Chapter 9: Meditative Self-Refinement
Chapter 9: Meditative Self-Refinement
"You reckless spendthrift! Of all the things to stab, why the wall? Do you have any idea how much it’ll cost to repair?" After a long pause, Chen Mu’s sharp voice rang out in the dining room.
"Mom, what did my brother do this time?"
Chen Xingyue had just returned home.
Her words instantly darkened Chen Shouyi’s face. What did she mean by "this time"?
Though he had indeed been careless this time, who could have predicted he’d actually pierce the wall?
"Take a look at what your brother’s done," Chen Mu said indignantly, gesturing.
The wooden chopstick was still embedded in the wall, unremoved. Chen Xingyue examined it closely and gasped, "My brother did this?"
"Who else? He said he was demonstrating the Lunge Thrust, but his brain must’ve short-circuited—he ended up stabbing the wall instead."
Chen Xingyue was both puzzled and astonished. To the untrained eye, such performances might seem commonplace, as if any Martial Arts practitioner could pull them off. But those who took the stage were far from ordinary.
She knew full well how difficult it was to drive a wooden chopstick into a tiled wall. Raw strength and speed alone weren’t enough—the angle had to be perfectly perpendicular. The slightest deviation would snap the chopstick instantly. Even as a Quasi-Martial Apprentice, she’d struggle to succeed once in ten attempts.
So how had her brother, with his lackluster Martial Arts talent, managed it?
In truth, even Chen Shouyi himself was unaware. The middle-aged Martial Arts instructor whose swordsmanship experience he’d absorbed in the Memory Space was merely a Martial Apprentice, likely never to advance further in his lifetime—a far cry from a prodigy like Chen Xingyue.
Yet this instructor had spent over a decade honing a single technique: the Lunge Thrust. Through tens of thousands of repetitions, he’d refined it to perfection, far surpassing the crude attempts of a greenhorn like Chen Xingyue.
"Enough, enough! It’s just a hole. I’ll call someone tomorrow morning to replace the tile," Chen Dawei said cheerfully. Compared to the minor expense, he was far more delighted by his son’s transformation.
"This time, I’ll make the decision. If you want to attend that Martial Arts Supplementary Class, go ahead. Tell me how much you need, and your mother will transfer it to you later."
The household finances were entirely in Chen Mu’s hands—his pockets were even emptier than Chen Shouyi’s.
"Playing the generous one with my money, are you?" Chen Mu shot him a glare but didn’t object.
Though she hadn’t explicitly agreed, Chen Shouyi caught the implication immediately. "I want to enroll in the Advanced Swordsmanship Class. One course has twenty lessons and costs around six or seven thousand!"
Their family wasn’t wealthy, but they were comfortably middle-class. Their shop was owned outright, free of rent, bringing in roughly 200,000 yuan annually. Combined with income from private loans, finances were relatively stable.
"I’ll transfer you 7,000. But you won’t get any allowance this month," Chen Mu said with a cold snort.
Chen Xingyue remained unusually quiet by his side, her large eyes blinking as she stared at Chen Shouyi, her thoughts inscrutable.
...
During dinner, Chen Shouyi secretly opened his Attribute Panel and was delighted to find that his Energy Accumulation had finally surpassed one. He hurriedly finished his meal, eager to return to his bedroom, but as soon as he opened the door, Chen Xingyue intercepted him.
"Brother, when did you learn the Lunge Thrust?" Chen Xingyue asked, her voice sickly sweet.
"A few days ago. What about it?" Chen Shouyi replied impatiently. "Anything else? I have homework to do. Unlike you, who’s already guaranteed admission, I still need to work hard."
"Oh! Nothing, I was just curious."
"Then I’m going back to my room." With that, Chen Shouyi shut the door behind him.
Chen Xingyue glared at the closed door, gritting her teeth. "A few days ago? Who do you think you’re fooling?"
...
Once Chen Shouyi sensed that Chen Xingyue had left, he immediately locked the door.
His heart pounded as he hastily summoned the Book of Knowledge.
Name: Chen Shouyi
Attributes:
Strength: 10.5
Agility: 10.5
Constitution: 10.4
Intelligence: 10.3
Perception: 10.3
Willpower: 11.0
Knowledge:
Chinese Language (Proficient 6); Physics (Skilled 12); Chemistry (Skilled 11); Biology (Skilled 10); Mathematics (Skilled 9); English (Skilled 6); Computer Science (Beginner 6); Cooking (Beginner 5); Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques (Skilled 2); Meditative Self-Refinement (Uninitiated); Swordsmanship (Beginner 8); Archery (Uninitiated)
Energy Accumulation: 1.05
Over the past few days, not only had his physical attributes noticeably increased, but his knowledge and skills had also improved—for example, his English proficiency had risen by one point.
