Chapter 5

5. Tension

Back in the dorm, after a refreshing shower, Liu Hao lay on the bed, feeling thoroughly relaxed. This was a breakthrough after reaching his limits. He felt that after a good night's sleep, his body's stats would definitely improve, though the extent of the improvement would depend on luck.

From the principal Huang Haidong's departure, it seemed that the King's Aura incident couldn't be definitively linked to Liu Hao. Liu Hao was happy to play dumb. The only one who had a slight suspicion was Zheng Zhi, but he quickly dismissed it, as it was hard to attribute such a large-scale mental pressure to Liu Hao.

When he woke up, the entire school was calm. Principal Huang Haidong had sealed the incident. The conversation on the playground, in which Liu Hao was present, was kept under wraps until the matter was fully resolved. Everyone kept their mouths shut, treating it as if it never happened. After all, the difference between sleeping and fainting was negligible.

"34, my body stats increased by 5 points. It feels a bit low, but at least it's a pleasant surprise!"

Liu Hao was still delighted. His top priority was to upgrade his body to the second stage, which would allow his mental stats to reach the third stage. He felt that his mental stats were just being held back, and the true value might already exceed 500 points.

The shift in focus made Liu Hao pay more attention to cultivation. Besides strengthening his body, he needed to put effort into qi cultivation. Previously, Liu Hao had never specifically practiced qi; the stat increases were a byproduct of practicing Tai Chi.

While Tai Chi is often seen as a form of body cultivation, it is more accurately described as a combination of qi and body cultivation. Not focusing on one aspect means that the effects are somewhat mediocre. This is a common view on the internet, but Liu Hao dismissed it, as he had a typical example right beside him.

Liu Hao's father is a prime example. When the attribute panel first appeared ten years ago, Liu Hao's father was an ordinary person with no attribute exceeding 20. But before the start of this semester, during the Spring Festival, his father's body stats were 326, and his qi stats were 389. Over the past decade, his father practiced only Tai Chi, not even learning the Taizu Long Fist. This shows that Tai Chi alone has made his body incredibly strong.

Moreover, how many people of Liu Hao's father's generation had the time to focus on cultivation? They had to support their families and deal with various chores. This effect is truly remarkable. Most of the comments on the internet come from young people who want quick results and naturally look down on slow, gradual methods.

Liu Hao also thought about the situation in One Piece. While there is no concept of a principal like Huang Haidong, the concept of qi must exist. Is the Armed Haki a form of body energy or qi energy? It's hard to determine without direct experience.

Additionally, the Observation Haki is divided into "sight" and "hearing." "Sight" allows one to see the future at its peak, while "hearing" is the ability to sense and listen to the breath of all things, from the most basic to the most advanced.

If "sight" can be determined to be a manifestation of mental power, "hearing" is harder to pinpoint as purely mental. It seems more like a combination of mental power and qi, where one uses their qi to connect with the world and then uses their mental power to perceive it. This explanation makes more sense.

Liu Hao's thoughts were not about abandoning Tai Chi to seek Haki cultivation methods, which is unrealistic. Even if he were a native of the One Piece world, it would be difficult to obtain Haki cultivation methods. Joining the Marines is even less realistic.

Don't think the Marines don't conduct background checks. If they ignored them, the Marines would be riddled with pirates and revolutionaries. The case of Buggy the Clown, a king's son, becoming a Shichibukai and then being studied and turned into a Celestial Dragon's mount, shows how strict the Marines' background checks are.

Unless you have the same opportunity as Koby, who was recommended by Garp, which is even less realistic.

Haki is something that can be encountered but not sought. Even in the One Piece world, it relies on luck. Relying on natives for cultivation methods is less practical than obtaining them from the Dragon Kingdom, where the military has invested astronomical amounts of money and resources, making it more likely to have such methods.

For now, Liu Hao is just speculating about Haki cultivation. His current body strength is far from meeting the standards, even for the Marine Six Powers, which are based on Dao Power.

Dao Power and his attribute panel values may differ, but not by much. In the One Piece dimension, a regular soldier needs 10 Dao Power, which aligns with the 10 body points of an adult on Earth. If they are equivalent, then 500 Dao Power in One Piece is considered superhuman, and this level is required to cultivate the Marine Six Powers.

In other words, his body needs to reach the second stage to barely meet the standards. The gap is significant. For now, he should focus on intense body training.

In his first year, the cultural courses are foundational and fewer in number. Apart from investing some effort in mathematics, he can get by with minimal effort. The national policy leans towards cultivation, so there is some flexibility.

