'Such high Life Energy.'
In front of the training hall, Lu Chao lowered his head slightly, avoiding the gaze.
From Zheng Wu's explanation, he learned that the gaze belonged to the master of the Jinshi Boxing Hall, Master Luo—Luo Qianshan.
At this moment, he no longer had any doubts about the rumors.
Life Energy was a comprehensive measure of a person's total power. The more developed one was, the higher their essential life level, gradually becoming something other than human.
And this oppressive gaze was clearly not something an ordinary person possessed. It was stronger than that of any patrol officer he had ever seen.
"Junior Brother Lu, please wait here."
Zheng Wu, standing beside him, gave him the instruction before walking into the training hall to explain the situation.
Feeling the pressure dissipate, Lu Chao obediently waited outside the building, taking the opportunity to survey his surroundings.
The two-story training hall stood alone on one side of the training ground. It showed signs of renovation, with thick, sturdy concrete pillars painted with fresh white paint.
The space inside the building was not small, nearly a thousand square meters, and the concrete floor was quite flat.
Several small fighting rings occupied the center, with a dozen or so sandbags distributed in the open areas on both sides, either hanging or placed on the ground. There were also barbells, kettlebells, iron balls, and hard posts.
More than twenty of the hall's disciples moved about, brimming with energy as they practiced their Fighting Skill. Iron balls weighing dozens of pounds rolled in their hands like toys.
Occasionally, a few gazes would land on him, making him feel pressured, but most people were focused on themselves and quickly returned to their own training.
'This is the place to develop Life Energy.'
Lu Chao's eyes brightened. He was very satisfied with the atmosphere; everything was orderly, stable, and strong.
Then, he looked outside the building again.
Below the concrete steps was a rectangular concrete flower bed, its surface covered with faded red and white ceramic tiles.
Several green trees stood in a row, their trunks as thick as rice bowls, standing five to six meters tall. Other flowers and plants dotted the spare soil, swaying in the gentle breeze.
With a cursory glance, Lu Chao's gaze moved on, settling on the edge of the flower bed.
Three young men were nearby, standing in the shade of a tree.
He had glimpsed them from afar when Zheng Wu brought him over, but he hadn't asked about them.
Now, their eyes met. One had a cold expression and said nothing; another's gaze paused, and he gave a slight nod.
"I'm Zhou Cheng, from Zhengyang Street in the Iron Ring District."
A young man with choppy long hair in the center of the three spoke softly. He looked to be eighteen or nineteen, wore a brand-new black tracksuit, and his shoes were scrubbed clean.
"He's Zhang Ping, from the same place as me. This is Xu Linfeng, from Little Stone Street."
"What about you? Are you also here to sign up for martial arts training?"
After finishing his introductions, he walked over with the other two, chin raised as he asked, his gaze somewhat scrutinizing.
"Yes, I'm Lu Chao."
Lu Chao nodded and briefly introduced himself to the three.
Through some small talk, he learned that the three of them were also here to sign up for martial arts training. Their situation was similar to his, and they had also been told to wait here.
"I hear Master Luo is very strict with his disciples. Before he teaches you, there's another test."
"If you don't pass, heh heh..."
The young man named Zhou Cheng's eyes flickered. He chuckled softly, looking Lu Chao up and down, arms crossed, deliberately leaving him in suspense.
It seemed he wanted Lu Chao to ask him to continue.
"Oh?"
A thought stirred in Lu Chao's mind as he looked at the dozens of ordinary students on the concrete training ground.
'Didn't Senior Brother Zheng say these people also tried to practice the Fighting Skill?'
A vague guess formed in his mind, and he stood there silently.
Not getting the expected question, the young man named Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow.
SHUFFLE!
Before he could speak again, the sound of steady footsteps arose, and a pair of black cloth shoes entered everyone's line of sight.
The atmosphere suddenly quieted. The four of them looked up to see the hall's master, Luo Qianshan, already standing on the concrete steps before them. He stood with his hands behind his back, with the burly Zheng Wu behind him.
