[Name: Chen Xun] [Constitution: 4 points (Lower C Grade)] [Comprehension: 5 points (Grade C, Middle Tier)] [Cultivation: None] [Martial Arts: None] [Universal Points: 0 points]
This was Chen Xun's current body panel, utterly bare-bones.
"My Comprehension is a little stronger than my Constitution."
Chen Xun guessed that it might be related to his fusion with the memories of his previous life.
Ever since fusing with those memories, he had found his memory much better than before. He was also more focused in his work, and his thoughts were clearer.
"What are Universal Points for? And how do I obtain them?"
The instant that thought crossed his mind, a passage of information appeared in Chen Xun's mind.
"So that's how it is."
Chen Xun understood at once.
According to the prompt in that information, Chen Xun needed to cultivate a martial art to the Perfection realm before he could obtain Universal Points.
Universal Points could be added to Constitution and Comprehension, strengthening his Constitution and improving his Comprehension.
They could also be added to martial arts, allowing those martial arts to break through.
They could even be used to unlock more equipment slots.
In short, if he had enough Universal Points, Chen Xun could become the most powerful genius and Martial Artist in this world—bar none.
Chen Xun's eyes could not help but burn as excitement surged within him.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him from his fantasy back into reality.
"Chen Xun, are you all right? Why have you been squatting here this whole time?"
Sun An looked at Chen Xun with some concern.
"I'm fine, I'm fine."
Chen Xun hurriedly shook his head, then stood up and pulled Sun An away.
Before leaving, however, the corner of his eye remained fixed on that stone lock, reluctant to part from it.
If there had not been so many eyes around, he would have been unable to resist placing that stone lock into an equipment slot long ago.
The equipment slots were a space that had suddenly appeared within Chen Xun after he touched the stone lock.
There were three equipment slots in total. Each one had a cubic meter of space and could store equipment as well as other items.
However, once equipment was placed inside, nothing else could be stored there, regardless of the equipment's size.
And equipment was something like that stone lock.
If Chen Xun successfully equipped that stone lock, he would immediately grasp the Proficient level of the [Primordial Stance Technique]. Furthermore, he would receive a certain bonus while cultivating the [Primordial Stance Technique].
It could be said that its effects were extremely good.
To obtain more equipment slots, he would need to unlock them with Universal Points. Unlocking the first required one Universal Point, the second required two, the third required four, and so on.
"I am an Attendant of the estate, and I will also be your instructor from now on."
A sturdy middle-aged man walked in from outside, appeared before the group, and spoke loudly.
At once, everyone's attention was drawn to him.
"My surname is Jia. From now on, you may call me Instructor Jia."
Instructor Jia's words carried a slight accent, and laughter immediately rose from the crowd as soon as he finished speaking.
"Who was laughing? Step forward."
Instructor Jia's brows drew together as he barked.
Everyone hastily moved aside, exposing a panicked figure before Instructor Jia.
"I-I didn't mean to."
The man was so nervous that he could barely speak without stammering.
"Why were you laughing? What's so funny?"
Instructor Jia stood a head taller than the man, and his muscles utterly crushed the other's. His intimidation was overwhelming.
"I-I..." He stammered for a long while without managing to form a complete sentence.
"Since you won't speak, don't blame me for being impolite."
Then Instructor Jia made the man hold a twenty-pound stone lock in each hand and stand beneath the sun.
"You will stand there for the whole day. I'll be watching you, so don't even think about slacking off."
After dealing with that man, Instructor Jia began teaching the group how to cultivate.
With that man's fate serving as a warning to kill the chicken and frighten the monkeys, everyone else obediently listened to Instructor Jia.
"The martial art I will teach you is called the Primordial Stance Technique."
"This is the most suitable stake stance for beginners on the market. Not only do the major Lineages and martial schools of Liu Yun County teach this stance, it has also spread through several other counties."
