Beep, beep, beep!
Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt!
The urgent buzzing and ringing intertwined, maddeningly irritating.
Li Qingshan struggled his eyes open, the rims webbed with red.
"Overslept again?"
Li Qingshan frowned and shut off the alarm.
He used to wake naturally every morning, the alarm just a backup.
But these past two days, with the Martial Dao Space, his sleep was badly short, and the alarm was what woke him.
"The Martial Dao Space ignores stamina cost, but it doesn't seem to restore mental energy?"
After two days, Li Qingshan was fairly sure of this guess.
Still, it could hardly be called a drawback.
The Space had a 1:10 time flow; he could simply put his rest time inside it.
"The key, still, is to get rid of the Wolfsbane projection!"
Li Qingshan shook his head, gathered his thoughts, and looked at the Panel.
[Li Qingshan]
[Realm: Body Forging 10/100]
[Technique:
Radio Calisthenics Set No. 36 — 《The Starry Sky Beckons》 10/1000 (Mastery)]
[Martial Skill: 《Phantom Step》 2/500 (Skilled)]
[Function: Martial Dao Space Lv1 (1/100)]
[Available Time: 364 days]
[Time Flow: 1:10]
The available time had dropped by a day, though exactly how many hours he couldn't say.
In any case, he'd died a good thousand times last night to train 《Phantom Step》 to "Skilled."
And to verify the Skilled grade's gain pattern, he'd forced himself through a few dozen more deaths, completing two sets of footwork.
That's right — at the Skilled grade, 《Phantom Step》 took two run-throughs to gain a single point.
But once Skilled, the footwork had no stiffness left, so the efficiency hardly slowed.
"Almost there, almost there."
Li Qingshan patted his cheeks, rousing himself by force.
"In a few more days, 《Phantom Step》 will reach 'Mastery.'"
"At Mastery, the footwork becomes instinct — maybe then I can try dodging Wolfsbane's attacks."
***
First High School. The Martial Dao Gym.
Zhao Hongzhou, catching the red in Li Qingshan's eyes, said in surprise:
"Bro Shan, didn't you quit your job? Why are you still staying up all night?"
Yu Lei and Hong Qian, hearing him, turned over curiously too.
"It's nothing. Just cultivated a bit late."
Li Qingshan waved a hand, saying no more.
Hong Qian hesitated, then asked:
"Li Qingshan, would you mind saying — how many Body Forging sessions do you do after you get home?"
"What's there to mind?" Li Qingshan pinched the bridge of his nose and said casually:
"Four."
Hong Qian's pupils shook, shame on his face.
Every day, two sessions at home and he was spent.
Li Qingshan's talent was better, his technique stage higher, and he trained harder besides.
Yu Lei, beside them, saw what Hong Qian was thinking and shook her head:
"Don't read too much into it. I can only do two sessions at home myself — it's the gap in technique stage."
"When you forge your body, work on the breathing coordination as best you can. Raising your technique stage sooner is the proper path."
Hong Qian nodded gratefully, looking much better.
Yu Lei turned back to Li Qingshan, studying the red in his eyes, and said with some hesitation:
"Li Qingshan, were you training a martial skill last night?"
Body Forging drained one's energy, but after deep sleep the body recovered faster.
Body Forging alone could never wear someone out like this.
Li Qingshan nodded, then said, surprised:
"Did Teacher Wan tell you?"
"No." Yu Lei shook her head and offered a quiet word of advice.
"Too much is as bad as too little. A person's energy has its limits."
Last night, when her older sister Yu Man came home, she'd asked offhand about Li Qingshan's situation.
That, plus the state of Li Qingshan today, couldn't help reminding her of what her sister had once gone through.
"Thanks. I know my limits."
Li Qingshan nodded with a smile, accepting Yu Lei's goodwill.
The exhaustion of this stretch was unavoidable.
Once he ground 《Phantom Step》 to Greater Achievement and cut down Wolfsbane, the rest would be easy.
As they talked, Wan Keshan came in through the gym's front door.
He scanned all the students as usual, his gaze pausing on Li Qingshan, brows knitting almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.
