"Spine straight, let power flow through your limbs."
"Embrace the sphere, let energy course through your body!"
Another two days passed in the training hall.
Lu Chao, dressed in a white, gray-patterned dojo uniform, held a five-kilogram iron ball in a horse stance.
Beneath his feet was a slightly bent metal rod, laid across two stacks of bricks. Beads of sweat, like pearls from a broken string, rolled down his cheeks and splattered onto the ground.
CREAK! CREAK! CREAK! CREAK!
The bricks shuddered and the rod trembled.
Several other dojo disciples surrounded him, all in the same uniform and performing similar movements, though the iron balls they held varied in weight and size.
"This is the Mystical Skill at the core of the fourth stance, the Iron Bar Stake. It's also known as Sitting Mountain Embracing the Sun, and it is the true training method for progressing beyond the basics."
"Its purpose is to temper your flesh and forge your tendons, building up your vital strength..."
Dojo Master Luo Qianshan, still in his white, traditional martial arts long robe, stood before Lu Chao and the others with his hands clasped behind his back.
He would occasionally correct someone's posture or jab a finger into the acupoints on their lower abdomens.
"Sssss..."
As he hissed in a sharp breath, Lu Chao felt a stabbing pain shoot through his side, and he almost dropped the iron ball.
But as the pain quickly subsided, he felt a faint current of energy flow through the channels within his body.
"What we call Life Energy, to use the terminology of extraterrestrial civilizations, is a comprehensive measure of an organism's Life Magnetic Field. In other words, it's an aggregate of indicators like strength, speed, and stamina."
"Among all these factors, the indicator of vital strength is particularly crucial, as it best reflects the potency of one's Life Energy."
"Abundant vital strength can stimulate your cells for explosive bursts, augmenting your power and increasing your speed. Enduring vital strength can circulate through your body's acupoints, sustaining your stamina and repairing injuries..."
Luo Qianshan's aged voice continued to echo, offering the kind of detailed, exhaustive instruction that only official dojo disciples were privileged to receive. "Of course, 'vital strength' is just the term on the path of Martial Arts. Other paths have their own names for it, such as Life Energy or Genetic Spring. At their core, they all refer to the same principle."
"The foundation of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill is to build vital strength and temper the body. Your current power is insufficient to grasp its true mysteries, so all I can do is give you a preliminary impression."
As he spoke, Luo Qianshan raised his hand again, jabbing his fingers toward the abdominal acupoints of several disciples.
Grimacing, Lu Chao and the others began to grasp a basic understanding of vital strength.
It was, in a way, similar to the True Qi or internal power described in the tales of old.
After finishing the fourth stance and taking a short break, they quickly moved on to the next phase of their training.
"The fifth stance, Hard Stone Flurry, is a special technique that incorporates striking."
"It combines offense and conditioning. You must strike a solid object, using the force of the impact to temper your tendons, flesh, and skin..."
A dozen heavy, red punching bags hung from iron chains in mid-air.
Following Luo Qianshan's instructions, Lu Chao took his stance alongside his senior brothers, balled his hands into fists, and began pounding the punching bags.
Straight punches, hooks, hammer fists...
He struck the bags dozens, then hundreds of times, until the impact left his fists swollen and his arms aching.
Yet despite this, not a single person cried out or gave up.
Everyone who could stand here and persevere in their Martial Arts training possessed outstanding endurance and an iron will. 'Compared to a lifetime wallowing in mediocrity, what is this little bit of pain?'
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The muffled thuds of fists on punching bags echoed continuously. Lu Chao was drenched in sweat, his arms trembling. He had long since lost count of how many punches he'd thrown.
It wasn't until blood began to seep from the pores of his knuckles and his muscles burned so badly he could barely lift his arms...
...that the Hard Stone Flurry training finally came to an end.
"The sixth stance, Flying Sand and Rolling Stones, focuses on legwork."
"Coordinating your breathing with your legwork is the key. This will also temper your center of gravity and core power."
"You have ten minutes to rest. Apply your medicinal balms, then continue training!"
As Luo Qianshan's aged voice reached him, Lu Chao looked up while applying his balm.
In the eastern part of the hall was another sizable training ground where half-meter-high metal stakes were embedded in the concrete floor.
There were dozens of them, looking incredibly sturdy, spaced only fifty centimeters apart.
This was the training area for the sixth stance, Flying Sand and Rolling Stones. It required them to run, leap, and maneuver on the stakes to practice their legwork.
He had lost count of how many times he had fallen there over the past two days.
Compared to this intensity, the three-day "acclimation" period when he first joined the dojo felt like a vacation.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Soon, the sound of footsteps rang out as a disciple with higher Life Energy leaped onto the stakes, beginning his practice without much of a rest.
Time passed, and Lu Chao gradually became one of them.
Witnessing this, Luo Qianshan, who was supervising, gave a slight nod and quietly departed.
It was noon by the time they had practiced all seven stances of the first level of the Fighting Skill. Only then did everyone get a proper break.
HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!
Gasping for breath, Lu Chao found his training uniform completely soaked through, clinging uncomfortably to his chest, stomach, and back.
When the nutritious lunches were brought in, he didn't rush to eat. He first walked over to the rest area, grabbed his water bottle, and tilted his head back to chug a large gulp.
GULP!
GULP!!
The cool water did little more than soothe his parched throat, but Lu Chao felt a rare flicker of satisfaction.
"Junior Brother Lu, I'm surprised you've managed to keep up."
"I remember my first couple of days. I was so exhausted by the fourth stance, Sitting Mountain Embracing the Sun, that I couldn't go on. Felt like I was going to fall apart..."
