The backyard of the training hall.
A gentle breeze swept through, causing the pruned flowers and plants to sway. The branches of the green trees on either side of the wooden house drooped, rustling softly.
Master Luo was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Lin Qingxue and Luo Yan stood on opposite sides of a flower bed, watching as Zheng Wu strode briskly toward them through a trellis-covered walkway entwined with vines.
"Senior Brother Zheng, did you tell him?" Lin Qingxue's crisp voice broke the tranquility of the backyard.
She was dressed in a cloud-patterned training uniform today, which made her skin seem even fairer, but her face wore its usual cold expression.
"Yes."
Nodding, Zheng Wu suppressed the complex emotions in his heart and repeated Lu Chao's response word for word.
"Oh? It seems Junior Brother Lu knows his place."
Her eyelashes fluttered as Lin Qingxue nodded and said, "Taking three months to break through to Rock Hide already shows limited potential. His hopes of breaking through further are slim."
"It's good that he can recognize his own limitations. It'll prevent any hurt feelings over the spot in the exchange."
She said this subconsciously, with a hint of condescending judgment, as if trying to prove she hadn't been wrong about him before—that his recent breakthrough was mostly a fluke.
Zheng Wu frowned at her words, saying with some displeasure, "Junior Sister Lin, you're being too harsh."
'He could have competed with the other junior brothers to decide the outcome.'
'But in the end, he was rejected outright because of this so-called 'lack of potential.' How is that fair to him?'
"Senior Brother Zheng, I'm not targeting him."
Meeting Zheng Wu's gaze, Lin Qingxue's eyes were calm and serene. "Master held back for two years, only agreeing to participate this time. I'm sure you, Senior Brother, know what that means."
"If we want to make a name for ourselves in Ring City, we can't afford a single misstep."
Lifting her chin slightly, she glanced around the backyard that held all of Master's hard work and said, "If people found out that the person representing us took three months just to reach the Fighting Level, what kind of scene do you think that would create?"
"What about the newspapers and the other martial arts halls?"
At these words, Zheng Wu fell silent.
He could imagine the scene. Not only would Junior Brother Lu be ridiculed, but the other martial arts halls would also sling mud at their Jinshi Boxing Hall, intentionally ruining its reputation.
It was for this very reason that he had ultimately agreed to the decision.
After all, this was Master's wish—his one great desire to see the Golden Stone Fighting Skill truly take root and flourish in Ring City.
"But, the other junior brothers' foundations are a bit weaker, after all."
A worried expression crossed his face as Zheng Wu thought of the talented disciples from the major martial arts halls, as well as the rich kids from the inner ring of the city. "If they run into those people on stage, I'm afraid..."
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Zheng."
Knowing his worries, Lin Qingxue waved her hand dismissively, her tone confident. "With the resources provided by Hengjia Security, plus Master's support, Junior Brother Shen's Life Energy will definitely exceed 30 points in a month."
"Add to that the true Secret Technique and Master's guidance, and he's sure to stun everyone at the critical moment and bring glory to our Jinshi Boxing Hall."
When she finished speaking, the atmosphere fell silent. Only the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze could be heard in the backyard.
Luo Yan, the eldest senior brother, who hadn't interjected the entire time, nodded as if in agreement. After a moment of silence, Zheng Wu didn't argue back either.
They never doubted the cultivation talent and combat prowess of this Junior Brother Shen.
'When the time comes...'
The three of them exchanged glances, a hint of anticipation rising in their eyes.
...
RUSTLE!
Unaware of the conversation between the core disciples, Lu Chao walked over to the training area.
Many disciples were in his line of sight, practicing their stances and conditioning. He walked over to a pair of vacant red leather sandbags.
His eyes flickered, and the panel disappeared.
He thought about the commotion Shen Tianchen had caused earlier.
Even though it was a spar between fellow disciples, he hadn't held back, forcing that senior brother to leave the stage in a sorry and embarrassed state.
Beyond that...
'His Life Energy is already at 26. His rate of improvement is truly astonishing.'
'It seems Master Luo has invested quite a lot in him.'
Thinking of the small martial arts tournament, Lu Chao had a few suspicions.
He suspected Hengjia Security had probably provided significant funding as well.
After all, rumor had it that Shen Tianchen had signed some kind of extremely high-level contract, enjoying sponsorship benefits more than double those of an ordinary Fighting Level martial artist.
