You Practice Martial Arts, I Add Points

Inner City Black Market.

Li Pingsheng made sure there were no tails following him before slipping into an entrance that bore a pawnshop sign but led to an underground passage through the back door.

A stench of blood mixed with medicinal herbs and mold assaulted his nose.

"Freshly arrived Iron-Backed Demon Ox jerky, three strips for one tael of silver, great for replenishing qi and blood."

"Crimson Blood Pill, for breakthroughs in the heat of battle, a miracle drug for saving lives, ten times the compensation if fake!"

Li Pingsheng stopped at a stall selling pills and demon beast meat.

"How much?"

The stall owner was a one-eyed man who looked Li Pingsheng up and down. Seeing his impoverished appearance, a hint of impatience crossed his face.

"Crimson Blood Pill, twenty taels each. Iron-Backed Demon Ox jerky, ten taels per catty. If you can't afford it, get lost and don't block the way."

Li Pingsheng pulled out a ten-tael silver note and slapped it on the table.

"One catty of jerky."

The one-eyed man was stunned; he hadn't expected this pauper to actually be able to pay.

He held the silver note up to the lamp to inspect it, then rubbed it between his fingernails to confirm it was genuine, only then squeezing out a smile.

"This customer, we have even better goods."

"Blood Coagulation Paste, brewed for forty-nine days using over thirty types of herbs and the heart blood of a third-rank demon beast."

"Its medicinal potency is dozens of times that of Blood Strengthening Powder, though the price is a bit steep: fifty taels for a small box."

Li Pingsheng did the math in his head.

It was expensive, but the potency was fierce, which meant higher efficiency in converting potential.

"Give me a small box."

He decisively pulled out another fifty-tael silver note.

The one-eyed man was truly taken aback this time; he quickly and efficiently wrapped the items, his attitude becoming much more respectful.

Li Pingsheng collected his items and prepared to leave, but the conversation of some mercenaries drinking at a nearby table caught his ear.

"Did you hear? Master Scar from the Black Water Gang in the West City took over a dozen men out last night, and they all bit the dust."

"What happened? Did the law get them all in one sweep?"

"To hell with the law, word is they ran into a demon beast. The corpses were chewed to shreds, it was a miserable sight. Even that accountant for Master Qin was lost in there."

"Hiss... are the demon beasts in the Outer City that fierce lately? Even experts like Master Scar can't hold them off?"

"Who's to say? The leader of the Black Water Gang is green with rage. He took men to investigate for half the day today and couldn't find a damn thing, so they just have to swallow their bad luck."

Li Pingsheng didn't stop walking, but he sneered inwardly.

Swallow their bad luck?

This was only the beginning.

Returning to his small courtyard at the Azure Cloud Martial Hall, Li Pingsheng locked the doors and windows before spreading the items he bought at the black market onto the table.

A small box of Blood Coagulation Paste and a catty of Iron-Backed Demon Ox jerky.

He tore off a piece of jerky and shoved it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.

The jerky was dry and tough, but as he chewed, a wave of heat slid down his throat into his stomach, leaving his whole body feeling warm.

He calculated his next steps while he ate.

The next day, at the Martial Practice Field.

Instructor Wu stood with his hands behind his back before a group of new disciples, beginning to teach the Thunderbolt Fist.

"The Thunderbolt Fist is one of the ultimate arts of our Azure Cloud Martial Hall. It emphasizes using qi to drive force, delivering that force to the tip of the fist. Your strikes must be fast and fierce."

Instructor Wu demonstrated as he spoke.

"Watch closely, brothers. This is the first form: Thunder on Flat Ground."

He sank into a horse stance, twisted his waist, and thrust his right fist out violently, causing the air to emit a dull thud.

"The second form: Lightning Flash and Thunder Roll."

"The third form: Thunder Moves Through the Nine Heavens."

After finishing the three forms, he retracted his fist and stood straight.

"The Thunderbolt Fist is difficult to master; it requires both aptitude and natural talent. I will only teach you the first three forms. There will be an assessment in half a month."