However, the most significant progress had been in Martial Arts.
The Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques had advanced from (Beginner 5) to (Skilled 2), while Swordsmanship had jumped from uninitiated to (Beginner 8)—and this was just from mastering a single sword technique. If judged solely on the Lunge Thrust, its level was at least Skilled or higher.
He hesitated as he looked at the Attribute Panel, contemplating which knowledge or skill to optimize next. Academic subjects were immediately ruled out—the college entrance exam was still far off, and optimizing them a month or two before the test would suffice.
Moreover, deep down, he was far more passionate about Martial Arts.
Next, he dismissed Swordsmanship.
Since he had only mastered the Lunge Thrust, optimizing it wouldn’t be cost-effective. Besides, he could rapidly improve it through the Memory Space. Only if he hit a plateau would he consider wasting energy points on optimization.
As for Archery, which he hadn’t even begun, it was naturally out of the question.
Chen Shouyi felt his physical attributes still fell far short of the standard for a Martial Apprentice, so he decided to continue optimizing the Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques.
"If optimizing the Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques once made them this powerful, wouldn’t a second optimization yield even better results?"
Sharpening the axe wouldn’t delay the chopping of firewood. Only by meeting the physical standards could he consider other areas—otherwise, no amount of training elsewhere would be useful.
But just as he prepared to optimize, the Book of Knowledge informed him that he lacked sufficient energy.
"Does the second optimization consume even more energy?"
Chen Shouyi was momentarily stunned, a trace of hesitation flickering in his heart.
"Should I wait for the Book of Knowledge's Energy Accumulation to be sufficient, or should I optimize the Meditative Self-Refinement technique?"
The former’s timeframe was uncertain, while the latter promised immediate, tangible results. Without much deliberation, Chen Shouyi chose the latter.
He couldn’t afford to waste time. Rather than waiting, it was better to seize what was within his grasp right now.
Moreover, the Meditative Self-Refinement technique was of utmost importance—it would help him gain finer control over his body, mastering every muscle and harnessing every ounce of his strength.
For many, Swordsmanship was exceedingly difficult to begin with, and even after starting, progress was slow.
The primary reason was the inability to achieve precise control over the body’s muscles. But for someone who had preliminarily completed "Meditative Self-Refinement—Muscle Refinement," it became effortless, almost second nature.
At the same time, it was also one of the defining marks of a true martial artist.
While diligent practice and decent comprehension might allow one to become a martial apprentice, becoming a full-fledged martial artist required refining every muscle in the body through "Meditative Self-Refinement."
Without hesitation, Chen Shouyi immediately selected "Meditative Self-Refinement" and chose to optimize it.
In the next moment, the familiar dreamscape reappeared. Within the dream, he sat cross-legged in meditation, practicing the technique over and over again. At first, his mind was restless, plagued by wandering thoughts, but gradually, it settled into stillness.
After countless repetitions, his mind grew increasingly serene, hovering between awareness and oblivion, as if submerged in absolute silence.
All external disturbances were completely blocked out, leaving only the sounds of his bodily functions amplified to an extreme degree.
His breathing was deep and prolonged, his heartbeat like the pounding of a drum, his stomach churning like stirred waste. He could even faintly hear the flow of blood through his vessels.
Yet, within the dream, a sliver of clarity remained in his mind. He focused his will, shutting out all sound, and directed his attention to the extremities of his body.
Starting with his toes, he began to sense them—though at first, they were indistinct, a formless blur, like a shapeless chaos.
This was because his conscious thoughts had nearly ceased, leaving only his subconscious. His imagination and memories were cut off.
Here, he seemed stuck, repeating the exercise again and again.
In the dream, his mind grew ever more tranquil, gradually sinking into the deepest level of meditation—and then, suddenly, a change occurred.
In a daze, a speck of matter seemed to emerge from the void of darkness. Countless grayish lines intertwined and surfaced, splitting into multiple strands that tangled together like the intricate fibers of muscle—both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
As if triggered by a signal, these lines slowly began to spread outward, gradually forming the shape of a complete toe. Soon, the entire foot took shape, followed by both legs, and then the whole body.
Gradually, variations in light and shadow appeared among the lines. What had been dull and flat became full and three-dimensional, as if transitioning from a two-dimensional sketch to a three-dimensional model.
Simultaneously, more and more details manifested. Chen Shouyi saw the tiny blood vessels between muscles, the nerve endings, and the lymphatic tissues.
At the end of the dream state, the range of his sensory awareness began to spread throughout his entire body. He saw his heart and lungs, observed his bones and spine...
