Meanwhile, Qin Feng had become a bloody figure.
From every pore on his body oozed a black, foul-smelling, viscous liquid. He just stood there, on the verge of collapse.
"Go, get yourself cleaned up."
Sun Chan Hall pointed to a cubicle in the corner of the training room.
Qin Feng tried to take a step, only to find his legs felt as heavy as lead.
He took two steps before he could no longer support himself and collapsed to the floor with a THUD.
But he didn't give up. Bracing himself with his hands, he crawled, inch by inch, toward the cubicle.
Sun Chan Hall watched his retreating back but, in the end, did not step forward to help him up.
Qin Feng crawled into the cubicle. Inside was a small bathroom.
He turned on the showerhead. The cold water washing over his body rinsed away the filthy impurities and did much to clear his muddled consciousness.
He could feel it. His body was different.
It was a feeling of lightness and clarity he had never experienced before.
His meridians, once like rusty pipes, were now clear and resilient.
With every breath, he could clearly feel the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth surging joyfully into his body.
That heavy, stagnant feeling was swept away completely.
The root of his illness had been purged!
He washed for a full twenty minutes, only stopping when the water running off him became clear.
When he walked out of the bathroom, Sun Chan Hall handed him a clean training uniform.
"Change into this."
After changing, Qin Feng felt like he had been reborn.
"Drink this."
Sun Chan Hall handed him a white metal canister with no label.
Qin Feng opened the canister, and a refreshing, invigorating aroma wafted out.
Inside was a milky-white liquid that glowed with a soft halo. The Spiritual Energy it contained was a hundred times denser than any Nutrient Liquid he had ever drunk.
Without hesitation, Qin Feng tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
The warm liquid flowed down his throat, transforming into a vast yet gentle energy that rapidly replenished his depleted body and repaired the hidden injuries left from the treatment.
Qin Feng felt as if every cell in his body was cheering with joy.
He stood up straight, faced Sun Chan Hall, and bowed deeply.
"Master Sun…"
He wanted to thank him, to say that this favor was worth far more than ten thousand yuan, but the million things he wanted to say were all caught in his throat.
Sun Chan Hall waved a hand, cutting him off.
"You don't need to thank me."
He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and gazed out at the gray sky, his voice taking on a distant quality.
"There are many people like you—sickly weaklings with no talent, bullied and looked down upon. But only a rare few ever meet a powerful expert willing to help. Most are doomed to live out mediocre lives."
Sun Chan Hall turned and looked at Qin Feng.
"I helped you today because I took your money, and because I can see you're a tough kid. So, you don't owe me anything."
"Train hard, and serve the Human Race."
Qin Feng's eyes grew hot. He bowed solemnly once more.
"I will."
"Good."
Sun Chan Hall reverted to his iron-tower-like demeanor. "I've removed the root of your illness. You're a blank slate now. For the next month, you will stay here at the Martial Arts Hall, follow the coach, and drill the > until it's in your bones."
"As for whether you can get into a Martial Arts High School, that will depend on your own aptitude and effort."
"Yes, sir!"
Qin Feng nodded excitedly.
-----------------
Qin Feng stepped out of the private training room that had changed his destiny and returned to the Martial Arts Hall's public training hall.
The alloy door closed behind him, shutting out Sun Chan Hall's mountain-like figure.
The clamor of the training hall once again flooded his ears—a cacophony of shouts, the dull thuds against punching pads, and the hum of equipment, all woven together and brimming with vigorous life.
With the root of his illness purged, an unprecedented sense of lightness filled every fiber of his being.
The gentle energy from that mysterious, milky-white Nutrient Liquid was still flowing slowly through him, repairing the deepest deficits in his body.
Qin Feng could feel his life force recovering and growing at an unheard-of rate.
He raised his wrist and activated his personal terminal.
[Name: Qin Feng]
[Life Force Index: 0.55]
Before entering that training room, his index had been 0.41.
In less than an hour, it had increased by 0.14.
This number surpassed the results of a whole year of arduous training for many ordinary students.
And this was merely the "restorative growth" after clearing the biggest obstacle from his path.
He turned off the terminal and found Li Weiguo, who was instructing some students.
Li Weiguo was correcting a student's power-generation posture. Seeing Qin Feng approach, he paused his instruction.
"Finished?"
"Yes, Teacher Li."
Qin Feng replied.
Li Weiguo looked him up and down, his gaze lingering for a few extra seconds.
He could sense that this student's aura was somehow different from before.
The lingering sense of frailty was gone, replaced by a restrained vitality.
"Master Sun's methods are truly extraordinary," Li Weiguo said, a hint of imperceptible envy in his tone.
Let alone ten thousand yuan, he would willingly pay a hundred thousand, even a million, for a single pointer from Sun Chan Hall.
