The night was black as ink. It was two in the morning.
Lu Chao changed out of his security guard's suit and left the bar with Xiaoyang.
The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and figures were few and far between.
A drunkard lay collapsed in a corner, curled up. The sour, rotten smell of vomit drifted through the air, particularly pungent.
"I heard Lord Xu came to see Brother Hao, something about Hongyi Society business."
"He rarely makes an appearance. I wonder if the society is planning something big this time."
On the way, Xiaoyang was still relishing what he had seen earlier, his tone excited, envious of the imposing presence of Lord Xu and his men.
As he spoke and speculated, his longing and admiration for the Hongyi Society were clear.
Lu Chao walked through the night, not rushing to respond.
He subconsciously glanced back at the Dreamfire Bar. The neon sign was gradually turning off, and the roll-down metal doors were closing one after another.
"Brother Hao has never really wanted us to get involved in gang business."
Speaking softly, Lu Chao offered Xiaoyang a subtle warning.
Brother Hao would help anyone from the orphanage who asked.
With one exception—joining a gang.
This made him think of the gang members' bodies he'd seen being carted away.
Once you became one of them, there was no turning back.
"Is that so."
Xiaoyang smiled dismissively, then waved his hand casually. "But look at Lin Ze and Yuhan. They're doing pretty well now... If I get the chance, I still want to give it a try."
He clearly hadn't heeded the advice, his face filled with a craving for a better future.
For many in the Iron Ring District, joining a major gang like the Hongyi Society did, to a certain extent, represent a change in destiny.
Seeing this, Lu Chao didn't try to persuade him further.
When they reached the street corner, they parted ways. He watched Xiaoyang's back disappear under the streetlights.
Because of their lack of education, people like them from the orphanage only had so many choices.
'But...'
His goal, however, had been clear from the start.
And that was...
'To increase my Life Energy and get into the Patrol Department!'
...
...
"Junior Brother Shen's talent is incredible. He's already at 19 Life Energy."
"At this rate, he's probably on par with the geniuses from the major martial arts halls."
「A dozen or so days later, at the Jinshi Boxing Hall.」
Having finished his workout and entered the training hall, Lu Chao overheard the hushed discussions of the other disciples.
His training uniform soaked with sweat, he picked up his black sports water bottle and chugged two big gulps of plain water, then glanced toward the center of the ring in the distance.
Shen Tianchen, dressed in a white-and-gray training uniform, had just finished a live sparring session. He was now leaping off the ring, surrounded and praised by several Fighting Level senior brothers.
This scene of him being the center of attention was for no other reason than the fact that his Life Energy had increased again, reaching a level of 19—just one step away from the Fighting Level.
In comparison...
[Glutton: Lu Chao]
[Life Energy: 12→13!]
[Trait: Primary—Primary Resilience]
[Potential Progress: 53%]
Lu Chao glanced at his panel.
In twelve days, his Life Energy had increased by another two points.
Everything was proceeding steadily—not too fast, not too slow, all happening naturally.
His theory was proven once again. Before his Life Energy hit a bottleneck, as long as he gritted his teeth and trained hard, relying on the astonishing recovery granted by [Primary Resilience], his sweat would never be in vain.
Thinking of this, Lu Chao's mindset became even more stable, no longer disturbed by the outside clamor.
TAP, TAP!
The sound of footsteps approached from his side.
Zhang Hong, having finished his training at some point, came to his side, enveloped in a cloud of steaming sweat, his eyes looking bitterly toward the distant ring.
'So this is what a genius is.'
He had been here for over two months and put in countless hours of effort, only to reach 18 Life Energy.
But that genius Junior Brother in the center of the open space had surpassed him with ease in just over a month.
"Senior Brother Zhang, you don't need to sell yourself short."
"The three months aren't up yet, right? Maybe you can still break through to the Fighting Level."
Seeing that the other man was a bit down, Lu Chao took the initiative to offer a few words of comfort.
He knew that Zhang Hong only had a little over ten days left.