Soon the students spread out again and began their Body Forging.
***
Training at school proceeded by the book, day after day, as if nothing changed.
Except for the weariness deepening on Li Qingshan's face by the day.
But the energy he spent wasn't wasted.
《Phantom Step》's proficiency was soaring!
[《Phantom Step》 2/500 (Skilled)] → [《Phantom Step》 65/500 (Skilled)]
[《Phantom Step》 65/500 (Skilled)] → [《Phantom Step》 127/500 (Skilled)]
[《Phantom Step》 127/500 (Skilled)] → [《Phantom Step》 190/500 (Skilled)]
...
...
The eighth day, afternoon.
After another Body Forging session, all the students slumped to the floor.
Faint dark circles showed around Li Qingshan's eyes,
but after a glance at the Panel, a smile rose to his lips despite himself.
[Li Qingshan]
[Realm: Body Forging 12/100]
[Technique:
Radio Calisthenics Set No. 36 — 《The Starry Sky Beckons》 22/1000 (Mastery)]
[Martial Skill: 《Phantom Step》 2/1000 (Mastery)]
[Function: Martial Dao Space Lv1 (1/100)]
[Available Time: 356 days]
[Time Flow: 1:10]
In eight days,
nearly every night he'd spent at least twenty hours in the Martial Dao Space.
《Phantom Step》 had been brute-forced all the way to "Mastery,"
and not just 《Phantom Step》 — his Body Forging progress had kept pace too, up by two points.
At the Mastery grade, 《Phantom Step》's footwork had become instinct.
What had once been stiff and awkward now felt exquisitely clever, displaying its full talent for weaving and shifting.
If he were tested again now, he'd probably turn into a "lopsided" case like Yu Lei.
"I should be able to dodge a few of Wolfsbane's attacks now. Time to try the blade art."
Li Qingshan's eyes shone, unusually animated.
Dodging attacks naturally gave him the chance to swing back.
Eight days of soaring gains, at the price of a full ten thousand deaths in the wolf's jaws.
His grudge with Wolfsbane — they couldn't share the same sky!
"I'll kill it ten thousand times — no, a hundred thousand times at least!!!"
Li Qingshan's eyes turned vicious; he forced himself up to go eat at the cafeteria.
"Li Qingshan, wait!"
Wan Keshan's voice came from behind.
Li Qingshan's steps halted, and he turned.
Wan Keshan looked the student up and down, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
Eight days ago he'd seen that Li Qingshan hadn't heeded him after all and had started training a martial skill, pouring great effort into it.
Now he half regretted sending Li Qingshan those two martial skills that day.
But in the end, a person had to walk their own road — all the more so the Martial Dao.
After a moment's thought, Wan Keshan finally spoke.
"When you go home tonight, don't train a thing. Rest properly!"
"All right, Teacher."
Li Qingshan gave a smiling face and agreed at once, then turned for the cafeteria.
But after only a few steps,
he paused, turned back to face Wan Keshan, and bowed.
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"Get lost, get lost — I'm not dead yet, what are you bowing for!"
Wan Keshan frowned and shooed him off.
Li Qingshan smiled, turned, and jogged toward the cafeteria.
He understood Wan Keshan's worry, but with the Panel involved, he couldn't explain.
But he could do better — not let others worry about him.
"I'll take a day off — call it a celebration!"
After bolting his food at the cafeteria,
Li Qingshan hurried out the school gate and ran to the mall he'd been to last time.
The ten bottles of nutrient fluid were used up; time to bleed money again.
"Forty bottles of basic nutrient fluid — here you are!"
It was the same salesgirl as last time, though her smile was even brighter now.
Li Qingshan took the insulated case, his left hand trembling as he swiped his comm-band across the register.
-120,000
Only ten thousand left in savings...
"Take care, and please come again!"
The salesgirl bowed him out, and Li Qingshan's steps were quick.
Back home,
Li Qingshan set down the case and rushed into the bathroom.
After a quick rinse, he lay down on the bed.
Li Qingshan closed his eyes, empty of thought...