Chapter 5: Significant Progress

Tianhai No. 2 High School.

Lin Qi drove into the campus. It was nearing six o'clock, and the sky was just beginning to brighten.

With the opening ceremony over, there were few people at school at this hour.

Lin Qi arrived at the martial arts classroom, entered the password to open the iron door, and found the lights shining bright inside. Accompanied by rhythmic sounds, several people were already training.

"It's only the second day of school, and people are already starting to grind this hard?"

When the others noticed Lin Qi’s arrival, they seemed to feel the pressure and began training even harder.

In the locker room, Lin Qi looked at his physique in the mirror. His chest and muscles rose and fell with his breathing, as if something were brewing within.

"My body has been remodeled; the proportions have become much better."

"Once the fusion rate gets higher, the changes in my physique will become even more obvious."

Lin Qi clenched his fists and realized he had become stronger. He felt that getting into the elite class was not entirely impossible.

He changed into his martial arts uniform and began to stand in the *zhuang* (stance).

He held his hands in a circle, relaxed his shoulders, kept his elbows horizontal, left his armpits hollow, and held his arms in a curved embrace...

As soon as he stood, Lin Qi felt something different. His stomach felt warm, and streams of heat flowed from his spine to every part of his body, clearing his blood vessels one by one without the slightest obstruction, moving as quickly as a slithering snake.

The speed was much faster than before.

The key points of the *Hunyuan Zhuang* (Primordial Stance) surfaced in Lin Qi’s mind, and many new ideas were born.

*Respect keeps the spirit from scattering; caution is like standing at the edge of an abyss; borrow the infinite intent; fill the primordial body with essence; seek the real within the void; do not lose the balance of the center...*

He used to find it profound, but now he understood a bit of what it meant.

In a short while, his face turned red, his whole body grew hot, and sweat poured down like rain.

【You have gained a new understanding of the Hunyuan Zhuang. Tempering efficiency has increased significantly. Blood-Qi value +0.2!】

【Blood-Qi value: 5.4 → 5.6】

...

Looking at the increase in his Blood-Qi value on the panel, Lin Qi felt invigorated.

"My talent really has improved. It’s truly powerful."

"How long has it been, and my Blood-Qi value has actually increased by 0.2?"

"In just one day, my Blood-Qi value went from 5.2 to 5.6. It’s too exaggerated. In the past, this would have been impossible to achieve without months of effort."

Lin Qi clenched his fists and looked at the 1% fusion rate on his template.

If the fusion rate increased further, his martial arts talent would become even stronger, and the improvement effects would only be more potent.

...

As time passed, other students arrived at the martial arts classroom one after another while Lin Qi was still standing in his stance.

"Brother Qi, you're here early as always!"

Jiang Tao entered the martial arts room shortly after.

Lin Qi nodded, acknowledging the greeting.

"As expected of Brother Qi, one of the biggest grinders in the class."

Jiang Tao walked to the side, put down his backpack, and sighed to himself after changing into his martial arts uniform.

He looked over, his expression changing slightly, and wondered

"Strange, Brother Qi's Blood-Qi seems to have broken through again. How did he do it?"

Jiang Tao looked curious.

"Have you guys noticed? Lin Qi's aura doesn't look weak. It feels like he's had a breakthrough."

Someone nearby asked curiously.

This confirmed Jiang Tao's suspicion. He wondered if Lin Qi had gone for a therapy package yesterday?

It was said that the first time you do it, the effects are quite good—it can relax the tendons and activate the collaterals, leaving one's Blood-Qi full. But could it really be that good?

...

An hour later, the class was fully assembled, and the spacious martial arts classroom was filled with various sounds.

Lin Qi finished his stance, wiped the sweat from his body, and felt the surging heat within him. Endless strength compensated for his consumption, and he didn't feel the slightest bit tired.

"Ring-a-ling!"

The bell for class rang, and Wu Kang’s figure appeared at the door right on time.

"The Hunyuan Zhuang is deduced to temper the body, sense Blood-Qi, and manipulate Blood-Qi. However, the human body has limits; standing for two or three hours a day is the limit."

Wu Kang walked through the crowd with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, starting his lecture immediately.

"Thus, fist techniques appeared. They can not only assist in tempering the body and controlling the power of the muscles, but also defend against enemies."

"Stance training combined with fist techniques tempers the body and senses Blood-Qi until the muscles and organs constantly transform, reaching a state where they can adapt to tyrannical Source Energy. Only then can one learn cultivation methods to actively absorb it."

