Chapter 25: He's Different from You All
Chen Fan made his decision and, with a thought, allocated a point of experience.
A spark of insight flashed through his mind, followed by a flood of memories that felt both foreign and intimately familiar.
[Wuji Stance: lv0 (54%)]
"Just as I expected."
A faint, nearly imperceptible smile tugged at Chen Fan’s lips. A single experience point had boosted the progress by half. Adding another would surely push it to level 1.
And when that happened, wouldn’t it unlock a new trait?
Acting on this thought, he invested another experience point.
Instantly, a warm current coursed through his body, easing the soreness in his muscles.
The sensation was familiar.
"Could this be the 'Body Strengthening' trait?"
He glanced at the status panel.
[Wuji Stance: lv1 (1%), Trait: Body Strengthening lv1]
As anticipated, the level 1 Body Strengthening trait increased his constitution by 1 point.
Not groundbreaking, but decent. While it paled in comparison to the gains from [Basic Archery], the difference in difficulty between the two skills justified the gap.
"I wonder if reaching level 1 in Wuji Stance satisfies Uncle Zhang’s standards."
He refrained from adding more points, instead subtly adjusting his posture while stealing glances at Zhang Ren’s reaction.
"Hmm?"
The next moment, the limping man’s eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on Chen Fan, surprise flickering in his gaze.
This kid truly has talent.
Most novices required at least a week to grasp the basics of Wuji Stance. Even prodigies needed two or three days. Yet here was Chen Fan, executing the stance with near-perfect form on his first attempt.
With a few more sessions, he’d likely be ready to learn the complete Taiji Stance.
Pleased, Zhang Ren shifted his attention to Zhao Feng beside him.
The boy’s perseverance was admirable. His silent rivalry with Chen Fan was obvious, though his lesser talent held him back. Still, diligence could bridge such gaps.
"Huh?"
Chen Fan frowned.
Still not enough?
No other choice remained.
He glanced at his remaining 14 experience points and allocated another to [Wuji Stance].
This time, one point filled a third of the progress bar. Without hesitation, he added two more.
The warm current surged again, washing away his fatigue entirely.
[Wuji Stance: lv2 (0%), Trait: Body Strengthening lv2]
Beyond the physical enhancement, his understanding of the stance deepened. Standing motionless now felt less like endurance and more like meditation—a harmony of body and mind.
"This kid!"
The limping man’s eyes widened in disbelief. Were it not for the audience, he’d have rubbed his eyes in shock.
How... how did he achieve this?
When he’d last observed Chen Fan, the boy had barely grasped the basics. Now, he’d reached a proficient level—a milestone that had taken Zhang Ren himself over a month!
Is this boy a monster? Such monstrous comprehension!
Wang Ping and the others noticed Zhang Ren’s intense stare but couldn’t fathom its cause.
"Seems sufficient. Good thing I didn’t keep leveling recklessly."
Snapping back to reality, Chen Fan feigned innocence at Zhang Ren’s stunned expression. "Uncle Zhang, is something wrong? Do I have dirt on my face?"
"Ahem." Zhang Ren coughed, averting his gaze. "Focus on your stance."
"Oh."
Chen Fan shrugged, savoring the stance’s soothing effects. Maybe practicing Wuji Stance after archery sessions would be ideal?
When the hour ended, Zhao Feng collapsed, trembling with exhaustion. Chen Fan, however, stood refreshed, vitality radiating from him.
"Brother Fan, aren’t you tired?" Wang Ping blurted.
"Yeah, you look even more energized!"
"Really?" Chen Fan scratched his head, playing clueless. "I just felt... comfortable, I guess?"
"Comfortable?!" The group exchanged skeptical glances. After their own grueling experience, his claim bordered on absurd.
"He’s different from you all," Zhang Ren interjected. "You’re still beginners, hence the strain. But this one—" He gestured at Chen Fan, lips twitching—"has qualified to learn the Taiji Stance."
"What?!"
Zhao Feng and the others froze, jaws slack.
Chen Fan mirrored their shock, voice quivering. "Uncle Zhang, you mean... I’ve mastered the basics? I can learn Taiji Stance now?"
"After teaching the basic hand and foot techniques, I’ll instruct you separately," Zhang Ren confirmed.
"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!" Chen Fan’s gratitude blended genuine emotion with calculated performance.
"Brother Fan already mastered it? But Uncle Zhang said it takes weeks!"
"So unfair! We can’t last half an hour, yet he’s learning Taiji Stance!"
Zhang Ren bit back the truth—proficiency, not mere basics, was required. Revealing this might breed arrogance in Chen Fan.
Zhao Feng watched Chen Fan with a bitter smile. He’d thought enduring the full hour closed the gap, only to find it wider than ever.
But I won’t give up.
"Next, I’ll teach basic hand techniques: fists, palms, claws. Master these, and you’ll build a foundation for advanced forms like Taiji."
As he spoke, Zhang Ren stole a glance at Chen Fan. Would this prodigy memorize everything after one demonstration?
The group lined up, soon drowning in terminology. A single palm stance branched into yang, yin, vertical, reverse, and horizontal—with vertical further subdivided.
Chen Fan massaged his temples. Memorizing this through brute practice would take weeks.
[Basic Hand Techniques: lv0 (0%)]
Maybe... just keep adding points?
