"《Phantom Step》 has finally reached Greater Achievement!"
Li Qingshan murmured with feeling, his gaze sweeping the Panel.
[Li Qingshan]
[Realm: Body Forging 15/100]
[Technique:
Radio Calisthenics Set No. 36 — 《The Starry Sky Beckons》 52/1000 (Mastery)]
[Martial Skill: 《Phantom Step》 1/3000 (Greater Achievement), 《Wind Shadow Blade》 112/1000 (Mastery)]
[Function: Martial Dao Space Lv1 (1/100)]
[Available Time: 335 days]
[Time Flow: 1:10]
Body Forging progress had reached 15/100.
By the earlier test, nine points of progress was one layer.
He was only three points from Body Forging Layer 2.
《The Starry Sky Beckons》 had only gained a few dozen points of proficiency — not much.
《Wind Shadow Blade》, on the other hand, trained in the Space too, had been pulled straight to Mastery.
"《Phantom Step》 needs 3,000 proficiency from Greater Achievement to Perfection?"
Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow, not much surprised.
Three thousand was a lot, but not outrageous.
His gaze moved down, finally landing on the Space's [Available Time] line.
Compared to when it first unlocked, the available time had dropped by 30 days.
"30 days! So I trained 《Phantom Step》 to Greater Achievement in just one month?"
Li Qingshan murmured, a little dazed.
From Entry to Greater Achievement, by Wan Keshan's word, took two years at the least.
Of course, that didn't mean he'd become a Martial Dao prodigy.
In truth, the Space ignored stamina cost, and because of Wolfsbane, he'd gone the whole way without sleep or rest.
Tallied up, this one month was no less than Wan Keshan's two years.
"I really have worked too hard!" Li Qingshan sighed softly.
A prodigy he might not be, but the word "diligent" he absolutely deserved.
One month to walk a normal person's two years of cultivation,
and all the while the Wolfsbane projection had been there the entire time.
Heaven only knew how many times Wolfsbane had bitten him to death!
"《Phantom Step》 is at Greater Achievement — time for revenge!"
A flash of ferocity in his eyes, Li Qingshan gripped the hilt and closed them.
When they opened, the familiar circular platform met his gaze.
Li Qingshan's feet moved, his body wheeling, and without hesitation he charged forward.
"Wolfsbane!"
ROAR!
Wolfsbane howled and roared, springing up.
The two raced toward each other, the distance shrinking.
Just as they were about to collide,
Li Qingshan's right foot moved, taking a single, almost miraculous step.
In a blink he'd appeared behind Wolfsbane, sweeping the blade up backhanded.
ROOAR—gak!
Wolfsbane's howl spiked, then cut off abruptly.
It landed, clamping its hind legs together, its blood-red eyes glaring fixedly at him.
"Ha ha, looks like you've forgotten how you got here. Perfect — let me help jog your memory."
Li Qingshan laughed wildly, spun the blade in his right hand, and charged at Wolfsbane again.
ROAR!
Wolfsbane roared in fury and pounced with its claws.
But the human who'd been right in front of it a second ago suddenly vanished.
Searing pain shot up again from its lower body, and that hateful wild laughter rang out behind it.
"Ha ha ha, you're too slow!"
Wolfsbane stamped all four limbs, leaped high, and pounced backward.
But there was nothing behind it; it had pounced at empty air again.
"Looking for me?"
The voice came from behind, and another cut landed between its legs.
Blood-light surged in its crimson eyes; Wolfsbane went utterly berserk.
Its limbs like phantoms, it kept shifting, trying to find that hateful human.
But no matter how it changed direction, it caught not a trace of him.
Only the searing pain in its lower body, again and again, reminded it the man was right behind.
A cornered beast fighting on, Wolfsbane darted about like a headless fly.
Behind it, Li Qingshan followed like a shadow, swinging the blade unhurriedly.
In this moment, he finally understood what the instructor in the 《Phantom Step》 video had meant by "the cicada senses it before the autumn wind stirs."
In both speed and strength, Wolfsbane far surpassed him, enough to rival a Body Forging Layer 5.
But a fight wasn't a simple footrace, a contest of numbers.
However great the strength, if it couldn't land on the enemy, it was wasted.
Just as now,
every one of Wolfsbane's attacks was anticipated in advance.
He didn't need to be faster than Wolfsbane — he only had to stand in the right spot ahead of time.
Had it been a Body Forging Layer 5 who'd studied martial skills, Li Qingshan might not have coped so perfectly.
