Basic Stance Technique Minor Mastery

In his mind, the prompt text on the Heaven Rewards Diligence panel had nearly formed a solid sheet.

Densely packed numbers kept rising, leaving Li Jinshui exhilarated.

As expected of Datang Pharmaceuticals. Even the lowest-grade Supplement Potion had such ferocious effects, jumping upward ten points at a time. Its conversion speed was beyond imagination.

Li Jinshui did not even have time to feel any changes in his body.

In just a few dozen seconds, his Stake Standing proficiency was pushed straight to the limit.

[Basic Stance Technique (Proficient 300/300)]

Then, that familiar feeling from the morning returned.

As Li Jinshui sensed the text in his mind blurring, his expression shifted slightly.

It was over. Heaven was about to ravage him again.

Boom—

The next instant, the blood energy in his body abruptly boiled, surging and roaring like a burst dam. It tore unobstructed through the entire Ren Meridian before viciously slamming into the Du Meridian along his back.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

His blood energy was still crashing about violently, forcibly punching open one acupoint after another.

The process remained as painful and torturous as ever, even several times more intense than when he had opened the Ren Meridian that morning.

Yet Li Jinshui unexpectedly discovered that he seemed to have grown accustomed to this pain.

Perhaps this was a hidden benefit brought by a stronger body. It was not that his pain receptors had weakened, but that his flesh and will had developed a higher threshold for enduring agony.

"As expected of me. I'm already showing a bit of the spirit I had when I underwent electrotherapy in the hospital."

A sliver of a smile was squeezed out of Li Jinshui's taut, twisted face.

Very soon, the Du Meridian linked through more than a dozen acupoints, crushing everything in its path, with only the final three apertures remaining.

These were also the greatest bottleneck that had trapped many people, making it difficult for them to break through to "Basic Stance Technique Minor Mastery"—the final three gates!

Yet under the compulsory rules of Heaven Rewards Diligence, the force of his blood energy showed no favoritism and charged onward without hesitation.

Weilü Pass, Jiaji Pass, and Yuzhen Pass—the three gates collapsed in an instant. His blood energy charged directly into the Niwan Palace, linking the Du Meridian through before curling back into the Ren Meridian.

At that moment, the Ren and Du Meridians connected perfectly. Blood energy ran through them, head joined to tail, endless and unceasing.

[Basic Stance Technique (Minor Mastery 0/500)]

The text on the Heaven Rewards Diligence panel had finally completed its transformation.

Li Jinshui slowly exhaled. The restless blood energy within him suddenly cleared, completely forming an internal circulation and beginning to continuously generate fresh blood energy!

"Small Heavenly Circuit Internal Circulation, Basic Stance Technique Minor Mastery! Hahahaha!"

Li Jinshui instantly burst into laughter. "The light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains!"

He was filled with emotion. This road had been so arduous, so perilous.

Sure, he had only begun learning Stake Standing yesterday and broken through two barriers today to reach Minor Mastery—but before that, he had spent more than ten whole days as a security guard. On the night shift!

Who understood how much staying up late damaged a young person's body?

"But this Supplement Potion really is something. After forcefully pushing my Stake Standing to Minor Mastery, around ten percent of its medicinal power is still left..."

Li Jinshui felt more and more that the money had been well spent. It was worth every penny.

But like Iron-Skin Beast meat, it had its limits. Now that his Stake Standing had reached Minor Mastery, he could no longer receive feedback from Heaven Rewards Diligence.

"Looks like if I want to improve my Stake Standing again, I can only buy a C-grade Supplement Potion!"

Li Jinshui shook his head. He had no money, so there was no point thinking that far ahead for now.

While some medicinal power remained, he needed to quickly test whether it would work on martial skills.

"Hah!"

He drew in a deep breath. His blood energy sank and surged, circulating according to the path of the Basic Stance Technique. At the same time, he leaped into the air, and his body unexpectedly became light as a feather.

His entire body turned into a blurry black shadow, stirring up a gust in the training room. After his legs stepped onto the wall, he folded backward through the air, darting and shifting back and forth without pause.