"For people like you, as long as you can cultivate this stake stance to Minor Accomplishment, you will certainly be able to condense Blood Qi."
"All right, enough talk. We will begin now. Watch closely."
Afterward, Instructor Jia began demonstrating the [Primordial Stance Technique] for everyone.
As he demonstrated it, he explained the details and key points of every movement.
After performing the complete set once, he had everyone imitate the movements he had taught.
This stake stance had a total of nine movements, each more difficult than the last. If one could complete the entire set smoothly and without interruption, it counted as getting started.
After getting started came Proficiency, then Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Perfection.
"That movement is wrong, and your method of exerting force is absurdly off. Correct it like this."
"Are you performing acrobatics? Your movements are completely distorted."
"You're not bad. Your imitation looks convincing enough, but only the outer form resembles it. Your muscular exertion is riddled with errors."
There were eleven people present, and each of them received instruction as Instructor Jia corrected their movements and mistakes in exerting force.
Among them, the best performer was undoubtedly Liu Feng, who possessed a Lower Yi Grade Constitution.
In a single morning, he had already managed to perform the first three movements of the [Primordial Stance Technique] in a convincing manner, earning praise from Instructor Jia.
The others could only grasp two movements, or even just one.
"All right, that's enough cultivation for this morning. Follow me to eat."
"When practicing martial arts, three parts lie in training and seven parts in eating. Now that you have begun learning martial arts, naturally you cannot eat as you did before. I will take you to the Martial Artist dining hall, where you will eat with the estate's other Martial Artists."
"As for you, keep standing there as punishment."
Thus, Instructor Jia led Chen Xun and the other ten away, leaving only the last man standing beneath the sun in despair, exhausted, thirsty, and hungry.
Before long, the group arrived at the Martial Artist dining hall.
There were not many people here, only around twenty or thirty, but every one of them differed from ordinary people in spirit and bearing. They were all powerfully built and walked as though the wind followed them.
Quite a few Martial Artists greeted Instructor Jia when they saw him.
As for Chen Xun and the others, they were naturally ignored.
To them, Chen Xun and the others would only be qualified to interact with them after becoming Martial Artists.
Chen Xun followed Instructor Jia and received a Martial Artist meal. It came with two dishes and a soup; both dishes were meat, and they were extremely fatty.
In his previous life, Chen Xun would never have eaten such fatty meat.
Now, Chen Xun turned into a vacuum cleaner and wolfed it down.
Since awakening his memories three months ago, this was the most lavish meal he had eaten.
While fleeing famine, he had eaten wild vegetables and wild fruits. Even after entering Li Estate, he could only eat vegetarian dishes, with the occasional egg or tofu dish containing a little oil.
Chen Xun was not the only one. Several others wolfed down their food just like him.
Of the eleven people, only three ate slowly and methodically, with considerable elegance.
"Peasants will always be peasants. They've never eaten anything good."
Li Peng muttered mockingly.
His father was a steward of Li Estate, and he had eaten plenty of good food since childhood. His sense of superiority was immense.
Then his gaze shifted and landed on Chen Xun, whom he glared at viciously.
"Damned peasant. If not for you, my father wouldn't have had to waste so much money for nothing."
At the time, he had stood behind his father and naturally seen the transaction between him and the Third Steward.
Though he did not know the exact amount spent, it definitely had not been less than ten taels.
That was no small sum. It was roughly equivalent to Chen Xun's annual wages.
Chen Xun sensed Li Peng's gaze and looked up, meeting his eyes.
Li Peng glared provocatively at Chen Xun. Chen Xun frowned but did not respond to the provocation, instead lowering his head and continuing to eat.
"Is he taking out his anger on me?"
Chen Xun thought to himself.
It was obvious that Li Peng's father must have given the Third Steward quite a few benefits to let Li Peng cut the line.
Now, those benefits had clearly been given in vain.
Li Peng naturally did not dare resent Li Estate, so he could only vent his anger on Chen Xun.
