Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. Qing State. Cyan Yuan Sect.
Yang Chan felt the Qi and Blood in his body slowly recovering, and he let out a long sigh.
He wasn't from this world. Originally, he'd been a health-conscious programmer from China, desperate to save his receding hairline. He would regularly brew a mix of health supplements—goji berries, red dates, longan, blueberries, and the like. In his spare time, he even practiced the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill by following online videos. His routine was somewhat effective; his hairline had finally stopped receding.
That is, until a client submitted an urgent request, and his unscrupulous boss ordered him to pull all-nighters to meet the deadline. Yang Chan was inwardly against this kind of work that traded his life for money. After all, he was a man who prioritized his health. But he had no choice; this time, his unscrupulous boss was bleeding money for it. The offer was just too good to refuse.
After pulling three consecutive all-nighters to complete the client's request, Yang Chan had just stood up when he felt dizzy and his vision blurred. Sharp pains shot through his chest, and his body swayed before collapsing.
'Damn you, capitalism! I swear I'm never pulling an all-nighter again in this life, not even for more money!'
'Pulling all-nighters... not even a dog would do that!'
Those were Yang Chan's thoughts before he collapsed. And he really did it; he never had the chance to work overtime again in his previous life.
Pulling all-nighters harms the body and shortens one's life. If he could choose again, Yang Chan would have definitely thrown the client's demands in his unscrupulous boss's face and coolly joined the ranks of the unemployed, rather than struggling to survive in this chaotic age where imperial power was in decline, bandits ran rampant, and disasters were unending.
As the saying goes: "Better to be a dog in a peaceful age than a human in a chaotic one."
With no other choice, Yang Chan could only once again curse his unscrupulous boss—wishing him to be a few inches shorter and unable to last a minute—before turning his attention to the virtual panel before him. This was the foundation of his survival in this chaotic world.
[Name: Yang Chan]
[Lifespan: 16/53]
[Talent: 4]
[Potential Points: 0]
[Mastered Professions: Pharmacist (Beginner 25%)]
[Comprehension Technique: Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill (Tier One Initial Glimpse 10%), Ox Demon's Mighty Fist (Beginner 40%)]
By now, Yang Chan had completely figured out the panel's function. It was a panel for allocating points and displaying proficiency. Once proficiency reached one hundred percent, the skill would automatically advance.
The panel didn't look like this at first. Instead, it was:
[Name: Yang Chan]
[Lifespan: 16/49]
[Talent: 3]
[Potential Points: 2]
[Mastered Professions: Pharmacist (Beginner 25%)]
[Comprehension Technique: Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill (Beginner 50%), Ox Demon's Mighty Fist (Beginner 40%)]
After he spent both of the Potential Points on the panel, it changed into the one shown above.
After he allocated the two Potential Points to his Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, it immediately advanced to Tier One Initial Glimpse, increasing his Lifespan by four years and his Talent by one point.
'I followed videos to learn the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill for so long and only got to Beginner 50%. No wonder its health effects were so mediocre; I couldn't even last three all-nighters. If I'd known, I would have spent more time on the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill. Maybe then I wouldn't have had to transmigrate to this world.'
When Yang Chan saw the proficiency level on the panel, he regretted spending so much of his free time on videos of beautiful women. It seemed the 'beauty appreciation' method of health cultivation had no effect, as the panel didn't even recognize it.
The proficiency for the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill was something he had brought with him from his past life, and it was applied directly to the panel.
After putting points into the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, the changes weren't limited to the panel. His complexion grew ruddy, and the depletion of his body's Qi and Blood, caused by forcefully practicing the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, began to slowly recover.
His physical strength had also noticeably increased. Moreover, a warm current now coursed through his entire body, causing his Qi and Blood to recover even faster.
His current identity was a Servant Disciple of the Cyan Yuan Sect, and he had been with the sect for two and a half years. If he couldn't comprehend Power within the three-year time limit, he would be expelled from the Cyan Yuan Sect.
The political situation of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was currently in chaos, with endless disasters and the common people living in misery. If he were expelled from the Cyan Yuan Sect, it would be difficult to survive in such a turbulent world. In contrast, by remaining a Servant Disciple within the Cyan Yuan Sect, he could at least stay alive.
Being expelled from the Cyan Yuan Sect would also mean losing his only chance to rise in the world. That was why his body's previous owner, despite knowing the dangers of forcefully practicing the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, had still trained desperately. He did it all just to comprehend Power, become an Official Disciple, and gain the protection of the Cyan Yuan Sect.
There were many others like Yang Chan in the Cyan Yuan Sect, all gambling on that slim chance. Success meant soaring to new heights; failure meant disappearing without a trace.
Practicing a Fist Technique like the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist required a great deal of supplementary food and medicine. This was because Martial Arts Cultivation consumed the body's Essence Qi. Without sufficient medicinal and food supplements, forced cultivation would only deplete one's Essence Qi. If this continued for a long time, it would lead to a deficiency of Qi and Blood, and ultimately, death from exhaustion.
This was the fate of most Servant Disciples in the Cyan Yuan Sect: ordinary Talent, no nourishing items to aid them, yet still vying for that one slim chance.
Servant Disciples of the Cyan Yuan Sect received a fixed amount of food each day. Under normal circumstances, they could practice the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist twice a day without damaging their bodies' foundation. Any more would cause harm. This was also a method for selecting those with Superior Talent from the ranks.
When Yang Chan transmigrated, the body he took over was severely depleted of Qi and Blood—it was what had killed its previous owner. Left with no choice, he could only add points to the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill first. After all, it was a Health Cultivation Technique, designed to nourish one's life and promote longevity, capable of replenishing the body's Essence Qi and restoring depleted Qi and Blood.
The effects were about what Yang Chan had expected.
As for the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist, which was crucial to his future, he could only put it off for later. After all, what use was a future if he was dead?
Besides, adding points to the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist would only accelerate the consumption of his body's Essence Qi and Qi and Blood, causing him to die from depletion all over again.
In contrast, putting points into the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill had a remarkable effect. If he continued to practice it, his body would grow stronger and healthier. His strength, Qi and Blood recovery speed, and other attributes would all improve, and the Lifespan and Talent stats on his panel would surely continue to rise.
He had read in historical records that Master Zhang Sanfeng, the creator of Tai Chi Boxing, lived to be 218. 'Since I'm cultivating the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, it should be perfectly normal for me to live just a *little* bit longer than Master Zhang Sanfeng, the creator of Tai Chi Boxing, right?'
'After all, I have a panel for adding points and tracking proficiency. My upper limit should be much higher.'
Yang Chan set a small goal for himself: first, live for a thousand years to more than make up for the life he didn't get to finish in his previous world.
On the panel, Yang Chan had the Pharmacist profession listed under the "Mastered Professions" category. This was a profession he acquired from working in the Cyan Yuan Sect's Medicine Hall as a Servant.
Not long after Yang Chan put points into the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill, his body had fully recovered. He was in better condition than ever before, which meant he could now resume practicing the Ox Demon's Mighty Fist.
'The effects are incredible, and that's just from upgrading the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill to Tier One Initial Glimpse.'
'Other people have to worry about the risk of depleting their Qi and Blood, but I don't have that concern. As long as I practice the Tai Chi Health Cultivation Skill or rest for a while, my Qi and Blood will slowly recover on its own.'
'Even without any Potential Points right now, my chances of comprehending Power have increased significantly.'
Feeling the abundant Qi and Blood Power coursing through his body, a look of delight appeared on Yang Chan's face.