[Skill: Literacy (Entry-Level) (Trait: None)]
[Progress: (1/100)]
[Skill: Twelve Forms Fist (Uninitiated) (Trait: None)]
[Progress: (0/10)]
...
'Reading a Boxing Manual actually generated the Literacy skill?'
A wave of pleasant surprise washed over Chu Fan.
Two new skills had appeared on the Map of Mountains and Rivers.
Just like the Firewood Cutting Saber Technique he had learned previously, the Literacy skill was already at the Entry-Level Realm the moment it appeared on the map's panel.
The Twelve Forms Fist, however, was clearly marked with the word "Uninitiated."
Chu Fan took a slow breath, suppressing the joy bubbling up in his chest. He focused his attention on the Boxing Manual and began to memorize the essentials of the Twelve Forms Fist.
This Fist Technique had an impressive origin. It was a unique skill created by a master who had emulated the movements and spirit of twelve different beasts and birds, combining them with insights from actual combat.
The so-called Twelve Forms were the Dragon, Tiger, Bear, Serpent, Bird Platform, Monkey, Horse, Chicken, Swallow, Tuna, Hawk, and Eagle Forms.
These Twelve Forms were not twelve separate, independent Fist Techniques.
Rather, they were a unified whole, corresponding to twelve methods of applying Force: movement, stillness, rising, falling, standing, holding, bending, turning, lightness, weight, slowness, and speed.
For example, the Dragon Form took from the dragon's soaring, unrestrained posture;
The Tiger Form learned from the tiger's fierce, domineering might;
The Monkey Form imitated the monkey's agile, nimble grace;
The Swallow Form copied the swallow's skill in skimming through the air and slipping through gaps...
The intent of each form was integrated into both offensive and defensive moves.
When combined with its unique Pile Skills and breathing methods, it was not only a powerful tool for defeating enemies but also a profound Technique for tempering one's qi and blood and honing one's muscles and bones.
Chu Fan studied it word by word, sentence by sentence, searing the diagrams and profound meanings from the Boxing Manual into his mind.
Unfortunately, after reading it over and over for a long while, he didn't receive the same kind of mystical prompt he'd gotten when he touched Li Qingxue's Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber.
'It seems the Boxing Manuals everyone in the Library Pavilion received are just copied versions. I'll probably only trigger the Refinement method by touching the original.'
'If I have enough Spiritual Essence Value, I should be able to inherit the creator's lifetime of experience when I perform the Refinement on the original.'
'By then, cultivating the Twelve Forms Fist will surely be twice as effective, and I'll avoid many pitfalls.'
He recalled the moment he had touched the Cold Moon Lone Shadow Saber. The flashing text and light in his mind had been the exquisite moves of Li Qingxue's Seven-Star Bead Slash.
If he hadn't been short on Spiritual Essence at the time, he would have already made that Sword Technique his own.
Thinking of this, Chu Fan's gaze shifted to the manager of the Library Pavilion.
He was a skinny old man with graying hair, currently leaning back in a bamboo chair, his head tilted back, his mouth slightly open, and his breathing deep and even. He was fast asleep.
Chu Fan tiptoed over, leaned down to the old man's ear, and whispered, "Senior..."
"Huh?!" The old man jolted violently, nearly leaping out of his chair.
As the saying goes, "A sudden scare can frighten a man to death"...
Startled by the sudden voice, his heart pounded. When he opened his eyes and saw it was Chu Fan, his expression turned vicious, as if he wanted to swallow the boy whole!
The old man gritted his teeth and asked, "What is it?!"
Chu Fan put on an apologetic smile and cupped his hands. "Junior takes the liberty of asking the manager, is there an original copy of the Twelve Forms Fist in the Library Pavilion?"
"You want to see the original of the Twelve Forms Fist?" Hearing this, the old man's lips twisted into a sneer.
"The original has always been kept by the Gang Leader himself. Besides the Gang Leader, not even the Jade Emperor himself could lay a finger on it. You'd best give up on that idea right now!"
After a pause, he added in a low voice, "Besides, you just joined our Seven Stars Gang. Don't go snooping into things you shouldn't be asking about, lest you bring disaster upon yourself with a slip of the tongue!"