Unfortunately, Sun Chan Hall just did as he pleased. Some people came, and he'd just give them the ten-thousand-yuan class. Others came, and if he happened to be in a good mood, he might offer a pointer.
It all came down to fate.
And in Li Weiguo's eyes, Qin Feng was very lucky.
"Your regular class starts now. Go over there and practice the > with them."
In that area, a dozen or so teenagers about Qin Feng's age were doing basic training. Liu Xiaoli was among them.
They were the most junior students in the Martial Arts Hall and also the largest group.
"Where's Zhou Heyuan?"
Qin Feng asked.
"He's in Gravity Room Two."
Li Weiguo replied. "Master Sun has created a specialized training plan for him. Your plan is to build a solid foundation."
The preferential treatment in his words was obvious.
"Understood."
Qin Feng said no more and turned toward the basic training area.
After he left, a student next to Li Weiguo asked curiously, "Coach Li, who's that kid? He doesn't look very old, but he actually got personal guidance from Master Sun."
"One of my students."
Li Weiguo replied, his tone flat. "Just lucky, that's all."
Qin Feng joined the training group.
He saw Liu Xiaoli.
Liu Xiaoli gave him a friendly smile, then went back to his grueling practice.
He was trying hard, but because of his weak physical foundation, he seemed to be struggling.
Qin Feng didn't start training immediately. Instead, he stood at the back of the group, carefully observing Li Weiguo's teaching.
"Chen Chong! Use your waist! The Body Refining Technique isn't calisthenics! Your power needs to rise from your feet, transfer through your waist and hips, and finally extend to your arms! The way you're doing it, all your force is dissipating!"
"Wang Meng! Breathing! Your breathing rhythm is a mess! Inhale on the 'Mountain Splitting' stance, exhale on the 'Sea Suppression' stance! You have to coordinate your breathing to guide the circulation of your qi and blood!"
"Liu Xiaoli, make your movements bigger! Don't be afraid of pulling a muscle. The body's potential is forced out at its limits!"
He pointed out each student's mistakes with ruthless precision.
His teaching was rigorous and efficient. Every student who received his guidance showed visible improvement in their movements.
When he passed by Qin Feng, he gave him some pointers as well, fulfilling his duty as a coach.
Half an hour later, Zhou Heyuan walked out of the Gravity Room.
He was drenched in sweat and looked exhausted, but his eyes were brighter than ever.
Li Weiguo immediately walked over and handed him a bottle of water.
"How is it? Have you gotten a feel for the 'Spiral Force' that Master Sun taught you?"
Li Weiguo's tone was filled with clear concern.
"A little."
Zhou Heyuan gulped down the water. "Under 1.2 times gravity, a punch using Spiral Force is 5% stronger than before."
"Excellent!"
A smile of approval spread across Li Weiguo's face. "This is just the first day, and you've already made this much progress. Your talent truly isn't being wasted. Don't get arrogant. Keep it up."
"Thank you, Teacher Li."
Li Weiguo hurried off, then hurried back, placing a light-blue Nutrient Liquid into Zhou Heyuan's hand.
His solicitousness toward Zhou Heyuan stood in stark contrast to his strictness with the other students.
Qin Feng took all of this in without any change in his expression.
He walked to an empty spot in the line, separated his feet shoulder-width apart, slowly sank his waist, and assumed the opening stance of the >.
The surrounding clamor seemed to fade away at that moment.
In his world, there was only himself and this Body Refining Technique—one he had practiced for nine years, yet only truly began to understand yesterday.
After the root of his illness was gone, his body was like a dry sponge, greedily craving the nourishment of energy.
He closed his eyes and began to practice the first movement.
'Mountain Splitting!'
It was completely different from before.
If his previous training was like pushing a rusty, broken-down cart loaded with boulders along a muddy road…
...then now, it was like piloting a brand-new anti-gravity vehicle, gliding effortlessly along a smooth maglev track.
The circulation of his qi and blood was no longer sluggish in the slightest.
With every movement, he could clearly feel power rising from the soles of his feet, traveling unimpeded through his clear meridians to his limbs and bones.
His muscles, bones, and fascia all hummed with delight.
The instant he completed the first standard movement…
BEEP!
That cold, mechanical voice, which belonged only to him, rang out in his mind.
A translucent, light-blue screen materialized before his eyes.
[Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence System, loading…]
[Upgrade successful!]
[The Celestial Dao rewards diligence; hard work shall not go unrewarded.]
[Host: Qin Feng]
[Life Force Index: 0.55]
[Mastered Techniques:]
[Empire's Basic Body Refining Technique (Entry Level)]
[Proficiency: 4/100]
[Note: When Proficiency reaches 100, you can advance to the Minor Success Realm.]