Chapter 13: New Skill, Combat Retrospection

"Assemble!"

Lao Liang blew the whistle hanging around his neck, its sharp whistle gathering the scattered students.

Led by Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng, they lined up in two rows by height.

"This is the new trainee, Qin Shi. He's like you all, a worker's child from Old Factory Street. Everyone get to know him."

After a brief introduction, Lao Liang began arranging the training content:

"Same old rule, run ten laps first, time limit forty minutes. Last place adds five laps!

Later we'll practice Standing Post and Hug Frame. Punches, footwork, body techniques—you've learned enough these past few days, then we'll do a practical combat test."

Clatter!

Everyone rushed onto the playground, each sprinting madly!

Lao Liang's methods were well known; he punished student mistakes without mercy.

No. 9 Middle School wasn't like Urban Circle Schools; even the most unruly troublemaker, after a few slaps, would be tamed.

Going home to complain to parents didn't work on Old Factory Street either.

Worker families had always had a simple trust in teachers.

Therefore, those little thugs who had once followed Lao Liang and dropped out early, even if they no longer attended school,

seeing him again was like meeting a living King of Hell—they avoided him at all costs.

"Xiao Shi, stay behind."

Lao Liang called out to Qin Shi:

"After Grasping Qi Sensation, ordinary physical training is of little use to you; tapping potential is too inefficient.

We'll continue Meridian Opening this morning. You can rest only after they finish running."

The sun hung high, the heat unbearable.

Forty minutes passed in a blink.

Qin Shi standing under the blazing sun had a distorted expression, sweat pouring down, his skin red like cooked shrimp.

The large tendons hidden in his body throbbed, driving his muscle groups to twitch violently.

Clearly, he was expending enormous stamina every second.

"Meridian Opening is very important. When the body's large tendons stretch, blood circulation is strengthened and bone density increased.

Over time, this skeleton supporting your flesh and skin becomes denser and heavier.

This is what Old Martial Arts often calls 'Bone Heavy Sinew Flexible.'

Once you reach this step, your strikes hurt especially; one punch equals ten of your opponent's!"

Lao Liang held nothing back, giving Qin Shi special coaching in public.

These contents, he had lectured countless times.

Old Martial Arts was never empty talk; listening alone was useless, one must grasp the meaning and train deeply.

Lao Liang asked:

"Xiao Shi, what do you feel now?"

"Above is numb and itchy, below is sore and swollen……"

Qin Shi gritted his teeth; as he stood longer, the heat flow within him became clearer.

This time, the sensation came quickly.

In just over ten minutes, Qi Sense was grasped, though it could not form a complete circulation.

Every time he wanted to ensure continuous breathing, his insufficient stamina made it chaotic,

causing the grasped subtle Qi Sense to be interrupted.

"That's right!"

Lao Liang was very satisfied.

"From an earthworm crawling in mud, shedding skin to become a python, finally transforming into a Dragon and soaring to the sky—how could it be easy!

Continue, add another ten minutes of practice!"

Lao Liang was too ruthless!

He was truly training me to death!

Qin Shi cursed inwardly.

Without the 【Deep Sleep】 buff and 【Muscle Memory】 enhancement effect,

he might not withstand this devilish training!

"Two portions of Nutrient Paste daily weren't wasted, and the registration fee waiver wasn't wasted either.

This kid, in the Old Era, would be a natural good Tendons and Bones!

Polish him a bit more, and cultivating 'Monkey Arm Bee Waist Mantis Leg' is no problem."

Watching Qin Shi suffer, Lao Liang was very pleased.

In Old Martial Arts training methods, training Tendons and Bones is an indispensable key link.

But not everyone can endure it.

The pain of stretched tendons, the agony of tearing, and the friction of joints, like knife cuts and awl pricks……are all unpleasant.

These tortures akin to cruel corporal punishment stimulate the brain again and again, making one unable to focus and giving rise to fear of difficulty.

Therefore, Old Martial Arts only selects Good Seedlings.

The saying goes: "A hundred seedlings make one stalk; a thousand trees, one alone towers to the sky."

That is how it is.

By comparison, New Martial Arts is much gentler.

High-end Cultivation Halls, clubs of major conglomerates, often come equipped with Medical Teams of dozens or even over a hundred people.

Through various technological means, such as nutrient supplements, electromagnetic therapy, high-energy slow-release liquids, and the like, they finely regulate the body's systems.

Both reducing the risk of injury and ensuring steady growth of Qi Life Force.

As for the drawbacks, well.

They are quite plain and unadorned.

Four big words: Poor bastards, scram!

……

……

Such high-intensity Physical Ability training continued for four days.

Qin Shi left home every morning and returned every evening, exhausted like a dead dog.

