Fist Technique Expert

Whether he had achieved enlightenment or not, Wen Xin could not say, but she could certainly see that Hong Ming had learned something of substance.

Her pretty face lit up with joy as she looked toward Chen Yao.

Chen Yao gave a gentle nod and commented, "Not bad, you are quite impressive; you have basically mastered the basics."

"It is all thanks to your excellent guidance, Miss Chen," Hong Ming said gratefully.

Hearing this, Chen Yao's face flushed slightly, and she pursed her lips. "Since that is the case, you continue practicing. I will come back to instruct you again tomorrow."

No sooner had the words left her lips than Wen Xin impatiently dragged her away.

Hong Ming seized the opportunity to inspect Wen Xin's traits.

[Trait: Water Breathing]

[Status: Solidifiable]

[Required Luck: 36 points]

[Solidification Effect: Resonance with water; playing in the tides like a fish; rivers, lakes, and seas become as nothing.]

--

[Breathing and Exhalation (Level 2 · White)]

[...]

--

[Average-Low Root Bone]

[...]

The number of traits Wen Xin possessed was not small, but compared to Lin Zhen and Chen Yao, she still paled in comparison.

Withdrawing his gaze, Hong Ming continued to practice on his own.

Meanwhile.

Chen Yao and Wen Xin had already walked out of the training grounds when the former suddenly said, "Quick, support, support me."

As she spoke, her entire body went limp like a deflated ball, leaving her feeling weak and drained.

"You've got to be kidding me. How long have you been teaching? Are you really that exhausted already?" Wen Xin struggled to support Chen Yao, looking utterly astonished.

Chen Yao defended herself, "It wasn't from teaching the fist technique, it was..."

She found it difficult to speak, hesitating as the words died on her lips.

She couldn't very well tell Wen Xin that she was like this because it was her first time ever teaching someone martial arts and she had been far too tense, could she?

That would be far too embarrassing!

She didn't refute the claim, letting her silence serve as an admission.

Yet, she felt inexplicably anxious; surely Hong Ming wouldn't mind being taught by her, would he?

She glanced at her own plump figure, filled with worry.

A strong sense of inferiority welled up within her.

[Frost Sky Fist +2]

[Frost Sky Fist +3]

[...]

Hong Ming felt a bit disappointed; the efficiency of practicing Frost Sky Fist simply could not compare to the Coiling Dragon Stake.

Although he had exhausted the Treasure Fish energy stored within his body, he could still gain six to eight experience points every time he practiced the Coiling Dragon Stake.

When applied to the Frost Sky Fist, however, there was no such effect.

Feeling somewhat helpless, he stopped to take a short rest.

His gaze drifted toward the other soldiers, and he began to ponder, "If a Level 3 Fist Technique Expert cannot be solidified, what about a Level 1?"

He admitted that he had been so focused on high-level traits that he had neglected the lower-level ones.

The former were powerful, but currently out of his reach, while the latter were within his grasp.

Most importantly, once he solidified them, he could still level them up!

"Time to test it out!"

Hong Ming immediately put his plan into action, quickly finding the corresponding trait:

[Trait: Fist Technique Expert (Level 1 · White)]

[Status: Solidifiable]

[Required Luck: 3 points]

[Solidification Effect: Slightly increases the efficiency of practicing fist-based martial arts.]

The Luck cost was well within his acceptable range, so Hong Ming chose to solidify it without a second thought.

[Consumed 3 points of Luck, successfully solidified the "Fist Technique Expert" trait.]

Listening to the voice in his mind, Hong Ming checked his panel:

[Luck: 1 point (89%)]

Since promoting to Bright Force, the rate of his luck growth had not been slow; he would soon be able to condense another point.

Withdrawing his consciousness, Hong Ming couldn't wait to practice Frost Sky Fist.

This time, the change was very obvious:

[Frost Sky Fist +4]

[Frost Sky Fist +5]

[...]

The efficiency of his fist technique was basically stable between four and five experience points.

