Chapter 21: Daily Rifle Practice (Please Keep Reading)
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Lin Qi stared at the balance of more than thirteen thousand yuan in his bank account, his feelings complicated.
From childhood until now, his account had never held more than three thousand yuan.
This was the first time he had ever possessed so much money.
“I haven’t seen more than ten thousand yuan in over a decade,” Lin Qi thought to himself.
Of the thirteen thousand and more in his account, three thousand had come from his part-time work as a sparring partner.
The remaining ten thousand was his scholarship.
“My scholarship has arrived too!”
Across from him, Jiang Tao was smiling as well. Thirty thousand yuan was also a huge sum to him.
Although he had received a million yuan in Xia Nation currency through the Genius Loan, not all of it could be spent on himself.
He also had a younger sister who needed money. They had to purchase various resources in advance to lay a solid foundation, so every coin was precious.
Lin Qi understood that perfectly.
“After dinner, let’s go to the supermarket. It’s time to buy some new resources,” Lin Qi suggested.
To prepare for the small test, he had purchased a large quantity of Vitality Capsules and Vitality Potions. After a week, he had used every last one.
“Perfect. I need to buy some resources too. Let’s go together.”
“By the way, Brother Qi, you should replace your phone as well. The screen is so cracked that it’s almost impossible to see anything.”
Jiang Tao pointed at Lin Qi’s smartphone.
Lin Qi looked down at the antique in his hand. It was the old phone his father, Lin Zhen, had once used. The screen was covered in spiderweb cracks, and the case had begun to fade, but he had never been willing to replace it.
“It really is time for a new one.” Lin Qi nodded.
……
Ten minutes later
Crimson Firmament Martial Arts Supermarket
Lin Qi stood in the potion section, taking box after box of Vitality Capsules from the shelves.
“My body is growing at an astonishing rate, and my daily training load keeps increasing.”
“To maintain this rate of progress, I need sufficient nutrition, along with potions to replenish and raise my vitality.”
“So I need to purchase more Vitality Capsules and potions.”
With that thought, Lin Qi took twenty boxes of Vitality Capsules and then went to the shelf containing Vitality Potions.
“Before, I was short on money and could only buy two bottles. Now I can afford one bottle a day.”
Lin Qi swept an entire row of potions into his basket, taking a full ten bottles.
After purchasing a few other resources, he joined the checkout line.
“Beep!”
“Your total is 7,826 yuan!”
“Payment successful!”
Lin Qi paid with his phone, and more than half of his balance vanished in an instant.
“If I can become a contracted prodigy of Crimson Firmament Martial Arts Hall, even an eighty-percent discount would save me a great deal of money.”
After sighing, he put everything into his backpack and waited in the cool air outside the entrance.
Several minutes later, Jiang Tao finally emerged, his backpack stretched to its limit.
“Haha, I accidentally bought a little more than I meant to.”
“Besides the resources I need, I bought quite a lot for Miaoyin too.”
“Our family used to be poor. For the sake of my martial arts training, A-Yin sacrificed herself and became malnourished.”
“Now I need to give her proper nourishment and help her build a solid foundation.”
Jiang Tao scratched his head and offered an embarrassed explanation.
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Lin Qi nodded. Jiang Tao’s parents had both died. Even with government aid and desperate efforts at part-time work, he could barely guarantee the two of them a normal life.
Allowing both siblings to embark on the path of martial arts was clearly unrealistic.
Thus, Jiang Tao’s younger sister, Jiang Miaoyin, had sacrificed herself. Her brother spent the money on cultivation resources, leaving her malnourished. As a result, her vitality rose slowly, and her martial arts strength ranked at the bottom of the class.
Lin Qi had every reason to believe that most of Jiang Tao’s million yuan would be spent on his sister, Jiang Miaoyin.
“Come on. Let’s buy a new phone.”
“All right!”
The two of them went to a nearby phone shop and came back out a short while later.
Lin Qi now held a brand-new smartphone with a black casing that gleamed in the light.
“Brother Qi, you should at least have bought one costing over a thousand yuan. The five-hundred-yuan models don’t perform very well,” Jiang Tao complained from the side.
“I’ll make do with this one. I don’t have much money on me right now. After the college entrance examination, I’ll get another new phone.”
“Besides, aren’t you using a secondhand phone that cost only five or six hundred?”
Lin Qi operated the phone, transferring his files without a care.
“Heh, you caught me.”
The two returned to school with their bags full.
……
Afternoon, martial arts class
“I know some of you have hired martial artists stronger than me as instructors, so you don’t need my guidance.”
“You have my permission to return to your own martial arts rooms for training.”
Zhang Cheng, a strongly built man, stood in the center of the classroom with his arms folded and spoke in a booming voice.