"Master Luo."
The young man named Zhou Cheng was the first to react. He hurriedly clasped his fist in his palm and spoke respectfully.
Lu Chao and the other two came to their senses and followed suit.
"Mm, since you're here, you should understand the rules."
"After you pay the tuition, I will teach you the Golden Stone Fighting Skill. For the next three months, I will guide you in your cultivation and the development of your Life Energy."
The three young men's faces lit up with joy.
"However," his tone changed as he descended the concrete steps. His eyes were deep as he swept his gaze over Lu Chao and the other three.
"An old saying goes, 'To teach martial arts, one must first feel the bones; only by knowing the root can the art be passed on.'"
"I don't have those instruments for testing aptitude and nerve response here. To learn this Fighting Skill, you must first endure some hardship."
Lu Chao nodded inwardly, unsurprised.
Rumor had it that the major martial arts halls used special instruments to test physical condition, determine talent level, and identify constitutional differences to create specialized training plans before one could even begin practicing a Fighting Skill.
Smaller boxing halls, due to financial issues, lacked the equipment and thus leaned more towards the ancient methods—that is, bone reading.
"Master Luo, please!"
The youth from before, Zhou Cheng, had a solemn expression. He was the first to nod in agreement, wanting to leave the best impression.
Ignoring the young man's little scheme, Luo Qianshan extended his hand.
"HISS!!"
A sharp gasp escaped Zhou Cheng's mouth. His face was visibly pale, as if he was suffering some kind of pain.
Five fingers, withered like firewood, roamed over his body, from his shoulder blades to his spine, touching every critical muscle and sinew, causing his body to tremble and making him gasp repeatedly.
The other two youths' faces paled at the sight, and Lu Chao too was secretly taken aback.
Although he had heard that bone reading was somewhat painful, this was, after all, the first time he had witnessed such a scene.
"Low-grade."
After several tens of seconds, Luo Qianshan withdrew his hand, his calm voice sounding like the announcement of a verdict.
Clutching his shoulder and abdomen, Zhou Cheng's face was pale. His eyes widened, almost doubting he had heard correctly.
"Master Luo, I..."
"Step aside."
Luo Qianshan said calmly, cutting off his indignant protest.
He then proceeded to read the bones of the other two in turn.
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
"HISS!!"
Zhang Ping, who was from the same place as Zhou Cheng, was somewhat overweight. He grimaced in agony, clearly in great pain.
Although the young man named Xu Linfeng fared a bit better, he still let out a muffled grunt.
"Low-grade, and lower-middle grade."
Shaking his head, Luo Qianshan finally walked up to Lu Chao.
His old face was wrinkled, but his complexion was ruddy.
When those five fingers reached for him, Lu Chao finally understood the pain Zhou Cheng and the others had felt.
First the cervical vertebrae, then the shoulder blades.
Humerus, thoracic spine, ribs, abdomen...
Five fingers like iron Eagle Claws dug into his flesh, pinching his muscles and bones, sending waves of pain through him.
Lu Chao's face turned slightly pale, but he gritted his teeth and endured it.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt that although the pain was not light, it was much weaker than the agony of awakening [Basic Toughness].
"Oh?"
Seemingly surprised, Master Luo's gaze flickered.
Zheng Wu, who was following behind, was also a little surprised, because Lu Chao's performance was clearly a cut above the other three.
"Commendable endurance."
It was a word of praise, causing the expressions of Zhou Cheng and the other two to change slightly.
"But."
"Barely passable. Lower-middle grade aptitude."
Luo Qianshan pulled back his hand, and the pain receded like a tide.
Lu Chao shook his head to himself upon hearing this.
He had heard that in Martial Arts, aptitude was divided into nine grades, from lowest to highest.
Although [Basic Toughness] had enhanced his recovery ability, his aptitude was still mediocre.
"Aptitude is the starting point of the Martial Arts path. It concerns the efficiency of cultivation and the speed at which one's Life Energy develops."