Hong Ming was generally satisfied. By noon, his luck had also grown by another point.

Just like in the Training Camp, Water Soldiers in the Preparatory Camp only received martial arts instruction in the morning, with the afternoons being free.

After a hearty meal, Hong Ming didn't stay in the camp, but prepared to head toward the Huang Family Water Field.

Now that all matters were settled, it was time for him to go and check out the opportunity revealed by his destiny!

Huang Family Water Field.

It was even more vast and expansive than the Chen Family Water Farm.

The Chen Family Water Farm was like a series of interconnected ponds, cramped and narrow.

The Huang Family Water Field, however, was like a natural lake system, dotted with lakes of various sizes, interwoven with winding waterways and paths.

The entire water area was boundless to the eye, occupying several miles of territory.

In one calm lake, water mist curled, and the smoke-filled waves were vast.

The sunlight reflected into it, casting a deep, murky water color, as if it were an abyss of unfathomable depth.

As a breeze swept by, the lake surface rippled for ten thousand acres, with green waves spreading layer upon layer into the distance.

Suddenly, as if severed at the waist, it turned into nothingness at a certain point where the mountains and water met.

Beneath those heavy ripples, a blurred figure emerged—it was Hong Ming.

Hong Ming didn't dare to surface; there were patrols and guards near the Huang Family Water Field, and he risked discovery if he showed himself even slightly.

He just floated quietly on the lake surface, using the effect of his trait to swim at a snail's pace toward a remote area along the distant shore.

His entire demeanor carried an air of having come with high expectations only to return in disappointment.

This operation had not been ideal. He had simulated various possibilities in his mind and considered all sorts of factors, but he never expected to fail in the very area where he was most proficient.

"The location of the precious Stone Crystal Fruit is unfathomably deep and riddled with undercurrents. I can't even reach the bottom before my stamina is exhausted and I struggle to breathe, forcing me to turn back!"

Hong Ming recalled the exploration just now, feeling depressed. He had gone back and forth several times, all ending in failure.

The Water Proficiency trait seemed to be suppressed here, to the point where his water skills were drastically reduced, becoming no different from an ordinary person's.

Although he wasn't sure exactly how deep he had dived, it was certainly less than a hundred zhang.

He estimated it was at most around fifty zhang, a far cry from the hundred-zhang depth.

"Stamina isn't the main point; the key is the issue of water proficiency!"

Hong Ming summarized his experiences from several failures and reached a conclusion.

The main reason for his stamina depletion was that his underwater skills weren't up to par, forcing him to rely on brute strength to resist the surging undercurrents.

Under such circumstances, it became increasingly time-consuming and exhausting, eventually leading him to be dragged down by the currents and forced to retreat in defeat.

Realizing where the crux lay, Hong Ming pondered a corresponding strategy.

It wasn't actually complicated; in a word, it was naturally to improve his water proficiency.

Since the Water Proficiency trait couldn't be upgraded, the next best thing was to solidify a new trait.

Hong Ming's mind wandered through the traits he had recently detected, and he soon had an idea: "Water Breathing, that seems feasible?"

Whether it would work or not couldn't be determined by guessing; Hong Ming had a more intuitive way to judge.

By comparing the luck required to solidify the Water Breathing and Water Proficiency traits, he confirmed his judgment.

Yet he didn't get happy too early; Hong Ming remembered that solidifying Water Breathing required thirty-six points of luck!

Given his current situation of less than five points of luck, the gap was significant.

Significant as it was, Hong Ming had no intention of giving up.

This situation of being able to see but not touch was certainly annoying.

But he couldn't bring himself to abandon an opportunity that was right within his reach; he had to seize it no matter what!

Having made up his mind to accumulate luck, Hong Ming avoided the eyes of the Huang family and returned to the Navy Camp.

During this time, he felt grateful for the ten taels of support Zhong Shaoying had sent, then turned his grief and indignation into motivation, practicing diligently and cultivating both his stance training and fist techniques.