「The next day, Saturday morning, at the Honghe First Middle School Martial Arts Training Dojo.」
Not many students were there for extra practice on the weekend, so the dojo seemed spacious. Teacher Wang was present as always, guiding a few of the top students.
Xu Wuyi was there too. He was more silent than usual, but his gaze was like a searchlight, locked onto Teacher Wang.
Today, he practiced far fewer repetitions, spending much more time observing instead.
He was no longer content with merely mimicking the physical form of the movements. Instead, he tried to understand and capture that certain something in Teacher Wang's actions that transcended the "standard."
He discovered that when Teacher Wang performed the Basic Body Refining Technique, there was a unique "rhythm" in the flow of his Qi and Blood and the transitions between his movements.
It was a sense of fluid, natural rhythm, a seamless and complete coordination, as if every movement was imbued with an inner Life Force.
Even the most basic stance, Holding the Essence and Guarding the One, when performed by Teacher Wang, had a profound quality—as steady as a mountain, yet poised to strike.
This "rhythm" wasn't in any textbook, and Teacher Wang had never explained it in detail.
Before he had brought all nine forms of the Body Refining Technique to the "Standard" level, Xu Wuyi had never been able to perceive such a thing. Now, however, he seemed to have reached the threshold.
He held his breath, desperately trying to commit that feeling to memory.
An unknown amount of time passed before Xu Wuyi walked over to a corner of the dojo by himself. He began to practice the Basic Body Refining Technique, attempting to integrate that unique "rhythm" from the circulation of Qi and Blood into his own Holding the Essence and Guarding the One.
It felt awkward and stiff. The form was there, but the spirit was missing.
Before, even if Xu Wuyi had wanted to imitate it, he wouldn't have known where to begin. But things were different now.
This wasn't just because his Martial Arts had deepened, but also because after experiencing the "adjustments" to the Standard Actions, his understanding of the Body Refining Technique had reached a new level.
He had also become a better learner—a gain that was entirely his own and didn't come from the panel.
For the entire day, Xu Wuyi immersed himself in this mimicry, forgetting the time and even his own physical exhaustion.
During one attempt, as he adjusted his breathing and his mind tried to capture that feeling of "steadiness," his Qi and Blood circulated through his body. Suddenly, the panel in his sea of consciousness flickered.
A new line of small text quietly appeared:
[Movement contains a faint trace of the rudiments of 'Intention'. Training efficiency temporarily +50%]
[Standard Trainings Completed Today: 1]
[Basic Body Refining Technique Current Realm: Beginner (99.9%)]
Xu Wuyi froze, his heart beginning to pound wildly!
'Intention? Rudiments?'
While training earlier, he had constantly interrupted his own movements in his attempt to imitate this "Intention," so this was his first Standard Training of the day.
But this single session had been enough to push his previously stagnant Realm toward another breakthrough!
Without stopping to think, Xu Wuyi immediately started practicing again, trying to lock down the feeling from that last attempt.
Unfortunately, the feeling of "Intention" didn't reappear. However, the sensation of his Qi and Blood growing was indeed far more pronounced than before.
'A 50% temporary boost is no joke!'
[Standard Trainings Completed Today: 2]
[Standard Trainings Completed Today: 5]
[Standard Trainings Completed Today: 10]
…
[Standard Trainings Completed Today: 32]
By the time Xu Wuyi felt completely exhausted, it was already afternoon. His stomach was growling, and his Standard Training count had reached an unprecedented 32.
More importantly, his Realm had finally broken through to the Entry Level!
[Basic Body Refining Technique Current Realm: Entry Level (0.8%)]
With a thought, the complete panel appeared before him:
**[Martial Arts Diligence Record]**
Martial Arts: Basic Body Refining Technique
Current Realm: Entry Level (0.8%)
Martial Arts Traits: Not Unlocked
Assessment: Foundation solidifying, you have glimpsed the path.
Overjoyed, Xu Wuyi nearly collapsed from exhaustion. He knew he had pushed himself too hard this time and would need to rest well for a while.
