Thinking about the meat herbal cuisine infused with spiritual qi and the greasy braised pork, Zhou Leng swallowed hard, his stomach seemingly ablaze.
"Want to come stay at my place for a few days?" Zhou Leng pointed in the direction of the city.
Huang looked towards the city, dazed for a few seconds, seemingly recalling the days of being tied to a leash, took three steps back, and shook his head vigorously.
Zhou Leng squatted down, rubbing the dog's face with both hands, saying while rubbing, "It's not safe outside lately. Don't leave the village, understand?"
Huang opened his mouth, eyes vacant, looking confused.
Zhou Leng said, "Stop pretending. If you dare to run around outside, I'll break your legs!"
Huang's ears drooped as he tilted his head, looking aggrieved.
The dog's eyes gently rolled around.
Zhou Leng patted Huang's head, stood up, and said, "I'm leaving. I'll come to see you in a few days."
"Woof woof..." Huang wagged his tail, picked up his metal food bowl, and started wandering around the village.
Carrying a backpack, enduring hunger, he jogged along.
Passing by a small supermarket, Zhou Leng felt his stomach churning, his body trembling.
He hesitated for a few seconds, then walked into the supermarket, heading straight for the high-energy supplement shelf.
Glancing at the price, it was 100 yuan per bottle.
Drink assassin.
He left silently, moved to another shelf, bought four bags of Morning Exercise Powder, poured them into bottled water, and drank it all. The burning sensation in his stomach eased a little.
Leaving the supermarket, Zhou Leng jogged slowly, warming up. He took out his phone, looking at the timer.
"Minor achievement in True Qi, Third Layer Heaven. Feeling a lot stronger, hopefully, this time I can break 3 and a half minutes on my qi run!"
He pressed the timer, fully circulating his True Qi, sprinting with all his might.
The more he ran, the more relaxed his expression became.
"Phew..."
Depleting his True Qi, he pressed stop and looked at the time.
4 minutes and 18 seconds.
He looked at it a few times.
Yesterday, it was 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
In one day, the qi run increased by 1 minute and 8 seconds.
If in the physical exam he had this physical condition, his ranking in the entire city could rise by at least twenty thousand places.
His best score six months ago was 3 minutes and 55 seconds.
4 minutes and 18 seconds, far exceeding expectations.
Zhou Leng gently touched his abdomen, faintly sensing a subtle change in his True Qi.
It might be an illusion because the martial arts perception is not clear.
He turned around, looking at Xiaoru Village shrouded in white mist on Ruge Mountain.
The white mist seemed much thinner than yesterday.
He continued to jog slowly, pondering the mysterious forest and the Frost Giant Tree.
Gradually, a plan formed in his mind.
Although he felt like he was forgetting something, it seemed unimportant.
After returning home, Zhou Leng went straight to the storage cabinet to find emergency food.
Energy bars, compressed biscuits, luncheon meat, chocolate, etc., he ate half of it in one go before stopping.
After eating, a slight hunger still lingered.
Decisively, he stopped and ceased eating.
Knock knock knock...
A knocking sound came.
"Xiao Leng, time to eat." Li Linhan urged from outside.
"Coming."
Zhou Leng headed next door.
Meat herbal cuisine, spicy pepper stewed whole chicken, plus two green vegetables.
He ate heartily.
Zhou Leng said nothing, and Li Linhan asked no additional questions.
After Zhou Leng turned to leave, Li Linhan had a contemplative look on his face.
This kid, his inner power has obviously improved. Looks like he's about to recover.
Back in his own home, Zhou Leng circulated his power to digest the meat herbal cuisine.
In less than three minutes, Zhou Leng finished his practice.
His body absorbed the power of the herbal cuisine, completely eliminating his hunger, his whole body warm as if soaking in a hot spring.
Zhou Leng headed straight downstairs, found a secluded spot in the neighborhood, and began practicing Overlapping Waves Palm.
With slow movements, he executed the Eighteen Forms of Overlapping Waves Palm without using True Qi.
Entering water and separating waves, crossing the autumn river, rushing tide striking the shore, great sea boating...
Fast drills, slow practices, every detail distinct.