"Tsk." Chen Xun shook his head slightly.
Soon, lunchtime ended, and Chen Xun and the others received half a shichen for their midday rest.
Everyone else returned to their own quarters to rest.
"Chen Xun, let's go back."
Sun An spoke to Chen Xun. The two shared the same communal sleeping quarters.
"I need to use the latrine. You go back first."
Chen Xun clutched his stomach and replied with slight urgency in his voice.
"All right, go on, then. I'll head back first."
After Sun An left, the urgency vanished from Chen Xun's face. Rather than going to the latrine, he returned to the Small Martial Arena.
First, he carefully observed the situation inside from the entrance.
He discovered that the man being punished had already disappeared.
"Where did he run off to?"
"Forget it, it doesn't matter. It's better that he isn't here, saves me the trouble of luring him away."
Chen Xun quickly entered the Small Martial Arena and headed straight for a stone lock.
This stone lock was the white equipment Chen Xun had discovered earlier.
Then Chen Xun placed his hand on it, and in the next instant, the stone lock vanished.
Chen Xun looked inward at the equipment slots within his body. The stone lock was inside one of them.
At the same time, the attributes on the stone lock began to activate.
"What's this?"
Chen Xun felt memories suddenly appear in his mind—memories concerning the [Primordial Stance Technique].
Moreover, Chen Xun performed several movements of the [Primordial Stance Technique] where he stood and found them incomparably smooth and fluid.
If the Chen Xun of that morning had been a rusty machine, then he was now a brand-new machine freshly oiled.
The difference was enormous.
"Good. Very good."
Excitement filled Chen Xun's expression.
He then suppressed his urge to continue cultivating and hurriedly left the Small Martial Arena, returning to the communal sleeping quarters that belonged to him.
"You're back."
Sun An had not yet fallen asleep. When he saw Chen Xun return, he greeted him.
"Mm." Chen Xun nodded, returned to his own bed, and closed his eyes to rest.
Low-ranking servants like Chen Xun could only live in communal sleeping quarters with ten people to a room. The environment and smell were both beyond words.
Low-ranking servants did not have a midday rest, so Sun An and Chen Xun were the only two sleeping in the entire room.
That afternoon, the eleven people in the Small Martial Arena continued receiving Instructor Jia's guidance.
Liu Feng was still the best performer and had already grasped the fifth movement of the Primordial Stance Technique.
Among the others, even the least efficient had grasped three movements.
Chen Xun, meanwhile, appeared to have grasped four movements.
He was neither too far behind nor conspicuous.
In truth, Chen Xun had secretly mastered all nine movements of the [Primordial Stance Technique].
As evening approached, Instructor Jia carried over a bucket of medicinal soup.
"This is Blood-Strengthening Soup. Drinking it will help you condense Blood Qi."
"One bowl per person. Come up one at a time."
"Liu Feng."
Instructor Jia called out first.
"Here." Liu Feng hurried forward, accepted a bowl of [Blood-Strengthening Soup], and gulped it down.
Chen Xun was fifth in line.
He accepted the [Blood-Strengthening Soup] handed over by Instructor Jia and drank it in one gulp. The instant the medicinal soup entered his mouth, a powerful flavor mixed with the bitterness of grass roots and the fishy stench of dried flesh and blood surged straight into his nose. The liquid was thick and sticky, and as it slid down his throat, it carried a faint burning heat, like swallowing a mouthful of warm iron sand.
Chen Xun did not even frown. He drained the entire bowl of Blood-Strengthening Soup, and the moment he handed back the empty bowl, a hot current erupted within his abdomen with a boom.
The medicinal power was not gentle. Instead, it carried a rough, wild savagery as it spread from his spleen and stomach, burrowing into all four limbs and every bone in an instant.
Chen Xun's entire body immediately turned red, his face flushed scarlet.
He was not the only one. Everyone who had drunk the [Blood-Strengthening Soup] looked the same.
