A Hundred Days of Grueling Cultivation?

Lin Hao's hand was still resting on the doorknob. His entire body froze.

Twelve years...

More than four thousand three hundred days and nights!

His system had finally...

Been repaired!

He took a deep breath, suppressed the excitement surging in his heart, and pulled his hand back from the doorknob.

Just then, the system's smooth voice sounded again.

[Main quest issued: Only through a thousand hammerings and a hundred temperings can you see it through to the end.]

[Quest requirement: Complete the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood a total of 10,000 times and raise proficiency to 100%.]

[Time limit: 100 days.]

[Quest reward: Unlock a complete analysis of the perfection realm of the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood and thoroughly master the core mysteries of this cultivation technique.]

As Lin Hao looked at the quest requirements on the panel, the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

No wonder this system was called the Heaven Rewards Diligence System.

Weren't its quest requirements a little too high?

Ten thousand repetitions of movements rated excellent at his current level in 100 days meant an average of a hundred repetitions a day.

At his current speed, a single set of the eighteen forms took at least eight minutes.

Wouldn't a hundred sets take almost fourteen hours?

In other words, aside from eating and sleeping, he would have to spend all his time cultivating.

It was practically trying to work him to death.

Even heaven rewarding diligence ought to have its limits, right?

Had this system never studied labor law?

Didn't it know about balancing work and rest?

Didn't it know about two-day weekends?

Most importantly, the martial artist entrance exam was only a month away.

By the time he huffed and puffed his way through the quest, this year's exam would have long since ended.

Clinging to one last shred of hope, he asked in his mind, "System, is there some kind of beginner gift pack? Or any beginner benefits?"

[The Heaven Rewards Diligence System offers no shortcuts or benefits.]

[Every gain requires corresponding effort from the host. Only by leaving a footprint with every step can you see it through to the end.]

The icy mechanical voice left no room for negotiation.

Lin Hao had no fight left in him. He raised a hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

So this system had arrived twelve years late, only to dangle a pie of grueling cultivation before him the moment it came online, without even giving him a sip of warm soup.

Still, the age limit for the martial artist entrance exam was twenty, and he would only be nineteen next year. He still had a chance.

It was just that he was deeply unwilling to make his parents toil and sacrifice for him for another year.

At worst, he would work to earn money while repeating the school year. With the system, attending school or not made little difference to him.

Now that he had the ability, he couldn't let his parents keep working so hard.

He took a deep breath, unwilling to keep agonizing over things that were difficult to change, and confirmed in a low voice in his mind, "Accept quest."

[Main quest "A thousand hammerings and a hundred temperings, reaching perfection" accepted. Current quest progress: 0/10000. Current proficiency in the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood: 0.00%.]

Lin Hao steadied himself and took half a step back.

He assumed a stance in the cramped room, lowering his waist and stepping out, about to perform the opening stance of the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood.

But before his toes had fully gripped the floor, with his knees only half bent, the system notifications in his mind suddenly rang out like a barrage of cannon fire.

[Detected that the host has completed one qualifying set of the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood. Quest progress updated: 1/10000. Proficiency updated: 0.01%.]

[Detected that the host has completed one qualifying set of the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood. Quest progress updated: 2/10000. Proficiency updated: 0.02%.]

[...]

[...Quest progress updated: 9097/10000. Proficiency updated: 90.97%.]

[...]

[Congratulations, host, on completing the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood 10,000 times. Proficiency increased to 100%!]

[Main quest "A thousand hammerings and a hundred temperings, reaching perfection" completed!]

[Distributing quest reward...]

[Complete analysis of the perfection realm of the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood unlocked!]

As the string of notifications came crashing down, Lin Hao couldn't believe his ears. His mind went blank.

He suddenly realized that the system seemed not to have been fully repaired after all.

There was still a major bug.

But it was one that could let him complete a quest with a single click...

A perfect bug!

In an instant, countless images and insights concerning the Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood flooded into his mind like a tide.

The Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood he had practiced for twelve years, until they had become muscle memory.

Now, every deviation in his movements, every mistake and omission in his exertion of force, and every break in his guidance of qi and blood appeared clearly before his eyes.

It turned out that the core of the Heaven-Supporting Form wasn't raising the arms, but slightly twisting the knuckles to stretch the shoulders and neck, allowing qi and blood to flow smoothly downward along the three yin meridians.

It turned out that the key to the Sinking Abyss Form was sinking and locking the waist and hips, allowing the qi and blood in the lower limbs to flow upward along the spine.

It turned out that most of the movements he had practiced for twelve years had been wrong at their very roots.

Unable to wait, he lowered his waist, stepped out, and began practicing the eighteen forms.

The blocked sensation in his qi and blood during his previous practice was completely gone.

In its place, an unprecedented sense of smoothness swept through his entire body.

These standard movements and breathing methods of the eighteen forms seemed to have been carved into his marrow.

The extent to which he twisted his knuckles, the angle at which he lowered his shoulders and neck-every movement was precise down to the millimeter.

The qi and blood in his meridians began flowing merrily like water through an opened floodgate.

After completing a set of the eighteen forms, he was no longer panting.

Instead, his whole body felt warm and very comfortable.

In his excitement, he felt as though he had inexhaustible strength.

He repeated the eighteen forms of qi and blood over and over.

Sweat ran down his cheeks and arms, dripping onto the old wooden floor and leaving a patch of sweat stains.

His training clothes were also soaked through with sweat.

After an unknown amount of time, his limbs finally began to ache and swell, and his breathing grew heavy.

But after every set of the eighteen forms, the clearly perceptible increase in the qi and blood within his body acted like a stimulant, suppressing all his fatigue.

Without his noticing, the sky outside the window gradually turned pitch-black.

Then it slowly faded from pitch-black to pale gray, tinged with white light.

After completing yet another set of the eighteen forms, Lin Hao swayed, nearly falling to the floor.

The muscles all over his body began trembling uncontrollably.

Every movement brought needle-like pain.

He barely even had the strength left to raise his hand and wipe away his sweat.

Over the course of the night, he had practiced sixty or seventy consecutive sets of the eighteen forms.

His body had reached its limit.

Yet there was no trace of strain on his face. Instead, he wore a smile as he summoned the system panel.

[Host: Lin Hao]

[Qi and blood: 0.42]

[Spiritual power: 0.12]

[Combat power: 0.32]

[Cultivation technique: Basic Eighteen Forms of Qi and Blood (great perfection)]

His qi and blood had risen by 0.12 in a single night!

Previously, even a year of practice might not have raised his qi and blood by 0.05.

His heart began pounding uncontrollably.

He wanted to laugh, to shout, to rush outside and tell his parents the good news.

But utter exhaustion swept through his brain, making his vision darken.

He staggered onto the bed without even having time to take off his shoes. The moment his head touched the pillow, he completely lost consciousness.

There was no telling whether he had fallen asleep.

Or passed out.