Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1173 - 570:
Previously on Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups...
The gloom just before daybreak plunges into utter darkness.
In Wenchuan District, along the eastern shore of Qingshui Bay.
The tide surged forward.
Dark waves surged in relentless layers, crashing thunderously against the shoreline.
Amid this barren stretch, a lone silhouette stood motionless in the water reaching his knees.
His upper body was exposed, clad solely in red shorts.
The surging waves slammed into his iron-forged muscles, shattering immediately into frothy white.
However, they failed to budge him even a bit.
He resembled a steadfast anchor, his feet firmly embedded in the sandy ocean floor, knees subtly flexed, back rising like a coiled dragon.
His entire form radiated a unique strain that blended ease with rigidity, embodying the "Rooted" stage of Pile Skill within Inner Boxing.
Most astonishingly, despite the icy chill of the ocean surrounding him, his flesh glowed with a fiery red, akin to heated metal.
As though concealing a raging inferno within, it emitted intense warmth steadily to the outside.
Sizzle——
The moment the seawater met his skin, it evaporated from the overwhelming heat, producing bursts of pale vapor.
The fierce gusts carried the vapor away, dispersing it into the shadowy depths of the sea, blending with the rolling tides.
After what felt like an eternity, the silhouette's shoulders eased down slightly, and his eyelids slowly rose.
In that instant, it was like twin rays of sharp light sliced through the murky waters.
His gaze gleamed intensely in the blackness, projecting an intimidating aura.
"Hoo——"
Fang Cheng released a prolonged puff of stale breath, the misty trail cutting through the obscurity before him, only to be whisked off by the coastal wind moments later.
He then brushed away the dampness and grains of sand from his face, directing a steady look toward the distant line where ocean met sky.
Dawn was approaching, with the heavens tinged in a subtle bluish-gray, signaling the onset of another day.
From the night the Illuminati's team-building gathering concluded, a full three days had elapsed.
In that span, aside from a visit to Uncle Lin's shadowy clinic for an operation, he had been locked in an unending loop of exertion.
During daylight hours, he moved between the Illuminati's pair of fresh outposts, inspecting building advancements and providing guidance to Lin Chuqiao and the Professor, upholding his role as chief.
Come evening, he headed back to the aged dwelling on Old Factory Street, pushing his physique to brutal extremes in a near-masochistic manner, relentlessly refining his form.
The techniques "Jujitsu" and "Qigong" hovered at a critical impasse, teetering on the edge of advancement.
Therefore, each day, beyond his standard dawn workout, he tacked on five additional hours dedicated to Qigong and Jujitsu drills, refusing any lapse.
Regarding Shen Wei, who had been crashing at his spot for the time being, Ah Le had whisked him off the previous afternoon.
Ah Le claimed to have pinpointed the betrayer who sold them out, armed with ironclad proof, poised to rally certain seniors in the group for a purge.
Hearing this, Shen Wei, ignoring his still-mending leg injuries, rushed back to the East City Association via wheelchair.
Fang Cheng held zero curiosity for these underworld feuds and killings, so he stayed uninvolved.
Once Shen Wei departed, he plunged deeper into his training regimen, savoring every moment.
The previous night, as he honed Qigong in the lounge, a sudden epiphany sparked within him.
It felt akin to a fragile sheet of paper barring him from a vast realm just beyond the threshold, needing only a decisive poke to shatter.
His instincts signaled that the moment for elevating his power was at hand.
Fortuitously, "Qigong" stood primed for an enhancement.
To prevent causing excessive disturbance amid the breakthrough and attracting unwanted eyes, Fang Cheng motored through the night to Sea Sky Garden.
Following a brief slumber, he rose at his customary 4:30 a.m. and embarked on a seaside run as his daily regimen.
After running through several body conditioning exercises, he shifted focus to Qigong practice.
And this was his current state.
As his mind focused, a subtle azure panel materialized silently in the shadows.
[Qi Gong lv2 (496/500)]
Observing the figures on the display, Fang Cheng's stare intensified, then he scanned the entry logs below.
Since initiating his Stance up to now, more than sixty minutes had ticked by, but the records displayed just a single "experience +1" entry.
This indicated that during that interval, the advancement gauge had scarcely budged, as if obstructed by some unseen wall.
The sensation of hovering on the verge without managing the surge was intensely aggravating.
Fang Cheng's gaze grew thoughtful, his forehead creased in reflection.
He appeared tantalizingly close to surpassing the Skill Level threshold.
Yet this tiny gap rendered all attempts futile, trapping him in limbo.
Was it truly possible that only tedious repetition over days could gather the needed experience?
No, that couldn't be!
The revelation from the night before resurfaced vividly in his thoughts.
Fang Cheng raised his sight to the turbulent waters ahead.
The night lingered on, waves persistently washing the beach, their deep rumble resonating across the world.
Right then, his condition mirrored this obscured ocean.
Though it seemed quiet above, immense force churned beneath, yearning for a way to unleash.
In higher Martial Arts disciplines, the essence lies in grasping and mirroring the cosmos's principles.
Particularly for a deep art such as Qigong, stressing harmony between inner self and external world, the melding of spirit and flesh.
It demands far beyond rote repetition; attaining the fabled Transcendent realm calls for profound depth.
"What precisely am I lacking?"
Fang Cheng whispered to himself.
He kept composed, holding onto a serene disposition.