Solid Stance Realm

"Mom, I've completed my second bone refinement. I don't plan on going to school for the next half year. After all, the school can't really help me improve much anymore, and it's quieter at home."

Lu Hao walked out and said this to his mother, who was sitting on the sofa. Going to school would significantly hinder his ability to earn Slaughter Points.

"That's fine, Hao'er. I was actually planning to talk to you about that. Now that you've finished your second bone refinement, once you advance your Stance Technique to the Solid Stance Realm, I'll hire a combat instructor to come over and teach you combat techniques."

"Since you want to walk the path of a martial artist and aim for Magic City, you can't afford to lag behind in practical combat ability. You wouldn't have had time for school anyway, so since you've already brought it up, I'll just let your homeroom teacher know before school starts."

Bai Qiuyao said.

"Oh? Combat techniques? What kind of instructor are you finding for me, Mom? I feel like my Stance Technique is about to break through; it should happen within these next two days. After that, I expect my blood-qi will reach its limit very quickly as well."

"That's a friend of mine. He teaches basic combat techniques at a martial arts university. His basic fist and leg techniques are all at the mastery level, so teaching you won't be a problem at all. Plus, he has a good relationship with me, so I'll have him come to the house to teach you."

Lu Hao nodded. Basic fist and leg techniques were essential for building a foundation in the early stages. As for weapons, he personally leaned toward the saber.

The saber is the courage of a hundred weapons.

The saber represents a kind of ferocity and resolution; it emphasizes breaking through finesse with raw power, wide-open movements, and fearlessness.

The saber is meant for killing; one swing of a heavy blade brings blood.

"Mom, I want to know, what cold weapon does this teacher specialize in?"

"Cold weapons? Hao'er, are you sure you've already decided which cold weapon you'll use for the rest of your life? Leg and fist techniques are fine; they are universal. But a cold weapon is something you'll use for a lifetime; you shouldn't decide so hastily."

"I've decided. I intend to practice the saber. The saber emphasizes fearlessness and is the courage of a hundred weapons, so I've chosen it as my future weapon."

"It's fine. You can start by learning leg and fist techniques from my classmate. He can also teach you basic saber techniques, and he has a very deep understanding of basic combat."

"You follow him to build your foundation first. Once that's solid, Mom will find you a low-grade saber combat technique manual, and you can start practicing that."

"Alright, I understand."

Returning to his room, Lu Hao continued practicing his Stance Technique. He couldn't afford to slack off; he had to strive for an early breakthrough so he could begin training in combat techniques.

The next day, Lu Hao woke up early and checked his blood-qi values.

[Blood-qi: 187/187 cal+]
[Spirit: 279/279 he+]

After a night of rest, his blood-qi and spirit had reached their peak. Lu Hao spent 50 Slaughter Points to increase his blood-qi cap by one point.

The improvement was very simple. Lu Hao felt his blood-qi boil throughout his body as it surged upward. His second bone refinement had already enhanced his physique, so using Slaughter Points to boost it was naturally effortless.

After a simple breakfast, Lu Hao took out a bottle of Body Strengthening Liquid and mixed it into the water in his bathtub. Although his physical fitness had greatly increased after the second bone refinement, the liquid still had some effect.

Therefore, he still needed to soak in it.

He spent an hour soaking in the Body Strengthening Liquid, then continued his Stance Technique training, and spent the afternoon at the slaughterhouse earning Slaughter Points.

...Three days later, early morning.

After using the Body Strengthening Liquid, Lu Hao continued his Stance Technique training, but this time, the technique began to change.

The stance shifted from merely standing steadily to standing solidly. Lu Hao quickly focused on the sensation, and before long, his Stance Technique successfully broke through.

The breakthrough of the Stance Technique didn't have the same spectacle as a blood-qi breakthrough, but the benefits it brought could not be ignored.

Now that Lu Hao's Stance Technique had reached the second stage, the Solid Stance Realm, even if he couldn't defeat an enemy in the future, he could rely on his stance to ensure he wouldn't be knocked down.

With the Solid Stance Realm, his feet were like boulders rooted in the earth; he was immovable!

Few people in high school had likely reached the Solid Stance Realm. With this foundation, he could finally begin training in basic combat techniques; without it, training in them would yield half the result for twice the effort.

After adding one more cal of blood-qi to himself, Lu Hao stopped. Over the last three days, he had increased his blood-qi by two points each day, basically consuming as many Slaughter Points as he earned. His blood-qi cap was now at 194 cal, and he estimated he would reach his limit in two days. At that point, he would save up a batch of Slaughter Points and attempt his third bone refinement.

In the afternoon, he went to the slaughterhouse to kill pigs as usual. Starting today, the Slaughter Points Lu Hao earned in a day would double, reaching nearly 200 points.

This was because Old Wu, who worked next to him, simply couldn't take it anymore. Every time he saw Lu Hao killing pigs with increasing joy, Old Wu felt a sense of dread.

On top of that, Lu Hao's daily blood-qi increases had caused his aura to grow significantly.

In the eyes of an ordinary person like Old Wu, Lu Hao had been radiating an aura like a tiger over the past few days. Combined with the smell of blood on him after slaughtering, Old Wu was terrified.

So, after speaking with the boss yesterday, he resigned. Because Lu Hao was highly efficient and the boss couldn't hire anyone else on short notice, he handed all of Old Wu's afternoon work to Lu Hao and gave him a raise.

Lu Hao didn't care about the pay, but taking over Old Wu's work meant he could earn 200 Slaughter Points every day from now on. After spending some to increase his blood-qi by two cal, he could still save over 100 points.

Lu Hao was naturally overjoyed. The more Slaughter Points he had, the faster he would progress. As he slaughtered, he hummed "Good Days." Fortunately, there was no one else around, or they surely would have called the police.

Evening, after dinner.

"Mom, my Stance Technique has broken through to the Solid Stance Realm, and my blood-qi has increased quite a bit. Can I start learning combat techniques now?"

Bai Qiuyao looked at Lu Hao in surprise. She could understand the Stance Technique breakthrough, given the benefits of the second bone refinement, but his blood-qi was growing too fast.

Bai Qiuyao placed her hand on Lu Hao's arm and channeled a strand of blood-qi to probe his body. She found nothing abnormal, only that his blood-qi was highly active.

Since there were no issues, she could only attribute it to his talent. Perhaps the second bone refinement had triggered some latent potential, leading to such rapid growth.

"Alright, in that case, let's start tomorrow. I'll have the teacher come over tomorrow morning. From then on, you can study combat techniques every morning, and as for the afternoons, you can arrange them yourself to see what you want to practice."

"Yes, that's settled then."

Lu Hao agreed. This didn't affect him much; after all, practicing combat techniques naturally involved using his stance, so his Stance Technique training wouldn't fall behind, and he could still earn Slaughter Points in the afternoon.

Yes, this kind of life was fulfilling and satisfying. After all, who wouldn't be happy watching themselves get stronger bit by bit?