# Chapter 3: Kung Fu and Cultivation Improvement
Man Bull Body Refining Skill (0/5 Minor Achievement)
The stat panel displayed the progress bars for Cultivation Techniques and skills.
At the moment, the Man Bull Body Refining Skill only needed five points to reach the Minor Achievement Realm. This also revealed something else—the original owner's two cultivation methods and one hammer technique were barely introductory. His talent had been abysmal.
As Lu Tao willed it, the Man Bull Body Refining Skill instantly upgraded.
Name: Lu Tao
Cultivation: Lian Pi (Skin Refining) (Initial Stage)
Cultivation Techniques: Man Bull Body Refining Skill (0/10 Proficiency), Thunderbolt Fist (0/3 Minor Achievement)
Skills: Lu Family Hammer Technique (0/3 Minor Achievement)
Creation Points: 4
The Man Bull Body Refining Skill advanced to Minor Achievement, now requiring ten more Creation Points for Proficiency.
In that instant, Lu Tao felt enlightened. His comprehension of the technique surged, and many areas that had been obscure now unfolded in his mind. Still, plenty of mysteries remained.
According to the memories of this body, Cultivation Techniques were divided into five stages: Entry, Minor Achievement, Proficiency, Major Achievement, and Perfection. These corresponded to one-tenth, three-tenths, five-tenths, seven-tenths, and full mastery. Lu Tao still had a long way to go.
"So Creation Points don't raise my realm directly—they improve my proficiency. Let's test this."
He composed himself, adjusted his breath, and began the Man Bull Body Refining Skill. His hands pressed together before his chest, lowering slowly as his breath rumbled like a bull's roar. Then his arms dropped to his thighs, sweeping upward into an embracing posture. His movements were deliberate, matching the rise and fall of his breathing, a drawn-out "moo" accompanying the flow.
A quarter of an hour slipped by.
…
"Cultivating for fifteen minutes now equals half an hour before. The proficiency only rose by two tenths, but my speed nearly quadrupled. If I reach full comprehension, my efficiency might increase tenfold."
Satisfaction spread through him. The difference was night and day.
"Continue gathering Creation Points."
He set to work breaking branches in the courtyard, carving chopsticks, upgrading them one by one. Points accumulated steadily.
By dusk, Wang Jinshan arrived, face clouded as though soured by gambling losses.
"Axe."
Lu Tao had already noticed him. He handed the weapon over without hesitation. Wang Jinshan tossed a lump of iron to the ground and flicked a string of copper coins at him before taking the axe.
"Your payment. Count it."
"Thank you, Brother Wang."
Lu Tao caught the coins and counted quickly. Ninety wen. Ten short, again. He knew of Wang Jinshan's gambling habit and guessed he had lost heavily today.
Wang Jinshan smirked. "Missing anything?"
Lu Tao shook his head. "No."
He had no interest in clashing now. Once his cultivation improved, he would settle this debt with interest.
"Oh?" Wang Jinshan arched a brow. The old Lu Tao had been hot-tempered, quick to quarrel. This new, docile response surprised him.
"So he's finally learned his lesson?"
Losing interest, Wang Jinshan sneered, turned, and swaggered out of the courtyard.
Lu Tao's gaze darkened as he watched him go.
Patience calms for a moment, but the more you endure, the sharper the resentment becomes.
After a long silence, he lifted his eyes to the rising moon.
"Tonight, the moonlight is strong—perfect for killing."
With that, he returned to his room, gathered nine hundred fifty wen in copper coins along with the deed to his courtyard, and left.
Half an hour later, he returned holding a porcelain bottle of potion and three secret manuals.
Closing the door, he sank his awareness into the System.
Creation Points: 214
In the afternoon, he had crafted thirty pairs of chopsticks, upgrading each to entry level, earning seven Creation Points per pair.
"System, add points to Man Bull Body Refining Skill."
Man Bull Body Refining Skill (0/15 Major Achievement)
"Add more."
Man Bull Body Refining Skill (0/25 Perfection)
"Continue."
Man Bull Body Refining Skill (Perfection)
Fifty points spent in succession carried the technique from Minor Achievement to Proficiency, then Major Achievement, and finally Perfection.
A flood of knowledge burst into his mind—postures, breathing rhythms, cultivation methods. The force of it made his skull ache violently, as if something were boring straight into his head. The agony lasted ten seconds before ebbing away.
Breathing steadily, he began to cultivate again.
Boom.
The moment he started, Heaven and Earth Origin Qi surged like a tide, attaching to his flesh. With each breath and movement, it merged into him, strengthening his body.
This time, his breathing was smooth, natural. The "moo" sound resonated perfectly with the technique. His movements flowed like water, already ingrained in muscle memory.
In just a quarter of an hour, his gains equaled several hours of past effort. His speed had increased more than tenfold.
"This… this is what cultivation should be."
Excitement burned through him. He stripped, uncorked the potion, and spread it carefully over his skin.
The concoction—brewed from turtle shell, pangolin hide, and rare herbs—was precious. A single 10-milliliter bottle cost one tael of silver. He rinsed the bottle twice with water to make sure not a drop was wasted.
The odor was pungent, bitter to the nose, but the heat that spread through his flesh left no doubt of its potency.
Without delay, Lu Tao began cultivating.
His breath rose and fell. The potion seeped through his pores, flowing with precision under his control. In the past, ninety percent of the medicine would have gone to waste, lost inside the body. But now, with the technique at Perfection, he guided every trace, tempering his flesh without loss.
Half an hour passed in a blaze of heat.
Buzz…
His entire body trembled. Muscles tightened, hardened. Strength surged.
"I've broken through—to the Body Refinement Realm, Mid Stage."
He pinched his arm, marveling at the toughness beneath his skin. His progress was undeniable.
Name: Lu Tao
Cultivation: Body Refinement (Mid Stage)
Cultivation Techniques: Thunderbolt Fist (0/3 Minor Achievement), Man Bull Body Refining Skill (Perfection)
Skills: Lu Family Hammer Technique (0/3 Minor Achievement)
Creation Points: 164
The perfected Man Bull Body Refining Skill now sat neatly at the end of his cultivation list. He also discovered the System's storage space had expanded. From a single cubic meter, it had grown into eight—each dimension lengthened by one meter.
"Even so, this strength isn't enough to kill Wang Jinshan."
He took out the three manuals he had purchased with his deed.
Wang Jinshan was too greedy, too cruel. News of the potion would reach him by morning, and then he would find another way to bleed Lu Tao dry.
Better to strike first. End it tonight.
His reliance lay in these three newly acquired Cultivation Techniques.
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