Only after everyone had finished drinking did Instructor Jia speak. "Take advantage of the medicine's effects while they are beginning to work. Keep practicing. Your cultivation will be more effective. Once your body stops heating up, it means the medicinal effects have faded."
For a time, everyone on the scene immediately began practicing the [Primordial Stance Technique].
Seeing this, Instructor Jia nodded and turned to leave.
"I'm leaving. Once you're done practicing, go back."
After Instructor Jia left, everyone remained fully immersed in practicing the [Primordial Stance Technique].
Chen Xun glanced around, then quietly went to a shadowy corner and practiced the Primordial Stance Technique through once in its entirety.
It immediately made Chen Xun feel the difference.
He felt hotter, yet his mind was extraordinarily invigorated, while a tingling numbness spread through every muscle in his body.
According to the memories in his mind concerning the [Primordial Stance Technique], this was the sensation of his flesh and skin being strengthened.
This filled Chen Xun with delight, and he threw himself even more deeply into practicing the [Primordial Stance Technique].
After several dozen repetitions, nearly half an hour had passed, and the sky was already nearing dusk. By then, the flush on Chen Xun's face had faded, and the medicinal effects of the [Blood-Strengthening Soup] had receded.
Chen Xun swung his arm and felt as though his strength had increased somewhat.
By this time, the [Blood-Strengthening Soup] the others had drunk had also been mostly digested.
However, their efficiency in absorbing the medicinal effects of the [Blood-Strengthening Soup] was far inferior to Chen Xun's.
Once everyone had finished practicing, they began chatting among themselves. Without question, Liu Feng was the most popular among them.
Even Li Peng had gathered around Liu Feng. The two spoke from time to time, occasionally breaking into laughter, and seemed to be getting along quite well.
When Li Peng happened to catch sight of Chen Xun, his eyes shifted, and he immediately called out, "That Chen Xun, I see you've only just mastered the fourth movement, right? Why don't you come over and ask our Brother Liu Feng for guidance?"
"I received Brother Liu Feng's pointers, and I'm already about to master the fifth movement."
As soon as he said this, everyone turned to look at Chen Xun.
Under everyone's gaze, Chen Xun calmly replied, "Is that so? Then I should congratulate you."
"But I'll pass. I'd rather wait for Instructor Jia to guide me tomorrow."
"What, you don't trust my Brother Liu Feng?"
Hearing this, Li Peng immediately shot back, his words dripping with malice.
Chen Xun narrowed his eyes and could not help glancing at Liu Feng beside Li Peng, only to see the latter's face filled with embarrassment.
"Forget it, forget it. Li Peng, don't talk about Chen Xun like that. I've only just started learning too. It's normal for him not to trust me."
Liu Feng hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Fine, since Brother Liu Feng has said so, I can't say much more."
Li Peng gave a smug laugh, then said to Liu Feng:
"Come on. I know a restaurant with excellent food. I'm treating today—I'll buy you dinner."
"Wouldn't that be too expensive?"
"Not at all. It won't cost much."
"You guys, want to come too?"
"Sure, sure. It's rare for Brother Li Peng to treat us."
Before long, five people centered around Li Peng and Liu Feng left together.
The others dispersed as well, each returning on his own.
Yet imperceptibly, these people had all grown somewhat distant toward Chen Xun.
Clearly, Li Peng's move had made everyone realize that he was targeting Chen Xun.
Those unwilling to offend Li Peng naturally distanced themselves from Chen Xun.
Sun An's attitude toward Chen Xun, however, remained unchanged.
"Chen Xun, are you going back to sleep tonight?"
"No. I'm going out for a while to see my younger sister."
"All right, then I'll be going first."
The two parted ways, and Chen Xun headed toward the back gate of Li Estate.
Servants like them naturally were not allowed to use the main gate.
Moreover, he could not leave the estate every day. Usually, he only had one opportunity to go out every ten days.
Whenever that time came, he would go out to see his younger sister.