Diligent Study and Hard Training

The meat was neither as coarse nor as gamey as he had imagined. Instead, it was exceptionally tender.

As his teeth broke through the fatty membrane, the meat melted at the slightest press of his tongue. Its savory fragrance spread through his mouth before sliding down his throat into his stomach.

A surge of warmth immediately spread through his limbs and bones.

Li He promptly set down his bowl and chopsticks and sprang to his feet.

"Mom, I'm full. I've gained some insight, so I'm going to practice."

Before he had even finished speaking, he dashed into his bedroom and shut the door behind him.

In a few strides, he reached the open space in the center of the room. He lowered his stance and sank into a horse stance, instantly assuming the posture of the Federation Body Forging Fist. His mind sank fully into his body as he guided the Exotic Beast Meat's energy toward the barrier standing before the mastery realm.

Beginner, proficient, mastery, minor accomplishment, major accomplishment, and perfection—there were six realms in a martial arts technique.

Boom!

Li He's blood and vitality surged within him as the energy from the Exotic Beast Meat slammed fiercely into that threshold.

Break!

Li He roared soundlessly in his heart.

The muscles throughout his body instantly tensed like steel cables. Veins bulged across his forehead, neck, and arms, while sweat poured wildly from every pore, soaking through his thin undershirt.

He could clearly see it.

The glaring [Proficient (99%)] on the panel shook and flashed violently.

Crack!

With a sound audible only to himself, that barrier shattered with a thunderous crash.

[Proficiency +1]

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Proficient (99%) → Mastery (0%)]

[Breakthrough successful. Vitality increasing.]

The information on the panel refreshed instantly.

A faint hum came from Li He's tendons and bones. His muscle fibers stretched, and his blood flowed faster.

[Vitality: 5.9 → 6.4]

The number on the panel settled clearly into place.

Li He's gaze swept across a corner of the dim room.

A crude training sandbag stood there. Its outer layer was thick canvas, stuffed with iron sand and rags. He usually used it to test the force of his punches and hone his sense of impact.

With a thought, he stomped off the ground and stepped forward. Turning sideways into a horse stance, he instantly tightened his core. Power traveled up his spine to his shoulder, connecting section by section.

It was not a simple thrust of the arm, but a strike driven by his waist and abdomen, using his entire shoulder and back to whip out his bent, power-gathering right arm.

Bang!

A Crushing Fist shot out, his fist like a cannonball leaving the barrel as it smashed into the center of the sandbag.

The surface of the sandbag instantly caved inward, forming a terrifying crater. It rebounded backward and slammed into the wall with a loud bang, shaking dust loose from above.

"A 0.5 increase really is extraordinary!"

Li He was overjoyed.

The power of that punch had increased by at least fifty percent compared to before.

"Son, keep it down a little. The neighbors will come knocking soon." His mother Zhang Xiujuan's voice came from outside the door.

Li He's face stiffened in embarrassment. He did not reply, silently apologizing to the neighbors in his heart.

Sensing that the Exotic Beast Meat's energy had not yet been fully exhausted, Li He knew this was the perfect time to consolidate his realm. He assumed his stance again and practiced several sets of punches.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

A full three hours passed.

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Mastery (0%) → (3%)]

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!

Intense hunger forced Li He to stop punching.

The Exotic Beast Meat's energy had been completely used up.

Steam rose from his entire body, as though he had just been pulled from the water. His thin old undershirt clung tightly to him, sweat dotted the floor everywhere, and he stood barefoot on the ground only by sheer force of will.

He left his room and headed straight for the refrigerator.

He had originally planned to cook himself a bowl of noodles, but he found that his mother Zhang Xiujuan had reheated the leftover dishes from dinner and sliced some braised beef, arranging them quietly on the dining table.

Warmth filled Li He's heart as he sat down and ate heartily.

The next day.

Four in the morning.

Signal lights flashed red atop the high-rises on both sides.

Li He got up, changed into his training clothes, and opened the front door. The crisp air carried the chill of late autumn into his lungs, refreshing his spirits.