[Gathering Spirit from the Mundane, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Basic Lightness Skill +10]

[Gathering Spirit from the Mundane, Heaven Rewards Diligence, Basic Lightness Skill +10]

...

"It actually works too! What's the principle behind this?"

Li Jinshui was astonished. At the same time, he was amazed that while this medicinal power lasted, the originally obscure lightness skill became so effortless to perform.

But good times did not last. As the medicinal power in his body was rapidly consumed, in less than half a minute, that silky smooth feeling vanished without a trace.

His agile, weightless body suddenly became clumsy and heavy. His steps turned hurried and scattered, as though he were a child who had only just learned to walk, hopping back and forth through the training room with a stagger.

"Damn! Looks like I still have to keep buying D-grade Potions. Otherwise, this lightness skill will be far too hard to master."

Li Jinshui stopped outright.

Not a trace of medicinal power remained in his body. If he kept practicing dry like this, he would have to run and jump for several hours just to gain a single point of proficiency. It was a complete waste of time.

He closed his eyes and looked inward at the panel in his mind. It had already displayed a new state.

[Name: Li Jinshui]

[Realm: Third-Rate Martial Artist]

[Martial Skill: Basic Lightness Skill (Not Initiated 30/100)]

[Technique: Basic Stance Technique (Minor Mastery 0/500)]

[Trait: None]

[...]

Just ten percent of a D-Grade Supplement Potion had raised the Basic Lightness Skill by 30 proficiency points. It was entirely an unexpected windfall.

The most important thing was clearly the Basic Stance Technique's Minor Mastery.

If his blood energy had not formed a Small Heavenly Circuit Internal Circulation, then even if his lightness skill had been initiated, he would probably have to stop and rest after using it continuously for a single kilometer.

But now, with endlessly replenishing blood energy, once his lightness skill was initiated, he might be able to keep running for ten or so kilometers at a steady pace. The difference was enormous.

"But... why am I only a Third-Rate Martial Artist?"

Li Jinshui furrowed his brow.

If other people counted as Third-Rate Martial Artists after their Stake Standing reached Minor Mastery, he had no objection. But I, Li Jinshui, have achieved perfect Minor Mastery in Stake Standing, invincible among those of the same rank—how could I also be third-rate?

"Fine. Even Third-Rate Martial Artists have their strong and weak. Once my lightness skill is initiated, I'll be truly invincible among Third-Rate Martial Artists, the number one Third-Rate Martial Artist!"

Li Jinshui walked to the side, removed the clothes covering his face, wrung out the sweat, and put them back on.

His status was different now. As a dignified Third-Rate Martial Artist, why did he still need to cover his face?

"Next, I'll test the level of my blood energy!"

Li Jinshui turned his gaze toward the corner of the training room, where a piece of equipment stood that looked somewhat like one of Earth's boxing machines.

The realm of one's Stake Standing directly affected the quality and strength of one's blood energy.

Other martial artists did not have something like a panel. Even after reaching Minor Mastery in Stake Standing, they could only vaguely sense the state of another person's blood energy.

But such vague approximations were clearly not enough, which was why the Blood Energy Detector existed.

The testing method was simple and direct. Without using martial skills, one concentrated blood energy into one's fists or feet and struck the target with full force several times. The final average value could determine a martial artist's true level.

After Li Jinshui activated the machine, he stood before the Force Testing Target.

He began to even out his breathing, slowly mobilizing the blood energy within his body. A heavy force gradually spread through his hands and feet.

Then...

"Bang!"

He threw a savage straight punch. The thick target surface let out a dull boom, and the entire heavy detector trembled slightly.

"Bang!"

He immediately twisted his body and swept out a whip kick, making the detector shudder once more.

He began to speed up his attacks. His fists and feet gradually became dense afterimages, all pouring down onto the surface of the Force Testing Target.

"Bang bang bang..."

Only after unleashing more than twenty consecutive strikes did Li Jinshui steadily withdraw his stance and stop.

That number of strikes was enough. Fewer might be inaccurate, while more would only waste blood energy and stamina.

After waiting in place for only two seconds, the test result appeared on the machine's display.

"Blood Energy Value: 508!"

"Overall assessed realm: Second-Rate Martial Artist."