Surviving in the chaos of battle, I'm grinding for proficiency.

Luo Zheng sat on the high platform, leisurely drinking tea, his gaze constantly moving among the disciples.

Seeing the puzzled and distressed expressions on everyone's faces, a smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

"This is nothing. Tongbei Quan is not as simple as you think. There's much more to come." Luo Zheng chuckled to himself.

Of course, his gaze was mainly focused on Hu Yuan.

After glancing at it a few times, Luo Zheng frowned slightly.

This junior brother Hu... his movements are too wooden, he has no spirit at all.

Logically speaking, someone with good innate talent shouldn't have poor comprehension either.

However, Hu Yuan's performance was really unsatisfactory, even inferior to many disciples with lower aptitude.

Luo Zheng turned his gaze to the others.

"Um?!"

Among the group of people who performed poorly, Li Chuan, who was demonstrating Tongbei Quan skillfully, stood out.

Sometimes he would make his fingers into thorns, and sometimes he would raise his elbow to strike.

This appearance... clearly shows he's entered the field!

Luo Zheng was surprised. As far as he knew, Li Chuan had not been present during his master's three martial arts training sessions.

So, does that mean he's already mastered Tongbei Quan after only just starting out?

"No... In April, I was able to get some contact with them, probably because I had some prior knowledge of them."

"But this is still quite good, considering that someone with inferior aptitude has such comprehension."

Luo Zheng nodded secretly.

"Unfortunately, it's too late to realize this. With inferior talent, the chances of breaking through the barrier within two months are slim."

Luo Zheng took a sip of tea and sighed.

Many people do not study hard when they are young, and only regret that they have wasted so many years when they really need to improve.

But time cannot be reversed, and there is no medicine for regret in this world.

Once you miss it, you miss it.

Another half hour passed.

Many disciples below the stage still hadn't found the key.

As he said, learning martial arts is not a simple matter.

"Oh?" Luo Zheng looked at an inconspicuous figure, whose throat-piercing and heart-locking technique actually looked somewhat similar.

I've also gotten started.

He had some impression of this person.

Qin Feng has inferior physical constitution.

He mastered the basics in just over half an hour, demonstrating even greater comprehension than he had back then.

Luo Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

What's going on with this batch of newcomers? There are two with low natural talent but good comprehension.

Li Chuan was automatically categorized as a "newcomer" by him.

Hu Yuan, however, still looked stiff and was far from being a beginner.

Li Chuan never looked up or paid attention to the progress of others. He focused on himself and diligently practiced Tongbei Quan.

Force is his fundamental means of survival in this world.

He put his utmost effort into every punch and every palm strike.

All he could see was the panel in front of him, and the numbers, emitting a faint glow, were constantly changing, giving him endless motivation.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Luo Zheng's voice woke him up.

"It's almost noon, everyone go and have lunch. You can't be impatient for quick results when it comes to martial arts. Tongbei Quan is not some kind of unorthodox style. It's not easy to get started, but you can learn it slowly."

Upon hearing this, many disciples collapsed to the ground, exhausted, and trembling as they took out the food they had prepared.

Most of the commoner disciples ate cornbread, which they swallowed with difficulty along with pickled vegetables.

The children from wealthy families would take out an oil paper package, rub their hands together, and open it.

Some dishes were roast chicken, others were braised pork, and so on. Everyone ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with oil.

"Junior Brother Hu, come with me to the inner courtyard, the meal is ready." Luo Zheng greeted Hu Yuan with a smile.

Hu Yuan looked somewhat embarrassed and responded in a low voice.

He never expected that, despite having superior physical constitution, he wouldn't even be able to master the basics of Tongbei Quan in a whole morning.

The inner and outer courtyards are separated by a gate and wall, as if they were two separate worlds.

Li Chuan saw it through the crack in the door.

A large table made of pear wood, with more than a dozen dishes on it.

Braised pork hock, turtle soup, steamed bear paw, roasted pigeon...

Flying in the sky, walking on the ground, swimming in the sea.

Seated at the table were a young nobleman in fine clothes and a dignified young lady.

They chatted and laughed, speaking with great enthusiasm and confidence.

A face familiar to Li Chuan: Jiang Ting was prominently featured.

Li Chuan shook his head, finally understanding why no matter how hard the original owner tried to please him, the other party still didn't look at him.

They only associate with the sons of wealthy families, and as a martial artist with internal strength, how could they possibly look down on an apprentice like me who hasn't even entered the path yet?

The act of "giving" only becomes meaningful when you have a certain status or position.

The concern of the weak is laughable.

Li Chuan pulled two cold, hard pancakes out of his pocket and chewed them with difficulty.

When he really couldn't swallow it, he would dip it in some water, soak it until it was soft, and then eat it.

The aroma of meat around him kept stimulating his taste buds.

After learning martial arts, the body naturally needs a lot of replenishment of qi and blood.

These two pancakes are only enough to "fill one's stomach," not enough to "eat one's fill."

Li Chuan gave a wry smile.

I want to eat meat too, but the circumstances don't allow it!

He only received one or two taels of silver per month.

Pork costs forty coins a pound; how can we afford to eat it every day?

He usually eats meat on one out of every two days, and on the other day he eats some vegetable leaves with flatbread and steamed buns.

Even so, he was already better than many of the disciples in the martial arts school.

Many people even borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates to practice martial arts, hoping to seize that one chance to turn their lives around.

In Anning County, the practice of "nine outings and thirteen returns" is considered benevolent and righteous.

If they can succeed in cultivating, that's fine; but if they can't break through the barrier... they might face the destruction of their family and the loss of their lives.

These people often cannot afford meat and can only have a little bit of meat every few days.

Compared to others, he can be considered fortunate.

"Pah!" Qin Feng leaned close to Li Chuan and spat, "That son of a bitch Hu Yuan, he doesn't recognize us now that he's in the inner courtyard."

"He joined the museum on the same day as me, and he used to call me Brother Qin, but now he's Junior Brother Qin!"

"If I ever achieve mastery of martial arts, I will never end up like him!"

Qin Feng gulped down a large mouthful of water, his expression excited, unlike his usual calm demeanor.

Clearly, Hu Yuan's actions just now angered him.

"That's just how things are; there's nothing wrong with it," Li Chuan said calmly.

Qin Feng was very surprised:

"Senior Brother Li, why don't you care at all that he calls you Junior Brother Li?"

Li Chuan chewed the pancake vigorously without replying.

"Senior Brother Li, I don't know why you practice martial arts, but I practice it so that my mother can have a better life and not have to do needlework at home every day and suffer other people's cold looks!"

Li Chuan thought of his family.

Grandparents who hope their grandson will become a star, a mother who feels sorry for her son, a cousin who gave up his own opportunity to learn martial arts to support him, and an aunt who has a sharp tongue but a kind heart...

After finishing the pancake, Li Chuan got up again and practiced Tongbei Quan (a style of Chinese martial arts) over and over again.

When you get tired of practicing, stand in the Baoshan Zhuang stance, alternating between the two.

[Practicing Tongbei Quan, proficiency +1]

[Practicing the Baoshan stance, proficiency +1]

【Primordial Jade Register】

[Effect: With diligent study and practice, you will surely achieve mastery of the art of engraving!]

[Host: Li Chuan]

【Skill: Mountain-Embracing Posture (Beginner)】

[Proficiency: 130/500]

[Technique: Tongbei Quan (Beginner)]

[Proficiency: 20/500]