His mother was still asleep. He gently closed the door and went to the small plaza downstairs.

After loosening his joints, he assumed his stance.

Without the support of the Exotic Beast Meat's surging energy, every punch required him to squeeze strength bit by bit from deep within his body. His blood and vitality no longer flowed as fiercely as they had the night before, instead slowly washing through his meridians.

The horizon began to pale, and the morning light was faint.

[Proficiency +1]

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Mastery (5%) → (6%)]

Early risers began hurrying past the mouth of the alley.

Li He bought breakfast, chewed and swallowed it carefully, rested for a while, then returned to the plaza to practice his punches.

Noon.

Scorching sunlight shone into the narrow alley. The air grew stiflingly hot, mixed with the salty, sweaty smell of perspiration.

[Proficiency +1]

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Mastery (6%) → (7%)]

Li He's movements remained steady, but his breathing had noticeably grown much heavier.

With every punch, his arms felt as heavy as lead, and his blood and vitality moved sluggishly, nowhere near as smoothly as they had in the morning.

Too much was as bad as too little. He needed to rest.

He raised a hand to wipe away his sweat, a look of understanding flashing in the depths of his eyes.

A full eight hours.

From four in the morning until now, under the blazing midday sun, he had thrown thousands of punches. His clothes had been soaked through with sweat, dried by evaporation, then soaked through again. Only after his exhaustion had accumulated to its limit had he finally gained [+2] proficiency.

Without the catalytic effect of Exotic Beast Meat energy, relying solely on hard work and his meager talent made his efficiency appallingly low.

Talent truly was an insurmountable gulf. Li He murmured inwardly, but he was not discouraged. He returned home, ate the Exotic Beast Meat Zhang Xiujuan had prepared, rested for ten minutes to digest it, then slept soundly for two hours.

Two in the afternoon.

He returned beneath the tree and continued practicing his punches.

The temperature in the alley had reached its peak, so oppressively hot that it was hard to breathe. Yet the pressure of this environment instead spurred Li He's body to devour the Exotic Beast Meat's energy even further.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

[Federation Body Forging Fist: Mastery (7%) → (10%)]

A string of notifications appeared.

"Well, look at this, guys. Isn't this our Perseverance Brother? Still practicing?"

"Tsk, tsk. Throwing punches under the sun at noon? Aren't you afraid of heatstroke?"

"Haha, this is called training through the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. Experts say so, don't you know?"

Several boys in flashy clothes and exaggerated hairstyles swaggered into the alley with their arms around each other's shoulders. Seeing Li He drenched in sweat and training alone, they openly burst into laughter and ridicule.

Li He's movements did not pause in the slightest. He did not even spare them a glance.

His mind was completely immersed in the circulation of his blood and vitality and the refinement of his fist technique. He had to make the most of every last bit of Exotic Beast Meat energy.

Bang!

Another punch landed solidly against the tree trunk.

Seeing that Li He gave them no response, the boys quickly lost interest. One of them, with dyed yellow hair, seemed about to step forward and provoke him, but his companion pulled him back.

"Forget it, forget it. Why bother with a wooden dummy? Let's go, let's go. Time to hit the internet café and play together!"

Their laughter gradually faded into the distance.

Li He remained expressionless. Sweat ran down his chin and fell onto the scorching ground, evaporating instantly and leaving behind only a tiny damp mark.

He raised his head slightly and squinted at the blazing sun hanging overhead.

Then he threw another punch.

Bang!

Not until five in the afternoon, when the weather had turned slightly cooler and the residential complex began to bustle, did he stop.

More and more people returning from work and school filled the streets, while several elderly men also appeared at the mouth of the alley to stretch their limbs.

Li He stopped cultivating as well. He walked to the wall, picked up his water bottle, and gulped down several mouthfuls. His gaze habitually swept over the surroundings.

At the other end of the alley, an elderly man in a blue tracksuit caught his attention. The old man was lean, but his eyes were bright and his spirit vigorous.