No one knew what was said between the core disciples.
Lu Chao simply continued his grueling training in the practice hall.
The days passed faster than he had imagined. The toil and exhaustion of cleaning and collecting corpses were washed away by his hope of mastering the Martial Arts.
Because Zhao Yuanqing had something come up, the visit to Brother Hao was quietly postponed for a few days.
And during this time...
[Life Energy: 6 → 7!]
His Life Energy had increased by another point, slow and steady.
He also sparred with his senior, Zhang Hong, learning a great deal of valuable combat experience.
"Your fists must be fast, and your legs must be nimble. Stay swift and decisive, and aim to defeat your opponent in a single blow."
"Yes, just like that."
"Junior Brother Lu, you're improving very quickly. It seems you'll have no problem dealing with the veteran students on your own. It won't be long before you've completely mastered the basics of the first level... By the way, how about we take a break before continuing?"
In the sparring area, the dark-skinned Zhang Hong, wearing protective pads, was panting slightly and drenched in sweat.
His arms, used to block the punches, were trembling slightly. He looked at Lu Chao, who was still holding a punching stance opposite him. Though Lu Chao's breathing was rapid, he was far from exhausted. Zhang Hong was somewhat shocked by his opponent's immense stamina.
He had been a little overconfident at first, thinking that with his superior Life Energy and combat experience, it wouldn't be too strenuous.
But over the past week, he had gradually discovered that his opponent was full of vigor and had extraordinary endurance.
Lu Chao was ready for another round of sparring after only a short rest every time. Even with his higher Life Energy, the continuous sparring throughout the morning had left Zhang Hong feeling strained.
"Alright. Thanks for your help then, Senior Brother Zhang."
Lu Chao smiled and nodded, thanking Zhang Hong before raising a hand to wipe away his sweat.
Combat training was an indispensable part of developing his Life Energy.
It not only increased his fighting experience but could also stimulate his potential during a real fight, with a certain chance of spurring Life Energy growth.
Furthermore, Master Luo had specifically mentioned it.
To break through to the Rock Hide stage, one had to firmly master the first level of the Seven-Form Fighting Skill.
Entry, Skilled, and Minor Achievement—each stage brought him closer to the Fighting Level, and sparring would undoubtedly speed up this progress.
Master Luo had even divided the path into several practical combat tiers.
From defeating multiple regular students at once, to sparring with senior brothers at the Fighting Level, and then to receiving personal guidance from core disciples like Senior Brother Zheng—one had to demonstrate a corresponding level of strength to even qualify for each stage.
'The path of Martial Arts requires sweat and effort every step of the way.'
'If it weren't for [Basic Toughness], I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to endure it, let alone impress Senior Brother Zhang enough for him to willingly spend his energy sparring with me.'
A glint in his eyes, Lu Chao was beginning to appreciate the benefits of this innate talent even more.
After a short rest, it was already noon.
Seeing the nutritional meals being brought over on a cart, he went up to grab his portion, then found a corner with Zhang Hong and began to wolf it down.
The aroma of Black-Horned Beef filled the air. With loud gulps, he satisfied the hunger in his stomach once again.
Finally, he washed it all down with a bowl of a qi-and-blood tonic.
[Potential Progress: 11% → 12%!]
'So slow.'
Glancing silently at the panel, Lu Chao felt a trace of helplessness.
The effects of [Basic Toughness] were self-evident, which made him look forward to a new innate talent even more.
However, even though he was eating much more—and more nutritious—food than before he joined the dojo, the new round of growth for his Potential Progress was still quite slow.
'Looks like I need to supplement my diet with even more food.'
'Preferably food with a higher nutritional value.'
Lu Chao knew the best way to do this, but it all required money.
And as of now...
After deducting the ten-thousand-yuan dojo fee and the more than two thousand yuan spent on maintaining his nutrition these past few days, his savings had once again hit rock bottom, with just over a thousand yuan left.
He had just gotten paid for his work on the cleaning team, but next week, he had to pay eight hundred yuan in rent.
Counting on his fingers, Lu Chao once again felt the pressure of poverty.
If this kept up, forget about accumulating Potential Progress—he'd probably starve to death before his next paycheck.
'No wonder they say the path of Martial Arts is difficult, harder than scaling the heavens.'
'Looks like... I have to find a way to make some money.'
...
「The next day, at nine in the morning.」
The motorcycle sped from south to north, the wind howling past them.
"Where'd you get this bike?"
For the first time in a long while, Lu Chao wasn't rushing to the dojo. Instead, he had changed into a clean black crew-neck t-shirt and long pants. He carried a bag of fruit and sat on the back of the motorcycle, wearing a black tactical helmet.
"From the repair shop, of course."
Gripping the handlebars, Zhao Yuanqing, also wearing a helmet, had on a gray sleeveless hoodie that whipped in the wind.
"A customer asked me to fix it for her. She's picking it up tomorrow."
"So, see? Even though it's fixed, I've gotta take it for a spin or two to check my work."
He chuckled and revved the engine again, clearly not the first time he'd done something like this.
"Isn't that a bit wrong?"
"Relax, it'll be fine."
"Besides, we're going to see Brother Hao today! Lin Ze and the others will be there too. We have to at least show that we aren't doing too badly, right?"
A look of eager anticipation flashed in Zhao Yuanqing's eyes. Lu Chao understood, guessing what his friend was thinking.
Today was the weekend, and it was the date they had finally set after several postponements.
As for Lin Ze and the others, they, like Lu Chao and Zhao Yuanqing, were all from the orphanage and had been helped by Brother Hao in the past. They had all arranged to visit and thank him today.
WHOOSH!
Finally, amid a gust of wind, they slowly decelerated and arrived at North Street in the Iron Ring District.
This place was very close to the cross-river bridge that led to the inner city.
Low-rise concrete buildings stood in rows. Cars passed by on the street, and a tram was stopped at a platform.
The white lampposts were slightly rusted, with a few white papers stuck to them—all either advertisements or missing person notices.