Chapter 58: Qi Lock Applied, Method of Use

Physique 16.8→17

Spirit 15.5→16.5

Qin Shi stood before the wardrobe, gazing at the bright mirror embedded within.

The precise feedback brought by the Intermediate Achievement 【Muscle Memory】 let him know exactly how much he improved every day.

"Others need to purchase instruments and equipment, assemble a professional team, and monitor physical data in real time."

"As for me, I just need to look in the mirror."

Qin Shi hooked up the corner of his mouth.

As the saying goes, saving money is earning money.

Rounding up, I've made several million!

I'm winning big!

"The training effect of the Virtual Combat Room exceeds my imagination."

The originally stagnant Spiritual Field Power has grown by leaps and bounds again.

"As for the physique, constantly squeezing potential and conducting Qi Circulation will also push the nearly ended New Life Stage forward again."

Qin Shi summarized his harvest, and his thoughts inevitably wandered.

The top students of those First-Rank Academies enjoy such rich educational resources; their Life Force Development level must be far ahead of their peers.

"No wonder the teachers of New No. 1 Middle School Hongzhi Class repeatedly emphasized that the College Entrance Exam is the second watershed of life, and the only opportunity for special hardship students with poor family conditions to change their fate."

Educational resources provided by academies of different levels are worlds apart.

Imagine Hengzhou New Star where the network is blocked and not popularized at all.

Qiguang Heng University can build a campus intranet and support students of all grades to carry out ring fights like playing games.

For a boy from Old Factory Street who attended Zidi Xuexiao since childhood, this is simply unbelievable.

"If I tell these to Brother Yuan and Cheng Ge, they might find it hard to understand."

"Just like old people from the seventies in the previous life wouldn't understand post-00s holding mobile phones rubbing glass, drawing cards and spending money to play games."

Qin Shi lowered his eyelids, becoming even more determined about his future goal of entering a First-Rank Academy.

As thoughts flickered, the black panel recording Stela achievements emerged.

【Anchor Point: Qin Shi】

【Growth Stage: Embryo】

【Progress: 0.017%】

【Stela Count: Deep Sleep (Intermediate), Muscle Memory (Intermediate), Overgrowth (Intermediate), Super-sensory Perception (Beginner), Part-time Warrior (Beginner)】

【Skills: Combat Retrospection, Inner Vision, Predator】

"Currently, what helps me the most are still 【Deep Sleep】 and 【Muscle Memory】."

"But after activating 【Part-time Warrior】, I can make Muscle Building Meals for myself every day, and then absorb them through 【Overgrowth】; the two complement each other, achieving twice the result with half the effort."

Qin Shi gazed at the four Stelae of the black panel, each with different progress.

【Intermediate Achievement - Deep Sleep (19/30)】

【Intermediate Achievement - Muscle Memory (46%)】

【Intermediate Achievement - Overgrowth (5%)】

"The Super Protein given by Lao Cao, I'll take it for Lao Liang to look at tomorrow, and only after confirming there are no unsafe components will I say more."

Qin Shi took off his upper garment and lay on his back on the wooden board bed spread with a rush mat:

"I'm still more than twenty points of Qi Life Force away from a First-Rank Academy; I only need to complete the second breakthrough of the limit to reach it."

"Lao Liang said, tendons, bones, skin, membranes, Qi, strength, spirit—these seven gates have no order of precedence, it all depends on opportunity."

"I am able to attempt the Tendon Tempering Pass of Golden Chicken because my physique can endure training and withstand the bitterness of Meridian Opening. Where is the next Great Limit opportunity?"

Chaotic thoughts rose and burst like countless bubbles.

Qin Shi's consciousness gradually sank into Dream, and before fully entering the deepest sleep, some fragmented and scattered images flashed quickly, like lights bright and dim.

Surrounding were surging flames, thunderous chain Great Explosions, large factory buildings collapsing and falling, glass windows shattered by Air Waves...

In the chaotic scene, it was as if the screeching of a computer was amplified tens of thousands of times, like raging waves and surging tides enveloping Old Factory Street.

"It's been how many days since I had a nightmare."

Qin Shi muttered unconsciously, and the deepest, heaviest sleepiness like a great hammer shattered the dream.

The crazy and sharp screeching vanished in an instant, as if the neck was grabbed and made no sound, then returned to calm.

……

……

【Intermediate Achievement - Deep Sleep (20/30)】

Early the next morning, Qin Shi opened his eyes, more punctual than the alarm clock ring.

He hastily finished washing up, bought a breakfast for his youngest brother Qin Lan who rarely slept in, then headed straight for Zi Fu No. 9 Middle School.

As the summer vacation passed halfway, the tutoring class was also nearing its end; under Lao Liang's desperate drilling, many students' Qi Life Force had increased, some by one or two points, some by two or three points.

Although this was at the cost of overdrafting physical potential, for the children of workers on Old Factory Street, it was not a serious problem worth considering right now.

Eating full and supporting the family are always the top priorities.

"Xiao Shi, the Qi Life Force in your body is becoming more and more surging."

Lao Liang pushed a four-wheeled cart loaded with various apparatuses to Qin Shi's front.