"I understand. Thank you for the advice, Senior." A flicker of disappointment crossed Chu Fan's face as he bowed and stepped back.
It seemed there was no shortcut to learning the Twelve Forms Fist.
He would have to rely on his own diligent study, polishing it step by step.
He had just sat back down in his original spot when Zhao Tianxing, who was next to him, leaned over, pointed to a character in the Boxing Manual, and asked, "Chu Fan, how do you read this character?"
Chu Fan glanced over and replied, "That's the character for the Tuna Form."
"It describes a small insect, no more than an inch long, with six long legs. After it rains, it often skims across the surface of the water, zipping around in curved lines, both nimble and swift."
Hearing this, Zhao Tianxing's eyes went wide with genuine admiration. He clicked his tongue and said, "Brother Chu Fan, you look as skinny as a mountain bamboo pole, but I never would've guessed you had so much knowledge packed in your head!"
Chu Fan's face immediately darkened at his words. He frowned slightly and said, "If you really don't know how to give a compliment, you don't have to."
"Oh, my apologies, my apologies!" Zhao Tianxing waved his hands quickly, a foolish grin on his face.
He sat down in the chair to Chu Fan's right, pointed to another character on the Boxing Manual, and scratched his head. "So what does this character mean?"
"This is 'Bird Platform,' which is a type of small hawk with extremely short tail feathers. People usually call it a 'bald-tailed hawk,'" Chu Fan explained, pointing to the illustration.
"Isn't it drawn right there in the illustration? You've been a Hunter in the mountains since you were a child. You mean to tell me you don't recognize a bald-tailed hawk?"
"Hah! So that's what it is!" Zhao Tianxing slapped his thigh, a look of sudden realization on his face.
He said, "Some Hunters will catch bald-tailed hawk chicks to raise. They file down their talons and use them specifically to catch wild hares. I saw it several times back in the mountains when I was younger!"
"It looked familiar just now, I just couldn't place it for a moment!"
Chu Fan nodded slightly. "Wild bald-tailed hawks love to perch on high branches, often with their heads down and tails pointed up, their sharp eyes locked on the ground. Once they spot a crafty rabbit or a wild bird, they can dive down like an arrow loosed from a bow, never missing their mark."
The two of them continued to read the Boxing Manual, whispering to each other from time to time.
The initial awkwardness between them gradually faded, replaced by a sense of camaraderie.
As the pages turned, the prompt [Literacy Experience Points +1] appeared repeatedly.
A warm current seemed to surge slowly through his mind, nourishing it silently like a gentle rain.
After more than an hour of this, the characters in the Boxing Manual seemed to come alive, carving an even deeper impression in his mind.
[You gained a total of 25 Literacy Experience Points from reading this time]
Chu Fan rubbed his throbbing temples.
Even so, he still hadn't managed to memorize more than half of the Boxing Manual.
The text was archaic and obscure, and the fist moves were unpredictable, sometimes like a tiger descending a mountain, other times like a spirit serpent emerging from its cave. To memorize it completely would likely take at least three to five days.
Besides, even if he memorized it perfectly, it would still just be theory on paper.
He would need an expert to guide him, to break down and polish each and every move, before he could truly grasp its essence.
A thought struck Chu Fan, and he considered the progress of his Literacy skill.
The speed of leveling up Literacy was much slower than the Firewood Cutting Saber Technique; he had only gained 25 points in over an hour.
Even so, he should be able to break through to the Small Success Realm in just four hours.
He just wondered what kind of wonderful new uses Literacy would have after the breakthrough.
As he was pondering this, many people in the Library Pavilion began to get up and walk out.
Zhao Tianxing stretched and said excitedly, "Brother Chu Fan, it's time for lunch! Let's go fill our bellies at the dining hall. After we eat, we can go to the Martial Arts Arena and learn the Twelve Forms Fist!"
As he spoke, his eyes and brows crinkled with a smile, and he couldn't stop himself from making a few gestures with his hands and feet.
For a moment, Chu Fan couldn't tell if his excitement was because he was about to learn the fist technique, or simply because of the meal.
Before Chu Fan could think too much about it, Zhao Tianxing continued on his own, "Do you know why I joined the Seven Stars Gang?"