Chapter 27: Quadruple Shot

After expending a small amount of experience points, the proficiency of [Tai Chi Style] increased by a quarter.

Chen Fan sighed with relief.

Seeing that six experience points remained, he allocated three points in one go.

Suddenly, a vivid memory rushed into his mind, as if he had been practicing for a month. At the same time, a warmer sensation than before enveloped his entire body, akin to the feeling of soaking in a hot spring.

[Tai Chi Style: lv1 (0%), Characteristic: Strong Level 1]

"Huh, a new feature?"

Chen Fan's eyes widened suddenly. It was clear at first glance that this feature enhanced one's physical fitness. Could it be an upgraded version of physical strength?

[Strength: With each level up, the physical attribute increases by 2 points]

"It really is," Chen Fan exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.

However, his excitement waned as he realized that advanced skills required more experience points for upgrades, and the attribute bonuses at higher levels were only slightly better.

"Maybe there are still undiscovered features," he speculated, trying to stay positive. "Either way, this is great. Once I gather enough experience points, I can upgrade both [Wuji Form] and [Tai Chi Form] together. After all, higher physical attributes are always better."

Children might make choices, but adults wanted everything!

"Two experience points remain. It may not make a significant difference, but let's see how the attributes have changed."

Chen Fan's curiosity was piqued.

Realm: None

Level: 3 (0/4)

Physical: 17.78

Strength: 13.57

Agility: 9.47

Spirit: 6.05

Potential Points: 5 (1 point/1 day)

The physical attribute had increased by 4 points, the most significant gain among all attributes. Strength and agility had also seen slight improvements. However, the spiritual attribute remained unchanged, and the realm persisted.

Chen Fan furrowed his brow. Were his attributes insufficient? According to Uncle Zhang's classification of the Body Tempering Realm, reaching the first level required a muscle strength of at least 100 kilograms, which meant his strength attribute should be around 20 points, still a considerable distance away.

Fortunately, he still possessed 5 potential points.

"Let's focus on archery first and aim to upgrade [Basic Archery] to level 5 tonight!"

Chen Fan's gaze locked onto the archery target standing in the distance, determination shining in his eyes.

Time flowed relentlessly, and everyone recognized that Chen Fan now bore the hopes of the entire village. Their efforts as his partners were intense, and they no longer prioritized controlling the speed of their shots. Instead, they used maximum strength to launch the target high into the sky, increasing the level of difficulty.

Consequently, proficiency increased more rapidly with each shot, but it also led to quicker exhaustion of their physical strength. After a while, they all collapsed from exhaustion.

"Brother Fan, I'm really sorry. Let's continue after resting for a while," Wang Ping gasped for breath.

Most of them had been practicing all day and were now hungry. Throwing the target high demanded tremendous effort.

"It's alright, no need to apologize," Chen Fan smiled and waved his hand. After nearly two hours, the proficiency had only increased by about 20%. Would they be able to complete the remaining 20%? And what about upgrading to level 5? Would they need to rely on manual labor again?

They still had to go hunting, so how much would the proficiency increase then?

"Kid."

At that moment, a fatigued Zhang Ren spoke up, "Perhaps you can practice rapid fire."

"Rapid fire?" Chen Fan was taken aback.

"It means shooting the most arrows in the shortest possible time. Your hit rate at moving targets is already pretty good. If you continue practicing, the improvement won't be significant. However, if you can shoot two or even three arrows in just a few seconds with one arrow, your hit rate can be greatly enhanced," Zhang Ren explained, looking at Chen Fan.

Chen Fan had an epiphany. When targeting the wildebeest in the morning, he shot three arrows in quick succession, which increased his proficiency by 10%. If he only hit a moving target, his proficiency would increase by at most 6%. So, what about the extra 4% proficiency?

"Uncle Zhang, I understand!" Chen Fan exclaimed, his eyes fixed on the archery target not far away.

He released the first arrow, and it hit the bullseye. However, the proficiency gain was pitifully low, not even one thousandth.

"Chen Fan, what are you doing?" Zhao Feng asked, puzzled, as he watched Chen Fan.

Zhang Ren shook his head. "He's probably experimenting. Just keep watching."

As soon as he spoke, there was a swift swoosh, and an arrow flashed by, hitting the bull's-eye without any surprise. However, at that very moment, the second arrow zipped through the air, followed immediately by the third.

Wang Ping and the others were astonished to witness Chen Fan's rapid sequence of shots. Chen Fan didn't wait to see if the first arrow hit the target; the moment it left the string, his right hand reached for the arrow basket behind him, pulled out the second arrow, and swiftly nocked it. He repeated the process for the third arrow.

All three arrows struck true.

"Plop! Plop! Plop!"

After releasing the third arrow, Chen Fan's heart pounded like a drum, reminiscent of the sensation he had when he shot the wildebeest. However, he still had more to give. With flushed cheeks and veins bulging on his forehead, he drew the bowstring to its limit, seemingly holding his breath, and then released it.

"Thump!"

There was a muffled sound, and the fourth arrow hit the bull's-eye. Wang Ping and the others stood there in utter disbelief.

They could barely discern Chen Fan's movements. It seemed that only a moment had passed from the first arrow to the fourth hitting the bull's-eye.

"Is this the extent of this kid's skill?" Zhang Ren was also taken aback.

In contrast, although the Wei brothers could draw a hundred-pound bow, they couldn't perform what Chen Fan had just done. Shooting three arrows in rapid succession within such a short time frame was already impressive. In terms of archery skills alone, he had surpassed the Wei brothers by a considerable margin.

"Is this the result of physical enhancement? It seems that even practicing basic pile skills has significant benefits," Chen Fan muttered, his heart racing. He had genuinely improved, progressing from three consecutive shots to four.

Suddenly, he had an idea and quickly checked the skill bar.

[Basic Archery Technique: lv4 (75.01%)]

Proficiency had increased by 5%!

A smile crept across his face. If he practiced rapid fire on moving targets, his proficiency would likely increase even more. Nevertheless, this was satisfactory for now. He had discovered a way to rapidly enhance his proficiency.

However, there was a price to pay. After the rapid fire exercise, not only was his right arm burning, but his entire body seemed to be on fire, and his lungs felt scorching hot.

"Can you endure it?" Zhang Ren asked, bringing a bowl of water. "I told you not to push yourself to the limit."

Chen Fan grinned, accepting the bowl. "Endure? I can handle it."

Desperation?

It was manageable.

He could strengthen his body once more, which would enable him to shoot four consecutive shots without as much discomfort.