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Chapter 44: Practicing Tiger and Crane Simultaneously
Chapter 44: Practicing Tiger and Crane Simultaneously (Please Support!)
Lin Qi spread his fingers wide, forming a beak-like shape with his thumb, index, and middle fingers—Crane Beak.
"Boom! Boom!"
In an instant, Lin Qi's body moved. His earlier imposing, vigorous aura transformed into swift, graceful agility.
The Crane Form Fist emphasized defense leading to offense. His body remained lively, movements contracting and expanding rapidly, darting like a sparrow into a forest, perching on branches with delicate precision. His strikes followed the principles of rising and falling with accuracy, using shoulder charges to strike, avoiding forceful resistance while targeting vulnerabilities...
Its techniques bore simple names: Crane Beak, Crane Crest, Crane Talon, Crane Maw, Starving Crane Seeking Shrimp, One-Legged Crane...
There were eight total techniques, movements soft yet firm.
As Lin Qi practiced, he recalled the core principles of Crane Form Fist—a martial arts style completely different from Tiger Form Fist. The distinct movements altered how his body generated power and engaged his muscles.
His motions gradually shifted from awkward to fluid. His body warmed, circulating Vital Energy through new pathways.
A tingling sensation rippled through his muscles.
Lin Qi's eyes gleamed. This feeling—entirely different from Tiger Form Fist—excited him.
He trained harder, repeating the forms countless times. From clumsy beginnings, he refined his movements into effortless precision.
Sweat poured like rain, soaking his martial arts uniform. His face flushed crimson, yet exhilaration surged through him.
[By practicing Crane Form Fist, your Proficiency in Crane Form Fist has significantly increased. Fist Techniques +1%]
[By practicing Crane Form Fist, your Vital Energy Stat has improved. Vital Energy Stat +0.05]
[Vital Energy Stat: 8.25→8.3]
[Fist Techniques: Second Stage 11%→12%]
...
Lin Qi halted, gasping for breath, his gaze sharper than before.
"Teacher Zhang was right after all", he mused. "After such a long time practicing Crane Form Fist again, my progress has been tremendous."
Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion swept over him, startling him.
Why such a heavy drain? How many times did I repeat it?
He immediately retrieved a Vital Energy Elixir from his locker and drank it, feeling relief settle over him.
Meanwhile, Zhang Cheng watched from a distance, his expression complex. He'd seen Lin Qi struggle initially with the Crane Form Fist.
After guiding a few students, he returned to find Lin Qi executing the forms flawlessly, as if he'd mastered them long ago.
"It seems this kid's Innate Talent exceeds even my expectations."
Zhang Cheng had never studied Li Zhou, Yu Jing, or Qi Yuelin closely, but he believed Lin Qi stood no lower than them—lacking only resources. That would change soon enough.
The thought of nurturing a student capable of rivaling Li Zhou filled Zhang Cheng with pride, his entire body tingling with excitement.
...
At noon, Crimson Firmament Martial Arts Supermarket.
Among the crowd, Lin Qi and Jiang Tao stood before a shelf. Rows of neatly arranged crimson Elixirs caught their eyes.
"Brother Qi, once your Vital Energy Stat surpasses 8.0 or 9.0, every step forward becomes a hurdle", Jiang Tao explained. "If we keep relying on Physical Energy Capsules or basic Vital Energy Elixirs, the efficiency drops sharply."
Lin Qi nodded. He'd already noticed—gaining another 2.0 in a month seemed impossible now.
"When Li Zhou and others reached 8.0 Vital Energy Stat, they started using superior Elixirs. Now that we have money, and we'll get a lump sum signing with a Martial Arts Pavilion, we can't afford to fall behind."
Jiang Tao picked a vial from the shelf. The liquid inside was deep crimson, vibrant yet mysterious.
"This is Energy Concentrate, an advanced version of the Vital Energy Elixir—you could call it High-Grade Vital Energy Elixir. At 100ml, it's several times stronger. Exactly what we need."
Lin Qi nodded. Basic Vital Energy Elixirs were pale red. This one's darker shade spoke volumes. Checking the price—5000 Xia Kingdom Currency per vial.
He exhaled sharply. Ten times more expensive—nearly two months' expenses from his earlier days.
Jiang Tao loaded several rows into his cart. Lin Qi did the same. With 500,000 credits on him and his upcoming Genius Loan, he could afford more resources.
He grabbed three full rows—thirty Energy Concentrates—plus some basic Vital Energy Elixirs and Physical Energy Capsules for emergencies.
"Beep!"
"Total: 183,200 Xia Kingdom Currency."
"Payment successful!"
"Welcome back next time!"
At checkout, Lin Qi packed his purchases, wincing as his balance dropped nearly in half.
Jiang Tao spent even more—some for himself, some for his sister.
"Lin Qi Brother!"
A melodic voice called out. He turned.
A petite girl—barely five feet tall—approached. Her slim frame and fair skin contrasted her determined smile. A ponytail swayed with each step. Sunlight framed her like a halo as she beamed.
"Miaoyin? What brings you here?" Lin Qi greeted, ruffling her hair.
Jiang Tao joined them, reaching to tousle her hair too.
"Smack!"
She batted his hand away without hesitation.
"Hey! I'm your actual brother—can't I even touch your head?" Jiang Tao feigned offense.
"Absolutely not!" Miaoyin turned her head, lips pouting.
After their playful banter, Jiang Tao explained, "Today's Sunday—no afternoon classes. I'm taking Miaoyin for a health checkup."
Lin Qi nodded, studying Miaoyin's stature. In this Martial Arts era, adult female cultivators typically reached over five feet seven inches—males at six feet two inches. At sixteen (nearly seventeen), Miaoyin's height suggested severe malnutrition requiring intensive supplementation.
"Lin Qi Brother, goodbye!"
"See you next time, Miaoyin!" He waved as she departed.
"Stop staring—Lin Qi's gone", Jiang Tao teased.
"Let's go! I'll grow stronger and teach our class a lesson—they won't dare call me 'Little Potato' anymore!" Miaoyin clenched her fist.
"Right. With me helping, you'll be the strongest girl in your grade!" Jiang Tao nodded fiercely.
...
Back home, Lin Qi shared a meal with his mother, Fang Huiyi, before returning to school.
Senior year's Sunday afternoons offered half-days off—campus deserted.
Changing into his martial arts uniform, he retrieved an Energy Concentrate from his bag. The deep crimson liquid shimmered like blood. Uncapping it released a delicate fragrance as he drank.
"Ah~"
He inhaled deeply. Heat surged from his gut, intensifying with each second.
Waves of warmth spread from his core to every limb.
"This Energy Concentrate packs power!"
He began training—from Tiger Form Fist to Crane Form Fist, flowing seamlessly.
The energy surged through his muscles, reaching even the smallest fibers.
"Boom! Boom!"
Flushed with energy, Lin Qi channeled his vitality through the martial arts forms. His muscles burned with purification—every subtle movement refining his body.
"This is it! If I maintain this pace for a month, 9.0 Vital Energy Stat is within reach!" Excitement lit his face.
[You improved your Crane Form Fist Proficiency]
[You improved your Vital Energy Stat by +0.01]
[You improved your Vital Energy Stat by +0.01]
[...]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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