Wang Gang returned to his room and began practicing his sword. He had thought a thousand straight thrusts would be painful, but he had never expected them to be... this painful!
After just a hundred thrusts, his arm ached and swelled. Another hundred, and it hurt so badly he could not even lift it.
At this point, forget using Shaozheng Mao's fate to spur himself on-even the founding emperor of the Great Song would have been no use! He really couldn't get it up... couldn't lift his arm.
Instead, he opened his space, took out the Lesser Formless Skill, and began studying it.
Through his studies over the past few days, he had discovered that the first six of the eight books dealt with the twelve primary meridians, while the last two trained the eight extraordinary meridians.
He found another diagram of the human body, painstakingly drew the meridians onto it, then marked out the circulation routes according to the method in the books.
Practicing internal arts allowed no room for carelessness. If he made a mistake and got the route wrong, cultivation deviation would be getting off lightly. His Qi and blood might well flow backward, leaving him dead and his Dao extinguished.
Just as he finished the final stroke of the Governing Vessel's route, completing the greater heavenly circuit diagram, his vision suddenly blurred, and that panel appeared again.
[Name: Wang Gang Reputation points: 49000 Divine ability: Power of Space + Martial arts: Qi Refining Art (available to learn)]
Wang Gang froze. How did my reputation points go up by more than two hundred? Last time I checked, they were still at 48765! What have I done these past few days? Could it be throwing money around and giving gifts?
And what the hell is this Qi Refining Art?
Going by this panel's usual quirks, doesn't an art only appear once I've learned to understand it?
When did I learn this Qi Refining Art... wait!
Wang Gang's gaze returned to the circulation diagram he had just drawn. Could this Lesser Formless Skill actually be the Qi Refining Art?
After he had finished reading the Five Gauze Light Smoke Palm, the corresponding option had appeared on the panel. Now, he had just finished drawing out the Lesser Formless Skill, and the Qi Refining Art had appeared. They could very well be the same thing.
Without thinking any further, Wang Gang made his selection on the panel.
[Spend 1000 reputation points to learn the Qi Refining Art?]
Yes!
The instant he made his choice, a boom exploded in his mind, and his five senses immediately cleared. It was as though his entire body had previously been shrouded in frosted glass, which had now abruptly shattered, as if he had entered a new world.
At the same time, a faint warm current appeared inside his body, following a route identical to that of the Lesser Formless Skill.
Just as I thought!
It seemed Lesser Formless Skill was a name added later. As he pondered this, Wang Gang tapped the panel.
[Spend 1000 reputation points to upgrade to First-Tier Qi Refiner?]
"Yes!"
Once he made his choice, the thread of warmth inside Wang Gang's body thickened. He felt it out; it was roughly the same size as what Murong Fu had described as a year's accumulated internal power.
Wang Gang immediately closed his eyes and circulated his internal power. After completing one heavenly circuit, he felt his spirit whole and his vitality full. Even the aching numbness in his arm eased by more than half.
"Oh my! I only started learning martial arts today, and I already have a year's internal power. What will everyone else think? I'm a genius!"
Pleased with himself, Wang Gang tapped the panel again.
"Spend 2000 reputation points to upgrade to Second-Tier Qi Refiner?"
"Yes! At such a tender age, I'm already bearing what I shouldn't have to bear... Aah..."
A wave of intense pain shot through his meridians. Looking inward, he saw that his internal power had abruptly increased, but his meridians remained their original thickness. How could they possibly withstand it?
Wang Gang hurriedly regulated his breathing and, following the cultivation method, diverted part of his internal power into his Sea of Qi for storage. Only after carefully circulating it through another heavenly circuit did he avoid having his meridians severed inch by inch!
"To think a mere two years' internal power would exceed my limits. Heaven truly envies the gifted!"
Looking at the 45000 reputation points remaining on the panel, Wang Gang felt as anxious and unreconciled as a man with an unspeakable affliction encountering a peerless beauty!
Upholding the principle of letting nothing go to waste, Wang Gang took out the One-Character Lightning Sword booklet and began studying it.
The manual was divided into three parts: an internal power cultivation method, movement techniques, and sword moves. None was subordinate to another, yet all three were closely linked.
Wang Gang gave the internal cultivation method a cursory glance before skipping it, focusing on the circulation routes of the latter two parts.
Wang Gang had his own small measure of understanding of martial arts. This "foundation" was like the mana bar in games of later generations, while "application" was the skills.
Mana was the foundation. Without enough mana, never mind being unable to use skills-many skills with high mana costs could not even be learned.
Skills were also important. Without them, even a full mana bar would not let him deal much damage.
With a heaven-defying art like the Lesser Formless Skill, capable of imitating all sorts of cultivation methods, he naturally had no need to learn third-rate internal arts. He only needed to learn the methods of application.
"Spend 200 reputation points to learn the One-Character Lightning Sword?"
Sure enough, after Wang Gang finished reading the One-Character Lightning Sword method, the corresponding option appeared on the panel.
"Yes!"
Wang Gang made his selection, and a multitude of sword and movement techniques immediately flooded his mind.
Another thread of internal power also appeared inside his body. Unlike that of the Lesser Formless Skill, this thread was much finer and gave a light, graceful impression.
"Spend 200 points to upgrade the One-Character Lightning Sword?"
"Yes!"
More moves appeared in his mind. The difference was that these sword moves now linked together.
"Spend 400 points to upgrade the One-Character Lightning Sword?"
"Yes!"
This time, the moves that appeared combined sword techniques with movement techniques, making them incomparably swift.
"Spend 800 points to upgrade the One-Character Lightning Sword?"
"Yes!"
The moves in his mind changed again, becoming more nimble and more devious.
Wang Gang wanted to upgrade it again, but tapping produced no response. Startled, he examined the panel closely.
[Name: Wang Gang Reputation points: 43400 Divine ability: Power of Space + Martial arts: Qi Refining Art +, One-Character Lightning Sword]
The plus sign after One-Character Lightning Sword had actually disappeared!
"Does this mean it's at max level?" Wang Gang shook his head and sighed. "A mere 1600 reputation points was all it took to fill you up! Life truly is as lonely as snow!"
Closing the panel, Wang Gang rolled his shoulders. Feeling all right, he picked up his sword again and resumed practicing.
Although the panel had poured all the One-Character Lightning Sword's moves into his mind, this only let him "know." Between "knowing" and "attaining," there was still "doing."
Putting martial arts to use in an actual encounter still depended on muscle memory. Surely, when someone attacked, he could not ask them to wait while he thought about which move to counter with!
Achieving anything in this world generally required hard work and effort.
And those were precisely what Wang Gang did not fear. The panel had already given him an enormous shortcut. What did shedding a little sweat matter?
When sword practice made his arm hurt, Wang Gang circulated his internal power to ease it, then started again. When it hurt again, he circulated his power again, repeating the cycle. He even ate his meals in his room.
Only deep into the night did Wang Gang finally finish his thousand thrusts. He let out a long breath, utterly exhausted, and fell asleep the moment he collapsed onto the bed.
The next day, pain woke him. Circulating internal power could indeed ease the pain, but it could not clear the lactic acid accumulated in his body.
Wang Gang was a scholar who seldom exercised his limbs. After yesterday's sudden bout of intense training, his entire arm ached today. The sensation was simply excruciatingly refreshing!
"I need to take this out on Murong Bo!" Wang Gang said through gritted teeth.