Chapter 3: The Rise of Perception

Lu Changsheng paused as he sensed his Perception rising; a cool sensation rose to his head. He could not quite describe it. His mind felt noticeably clearer, and that was all.

That's it? It didn't seem to have much of an effect. Could it be because the increase in Perception was too small?

Shaking his head, he pushed the matter aside and focused on practice.

Every night without fail, he had practiced the Basic Fist Technique and the Tiger Pounce Strike. He had hit a wall with the Tiger Pounce Strike, as he had yet to grasp the will of a tiger. Nevertheless, he still practiced it at least once a day.

Recalling Old Liu's movements, Lu Changsheng sank into the opening stance of the Tiger Pounce Strike, crouching like a predator stalking its prey.

Whoosh!

In the next instant, he pounced, moving unbelievably smoothly as if he had truly become a tiger in that fleeting moment.

Thud.

He landed hard, leaving a deep mark in the ground.

"What?"

Lu Changsheng stared at his hands in disbelief. He had not even sensed his blood qi, and he was not yet a true martial artist. Yet, he had left a stark mark on the ground. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had he struck a person instead.

"The will of a tiger... This is the true will of a tiger!" A spark lit in his eyes. "I must've grasped it! Does this mean I've made progress in the Tiger Pounce Strike?"

Lu Changsheng immediately focused his mind and accessed his status panel.

[Status Panel]

Host: Lu Changsheng

Perception: 99 (Ordinary and Unremarkable)

[Skills]

Basic Fist Technique: Perfection

Tiger Pounce Strike: Initial Mastery

Great River Blood Fortification Art: Dormant

According to the panel, his Perception had indeed risen to 99, but the evaluation still read Ordinary and Unremarkable. Nevertheless, that tiny change had been enough to break through the bottleneck of the Tiger Pounce Strike, allowing him to grasp the will of a tiger and reach Initial Mastery. Now, achieving Advanced Mastery or even Perfection would only be a matter of continued training.

With this, Lu Changsheng finally understood how to use the status panel properly. As long as he trained a martial art or technique to the level of Perfection, his Perception would rise. The higher his Perception, the easier and faster it would become to learn new martial arts and techniques.

By seeking perfection, he would hone his Perception, establishing a cycle that would continuously reinforce itself.

Lu Changsheng's mind was racing with excitement. Just how high could his Perception get if he kept this up?

Naturally, his despondency over failing to activate the Great River Blood Fortification Art and subsequently not being chosen for the guard unit vanished entirely. He now realized that his status panel was undoubtedly more valuable than being part of the guard unit.

That night, he returned to his room and slept soundly.

At dawn, Lu Changsheng rose as usual. Without Old Liu around, he no longer practiced the Great River Blood Fortification Art with the same peace of mind, but he still had work to do. Fortunately, the morning chores were not too demanding, which gave him some leeway to practice the Great River Blood Fortification Art.

He had memorized every movement of the form so thoroughly that he could now execute them flawlessly with his eyes closed. In the past, Lu Changsheng had always found these movements awkward, but this morning felt different. He could faintly hear the flow of blood within his body—steady and deep, like the current of a great river.

Lu Changsheng now understood those awkward movements; they were meant to accelerate his blood flow.

According to Old Liu, the fact that I'm hearing my blood flowing like a great river means I'm close to sensing my blood qi. Hah, hard work never betrays dedication. In ten days, I'll definitely sense my blood qi!

Lu Changsheng's heart swelled with joy. This clearly had much to do with the rise in Perception he had achieved the previous night. Naturally, heightened Perception was all-encompassing, benefiting not only martial techniques but martial arts as well.

Like him, a few other apprentices who had not been chosen for the guard unit continued to train in the Great River Blood Fortification Art, but they were the minority. Most would much rather mock and sneer.

"Hey, look at those guys, training so diligently. What's the point? Without talent for the Dao of martial arts, all this training is useless. You might as well lie down and rest," someone sneered.

Then another chimed in, "Exactly. No matter how hard you work, you won't make it into the guard unit. And if you're not part of the guard unit, you won't get medicinal meals for nourishment, and without those, there's no future in martial arts."

"Let's see how long they last."

Lu Changsheng paid no mind to their ridicule. Some people were lazy and unwilling to work hard, yet they looked down on and mocked those who put in the effort. However, effort would always be rewarded in due time.

Of course, these apprentices were not entirely idle. Aside from chores, their most important task was to study. To become a physician qualified to receive patients, they had to be literate. If they could not even read medical texts, how could they hope to be physicians?

Every afternoon, a teacher appointed by Miaoshou Garden gave lessons for two hours. Lu Changsheng placed great importance on these lessons. No matter the circumstances, knowledge was wealth.

Out of all skills, the ability to read and write was perhaps the most fundamental. Without it, they wouldn't even be able to decipher a martial arts manual, let alone medical texts.

The one giving the lessons was Master Mo, a man of about fifty who looked far older than his years. He was meticulous and strict in his teaching, but if a student studied earnestly, he would treat them with warmth and even fondness.

Given his past life's experience, Lu Changsheng understood the value of knowledge, and so he studied with utmost diligence.

He wasn't particularly talented in the Dao of martial arts, but in the cultural classes, he stood head and shoulders above the other apprentices. After all, in his previous life, he had studied for more than a decade. Even though the written words here were different, the principles of learning remained the same.

Lu Changsheng's hard work earned increasing appreciation from Master Mo. The old man often praised him and even offered him extra lessons in private.

"

Haaah,

what a pity you're an apprentice of Miaoshou Garden. With your talent, you might've passed the imperial examinations one day and become an official," Master Mo remarked with a sigh.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

His teacher believed he had the makings of a scholar, but Lu Changsheng knew himself best. He was fully aware that the memories of his past life had given him a slight advantage when he first learned to read and write in this life. Should he actually attempt to take the imperial examinations, his chances of success would be slim. Besides, deep down, his passion still lay in martial arts.

Following the conventional pace of training would be slow, but Lu Changsheng had thought of a solution.

It will take me around three to five months to elevate my proficiency in the Tiger Pounce Strike to Perfection. At this rate, I may as well look for techniques similar to the Basic Fist Technique. It's easier to achieve Perfection with basic techniques, and it doesn't take much time. More importantly, doing that will raise my Perception quickly.

His goal was to increase his Perception, since that would make his martial arts training much easier. As for basic techniques, that was no problem for him. Many in Miaoshou Garden knew such basic skills. They were common as dirt; anyone who practiced martial arts had learned a few.

With nothing more than some food as trade, Lu Changsheng managed to acquire the manuals for three basic techniques: the Basic Saber Technique, the Basic Sword Technique, and the Basic Staff Technique.