“You’ve mastered Soaring Cloud Step?”
The other party didn't answer Lin Ping's question, but instead stared at him with an astonished expression.
“I think I have mastered it.”
Then, there was a very long silence.
After a long while, the other party exhaled.
“Did I misjudge him?”
He was extremely shocked and began to doubt his judgment.
Back then, when he practiced Soaring Cloud Step, he endured a lot of hardship, struggling for a full month before he barely grasped that faint, elusive feeling, thereby glimpsing its profundity and finally mastering it.
But how long had he taken?
At most, only half an hour.
What kind of Prodigy is this?
The other party recalled when he had once called himself a martial arts Genius, and a subtle emotion, tinged with shame, spread through his heart...
“How is my Aptitude?”
The other party recovered, his expression unchanged, suppressing his Dao Heart from almost cracking, and said indifferently, “It’s passable!”
“With your Aptitude, if you were in some martial arts Schools, you could barely qualify as an Outer Sect Disciple.”
Upon hearing this.
Lin Ping grinned.
It seemed his Aptitude was indeed ordinary, but fortunately, the gray stone slab existed. Otherwise, surviving in this chaotic world would not be easy.
If Aptitude wasn't enough, then Heavenly Dao rewards diligence.
It was still that same old saying: just keep grinding!
With the gray stone slab, he was full of confidence in himself.
He then picked up the pickaxe, lifted it forcefully, gathered all his strength, and brought it down heavily along the Ore veins.
Lin Ping started Mining again. The daily quota of Ore was like a huge mountain pressing down on every miner.
Although his Mining skill had reached Early Stage proficiency, making it relatively easier, he now had to mine two people's worth every day, and also practice Soaring Cloud Step and Flying Locust Stone. The pressure was a bit high.
The other party sat on the ground and saw that Lin Ping did not show any discouragement or dejection because of what he had said, and he couldn't help but secretly praise him.
“This child is truly extraordinary!”
......
The following time.
It was spent in various forms of grinding.
Aside from eating, drinking, and resting, Lin Ping dedicated all his time to Soaring Cloud Step and Flying Locust Stone.
However, Flying Locust Stone was secretly practiced in the evening, avoiding the other party.
He deeply hated working overtime during rest periods in his previous life, wishing he could greet the eighteenth generation of his company's managers' ancestors.
But now, Lin Ping burst forth with unprecedented enthusiasm, immersed in skill practice, and never grew tired of it!
It could be said that he had never been so focused on anything before.
That feeling of throwing a small stone and immediately knowing how to improve the force and technique for the next one made him unable to stop, and it was exhilarating!
And each time, he would practice until the light was dim and his vision blurred before Lin Ping would stop and grin foolishly.
Additionally, after several days of interaction, Lin Ping also learned the other party's name and a bit of his background.
His name is Yun Lingyu, and he is a thief—or, to put it nicely, a chivalrous thief, with a sense of robbing the rich to help the poor.
After being wanted by the authorities in Silver Moon City, he fled to Misty Town. Later, he was caught while attempting to steal from a wealthy family, his face was scarred, one of his Achilles tendons was severed, and he was thrown into this mine to work like an ox.
Originally, Lin Ping wanted to learn other martial arts from him to increase his chances of escape.
However, Yun Lingyu glared at him and said things like 'biting off more than you can chew' or 'being a jack of all trades, master of none,' and gave him a harsh lecture.
Initially, Lin Ping thought it made sense, so he decided to learn Soaring Cloud Step first, and then it wouldn't be too late to ask him about other martial arts.
But later, Lin Ping discovered that this fellow had only learned Soaring Cloud Step, a single movement technique, before becoming a thief.
It was no wonder he ended up in his current predicament, having only movement techniques but no martial arts.
......
Time slowly passed amidst Lin Ping's various grinding sessions.
In a branch Mining tunnel.
Lin Ping stretched all his joints, then began to jump and run.
He started with gentle movements, then became faster and faster, and soon rushed forward like a wild horse, disappearing from Yun Lingyu's sight.
Within the winding mine tunnel, his figure was like a nimble monkey, perfectly avoiding various protruding rock walls, and with each footfall, a surge of power rose from his toes, propelling him high into the air, as if springs were contracting and expanding beneath his feet, making his body light and agile.
At this speed, his figure, whether moving with or against the flow, could always accelerate, stop, or even suddenly turn and retreat as he wished.
This was Soaring Cloud Step, a movement technique skilled in shifting and running.
A quarter of an hour later, his figure emerged again from the winding mine tunnel, appearing before Yun Lingyu.
Lin Ping took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, having just completed one cycle of the Soaring Cloud Step breathing technique.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, and a sense of pleasant comfort spread through his limbs and bones.
He stretched his legs and felt his body lighter than ever before, which was delightful.
Yun Lingyu, leaning against the cave wall, looked up at Lin Ping and fell silent.
Every time he saw Lin Ping moving and running before him, he felt like a useless person, and his heart always ached faintly.
Why could he achieve such incredible speed when practicing Soaring Cloud Step?
Thinking of this, he almost burst into tears. They say a man doesn't easily shed tears, but that's only because it hasn't reached the point where he needs to.
“Uncle Yu, how is my practice speed?”
Yun Lingyu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head slightly: “It’s passable. I reached Major Achievement in a month and a half back then; you're still a bit slow.”
However, after saying this, he secretly thumped his chest a few times.
Upon hearing this.
Lin Ping secretly clicked his tongue. Indeed, he was a martial arts Prodigy. Even with the gray stone slab's cheat, he couldn't compare to the other's talent. It seemed he still hadn't grinded enough.
He then stopped thinking about it, and with a thought, the gray stone slab in his mind appeared.
【Mining: 30 / 500 / Perfection.】
【Flying Locust Stone: 50 / 500 / Perfection.】
【Soaring Cloud Step: 160 / 500 / Perfection.】
After three months of non-stop practice, Soaring Cloud Step had caught up, with much higher experience points.
Mining and Flying Locust Stone, however, were relatively slower due to less practice time.
But with his current strength, it was already enough.
It was time to leave this dark mine.
During this time, Yun Lingyu had told him many interesting things about the outside world, making him eager to try them.
However, when he asked about cultivation, Yun Lingyu couldn't say much.
According to him, there was a barrier between immortals and mortals!
Additionally, he had secretly made some preparations.
He had been eating only three out of four daily biscuits for half a month, secretly hiding the saved biscuits every day.
There was no other way; no one knew what they would encounter outside on the escape route, and having food on hand eased his mind.
He had also figured out the guard situation outside the mine.
It could be said that everything was ready, just waiting for action.
“Kid, are you planning to leave tonight?”