether there was something wrong with himself.
[Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (10/100)] [Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (11/100)] [...]
"What utter trash! I explained it in detail three times already, so how did you get four of the first ten movements wrong?"
On the Training Ground, as everyone practiced the Nourishing Life Technique for the second time, Head Escort Liang's curses rang out as well.
He pointed at a young man and roared, looking as though he hated iron for refusing to become steel.
As he cursed, the Head Escort lightly pressed on the young man's shoulder. The man immediately lost his balance, swayed, and staggered. He nearly fell over, drawing a burst of laughter.
"Is that funny?"
Head Escort Liang stared coldly at the crowd.
"You think your own movements are standard? You think you can actually train effectively?"
"You are all fools, no different from him. You make mistakes without even realizing it, yet you still have the leisure to laugh at others."
"Laugh. Go on, laugh all you want."
"When the six-month period is over and you fail to meet the Escort Agency's requirements, when you are eliminated, I'll see which of you can still laugh."
At those words, everyone wiped the smiles from their faces and practiced the technique seriously.
Yet the Head Escort's mouth did not stop.
"But you needn't worry either. Many will be eliminated, but some will enter my Escort Agency, become escorts, and earn heaps of silver."
"Because after only these few rounds, several of you have already memorized everything, and your movements are very standard."
As he spoke, Liang Sheng's gaze lingered briefly on Qian Dele, Liu Wensheng—another member of the Top Five in the Fist Force test—and several others.
He continued, "These people have all been serious and have never let their minds wander. That is the gap—the gap revealed in merely a few moments."
"In the future, when you watch them raise high rises and feast their guests, only when your own building collapses will you know regret."
The Training Ground fell silent. Everyone felt the pressure, even a sense of urgency.
Because most of them still needed the Head Escort to correct their mistakes, while some had already completely mastered the essentials of the movements.
One step slow, every step slow. That was how the gap emerged.
Under the Head Escort's curses and guidance, everyone finally completed the second round of practice.
However, many looked rather bedraggled. They still had not memorized all the movements, and some had even been told by the Head Escort that half of the eighty-one movements were wrong. Their expressions were extremely ugly.
At that moment, Qian Dele, whom everyone regarded as one of the outstanding ones, suddenly asked,
"Master Liang, how do we count as having reached Entry Level, as having cultivated to the First Level?"
Look at him—not only did he phrase it nicely, he no longer called him Head Escort. He had begun respecting his master and honoring the Way.
Moreover, his attention was no longer on the movements. Instead, he was concerned with the effects after mastering the technique.
Jiang Ping, who had been pondering his own situation, could not help pricking up his ears as well.
Head Escort Liang answered, "When your Fist Force increases by twenty jin, you can be considered to have grasped the First Level. Another increase of forty jin means the Second Level. Once you comprehend the Fourth Level, your Fist Force can increase by a hundred jin. At that point, you will be different from ordinary people. Even several times your number among ordinary men would not be your match."
"Then how do we know whether we have grasped the First Level?" Qian Dele asked again.
"Once you can sense Blood Qi circulating within your body, you have reached the First Level. As the Nourishing Life Technique deepens, your Blood Qi will gradually strengthen. When it reaches a critical point and then suddenly surges, it can be regarded as your cultivation breaking through another level. This repeats until the Seventh Layer brings a qualitative transformation."
"But changes in Blood Qi within the human body are difficult for outsiders to detect. That is why I must record your Fist Force at regular intervals, lest anyone falsely report their cultivation progress."
"Thank you, Master Liang, for clearing up my doubts." Qian Dele clasped his fists and bowed.
Head Escort Liang nodded, then stared at everyone. "Do you see? This is the gap between people. While you are still correcting your movements..."
After swallowing this bowl of chicken blood from the Head Escort, everyone began practicing for the third time.
Not long into the practice, Jiang Ping once again observed a change in the Nourishing Life Technique.
[Nourishing Life Technique, First Level (17→18/100)]
After finishing the second round, his proficiency had risen from 9 to 17. The third round had only just begun, yet the number was already increasing absurdly again.
At this point, he more or less understood his situation.
He seemed to be a genius?!
At the same time, this indirectly confirmed something: his ability to remember the Head Escort's demonstrated movements at a glance had not seemed to be the Destiny's doing. He truly was extraordinarily gifted!
But!
But he was already extraordinarily gifted, so what the hell was with awakening the "Late Bloomer" Destiny?
Before you continue