Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

Chen Mo sat in the room, his mind still replaying the words the village chief had spoken during the day.

A martial artist who has reached the ninth level of body refinement and can shatter bluestone with a single punch.

He watched martial arts movies since he was a child and longed for internal strength, lightness skills, and the ability to fly over rooftops and walk on walls.

Later, after traveling to Earth, although he practiced Bajiquan, running, and firearms, that was not martial arts.

There is no internal strength, no realm of cultivation, and no feeling of "cultivation".

Now that I'm actually in the world of martial arts, I'm really itching to try it.

He stood up, pushed open the door, and walked towards the village chief's house.

The village chief's yard was small, with chopped firewood piled in the corner and a string of dried chili peppers hanging under the eaves.

The village chief was squatting on the stone steps smoking a pipe when he saw Chen Mo come in and paused for a moment.

"Chen Mo? Is something the matter?"

"Uncle Zhou, I'd like to learn some kung fu from you."

The village chief didn't say anything, but took two puffs of his cigarette.

Chen Mo stood there, without urging him.

The village chief tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and stood up:

"You've done a good job killing Black Zheng, ridding the village of a major scourge. According to the rules, you should be rewarded, but the village doesn't have anything good to offer. If you want to learn kung fu, I'll teach you two basic sets as a way of repaying your favor."

"Come with me."

In the middle of the yard was an open space, the ground hardened by footsteps, barren of any vegetation.

The village chief stood in the center of the open space, his feet shoulder-width apart and his knees slightly bent.

"I'll teach you a set of Stone-Shattering Fist techniques. It's been passed down for three generations in the village, and it's the most outstanding skill that Stone Village has to offer."

He lowered his shoulders and elbows, tucked his right fist to his waist, and protected his chest with his left palm.

"First move, Rock Collapse. The fist originates from the waist, the power rises from the ground. The waist and stance are unified; it's not the power of the arms, but the force of the entire body pressing down. Watch closely."

He pushed off the ground with his right foot, twisted his waist sharply, and his right fist shot out like a cannonball.

The punch was muffled, like a stone being smashed into the mud.

When his fist reached its furthest point, he leaned forward half a step, leaving a white mark on the hard ground with his foot.

Chen Mo stared intently, his eyes unblinking.

"Footwork: 30% forward, 70% backward; advancing is like pushing a mountain, retreating is like drawing silk."

The village chief took a step forward, his foot landing firmly as if it had sunk into the ground.

She took another step back, feeling light and airy, as if she had been pulled back by something.

"Breathe. Exhale when you punch, inhale when you retract your fist. Exhale completely, inhale fully."

He finished his punches and stopped, shaking up a layer of dust from the ground.

Chen Mo's mind was still replaying those images: the trajectory of the fist, the movement of the feet, the rhythm of breathing.

A system notification popped up.

[Host detected access to new martial arts technique: Stone Crushing Fist. Record now?]

Just a thought.

【Stone Crusher (Beginner: 0/100)】

[Grade: Beginner Martial Arts]

[Description: One of the most rudimentary boxing styles of the Great Abyss Dynasty, consisting of three forms—Stone Collapse, Stone Split, and Stone Shattering. It emphasizes the unity of waist and stance, with power originating from the ground, producing a punch as forceful as a landslide or mountain shattering. Though not a high-level style, it provides a solid foundation for skill development.]

[Effect: Strength +5]

"Give it a try."

The village chief gave him his position.

Chen Mo stood in the center of the open space, his feet shoulder-width apart and his knees slightly bent.

Recalling the village chief's movements just now—shoulders relaxed, elbows dropped, waist and stance in harmony.

He tucked his right fist to his waist and took a half step forward with his left foot.

Throw a punch.

His movements were stiff, like a robot's.

When the fist was thrown, the waist didn't turn properly, and the whole person leaned forward slightly.

The village chief watched from the side without saying a word.

Chen Mo didn't stop; he withdrew his fist and attacked again.

After I finished typing it the second time, the system skipped a beat.

[Stone Crushing Fist Proficiency +100]

【Stone Crushing Fist (Proficiency: 0/500)】

[Effect: Strength +10]

A flood of information rushed into my mind.

It's not the kind of stiff imitation taught by the village chief; it's a feeling that's been etched into your being.

How to turn your waist, how to step with your feet, how to exhale.

He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, then opened them again, his right fist tucked into his waistband.

Throw a punch.

With this punch, the waist turned into position, the foot landed firmly, and the breath was expelled completely.

The punches were muffled, but much louder than before.

The village chief narrowed his eyes.

Chen Mo didn't stop, once, twice, three times.

The system panel is jumping around.

The fifth time, I've reached the maximum proficiency level.

【Stone Crushing Fist (Mastery: 0/1000)】

[Effect: Strength +20]

After practicing ten more times, I reached full proficiency.

【Stone-Smashing Fist (Minor Mastery: 0/3000)】

[Effect: Strength +35, Constitution +5]

[Special Effect Unlocked: Burst - 5% chance to knock back enemies]

He walked to the stone lock in the corner of the courtyard.