"For this reason, our Xia Kingdom has deduced the Five-Form Fist techniques from ancient boxing—five basic fist techniques."

"The five forms of the Five-Form Fist are: Dragon, Tiger, Crane, Ape, and Snake."

"After laying a good martial arts foundation in middle school, all students must learn these five fist techniques, and then carefully choose the one that suits them best for in-depth practice."

"This lesson will cover one of the Five-Form Fists: the Tiger Form!"

Many people's eyes lit up, and they quickly gathered around to watch. Lin Qi did the same.

Because he was practicing the Tiger Form, opportunities to watch the teacher perform up close were rare.

After Wu Kang finished speaking, he stood in the center of the crowd, his aura erupting and stirring up a gust of wind.

He spread his five fingers, hooking them into claws!

His eyes stared forward, and in an instant, he seemed to transform into a fierce tiger.

"The Tiger Form emphasizes using the form as the fist, intent as the spirit, and Qi to drive power. When enraged, glare with fury and stiffen the neck; watch like a tiger eyeing its prey; possess the momentum of an angry tiger leaving the forest and claws that could pull up mountains."

Wu Kang’s movements were agile, like a tiger pouncing on its prey, his aura fierce.

"Roar~"

He let out a loud shout, like a tiger's roar, and his tiger claws swiped out, creating a strong wind.

"Fierce Tiger Leaves the Cave!"

"Black Tiger Steals the Heart!"

"Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey!"

"Angry Tiger Pierces the Forest!"

As he executed each move, he seemed to truly transform into a fierce tiger. His claws swiped out, causing the air to vibrate as if from an air cannon.

Lin Qi watched with sparkling eyes.

Watching from up close, he could even see Wu Kang’s tough muscles bulging, his blood vessels winding around his arms like steel bars, and waves of heat rushing toward him.

"As expected of a Third-Realm martial artist. This speed is too fast. If we were up against Teacher Wu, we wouldn't be able to withstand a single move."

Someone exclaimed.

"Hoo~"

After finishing the set, Wu Kang withdrew his aura and returned to calm.

"Everyone, start practicing!"

It was as if the sound of a tiger's roar still echoed in everyone's ears. They dispersed to find their own space to practice.

Lin Qi recalled every move Wu Kang had made and began to practice the Tiger Form.

He curled his five fingers into claws and swiped out. The key points Wu Kang had mentioned quickly surfaced in his mind, and the entire process of his performance played out before him.

"Use form as the fist, intent as the spirit, joints to emit power, and Qi to drive force. The fist momentum must be fierce!"

"The tiger is the king of all beasts. When a tiger roars, all beasts submit. When a fierce tiger passes through the forest, the wind and clouds change, and the mountains shake."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!"

He didn't know how many times he had practiced it; Lin Qi was already well-versed in it. Although he felt tired and his muscles ached, he didn't care.

The more he practiced, the more spirited he became. His eyes seemed to transform into tiger eyes, shooting out a sharp light.

Wu Kang walked among the crowd. His pace was not fast, yet no one could touch him.

He was observing everyone's practice process.

He didn't specifically coach anyone, but rather gathered the problems common to most people to answer them all at once in the next class.

There were over 50 people in the class, and he had a rough idea of everyone's level. Very few could reach the Great Success stage; most were at the Small Success level.

Without realizing it, he reached the corner, and one student's fist technique made his eyes light up.

"It's Lin Qi!"

The class's master of basics, the student with the best foundation, was his favorite student.

He had reminded him yesterday to take care of his body.

But watching Lin Qi practice, his Tiger Form was vigorous, his Blood-Qi flowed smoothly, and there was no sense of obstruction at all.

At this moment, Lin Qi was immersed in the fist technique.

His Blood-Qi surged, power channeled to his fingertips, and he pounced like a hungry tiger.

"Roar~"

His momentum reached its peak, and he let out a loud shout, like a tiger's roar.

【Watching Wu Kang's demonstration, you have gained new insights into the Tiger Form. Fist Technique +2.5%】

【Through practicing the Tiger Form, you have gained new insights. Fist Technique +2.5%】

【Fist Technique: First Order 80% → 85%】

...

Lin Qi stopped and looked at his panel.

Is this what it feels like to be a genius?

Too strong.

It directly increased his fist technique level by a large margin; only 5% remained until Great Success.

Fist technique levels are divided into four stages: 30%, 60%, 90%, 100%.

Corresponding to Entry, Small Success, Great Success, and Perfection.

Wu Kang, who was watching, also showed a look of surprise. Has Lin Qi's Tiger Form improved this much?

...

(End of chapter)