Xu Wuyi slowly came to a stop, his chest rising and falling evenly with his breath. In his sea of consciousness, characters materialized on the Bronze Ancient Volume:
[Standard Training Sessions Completed Today: 1]
[Basic Body Refining Technique Current Realm: Beginner (97.6%)]
Although his Realm hadn't changed, still stuck at 97.6%, Xu Wuyi could feel his own improvement.
'As expected, my form was perfect that time!'
"TWEEET—!"
A sharp whistle to assemble pierced the sound of panting in the training hall.
"Fifteen-minute break," Teacher Wang's voice boomed like muffled thunder, leaving no room for argument.
The students quickly stopped what they were doing and began to stretch their limbs. Xu Wuyi, however, strode back to his spot, unscrewed an old mineral water bottle, and chugged a mouthful.
The cool water slid down his throat, slightly calming the heart that was racing with excitement.
For the rest of the training session, Xu Wuyi continued to practice the moves in segments, like a meticulous craftsman endlessly polishing every detail.
Teacher Wang's shouts echoed through the hall:
"Unify your waist and stance! The root of your power is in your waist, not your arms!"
"Breathe out to exert force, breathe in to gather strength!"
"Focus! If your Heart and Spirit are scattered, how can you concentrate your Qi and Blood?"
To most students, these shouts were just added pressure. But to Xu Wuyi, they corresponded perfectly with the strict prompts from the panel in his sea of consciousness.
He tried to combine Teacher Wang's instructions with the panel's feedback.
While performing the [Bow Step Punch], he deliberately focused on feeling "the root of his power in his waist," trying to sense the subtle feeling of his abdomen twisting to drive his arm.
First attempt, failure.
The panel prompted: [Action not standard].
Second attempt, failure.
The inertia of muscle memory was powerful.
Third attempt... He adjusted his breathing, slowed down, and cleared his mind of all distracting thoughts.
The instant that force rose from the small of his back, flowed through his spine, and propelled his arm forward—
—in his sea of consciousness, a number twitched slightly: 97.7%!
[Standard Training Sessions Completed Today: 2]
'It worked!'
Xu Wuyi suppressed his excitement and savored the memory of that profound moment.
The feeling of power flowing smoothly through him was unprecedented.
And at that moment, another realization dawned on Xu Wuyi.
'The panel's judgment of a "Standard Action" seems strict, but it probably leaves a lot of leeway. It's far from "perfect".'
'My last [Bow Step Punch] was more precise than any before, and the training effect was better too.'
'That makes sense. If it demanded a "perfect" level from the start, I probably wouldn't be able to complete even one.'
He subconsciously looked up, his gaze meeting Teacher Wang's as it swept across the room.
The teacher's sharp eyes lingered on him for a fraction of a second, a flicker of surprise in them before they returned to normal. It seemed like just a casual glance, and he quickly moved on to instruct another student.
Xu Wuyi's heart tightened, but he quickly relaxed.
'Teacher Wang is a Quasi-Martial Artist with a keen eye. It's only normal that he'd notice my form becoming more standard.'
'As long as he doesn't find out about the panel, I'm fine.'
...
When the final bell rang, the panel's data showed:
[Basic Body Refining Technique Current Realm: Beginner (97.8%)]
[Standard Training Sessions Completed Today: 14]
Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, but the light in Xu Wuyi's eyes burned even hotter.
"Let's go, Ah Yi!" Zhou Heng slung an arm over his shoulder. "Hurry up, I'm starving! The cafeteria has braised pork today. If we're late, there won't be a scrap left!"
As Zhou Heng dragged him away, Xu Wuyi finally snapped out of his state of intense concentration.
The cafeteria was a cacophony of voices.
Zhou Heng fought his way through the crowd and quickly returned with two trays piled high with food.
"Here, this one's yours." He pushed one in front of Xu Wuyi and eagerly shoveled a large mouthful of rice into his mouth, mumbling, "What's gotten into you today? You were training so hard you couldn't even hear me calling you."
Xu Wuyi picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of braised pork. It was tender and coated in a rich, dark, savory sauce—the most popular main dish in the cafeteria.
