Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

He didn't head straight to the training ground, but instead returned to the dormitory first.

A worker must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do well.

Li Chuan discovered this during his martial arts practice a few days ago.

If that "hunger" is not relieved, one's martial arts training progress will be slowed down considerably.

It's noon now, time for everyone to come back for lunch, but the shop is empty.

"Strange, Hu Yuan took the day off today?" Li Chuan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Normally, Hu Yuan would eat at the shop around this time.

Li Chuan didn't take the matter to heart. He simply set up a pot and added two jugs of water to it.

After the water boiled, Li Chuan first added a handful of scallions and garlic, then two spoonfuls of salt, and finally put the dark red donkey meat into the pot.

After simmering for about half an hour, Li Chuan lifted the lid of the pot.

A wisp of white steam immediately dissipated, bringing with it the fresh aroma of the donkey meat.

After it cooled down a bit, Li Chuan picked up a piece and put it in his mouth to chew.

"The taste is actually not bad?" Li Chuan was somewhat surprised.

Adding plenty of scallions and garlic masks the inherent gamey smell of the donkey meat, while a touch of salt enhances its freshness and aroma.

Li Chuan puffed out his cheeks and chewed heartily:

"If even boiled donkey meat tastes this good, I wonder how delicious braised donkey meat or donkey meat sandwiches must be?"

The saying "Dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground" is truly accurate.

Moreover, donkey meat is even more outstanding in terms of its nutritional value than its taste.

Li Chuan could feel the blood and energy contained in the donkey meat gradually nourishing every part of his body.

After breaking through to the Ming Jin level, my body, which had been constantly hungry, gradually began to feel full.

"The blood and energy provided by donkey meat are of higher quality than those from pork, which is why my body is able to feel satisfied," Li Chuan said thoughtfully, confirming his conjecture.

After finishing his meal, Li Chuan looked down and saw that all seven ounces of donkey meat in front of him had been eaten.

"Thinking back to my past life, I could eat a pound of pork for two or three days. If I could go back to the past, I could probably participate in a 'big eater' competition."

Li Chuan chuckled inwardly.

After a short rest, not wanting to waste any more time, he immediately went to the training ground.

After practicing the standing meditation for a short while, Li Chuan checked the panel.

I discovered that my proficiency with the Baoshan stance was indeed increasing much faster than before.

"It seems that replenishing my Qi and blood can indeed speed up my progress in standing meditation."

Li Chuan felt exhilarated, as if all his efforts had been rewarded.

The martial arts exam, which was six months later, didn't seem so far away.

Under the bright sunlight, a young boy's figure sometimes stood in a stance, sometimes practiced boxing.

[Practicing the Baoshan stance, proficiency +1]

[Practicing the Baoshan stance, proficiency +1]

[Practicing Tongbei Quan, proficiency +1]

[Practicing Tongbei Quan, proficiency +1]

……

About an hour later, Hu Yuan arrived.

"Senior Brother Li, try some of my sister's sesame seed cakes!"

Hu Yuan took a sesame seed cake out of his cloth bag and handed it to Li Chuan.

Li Chuan stopped practicing martial arts and put on an outer garment.

My training clothes were soaked with sweat, and if I didn't keep warm, I could easily catch a cold from the cold wind.

Li Chuan took the pancake, took a bite, and found it soft, tender, and fragrant.

"Junior Brother Hu, I didn't see you in the shop earlier."

Hu Yuan chuckled:

"Senior Brother Li, my Qi and blood are almost fully accumulated, and I can begin the breakthrough tonight."

Li Chuan responded with an "oh," but a sense of doubt lingered in his heart.

Hu Yuan's family was not well-off; his sister's work was the only way to support his studies at the martial arts school.

You usually eat worse than me, so your blood and energy shouldn't be accumulating so quickly...

However, this was ultimately their private matter, so Li Chuan didn't pry.

"Senior Brother Li, have you gained any insights from your challenge?" Hu Yuan asked with hope in his eyes.

Li Chuan glanced at the Hunyuan Jade Scroll in front of him.

How can he explain that?

Once you've mastered the skills, you'll naturally succeed!

Li Chuan could only offer encouragement:

"Keep your mind calm and feel the flow of blood and energy in your body."

Hu Yuan nodded repeatedly, as if he had realized something.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the training ground.

Li Chuan looked up and realized that it was Liang Xingzhou who had arrived.

Among the many "masters," Liang Xingzhou waved his hand, signaling that everyone not to gather together.

Behind him were Qin Feng, Tang Xiang, and Jiang Ting.

During this period, the three of them had essentially formed a small group.

Jiang Ting's gaze swept across the entire room, but when she passed Li Chuan, she didn't linger; she simply glanced past him quickly.

The four of them went straight into the inner courtyard.

With a loud bang, the door to the inner courtyard slammed shut.

"I heard that Senior Brother Qin's qi and blood are almost fully accumulated, and he's preparing to enter the gate of enlightenment. Master is protecting him!"