"You reckless spendthrift! Of all the things to stab, why the wall? Do you have any idea how much it’ll cost to repair?" After a long pause, Chen Mu’s sharp voice rang out in the dining room.
"Mom, what did my brother do this time?"
Chen Xingyue had just returned home.
Her words instantly darkened Chen Shouyi’s face. What did she mean by "this time"?
Though he had indeed been careless this time, who could have predicted he’d actually pierce the wall?
"Take a look at what your brother’s done," Chen Mu said indignantly, gesturing.
The wooden chopstick was still embedded in the wall, unremoved. Chen Xingyue examined it closely and gasped, "My brother did this?"
"Who else? He said he was demonstrating the Lunge Thrust, but his brain must’ve short-circuited—he ended up stabbing the wall instead."
Chen Xingyue was both puzzled and astonished. To the untrained eye, such performances might seem commonplace, as if any Martial Arts practitioner could pull them off. But those who took the stage were far from ordinary.
She knew full well how difficult it was to drive a wooden chopstick into a tiled wall. Raw strength and speed alone weren’t enough—the angle had to be perfectly perpendicular. The slightest deviation would snap the chopstick instantly. Even as a Quasi-Martial Apprentice, she’d struggle to succeed once in ten attempts.
So how had her brother, with his lackluster Martial Arts talent, managed it?
In truth, even Chen Shouyi himself was unaware. The middle-aged Martial Arts instructor whose swordsmanship experience he’d absorbed in the Memory Space was merely a Martial Apprentice, likely never to advance further in his lifetime—a far cry from a prodigy like Chen Xingyue.
Yet this instructor had spent over a decade honing a single technique: the Lunge Thrust. Through tens of thousands of repetitions, he’d refined it to perfection, far surpassing the crude attempts of a greenhorn like Chen Xingyue.
"Enough, enough! It’s just a hole. I’ll call someone tomorrow morning to replace the tile," Chen Dawei said cheerfully. Compared to the minor expense, he was far more delighted by his son’s transformation.
"This time, I’ll make the decision. If you want to attend that Martial Arts Supplementary Class, go ahead. Tell me how much you need, and your mother will transfer it to you later."
The household finances were entirely in Chen Mu’s hands—his pockets were even emptier than Chen Shouyi’s.
"Playing the generous one with my money, are you?" Chen Mu shot him a glare but didn’t object.
Though she hadn’t explicitly agreed, Chen Shouyi caught the implication immediately. "I want to enroll in the Advanced Swordsmanship Class. One course has twenty lessons and costs around six or seven thousand!"
Their family wasn’t wealthy, but they were comfortably middle-class. Their shop was owned outright, free of rent, bringing in roughly 200,000 yuan annually. Combined with income from private loans, finances were relatively stable.
"I’ll transfer you 7,000. But you won’t get any allowance this month," Chen Mu said with a cold snort.
Chen Xingyue remained unusually quiet by his side, her large eyes blinking as she stared at Chen Shouyi, her thoughts inscrutable.
...
During dinner, Chen Shouyi secretly opened his Attribute Panel and was delighted to find that his Energy Accumulation had finally surpassed one. He hurriedly finished his meal, eager to return to his bedroom, but as soon as he opened the door, Chen Xingyue intercepted him.
"Brother, when did you learn the Lunge Thrust?" Chen Xingyue asked, her voice sickly sweet.
"A few days ago. What about it?" Chen Shouyi replied impatiently. "Anything else? I have homework to do. Unlike you, who’s already guaranteed admission, I still need to work hard."
"Oh! Nothing, I was just curious."
"Then I’m going back to my room." With that, Chen Shouyi shut the door behind him.
Chen Xingyue glared at the closed door, gritting her teeth. "A few days ago? Who do you think you’re fooling?"
...
Once Chen Shouyi sensed that Chen Xingyue had left, he immediately locked the door.
His heart pounded as he hastily summoned the Book of Knowledge.
Name: Chen Shouyi
Attributes:
Strength: 10.5
Agility: 10.5
Constitution: 10.4
Intelligence: 10.3
Perception: 10.3
Willpower: 11.0
Knowledge:
Chinese Language (Proficient 6); Physics (Skilled 12); Chemistry (Skilled 11); Biology (Skilled 10); Mathematics (Skilled 9); English (Skilled 6); Computer Science (Beginner 6); Cooking (Beginner 5); Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques (Skilled 2); Meditative Self-Refinement (Uninitiated); Swordsmanship (Beginner 8); Archery (Uninitiated)
Energy Accumulation: 1.05
Over the past few days, not only had his physical attributes noticeably increased, but his knowledge and skills had also improved—for example, his English proficiency had risen by one point.