"At that time, whoever fails to grasp the essence of these three forms and ranks at the bottom..."

"The light punishment is a reduction in cultivation resources; the heavy one... you will be stripped of your status as a True Disciple and sent back to the outer courtyard to serve as a menial laborer."

As soon as these words were spoken, every disciple present felt a shiver run through them.

Stripped of their status as a True Disciple?

This punishment is far too severe.

Zhao Ming snickered on the side, casting a glance at Li Pingsheng with undisguised provocation in his eyes.

The disciples scattered immediately, each finding their own spot to begin training.

In an instant, the Martial Practice Field was filled with the whistling of wind from punches and the shouts of "Heh! Ha!"

Li Pingsheng stood in a corner, mimicking Instructor Wu and clumsily attempting to perform Thunder on Flat Ground.

However, he knew nothing about martial arts techniques. His punch landed soft and weak, devoid of any momentum, and his movements were crooked and awkward, looking indescribably strange.

"Pfft."

Someone nearby immediately burst into laughter.

"Look at that Li Pingsheng. Is that really Thunderbolt Fist? Why does it look like a village granny shooing chickens to me?"

"I'm dying of laughter. He has superior aptitude? I think he's a superior piece of trash."

Not far away, Zhao Ming was already performing Thunder on Flat Ground with proper form; his punches carried the wind, and he had already captured the essence of the move.

He came from an Inner City family and had been taught by martial arts masters since childhood; his foundation was far stronger than Li Pingsheng's wild, self-taught style.

Zhao Ming deliberately walked over to Li Pingsheng and slammed a punch into a nearby Wooden Dummy.

"Bang!"

The Wooden Dummy shook violently.

"Senior Brother Li, the secret to generating power in Thunderbolt Fist is the coordination of waist and stance, with energy flowing through the dantian. With those soft, limp fists of yours, did you not eat today?"

Though Zhao Ming spoke as if he were offering guidance, the smug look on his face could not be hidden.

Li Pingsheng couldn't be bothered to respond, continuing to practice on his own, over and over again.

Instructor Wu strolled through the field, and seeing this scene, his brows furrowed even tighter.

In his heart, he had already sentenced Li Pingsheng to death.

Not only were his meridians damaged, but his comprehension was also ridiculously poor.

Such a person was not fit to be a True Disciple; he was purely a waste of the martial arts hall's resources.

It seemed the assessment in half a month would be the perfect opportunity to kick him out.

In the days that followed, Li Pingsheng completely became the laughingstock of the Martial Practice Field.

Zhao Ming and his lackeys found various ways to belittle him, sometimes even "accidentally" bumping into him while he was practicing his punches.

"Oops, Senior Brother Li, isn't your stance a bit too unstable?"

"You still want to keep your status as a True Disciple with that? Keep dreaming."

Li Pingsheng never reacted.

During the day, he allowed Instructor Wu and Zhao Ming to look down on him however they pleased.

But once midnight arrived, his room became a different story.

"Gulp."

Li Pingsheng swallowed a small piece of black, jade-like Blood Coagulation Paste.

The moment it hit his stomach, a scorching medicinal force rampaged through his body, several times more violent than Blood Strengthening Powder, fiercely battering his meridians.

For an ordinary person, such overbearing medicinal force would have been enough to burst them to death.

But Li Pingsheng only let out a muffled groan, immediately activating his [Blood Strengthening] talent.

The blood energy within his body surged up at once, refining that medicinal force.

[Potential: 0.45]

[Potential: 0.5]

[Potential: 0.55]

The half-month deadline was only three days away.

That night, Li Pingsheng swallowed the last bit of Iron-Backed Demon Ox jerky.

[Potential: 0.9]

He was only a tiny bit away.

With just 0.1 more, he would have enough potential to light up the next specialty—

[Divine Sense--Primary Specialty: Enhanced Cognition]

His body was strong enough, but his comprehension was truly lacking.

This half-month had taught him that without comprehension, no matter how strong his body was, he would just be a fool in the eyes of others.

As long as he lit this up, the mysteries of Thunderbolt Fist might be easily solved.

"Just a little more..."