But Wolfsbane was only a savage beast, acting purely on instinct, and couldn't escape his read at all.
As time passed,
Wolfsbane's howls grew weaker and weaker, its lower body a bloody pulp.
At last, with a "squelch," the long blade breached its belly and the organs slid out.
Wolfsbane convulsed violently and collapsed.
In its dying moment, that devilish figure finally appeared before its eyes.
"I said I'd kill you a hundred thousand times."
"Remember — this is only the first. Ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine to go."
Li Qingshan, the dripping blade in hand, watched Wolfsbane's corpse vanish.
At the same time,
at the platform's edge, a Wolfsbane statue some two meters tall appeared out of nowhere, lifelike.
Li Qingshan willed it, and the statue vanished.
ROAR!
The familiar howl rang out.
Li Qingshan turned, licking the corner of his mouth.
"It's still early. Nine more deaths for you."
***
...
Half an hour later, Wolfsbane collapsed for the tenth time.
Li Qingshan tossed the blade aside, stretched his limbs, and began practicing 《The Starry Sky Beckons》.
The Martial Dao Space ignored stamina cost,
so Li Qingshan went on without pause, set after set, until his mind truly couldn't hold out, then lay down on the spot to sleep.
When he woke, he got up and kept practicing.
Beep, beep, beep!
Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt!
The alarm rang; Li Qingshan opened his eyes and glanced at the Panel.
[《The Starry Sky Beckons》 52/1000 (Mastery)] → [《The Starry Sky Beckons》 72/1000 (Mastery)]
"20 points in one night — at this rate, just over a month to fully master it!"
Li Qingshan stretched, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.
"Finally on the right track."
This was the cultivation plan he'd had from the start.
***
Afternoon, First High School.
The day's cultivation done, the Martial Dao Class students were wolfing down food in the cafeteria.
Li Qingshan cleared two trays, drank some soup, and looked at Zhao Hongzhou.
"Hongzhou, where are you working part-time these days?"
Zhao Hongzhou's family was average; he'd always liked earning pocket money with side jobs, and since joining the Martial Dao Class he'd never stopped.
Zhao Hongzhou quickly swallowed his last bite and said in surprise:
"Bro Shan, you're looking for work?"
"Thinking about it." Li Qingshan nodded.
He'd just paid rent; his savings were down to a few thousand, with only twenty bottles of nutrient fluid left. Time to plan ahead.
Yu Lei, sitting across from him, looked up in surprise.
"You can even spare the time?"
By the time she finished her two evening sessions, it was already ten o'clock.
Li Qingshan did four sessions a night — he wouldn't finish until past midnight at the earliest.
"Time? You squeeze it..."
Yu Lei's face darkened at a visible rate, and Li Qingshan quickly changed tack.
"Scrimp a little and there's always some to be had."
Now that he could rest inside the Martial Dao Space, he didn't fear training however late.
"Bro Shan, I'm back at the Yinghai gym. Want to come along?"
"Yinghai?"
Li Qingshan frowned slightly, puzzled.
"Didn't you complain the pay was too low before? Why go back?"
Last year, he and Zhao Hongzhou had both worked at the Yinghai gym.
But the pay was too low, and neither stayed long.
"It's different now. This time it's not odd jobs."
Zhao Hongzhou grinned smugly and bragged:
"I'm a personal trainer now — 500 a session, two sessions a day."
"That much?"
Li Qingshan eyed him dubiously, looking him up and down.
If not for the still-childish innocence on that face, he might have suspected the guy had gone into a less reputable line of work.
Zhao Hongzhou was still preening; Yu Lei, reading Li Qingshan's thoughts, said flatly:
"Don't think dirty. The Martial Dao Class name still impresses people."
"Middle schoolers' parents can't afford a Martial Dao teacher, so they settle for Martial Dao Class students."
"Even a freshman will do?"
Li Qingshan raised an eyebrow, feeling there was something a little guilty about earning that money.
Those middle schoolers hired trainers for nothing more than practicing 《The Starry Sky Beckons》.
But this technique came down entirely to one's own aptitude; however much a teacher explained, it might not help.
Just like their own class—
a month on, and apart from him, not one had broken through to the third stage.
"Bro Shan, you don't want to go?" Sensing Li Qingshan's hesitation, Zhao Hongzhou said with regret:
"Shame. You're this year's top freshman in Luoying City — you could ask 1,000 a session at the very least."
The words had barely left his mouth when—
Li Qingshan's hand seized Zhao Hongzhou's shoulder and hauled him bodily to his feet.
"Move it, don't be late for work."