"Xiaofan, are you awake?" Yin Fang entered the room quietly, her gaze falling on Chen Fan, who was sitting up. She hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your father told me not to wake you up when he left. He said you've been practicing so hard lately, and it's rare for you to sleep in."
"Dad already left?" Chen Fan asked, his initial concern now eased, knowing his father was only taking care of Gu Jiazhai and the others.
"Yes, I think they'll be back in the afternoon. If you're tired, you can sleep a bit longer," Yin Fang said softly, more concerned about her son's well-being than his heroic reputation in the village.
"No need, Mom. I've had enough rest," Chen Fan replied, glancing at the empty space beside him, realizing that even his younger brother, Chen Chen, had already gone out. It seemed he had practiced late into the night. Despite the late hours, he wouldn't change a thing; he'd do it all over again if given the choice, even tonight, if Uncle Zhang had the time.
Outside, the voices of villagers could be heard. Chen Fan quickly got up, left his bed, and said with an apologetic smile, "Mom, is there something to eat? I'm hungry."
"Of course, I've prepared something for you," Yin Fang replied eagerly.
With his mother's watchful eyes on him, Chen Fan finished his breakfast, gaining over a dozen potential points. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and headed for the door, saying as he walked, "Mom, I'm going to find Uncle Zhang."
"How about going after lunch?" Yin Fang hesitated, reluctant to see him leave so soon.
"It's not even noon yet; there's still time. I don't want to waste it," Chen Fan responded, disappearing through the door.
Yin Fang let out a soft sigh. "Today, I'll start with Tai Chi to raise my proficiency a bit, then practice archery and meteor archery. Let's see if I can work on basic marksmanship tonight."
As he walked, Chen Fan contemplated the significance of Taijiquan. It not only provided a substantial amount of attribute points but also served as a foundation for learning other martial arts, such as marksmanship. While archery was fundamental, his strength now exceeded 40 points, allowing him to use a 200-jin draw weight bow. This meant that when hunting, he could hit targets from a range of four to five hundred meters.
The importance of the "Meteor Arrow Technique" was evident; it was an advanced archery technique, rumored to contain secret skills. Chen Fan was curious to see if it lived up to the hype.
As for "Basic Marksmanship," his progress had been rapid with Uncle Zhang's guidance. While the attribute points it provided were minimal, every bit counted. Moreover, the weapon feature that increased blocking chances intrigued him. He wondered if this could potentially block not only melee attacks but also incoming arrows.
Arriving at the open space, Chen Fan found Wang Ping and others already there, joined by a couple of adult men practicing marksmanship.
"Xiaofan, you're here!" greeted Uncle Qian, smiling. "Did you get enough rest? We heard you didn't return until after midnight last night."
"Yes, Uncle Qian, I'm well-rested," Chen Fan replied with a smile.
"Ready?" Zhang Ren approached.
"Yes, Uncle Zhang, my apologies for being late," Chen Fan said, chuckling. "I plan to start with Tai Chi, then move on to archery, and later, practice marksmanship with you in the evening."
"Understood," Zhang Ren acknowledged.
Zhang Ren nodded, expressing agreement. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime."
After speaking, he turned around and walked away.
Chen Fan adjusted his breathing and glanced at the skill bar:
[Zhang's Taijiquan: First Glimpse of the Door (1.2%), Characteristics: Prolong Life 1st Level, Strength 1st Level, Lightness 1st Level]
According to Uncle Zhang, you start with a small success, then progress to entering the room, and finally achieve great success, for a total of three levels.
He checked his experience points again: 160 points. It should be more than enough to upgrade to Xiaocheng. Maybe there's even a chance to enter the room, but Dacheng is definitely out of reach.
"Let's start with a small success," he resolved and began practicing Tai Chi.
His Tai Chi was indeed at the entry level, and Zhang Ren, not far away, raised an eyebrow. He realized that this kid had already started practicing Tai Chi.
A hint of melancholy crept into Zhang Ren's heart. He had started Tai Chi when he was only six or seven years old and took two to three years to get to this point.
"However, progressing from beginner to small success isn't that easy," he thought. Chen Fan had likely come today with the intention of advancing his Tai Chi skills to learn Bajiquan and eventually the eighth-level great spear technique.
But it wouldn't be that simple.
As he contemplated this, Zhang Ren noticed that history seemed to be repeating itself. Every time Chen Fan completed one round of Tai Chi, the next round was slightly better. It was just a small improvement each time, but after a dozen rounds, the progress was significant.
"Could it be?" Zhang Ren's eyes widened as a realization dawned on him.
After finishing another set of Taijiquan, Chen Fan concentrated and silently added a bit of experience. His proficiency immediately increased by 2%.
"Not bad," he thought, nodding slightly. If he continued like this, he might achieve small success in about fifty more rounds. Although the increments were small, it all felt so natural.
As he contemplated the future proficiency levels, Chen Fan couldn't help but anticipate whether new features would be unlocked.
Time passed slowly, and Zhang Ren sighed softly. This kid's talent seemed to improve with practice, whether it was archery, the piling method, boxing, or marksmanship.
"Perhaps he truly is a martial arts genius, a once-in-a-thousand-years talent," Zhang Ren mused.
More time passed, and with the last bit of experience added to Tai Chi, Chen Fan felt a surge of warmth.
"Crack, crack, crack."
His bones made popping sounds like beans cooking.
His previous fatigue dissipated, and he sensed that his understanding of Tai Chi had reached a new level. The body moved freely, and there was a sense of strength within the fluidity, as if everything was interconnected.
"It feels even more powerful," he noted.
[Meteor Arrow Technique: Know Nothing (0.1%)]
He checked the skill bar and saw:
[Zhang's Taijiquan: Slightly Successful (0.2%), Characteristics: Prolong Life Level 2, Strength Level 2, Lightness Level 2, Blood Circulation Level 1]
"Huh? An extra characteristic?" Chen Fan's eyes widened in surprise. This extra characteristic, however, seemed imperceptible. Was it not functioning correctly?