Beneath the setting sun, Chen Chu walked to school, a shoulder bag slung over his back. Vehicles passed by sporadically on the road, and street clothing stores blared their sales through loudspeakers, advertising a 50% discount. In the sky, a passenger plane soared into the clouds. These images of modern civilization always clashed with Chen Chu's martial arts sensibilities.
Chen Chu couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly a complex world."
Time had flown by; it had been almost a month. Reflecting on everything that had occurred during this period, Chen Chu couldn't help but smile. Compared to the daily grind of his previous life, the monotony of a 9-to-5 job, and the burden of mortgages and gifts, he much preferred his current life.
However, a hint of sadness lingered in Chen Chu's eyes. Fortunately, he still had an older brother, and the compensation for his accidental death provided enough for them to retire comfortably.
Lost in thought, Chen Chu stopped in his tracks as a red light loomed ahead. People around him waited for the traffic light as well—men and women shopping, office workers heading home, and elderly individuals strolling by.
Amidst the crowd, Chen Chu inexplicably felt their fragility. It seemed that with just a slight force, these ordinary people could be injured. No, it wasn't a mere illusion; he truly possessed tremendous strength.
He was so powerful that he could incapacitate an ordinary person with a single punch, but this sensation had only arisen when he first entered this new world. It was no wonder that the school and government imposed strict rules, prohibiting practitioners from harming ordinary people under severe penalties.
Cultivators were a distinct breed compared to ordinary individuals. While there were restrictions on both sides, some laws were directed at preventing ordinary people from inciting trouble.
However, beneath these regulations, Chen Chu keenly sensed the Federation's overwhelming power. With over two billion people in the world and the recent surge in practitioners to at least one million, the government maintained control and suppressed any disturbances, preserving social stability despite its immense power.
Even martial arts competitions and conflicts between dojos had become rare, and the internet remained peaceful. News regarding conflicts among practitioners was scarce, while gossip about ordinary practitioners abounded.
It seemed as though there was a deliberate effort to blur the line between ordinary people and practitioners, reassuring the former that despite the immense power of the latter, they were not significantly different from them. Everyone was considered equal, a message propagated widely online.
Yet, Chen Chu couldn't help but wonder about the staggering power required to achieve this. It made his heart quiver.
"Stay low-key, train hard, and avoid crossing paths with officials if possible, unless you're strong enough to be invincible," Chen Chu mused to himself.
But, he realized, in a way, he was already an official, with his school being an extension of official power. Lost in thought, Chen Chu headed home.
In the kitchen, Chen Hu peeked out and called to him, "Brother, I bought some fish for you, cleaned them, and put them in the basin."
"Alright," Chen Chu replied, a faint smile on his face. In recent times, due to his cultivation, he often returned home late, and Chen Hu had willingly taken on the responsibility of preparing dinner each day. Chen Chu had no reason to refuse.
Children should engage in more productive activities, he thought, as the era of cultivation had arrived. Pastimes like basketball and football had waned in popularity, as they paled in comparison to the strength of cultivators.
Carrying a bowl of fish meat, Chen Chu ascended to the second floor. The hexagonal salamander, now measuring sixty-four centimeters with thick arms, lounged on the chair. Its tail hung off the side, swaying lazily.
On its wide, flat head, three pairs of five-centimeter-long red horns protruded like wings, revealing two rows of sharp teeth when its mouth slightly parted. Coupled with its muscular body, sturdy limbs, and sharp claws, it appeared mightier than small and medium-sized lizards.
Boom!
Chen Chu's consciousness descended as he directed his avatar to jump off the chair, creating a heavy thud upon landing. Despite being only 60 centimeters long, the hexagonal salamander weighed over 10 kilograms. It approached the basin filled with fish and devoured one in just a couple of bites, its sharp teeth effortlessly tearing through the fish.
Meanwhile, his avatar's digestion process was astonishingly efficient. Despite consuming approximately 30 catties of fish daily, there was very little waste, as if 99% of the consumed substances were converted into energy.
While the avatar feasted, Chen Chu's thoughts wandered.
"I wonder how much this avatar evolution has improved me," Chen Chu contemplated.
Initially, it had been nothing more than a palm-sized clone. However, with its evolution, it had significantly enhanced half of its overall attributes. Now, the avatar's size rivaled that of small and medium-sized lizards, and its strength had become even more formidable. In this context, the avatar's evolution held the potential for further improvements.
Currently, whether Chen Chu could bridge the gap with those prodigies or even surpass them hinged on his avatar.
On the following day, Saturday, Chen Chu continued to attend school for practice.
Upon arriving at the third floor, he noticed another classmate who had arrived earlier.
"Good morning, Lu," Chen Chu greeted the classmate who was already warming up.
Lu Haitao, upon seeing Chen Chu, suddenly proposed, "Chen Chu, would you like to spar?"
Without much hesitation, Chen Chu nodded and agreed, "Sure."
Lu Haitao was a member of Lin Xue's club and hailed from an ordinary family. Standing at approximately 1.7 meters, he was slightly shorter than Chen Chu. With an unremarkable appearance and a reserved personality, Lu Haitao was dedicated to his cultivation. However, his talent exceeded Chen Chu's, and he had laid the foundation four days earlier. His chosen technique, the Ghost Phantom, excelled in burst speed.
In the practice area, Chen Chu and Lu Haitao stood ten meters apart.
Lu Haitao's excitement gradually became evident, and he cautioned Chen Chu, "Chen Chu, my martial arts focus on speed and explosiveness, so be prepared."
"Bring it on," Chen Chu replied confidently.
Whoosh!
With that, Lu Haitao unleashed an astonishing burst of speed. In the blink of an eye, he covered ten meters and appeared on Chen Chu's left side, launching a swift kick with his right leg.
Boom!
Chen Chu raised his arm to block Lu Haitao's kick, and upon impact, there was a dull thud. The force, equivalent to hundreds of kilograms, caused Chen Chu to take a step back involuntarily.
With an physique nearly three times that of an average person and the added advantage of real martial arts, which excelled in speed, Lu Haitao's explosive speed was almost twice that of Chen Chu. Speed equated to strength, so even though he didn't match Chen Chu in absolute strength, his kicks still delivered nearly 400 kilograms of force due to his speed.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Around Chen Chu, Lu Haitao's legs blurred, launching a continuous and stormy barrage of attacks that momentarily overwhelmed him.
Yet, it was just temporary suppression. Chen Chu, specializing in Dragon Elephant Kungfu, possessed greater strength. He deftly blocked all the attacks with static resistance. His reinforced skin membrane also enhanced his defense, so even when he blocked Lu Haitao's kicks with his arms, he only felt a slight soreness.
Suddenly, Chen Chu let out a low, resounding cry akin to an elephant's roar, and the powerful soundwave shook Lu Haitao.
Capitalizing on the moment, Chen Chu surged forward. He clenched his right fist, causing his upper body muscles to swell like an enraged giant elephant, and unleashed a powerful punch.
Faced with Chen Chu's lunging punch, resembling a cannonball in flight, Lu Haitao's expression shifted. He attempted to dodge, but in the nick of time, he crossed his arms.
Boom!
Under the overwhelming force of the roaring elephant, Chen Chu's punch propelled Lu Haitao back by six meters, leaving two distinct grooves on the ground under his feet.