He just listened with his ear tilted, then glanced twice, and sensed that his disciple's Qi Life Force had welcomed a slight increase again.

This progress speed as easy as eating and drinking is truly enviable!

Lao Liang, who once claimed to be a genius, silently sighed:

"Master Uncle is absolutely right. For Dongxia, which once had a population of forty-five trillion in the Ancient Era, the word 'genius' is like gravel on the seashore — bend down and you can pick it up."

Gasp!

Goosebumps rose!

When Lao Liang's gaze swept over him, Qin Shi's hair stood on end; his sharp Five Senses instantly captured this covert probing.

"Master Liang, what is this operation? I want to learn it!"

He felt Lao Liang's eyes were like substance, like a python's tongue flicking out, or like sound waves vibrating from a tuning fork.

"When your Qi Life Force breaks through Twenty Points, you can skillfully master it. In the Old Era martial arts world, this is called 'Qi Lock'; powerful Martial Artists can manipulate it to perfection, and even from a thousand li away they can lock onto someone and discern their direction."

Lao Liang liked explaining the many insights of the Old Martial Arts path to his Disciple; he sat on the concrete steps of the Playground, laughing hehe:

"The essence of Qi Lock is to mobilize the Qi Life Force inside the body through Qi Sense operation, and project it outward through The Brain, like throwing a stone into a lake — judging the size of the fish inside by the splashing water, and whether there are monstrous pythons or evil flood dragons hiding there."

Qin Shi listened while unconsciously operating Qi Sense to form the Small Heavenly Circuit, as the scorching hot Qi flow accelerated its circulation.

So hot!

It's about to overflow!

He felt his body was like a boiling kettle, puffing out smoke.

The ethereal Qi Life Force seemed to have materialized, transforming into a strange Wave Fluctuation that slowly covered the surrounding environment.

Perception from this perspective was completely different from what the naked eye sees.

Weeds, trees, ping-pong tables, high-rise buildings made of reinforced concrete... these lifeless dead objects were stripped away, seeming like a vast, deep Pitch Black of nothingness.

In the dim background, only faint, continuous Breaths spiraled, gathered, condensing into surging, violent, fierce Xiang Zheng.

"Like a huge Fireball burning in the depths of the sea."

Compared to that rather spectacular illusory Xiang Zheng, Qin Shi's Qi Lock was pitifully tiny, like a water droplet falling into the ocean.

"Lao Liang's Qi Life Force — could it be at a hundred points?"

He felt a chill!

This was the first time Qin Shi, as a Disciple, had so intuitively witnessed Master Liang's strength.

But Immediately After, that huge Fireball gradually weakened, dimmed.

Like a candle in the wind, precarious.

"Qi Life Force suddenly plummeted? Is he critically injured and dying?"

Qin Shi suddenly opened his eyes, discovering Lao Liang was smilingly looking at him.

"Qi Lock is a common method of Old Era Martial Artists; since there are ways to probe, naturally there are ways to disguise.

Slow the Breathing, loosen the Qi Sense, let body temperature drop, blood flow slow — this can hide your own Qi Life Force. Ancient boxing masters called it 'Turtle Breath'. When you have time, you can learn it too, to guard against others' tricks."

Lao Liang was not surprised his own Disciple quickly mastered Qi Projection and locked onto someone.

The difficulty of this step lies in concentrating the spirit anytime, anywhere, perceiving changes in Qi Life Force.

As an Old Martial Arts Monster who most likely possesses the Spirit-Flesh Unity Endowment, Qin Shi could easily cross the Threshold and enter the Chamber.

"The Ancient Era's Qi Life Force sensing, as well as countermeasures and concealment methods, were treated as secret transmissions by many sects; by the time the New Calendar was promulgated and the Dongxia Republic was Established, these all became required courses at the Officer School — Qi probing and counter-reconnaissance, Qi Manipulation and over-the-horizon locking."

Lao Liang suddenly reminded with a very serious expression:

"Right, if you ever leave Hengzhou and go to those Ancient Stars, you must be careful of being locked onto from long range — absolutely cannot stay in the original spot. The most common at the Officer School are composite-system Occupation paths.

Such as the Gunner spanning the Martial Artist system and Shen Neng Xi system, and the Gun Cannon Master spanning the Martial Artist system and Mechanical System. They master long-range strikes; Qi Lock is especially formidable — often from several kilometers away they can execute a Headshot snipe."

So a Headshot from eight hundred li away is real?

Qin Shi's Corner of Mouth twitched; no wonder the Old Martial Arts path was gradually eliminated.

The era has indeed changed.

Imagine two sides dueling: one cups fist in palm, claims to be the Hong Sheng True Transmission, invincible in Hengzhou, asks for guidance;

the other humbly says he doesn't know boxing, but knows a bit of marksmanship, then pulls out a Barrett Sniper Rifle.

How can this be played!

"Little Zhou, your Qi Life Force progress speed surprises me. I originally thought it would take at least another month for you to break through Fifteen Points; didn't expect you're already close to Seventeen Points."

After teaching the most basic Qi Sense perception and Qi Projection, Lao Liang began cutting to the Topic:

"I think you should look for the opportunity for the second Breakthrough."

(Chapter End)