Chapter 5 Chapter Soft Fist

"Pat pat pat pat..."

After Du Fei committed the Body-forging Fist to memory, the dark space in his mind vanished, even the so-called system fell silent.

In the empty room, only Du Fei could be heard lightly panting, slowly practicing the Body-forging Fist.

With each move he made, occasional sounds of cracking bones emanated from his once stiff body. At times, a sharp pain shot through him, making Du Fei shiver. After every move, beads of sweat seeped out, thoroughly soaking his clothes.

Yet, a surge of elation filled Du Fei's heart. Compared to all previous Body-forging Fists he tried, this one was nothing challenging. After all, Du Fei once lay bedridden for half a year due to a failed practice of a different Body-forging Fist technique.

How could the pain at this moment compare?

"Pop..."

Another sharp sound rang out. Du Fei's extended form slowly drew back to its original position.

"Did I succeed?" A look of joy spread across Du Fei's face. Although it took considerable effort to perform the Body-forging Fist just once, he felt great. While his entire body ached faintly, Du Fei distinctly felt that the previously blocked meridians seemed to have cleared slightly after practicing the Body-forging Fist. This sensation was extremely faint, but Du Fei believed that if he persisted, there was a high probability he could cultivate martial skills!

"Whew..."

Taking a long breath and without any more words, Du Fei quickly assumed his stance and once again began to slowly execute the Body-forging Fist.

Perhaps because the first execution had already opened up Du Fei's meridians, despite the pain still surging through his body. Yet, after Du Fei executed this set of the Body-forging Fist, it no longer seemed as awkward as the first time, but rather much more fluent. With every movement he made, there were continuous popping sounds from his body, reminiscent of frying beans, creating a clinking sound. Occasionally, after completing a move, among the large droplets of sweat, there were strands of dark blood. However, Du Fei, wholeheartedly practicing the fist technique, didn't notice this. He practiced the set tirelessly, over and over again...

"Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!"

As his body slowly twisted and his hands extended, a series of rapid explosive sounds followed Du Fei's movements. His skin seemed to take on an unusual sheen unknowingly.

A series of pops, halfway to the sky? Body-forging, the fourth level?

Du Fei, who had been practicing the technique, suddenly stiffened, his face showing a hint of disbelief.

Although he hadn't cultivated to a specific realm, he was very clear about the stages of the nine levels of body-forging.

The first three levels of body-forging emphasized refining muscles and skin, while the middle three levels were about refining and transforming bones. And when breaking through each level, the body undergoes unique changes.

For instance, when moving from the third to the fourth level, the entire body's bones would crackle with the execution of a set of moves.

This situation, referred to as "A series of pops, halfway to the sky," indicates that body-forging has progressed about halfway. If one continued to cultivate, there's a high chance of advancing to the fourth level.

Although Du Fei wasn't aware of this when he began practicing the Body-forging Fist, the appearance of these signs was undeniably astonishing.

To think that just one night of practice could lead directly to challenging the fourth level of body-forging? Doesn't this mean that, unknowingly, Du Fei's strength has already reached the third level of body-forging?

Such a rate of cultivation is unprecedented. It's known that even the legendary geniuses among geniuses would need several months to reach this stage.

Yet Du Fei took only one night, a pace that could be described as a meteoric rise!

If someone were to see this scene at that moment, they would probably be so astonished that they would slap their own face, wondering if they were in reality or in a dream.

However, Du Fei wasn't petrified. He took a slight breath and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "My aptitude can be described as the worst of the worst. So clearly, the thing that brought me to this effect must be this Body-forging Fist technique, right? Where did this technique come from? Why is it so bizarre?"

Yet, in response to Du Fei's question, the unreliable system gave no answer. After a vague response citing insufficient data, the system went completely silent.

Fortunately, even though he didn't know the name of the Body-forging Fist, its effects were undeniable. Du Fei wasn't one to dwell on minor details. After some thought, he gave this technique a poetic name, Soft Fist, and then once again immersed himself in practicing the moves.

