His movements were precise, sharp, and full of explosive power. Every punch and kick whistled through the air, executed with extreme efficiency.
Time passed in tedious repetition.
The morning's training was a dual test of physical stamina and Will.
Qin Feng pushed himself to his limits again and again, feeling the process of his muscle fibers tearing and then regenerating under the nourishment of his qi and blood.
Whenever he was exhausted, he would sit cross-legged to recover for a moment before standing up again and throwing himself into the next round of arduous training.
Nearing noon, Qian Duoduo was the first to give out. He plopped onto the ground, looking as if he'd just been fished out of water, gasping for air.
"I can't... I can't go on... I feel like my legs don't even belong to me anymore..."
Shi Potian lasted half an hour longer than him. He also slowly stopped his exercises, walked to the side, and took out a water bottle to rehydrate. Although his breathing was also a bit ragged, it remained steady.
Qin Feng was the last to stop.
When he completed the final set of movements, his proficiency increased by another two points.
[Proficiency in +2]
[Refining Method: Imperial Body Refining Technique (Minor Success)]
[Proficiency: 20/1000]
His life force index also experienced an imperceptible increase.
[Life Force Index: 1.39]
In reality, as long as he had enough time, Qin Feng could definitely catch up. Even surpassing Shi Potian wouldn't be a problem.
This was because he had no bottlenecks when practicing the Body Refining Technique. He just needed to grind out proficiency points.
Small gains accumulate into great ones. Over time, the improvement in his physical constitution would be very rapid.
Qin Feng rested for a moment, then dragged Xiaopang and Shi Potian to the cafeteria for a nutritious meal.
While they ate, they shared their training experiences with the Body Refining Technique. Everyone was making slow progress.
...
The afternoon was for practicing killing techniques.
A corner of the Martial Arts Room was specially designated as a cold weapons training area.
Qin Feng took a Standard Alloy Long Spear from the weapon rack.
The spear felt cool and heavy in his hands. It was about three meters long, forged entirely from a high-strength alloy, its tip gleaming with a cold, metallic luster.
Grasping the spear with both hands, he began to practice the most basic movements according to the diagrams in the manual.
Thrust, tap, deflect, block, sweep, chop...
He repeated each basic movement over a thousand times, striving to embed the motions deep into his muscle memory.
At first, his movements were still somewhat awkward. The spear in his hands felt less like a weapon and more like an unwieldy, heavy iron rod.
"Qin Feng, your core is unstable."
Shi Potian's voice suddenly came from the side. He had finished his own saber practice at some point and was now standing nearby, watching him.
"The foundation of spear arts lies in the waist and hips. Right now, you're relying too much on arm strength. Power must originate from your foundation, be transmitted through your waist and hips, and then out to the spear tip. Try to find the feeling of your whole body's strength twisting together like a rope."
Hearing this, Qin Feng stopped, nodded at Shi Potian, and then began to adjust his power generation according to the advice.
After he completed the thousandth standard basic movement, the panel refreshed again.
[Detecting new killing technique...]
[Killing Technique Mastered: Thousand Army Spear (Uninitiated)]
[Proficiency: 1/10]
[Realms: Entry, Minor Success, Major Success, Perfection, Control.]
Qin Feng didn't stop.
For the entire afternoon, he repeated the basic spear techniques.
He went from being clumsy to proficient, and then to having a preliminary grasp of its power generation methods.
As evening approached, his killing technique panel finally changed again.
[Proficiency in +1]
[Killing Technique: Thousand Army Spear (Uninitiated)]
[Proficiency: 2/10]
'To use those three killing moves, I'll need to reach the Minor Success Realm at the very least,' Qin Feng calculated. 'If my fundamental techniques aren't solid, then using the killing moves is out of the question.'
...
After dinner, the three of them returned to the Martial Arts Room for a second round of Body Refining Technique training.
Having adapted during the day, Qin Feng's mastery of the new version of the Body Refining Technique grew more and more refined.
His body, like a piece of refined iron being repeatedly forged, became tougher and more condensed with each round of being pushed to its absolute limit.
When the electronic clock on the wall pointed to 8:30 PM, Qian Duoduo was once again the first to be "killed in action." He sprawled on the ground, completely out of breath.
"Brother Shi... Qin Feng... Are... are you guys made of iron?"
Qian Duoduo complained.
"We're all tired. I'm tired too. But... do you want to die in obscurity, or become famous throughout the world? You choose."
Shi Potian chuckled.
"Damn it, I'll just grit my teeth and push through!"
Qian Duoduo clenched his fists.
Qin Feng finished his last movement and also stopped.
He called up his panel and took a look.
[Proficiency in +2]
[Proficiency in +2]
[Refining Method: Imperial Body Refining Technique (Minor Success)]
[Proficiency: 24/1000]
[Life Force Index: 1.398]
In one day, his proficiency in the Body Refining Technique had increased by a total of 7 points. After a night's rest, it should increase even more.
And his life force index had steadily grown to 1.398.
'At this rate, it will take five months to reach Major Success, and there's still Perfection after that.'
'The increase in my life force index is directly correlated with the increase in my Body Refining Technique proficiency. When the Body Refining Technique reaches Perfection, my life force index should be around 10.'
'In other words, to reach a life force index of 10 and become a Second Level Martial Artist, I'll need at least a year.'
Qin Feng calculated silently.
A one-year gap!
There was a full one-year gap between him and Shi Potian!
'A rough calculation... in about a year, I should be able to raise my life force index to 10 and become a Second Level Martial Artist.'
'After all, as my life force index goes up, my proficiency will increase faster too.'
Qin Feng's eyes lit up.
This miraculous panel gave him the reward for his hard work, a real-time feedback loop of his improvement!
'The future is promising.'
Qin Feng took a deep breath.
In truth, whether it was proficiency or the life force index, they were just data representations. All the feedback and improvements were based on Qin Feng's own progress.
...
Back in his dorm, he washed away the day's fatigue.
Qin Feng sat at his desk and, as planned, began his final Meditation for the day.
He closed his eyes and visualized the figure of the Emperor in his mind.
In the world of his mind, that supreme majesty descended once more.
Qin Feng guarded his mind, using his own Will to resist and temper himself against it. The process was silent yet exceedingly dangerous. Each confrontation was like a contest of strength on the mental plane, consuming a massive amount of energy.
Half an hour later, he slowly opened his eyes, his mind feeling completely drained, as if he had just engaged in intense mental labor.
He called up the panel.
[ (Uninitiated)]
[Proficiency: 0/10]
His proficiency was still zero.
Qin Feng wasn't surprised by this.
The cultivation of Mental Power was a gradual process that couldn't be rushed.
He let out a long, slow breath.
The exhaustion of his body and mind intertwined, and before long, Qin Feng sank into a deep sleep.
In this deep slumber, his body began a new cycle of repair and growth.