The stone lock was as big as a washbasin and weighed at least 150 pounds; it was what the village chief used to practice his strength.

He lowered his shoulders and elbows, and tucked his right fist to his waist.

Throw a punch.

The fist slammed into the stone lock with a dull thud.

The stone lock didn't break, but with a "crack," a crack appeared, running from the top to the bottom.

Chen Mo withdrew his fist and turned to look at the village chief.

The village chief stood two meters away, his mouth slightly open, his pipe tucked in his hand, but he had forgotten to smoke it.

He stared at the stone lock for several seconds, then looked at Chen Mo's fist, then back at the stone lock.

"You...have practiced before?"

"no."

Chen Mo spoke the truth.

The village chief opened his mouth, but then said nothing more.

He practiced the Stone-Shattering Fist for thirty years before barely reaching mastery.

This kid reached the minor completion level in just one afternoon?

He looked down at his own fist, then at Chen Mo's fist, put the pipe back in his mouth, and took two puffs.

"I'll teach you another sword technique."

He took out an old iron sword from the house. The blade was rusty, but the edge had been sharpened and gleamed with a bluish light in the moonlight.

"The Green Bamboo Sword Technique consists of three forms: Pointing Bamboo, Splitting Bamboo, and Sweeping Bamboo. Each form is accompanied by footwork. The Pointing Bamboo step is like a dragonfly skimming the water, the Splitting Bamboo step is like an axe splitting Mount Hua, and the Sweeping Bamboo step is like the wind passing through a bamboo forest."

He stood still, gripping his sword, and with a flick of his wrist, the tip of the sword drew a circle in the air.

"Point at the bamboo. The stab must be quick and accurate, like picking up a peanut with chopsticks. Step forward slightly, and then pull back as soon as your foot touches the ground."

The sword was thrust out, the tip of the sword trembled, and made a "humming" sound.

As the stab reached its furthest point, his foot landed perfectly, and he leaned forward slightly, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

"Splitting bamboo. From top to bottom, the power comes from the shoulder, not the wrist. Take a big step forward, and the sword will strike the ground perfectly as your foot lands."

The sword came down from above, whistling through the air, and stopped abruptly halfway through the strike, the tip of the sword remaining perfectly still.

"Sweep the bamboo. Sweep horizontally, using your waist for power. Step to the side, and turn your whole body as you sweep."

The sword swept horizontally, the wind from the sword whipping up the dust on the ground and sweeping it in an arc.

Chen Mo watched every movement, every step, and every breath with great attention.

The system popped up.

[Host has been detected to have access to a new martial art: Green Bamboo Sword Technique. Record it?]

Yes.

【Green Bamboo Sword Technique (Beginner: 0/100)】

[Grade: Beginner Martial Arts]

[Description: One of the most rudimentary sword techniques of the Great Abyss Dynasty, consisting of three forms—pointing at bamboo, splitting bamboo, and sweeping bamboo. It imitates the movement of green bamboo in the wind, emphasizing lightness and swiftness; the thrust is like touching water, the split like cleaving bamboo, and the sweep like wind passing through a bamboo forest.]

[Effect: Agility +1, Accuracy +5%]

The village chief handed him the sword.

The sword was heavier than I expected, and it felt unfamiliar to me.

Chen Mo gripped the sword hilt and tried to demonstrate.

Stiff, awkward, the sword tip wobbling wildly.

"No rush, take your time."

The village chief said from the side.

Chen Mo took a deep breath and recalled the actions he had just witnessed.

After a rough practice session, the system jumped.

[Green Bamboo Sword Technique Proficiency +100]

【Green Bamboo Sword Technique (Proficiency: 0/500)】

[Effect: Agility +2, Accuracy +10%]

He continued practicing, once, twice, three times.

From awkward to fluent, from fluent to skilled.

The sword tip stopped wobbling and made a "hum" sound when it was thrust out, just like the village chief's sword strike just now.

The system crashed again as the sun began to set.

【Green Bamboo Sword Technique (Proficiency: 0/1000)】

[Effect: Agility +4, Accuracy +20%]

He sheathed his sword and looked back at the village chief.

The village chief stood under the eaves, a pipe dangling from his mouth, the cigarette long since extinguished.

He looked at Chen Mo without saying a word for a long time, and finally took off his pipe and tapped it against the door frame.

"I've practiced for thirty years to reach the third level of Body Refinement. I've mastered the Shattering Stone Fist, and I'm still practicing the Green Bamboo Sword Technique to this day."

He paused for a moment, then said, "You caught up with me in both subjects this afternoon."

Chen Mo did not respond.

He knew he wasn't exceptionally gifted; it was the system's power that made him so. With a hundred times the proficiency, he could achieve the same effect in one go what others did in a hundred practice sessions.

"Uncle Zhou, you taught me well."

The village chief glanced at him, couldn't help but laugh, and then quickly put on a serious face.

Stop flattering me. Don't slack off tonight, keep practicing. Go to town in seven days, don't embarrass me.

After dark, Chen Mo returned to the house and closed the door.

He took a compressed biscuit out of the copper ring, took two bites, and drank some water.

Seven days is enough time to reach a high level of proficiency.