Seeing his grandson launch straight into a stance without a care, Old Master Qin frowned. "Yao'er, I know you're itching to try the technique you just acquired.
"But you shouldn't be so impatient.
"As the saying goes, 'an impatient mouth can't eat hot tofu'..."
While Qin Dashan droned on, dispensing the wisdom of experience,
a system notification sounded in Qin Yao's ears once again-
Ding! Host was born with crippled meridians. Without Sinew-Washing and Meridian-Cleansing, martial training is destined to yield half the results for twice the effort, and you will never break past the limits of the body tempering realm.
"Uh... it's that bad?!"
Qin Yao couldn't help feeling dejected.
As far as he knew, the body tempering realm was only the first step into the vast ocean of martial arts.
He was in the prime of his life and had a proficiency system to boot.
If he was destined to spend his entire life trapped in the body tempering realm no matter how hard he worked, that would be utterly disheartening...
"Wait, didn't the system just mention 'Sinew-Washing and Meridian-Cleansing'?"
Qin Yao abruptly raised his head, the disappointment on his face swept clean away!
"So as long as I undergo Sinew-Washing and Meridian-Cleansing, I can break free of my crippled meridians and practice martial arts normally?!"
Although Qin Yao still had no idea what Sinew-Washing and Meridian-Cleansing was, that didn't stop him from deciding what to work toward.
"Unfortunately, this martial hall's fist manual only illustrates the beginning.
"To learn the whole thing, I'd have to visit the Tiger Head Martial Hall myself, pay the tea fee, and take a master.
"I'm not short of money for that anymore.
"But as a mining slave, I dig from dawn till dusk in the mining grounds. There's no way I can go to the martial hall..."
Ding! Incomplete, unranked mortal-tier technique discovered: Tiger-Fighting Fist. Host may use System Coupons to complete it. Completing this technique will cost 1 coupon. Would you like to proceed?
"Ha, that's an option too?!"
Qin Yao was overjoyed.
He hadn't expected the Fill in Gaps coupon function unlocked when his Mining skill reached perfection to work on techniques too!
"What is there to think about? Complete it!"
Qin Yao licked his lips excitedly.
With a thought-
Ding! System Coupons -1. Remaining: 20. Missing portions of the complete Tiger-Fighting Fist technique have been filled in.
The next instant, the complete illustrated manual for Tiger-Fighting Fist appeared in his mind.
Tiger-Fighting Fist consisted of three forms.
The first form, Tiger Pounce, emphasized gathering momentum before launching forward, striking with the force of a charging rhinoceros.
The second form, Tiger Whirl, turned the leg into a tiger's tail, lashing out at the flank with a kick that won through surprise.
The third form, Tiger Leap, retained its fierce forward drive while shifting and changing direction, allowing the practitioner to turn defense into attack within the tightest space.
Qin Yao understood every word of the illustrated manual's descriptions.
But paired with those crude sketches that rivaled abstract paintings, who knew how many years it would take him to put them into practice if he had to study and comprehend them himself?
Fortunately, the system let him skip the stage of figuring it out on his own!
All he had to do was imitate the movements of those abstract stick figures in the manual in his mind to gain proficiency.
Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +7. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +8. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist...
Qin Yao was delighted to see his proficiency soaring wildly when he had only just begun learning.
"It must be because perfecting Mining gave me such a solid physical foundation. Now my training yields twice the results for half the effort."
Thrilled, Qin Yao threw himself into it with even greater focus.
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't practice recklessly! Stop at once!"
Old Master Qin suddenly spoke up.
In his eyes, Qin Yao knew nothing of martial arts and had started fooling around right from the outset.
If he kept training so heedlessly, not only would his skill fail to improve, he might even hurt himself!
And so Qin Dashan said earnestly, "Child, you're still too young, and you've never practiced martial arts before.
"You simply can't grasp all the finer points of the technique.
"First, listen while I..."
Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +7. Current proficiency: 103/100. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist advanced to the entry realm (3/300).
Before the old master could finish, Qin Yao's movements abruptly changed from awkward and halting to smooth and connected!
"Huh?!"
Qin Dashan's expression froze.
A moment ago, his grandson's practice had been stumbling and clumsy, every movement unbearably awkward.
How had he suddenly started looking the part in the blink of an eye?
He didn't even look like a complete outsider encountering a martial technique for the first time!
In just a dozen or so breaths, Tiger-Fighting Fist had advanced from the beginner realm to the entry realm. Naturally, Qin Yao's movements grew smoother and smoother.
But Old Master Qin didn't know that!
He only found the scene before him utterly inconceivable.
By now, Qin Yao was wholly absorbed in the pleasure of grinding his stats and hadn't noticed the changes in his grandfather's expression.
He simply kept practicing-
Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +15. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +16. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist...
After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Old Master Qin finally regained his composure.
A trace of gratification entered his gaze as he watched his grandson, but he still hadn't abandoned the idea of offering guidance based on his own understanding of martial arts.
"Yao'er, overall, you're doing fairly well so far.
"But the opening movement of your lunging punch still isn't crisp enough, and..."
Whoosh!
Before he had finished speaking, Qin Yao's next lunging punch suddenly became much sharper!
Each pounce and thrust now carried a hint of a tiger's might, stirring the air around him!
That was because, half a breath earlier, Tiger-Fighting Fist had risen another realm, reaching the lesser achievement realm.
"???"
Qin Dashan was stunned again.
His half-open mouth simply wouldn't close.
"Wow! Big Brother, you're amazing!"
Watching excitedly from the side, his little sister Qin Lan bounced up and down, clapping her hands.
"Shh, shh, shh!"
Qin Dashan glared. "I told you not to make such a fuss! Distraction is the greatest taboo in martial training."
"Oh..."
Lan'er pursed her little lips.
As for Qin Yao, he remained deaf to everything around him, wholly intent on grinding proficiency.
Tiger-Fighting Fist: lesser achievement realm (379/1000). Tiger-Fighting Fist: lesser achievement realm (526/1000). Tiger-Fighting Fist...
Qin Dashan watched Qin Yao practice while comparing his movements with the illustrated manual.
After quite a while, the old man's eyes lit up. At last, he had found a slight flaw.
Then, harboring the little thought, I can finally salvage some dignity in front of my grandson, he cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Yao'er, you still lack some of the ferocity of a tiger descending the mountain.
"So you need to..."
Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist proficiency +28. Current proficiency: 1007/1000. Ding! Tiger-Fighting Fist advanced to the proficiency realm (7/1000).
The instant the system notification sounded, the force of Qin Yao's punches and kicks underwent a startling transformation!
If the previous strike had been like a toddler taking stumbling steps, the next was already striding as swiftly as flight!
Such was the difference between the lesser achievement realm and the proficiency realm.
"???"
The sight before him made Old Master Qin's jaw drop yet again.
His expression was filled with bewilderment as he questioned everything he knew about life...
Before you continue