Chapter 71: Traits, Aiming, and Exceptional Arm Strength!
He could feel his body recovering at a much faster rate than usual.
Without a doubt, his Blood Activation trait was taking effect.
His guess had been correct - Blood Activation not only restored vitality but also physical stamina.
"Excellent."
Chen Fan couldn't contain his joy.
The enhanced recovery meant that instead of requiring over ten minutes of rest after three rapid shots, he might now only need ten minutes.
And this was just level one. If the Blood Activation trait reached levels 2 or 3? The recovery speed could nearly double.
For martial artists, such powerful regenerative abilities were undeniably crucial.
Contemplating this, he felt tempted to allocate all future experience points to Tai Chi Quan.
"Patience," he cautioned himself. "Let's first observe the Meteor Arrow Technique's progression rate."
He checked his skill panel:
[Meteor Arrow Technique: Completely Unversed (0.1%)]
"?"
Chen Fan rubbed his eyes, doubting his vision.
A mere 0.1% proficiency gain from three rapid shots? His level 6 Basic Archery had given 0.8%! A fourth shot would have undoubtedly broken 1%.
And this was using a 200-pound draw weight bow! With a 100-pound bow, would the gain be mere thousandths of a percent?
Chen Fan inhaled deeply. A thousand sets of three-shot volleys just to begin mastering it? At his current pace of one set per ten minutes, that meant six sets hourly.
1,000 sets would require 166 hours - seven full days! And this was merely the initial stage; achieving true proficiency would demand even more time.
"Better invest experience points," Chen Fan decided. "This timeframe is untenable."
He allocated one experience point. Immediately, the Meteor Arrow Technique's proficiency jumped by 5%.
"Twenty points total - manageable."
With mental focus, he added nineteen more points. Though his body remained unchanged, new knowledge surfaced in his mind.
[Meteor Arrow Technique: Novice Comprehension (0%), Trait: Precision Aiming Lv1]
[Precision Aiming Lv1: Active skill. Consumes minimal spiritual energy to temporarily enhance visual acuity. Duration: 1 minute. Each level extends duration by 1 minute.]
"An active skill from the start?" Chen Fan marveled. "Advanced martial techniques truly differ."
"Spiritual energy expenditure for visual enhancement?"
Following the mental instructions, he activated the skill. Subtle fatigue washed over him as warmth blossomed behind his eyes. When he reopened them, the world appeared in crystalline clarity - as if upgrading from HD to 4K resolution.
His visual range expanded dramatically. Where previously he could discern objects at 500-600 meters, now 600-700 meters came into focus - a thirty percent improvement.
"Both static and dynamic vision improved," he murmured, watching wind-rippled grass blades trace perfect arcs - details previously imperceptible.
The ocular warmth faded, reality's edges softening again. Chen Fan sighed wistfully.
"While not directly boosting attributes, this indirectly enhances combat effectiveness. Superior vision is paramount for archers."
"Pity further upgrades only extend duration."
He checked his remaining experience: 91 points.
Advancing another minor realm seemed feasible, but the dilemma remained - upgrade Meteor Arrow Technique or Tai Chi Quan?
As his primary offense, archery's importance was obvious. But would the next proficiency level grant new traits? If not, merely upgrading Precision Aiming offered limited gains.
Tai Chi Quan promised multiple attribute boosts and thirty percent recovery enhancement. New traits there could prove more valuable.
"Still... archery first."
Though drawn to the Eight Extremes Spear Technique, ranged supremacy took priority. What warrior wouldn't choose safe distance attacks over melee risks?
Next came unarmed combat - he'd noticed martial stances emphasized physical conditioning. Without sufficient strength, even powerful bows became useless.
Spear techniques would address close-range weaknesses. When arrows exhausted or enemies closed in, he could still retaliate - unlike game archers resigned to death when flanked.
Blade techniques remained optional reserves for future consideration.
Resolved, he invested one experience point into Meteor Arrow Technique. The 3.33% proficiency gain pleased him.
"Thirty points needed then. 91 minus 30 leaves 61. Can I achieve another breakthrough?"
Anticipation gleaming in his eyes, he allocated twenty-nine more points. A cooling energy suffused his muscles, tension coiling then dissipating throughout his body.
Chen Fan clenched his fist, feeling markedly increased strength.
[Meteor Arrow Technique: Minor Mastery (0%), Traits: Precision Aiming Lv2, Exceptional Arm Strength Lv1]
[Exceptional Arm Strength: Permanently increases Strength attribute by 5 points per skill level]
"Confirmed." Chen Fan grinned.
This trait clearly surpassed basic arm strength enhancements - fivefold amplification. Meteor Arrow Technique emphasized speed, and greater strength meant faster draw cycles, effectively increasing firing rate.
"61 experience remaining. Enough for another tier?"
Testing with one point, he watched proficiency surge past 1% to settle at 2%.
"Fifty points required." He exhaled. "Will the next tier unlock Chain Meteor Shots?"
After brief hesitation, he committed fifty points. Ocular warmth returned alongside mounting physical power, but no new insights emerged.
"No new traits this time?"
He chuckled wryly, observing his updated status:
[Meteor Arrow Technique: Proficient Understanding (0%), Traits: Precision Aiming Lv3, Exceptional Arm Strength Lv2]
His intuition proved correct - no additional traits. Still, three-minute Precision Aiming duration and +10 Strength offered substantial benefits.
The secret technique Chain Meteor Shots likely awaited higher proficiency tiers. Regrettably, experience stores were depleted.
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(Chapter End)