At those words, several students picked up their belongings and left. Among them were the top three students in the grade: Li Zhou, Qi Yuelin, and Yu Jing.
In a moment, more than a dozen students had gone.
Most of them ranked among the top ten in the grade. It matched everyone’s preconceived notions: those from wealthy families generally possessed excellent martial arts strength as well.
“The rest of you may train freely. I want to see your level.”
The remaining thirty-odd students scattered, each finding a place to begin practicing.
Dressed in his martial arts uniform, Lin Qi took a strip of Vitality Capsules from his backpack, squeezed out three capsules, swallowed them, and then drank a bottle of Vitality Potion.
He looked around but did not choose to practice with a weapon like the others.
Instead, he began practicing a fist technique.
“Whoosh, whoosh…”
His footwork was steady, his breath sank to his lower abdomen, and his body stood firm as an immovable mountain.
Movement and stillness complemented each other. When still, he possessed the imposing presence of a crouching tiger; when moving, he was as agile as a cat.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
Sharp cracks rang out as his tiger claws struck. His fists shot forward, power surging all the way to his fingertips.
Lin Qi immersed himself completely. Heat spread through his body as if flames were burning beneath his skin. His vitality churned, and strength poured forth without end.
The key principles of Tiger Form Fist surfaced in his mind.
[Through practicing Tiger Form Fist, you have gained new insight into fist techniques and improved your control over your body. Fist Technique +1%.]
[Fist Technique: First Tier, 91% → 93%.]
……
Lin Qi withdrew his fists. Steam rose from his body, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
After feeling that his body had warmed up, he took out his training spear.
“Swish, swish!”
The long spear flashed through the air. What he practiced, however, was only Basic Spear Technique. With a tremor of the shaft, the spear blossomed into waves of shining spear flowers.
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“Breaking through in fist technique really does help improve spear technique. It produces twice the result with half the effort.”
“Practicing with a weapon also consumes more energy than simply throwing punches.”
Several minutes later, Lin Qi stopped, drenched in sweat. He wiped his brow, drank a bottle of water, and then continued training in Collapsing Mountain Spear Art.
“Rising Stance, Cloud Lifting, Mountain-Crushing Thrust…”
“When practicing with a spear, the spear must never leave the body. The body hides behind the spear, and when training, power begins at the root and travels to the tip.”
“Whether the root is the waist and hips or the shoulders, power must be carried from the root to the tip. When using the spear, root and tip exchange positions, like a python coiling around the body, responding swiftly to every change.”
“When practicing with a spear, move slowly and fully. Let the body become like a pump filled to capacity, then extend and retract as though air were flowing through a tube. Spear techniques twist, wrap, drill, and turn. The person follows the spear, and the spear moves with the person…”
Zhang Cheng’s resonant voice echoed throughout the martial arts classroom.
As Lin Qi moved the spear, he listened. A faint understanding stirred within him, and the speed of his spear technique became increasingly fluid.
“First-tier spear technique is foundational. What matters is familiarity. It isn’t particularly profound; the only answer is practice…”
“With enough practice, the realm of spear technique will naturally improve.”
After speaking, Zhang Cheng looked toward Lin Qi.
His words just now seemed to have been meant specifically for him.
“Swish, swish…”
“Bang!”
Lin Qi continued practicing Collapsing Mountain Spear Art. Zhang Cheng’s view coincided with his own: all he needed was more practice.
With every repetition, his proficiency increased.
[Under the guidance of your teacher, Zhang Cheng, your understanding of spear technique has deepened. Spear Technique +1%.]
[Spear Technique: First Tier, 70% → 71%.]
……
In the distance, Yang Lei was practicing with his spear, his expression growing increasingly unpleasant.
“Why does Teacher Zhang always guide Lin Qi? How am I any worse than him?”
……
Nine-thirty that evening
Lin Qi and Jiang Tao headed home together.
They lived in the same community, Melt Mountain Residential Complex. It was a vast neighborhood and one of the most notorious poor districts in Skysea City.
Lin Qi lived in Building Four, while Jiang Tao lived in Building Three. The distance between them was not short.
On ordinary days, Lin Qi never waited for Jiang Tao, because Jiang Tao had to look after his sister, Jiang Miaoyin.
“See you tomorrow, Brother Qi!”
“All right!”
They parted at the intersection and walked toward their respective homes.
……
Room 301
Lin Qi stepped through the front door.
Unlike usual, a cool breeze greeted him.
In the living room, a standing air conditioner hummed as it blew cold air through the room.
“The air conditioner has arrived!”
A smile spread across Lin Qi’s face. His parents, Lin Zhen and Fang Huiyi, were also enjoying the cool air from the worn-out sofa.
……