He chewed the meat, feeling the tangible sensation of Energy replenishing his body, and smiled. "It's nothing. I just feel like... I'm starting to get the hang of it."
"The hang of it?" Zhou Heng's eyes widened, then he nodded in understanding. "Oh, I get it. Every time I finish an exam, I feel like I'm gonna make a huge comeback on the next one, and then... hehe."
He laughed self-deprecatingly, not thinking much of it.
Xu Wuyi didn't say anything more and just focused on eating.
...
For the next few days, Xu Wuyi's life fell into a highly disciplined routine.
He went to school, used every spare second during academic classes to rest, and poured his entire being into training during Martial Arts Class.
The moment the final bell rang, he was usually the first to dash out of the classroom, just so he could get home earlier to start his evening practice.
At the dinner table at home, the atmosphere also seemed to have lightened up a bit.
"Ah Yi, your appetite has really picked up lately," Mrs. Xu said, watching him finish his second bowl of rice before ladling him a bowl of soup. "Eat up. Martial Arts training burns a lot of energy."
Father Xu nodded in agreement. "Train hard, but don't push yourself too much. Take care of your body."
Xu Wuyi nodded in acknowledgement, mentally calculating the time.
He wolfed down his dinner, insisted on washing the dishes, and then immediately bolted back to his small room.
Change clothes, clear the floor, begin training.
His understanding of "effective training" was growing deeper and deeper.
It wasn't just about the external form of his movements being standard; it was a high degree of unity between the internal flow of his Qi and Blood, his breathing rhythm, and the focus of his Heart and Spirit.
The slightest mistake in any of these aspects would cause the panel to mercilessly display: [Action not standard. Practice interrupted].
This training method was extremely efficient, but the drain on his Heart and Spirit was also immense. An hour of this was often more exhausting than a full day of mindless practice in the past.
Fortunately, the [Martial Arts Diligence Record] seemed to bring some hidden benefits as well. His stamina recovered faster than before, and his sleep quality was higher, which was the only reason he could sustain this level of intensity.
A week flew by in a blur of sweat and concentration.
「Friday evening. Xu Wuyi's room.」
He had just completed a set of [Vibrating Lungs Breathing]. Sweat had long since soaked through his workout clothes, creating a small, dark puddle on the floor.
He panted heavily, eagerly sinking his consciousness into his sea of consciousness.
[Martial Arts Diligence Record]
Martial Arts: Basic Body Refining Technique
Current Realm: Beginner (99.8%)
Martial Arts Traits: Not Unlocked
Assessment: Foundation gradually solidifying. Bottleneck reached.
99.8%.
The faint smile that had just touched Xu Wuyi's lips quickly vanished.
He had improved at a divine speed this week.
His Life Energy Level had risen from 8.6 to 8.7, bringing him another step closer to the university admission threshold. He had also broken down all nine forms of the Basic Body Refining Technique one by one, polishing them all to the "Standard" level.
But a problem had arisen along with his progress.
The closer he got to the final "Entry Level," the more minuscule the proficiency increase from each "Standard Action" became.
At first, a single Standard Action could raise his proficiency by 0.1% or even more. But now, he often had to repeat a dozen, sometimes several dozen, perfect "Standard Actions" just to see the percentage begrudgingly tick up by 0.1%.
It had taken him two full days and completely drained his Heart and Spirit just to go from 99.7% to 99.8%.
That final 0.2% felt like an invisible yet incredibly tough barrier blocking his path.
A familiar sense of powerlessness, mixed with a new kind of anxiety, quietly crept into his heart.
Xu Wuyi had a feeling that he could probably brute-force his way through this bottleneck with repetitive practice, but it might take him half a month, or even a full month.
Winter break was just around the corner, and the college entrance exams were less than seven months away.
To get into a good Martial Arts University, he had to race against time.
'Perhaps mastering all the movements of the Basic Body Refining Technique to the "Standard" level is a prerequisite for reaching the "Entry Level" of the Cultivation Technique, but not the only one.'
'What am I still missing?'
Just as Xu Wuyi was pondering this, new text conveniently appeared on the panel:
[Bottleneck encountered. External stimulation or deep insight required.]
"External stimulation... deep insight..." Xu Wuyi muttered to himself, his brow tightly furrowed.