When Jiang Ping finished practicing for the third time, the number for Nourishing Life Art increased from 17 to 27.

He was almost certain that he was a genius.

Otherwise, how could an ordinary person be this extraordinary? At this rate, he might reach the 1st Layer today.

Who needed the ten days as described by the Fate?

Of course, with gains came losses.

Jiang Ping felt an alarming depletion of his physical strength. After three rounds, he was utterly exhausted, more so than after a day of hard labor, and his stomach was already growling with hunger.

"This must be what the Head Escort meant by needing to eat to keep up with training. Strengthening the body requires a lot of nourishment, or else the body will be worn out."

He pondered.

His progress was significant, but so was the consumption.

"The martial teachers in Yangcheng City often say, 'Martial arts is a money pit,' and it's true. To get stronger, you must spend a lot of money on nutrition."

Jiang Ping was also grateful that he hadn't chosen to spend another four years training at the Martial Hall.

Otherwise, his talent would have been delayed by four years, and he wouldn't have had free beef to eat.

"After three rounds, half of them still haven't mastered all the moves. How incredibly foolish."

The Head Escort's scolding voice rang out at the right moment.

Under the guidance and motivational speeches of the Head Escort, half of the people managed to remember all the moves, though some were still a bit slow and made mistakes.

"One mistake, and you won't get any results!"

"The escort agency is training you to be capable Escort Masters, not useless fools. I'll guide you one last time. If there are still mistakes, don't expect any beef for lunch. If you want to eat, pay for it yourself."

Liang Sheng's voice was cold, causing the faces of a few slow or lazy young men to change suddenly.

"The escort agency is spending money to cultivate you, so don't expect to be pampered with good food and drink. We want talented individuals, not fools."

Escort Master Huang, watching from the side, couldn't help but sneer.

The escort agency was investing money to train real Escort Masters, not a place for freeloaders.

Time passed.

When everyone finished the sixth round of Nourishing Life Art, Chief Escort Liang left without looking back.

Escort Master Huang then called out the names of twenty or thirty people, saying, "You still have mistakes. If you don't meet the standard before lunch, no beef will be provided. Of course, before that, you can come to me for guidance, one penny per session."

Hearing this, these people's expressions changed slightly.

They were reluctant to spend the money.

"Brother Qian!" Sun Zheng looked pitifully at his old friend, and Qian Dele smiled, "No problem, I'll teach you."

"Tiegen, help us." Luo Tiegen's two fellow villagers looked at him.

Luo Tiegen hesitated slightly. He had indeed learned it, but he wanted to use the time before lunch to practice more so as not to fall behind. If he used his half-baked skills to guide others, his own progress would be slowed.

Seeing his roommates slumped on the ground, Luo Tiegen had an idea and immediately said:

"Brother Jiang, could you help guide my two fellow villagers?"

At this moment, Jiang Ping was panting heavily, breathing in large gulps.

After six rounds, the proficiency of Nourishing Life Art had increased to 56, and the progress of the 1st Layer was more than halfway.

Similarly, the consumption was enormous, and Jiang Ping felt ravenous. Without food to replenish his strength, it was difficult to continue practicing.

Luo Tiegen had noticed this point. He knew Jiang Ping had mastered all the moves before him, so guiding his fellow villagers would be no problem.

But Jiang Ping had no such intention; he was already exhausted.

"Spending a penny is no big deal. I suggest you seek guidance from Escort Master Huang; it's more appropriate." He waved his hand.

This was his sincere suggestion. Everyone was learning for the first time, and no one could compare to Escort Master Huang's understanding of Nourishing Life Art.

Moreover, Escort Master Huang only charged a penny for guidance, which was quite generous, without any intention of exploitation.

Perhaps, the other party wanted those who couldn't do it to learn seriously through this penny.

Unfortunately, too few people understood this intention. Most still chose to ask friends or roommates who had learned it to help correct their moves.

Furthermore, even if Jiang Ping agreed to guide them, if these two still couldn't get it right, they might suspect him of deliberately misleading them, and he would take the blame.

Why agree to such a thankless task?