"Goodness, it's only been two months since he broke through to the Ming Jin realm, and he's already attempting a second breakthrough?"

"It's just a matter of trying to break through; success isn't guaranteed. Didn't our eldest and second senior brothers break through to the Inner Strength realm on their second attempt?"

"But Senior Brother Qin has superior aptitude..."

Everyone fell silent.

Yes, there is a big difference between superior and average physical attributes.

Perhaps Qin Feng really might succeed on his first attempt.

If he succeeds, it means that as long as he doesn't die, his future mastery of internal energy is almost a certainty.

In the vast Anning County, they are among the most outstanding individuals.

Hu Yuan bit his lip, his eyes revealing a defiant spirit.

He carried a bag of sesame cakes back to the communal room, ready to knock on the gate.

Li Chuan also sighed inwardly.

Fate is so capricious, playing tricks on Hu Yuan.

"I hope he succeeds." Li Chuan silently encouraged Hu Yuan.

"Not bad, Junior Brother Li! I heard from my uncle that your medicine delivery was perfect!" Luo Zheng said with a hearty laugh, putting his arm around Li Chuan.

Li Chuan shook his head with a wry smile:

"Senior Brother Luo, please stop teasing me. Compared to masters of internal strength like you, I am far inferior."

Luo Zheng patted his chest and said:

"There's one more thing. You encountered a white-browed ape? That's a formidable creature. Luckily, my uncle personally led the team, otherwise..."

Luo Zheng didn't continue.

But Li Chuan knew what he meant.

Otherwise, they would have been completely wiped out.

The pressure emanating from the white-browed ape was almost suffocating for Li Chuan.

This also piqued Li Chuan's curiosity.

"Senior Brother Luo, how big is the gap between me and the Dark Force realm? What exactly is Dark Force?"

Luo Zheng thought for a moment and said:

"Ming Jin means that one's Qi and blood are vigorous and one's strength is exposed. One punch can make the air explode. This is the origin of the saying 'A sound is worth a thousand pieces of gold.' It can be said that only those who have Ming Jin can be considered to have stepped into the threshold of martial arts."

"And hidden strength is a step further, where the strength changes from hard to soft, and can penetrate the body to injure the enemy, or the strength can be concentrated into a single point and explode."

Li Chuan nodded, having gained a basic understanding of internal strength.

The hidden force has two functions: first, it can "pierce armor," and second, like in the previous life, it can concentrate complex forces into one place, unleashing extremely strong power.

The difference between visible and hidden strength is like the difference between punching through a steel plate and punching a point on the steel plate.

The former may seem more powerful, but the latter is far more difficult and powerful.

"What, you want to try out the hidden strength?" Luo Zheng teased.

Li Chuan smiled and said:

"Of course I want to give it a try, so I can assess my own level and know when to run if I encounter a similar situation in the future."

Luo Zheng laughed heartily:

"Junior Brother Li, there's no escaping it once we meet."

As soon as he finished speaking, he appeared in front of Li Chuan like a ghost, leaving a footprint on the bluestone slab!

Luo Zheng clenched his right fist and swung it toward Li Chuan's face.

Li Chuan's heart pounded, his pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly turned to the side, trying to pry Luo Zheng's right hand away.

But when he reached out with both arms, he found that Luo Zheng's right hand was not exerting any force at all.

It was a feint!

Luo Zheng extended his left palm and casually pressed it against Li Chuan's chest.

"Bang!"

Li Chuan felt as if he had been hit in the chest by a car, and his whole body flew out, crashing straight into the wooden post behind him.

The pain in his chest made it almost impossible for him to breathe, and it took him a while to recover.

"Hidden power... is it really that strong?"

Luo Zheng defeated him with a single move.

Luo Zheng comforted him:

"The difference between hidden strength and manifest strength is already very large. Just think about how hidden strength can easily catch a ten-ounce half-hanging blow. You've already done very well. Many people with manifest strength can't even react when they're fighting me."

"However, your fighting style is still inexperienced. Let me teach you a few key points. The first is to avoid the opponent's strength and attack their weakness. Do you remember the essence of Tongbei Quan that I told you about before?"

Luo Zheng stopped what he was doing and guided Li Chuan step by step on how to react in different situations.

"Never let your opponent guess what you're going to do."

"And when you practice your fighting style in the future, you should think about how to deal with different moves your opponent makes."

"You have to make these things instinctive, ingrained in your bones, so that you can respond perfectly even subconsciously."

Luo Zheng gave Li Chuan a deep look:

"Only then will your fighting style have a soul, instead of just a simple stacking of moves. After all, your opponent won't be stupid enough to wait for you to unleash a whole move."

"If you don't understand anything, feel free to ask me. As for payment... buying me a bowl of your noodles will suffice."

Li Chuan smiled and said:

"I'll give you two steamed buns at most!"