"The plus sign finally appeared!"
Mo Yun took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart.
After half a month of waiting and studying, this moment had finally come!
It looks like black points can only be spent on martial arts. I need to come into contact with a specific martial art before the panel activates the point-allocation function...
Mo Yun's thoughts raced, and he instantly grasped the key.
After the black seal had filled up, he had gained an available point, but since there had been no specific skill to spend it on, the plus sign had never appeared.
Now that he had encountered this Nameless Fist Technique, the panel had automatically recorded it, and the plus sign had appeared along with it.
Since the black seal allocates points to martial arts, does that mean allocating points to physique, vitality, defense, and spiritual power is tied to the White Mark?
Not necessarily, though. I'll have to accumulate a white point before I can find out exactly how it works.
At that thought, Mo Yun could only stare speechlessly at the sky.
He did not even know how to charge the White Mark.
Clearly, now was not the time to dwell on those things.
Focusing slightly, Mo Yun fixed his gaze on the plus sign beside the martial arts field.
Available points were clearly precious. After all, it had taken this long to condense a single black point.
So, should I spend it or not?
Of course I should!
Available points were precious, but he had already barely scraped through the Bone Root test. If his performance in the comprehension test was equally unremarkable, he would most likely be eliminated!
Nearly two hundred people, and only five would be chosen.
There were already two people with average Bone Roots and six with below-average Bone Roots. The pressure spoke for itself.
Unless he delivered a stunning performance in the comprehension test, he was definitely finished.
If he failed this time, who knew how long he would have to wait for another chance to practice martial arts?
In a world where human lives were worth no more than weeds, being unable to practice martial arts meant struggling forever at the bottom, left at others' mercy, never knowing when he might end up dead by the roadside.
Mo Yun did not want that.
Deep Blue, allocate a point!
He silently recited the words in his mind.
Yet the panel did not react at all.
Mo Yun froze, then realized his mistake.
What Deep Blue? His talent was the Black-and-White Seal!
Black-and-White Seal, let me see your limits!
Mo Yun steadied himself, concentrated his mind on the plus sign beside the martial arts field, and silently willed it to allocate a point.
This time, the panel changed.
The number of black points in the available points field flickered softly, changing from 1 to 0.
At the same time, the words "not yet initiated" beside the Nameless Fist Technique began to blur and twist, as though an invisible hand were erasing and rewriting them.
A moment later, new words emerged.
[Martial arts: Nameless Fist Technique (first glimpse of the path) (+)]
At that instant, Mo Yun felt a warm current materialize inside his body.
The current swiftly flowed through his meridians, washing through his limbs and every bone in his body. Wherever it passed, his muscles, sinews, bones, and joints trembled faintly, as though undergoing subtle adjustments and alterations.
At the same time, countless images flooded into his mind like a surging tide.
They were memories of him tirelessly practicing the Nameless Fist Technique through winter's bitterest cold and summer's fiercest heat, sweat pouring off him like rain.
Every move and stance, every punch and palm strike, techniques for exerting force, breathing rhythms...
In an instant, Mo Yun felt as though he had practiced this fist technique hundreds upon thousands of times, every movement carved into his bones and turned into bodily instinct.
The entire process lasted roughly five breaths.
Five breaths later, everything settled.
Mo Yun opened his eyes and looked down, clenching his fists as thoughts churned through his mind.
At this moment, his understanding of the Nameless Fist Technique had reached the realm of a first glimpse of the path.
Not only that, he even felt that his physique had improved somewhat since allocating the point, and his strength had increased as well.
With a thought, Mo Yun focused and summoned his attribute information.
Sure enough, his basic attributes had changed too.
[Physique 3.2, vitality 2, defense 2.1, spiritual power 0]
His physique had increased by 0.2 and his defense by 0.1, while his vitality and spiritual power remained unchanged.
So this is how allocating points works...
Mo Yun understood.
Allocating points was, in essence, like having enlightenment poured straight into his head. It was as though another version of himself had truly practiced the Nameless Fist Technique hundreds upon thousands of times, then instantly transferred it all to him.
And what was transferred was not merely the experience of practicing, but also the physical changes that practice had brought about.
"Allocating points is great. I've got to keep doing it." A smile appeared on Mo Yun's face.
Too bad I only had one black point. It's all used up.
He glanced at the panel. His black points had already dropped to zero.
But that's no big problem. As long as I keep charging the black seal and gaining black points, I can keep raising my martial arts mastery!
Mo Yun's heart settled.
The future looks bright!
Meanwhile, Commander Li finished demonstrating the fist technique three times and drew back his fists, standing with his expression unchanged and his breathing still steady, as though he had merely loosened up a little.
"All right. You now have two hours to study it on your own. After that, I'll assess your results and combine them with your Bone Root scores from the previous round to decide who makes the final cut!"
With that, he walked aside, sat down in a grand armchair, and closed his eyes to rest.
Of course, although he appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, everyone present knew Commander Li was surely watching each of them in secret.
None of the menial workers dared slack off, and they all began studying the technique.
Some mimicked the movements where they stood, some closed their eyes in contemplation, and others gathered in twos and threes to discuss it in low voices.
Mo Yun, meanwhile, closed his eyes and focused, preparing to sort through the experience that had just been poured into him.
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"Mo Yun, why are you spacing out? Hurry up and practice! Don't tell me you're giving up?"
Mo Yun came back to himself and found a skinny, small-framed menial worker beside him staring at him.
He knew this worker. His name was Xiao Liu, and he had received a below-average rating in the Bone Root test.
Xiao Liu shared a communal sleeping platform with him. The two got along well and had often helped each other over the past half month, making him Mo Yun's first friend in this world.
"Would you believe me if I said I was having a sudden enlightenment?" Mo Yun looked at Xiao Liu.
Naturally, Xiao Liu did not believe him. "Stop pulling my leg. Is sudden enlightenment something menial workers like us can even dream of? I think you've just taken too much of a blow."
"Ah, I can't blame you. This stuff really is difficult. Even your big brother Liu can't quite get a handle on it..."
With a sigh, Xiao Liu curled his lip, stopped paying attention to Mo Yun, and resumed earnestly practicing the test's fist technique with a miserable expression.
"Damn it, this blasted fist technique is way too hard! Everything feels wrong, everything feels awkward. Two hours isn't nearly enough!"
"Too hard! This fist technique is too hard! Martial arts are too hard!"
Mo Yun: "..."
After carefully sorting through the experience once, Mo Yun also began practicing the fist technique, drawing on what he had learned to identify and fill any gaps.
He became so absorbed in practicing that he could not tear himself away, and the two hours quickly passed.
"Time's up!"
Commander Li's voice rang out. He rose, walked to the center of the training ground, and swept his gaze across the crowd.
"Now I'll begin assessing what you've learned. Perform the fist technique as you understand it, right here in front of me!"
His gaze flashed like lightning, and his tone brooked no argument.
"If you can't perform it, or feel your performance is too poor, you can withdraw right away!"
"If you think you can do it well, show me everything you've got!"
"Begin!"
The atmosphere across the training ground abruptly grew tense.
Before you continue