Sensing Qi Force

"Hah! Hah!"

On the training grounds, a group of martial artists shouted as they drilled their basic physical techniques.

Swept up in the atmosphere, Fang Zelin put tremendous effort into his training as well.

At that moment, a layer of white mist seemed to rise from everyone's bodies.

It was all sweat that, under the stimulation of Qi Force, had vaporized into white mist.

And at that moment, faint wisps of white mist rose from Fang Zelin's body as well.

"This new junior brother certainly has talent! He's actually grasped Qi Force in such a short time."

The others practicing basic physical techniques in the distance turned to look. When they saw faint wisps of white mist rising from Fang Zelin nearby, they could not help feeling envious.

Each of their faces held a hint of surprise.

How long had he been at this martial arts school? He had only trained for about half a month.

Yet in that half a month, he had actually managed to master Qi Force.

Even they could not match that speed of cultivation.

"This junior brother has an excellent root bone. There's no use envying him."

Another senior brother shook his head at those words and spoke with a hint of envy.

Martial arts training depended on root bone too. Those with a good root bone naturally progressed very quickly.

Training alongside the others to the accompaniment of their shouts, Fang Zelin could clearly feel a thread of Qi Force circulating and changing within him.

When he stopped, Fang Zelin felt that the Qi Force inside him seemed to have grown a little stronger.

Then, without pausing, Fang Zelin drew a three-foot sword from the rack beside him and began practicing.

Sword light flashed, and Sword-Rays danced.

After performing a sword routine as fluid as drifting clouds and flowing water, Fang Zelin felt considerably more at ease throughout his body.

"Junior brother, although your Wind-Riding Sword hasn't yet reached the stage of entering the hall and stepping into the inner chamber, you've at least caught your first glimpse through the doorway."

A senior brother beside him looked at Fang Zelin and said earnestly, "But if you want to go farther along the Martial Dao, you need to hone your foundations first. If your foundations aren't stable, you could be in serious trouble when you encounter an expert."

After joining the school, Fang Zelin had skipped training his foundations and gone straight to practicing Qi Force and swordsmanship.

To outsiders, Fang Zelin looked stronger, but they did not realize that without those foundations, things could easily go wrong for him.

Anyone who knew the trade could see at a glance that Fang Zelin's foundations were unstable and could easily find an opening.

Fang Zelin responded with a smile.

His reason for practicing martial arts in the first place was to test whether there was any connection between reality and this world.

To master Qi Force a little faster, Fang Zelin had even spent another three taels of silver to buy quite a few medicinal decoctions.

As a result, Fang Zelin had very little money left.

Fortunately, spending that money had not been without results. For instance, Fang Zelin had now mastered Qi Force.

The tangible sensation of Qi Force made it somewhat difficult for Fang Zelin to believe this was a false world.

Or perhaps this was a real world.

"I understand, senior brother."

Fang Zelin naturally took his well-intentioned warning to heart. After nodding lightly, he saw that he had trained about enough for the day, so he immediately got up and left.

Once Fang Zelin returned to the inn, he went straight back to the real world.

In his room, Fang Zelin had only just woken when he heard a key turning in the front door. He pushed open his door to look and saw an auntie pushing her way inside.

"Xiao Fang, you're not gaming anymore!"

Seeing Fang Zelin as she came in, the auntie immediately smiled at him while casually setting her bag to one side.

Fang Zelin smiled at the auntie before him as well.

"That's right."

As he spoke, he wheeled himself toward his room.

This was the auntie Fang Zelin had hired to come at regular times to help clean his home, take out the trash, make lunch, and so on.

Fang Zelin had five or six thousand yuan a month, and because he had difficulty getting around, he had spent some of it to hire an auntie.

It really was much more convenient with her around.

Fang Zelin no longer had to worry about cleaning the house, taking out the trash, washing dishes, or anything like that.

He had heard that the dishwashers on the market were quite good, but with no room in his kitchen, Fang Zelin had yet to buy one.

"Auntie, if you're busy, you can leave once you've finished cooking. It's fine to leave the dishes until your next visit."

Fang Zelin wanted to try out the martial arts he had learned, and his eagerness left him with no appetite for the moment.

"It's fine. I'm in no hurry."

The auntie outside immediately answered, then found the mop and began cleaning the rooms.

Seeing this, Fang Zelin did not insist. Once back in his room, he immediately began practicing martial arts.

Qi Force...

Recalling the feeling of practicing Qi Force at the martial arts school, Fang Zelin tried again.

Ever since he had first experienced Qi Force, Fang Zelin had been trying it in the real world.

But no matter how he tried, he had made little progress.

Still, considering that even in the game, Qi Force would not have been so easy to master without medicinal decoctions, Fang Zelin had patiently kept trying.

"If it still doesn't work today, I'll have to think about whether I can try some medicinal decoctions."

Fang Zelin sensed the emptiness inside his body, without the slightest trace of Qi Force, and could not help frowning.

Acquiring Qi Force was no simple matter either.

He kept trying.

A full half a month had passed since he first began trying.

He had previously asked the martial arts instructor at the school how long it would take to sense Qi Force without using medicinal decoctions.

The instructor's answer was that it varied from person to person. For someone who had never sensed Qi Force before, sensing it would be fraught with difficulty.

But if someone provided guidance and helped them sense Qi Force, about a month would be enough.

Fang Zelin felt that since he had already sensed Qi Force at the martial arts school, he had at least some experience, so he ought to be able to sense it a little sooner.

Unless this thing was entirely false.

If that were the case, then his constant attempts to sense Qi Force over nearly half a month had been rather foolish.

"No, if I can't sense Qi Force, I absolutely can't tell anyone about this. It would be too embarrassing."

After thinking it over, Fang Zelin immediately made his decision.

If he could not sense Qi Force, he would never tell anyone else about this.

With that thought in mind, Fang Zelin continued calming himself and trying to sense Qi Force.

He did not know how much time had passed, but just as Fang Zelin felt he had gained nothing and was ready to give up...

The auntie suddenly knocked on the door.

The unexpected knock instantly sent something like a ripple spreading through Fang Zelin's heart, after he had shut out his surroundings.

Fang Zelin felt a sudden jolt within, and with it, he clearly sensed a strand of Qi Force inside his body.

"Xiao Fang, lunch is ready."

The auntie knocked outside his door, signaling that Fang Zelin could come out to eat.

As her voice rang out, the Qi Force Fang Zelin had sensed inside his body instantly vanished.