After practicing a complete set of Overlapping Waves Palm three times slowly, Zhou Leng looked focused, then began practicing Overlapping Waves Palm at normal speed.
Fast drills, quick practices, calm and collected.
After three sets of fast punches, Zhou Leng gradually concluded his practice, a subtle joy appeared between his brows.
Overlapping Waves Palm progressed from Minor Achievement, Ninth Heaven, to Minor Achievement, Tenth Heaven.
Next, Zhou Leng practiced Mountain Charging Fist, Flying Cloud Leg, Eight Trigrams Step, and Cloud Wandering Body Technique one by one.
After finishing the training, relying on the martial arts perception from national divine techniques, he sensed that all his external skills had advanced by one layer of heaven.
Zhou Leng went upstairs back home, sat at the desk, and opened the Martial Arts Notes.
He glanced at yesterday's entry, picked up his pen, and began to write.
July 8,
Cloudy turning to sunny.
1. Realm.
Qi Blood Realm, Qi Nourishing Period.
2. Divine Techniques.
1, Clan Divine Power: Seed of True Qi.
2, National Divine Techniques: Inheritance Continuation. Martial Arts Perception. United Strength. Medicinal Supplement.
3. Martial Arts:
1, Inner Power: Mystic Tide Technique - Minor Achievement, Third Heaven. +2.
2, Fist Technique: Mountain Charging Fist - Mastery, Third Heaven. +1
3, Palm Technique: Overlapping Waves Palm - Minor Achievement, Tenth Heaven. +1
4, Leg Technique: Flying Cloud Leg - Mastery of the Fifth Heaven. +1
5, Stepping Technique: Eight Trigrams Step - Minor Achievement Ninth Heaven. +1
6, Body Technique: Cloud Wandering Body Technique - Mastery of the Seventh Heaven. +1
Four, Four Wonders Body.
Qi: Mortal Qi.
Blood: Mortal Blood.
Body: Mortal Body.
Power: Mortal Power.
Five, Martial Arts Will.
No perception.
Six, Combat Awareness.
No perception.
Zhou Leng lightly clenched his fist and looked at the green bracelet on his left wrist.
Once the martial arts exams are over, it can be taken off at the hospital.
Just promoted, Zhou Leng didn't dare to waste time. He sent a message to Mo Hai for leave, then walked to the cushion in the room, sitting cross-legged to cultivate the Mystic Tide Technique.
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, operating the Mystic Tide Technique, internal vision as a painting.
After a moment, Zhou Leng faintly felt the Mystic Tide Technique seemed different, but martial arts perception couldn't detect anything.
The deep blue True Qi circulated within, and Zhou Leng followed the Qi with his intent, discarding the emerging distracting thoughts.
The True Qi of Mystic Tide, with minor achievement in the Third Layer Heaven, was even thicker and ran faster.
Sitting for a long time without getting up, repeatedly cultivating to consolidate the hard-won improvement.
It wasn't until noon, when the gradual tidal alarm rang, that Zhou Leng stood up.
A faint feeling of hunger emerged.
Zhou Leng looked at the fridge and started making lunch.
Duck meat stewed with potatoes, stir-fried cabbage, and steamed white rice.
Even though he ate so much in the morning, he was so hungry by noon.
An entire two ducks, seven large potatoes, half a cabbage, plus half a pot of white rice.
After eating, afraid of inadequate nutrition, he took two multivitamin tablets.
He patted his bulging stomach.
The body is indeed getting better.
He soaked mixed grains for the evening, played on his phone for a while, and then took a nap.
After napping, Zhou Leng took "The Miscellaneous Collection of Zhao Dongjun, Volume 1" from the bookshelf, walked to the living room, and slowly read.
"The Miscellaneous Collection of Zhao Dongjun" has a total of five volumes.
The first volume records the growth process of this Martial Saint, including some memoirs.
The second volume contains his notes, insights, speeches, interviews, or miscellaneous notes from the Qi Blood Realm martial arts.
The cover of "The Miscellaneous Collection of Zhao Dongjun, Volume 1" in Zhou Leng's hand was yellowing, the pages loose, unknown how many times it had been flipped through.
