Chapter 22: Launch a Fierce Assault Here!
Inside the training room.
Li Ding slowly finished his practice, then turned to Shen He and said, “Come, assume the stance. I’ll correct you.”
“Remember, pay attention to the points I just mentioned.”
Shen He nodded slightly. “Alright.”
He walked to the center, reviewing everything in his mind, then began to stand as Li Ding had demonstrated earlier.
Li Ding stood at his side, watching his movements carefully, occasionally reaching out to correct him. He guided Shen He to sense the flow of qi and blood within his body, the subtle changes in the connections between muscles, sinews, and bones.
Following Li Ding’s directions, Shen He’s awareness of his body grew increasingly sharp, as if he could perceive every inch of his flesh and blood.
Three minutes passed quickly.
Standing there, Shen He exuded an even deeper aura of the stance than Li Ding himself. His eyes were tightly shut, as though he could feel his blood surging through his veins, flowing like liquid mercury. His heart beat wildly in his chest.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of his heartbeat was like a heavy hammer striking a drum, deafeningly loud.
His flesh changed with it, muscles relaxing and a surge of energy seemed to be born within him.
This mysterious sensation was almost addictive.
Li Ding, circling him and observing, looked at Shen He’s current state and, a bit confused, reached up to touch his own head once more.
Was it really that easy?
Looking at Shen He, who was now fully immersed in the stance, Li Ding couldn’t help but wonder, “Could he truly be a genius?”
No one knew how much time had passed.
Shen He slowly returned to himself from the stance. He could clearly feel that the physical exhaustion from practicing Sanda routines earlier had mostly recovered.
Moreover, his control over his body had become even more refined.
During this period, as his physical attributes continually improved, he’d been careful with every movement, walking, sitting, and standing—because his strength, far beyond the ordinary, could easily mess things up.
But now, he could distinctly sense that practicing the Eight-Level Stance seemed to help him master his rapidly growing strength with greater skill.
He glanced at Li Ding, thinking to himself, “No wonder he could become a fifth-tier martial artist in the future—he truly has something special.”
Then, he looked at his own “Martial Artist” panel.
[Class: Martial Artist]
[Progress: Not Initiated (20%)]
[…]
Though still not initiated, his progress had doubled to 20%.
It seemed this Eight-Level Stance was indeed a valuable method.
Beside him, Li Ding looked at him as if he were a monster, unable to recover for quite some time.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and glanced at the time.
In truth, not much time had passed since Shen He began the stance.
Yet for Shen He himself, it felt as if several hours had gone by—truly a strange experience.
Li Ding stood there, searching for the right words, but nothing came to mind. Shen He’s state just now had truly stirred his envy.
He’d begun practicing the Eight-Level Stance under his grandfather’s guidance since childhood, and it had taken him two and a half years to reach the introductory stage.
It was thanks to his family’s Baji Boxing and those years of stance training that his transition to Sanda had been smooth, leading to his current achievements.
But this kid had entered the stance on his very first practice.
It was as they say—the difference between people is greater than the difference between man and dog.
Li Ding sighed inwardly, then spoke. “It’s getting late. When you go home, keep practicing. Come for lessons when you have time; Sanda isn’t just about routines.”
“Adapting to each move and improvising are crucial.”
Shen He nodded. “Alright.”
He followed Li Ding out of the training center.
At that moment, Li Jiaojiao emerged from another training room, glanced at the two, and asked, “Finished training?”
Li Ding nodded. “Yes, we’re done.”
Li Jiaojiao looked at Shen He. “I heard from my brother you learn fast. In a while, shall we spar?”
Shen He glanced at her petite frame and shook his head. “Let’s not.”
Li Jiaojiao frowned. “Why? You think I’m not good enough?”
Shen He rubbed his nose. “I’m a bit strong. I’m afraid I might make you cry.”
Hearing this, Li Jiaojiao’s face hardened. She grabbed a protective pad nearby and slapped it hard a few times.
“Come on, I want to see just how strong you are.”
Li Ding sighed helplessly. “Jiaojiao, stop fooling around. It’s late, time to close up.”
Li Jiaojiao insisted, “No way. I must see his strength today. Does he really think he’s born powerful?”
“The newbie phase usually lasts two months before anyone gets cocky, but he’s already puffed up after his first practice.”
“I need to show him reality, lest he gets a rude awakening later.”
Shen He looked at the thick protective pad, then at Li Jiaojiao holding it before her chest. “Alright, I’ll hold back and try not to hurt you.”
Li Ding: “……”
Li Jiaojiao’s face flushed. She slapped the pad fiercely. “Don’t hold back—use your full strength, attack here! Surely I’m not afraid of a newbie like you.”
Shen He gauged the distance, then kicked with only a third of his strength.
Bang!
Li Jiaojiao flew backward, landing hard on the ground.
Li Ding’s eyes widened instantly.
He had seen clearly—Shen He hadn’t used much force, not even any technique, yet still sent Li Jiaojiao flying with a single kick.
He knew his own sister well—she was as strong as any man, maybe stronger than most, thanks to years of martial arts training.
And now she’d been kicked away so easily?
Could Shen He truly possess innate strength?
Li Jiaojiao grimaced as she stood up, rubbing her sore arm. She glanced at Shen He. “Kid, you’re impressive.”
Then she turned to Li Ding. “Brother, he’s much stronger than you. If he got in the ring, he’d dominate!”
Li Ding patted his sister’s head. “He’s not getting in the ring.”
Li Jiaojiao sighed. “What a pity.”
Shen He smiled. “Alright, it’s late. I’ll head out now and come back to train when I have time.”
Li Ding nodded. “Sure, let me know in advance.”
Shen He agreed and left the training center.
After Shen He departed, Li Jiaojiao placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder. “With such talent, aren’t you tempted?”
Li Ding shot her a look. “What’s the point? He made it clear—he’s not getting in the ring. It’s just his hobby.”
Li Jiaojiao stroked her chin. “Interesting. Looking at him, he doesn’t seem short of money. After teaching him for a day, did you figure out what he does?”
“He paid thirty thousand up front, hired you directly, maybe he’s a rich kid!”
Li Ding said, “Saving the world.”
Li Jiaojiao: “……”
…
After leaving Galaxy New World, Shen He looked up at the sky, feeling a sudden lightness in his heart.
There were still two years before the revival of spiritual energy.
That should be plenty of time for him to grow.
With the system arriving two years early, and the next two years ahead, he had ample opportunity to make his mark.
But first, he needed to find time to visit his ancestors’ graves.
To see if there was any auspicious smoke rising.
Maybe his parents and grandparents were watching over him from above.
Shen He returned to himself and hailed a taxi by the roadside, heading back to his rented apartment in the urban village.
Seated in the car, he gazed at the luminous screen only he could see, his eyes fixed on the main quest.
[Main Quest One: Practice More If You're Weak]
[Objective: Achieve Tier One strength, raise all stats to 10]
[Time Limit: 30 days]
[Reward: Earth Dragon Set (missing left arm, full version)]
He ignored the mocking tone in the description.
Glancing at the reward, then at his own left arm, feeling the aura of the Earth Dragon bracer, he cursed the game developer mentally.
He’d earned the Earth Dragon bracer for his left arm with his own effort, yet the system turned around and blacked out his reward.
After venting, he felt better.
Then he began to ponder how to complete Main Quest One within 30 days.
He still needed 26.7 stat points to reach all attributes at 10.
It was quite a gap. He’d have to see if any daily quests rewarding attribute points would appear.
If not, then he’d have to find some “little critters” to handle.
After all, that was currently the simplest and safest method.