Chapter 64: Truly the Lu Bu among Men
"Finally, the System task is complete!" Hearing the System's voice, Zhang Beixing breathed a sigh of relief. That really wasn't easy, he reflected.
After stamping his foot to dispel the numbness that had accrued in his calves, he felt the strength in his powerful legs. Zhang Beixing couldn't help but be grateful he had heeded the advice. Otherwise, that fall, even if it hadn't crippled him, would have been unbearable.
But then again, if I hadn't listened to the advice, such an incident probably wouldn't have occurred, he mused. "Whatever, who cares! The point is I've done it!"
"System, open my Personal Panel. Let me see what changes have appeared in my recommendation panel after I pushed all attributes past 80!"
As Zhang Beixing spoke, no sooner had the words left his mouth than he felt a flicker before his eyes, and the System's recommendation panel unfolded before him:
[Recommendation: Wire Martial Arts Training, Walk like a Dragon! Difficulty: A. Stand on a suspended wire; each time you perform the Yue Family's consecutive punches, reward: 2 Ability Points (unchanged)]
[Recommendation: Martial Arts Training, Difficulty: D. Each time you perform the Yue Family's consecutive punches, reward: 0.1 Ability Points (originally 0.3)]
[Recommendation: Tightrope Walking, Difficulty: D. Stand on a suspended tightrope; for every 30 minutes you endure, reward: 0.3 Ability Points (originally 0.5)]
[Recommendation: Weighted Running, Difficulty: D. Carry a weight of 25 kilograms; for every 10 kilometers you run, reward: 0.5 Ability Points (originally 1)]
...
After viewing all the tasks on the recommendation panel, although Zhang Beixing had somewhat anticipated it, seeing the Martial Arts Training recommendation with rewards reduced to 0.1 still made the corners of his mouth twitch.
Indeed, the Yue Family's consecutive punches were an immensely harmful set of martial arts. Even with rewards at 0.3, I could grit my teeth and continue training. But now, with rewards having dropped to 0.1, continuing would mean not earning Ability Points, but rather feeling like I detest my own life and want to speed up my demise!
Besides this, Zhang Beixing noticed that some recommendations had disappeared, for example, "Left Foot on Right Foot" and "Weighted Planking." They had one thing in common: they were incredibly difficult! So difficult, in fact, that Zhang Beixing never even considered training them. Ever since he received these recommendations, he'd left them to collect dust in the recommendation column.
Zhang Beixing murmured to himself, "Do recommendations disappear if not practiced for too long? Well, it's better this way; at least my recommendation panel looks less cluttered, and I don't have to dig through it every time I check my progress. And the Wire Martial Arts Training... this recommendation wasn't affected by the increase in attributes. That's a pleasant surprise. Two points for each completion can compensate for the changes in other recommendations!" He felt that this outcome wasn't too bad; it wasn't a total loss.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew, softly caressing Zhang Beixing's skin and instantly making him shiver. A sudden weakness welled up within him, bringing a chill to his limbs and dizziness. This sensation was familiar; his body had been in this very state in his past life and when he had first transmigrated.
But why? I've already upgraded my physical condition, how could it... Wait, could it be...
Zhang Beixing suddenly thought of something and swiftly called up his Personal Panel. Upon seeing his status bar, the previous "Excitement" and "Focus" statuses had disappeared. Only "Continuous Qi and Blood Deficiency" remained, and it was visibly worsening before his very eyes!
"Damn!" Zhang Beixing gasped upon seeing his personal status.
From his experience with the System, he knew that in the status bar, the darker the color of a status, the bigger the problem. And now, the "Continuous Qi and Blood Deficiency" status was nearly black as ink. What this implied went without saying.
Soon after, Zhang Beixing felt a pang of hunger. His blood flow and heartbeat felt as if they had been fast-forwarded; they were incredibly rapid. If he were wearing a fitness tracker, it would show his heart rate had already surpassed two hundred beats per minute and was still climbing!
The reason for this... It's because of those ten attribute points I added! Zhang Beixing thought, feeling the changes in his body. So far, that's the only possibility!
Come to think of it, with normal training, it would take me seven or eight months to increase my Power and Constitution attributes from 80 to 85. But just now, through the System's enhancement, I compressed those months into a few seconds and forcibly stuffed them into my body. It would be truly bizarre if there weren't any problems! It's like a person who can only eat one bowl of food being forcibly fed two. There could only be two consequences: first, their stomach ruptures, and the excess is removed; second, they forcefully digest it and grow stronger. Clearly, the System doesn't offer refunds. So, my body has no choice but to change and adapt on its own!
His heartbeat grew faster and faster. The rapid blood flow made Zhang Beixing's skin turn flush. Due to continuously adding Ability Points, he felt something uncomfortably pent up inside him. So, he took off his clothes, revealing his exceptionally robust and well-defined muscles. Then, following his instincts, he sank his Qi to his Dantian and forcefully exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"HA!"
With that shout, the turbid air Zhang Beixing had been holding inside was expelled. Immediately, his pores, which had constricted from the intense activity, were forcibly opened, and sweat poured out.
WHOOSH!
White sweat vapor swirled and rose like a thin mist at dawn, lending an ethereal quality. It enveloped Zhang Beixing, making him seem like a transcendent being, his figure appearing even more robust and upright.
Seeing this, Lin Siqi, who had just stepped forward to ask about Zhang Beixing's condition, was stunned. She had seen white mist before, mostly from boiling kettles. But to see it emerging directly from someone's body normally only happened in winter during intense physical exertion or when exhaling warm breath into cold air.
But now... It's May fifth, the beginning of summer. The temperature has warmed, stabilizing in the twenties Celsius and drifting towards the thirties. And yet, after exercising, white vapor is emanating from his body like he just stepped out of a sauna. What is going on? Lin Siqi wondered.
Puzzled, Lin Siqi stared dumbfoundedly at Zhang Beixing, enveloped in the white sweat vapor. A phrase unconsciously popped into her mind: Majestic and imposing, as commanding as Lu Bu, with a presence like Red Hare among horses!
Lin Siqi murmured, "Am I seeing things, or what? I can't believe I'm seeing Lu Bu in modern times! Lao Zhang, how did you get so formidable?"
Then, after a moment's thought, she walked over to Zhang Beixing. Looking at his sharply defined, glistening muscles, she swallowed, then extended her finger and cautiously touched him…