He mulled it over for a moment, then thought of the other's sharp and showy personality.
'I wonder what will happen at the tournament.'
Everyone had their own style, and it wasn't his place to judge.
But he understood the saying: the tree that stands tallest in the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind.
With this in mind, Lu Chao's expression became calm, and he delayed no longer.
A moment later, he sank into his stance, assuming the starting position for the second level of the Fighting Skill, and once again threw himself into his training.
...
「That night, at eight o'clock.」
Lu Chao, dressed in a clean white T-shirt and black pants, stepped off the tram.
The sky had been swallowed by the night.
Although his body was exhausted, his heart felt a sense of stability.
This was the first time he didn't have to rush off somewhere, a rare moment to relax on the road.
The changes brought by his newfound strength were subtle, but they made him feel that all his sweat and effort had been worth it.
"However..."
As Lu Chao silently felt the Martial Arts Power within his body, he walked toward Factory Street and shoved a torn-open protein energy bar into his mouth.
CRUNCH... CRUNCH!
'Training after reaching the Fighting Level is truly difficult, especially the second level of the Fighting Skill...'
Chewing and crunching the food in his mouth, Lu Chao thought about his training situation over the past two days.
Even with the boost from his two innate talents, his progress was ordinary, the results minimal.
The reason was simple, summed up in one word: resources.
Even though [Junior Fortitude] allowed him to push his limits and [Plunder Growth] let him consume food and absorb nutrients faster, it wasn't enough.
The critical point was that, aside from a few thousand yuan in cash, he had almost nothing left.
As for the Exotic Beast Meat, its effects had diminished after he broke through to the Fighting Level. The difficulty of increasing his Potential Progress had also skyrocketed; it hadn't budged at all since the morning.
'Once I join the Patrol Department, if things go smoothly, I'll see if I can get an advance on my salary.'
'And the sponsorship money from Brother Hao should be available in about half a month.'
His plan was clear. Lu Chao subconsciously recalled what Master Luo had said when he taught the technique.
The second level of the Fighting Skill focused on the muscles and tendons, so besides expending effort to temper the physique, nutritional resources were of the utmost importance.
'If I can use this to improve, take in enough nutrients to break the 40-point barrier in Life Energy, I'll be able to step into the Professional Level and break through to the Copper Flesh Realm.'
'By then, my explosive power will have doubled, and my punching force will be at least five hundred kilograms.'
Master Luo's words echoed in his mind, and a flicker of anticipation flashed in Lu Chao's eyes.
Because...
'If I can break through again after that, and take one more step up...'
Elite Level.
A term flashed through Lu Chao's mind.
According to the classifications in the "Life Energy Development Theory," a Life Energy score between 40 and 70 was called Professional Level, meaning one could perform many violent professional tasks, such as security and law enforcement.
But if Life Energy exceeded 70 points, one would step into a new tier: the Elite Level.
This designated the elites of humanity on Earth Star. Their strength approached one ton, and it was rumored they could withstand small-caliber bullet wounds to non-vital areas and shatter a steel plate with a full-force punch.
This was a major super-powered threshold, the final step before reaching 100 points of Life Energy.
A person of this caliber would be considered a major figure in all of Ring City, someone even the inner ring circles would have to treat with respect.
As the thought passed, a flicker of ambition ignited in Lu Chao's heart.
Without breaking stride, he passed a rust-spotted utility pole plastered with various small ads and walked into Factory Street.
The supermarket at the corner was still open, its ground floor lit up. An Auntie Zhang was at the counter settling accounts. On the wall of the second floor, a neon sign flickered on and off as if it were short-circuiting.
Gray smoke from cooking fires drifted like fog from deeper down the street, mixed with the aroma of grilled meat.
Some neighbors and shirtless drunks were eating in the restaurants and barbecue shops on either side of the road. Others could be seen laughing as they put their arms around streetwalkers and headed into corner hair salons.
Taking it all in, Lu Chao thought about moving.
He was getting closer and closer to Building Three. After passing through the final alley, he was just about to arrive downstairs.
But his steps faltered. Someone suddenly walked out from a side alley.
A familiar coldness washed over him, and the air seemed to freeze.
In an instant, Lu Chao's pupils contracted, and a chill rose in his heart.