Chapter 10: Basic Step

Chapter 10: Basic Step

"Whew!" Chen Shouyi jolted awake from his dream.

"Why is this different from the descriptions of other practitioners online?" A flicker of doubt crossed his mind as he recalled the details of the dream.

During the initial perception of muscles in Meditative Self-Refinement, shouldn't it be described as "a chaotic blur" or "a mix of light and shadow"? Yet after optimization, he could clearly see the outlines of his muscles.

The thought flashed through his mind briefly. Regardless, he decided to try it out first.

Eagerly, he sat cross-legged. The moment he settled, his mind calmed almost instantly, as if he had long mastered the art of meditation.

After about half an hour, Chen Shouyi opened his eyes, exhausted, his expression filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible?"

This was only his first attempt, yet the range of his perception had already expanded below his chest and abdomen, covering his entire lower body.

According to the experiences shared by online practitioners, ordinary people could only perceive the muscles of a single toe or finger during their first attempt. Even those with naturally strong mental power could barely sense one foot at most.

Chen Shouyi absolutely refused to believe he had some extraordinary mental talent. If he were truly gifted, he wouldn’t have struggled for so long to even begin Meditative Self-Refinement.

Among the attributes listed in the Book of Knowledge, the ones most likely representing legendary mental power were Perception and Willpower. His Willpower might be slightly stronger than average, but only by a small margin. As for Perception, it was utterly unremarkable.

Then, it suddenly struck him—the difference between his perception and others'.

"Could it be because the amount of information I’m sensing is smaller?"

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. It was like painting a watercolor portrait. The optimized Meditative Self-Refinement first sketched the outline of the body with lines before filling in the colors, while the ordinary method directly applied colors from the first stroke.

With the same number of pixels, the former could quickly outline the general shape of the intended figure, while the latter couldn’t even complete a single stroke.

......

He got out of bed, picked up his wooden sword, and practiced a few Lunge Thrusts. After carefully assessing the effects, he found no significant difference from his usual performance.

He chuckled at himself. After all, this was his first attempt—how could there be such an obvious improvement?

Meditative Self-Refinement drained his mental energy severely. At this moment, he felt a dull ache in his temples and found it hard to concentrate. There was no way he could focus on homework now.

Fortunately, tomorrow was the weekend, so he didn’t need to rush his assignments. Next time, he’d have to practice right before sleeping.

He picked up the wooden sword again and decided to continue practicing Lunge Thrusts.

......

Early the next morning, Chen Shouyi arrived at the Youth Martial Arts Training Center.

Before he even entered the lobby, his hands were already stuffed with flyers. He glanced at them—the advertisements were full of exaggerated claims. "Genuine guidance from real martial artists?" "Twenty years of specialized training?"

One of them was even for the Martial Arts Supplementary Class he had attended during summer break.

The memory of his summer training results made his face twist slightly.

"Bullshit!"

Spotting a trash bin ahead, he stuffed all the flyers inside.

Before coming, he had already gathered a pile of information online and had a target in mind. But before signing up, he needed to inspect the place in person.

Soon, he took the elevator up to the fifth floor.

Before he could reach the door, a pleasant and melodious female voice reached his ears:

"Do you know why the Martial Apprentice Examination places such high demands on swordsmanship? As everyone knows, the gravity in the Otherworld is three times that of Earth. This means even an average barbarian’s physical prowess surpasses that of a human martial artist.

Since we lack the innate physical gifts of the barbarians, we must rely on technique to compensate.

The 5.0 Version Swordsmanship we’re learning now was developed through supercomputer modeling of human muscle movements. Every subtle motion of the muscles has been meticulously calculated, incorporating biomechanics and aerodynamics to maximize speed and power without risking injury.

A qualified martial apprentice can unleash three times their normal strength, while a full-fledged martial artist can reach five times. As for the elite Grand Martial Artists, their explosive power is even greater..."

Chen Shouyi found it hard to believe at first, but recalling yesterday’s astonishing feat of piercing a wall with a wooden chopstick, he realized it might indeed be true. During his practice of the Lunge Thrust, each strike was executed with startling speed.

If the sword were likened to a bullet, the force amplified and transmitted through the body’s levers—muscle by muscle—would be its propelling power.

A fraction of ordinary strength could thus be multiplied several times over.

The door to the training room was slightly ajar. Peering through the gap, Chen Shouyi caught sight of a woman in hot pants with a striking figure.

"The online posts weren’t exaggerating—this tutor really is a beauty," he thought. "I heard she just graduated from the Martial Arts Academy, is only a step away from becoming a full martial artist, and has a gentle, patient personality."

"Can I help you with something?" Within seconds, the woman seemed to sense his presence and swiftly turned to look at him.

Her lips curved into a smile as she spoke, her tone soft and serene, like a blooming lily.

Chen Shouyi’s nervousness at being caught staring quickly eased. Flustered, he replied, "I... I’m here to sign up for the swordsmanship tutoring class."

"Oh, I’m in the middle of a lesson right now. Would you mind waiting a bit?" she said with a smile.

"Of course, no problem!" Chen Shouyi waved his hands hastily.

"Would it be alright if I sat in and observed?"

The woman paused, glanced at him, then nodded. "Sure, that’s fine."

Chen Shouyi promptly removed his shoes and hurried inside.

The class consisted of ten students—six boys and four girls—most around Chen Shouyi’s age, with a few who looked unmistakably like middle schoolers. They gave him a brief glance before returning their attention to the lesson.

Spotting a few benches at the back, Chen Shouyi walked over and took a seat.

Soon, the tutor resumed her instruction.

"Today, I’ll be teaching the 'Slash' technique in swordsmanship. The 'Slash' can be further divided into the Stationary Slash, Small Step Slash, and Large Step Slash. Depending on grip, it can also be performed one-handed or two-handed."

"The Stationary Slash involves no obvious foot movement, but the legs must still generate power. Watch my legs closely!"

As she held the wooden sword, poised to execute the Slash, the smooth, fair skin of her thighs instantly revealed countless finely defined muscles, rhythmically undulating as if a surge of power rose from the ground, transmitted through her feet to her spine, and then channeled into her arms.

In the next moment, her waist coiled like a spring, and with a swift motion, she delivered a strike—its arc graceful and visually captivating, brimming with an intense sense of beauty.

Over the following moments, she demonstrated the Small Step Slash, the Large Step Slash, and the motions executed with both hands gripping the sword.

Particularly during the Large Step Slash, there was no sense of deliberate effort—just an ordinary step that carried her nearly three meters forward as if teleporting, the sword sweeping out in a manner reminiscent of the legendary Shrinking the Earth.

Chen Shouyi had watched many martial artists' videos and recognized this as the Basic Step, a unique movement employed by martial artists and apprentices in combat. Unlike ordinary walking, where the toes barely exert force, the Basic Step required a distinct "gripping" or "digging" motion of the foot. The spine also swayed gently in harmony with this force, not only balancing the body's center of gravity but also serving as a propulsive power.

It was highly strenuous and exceptionally difficult to master.

To an observer, the Basic Step often gave the illusion of slight levitation or Shrinking the Earth. It could unleash astonishing bursts of speed in an instant, replacing the ordinary walking method in combat.

Her demonstration was concise and fluid, seamless without a single superfluous movement. Though her speed wasn’t extreme, it exuded a profound sense of power.

Chen Shouyi felt that even if she were wielding a wooden sword, a single strike from her could likely cleave through flesh.

His heart burned with excitement—today’s visit was more than worth it. This technique alone justified the trip.