"In ancient times, you would have had no chance to practice martial arts."
Luo Qianshan spoke calmly. Although he was a head shorter, he exuded an indescribable aura, as heavy as a mountain pinning down the earth.
The faces of Lu Chao and the other three changed slightly, but then they saw his tone shift.
"But... you were born in a good era."
Luo Qianshan looked at the four of them, his gaze circling around. "I will give you three days."
"If you can endure the hardship, you can stay. If not, you can leave on your own."
After he finished speaking, and with a further explanation from Zheng Wu, Lu Chao finally understood the meaning of this so-called test.
In essence, it was giving them a chance to back out.
Although martial arts training requires talent, perseverance and patience are equally important.
After paying the ten thousand yuan tuition fee, they would have three days to adapt to the life of a martial artist.
If they felt they couldn't bear the hardship and persevere, they could get a refund and leave, after a necessary fee was deducted.
After three days, there would be no turning back.
'So that's how it is...'
Lu Chao was secretly surprised, and his impression of the Jinshi Boxing Hall improved even more.
Compared to the other martial arts halls in Ring City that only wanted to collect more tuition fees, this was somewhat different.
"Thank you, Master Luo!"
After a moment of thought, the four of them didn't hesitate, all nodding in agreement.
After they had paid their fees one by one, Luo Qianshan finally sank into a stance and began to formally teach the martial art.
"The Golden Stone Fighting Skill has four levels: Rock Hide, Copper Flesh, Iron Bone..."
"For now, I will only teach you the basic training method of the first level, which has five movements. We will discuss the rest after three days."
As he began teaching the Fighting Skill, Luo Qianshan's temperament changed abruptly. It was as if he had become a different person; the frailty and stoop of old age vanished in an instant.
With a slight shift of his body, he was like a moving Rock. His punches and palm strikes cut through the air with a forceful wind, creating the sound of tearing silk.
Every move was like a giant boulder crashing to the ground, containing immense power!
Stance training, leg techniques, fist and palm strikes, the accompanying breathing techniques... every detail was perfectly natural.
"Power comes from the ground; first, watch your center of gravity."
"Although what you are learning is just a method of training strength, you must also refine your tendons and temper your skin."
Luo Qianshan's words were hard and powerful, each one imprinting itself on Lu Chao's heart.
THUD!
Finally, as Luo Qianshan withdrew his fist and stood firm, he exhaled a long breath of turbid air like a white ribbon.
The ground shook. The air inside and outside the training hall instantly froze. Even the sound of the wind abruptly vanished, and the entire training ground fell into a strange silence.
Lu Chao stood silently for a long time. When he came back to his senses, he saw that Luo Qianshan had already returned to his stooped posture, hands clasped behind his back, and was unhurriedly strolling back into the training hall.
"Junior Brothers, Master Luo is a busy man. If you have any questions during these three days, you can come to me."
Zheng Wu's voice rang out at the right moment, breaking the silence.
He made a point to explain that these three days were mainly an adaptation period, so Master Luo wouldn't be giving them much guidance.
He also stressed that although what they had just been taught was only the basic training method, it was strictly forbidden to leak it. They could only practice it themselves.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Zheng, we will definitely not break the hall's rules!"
Zhou Cheng quickly replied, patting his chest in a pledge.
Lu Chao and the other two also understood the gravity of the situation and nodded along.
"Good. Then follow me."
Nodding lightly, Zheng Wu then led them towards the concrete training ground.
Dozens of ordinary students were training nearby. Some were using dumbbells and heavy tires to build their physical strength, while others gritted their teeth through frog jumps, running laps, and aerobic boxing.
Amidst the flying sweat, the sounds of impacts would ring out from time to time.
Finally, when Lu Chao and the other three came to a stop in a separate open area on one side of the training ground.
The gazes of the students fell upon them—some with envy and curiosity, others with scrutiny and observation, shaking their heads and clicking their tongues.
"Tsk, these four new guys..."
"Looks like we've got a good show to watch."