Chapter 44
Early the next morning, Chen Ping'an got up early to practice the Locust Stone technique in the courtyard.
His Qi and Blood were abundant, and though he hadn't slept long, he was still full of energy. He stood in the house, staring intently at the courtyard wall not far away. Suddenly, he raised his hand, flipped his wrist downward, and with a forceful motion, the stone in his hand flew out and struck the wall.
Bang!
The stone hit the wall, producing a loud noise.
From Chen Ping'an's perspective, a small white mark appeared on the wall.
"The force is a bit lacking."
Chen Ping'an carefully reflected on the motion he had just executed.
After pondering for a while, he picked up the stone and continued practicing.
He repeated this process.
In less than half an hour, a "+1" experience symbol flashed before Chen Ping'an's eyes.
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Peak of the second level of Qi and Blood
Martial Arts: Iron Shirt (Mastered), Locust Stone (Not yet started, 1/5)
"The practice method is correct!"
Chen Ping'an's face lit up with joy.
Now at the peak of the second level of Qi and Blood, his strength was immense, and he still had plenty of energy to practice the Locust Stone technique. Having woken up early, he saw that there was still time before he had to leave for work, so he continued practicing.
He repeated the process.
Another "+1" experience symbol appeared, and the number on the golden finger panel changed from 1 to 2.
Chen Ping'an stopped his morning practice. Chen Erya had already prepared breakfast for him, and after quickly eating, he left the courtyard.
"Erya, I'm off to work."
"Mm, take care, brother." Chen Erya smiled as she watched Chen Ping'an leave.
She walked into the courtyard and looked to one side, where the wall was covered in dense white marks.
These were all the traces left by Chen Ping'an's stone-throwing practice.
"Has brother started practicing a new martial arts technique?" Chen Erya tilted her head, thinking. "Brother is such a genius."
The day at work passed uneventfully. However, there was a small incident. At noon, when Chen Ping'an and Houzi returned for lunch, Zheng Shiyong, dressed in the official uniform of a full-time constable, deliberately strutted past them, giving Chen Ping'an a挑衅 look.
Chen Ping'an ignored him.
This guy's got issues!
Houzi also found it strange, but after glancing at Chen Ping'an, he felt a bit worried.
"Ping'an, did you offend him somehow?"
"Probably not."
Chen Ping'an replied to Houzi, but in his mind, he was thinking that he hadn't gone looking for trouble with Zheng Shiyong, yet the guy was still provoking him.
Was he in a hurry to die?
"Ping'an, Zheng Shiyong has the favor of Officer Tian. Even some of the senior full-time constables in the town guard treat him with respect. If you haven't offended him, that's good. But if you have, maybe you should think of a way to smooth things over."
Houzi carefully chose his words, offering his advice.
Although Houzi was usually loud and brash, he was far more meticulous than most when it came to these matters.
"He's not a squad leader, and I don't interact with him. It's fine." Chen Ping'an's expression remained calm.
This was the confidence that came with his increased strength.
He had already found a path to continue his cultivation. As long as he kept practicing the Locust Stone technique, he would surely reach the third level of Qi and Blood.
At that point, his martial strength would be on par with that of a squad leader.
So what if Zheng Shiyong was a full-time constable!?
It's a pity...
His martial strength couldn't be revealed openly.
"I'll just have to wait for the right opportunity!" Chen Ping'an sighed inwardly.
When he returned home, Chen Erya had already prepared dinner.
Tonight's dinner: a large bowl of chicken, a plate of pig's head meat, a bowl of steamed eggs, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of white rice.
"It smells amazing, Erya. Your cooking keeps getting better."
Even before entering the courtyard, the aroma wafted over, and Chen Ping'an couldn't help but praise.
"Not at all, it's just brother being kind," Chen Erya said shyly. It wasn't genuine shyness, but rather the happiness of being praised by her brother, though she felt a bit embarrassed to show it.
Chen Ping'an had a hearty appetite, eating three large bowls of rice and finishing all the meat, only stopping when he was about 80% full.
Since he started practicing martial arts, Chen Ping'an's physique hadn't changed much, but his physical strength and Qi and Blood were far beyond what they used to be.
His appetite had also grown tremendously. He needed to eat a lot to provide his body with sufficient energy.
At night, he ate to his heart's content. But at noon, when he was at the town guard, although he ate a fair amount, the food was mostly bland and unsatisfying.
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"If my martial realm continues to improve like this, I'll need to bring extra food for lunch. Otherwise, I won't be able to get enough to eat!"
After cleaning up with Chen Erya, Chen Ping'an stood in the courtyard, rubbing his stomach as he digested his meal.
Once he felt sufficiently digested, Chen Ping'an continued practicing the Locust Stone technique.
The courtyard wasn't very spacious, so Chen Ping'an stood inside the house to throw the stones, ensuring a certain distance.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The sound of stones hitting the wall echoed continuously in the courtyard.
The stones Chen Ping'an practiced with weren't large, so they didn't cause much damage to the wall, only leaving small white marks.
+1!
+1!
+1!
As he practiced, Chen Ping'an found that the progress of the Locust Stone technique was surprisingly smooth. Before he knew it, he had gained 3 experience points.
In his vision, the experience points on the virtual panel for the Locust Stone technique changed from 2 to 5.
Without hesitation, Chen Ping'an clicked on the "+" sign, as he had done many times before.
Whoosh~
The experience points on the panel stirred, and starlight flowed into his brow. A familiar sensation washed over him as a flood of combat experience and throwing techniques related to the Locust Stone filled his mind.
It all felt as if he had practiced diligently for months, with no sense of falseness or shortcuts.
As the Locust Stone technique reached the beginner level, a surge of Qi and Blood emerged within Chen Ping'an's body. The energy circulated through him, as if trying to break through a thin membrane, but it ultimately fell just short.
Feeling the changes in his body, Chen Ping'an wasn't disappointed—instead, he was delighted.
"Using the Locust Stone technique to advance my martial realm—this method works!"
Based on his body's sensations, if he could bring the Locust Stone technique to the small achievement level, he would likely break through to the third level of Qi and Blood.
The third level of Qi and Blood—Tendon Transformation!
Upon reaching Tendon Transformation, the muscles throughout the body would become interconnected, forming a unified whole. As a result, the explosive strength of someone at this level far surpassed that of someone at the peak of Muscle Training. Not only strength, but speed and agility would also see significant improvements.
For a low, single-story house, a martial artist at the Tendon Transformation level could stand on the ground and leap onto the roof with a single, effortless jump.
Without any external aids, the ability to jump over a zhang (about 3.3 meters) in height was something unimaginable for ordinary people.
Standing in an open area, with a short running start, even a small river could be crossed in a single leap.
This was the power of the third level of Qi and Blood—Tendon Transformation!
And based on Chen Ping'an's current progress, he would likely reach Tendon Transformation in just three days!
A bright future lay ahead.