In the blink of an eye, a night passed, and by the time Du Fei finished executing his moves, the gentle sunlight was already pouring into the room.

"Sigh..."

Taking a gentle breath, Du Fei's eyes landed on a teacup on the table. He hesitated for a moment, then picked up the teacup, applying a slight force.

"Crack..."

Under his expectant gaze, cracks appeared instantly on the previously smooth and solid teacup. It then shattered into pieces in Du Fei's hand.

"As expected, I've reached the third level of Body-forging!"

A hint of a smile emerged on Du Fei's face.

Just one night had passed. Although he hadn't reached the fourth level of Body-forging, this achievement would surely satisfy anyone.

However, he must not let others know that he achieved the third level of Body-forging overnight. Otherwise, he didn't know what kind of trouble he would attract. After all, an innocent man can still be blamed if he carries a gem. Du Fei understood this logic.

Yet, at the same time, if it wasn't for the overnight progress, reaching the third level of Body-forging at his current age wouldn't be surprising. After all, for those with a bit of talent, achieving the third level of Body-forging at the age of fifteen or sixteen is quite common.

So, if one wanted to be recognized by the Du Family members during the clan meeting, they needed at least the strength of the fourth level of Body-forging. With that, even if the Du Family members wouldn't consider them a genius, their status would certainly be much better than being deemed worthless.

However, reaching the fourth level of Body-forging in just three days seemed like a bit of a wild dream!

Yet, Du Fei was incredibly confident about it! After all, the explosive sounds from within his body during last night's practice made Du Fei realize that he had already knocked on the door to the fourth level of Body-forging. If he continued his cultivation, there was a high chance of advancing to the fourth level before the clan meeting.

However, to achieve a surprising result, he couldn't let anyone know he had started his martial cultivation. The Soft Fist technique should also not be easily exposed to others' eyes. Hence, it seemed he wouldn't have many chances to practice during the day. Only in the deep silence of the night could he make the most of his efforts.

Besides, he had just started his martial cultivation. Although he felt like he was making rapid progress, some things still needed to be approached step by step. Resting during the day and practicing at night would be beneficial for him.

With a casual smile, Du Fei tidied up his room and then pulled up his clothes to check the wound on his abdomen.

It seemed that due to the so-called medical program, just overnight, the wound on his abdomen almost completely healed, and the internal injuries he had suffered before seemed to have completely recovered as well.

"It seems that, unreliable as the system may be, this medical program is pretty effective! With my constitution, a regular wound would typically take at least half a month to heal. But judging by its current state, this wound will be completely healed in no more than three days!"

Realizing this, Du Fei couldn't help but smile lightly. It seemed he really had stumbled upon something incredible!

After tidying up the room and freshening up in the inner chamber with a change of clothes, Du Fei's spirits visibly lifted.

However, this wasn't the time to relax. Hearing footsteps approaching his door, Du Fei frowned and quickly laid down on the bed.

"Young Master..."

Accompanied by a soft sound, Little Ai had already pushed the door open. She held a food tray and quickly walked in. Seeing that Du Fei was still asleep, she didn't say much. Instead, she set down the food and promptly left.

Only after Little Ai had left did Du Fei open his eyes. He jumped up and went to the table, eating in small bites.

Originally, he hadn't intended to hide from Little Ai that he had started his martial cultivation. However, this time's events had somewhat surprised him, let alone what Little Ai might think. It wasn't that he was afraid Little Ai would betray him, he was concerned that if Little Ai knew and inadvertently revealed it, it wouldn't be beneficial for either of them.

The days went by calmly. During this time, Little Ai visited him a few more times. However, Du Fei continued to feign sleep. All the food on the table was always finished. Little Ai had no suspicions, assuming that her young master was merely tired.

Night fell once again.

Because he had been in bed all day, Du Fei felt an itch in his bones and couldn't help but jump up. After stretching for a moment and hearing a series of "crackling" sounds from his body, he smiled contentedly.

Subsequently, he slowly took his stance. With gentle waves of his hands, a set of Soft Fist flowed out like a moving cloud and flowing water...