NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 145
The stone ball felt cool and smooth in Lu Ming's hand, its unassuming appearance belying the power it contained. "How do I use this thing?" he wondered aloud.
As if in response, a gentle tugging sensation emanated from the stone. It was drawing upon the mysterious energy within Lu Ming's body, the essence of his Origin Power. After absorbing the equivalent of three Explosive Fists, the stone ball erupted in a blinding white light that enveloped Lu Ming's head.
Suddenly, his vision shifted, his consciousness transported to a pristine white space. A voice echoed in his ears, devoid of any discernible source.
...Origin Power Skill: Knights Body Forging Technique.
...Teachable 2 times.
...Demonstration starts now!
Before Lu Ming could fully process the information, a luminous figure materialized before him, identical to him in every aspect. It began to move, its actions deliberate and precise.
Raising its arms and legs, it adopted a stance reminiscent of a one-legged crane, a familiar posture from martial arts. Then, it held the position, seemingly frozen in time.
After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ming mirrored the figure's movements, mimicking the stance with perfect precision. The luminous figure responded by shifting into its next pose.
Lu Ming quickly grasped the stone ball's teaching method: a step-by-step demonstration of the Origin Power Skill, Knight's Body Forging Technique. The sequence of movements was extensive, taking the luminous figure nearly half an hour to complete. Lu Ming followed along, replicating each pose with unwavering focus.
Upon finishing, the figure repeated the entire sequence. It was evident that mastering this unknown skill was no simple task. The sheer number of movements within the half-hour demonstration was daunting, and many required precise coordination with specific breathing rhythms.
Yet, perhaps due to the influence of the system, Lu Ming felt he had already grasped the core principles of the Knight's Body Forging Technique after a single practice.
Analyzing Lu Ming's Attributes:
- Name: Lu Ming
- Level: Mortal Realm, Level 1
- Age: 25 years old
- Strength: 2385.7
- Physique: 2396.6
- Agility: 1962.7
- Free Attribute Points: 1096
- Superpower: Awakening in progress...
- Skills: (Omitted)
- Basic Stance: (omitted)
Origin Power Skills:
- Basic Breathing Technique: Proficient (53/1,000)
- Explosive Fist: Perfect (70,000/100,000)
New Origin Power Skill:
- Knight's Body Forging Technique: Entry (1/100)
- Description: A secret technique created by a knight to temper the body with mystery factors. Simple, easy to learn, and suitable for humans and beasts. Diligent practice gradually increases basic physical fitness.
- Current Progress: Mastered the initial stage. Each cycle increases all three attributes (Strength, Physique, Agility) by 1 point and grants 1 free attribute point.
Lu Ming's excitement is palpable. He has discovered a new method to enhance his abilities through the Knight's Body Forging Technique.
This Origin Power Skill was a stark contrast to the Explosive Fist, which only granted attribute increases upon leveling up. The Knight's Body Forging Technique offered a continuous, gradual improvement through consistent practice. While the Explosive Fist provided rapid gains initially, its effectiveness diminished as its level increased. Lu Ming had spent months trying to advance the Explosive Fist's proficiency, with no additional attribute benefits during that time.
The Knight's Body Forging Technique, on the other hand, operated on a different principle: exercise once, gain one attribute point. This incremental growth could be repeated every half hour.
While the individual gains might seem small, the cumulative effect was substantial. And there were even more surprises in store for Lu Ming.
Note: Detection reveals you possess Tiger-Step Stance Lv20 (0/2000) and Resistance Stance Lv20 (0/2000). While these basic skills cannot directly enhance the attribute gains or cultivation speed of the Knight's Body Forging Technique, practicing the technique will significantly increase the proficiency of these stances.
In other words, Lu Ming's new skill could rapidly improve his Stance Mastery. The link between the Knight's Body Forging Technique and Stance Mastery was present, but not deeply intertwined.
Another notification appeared:
Note: Detected that you possess the basic skill Fitness and the Origin Power Skill: Basic Breathing Technique.
Note: Your basic skill Fitness has been upgraded to Cultivation. The daily limit of attribute points you can obtain through exercise has increased to 10 points! (Originally 0.5)
Cultivation Lv31 (200/3,100): The daily limit of attribute points you can obtain increases by 31 points.
This meant that Lu Ming could now gain a staggering 41 attribute points through daily exercise, a massive improvement from his previous limit of 3.6. It was a game-changer.
The stone ball, sensing Lu Ming's mastery of the Knight's Body Forging Technique, triggered another brief moment of disorientation. When Lu Ming regained consciousness, Huo Sheng and the others were looking at him expectantly.
"How long was I out?" Lu Ming inquired.
"A little over two seconds," Huo Sheng replied.
Lu Ming stared at the stone ball in his hand, marveling at its incredible abilities. It was truly a remarkable object.
He handed the stone to Huo Sheng, explaining, "The Origin Power Skill taught in this stone ball is called the Knight's Body Forging Technique. Its purpose is to gradually increase the user's basic physical fitness."
Bai Tianyu and Duan Mei's eyes sparkled with interest. It was common knowledge that an Awakened individual's physical strength doubled with each level advancement. However, aside from Lu Ming's unique case, no one had encountered any other superpower or method capable of directly enhancing basic attributes.
The Knight's Body Forging Technique represented a paradigm shift in how Awakened individuals could gain strength. Bai Tianyu had long envied Lu Ming's ability to grow stronger through exercise, and this new skill offered a similar opportunity.
Sensing their anticipation, Lu Ming cautioned, "Don't get too excited. Honestly, the increase in physical qualities from this isn't very significant."
For Lu Ming, the technique granted one attribute point every half hour, accumulating to 20 points over ten hours. While seemingly substantial, this was only possible due to Lu Ming's exceptional resilience and stamina. The Knight's Body Forging Technique required performing a series of complex and physically demanding movements, coupled with specific breathing rhythms. Even if an ordinary person could execute the sequence correctly, they would likely be exhausted after a single cycle. Practicing three or four times a day would require immense willpower and dedication.
Bai Tianyu and Duan Mei exchanged glances, their expressions unchanged. "Every little bit counts," Bai Tianyu replied. "Besides, this thing can only be used twice."
Unlike the Basic Breathing Technique, the stone ball had limited teaching capabilities. After Zhang Chengcheng and Lu Ming had used it, and considering the Wolf Bear ancestor's familiarity with the technique, only two teaching opportunities remained.
"Can't you or Chengcheng teach others?" Huo Sheng inquired.
Lu Ming shook his head, unsure if it was possible. While the movements themselves could be taught, individual differences and the intricacies of the breathing patterns presented challenges.
"Regardless," Lu Ming declared, "the two of you can use it first."
Huo Sheng handed the stone ball to Bai Tianyu and Duan Mei, acknowledging their status as the most powerful combatants in the Nanxiang Gathering Place, second only to Lu Ming himself.