As a martial artist, one must always maintain a clear mind. This is a piece of advice that every student will be specifically reminded of by their master upon being introduced to martial arts. Because if one's mind is not clear, obsessions will take root.
At first, these obsessions might seem trivial. Although they may cause distraction, they do not have substantial consequences. However, as one's physical constitution strengthens and martial arts proficiency deepens, these obsessions become terrifying.
As people grow stronger, arrogance often follows. Just as hunger inevitably leads to eating, this isn't just a possibility—it's a certainty. Especially when you realize you hold the power of life and death over others. At that moment, a person's ego can inflate to an extreme. If that person is well-cultivated, they can restrain themselves and avoid foolish actions. But if their character is poor, their very existence could become a catastrophe. That seemingly insignificant obsession could very well become their reason to raise the butcher's knife!
Teacher Liu was naturally aware of this. Therefore, he constantly refined his character, striving always to keep a clear mind and not harbor obsessions.
But now...
"Such a transgression!"
Catching a glimpse of Zhang Beixing hiding behind a tree out of the corner of his eye, Teacher Liu sighed softly, finished his Yue Family Continuous Fist, put on his clothes, and left. Throughout the process, he never looked directly at Zhang Beixing, nor did Zhang Beixing come out to greet him. It was as if neither had noticed the other, a perfect tacit understanding.
The grove quieted down, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
After a moment, Zhang Beixing stepped out from behind the tree and onto the clearing. He recalled the moves and the form-intent of Teacher Liu's boxing, then raised his hands and began to imitate them.
White Snake Spits Venom, Uproot Grass to Enter the Cave, Black Tiger Clips Tail, Hungry Tiger Pounces on Prey...
With Teacher Liu's demonstration fresh in his mind, Zhang Beixing felt a distinct difference as he practiced the Yue Family Continuous Fist again. If, before, his Yue Family Continuous Fist was like a clumsy imitation, purely random and chaotic, then now, his practice of the Yue Family Fist finally had some form. However, this form was incomplete and needed Zhang Beixing's continuous refinement to be perfected.
Unknowingly, Zhang Beixing fell into a state of self-forgetfulness. It wasn't until he finished a set of the Yue Family Continuous Fist that the discomfort in his body brought him back to his senses, and he collapsed to the ground.
Tired! So damn tired! Like I just ran ten kilometers in one go! Physically and mentally exhausted!
And besides fatigue, he also felt sharp pains in his hands and legs.
As usual, Zhang Beixing opened the Suggestion Column. He saw that [Martial Arts Training] was still marked as unfinished, which didn't surprise him. After all, compared to Teacher Liu's Yue Family Continuous Fist, even if his own had improved, it had merely gone from child's play to a schoolboy's roughhousing. It was normal for it to be unfinished; completion would be the real surprise.
After reviewing the suggestions, Zhang Beixing switched to the Personal Panel.
[Master: Zhang Beixing]
[Status: Moderately Fatigued, Minor Injuries]
[Power: 63]
[Constitution: 67.3]
[Spirit: 105]
[Ability Points: 0.2]
[Skill: Yue Family Continuous Fist (Proficiency): 5/100]
For the past two days, he had been preoccupied with the Yue Family Continuous Fist, so his attributes hadn't increased much. But while his attributes saw little improvement, his status effects certainly hadn't! Moderate Fatigue + Minor Injuries.
If I remember correctly, my status bar read 'Healthy' before I came here! And all it took was one set of the Yue Family Continuous Fist.
Zhang Beixing smacked his lips and lamented, "Damn, that's outrageous! No wonder Teacher Liu didn't want me to practice it. Practicing this for too long doesn't just harm your body; it could even shorten your lifespan!"
Then, his gaze fell on the skill at the very bottom.
[Skill: Yue Family Continuous Fist (Proficiency): 5/100]
It's become a skill recorded by the System! And the proficiency starts at 5. That must be because I just practiced it once.
Zhang Beixing tapped it with his finger, but there was no response. His Ability Points weren't deducted, nor did its progress increase.
I guess 'Proficiency' is something I have to train manually. Maybe once the proficiency is maxed out, I can use Ability Points to increase it? I'm not sure. Zhang Beixing thought for a moment and decided to put the matter aside for now. One step at a time. After all, even if I'm in a hurry, it won't do any good! I just practiced the Yue Family Continuous Fist once, and my fatigue jumped straight to 'Moderate Fatigue,' plus I got a 'Minor Injury' debuff! If I do it again... can my frail body even handle it? I might die from overwork!
Worried about this, Zhang Beixing prudently invested all his remaining 0.2 Ability Points into Constitution. As a tingling sensation spread through him, his stamina recovered somewhat, and his fatigue lessened. The only downside was that allocating Ability Points this way didn't help with injury recovery at all. Injuries still had to heal slowly over time.
But with my current Constitution, a minor injury like this shouldn't take too long to heal. Right now, the main thing is to focus on training and improve my physical fitness first. From now on, I'll practice the Yue Family Continuous Fist once in the morning and once in the evening. The rest of the time, I'll run to earn Ability Points. I can't afford to rest for half a day every time I practice the Yue Family Continuous Fist; the efficiency is just too low!
...
After resting on the ground for half an hour, Zhang Beixing checked his status. It had changed from 'Moderate Fatigue' to 'Fatigue', and the 'Minor Injury' indicator was gradually fading. He knew his body had mostly recovered. So, he got up and stretched his limbs a bit.
He first pulled out his phone to check his class schedule. Seeing he only had classes in the afternoon, he headed to the track to begin his daily workout.
I'm a disciplined man. Since I've made a plan, I have to stick to it!
"Yo, Lao Zhang! You're here! A bit late today, huh? I was starting to think I'd lost a regular customer!"
As Zhang Beixing entered the track and was finishing his warm-up jog, he heard Lin Siqi's voice nearby. He turned his head and, sure enough, there was Lin Siqi, pushing her small cart and waving at him.
Seeing her, Zhang Beixing slowed his pace and walked over, smiling. "Hey now, how could you say that? Even if I skipped every other vendor, I'd still have to buy from you!"
"Hmph! Smooth talker! Lao Zhang, I swear, ever since you started exercising, not a single truthful word has come out of your mouth," Lin Siqi said, putting on a look of mock disapproval.
Hearing this, Zhang Beixing put on an aggrieved expression. "Sister Qi, you've truly misunderstood me! I, Zhang Beixing, am nicknamed the Honest Young Lad! Flattery and lying are my weakest points. In my daily interactions, sincerity is my guiding principle. Every word I just spoke came straight from the heart, without a shred of falsehood!"
"Well then... should I give you a bottle of water?" Lin Siqi hesitated for a moment before asking.
The moment she said this, Zhang Beixing's aggrieved expression vanished, replaced by a wide grin, like a lucky beckoning cat. "Thank you, Boss! You're so generous! May your business prosper!"
Lin Siqi: "..."