Liu Hao felt he needed to create a schedule for himself outside of his courses. He could use the time previously allocated for meditating on his mental attributes to practice Tai Chi, which is the best way to improve without expending too much energy while also cultivating qi. It's a win-win.

With a clear plan and motivation, Liu Hao quickly tidied up and went to the top floor of the dorm. He found a good spot, spacious and quiet, perfect for his practice.

Liu Hao was quite proficient in Tai Chi. At home, he occasionally practiced with his father and received his guidance. Relatively speaking, Liu Hao's Tai Chi was already at an intermediate level.

After warming up, he began practicing, his movements precise and his pace slow. Recalling his father's rhythm, Liu Hao felt that Tai Chi should be practiced slowly. His father's routine often took nearly an hour, and perhaps that was the intended effect.

As his mental attributes improved, his mental focus became even sharper. Although he couldn't completely ignore external distractions, he was close. Liu Hao could even feel the air resistance as he moved, a sensation that, while not quantifiable, seemed exploitable. He wondered if finding the least resistant way to punch was the correct method.

Liu Hao was excited by this idea. After completing a set of Tai Chi, he began experimenting, repeating each movement over ten times to find the best one. It took nearly two hours to complete a set. This intense focus quickly led to fatigue.

Sitting on the ground, Liu Hao began meditating using the method he knew, which he remembered could restore mental power. He meditated for nearly an hour before opening his eyes, feeling excited.

He had never felt such a significant effect from meditation before. Could it be due to the large increase in his mental attributes? There seemed to be no other explanation.

During the third set of Tai Chi, Liu Hao confirmed his hypothesis. This set was smoother and more in tune with himself. The stiffness was gone, and his Tai Chi became more fluid. He continued practicing.

By the time his stomach started growling, Liu Hao realized he had practiced Tai Chi for the entire morning without noticing the passage of time. This feeling was truly pleasant.

For lunch, he chose the nearest cafeteria. He noticed his appetite had increased significantly, feeling as if he couldn't get enough. He had to refill his plate five times and add four more servings of dishes to satisfy his hunger.

"I've never felt this way before! It makes sense that body cultivation increases appetite, but this is excessive. It seems everyone in One Piece is a big eater. In Bleach, it's ignored, but in Naruto, Might Guy, who focuses on body cultivation, and Hinata, who follows a similar path, both have large appetites, even scaring Naruto!"

Thinking about this, Liu Hao felt more confident. A large appetite indicates good results, meaning he was on the right path.

Fortunately, his family, though not wealthy, was well-off. His father had earned some money running a small shop in Zhonghai and used it to buy a house there. The rental income from the house was collected by Liu Hao, covering his living expenses. Moreover, the prices at the Zhonghai University cafeteria were much cheaper than outside.

Liu Hao had no girlfriend and no interest in luxury brands. Currently, his living expenses were more than sufficient to support his meals.

In the afternoon, after two classes, Liu Hao continued practicing Tai Chi on the dorm roof. For dinner, he ate a four-person portion and skipped evening study sessions. Night running was a good fit, and around 9 PM, he had a late-night snack before continuing to run. He returned to the dorm to shower at 11:30 PM, making his schedule very tight.

This body was truly remarkable. Such an intense training regimen would be unbearable on Earth, but Liu Hao felt he hadn't reached his limits. His only concern was whether he could wake up at 5 AM the next morning.

As it turned out, his concern was unfounded. After only five hours of sleep, he felt incredibly refreshed. Liu Hao planned to continue this training for a few days to see the effects. He noticed that his improved mental attributes had significantly enhanced his sleep quality, and he even considered using meditation to replace sleep in the future.

"Rat, are you also getting up early to exercise?"

"Yep! I need to get in shape!"

"Did you also exercise last night?"

"Sure did!"

"Too intense, huh?"

"Isn't it great to push yourself?"

Liu Hao didn't reveal his thoughts. They were both smart, and he believed Chen Xiaolin would figure it out. Whether to join was up to him.

Liu Hao understood that the environment could easily change a person. Since Chen Xiaolin knew about his and Zheng Zhi's early morning exercises, joining was inevitable. Liu Hao hoped he would stick with it, and eventually, Zeng Jianliang would also be forced to join the group.

Who knows what the future holds? Who knows if only the three major shonen manga dimensions would appear on Earth? There are plenty of zombie-themed dimensions in manga. If a zombie dimension appeared, having a strong body and high immunity would be crucial for self-preservation.

The next morning, Chen Xiaolin joined the exercise group. Not only did he join, but he also dragged Zeng Jianliang along. This felt great. College life is often about team activities. Doing things together is not just about the activity itself but about the joy and improved efficiency that comes from it.