The academic pressure in this world was relatively low. High school had culture classes starting at 8:30 in the morning, followed by martial arts classes at 1:30 in the afternoon, with school ending at 4:00.
After school, students had the option to participate in school club activities or head home.
As the school bell rang, the campus suddenly came alive, with thousands of students pouring out of various buildings.
Soon, football, basketball, tennis, and even the corridors were bustling with students. Those who opted for club activities contributed to the lively atmosphere.
For most high school students, culture classes were considered dull, martial arts classes challenging, but club activities were where the real excitement lay.
Especially for second and third-year students who lacked innate cultivation talent and had chosen cultural courses, they exuded a youthful vibe.
Carefree youth, enjoying a relaxed campus life.
In contrast, the Wuxiu (martial arts) area was considerably quieter. Students there remained in the training rooms, diligently honing their skills, creating a sense of two different worlds.
Chen Chu emerged from Building B, his backpack slung over his shoulder, rubbing his shoulders.
From the initial excitement about Zhenwu to the current soreness and exhaustion, it had only taken a few hours.
Meditation was undoubtedly tiring, but with the school's assistance, it provided a solid starting point, and the first session was of moderate duration. However, the progress in Body Casting Art was painfully slow.
It wasn't until after school that he could barely complete all eighteen poses. He felt the so-called "qi and blood" under the light of the bloodstone, and his overall progress was the slowest in the class.
Excluding the fastest student, the slowest still took over 30 minutes to complete the first rotation, while the others took approximately 20 minutes.
During the one-hour body casting training class, the quickest participant managed to practice four times before stopping, with the training durations decreasing each time.
Moreover, after a while of practicing, Chen Chu felt that his energy and blood were depleting, and his physical stamina couldn't keep up.
His spiritual talent seemed decent for cultivation, but his weak constitution resulted in poor physical talent.
Gazing up at the scorching sun in the sky, Chen Chu couldn't help but smile faintly. "Luckily, as long as I can practice, it's about what I expected."
He had foreseen this situation, even though he once harbored the illusion that he might be a genius.
However, reality was unforgiving. His overall talent for cultivation was quite average, and he ranked in the middle-to-lower range among a class of 40 students, let alone a school of thousands.
Talent alone wasn't sufficient, but perhaps he could compensate with some "cheats."
With this thought in mind, Chen Chu summoned his property page.
Physical: 7.1
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 6
Spirit: 10.1
Talent: Soul Split
Cultivation method: Lotus Terrace Meditation [Progress 5/100] Body Casting [1/100]
Divided body:…
The property page now displayed additional meditation and body casting skills that he had learned, including a progress bar. Additionally, both his physical and mental attributes had increased by 0.1, likely due to cultivation. It was unexpected that this foundational exercise had attribute-enhancing effects.
Furthermore, Chen Chu had noticed that once exercises were recorded on the attribute page, his body didn't forget them. For instance, after halting his practice during the tenth posture due to excruciating pain, he rested for a while and, upon resuming, his body effortlessly executed the first nine postures without any discomfort.
This phenomenon, similar to muscle memory, brought Chen Chu closer to those "geniuses" who appeared to effortlessly master new skills.
Seeing tangible progress in his cultivation was motivating, and Chen Chu reminded himself, "No need to rush, take it step by step."
With a contented smile, he strolled out of school.
September's weather was hot, but the city's greenery provided welcome shade. Chen Chu walked along the tree-lined sidewalk, heading towards the local market while enjoying the refreshing breeze.
Passing by an intersection, the hungry Chen Chu purchased an egg pancake and a bottle of fruit juice.
Back home, it was already five o'clock.
Chen Chu began by thawing some fish meat in the microwave and then prepared dinner.
After finishing the preparations, he took out the thawed fish, cleaned it, and cut it into small pieces for easy cooking.
In his second-floor room, the hexagonal salamander, now eighteen centimeters long and twice as thick, consumed the fish meat under Chen Chu's control.
As it digested the food, the salamander visibly expanded, growing an additional two centimeters after two consecutive meals.
This growth rate surpassed what would be expected from eating Jinkela and violated the norms of biological growth.
With an accumulated 5 evolution points, the avatar would be ready to start its first evolution after consuming a few more meals. Chen Chu eagerly anticipated this.
As the satiated salamander avatar lounged on the table, seemingly content, Chen Chu powered up his computer to search for information about Zhenwu.
Given his childhood weakness and lack of cultivation knowledge, combined with his youth and modest family background, Chen Chu was somewhat ignorant of the world of cultivation.
Through precise online searches, he quickly found extensive information about Zhenwu. This included the origin and history of Zhenwu's development.
He also came across information about the divisions of the Zhenwu realm, known as the "Nine Heavens of True Martial Arts."
The first level was the lowest, while the ninth level was the highest. However, the specific strengths at each level were not detailed.
Furthermore, many performance videos by martial arts masters who ran training centers were readily available online. These videos showcased incredible feats, from punching through walls to leaping dozens of meters in the air, and even withstanding gunfire without injury.
After browsing through the videos with enthusiasm, Chen Chu shifted his focus to more relevant information. He found an article that provided a well-regarded introduction to high school foundation building exercises.
"The current high school foundation building methods are divided into meditation and body casting techniques."
"The body casting method is based on Zhenwu Tianwang's fusion of essential elements from various martial arts disciplines ten years ago. After extensive exploration of the human body's mysteries, he simplified the technique."
"This method assists ordinary individuals in stretching the body's fascia, unblocking meridians, and facilitating the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body within a short period."
"Research suggests that this method is particularly effective for individuals under 20, with the best results observed for those under 16."
"When combined with lotus meditation principles, it helps individuals establish a foundation quickly. Over the past decade, the number of practitioners in the country has increased more than tenfold, significantly enhancing the nation's overall strength."
"Regrettably, the lotus meditation method is merely a grade one technique, suitable solely for foundation building, and cannot compare to the ninth-grade Divine Lotus Meditation of Jiuyou Heavenly King..."
Beneath this article, the author also classified individuals based on their talent.
According to the author, when learning the meditation method and supplementing it with body casting practice using the bloodstone, those
who completed their foundation within a week were considered high-level talents, those within half a month were mid-level, and those within a month were low-level.
For those who took one to two months to complete the foundation, the author discouraged further practice. Such individuals, despite their efforts, lacked the talent for cultivation.
In a world where progress in martial arts was akin to sailing against the current, failing to advance meant falling behind. The author believed it was better for such individuals to enjoy ordinary lives rather than attempting a futile pursuit of cultivation.
"Zhenwu Tianwang, Jiuyou Heavenly King," Chen Chu mused after reading the article, their names etched into his memory.
He wondered about the personalities and strengths of these two individuals who had created techniques that benefited countless people.
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