Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed.
At this moment, Zhao Ya is standing in the courtyard practicing the Eight Vajra Skills.
Every movement he makes is so effortless yet filled with a marvelous rhythm.
Right now, Zhao Ya can clearly feel that with his relentless hard work, his body is undergoing amazing changes.
His Qi blood is more vital, his strength more abundant, and even his hearing and vision have become increasingly sharp.
After finishing a set of Eight Vajra Skills, Zhao Ya doesn't stop but smoothly transitions to practice the Five Tiger Fist.
Crack! Crack!
That's the sound of fists slicing through the air.
In the small courtyard, fists seem to overlap, Zhao Ya twists, turns, sprints, and leaps, his punches fierce like a tiger descending from the mountain, his retracting fist as light as a cat treading on snow.
Were Chief Escort Meng Lei to see this, he would surely be stunned.
Because at this moment, Zhao Ya's Five Tiger Fist is exquisitely practiced. Though not yet at refined skill, it can be considered as entering the hall.
In an instant, after completing a set of Five Tiger Fist, Zhao Ya comes to a stop, with wisps of white steam rising from his head.
This is the steam emitted by the boiling Qi blood inside Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya slowly gathers his energy, and after a long time, he exhales a turbid breath, feeling refreshed and clear-headed, as if his whole body fell into a warm furnace, comfortably cozy.
[Stomach unlock progress increased by 2%]
[Eight Vajra Skills proficiency increased by 2]
[Five Tiger Fist proficiency increased by 3]
Zhao Ya's heart stirs, and he opens the attribute panel.
Name: Zhao Ya. Age: 16. Remaining Lifespan: 25 years (+257 days)
Skills: Eight Vajra Skills (Entering the Hall 143/500) Five Tiger Fist (Entering the Hall 483/500)
As for the Human Body Outline Map, it shows delightful changes, with the brilliance in the stomach area becoming very splendid.
[Stomach unlock progress: 72%]
Looking at these changes, Zhao Ya is full of emotions.
For these past two months, Changlong Escort Agency indeed kept their promise, providing them with a nutritious meat meal every noon.
The key is that bowl of Great Nourishing Soup after the meal, which has allowed Zhao Ya's cultivation to progress by leaps and bounds, bringing changes nearly every day, enabling him to reach such heights in just two short months.
Now, Zhao Ya is tall and strong, with sturdy bones and teeth, almost reaching the Great Success in Bone Refining Realm.
This progress is considered genius-level even in the vast Wuxiang City or Yunxiao County, let alone the little Changlong Escort Agency.
Zhao Ya knows well that his rapid progression is largely thanks to this Human Body Outline Map.
Although the stomach isn't fully unlocked yet, it has provided Zhao Ya with significant benefits.
Not to mention other things, the terrifying speed of digestion and absorption alone puts Zhao Ya a cut above the rest.
While others may only utilize thirty or forty percent of the Great Nourishing Soup, Zhao Ya can utilize seventy to eighty percent or even eighty to ninety percent.
This gap may seem small, but accumulated over time, it forms an extremely formidable advantage.
Besides, Zhao Ya noticed substantial improvement in his neural response speed and physical coordination after practicing the Eight Vajra Skills, which are crucial for martial arts training.
Thus, Zhao Ya could practice the Five Tiger Fist to the Entering the Hall level within just two months and is only one step away from the next realm.
After finishing his practice, Zhao Ya washed his face, then took out the pre-prepared stewed meat and began eating heartily.
The meat is bought by Zhao Ya in the market, though it can't compare to the Earthworm Dried Meat that Tan Dong gave him or the luncheon provided by the Escort Agency, it is meat nonetheless, a supplement for the evening.
As he eats, a knocking sound comes from outside.
Zhao Ya gets up and walks to the door.
"Who is it?"
"Ya, it's me." A timid voice comes from outside.
Tang Zui'Er?
Why is this little girl not asleep in the middle of the night, coming to my place?
Zhao Ya opens the courtyard door, and sure enough, it is Tang Zui'Er standing outside.
She stands there timidly, her face blushing red upon seeing Zhao Ya, immediately lowering her head in embarrassment.
Only then does Zhao Ya realize he was practicing martial arts to cool off, so he took off his shirt, and now he is bare-chested, feeling a bit awkward himself.
He quickly puts on the jacket draped over his shoulder.
"Zui'Er, what's the matter? Do you need something?"
Tang Zui'Er's heart is pounding like a deer.
Zhao Ya is already tall, and with days of rigorous martial arts training, his muscles are as clear and distinct as if sculpted by a knife and ax.
One can imagine the impact this has on a young and inexperienced girl.
Tang Zui'Er feels dizzy, only regaining her senses when Zhao Ya speaks, hurriedly taking out a small package from behind her.
"Ya, this time I have been relying on your care, and I have nothing to repay you. I made these shoes for you in my spare time, see if they fit?"
Zhao Ya takes the shoes, noticing that the material is not exquisite, and scraps of cloth are used at the corners, but every stitch is neat, showing a lot of care.
Faced with Tang Zui'Er's expectant gaze, Zhao Ya smiles, not refusing, and tries them on directly.
"Hmm, nice, they fit well."
"Really? That's great, I was worried they wouldn't fit." Tang Zui'Er beams with joy.
Looking at Tang Zui'Er's tired, reddish eyes, and her slender chin, Zhao Ya feels a sense of compassion.
He merely helped her a bit within his capabilities, yet this young girl remembered it in her heart.
"Wait here for a moment." Zhao Ya says and then turns back inside the house.
Moments later, Zhao Ya comes over with a small basket, containing about thirty eggs and two pieces of bacon.
"Zui'Er, this is for you."
Tang Zui'Er is stunned looking at the things in the basket.
Nowadays, food prices are soaring in the market, not to mention these eggs and bacon.
"No, I can't accept this, Ya, I made you shoes simply to repay you, how can I take your things." Tang Zui'Er immediately refuses.
Zhao Ya insists and directly places the basket in Tang Zui'Er's hands.
"Take it, don't overthink. It's not a reward, merely a gesture of reciprocation; after all, you gave me a pair of shoes, how can I let you leave empty-handed?"
Tang Zui'Er still hesitates to accept.
"But it's too valuable."
"What's valuable? They are just provisions from the Escort Agency. I can't finish them all myself. Besides, look at you, getting so thin, eating porridge every day isn't enough, now take it."
Tang Zui'Er wants to resist, but Zhao Ya pretends to be angry.
"If you keep this up, I won't care about you anymore."
Only then does Tang Zui'Er take the basket, her big eyes filling with mist again.
"Thank you, Ya."
"What for, hurry back now, don't come out late at night, it's too dangerous."
"Mm-hmm!"
Zhao Ya stands at the door watching Tang Zui'Er go back home, then turns around and closes the courtyard door.
The eggs and bacon are indeed prepared by Zhao Ya for Tang Zui'Er.
Using this chance to give them over is just right.
Zhao Ya tells himself he is no hero, since the world has so many injustices that no single person can tackle them all.
But to remain indifferent to things happening nearby, Zhao Ya cannot do that.
Moreover, this matter is just a small effort for him.