Qin Yi pondered the reason for his failure. Was it lack of talent or the wrong method?
Talent certainly mattered—after all, only Wang the carpenter could turn mere mud play into a refined craft like woodcarving. Yet, Qin Yi trusted that with the game interface, innate talent limits could be overridden. The problem, then, had to be the method.
He compared his previous attempts with fighting and the master's teaching. Fighting was chaotic, unstructured—there was no system. The master's instruction, even a single sword move, was systematic and recorded as a skill.
Realizing this, Qin Yi understood the key: a complete knowledge system was required. Skills recognized by the interface were all part of long-developed, structured systems—language, weaving, cooking—all built over generations.
Applying this insight to mud modeling, he mentally reconstructed a framework for sculpture and pottery from his past life. Even if rudimentary, it formed a structured approach. He began modeling again.
This time, after a short wait, the game confirmed: Sculpting skill successfully recorded!
Qin Yi rejoiced, realizing he could now self-learn skills without needing a teacher. He tried pottery next, forming a rough clay bowl, and successfully recorded the pottery skill as well. Although LV0 skills didn't yet grant energy, he could now freely choose which skills to develop and later advance them to LV1 for rewards.
He considered which skills were easiest to practice at home, with minimal tools. His choice: drawing. A pencil and paper—or even a stick on the ground—were sufficient. He also remembered weaving: grass, hats, and bamboo—all abundant and complementary to drawing. Sculpting too could use clay readily found outdoors.
By combining these easily accessible skills, Qin Yi could maximize practice and later gain energy rewards efficiently. He estimated that skills up to LV3 could be trained this way, providing ample foundation for his future development.
Just as he felt satisfied, Qin Yi noticed Shuanzi and Zhuzi quietly watching him from behind. Surprised, he scolded them lightly:
"Hey! You scared me!"
Shuanzi and Zhuzi were equally amazed. Seeing Qin Yi play with mud again, they questioned him. Qin Yi rolled his eyes: "That's art, not mere mud play!"
Inspired, the two younger boys decided to join in, declaring that they would call their mud play art from now on. They eagerly started "practicing art" together, more excited than ever.
(End of Chapter)