A person holding a lunch container walked up beside him, still steaming from the workout. He initiated the conversation, his tone tinged with admiration.
Lu Chao looked over. It wasn't Zheng Wu, but a senior brother who had joined a month earlier than him.
He had tanned skin, a buzz cut, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. He looked to be about twenty years old and was named Zhang Hong.
They had gotten acquainted over the past few days of training together.
"You're too kind, Senior Brother Zhang."
Lu Chao put down his water bottle and returned the compliment with a smile. "Your Life Energy is a solid 11, and you can generate over a hundred kilograms of force. You're way more impressive than I am."
With a Life Energy score over 10, even though one wasn't yet at the Fighting Level, their physical attributes were already a cut above an ordinary person's.
Their striking force would be well over one hundred kilograms, and their reflexes, explosive power, and stamina would all be enhanced. 'It's comparable to some of the elite athletes from my past life.'
During the sparring sessions over the last few days, he'd personally seen Zhang Hong take down several regular trainees by himself. The guy was impressive.
"Tch, that's nothing."
Zhang Hong waved his hand with a wry smile and gestured toward the far side of the room.
"Only after you break through Rock Hide and get your Life Energy up to twenty points are you qualified to call yourself a fighter."
"Here, look at Senior Brother Xu and his group. They're all experts who reached the Fighting Level a long time ago."
His tone was full of longing, and Lu Chao followed his gaze.
The twenty-some disciples in the dojo were scattered in small groups. Though they appeared to be equals, they were privately divided into several cliques.
Ordinary disciples like them, who hadn't broken the twenty-point barrier, formed the majority. They made up more than half the group and were mostly from ordinary families in the Iron Ring District, with average or below-average aptitude.
Then there was the core clique, led by experts at the Fighting Level.
Senior Brother Xu, whom Zhang Hong had mentioned, was one of them. There were seven disciples like him with Life Energy scores over twenty. They were well-respected but didn't spend much time at the dojo each day.
This was because they all had jobs, either working security for certain companies or holding part-time positions as boxing coaches at various clubs.
Their pay and status might not compare to an official officer of the Patrol Department, but they earned a decent monthly salary and received a certain quota of resources. For most people in the Iron Ring District, this was an excellent career path.
'If I don't pass the internal assessment in the future, this is a viable path,' Lu Chao thought, nodding to himself.
His gaze finally shifted to an area near the back door of the training hall, where a few other figures stood.
"I heard that Senior Brother Zheng Wu and the other two are the master's True Disciples?" Lu Chao asked, his curiosity piqued by rumors he'd heard over the past couple of days.
True Disciples were completely different from regular disciples, sharing a much closer relationship with the dojo master.
They were taught martial arts without paying any fees and could even hold positions in the dojo, instructing the other disciples.
"That's right."
Zhang Hong nodded with envy. As he opened his lunch container and took out his chopsticks, he lowered his voice. "Senior Brother Luo, Senior Brother Zheng, and Senior Sister Lin... their Life Energy surpassed forty points a long time ago. They've reached the Professional Level."
"I wouldn't even dare to dream of reaching that level, though. I'd be thanking my lucky stars just to make it to the Fighting Level."
He clicked his tongue, the envy in his eyes practically overflowing.
Lu Chao wasn't surprised. He knew what the Professional Level signified. Even within the Patrol Department, only a select few elites ever reached that tier.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Zheng Wu, in the distance, seemed to notice and glanced their way.
The two of them didn't dare say more and tactfully dropped the subject.
He looked down at the nutritious lunch in his hands, its fragrant aroma wafting up to him.
In an instant, he was wolfing it down, shoveling chunks of Black-Horned Beef and rice into his mouth until nothing was left.
...
"Senior Brother Zheng, you seem to think highly of that new Junior Brother Lu?"
The question came from near the back door of the training hall, where the three True Disciples were gathered.
Senior Sister Lin, her long hair coiled up, glanced in Lu Chao's direction. She had evidently also noticed their earlier stares.
This was a unique ability for those with a Life Energy score over forty—their senses were heightened beyond those of an ordinary person.
"Junior Brother Lu is strong-willed and incredibly diligent."
"I admire his resilience. He might even have a chance to break through Rock Hide and reach the Fighting Level in the future."
Zheng Wu didn't deny it, replying candidly.
Only those who reached the Fighting Level within three months could remain at the dojo, and he had high hopes for Lu Chao.
"Is that so."
Senior Sister Lin's long eyelashes fluttered. Her expression was cold and detached.
She sized Lu Chao up again, her eyes taking in the sight of him wolfing down his food.
"If I recall correctly, he only has below-average aptitude, doesn't he?"
"And he came from an orphanage, works as a janitor, and has to make payments on a welfare loan every month..."
At this, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she shook her head.
The implication was clear.
Without talent or financial backing, breaking through to the Fighting Level would not be easy.
In her eyes, at least, his chances were slim.
Zheng Wu paused at her words but didn't argue.
Because it was, in fact, the truth.
Compared to willpower and endurance, talent and resources determined one's ultimate potential.
"There's at least a sliver of hope."
Zheng Wu finally said, defending Lu Chao. He sighed to himself, recalling the boy's performance earlier.
That resilience and endurance, combined with his similarly humble origins, couldn't help but remind Zheng Wu of his younger self.
"You have a point, Senior Brother."
No longer arguing, Senior Sister Lin offered a graceful smile and handed him a lunch.
"I don't mean anything else by it, I just hope you won't play favorites, Senior Brother."
"After all, the dojo's tournament is just around the corner... and Master intends to cultivate a few outstanding prospects."