Moreover, Luo Tiegen himself had mastered all the moves but didn't teach them, instead calling him to teach. He really knew how to take advantage.

"This..." Hearing Jiang Ping's words, Luo's two fellow villagers looked troubled. Spending a penny for guidance was not cost-effective for them.

Seeing Jiang Ping's refusal, Luo Tiegen had no choice but to teach them himself.

......

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

"Luo Daniu, Li Si..."

Find the original at "pawread.com".

Escort Master Huang had those who hadn't practiced the moves correctly perform them again, then called out eight or nine names, sneering:

"You are truly foolish. If you had asked me for guidance, you could have learned everything for just a few pennies. But you were unwilling, choosing instead to practice on your own or have other half-baked people guide you. You thought you were saving money, but you didn't realize that a bowl of beef in the cafeteria costs ten pennies."

Hearing this, these people's faces turned pale, filled with regret.

"Daniu, it's a pity. You only made two mistakes. With a little more time, you would have been fine." Luo Tiegen patted his fellow villager's shoulder.

Luo Daniu softly responded, glancing at Jiang Ping, realizing he should have taken his advice earlier.

"The rest of you, go eat. Once they've gotten their food, you who haven't practiced correctly can go in."

Escort Master Huang's words rang out again, and most people eagerly headed to the cafeteria.

Jiang Ping was among them.

He had been hungry for a long time and could finally eat.

After getting his food, Jiang Ping randomly found an empty table and began to eat heartily.

After a bowl of beef, he felt warm all over, a sensation he had never experienced before.

Even though it was just a bowl of beef, he felt as if the food was nourishing his spleen and stomach, invigorating his limbs and meridians, and the fatigue from practicing Nourishing Life Art seemed to dissipate.

"Indeed, practicing martial arts makes a difference."

Jiang Ping thought.

The only regret was that the meal wasn't very filling, and he wanted another serving of beef.

Thinking of this, he glanced around and noticed a few people had gotten two servings of beef.

These people weren't in the top five in fist strength, but they chose to pay for extra meat, clearly having taken the Head Escort's words to heart, combining eating with practice.

Jiang Ping also wanted to use eating to support his practice, but he touched his pocket and then shook his head helplessly.

After the meal.

Everyone either sat or stood in the shade of the trees or in the shadows beside the Martial Training Ground.

Because Escort Master Huang only gave them a quarter of an hour to rest before they had to continue practicing, no one returned to the dormitory.

After all, the Head Escort said the best time to practice Nourishing Life Art was after meals.

From now on, their practice time would likely be after the three meal times.

.......

A quarter of an hour passed quickly.

Chief Escort Liang arrived.

He led everyone through another round of Nourishing Life Art, said a few words, and then hurriedly left.

This time, even Escort Master Huang didn't stay to supervise.

"A master leads you to the door, but practice depends on the individual," someone said solemnly.

Everyone nodded involuntarily, agreeing deeply.

The escort agency was training them, but it couldn't guide them at all times or supervise them constantly.

Whether they could achieve results from now on depended on themselves.

In the monotonous practice, time gradually passed.

Jiang Ping was the first to feel physically exhausted.

He felt extremely tired after only three rounds, his legs a bit unsteady and trembling slightly.

Of course, the results were gratifying:

[Nourishing Life Art 1st Layer (72/100)]

Only a third left to master the 1st Layer!

"If I could replenish with another serving of beef right now, I might quickly reach the Entry Level."

Jiang Ping's eyes were filled with longing for beef.

Unfortunately, his wallet was too small to hold such a luxury.

He simply stopped practicing and headed back to the dormitory.

The Head Escort said that eating must keep up with practice, or forcing it would harm the body.

Jiang Ping had no money for extra meals, so he could only go back to rest.

Half an hour after he left, several more people felt physically exhausted and chose to stop and rest.

"These people have all learned Nourishing Life Art, but they share one thing in common: they didn't have beef for lunch, so they tire quickly."

Liu Wensheng, one of the top five in fist strength, observed these people, pondering.

"Those two Escort Masters weren't wrong; keeping up with eating is crucial, and beef is essential." Liu Wensheng realized the importance of beef for martial arts practice.