If he failed to break through, he would have to leave the Jinshi Boxing Hall.
"Haha, don't worry, Junior Brother Lu. I haven't given up yet."
As if encouraged by his words, Zhang Hong smiled, finally managing to pull himself together.
"I was just getting a little emotional."
"After all, Junior Brother Shen's progress is truly unusual. He's on par with the fighting elites from advanced academies or even some of the rich kids..."
The two chatted, standing side by side. Hearing this, Lu Chao's interest was piqued, and he recalled some things he'd seen and heard recently.
"Senior Brother Zhang, I heard most of those rich kids can break through to the Fighting Level?"
"Mhm, that's right."
Nodding lightly, Zhang Hong could see his lack of knowledge on the subject.
He picked up his sports bottle and took a sip of water, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "They're soaked in High-Level Potions from a young age and consume Exotic Beast Meat and Life Supplements daily. Their Life Energy is naturally a cut above ordinary people's."
"They also have dedicated physical therapy teams that use advanced recovery equipment to eliminate fatigue and repair physical damage. Those from even wealthier families also hire professional nutritionists to create customized diets and nutritional plans for them."
"Plus, most of them join major establishments like the Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall or hire private, professional-grade coaches for daily instruction and sparring. Their Life Energy develops far faster than ours..."
At this point, Zhang Hong's tone grew heavy, and he shook his head.
It was a gap created by birth, one that was hard to close even with a hundred times the effort later in life.
"Maybe Junior Brother Shen has a chance, though."
Glancing at Shen Tianchen's figure again, Zhang Hong seemed to accept a certain reality, and his mood inexplicably stabilized.
Lu Chao grew thoughtful at the sight.
'I don't know how I can ever catch up to those geniuses and rich kids.'
'But I know that right now, I need to stay grounded and keep going, one step at a time.'
His resolve hardening, Lu Chao finally suppressed his distracting thoughts and walked onto the ring.
He had long been qualified to spar with the Fighting Level senior brothers to get more guidance and practical experience.
His gaze swept below the ring, passing over a series of familiar figures.
In the end, however, a figure leaped up, voluntarily stepping onto the ring.
"Junior Brother Lu, let me be your partner."
Zheng Wu said with a smile, standing opposite him. His sturdy physique was like a small mountain, exuding considerable pressure.
Slightly surprised, Lu Chao hadn't expected that his partner today would be him, personally offering guidance.
"Then I'll be troubling you, Senior Brother Zheng."
Cupping his fist in a salute, Lu Chao's eyes showed his gratitude.
After the other man nodded, he no longer hesitated. He quickly adopted a fighting stance and shuffled forward to attack.
SWOOSH!!
His right fist shot out like an arrow from a bow, tearing through the air.
Its formidable momentum stirred up a whistling wind as it aimed straight for Zheng Wu's chest!
However, facing this swift blow, the other man merely raised a hand and casually deflected it.
It was like being pinned by a boulder, his wrist clamped in an instant.
Lu Chao could feel his strength vanish as if it were a stone sinking into the ocean; he hadn't even managed to make the other man budge an inch.
Instead, the man's palm chop left an afterimage as it came to a halt right above his head.
"The Fifth Skill, [Hard Stone Combo], should be like a volley of flying stones, concentrating all its force into a single point. You, however, are too focused on the form, so your power is scattered."
The dissipating force of the blow washed over his face as Zheng Wu's voice reached his ears.
"What I used was the center of gravity method from [Iron Cross Stance], plus the force-deflecting technique of the Seventh Skill, [Flying Sand, Rolling Stones]... The routines of the Golden Stone Fighting Skill are not just individual moves; you can integrate them as needed."
"Come, Junior Brother Lu, let's continue."
Zheng Wu smiled and withdrew his palm chop, patiently instructing him.
The vigorous aura of over forty Life Energy was restrained within his body, giving off a sense of profound stability.
Nodding lightly, Lu Chao understood his shortcomings.