This book, Zhou Leng completed copying it stroke by stroke.
Feeling a bit of digestion from lunch, Zhou Leng cultivated the Mystic Tide Technique again.
Two hours passed in a flash, and Zhou Leng went downstairs to run to Longyou River Park, cultivating the Overlapping Waves Palm and Eight Trigrams Step among other external skills in a deserted area, continuing to consolidate his cultivation results.
It wasn't until the setting sun that Zhou Leng ran home.
At Eighth Middle School, the starlight illuminated the martial arts field.
After training, classmates from Class Three left one after another, as four students who qualified for the martial arts elite class chatted while walking back.
The Martial Arts Committee Member Mo Hai and Body Technique Class Representative Xu Qingjin were among them.
As they chatted, they talked about a classmate from Class Three.
Xu Qingjin asked, "Did Zhou Leng take a leave again today?"
Mo Hai sighed, "Yesterday he said he went looking for a dog, today he said he's training at home, not sure what's going on."
"He hasn't given up, has he? That Friday, during the luck run, you all saw it, he was swaying, legs shaking, still not recovered."
"In our class, Zhou Leng is the most regrettable. He's always been determined, even while sick, he hasn't given up, even Senior Brother Zhang Xinglie praised him."
"It's most regrettable that he's also cultivating the Mystic Tide Technique."
"Why do you say that?"
"For those of us training water element martial arts, nine out of ten want to fight back to West Sea Demon City and drive away the Sea Sirens. Now his martial arts path might be cut off."
"Yeah, for us from Rucheng, no one dares to say 100%, but at least 90% of us are holding our breath to reclaim West Sea Demon City."
"For us Rucheng people, either our elders retreated from the direction of West Sea Demon City or our relatives died in West Sea Demon City, how can we not hate the Sea Sirens?"
"Zhou Leng wants both desperately; since he was young he wanted to fight back to West Sea Demon City, so he trained fiercely, but was harmed by a Demon, now his martial arts path..." Xu Qingjin couldn't continue.
"What was his rank after the physical exam?"
"Over seventy-three thousand." Xu Qingjin replied.
"The martial arts exam only tests inner power True Qi; even if he has a slight advantage in inner power, with extraordinary performance in the martial arts exam, it's difficult for him to rank within the top five thousand citywide, Martial Arts University is out of reach."
"Not even a supplementary admission?"
"Teachers say every day, we encountered the post-war baby boom, too many candidates this year. Moreover, supplementary admissions are like special talent students, one spot per person, hard without extraordinary means. My mom inquired, said if I didn't get into West Sea Martial University in previous years, getting a supplementary admission wasn't hard, but if I don't make it this year, she also has no way, can only fight hard."
The other three nodded, Mo Hai's family had some background, his words held credibility.
"His martial arts exam score, should be enough to get into the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall, right?"
"With extraordinary performance there is hope, or find some connections. In recent years, the martial arts halls have been merged into the Martial Guard Department, the prospects are no weaker than ordinary martial arts universities. If my parents hadn't planned my direction, I would also want to go to the Affiliated Martial Arts Hall, focusing on martial arts."
"What a pity..."
"Let's strive together to get into Martial Arts Academy!"
"Alright!"
The voices of the four martial arts elites from Class Three were particularly loud on the nighttime martial arts field.
After dinner, Zhou Leng sat on the sofa with his eyes closed.
In his mind, he repetitively practiced the moves of the Overlapping Waves Palm and other external skills.
Heart cultivation.
Soon, his mind went numb, vision blurred, forcing him to stop, collapsing on the sofa.
After resting for a while, he laid out a training mat and again cultivated the Overlapping Waves Palm, Eight Trigrams Step, and other external skills.
After training, he slept peacefully.
On Monday morning, after finishing morning exercises, Zhou Leng returned home, and from the open apartment 702 came Li Linhan's voice.
"Have breakfast together, the things your third brother sent have arrived."
"Alright, I'll come over after I shower."
Soon after, Zhou Leng entered Li Linhan's home.
On the table were meat herbal cuisine, curry beef brisket, stir-fried rape leaf, cold cucumber salad, and half a pot of mixed grain rice.