Meanwhile, Lin Dong gritted his teeth, his small, sweat-slicked body moving through the familiar, repetitive motions of the "Penetrating Fist." He focused entirely on the circulation of latent Yuan Power within his limbs, trying to force a reaction, a vibration... the crucial "echo"... that signified a breakthrough in the technique. The intense desire to heal his father fueled every strained muscle fiber.
Thud!
His right fist slammed into the empty air before him. The sound was flat and dull, a simple impact of flesh against the atmosphere. He sighed, ready to repeat the movement for the hundredth time.
'Wait.'
He retracted his fist, and a tiny, almost inaudible whumph vibrated back to his hand. It was the slightest possible ripple in the air, a minute counter-force.
Lin Dong's eyes widened with astonished, brilliant joy. "I did it! The first echo!"
Just as Lin Yi was observing the excited expression on Lin Dong's face, a sudden notification appeared in his mind:
[Target Character, Lin Dong has successfully achieved Initial mastery of Penetrating Fist (One Echo)]
[10x achievement Return Initiated.]
[You have mastered the Penetrating Fist (Ten Echo)]
Lin Dong hadn't forced it; the movement had simply resonated perfectly with his internal energy, producing the bare minimum feedback required for the first layer of the technique. He looked toward his brother, Lin Yi, wanting to share the triumphant news, but paused.
Lin Yi, who had been sitting calmly on the rock, was no longer looking at him. His eyes were closed, his expression utterly serene, yet his small frame was surrounded by a faint, almost invisible atmospheric disturbance.
'What is he doing?' Lin Dong wondered, slightly confused.
Without opening his eyes, Lin Yi raised his own right hand, performing a single, fluid motion identical to the one Lin Dong had just completed. There was no visible effort, no strained breathing.
Boom!
The sound that erupted from Lin Yi's fist strike was not a single "whumph" but a shocking, complex sequence. Three distinct, sharp sonic "cracks" followed one after the other, forming a continuous, sharp roar that echoed powerfully off the surrounding cliffs.
Crack! Crack!! Crack!!!
The compressed air in front of Lin Yi's fist condensed into a tangible, fleeting silver shockwave that violently scattered a cloud of dust from the ground before dissipating.
Lin Dong stumbled back a step, his jaw slack. He had just managed one, tiny, almost nonexistent echo after weeks of practice, a feat that usually took a prodigy months. His twin brother, who had seemingly done nothing but watch, had just produced three echoes in a single, effortless strike.
Three echoes! That was the absolute advancement of the "Penetrating Fist," a level even some youths of the Lin family had yet to achieve.
Lin Yi finally opened his eyes, which now held a depth of ancient wisdom and startling power that seemed utterly inappropriate for a seven-year-old child. He felt the small amount of pure, potent energy surging through his physique, toughening it up... the result of the 10x multiplication.
Not only had he instantly mastered the technique, but the sudden leap in his Tempered Body Stage, directly to the Second Layer, felt like an overwhelming flood of power within his tiny body.
Tempered Body Stage, Second Layer!
'The initial achievement return is complete. The foundation of the Lin Clan's basic technique is now useless to me,' Lin Yi thought, a flicker of amusement crossing his lips as he glanced at the shell-shocked Lin Dong.
Qing Tan, who had been dozing, yelped and almost tumbled off the rock at the sudden, thunderous sound. She started staring at Lin Yi beside her with wide, frightened eyes.
"Brother Yi… what was that?" Lin Dong returned to his senses and asked hesitatingly, his voice a disbelieving whisper. The joy of his own single echo was instantly eclipsed and forgotten.
Lin Yi turned and glanced at Qing Tan, noticing her frightened expression. He hurriedly patted her head apologetically, "I am sorry, Qing Tan. I was just practicing the first technique… don't be afraid."
Qing Tan glanced at him in a daze and then hurriedly nodded, "I understand, Brother Yi." The fearful emotion receded away from her face.
Lin Yi nodded with a smile, then glanced at Lin Dong, who was waiting for his answer impatiently. "Brother Dong, I don't know how… but I just felt a whim that Penetrating Fist could produce more echoes in such a way. The next moment, I was able to do it."
Lin Yi hurriedly replied while scratching the back of his head with a light smile. Lin Dong fell into self-doubt listening to him.
'Thankfully, I prevented myself from releasing all the ten echoes, or it would become a shadow in his heart. Maybe it would have affected his future, which I don't want. At least I have a nice family now in this dimension.'
Lin Yi glanced at his doubtful expression. He then jumped down from the rock, walked toward him, and said, "Let me show it to you."
After appearing beside Lin Dong, he started adjusting his striking pose and also told him a few key points, like muscle and tendon movements.
After a few hours,
Crack! Crack!!
Lin Dong's expression was bewildered as he punched forward. This time, another echo emitted from his fist, following the first one.
Immediately, he hurriedly glanced at Lin Yi beside him. "I did it! You are amazing, Yi… let's go, Father will be very happy after knowing about it."
He hurriedly grabbed Lin Yi's hand and ran toward the courtyard, while Qing Tan trotted behind them, hurriedly shouted, "Dong gege, Yi gege, wait for me."
As they ran toward the house, Lin Yi's expression became thoughtful, looking at the new notification in his mind.
'It's going to be troublesome. I am not a fan of such attention. I have to restrain my talent, or I will become a circus monkey.'
He thought as he looked at the notification:
[Target Character, Lin Dong has successfully achieved Initial mastery of Penetrating Fist (Two Echo)]
[15x achievement return Initiated.]
[You have upgraded the Penetrating Fist to Third-Level Martial Art (Twelve Echo)]
...
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