Chapter 37: Aiming High, Aren't You?
"Let's enhance once first."
Chen Fan quickly decided, clicking the plus sign next to his level.
The familiar warmth surged from his heart again, flowing through his entire body before gradually subsiding after a few breaths.
"Whew..."
Chen Fan wiped sweat from his forehead. Whether it was because he'd just eaten, this enhancement felt particularly intense - like flames burning within him, leaving him bursting with restless energy.
Level: 5 (0/16)
Constitution: 29.26
Strength: 20.36
Agility: 12.59
Spirit: 8.05
Potential Points: 20 (3 points/day)
Experience: 36
"Not bad. A hundred-pound bow should feel effortless now."
Chen Fan smiled as he looked at his remaining 20 potential points. He hesitated about using another enhancement now for afternoon archery practice versus saving it for tomorrow's hunt when his stamina would be depleted. After all, it wasn't just a 10% stat boost but also full stamina recovery.
"Better save it for tomorrow."
After consideration, he chose conservation. Even with another enhancement, his strength would only reach 22 points - still far from the 40 needed for a two-hundred-pound bow. Better kept for emergencies.
Arriving at the warehouse where most had gathered:
"You're here?" Zhang Ren turned.
"Here." Chen Fan nodded. "I'll be in your care, Uncle Zhang."
Zhang Ren waved off formalities. "Mastering the Tai Chi stance was just your entry ticket. What comes next will test your limits - prepare yourself."
"Understood."
Chen Fan felt nervous, but found his legs surprisingly comfortable when mimicking Zhang Ren's movements, though his execution remained stiff compared to the instructor's fluid grace.
After completing a Tai Chi set, Chen Fan urgently checked his skill panel:
[Zhang-style Tai Chi Quan: Clueless (0.01%)]
"What?"
He blinked repeatedly. 0.01% progress? At five minutes per set, that meant 10,000 repetitions - 833 hours or 35 days nonstop! Seven days for the Tai Chi stance versus a month just to begin?
"How does it feel?" Zhang Ren asked.
His version demanded intense legwork - constant weight shifts that left even youths breathless. Yet Chen Fan only showed light perspiration.
"Passable," Chen Fan replied, "just clumsy."
"Normal for beginners. Show me a set."
They practiced together, Zhang Ren correcting occasionally. By set's end, Chen Fan dripped with sweat.
"Rest first," Zhang Ren nodded, impressed by the archer's stamina. "Then continue."
Checking his panel again:
[Zhang-style Tai Chi Quan: Clueless (0.025%)]
The 0.015% improvement excited him - better form meant faster progress. But his smile faded realizing proficiency gains would plateau around 0.02-0.03% per set. Even at 0.03%, ten days of nonstop practice would be needed.
"Martial arts progress is too slow," he sighed.
Unlike archery where stronger bows accelerated growth, Tai Chi required grind. Combat practice? Sparring? Barehanded beast fighting? Unreliable. Ultimately, potential points remained key.
After several sessions, gains stabilized at 0.02% per set - half a month of nonstop practice to begin mastery.
"Decent form," Zhang Ren approved. "Daily practice like this and you'll master it in three years."
"Pfft!" Wang Ping's group nearly choked.
Three years?! Compared to a week for Wuji stance or month for Tai Chi stance, this seemed absurd.
Zhang Ren chuckled. "Three years for the talented. Five for others. Prefer faster? Learn something else - a year suffices."
"What?" they clamored.
"Xingyi Quan. After three months of Three-Circle Stance training."
"Xingyi! Xingyi!" they chorused. A year and half versus three years? Easy choice.
"Fine. Master Tai Chi stance first, then I'll teach Three-Circle Stance."
"Uncle Zhang, I..." Chen Fan began.
"Hmm?" Zhang Ren's narrowed eyes asked 'Are you joking?'
"After mastering Tai Chi Quan, I'd like to learn Xingyi too." Chen Fan wiped sweat. "Different styles stack, right? More learned, stronger become."
Zhang Ren's eyes widened, mouth quirking. "Master Tai Chi Quan and want another style? Ambitious. Come back when you've perfected Tai Chi Quan. Heh."
With that, he left.
"Heh?" Chen Fan felt mocked.
Master Tai Chi Quan?
How hard could that be?