After taking a deep breath to digest what the other man had said, he launched his attack once more.
Whip fists like clubs, palm chops like blades, elbow strikes like spears...
His legs moving nimbly, he tried to integrate the footwork of the Sixth Skill, [Flying Sand, Rolling Stones], with the routine of the [Hard Stone Combo] in a continuous offensive.
Gradually, his whistling punches stirred the wind, and his fighting movements became more and more fluid.
Facing Zheng Wu, who only defended and never attacked, Lu Chao focused on himself, gradually coming to appreciate the wonders of the Fighting Skill.
Stance work as the foundation, stabilizing his center of gravity.
Footwork roaming, coordinating with his fists and palms in a coherent flow.
Time passed, and he sparred on the ring for a good half hour.
Finally, with the sound of a heavy step.
THUD!
It was as if he had broken through some kind of critical point.
Lu Chao stomped the ground and charged forward, his right arm drawn back like a full-moon bow.
The charging straight punch carried a whistling sound, his foot stomping the ground like a rolling boulder, his momentum unstoppable.
"Oh?"
A flash of surprise in his eyes, Zheng Wu quickly raised his palm to block.
BANG!!
His right palm held vertically, he caught Lu Chao's fist.
His shoulder and elbow trembled slightly. For the first time, he was actually forced back, even if it was only half a step.
"Hah!"
Exhaling a sharp breath, Lu Chao didn't have time to observe these details.
Most of his perception was focused inward, subtly feeling that his comprehension of the Fighting Skill had broken through to a new level.
This was completely different from an increase in Life Energy; it was more like a barrier in his combat skill and experience had dissolved.
"Not bad, Junior Brother Lu."
Zheng Wu withdrew his hand and nodded with a pleased smile.
"Your comprehension is better than I imagined."
"You're able to integrate the fighting routines. It seems you've completely mastered the first level's seven fighting skills."
Many junior brothers get stuck at this stage for a long time. Although they manage to learn the basic moves, they rarely grasp the essence.
Their application of the Fighting Skill remains superficial and lacks flexibility, making their flaws easily spotted by a true fighter.
For Lu Chao to reach this stage in just over a month was truly rare, a sign of outstanding comprehension.
"I couldn't have understood it without your guidance, Senior Brother Zheng."
Lu Chao withdrew his Fist Seal and thanked him seriously.
He knew that only now had he truly mastered the first level, bringing him one step closer to Rock Hide.
And without Zheng Wu's patient guidance, he would never have had this breakthrough today.
"You earned it with your own sweat."
"Me, I just happened to be here."
Zheng Wu waved his hand dismissively.
That said, Lu Chao's sincere gratitude still left him feeling pleased and gratified.
"In another month and a half, the martial arts halls of Ring City, big and small, will hold a small martial arts tournament."
"Train hard. If you can maintain this pace, you might get a chance to participate and gain some experience."
'Oh?'
Lu Chao was a little surprised to hear this; it was the first he'd heard of it.
But he wasn't too surprised. Martial Arts combat required practical application, and it wasn't as if similar events hadn't happened in Ring City before.
They were mostly organized by powerful, major martial arts halls, aimed at promoting sparring and exchange between disciples of different schools.
In addition, there were also city-level boxing matches and underground fighting rings where fighters participated. The popularity of Martial Arts combat was never low.
"I'll do my best."
Cupping his fist in a salute, Lu Chao didn't ask any more questions. It was still a distant prospect for him.
He then vaulted off the ring and felt the speculative gazes of some of his fellow disciples.
Not paying them much mind, he chatted for a bit with Zhang Hong, then continued his stance and fist practice, resuming his training.
The enhanced recovery from [Primary Resilience] was still in effect, allowing him to train all the way until dusk once again.
His training uniform was incredibly sticky, clinging to his back muscles, and sweat soaked the gray concrete floor beneath his feet.
Lu Chao snapped back to his senses and looked around.
The training hall was empty. Once again, he was the only one left.