Almost an hour or two had passed, and Chen Fan surveyed the skill bar with satisfaction.
[Promise Style: lv2 (0%), Characteristic: Physical Strength Level 2]
[Basic Gesture: lv1 (0%)]
[Basic Legwork: lv1 (0%), Characteristic: Strong Level 1]
[Basic Footwork: lv1 (0%), Characteristic: Quickness Level 1]
The strength attribute paralleled superior arm strength, increasing incrementally with each level, while the quickness characteristic enhanced agility in a similar fashion.
Basic gestures advanced without acquiring characteristics but imprinted a vivid memory in the practitioner's mind. Moreover, the experience points required for upgrades were relatively low, increasing by just one point per level.
Both [Basic Legwork] and [Basic Footwork], like the [Wuji Pose], demanded 2 experience points to progress from level 0 to level 1.
In total, he had invested 10 experience points, yielding a treasure trove of memories, a boost of 2 points in constitution, 1 point in strength, and 1 point in agility. The advantages were substantial.
Chen Fan harbored a theory.
He suspected that there might be no upper limit to mastering these fundamentals, provided one possessed sufficient experience points to invest. Furthermore, the attribute enhancements resulting from increasing basic skills might not have any bounds either.
However, he harbored a concern – the improvements might remain relatively modest as the skills advanced.
This concept aligned with Uncle Zhang's discussion of stances, progressing from Wuji to Taiji and then to Three-Body.
As such, he opted to elevate his skills by one level, reserving the remaining 7 experience points to discern any potential aftereffects.
"Very well."
At that moment, the crippled man's voice resonated as he observed the group of determined individuals. "I hope this day will be etched in your memory. I will demonstrate the exercises daily, and it's crucial that you practice alongside me to ensure retention. Keep in mind that these are the foundational basics; if you struggle to grasp them, it might be best to relinquish any aspirations of pursuing martial arts."
True to form, his words ignited excitement among several individuals.
"Uncle Zhang, we promise to commit it all to memory."
"That's right, these movements are simple; how challenging can they be?"
"It's much more engaging than conventional book learning."
Chen Fan couldn't resist rolling his eyes, recognizing Uncle Zhang's aversion to employing forceful methods.
Nevertheless, Wang Pingping and the others appeared to appreciate this approach.
It was understandable; after all, not everyone had lived two lives, as he had.
"All right, that wraps up today's session. The rest of you can focus on marksmanship practice now. Chen Fan, kindly remain behind for a moment."
Upon hearing these words, several people departed, their faces wearing expressions of envy.
Chen Fan offered an embarrassed smile and inquired, "Uncle Zhang, are you prepared to instruct me in Tai Chi now?"
Observing this, Zhang Ren curiously experienced a twinge of irritation. He let out a cold snort and replied, "Well, how did you manage to pick it up on your first attempt?"
"Huh?"
Chen Fan scratched his head, puzzled. "I don't know. It just feels effortless to stand that way, and it clears my mind, much like the feeling I get when I smoke."
"Smoke…"
Zhang Ren involuntarily licked his lips.
"Ahem, smoking is irrelevant here. If you can't compare, don't. In short, your talent isn't too shabby. If you wholeheartedly focus on learning Tai Chi, you might grasp it within a week or so. That's right."
"Yes," Chen Fan nodded repeatedly, urging Zhang Ren to proceed without delay.
"Listen."
Zhang Ren's demeanor returned to normal as he commenced his explanation. "Tai Chi emanates from Wuji, the origin of Yin and Yang. This means Tai Chi evolves from Wuji and embodies the essence of Yin and Yang. Everything in the world possesses both Yin and Yang aspects.
When it comes to martial arts, Zhuanggong is a fundamental concept. Zhuanggong consists of static and dynamic postures. After mastering the static postures, you can progress to the dynamic postures, starting with the Tai Chi posture I'm about to teach you."
Chen Fan quickly comprehended that the man's words held merit.
[Tai Chi Style: lv0 (0%)]
Unlock Requirement: [Promise Pile lv2, Achieved]
This led him to speculate whether the subsequent poses, including Tai Chi, had similar prerequisites.
It was a plausible assumption.
The next step was to begin the practice. The initial movement resembled that of the Promise Stake. Subsequently, the legs should be slightly bent, and the arms should be raised slowly, forming a circle in front of the chest.
After only a few minutes, Chen Fan's arms began to ache, and he could no longer maintain the posture.
"Remember what I taught you about pacing? For every five minutes, you can take a one-minute break, but aim to stand for an hour," Zhang Ren calmly advised, glancing at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan sighed in relief and, after releasing his posture, stretched his sore muscles.
This Taiji pose was undoubtedly more demanding than the Wuji stance. He couldn't help but wonder if the later Three-Body poses would be even more taxing.
Seizing the opportunity, he glanced at the skill bar and found a new line of small characters.
[Tai Chi Style: lv0 (0.05%)]
He was momentarily dumbfounded.
A mere increase of five ten-thousandths in five minutes? One ten-thousandth per minute? To level up, he would need to stand for 10,000 minutes?
That amounted to 166 hours, a full week without sleep...
He glanced at Zhang Ren, thinking that Uncle Zhang was truly relentless. Did he even spare time for restroom breaks during kung fu practice?
"Begin by practicing slowly. This Tai Chi pose serves as the foundation for all Tai Chi routines. If you master it, you'll achieve greater results with less effort. Don't be lazy," Zhang Ren instructed before walking toward Wang Ping and the others.
Chen Fan clenched his teeth, gazed at Zhang Ren's back, and temporarily abandoned his plan to allocate more points. After all, he had progressed rapidly within just five minutes. He would consider adding points once he neared the limit. Fortunately, his current physical attributes surpassed those of ordinary people, allowing for substantial recovery in just one minute of rest.
Nearly an hour passed.
Zhang Ren approached and observed Chen Fan's posture. For some reason, he breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and said, "That concludes our Zhuang Gong practice for today; we'll continue tomorrow."
"Yes, Uncle Zhang," Chen Fan replied, exhaling with exhaustion after an hour of effort.
"Take a short break for now, and later we'll resume archery practice for you. Archery requires special skills, and if you skip a day, you'll lose your touch."
"Understood," Chen Fan replied.
The proficiency of [Basic Archery] was approaching 60%. With practice in the afternoon and evening, he could reach level 5, granting him a 90% accuracy rate thanks to the level 3 Riding and Shooting characteristic.
Encountering a wildebeest again, his first arrow would be far less likely to miss.
As for practicing the pile method and boxing method, it aimed to enhance his strength, allowing him to draw a heavier bow.
At that moment, Chen Fan observed a figure not far away and inquired with a hint of curiosity, "Uncle Zhang, is Zhao Feng also planning to practice archery?"
"Well, perhaps he was inspired by you," Zhang Ren replied, also looking over. "But if he can genuinely improve, it would benefit the village greatly."
Chen Fan concurred. The stronger the villagers, the less burden he would bear.
Of course, his primary focus remained on strengthening himself.
"There shouldn't be any unexpected incidents tomorrow morning, and we'll resume hunting in the village," Chen Fan said, narrowing his eyes slightly. He intended to proceed methodically and conserve his strength, avoiding drawing unnecessary attention.
However, he recognized that being overly cautious was futile when his life hung in the balance every time he ventured outside. It was impractical to worry about concealing his strength.
Therefore, he decided to allocate more points to [Tai Chi Style].