But even if given the choice again, he would do the same thing. This was a massive 50% temporary boost; missing out on it would have been the real regret!
'If there was ever a time to push himself to the limit, this was it.'
Xu Wuyi wiped the sweat from his forehead and plopped down onto the floor, only to find a large shadow falling over him.
At some point, Teacher Wang Wenhai had walked up beside him.
"Teacher Wang?"
Teacher Wang beamed at him. "Not bad, kid! Xu Wuyi, I never thought we had someone like you in our class. You've only just reached the Entry Level with your Body Refining Technique, and you're already grasping the True Intention of Martial Arts?"
Xu Wuyi started to get up, but Teacher Wang waved him down and casually squatted beside him, his eyes never leaving the boy.
"That moment just now, how did it feel?"
Xu Wuyi's heart was still racing. He carefully recalled the sensation. "It felt like my body knew exactly what to do on its own. My Qi and Blood and my thoughts all followed in perfect sync. It was incredibly smooth and highly efficient."
"Highly efficient?" Teacher Wang latched onto the phrase, a slight smile playing on his lips. "It seems you have your own methods. That wasn't just smoothness; that was the rudiment of 'Intention.' It was so faint as to be almost negligible, but it was there."
He paused, and seeing the confusion in Xu Wuyi's eyes, his tone softened with a rare hint of explanation:
"This 'Intention'… it's a difficult thing to put into words."
"It's not something you can obtain just by being taught how to move or breathe. It's a 'spark' that ignites when your Heart and Spirit, Qi and Blood, and physical movements all reach a certain level and fuse together naturally, like a river carving its own channel."
"Being able to condense a True Intention of Martial Arts is the mark of a Martial Artist who has truly entered the path, shedding mere technical skill and beginning to touch the true essence of Martial Arts. Many people train all the way to the Martial Master Realm and only then do they barely reach the threshold of 'Intention.'" There was a hint of wonder in Teacher Wang's voice. "For you to touch upon the barest sliver of it just after reaching Entry Level… that's incredibly rare."
"Of course, different Martial Arts have different True Intentions. The Body Refining Technique is a fundamental art, so its 'Intention' is also the simplest."
After a moment of thought, Xu Wuyi asked, "Then how do I master it?"
Teacher Wang shook his head with a smile. "Mastering it? Easier said than done. Like I said, this isn't something that can be taught. True 'Intention' is usually a flash of insight forced out of you in the heat of real combat, under immense pressure, or even in a life-or-death struggle."
"It's too early for you to be thinking about all that. Just having a trace of the rudiments of 'Intention' is enough to greatly boost the efficiency of your Body Refining Technique. For now, strengthening your Qi and Blood as quickly as possible will be the most helpful for the college entrance exams."
"Meeting the cutoff score for university admission is the bare minimum. You should aim to reach Level 10 or higher as soon as you can…"
"I understand." Xu Wuyi nodded. He knew his Qi and Blood was his greatest weakness right now; he hadn't even reached the minimum level required for university admission.
If he took the practical combat exam at his current level, it wouldn't matter how profound his Martial Arts skills were or how lofty his Mental Realm was; he wouldn't be able to use any of it.
And Xu Wuyi certainly understood why Teacher Wang had mentioned reaching Level 10 or higher.
Once a Martial Artist's Life Energy Level reached 10.0, they became qualified to learn Visualization Methods and begin training their Spirit. They could also connect to the Star Martial Battle Network!
'The Battle Network…'
Xu Wuyi had heard about it long ago. It was a virtual network with a Simulation Level of over 80%. Connecting required a specialized virtual machine, which placed demands on the user's physique and Spirit.
Teacher Wang stood up and patted Xu Wuyi on the shoulder. "Next week, the class is organizing a proper practical combat training session. It won't be the child's play we've been doing. Be prepared."
'Practical combat training?'
"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Wang!" Xu Wuyi suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and thanked him earnestly.