From forty minutes of Meridian Opening Back Stretching, extended to two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon.

From Grasping Qi Sensation, it became guiding and operating, ensuring more than two Small Heavenly Circuit cycles.

Lao Liang showed no mercy, fully squeezing out every bit of potential in Qin Shi's body.

Striving to make all the Nutrient Paste he consumed transform into rich Qi Life Force.

"Is there really such a thing as a free lunch under heaven? That saying is indeed correct."

"If it were Zhou Ning, Lao Liang would train him until he vomited white foam and fainted on the spot!"

In the Shed House Bedroom on Bao Gong Street, Qin Shi opened the cabinet to take out clothes, glancing at the full-length mirror embedded inside.

The figure in the mirror had firm muscles, tight skin, a uniform body, and every line was just right.

Crack crack!

Qin Shi gently exerted force to clench his fist, his joints cracking slightly.

The fascia of his arms and shoulders swelled up instantly like cowhide.

In his previous life, to achieve such results, he would have needed at least two and a half years of hard training.

And it would have been professional Health Bodybuilding with strict diet control, following a muscle-building process.

"In less than a week, the me now can beat two of the me from before."

Daily Meridian Opening Back Stretching and Grasping Qi Sensation made Qin Shi's Physical Ability grow extremely fast.

Joints stretching, bone gaps opening, tendons lengthening!

All kinds of changes made his height jump up a notch.

Reaching around one meter eighty-two.

"Old Martial Arts can indeed transform the human body, and the changes in physique are not small."

"Shoulders wider, back thicker, even shark muscles have been trained out."

Qin Shi simply admired it for a few glances, casually put on a loose T-shirt, and covered up this good physique.

The Stele Panel with a Black Frame unfolded; after hard work grinding the Liver, the Achievement progress was gratifying.

【Junior Achievement - Deep Sleep (7/7)】

【Junior Achievement - Muscle Memory (61%)】

"I wonder what Skill can be Unlocked."

Qin Shi rubbed his hands in Expectation, focusing all his attention on the Stele Panel.

As the conditions were met, the originally small mound-like Gray Stone Tablet turned into white granite throughout.

Exuding a strange meaning of hardness and solidity!

Immediately After.

Waterfall-like text information refreshed rapidly—

【Intermediate Achievement - Deep Sleep】

【Deep Sleep: Young Good, Fall Asleep Immediately. Any Creature's Growth Stage cannot do without sufficient rest, let alone this Embryo Seed of yours that is still developing.】

【Trait: You will no longer face the trouble of insomnia, and can recover more Physical Ability and energy through shorter sleep time; the immune system is reorganized, and resistance to viruses is greatly increased】

【Advancement Route: Maintaining a good schedule is essential; if you persist in going to bed early and rising early for Thirty Days, you can upgrade again.】

"Never insomnia, quickly refill the energy bar, plus a buff similar to invulnerability to all diseases. Perfect!"

Qin Shi nodded, very Satisfied.

Humans, this kind of Creature, spend nearly one-third of their life journey in sleep.

If this part of the time is shortened, he himself could conduct more Physical Ability training sessions.

Like the Achievement 【Muscle Memory】, which requires more than twenty sets of Exhaustion Training every day.

But because he needs to practice with Lao Liang, doing Standing Post.

Various courses are packed too full, making it hard to complete on time and in the required amount.

【Skill Unlock: Combat Retrospection】

【Effect: Capture every Detail of the opponent, magnify every Movement of the opponent, and find flaws and opportunities for victory from them.】

"If it were an instant Skill, that would be impressive. Activating it suddenly in the middle of a fight—wouldn't that be like time stop!"

Qin Shi's eyes flickered, his thoughts diverging.

The next moment, he mobilized his Spirit, attempting to use the newly Unlocked Skill.

Several seconds passed, with no response!

The slow-motion scene of entering bullet time in his fantasy did not appear!

"What a pity, it seems to be passively triggered."

Qin Shi suppressed his regret, his gaze returning to the updated data panel.

【Anchor Point: Qin Shi】

【Growth Stage: Embryo】

【Progress: 0.009%】

【Monument Count: Deep Sleep (Intermediate), Muscle Memory (Beginner)】

【Skill: Combat Retrospection】

"The effort wasn't wasted! 【Deep Sleep】 rose a level, progress also increased a bit, and even unlocked a new skill……"

Qin Shi silently pondered, whether this string of numbers representing embryo growth progress was tied to Qi Life Force?

If so, wouldn't that mean he had developed his Life Force Development to 9 points in such a short time?

"Must find a way to do a comprehensive test, so as to know the Current Era's Life Force Development extent.

If it happens to be 9 points, it will prove my improvement is indeed great, passing the Amateur Level Ranking Examination will be a piece of cake."

(Chapter End)