Chapter 17

"Whoosh"

Lin Xiao let out a light breath, it seemed he had succeeded.

He stood up and stretched his body.

A series of 'cracking' sounds came from Lin Xiao's body.

Lin Xiao felt a surge of strength throughout his body. He looked at his hands, moved his fingers, and clenched them tightly.

"Bang"

The air in his hands was instantly squeezed out, producing a sound similar to an explosion.

"Truly incomparable, indeed, the fourth level is the true beginning of the basic physical techniques." Lin Xiao looked at his clenched hands and muttered.

After a brief trial of his strength, he checked the energy reserves in his mind.

0.3%, only 0.3% left, truly terrifying. This breakthrough cost 5.5% of his energy, it was a close call.

Lin Xiao patted his chest, still feeling the lingering fear, and decided not to do this again. A few more times and his heart would collapse.

This number was too dangerous, a sense of crisis arose, and Lin Xiao set a goal for himself: to ensure he always had at least 2% of energy reserves in the future.

Because he had broken through to the fourth level, many previously unopened fourth-level materials were automatically imprinted in Lin Xiao's mind.

A set of footwork and a set of boxing techniques, this is what the system left for Lin Xiao.

It also left a message: Congratulations on successfully reaching the fourth level. Please practice the Micro Steps and the Breaking Fist as soon as possible to enhance your self-preservation capabilities.

Micro Steps: As the name suggests, it means taking small steps to dodge the opponent's attacks, using the least amount of energy to avoid the opponent's attacks.

Breaking Fist: It is highly renowned in the future world. Created by an existence close to breaking through the basic physical techniques, it is an extremely terrifying martial art. It integrates one's will to break through all obstacles ahead, destroying everything that can be broken.

The foundation of the Breaking Fist is energy. Compress the energy and attach it to the surface of the fist, forming a cone-shaped energy form. The stronger the energy control, the more compressed energy, and the greater the power of the Breaking Fist. There are no specific moves; it is a fusion auxiliary technique that can be combined with any technique without conflict.

For example, if you learn the snake form of Xingyi Quan and combine it with the Breaking Fist, the strange snake form plus the powerful Breaking Fist is terrifying to imagine.

Another example, if you learn military boxing, which is aimed at killing, and combine it with the Breaking Fist, which is aimed at destruction, who could possibly block it?

The Breaking Fist is still possible to practice, but the Micro Steps are a different story.

The Micro Steps are subconscious dodging. When the eyes see the opponent's attack, the body automatically dodges without thinking.

This requires a strong intuition and constant practice, which is impossible under current conditions.

With no clue, Lin Xiao could only turn to the Breaking Fist. The core idea of the Breaking Fist is that one force can overcome ten skills. No matter how strong the opponent, I will break through with one punch.

The most important breakthrough at the fourth level is the ability to absorb energy from the air. Each planet is filled with cosmic energy, abbreviated as Yu Neng.

In the future world, Yu Neng is the basic measure of a person. Society has restored the two classes of nobles and commoners. Each commoner must reach at least the sixth level of Yu Neng to become a formal noble of the empire.

Lin Xiao also learned that, apart from using stored energy to break through the fourth level, subsequent cultivation cannot use the system's energy as a shortcut. Everything must be absorbed and practiced diligently.

After reading the general introduction, Lin Xiao began to cultivate according to the instructions for the Breaking Fist. First, he gathered Yu Neng around his two arms, then started to compress it, making it more dense and less likely to dissipate.

Finally, he slowly forced the compressed Yu Neng out of his body and attached it to his fists, forming a cone shape to complete the first stage of cultivation.

The first attempt ended in failure.

The second attempt had the same outcome.

...

Repeated failures, repeated summaries, and gradual progress.

Finding success in constant failures, from compression failure to successful compression.

Step by step, moving towards success. In just a few hours, Lin Xiao managed to compress the Yu Neng, which he had never really touched before, into the desired form, demonstrating his potential and qualifications.

"Damn it."

Lin Xiao gritted his teeth and cursed.

Only when he tried to force the compressed Yu Neng out of his body did he realize how difficult it was. Not to mention the pain and numbness in his hands caused by forcing the Yu Neng out, which often distracted him and caused the Yu Neng to dissipate.

Unable to handle both, he always ended in failure.

Exhausted from practicing the Breaking Fist, Lin Xiao lay on the bed and dialed Ye Ding's phone.

"Beep, beep, beep"

After three beeps, Ye Ding answered the call.

"Brother Ye, hello. I asked a friend, and he said he still has two in stock and can give one hundred-year-old ginseng." Lin Xiao thought for a long time before deciding to call Ye Ding. Now that he had reached the fourth level, he could truly cultivate and use the space. Once he made some progress with the Breaking Fist, he would go and get the meteorite that made his mouth water to supplement his severely insufficient energy. As long as he got the meteorite, cultivating a hundred-year-old ginseng would be easy.

"Really! Ha ha, if it's true, Brother Lin, I owe you a huge favor." Ye Ding was also happy because of this news and silently made a promise.

"Yes, but my friend lives far from the city, and it might take three to seven days to get it." Lin Xiao thought about his current situation; three to seven days should be enough to successfully condense the Breaking Fist.

"No problem, we can wait. As long as we get it before the Spring Festival, we still have a few months."

"Okay, Brother Ye, you take care. I'll hang up now."

"Okay, Brother Lin, take care. I'm going to relax a bit. I haven't been able to eat well these past few days because of this." Ye Ding was in high spirits because the rarity of a hundred-year-old ginseng in the country was like finding a needle in the sea. Even if there was some, it might not be for sale. In critical moments, it could mean life or death, whether used alone or in combination with other drugs.

Lin Xiao also had his own plans for befriending Ye Ding. After rolling in society for over ten years, Lin Xiao deeply understood the importance of connections, unlike a few years ago when he still had some sharp edges.

Now, Lin Xiao's sharp edges had been mostly smoothed out, making him extremely smooth. Smoothness does not mean being a sly person.

It just means he was more mature in dealing with people and situations. Regardless of whether there was any hostility, a smile was always the right approach.

Having his own principles, combining external smoothness with internal integrity, and maintaining harmony and prosperity were the most important.

Interest is the eternal truth, and the restlessness of society is due to the existence of interest.

Lying on the bed, Lin Xiao thought a lot and reflected on the path he had taken. The loneliness when he first left the orphanage, the inability to find a job due to his loneliness, the days of hunger, and the final struggle for food with stray dogs, and eventually integrating into society. He had experienced many things that others would never experience in their entire lives.

Reflecting on the shortcomings of his character, the excessive smoothness shaped by society, and the continuous lowering of principles, his heart, which once beat strongly, was now covered in dust.

The current task was to pick up his principles again and let the heart, covered in dust, shine once more.

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