"But why did that pretty boy also seem exhausted and head straight back to the dormitory?" He recalled Jiang Ping, who had eaten beef but seemed unable to continue.

Until he saw a few others who had also eaten beef but chose to rest in the dormitory.

"They can't endure the hardships of martial arts practice."

Liu Wensheng, covered in sweat but still persisting in his practice, felt relieved and stopped paying attention to others.

With a hundred people, there are all kinds of people, each with their own way of life and aspirations.

......

After dinner.

This time, not to mention the Head Escort, even Escort Master Huang didn't show up.

It was clear that whether they succeeded in learning depended solely on themselves.

However, everyone followed the two Escort Masters' advice and practiced after meals.

Jiang Ping was very serious as he practiced Nourishing Life Art among the crowd.

By the time of Xu, as he completed the third round.

[Nourishing Life Art 1st Layer (100/100) → Nourishing Life Art 2nd Layer (0/100)]

There was no imagined surge of blood qi or sudden increase in strength.

It was just an ordinary moment, unnoticed by anyone.

If there was any sign, it might be that he could vaguely sense a thread of blood qi flowing within him. As he continued to practice Nourishing Life Art, this blood qi coursed through his body like running, and the more he practiced, the more fatigued he felt.

Other than that, there were no other signs.

However, Jiang Ping was still delighted, as this meant he had mastered the 1st Layer, his fist strength increased by twenty pounds, and he was beginning to approach the top three in fist strength.

Most importantly, from zero to Entry Level, it only took him one day, even with food and practice not matching.

His talent was evident!

When he finished the third round of Nourishing Life Art, the proficiency increased by another four points, and the 2nd Layer was on its way.

After practicing Nourishing Life Art once more, feeling exhausted, Jiang Ping decided to stop and return to the dormitory to sleep.

He certainly wouldn't boast about anything; on his first day in this world, he had engraved the word 'cautious' in his heart.

Without a strong background or exceptional strength, revealing his talent too early could easily provoke envy.

The escort agency's Escort Masters traveled far and wide and were bound to make enemies. If he were to establish a reputation as a genius too soon, he might be killed by enemies in the cradle.

The gun strikes the bird that sticks its head out; it's better to be prudent.

Returning to the dormitory, Jiang Ping washed up and went straight to bed, falling asleep quickly with steady breathing.

However, he didn't sleep until dawn; after a while, he was disturbed and tossed and turned.

Because the other nine people returned to the dormitory one after another, the noise was quite piercing.

In a daze, Jiang Ping heard his roommates discussing Nourishing Life Art.

As they chatted, one of them asked about everyone's practice status.

"It's only the first day of practice; what effect could there be?" Luo Tiegen waved his hand dismissively.

"And you?" Sun Zheng continued to ask, going from one person to the next.

Everyone was a bit speechless, but they all shook their heads, indicating no noticeable effects.

However, Qian Dele spoke up loudly, "I do feel something. I have confidence that I'll sense my blood qi in a few days."

Hearing this, everyone was a bit surprised, and many began to praise him.

After all, as the first to master the moves, he must have achieved some results.

Sun Zheng, as an old friend, was naturally pleased and, thinking of something, looked up at his bunk, "There's still one person we haven't asked."

Lying on his bed, Jiang Ping was still in a daze, only slightly more conscious.

Of course, he instantly thought that if someone dared to wake him, he would definitely use his strength of over 160 pounds to slap them.

Let them experience the effects of the 1st Layer of Nourishing Life Art firsthand.

Jiang Ping could be cautious and low-key, not boasting about anything, but that didn't mean he would let others bully him.

Already a bit annoyed by the noise, he wouldn't tolerate being deliberately woken up.

If he endured it this time, others would surely think he was easy to push around, and the trouble would never end.

In fact, Sun Zheng was already moving, stepping on the bed, about to straighten his body, when someone spoke up to stop him:

"He's sleeping; it's not good to disturb him. We can ask tomorrow."

Sun Zheng still straightened his body, looking at the seemingly asleep Jiang Ping.

But in the end, he didn't make any further moves, retracting back to his bed, saying, "You're right, we'll ask tomorrow."