However, the most significant progress had been in Martial Arts.
The Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques had advanced from (Beginner 5) to (Skilled 2), while Swordsmanship had jumped from uninitiated to (Beginner 8)—and this was just from mastering a single sword technique. If judged solely on the Lunge Thrust, its level was at least Skilled or higher.
He hesitated as he looked at the Attribute Panel, contemplating which knowledge or skill to optimize next. Academic subjects were immediately ruled out—the college entrance exam was still far off, and optimizing them a month or two before the test would suffice.
Moreover, deep down, he was far more passionate about Martial Arts.
Next, he dismissed Swordsmanship.
Since he had only mastered the Lunge Thrust, optimizing it wouldn’t be cost-effective. Besides, he could rapidly improve it through the Memory Space. Only if he hit a plateau would he consider wasting energy points on optimization.
As for Archery, which he hadn’t even begun, it was naturally out of the question.
Chen Shouyi felt his physical attributes still fell far short of the standard for a Martial Apprentice, so he decided to continue optimizing the Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques.
"If optimizing the Thirty-Six Body Refining Techniques once made them this powerful, wouldn’t a second optimization yield even better results?"
Sharpening the axe wouldn’t delay the chopping of firewood. Only by meeting the physical standards could he consider other areas—otherwise, no amount of training elsewhere would be useful.
But just as he prepared to optimize, the Book of Knowledge informed him that he lacked sufficient energy.
"Does the second optimization consume even more energy?"
Chen Shouyi was momentarily stunned, a trace of hesitation flickering in his heart.
"Should I wait for the Book of Knowledge's Energy Accumulation to be sufficient, or should I optimize the Meditative Self-Refinement technique?"
The former’s timeframe was uncertain, while the latter promised immediate, tangible results. Without much deliberation, Chen Shouyi chose the latter.
He couldn’t afford to waste time. Rather than waiting, it was better to seize what was within his grasp right now.
Moreover, the Meditative Self-Refinement technique was of utmost importance—it would help him gain finer control over his body, mastering every muscle and harnessing every ounce of his strength.
For many, Swordsmanship was exceedingly difficult to begin with, and even after starting, progress was slow.
The primary reason was the inability to achieve precise control over the body’s muscles. But for someone who had preliminarily completed "Meditative Self-Refinement—Muscle Refinement," it became effortless, almost second nature.
At the same time, it was also one of the defining marks of a true martial artist.
While diligent practice and decent comprehension might allow one to become a martial apprentice, becoming a full-fledged martial artist required refining every muscle in the body through "Meditative Self-Refinement."
Without hesitation, Chen Shouyi immediately selected "Meditative Self-Refinement" and chose to optimize it.
In the next moment, the familiar dreamscape reappeared. Within the dream, he sat cross-legged in meditation, practicing the technique over and over again. At first, his mind was restless, plagued by wandering thoughts, but gradually, it settled into stillness.
After countless repetitions, his mind grew increasingly serene, hovering between awareness and oblivion, as if submerged in absolute silence.
All external disturbances were completely blocked out, leaving only the sounds of his bodily functions amplified to an extreme degree.
His breathing was deep and prolonged, his heartbeat like the pounding of a drum, his stomach churning like stirred waste. He could even faintly hear the flow of blood through his vessels.
Yet, within the dream, a sliver of clarity remained in his mind. He focused his will, shutting out all sound, and directed his attention to the extremities of his body.
Starting with his toes, he began to sense them—though at first, they were indistinct, a formless blur, like a shapeless chaos.
This was because his conscious thoughts had nearly ceased, leaving only his subconscious. His imagination and memories were cut off.
Here, he seemed stuck, repeating the exercise again and again.
In the dream, his mind grew ever more tranquil, gradually sinking into the deepest level of meditation—and then, suddenly, a change occurred.
In a daze, a speck of matter seemed to emerge from the void of darkness. Countless grayish lines intertwined and surfaced, splitting into multiple strands that tangled together like the intricate fibers of muscle—both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
As if triggered by a signal, these lines slowly began to spread outward, gradually forming the shape of a complete toe. Soon, the entire foot took shape, followed by both legs, and then the whole body.
Gradually, variations in light and shadow appeared among the lines. What had been dull and flat became full and three-dimensional, as if transitioning from a two-dimensional sketch to a three-dimensional model.
Simultaneously, more and more details manifested. Chen Shouyi saw the tiny blood vessels between muscles, the nerve endings, and the lymphatic tissues.
At the end of the dream state, the range of his sensory awareness began to spread throughout his entire body. He saw his heart and lungs, observed his bones and spine...
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