Tap.
A foot struck the ground, knees slightly bent, and power burst forth instantaneously.
Whoosh!
A whip leg swung out high and fast, leaving a trail of afterimage.
Zi!
The waist and hips twisted slightly, the four fingers came together as power transferred from the shoulder to the arm, and with a fierce motion, he struck out. This charging fist seemed to be packed with power.
In the empty space of the room, Bai Xiao's entire body was soaked with sweat, sticking to the surface of his skin. The black, broken hairs on his forehead were a mess, like strands of willow branches. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans slid over his eyelashes and chin, flinging into the air with the vigorous movement of his body, plip-plopping onto the ground.
If the body's stamina were a pond storing water, then at this moment, Bai Xiao's pond had nearly dried up, all his strength almost wrung out. His ferocious training today was aimed at eliminating the unease in his heart.
And now, Bai Xiao had done just that.
When one was almost completely exhausted, the brain truly couldn't think of much.
Only a thread of will, taut like a thin string, kept Bai Xiao going for a moment longer, then another moment! The moment one can't hold on any longer is exactly the time for cultivation. When you're nearly exhausted, that's when the real training begins.
Swish, swish, swish...
Inside the rental property, the shadows of fists danced, and a silhouette moved swiftly, its speed growing slower and arms trembling, but its movements remained just as precise.
The closer he got to that point, the less Bai Xiao was willing to admit that he had limits. Because admitting there were limits was the first step to failure!
It was very quiet inside the room; he could hear his heart pounding intensely like a drum, as well as the cracking of his bones as his limbs moved. His feet stepped on the sweat-drenched floor.
Bai Xiao, like a wild beast, suddenly let out a fierce growl from his throat.
He threw his last punch forward with immense satisfaction!
Whoosh! Everything before his eyes blurred.
Bai Xiao almost thought he was about to pass out.
But after carefully focusing, he realized it was the change in the attribute panel.
[Your Will Attribute has increased by +0.2!]
[Will: 11.7→11.9]
He stood still, his robust chest heaving rapidly as he gasped for air. Bai Xiao stared at the notification in his retina.
A wearied smile, with a hint of fierceness, revealed itself on his face.
"Training truly strengthens the will; muscles are just a bonus."
"The closer to the limit, the more I can surpass it..."
He seemed to have grasped a truth, and vaguely found a clumsy method to improve his Will Attribute. Will had always been the slowest to increase among Bai Xiao's four attributes, with even Speed, which was initially far behind Will, nearly catching up. The reason for this was that the increases in Will Attribute from leveling up professional skills had been too insignificant.
But now, Bai Xiao understood.
To enhance the Will Attribute, the best method was to push oneself to the brink of limits. Every second of perseverance under those limits might make one's will stronger and tougher. Of course, those who couldn't endure hardship or fatigue couldn't use this method—it was by no means a shortcut.
It was a clumsy method that required a lot of sweat and time.
"With the profession panel, it seems I'll never regress, my four attributes are fixed, they've never fluctuated..." Bai Xiao murmured to himself.
This was a hidden, powerful effect of the profession panel.
He rested on the spot for a moment, waiting for his overheated body to cool down a bit.
Bai Xiao first mopped up the sweaty floor. Then he walked into the bathroom and took a very refreshing cold shower.
When he came out, the wind blowing through the window chilled him once more. Probably due to a significant increase in his Physique Attribute, Bai Xiao's stamina recovered faster, and he felt much better just by taking a bath. With a bit more rest, there would be no problem going out to deliver food.
Wearing only shorts and revealing his fit body, he sat on the edge of the bed. He picked up his phone and glanced at the time—it was already 5:15 in the afternoon. In ten more minutes, it would be time to grind for experience.
Bai Xiao was about to put his phone down when the screen flickered ever so slightly.
It was a message from YY, displayed on the lock screen.
Bai Xiao pressed his fingerprint and entered the message.
Zhang Hongtao (Coach): Be cautious recently, avoid going to desolate places, especially at night, and try to stay on main roads as much as possible.
With one glance, Bai Xiao's eyes sharpened, and he slowly lifted his head.
His gaze, ponderous, lingered on the window before he eventually turned it away.
Bai Xiao: Coach, what do you mean?
He sent the message, and within two or three seconds, he received a reply.
Zhang Hongtao (Coach): Don't worry about what I mean, just do as I say. There's no harm in being careful these days.
Bai Xiao remained silent for a moment before replying: Okay.
After closing his phone, he sat still for a while, then turned and walked into the bathroom. Cupping his hands, he scooped up a ladle of water and doused it all over his face.
He stood up straight.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he saw the eyes of the young face before him, dark and deep as a still pond.
Bai Xiao muttered to himself.
"Inside the White Bird Martial Arts Hall, they definitely know something!"
"About the recent string of disappearances."
"About that inhuman black shadow..."
At that moment, his instinct told him that Coach Zhang Hongtao's safety warning concealed much more than just a simple reminder.
"Coach Zhang said he was busy before and couldn't stay after class to practice with me."
"Could it be that..."
Bai Xiao's eyes flickered, growing increasingly certain. He couldn't be one hundred percent sure that White Bird Martial Arts Hall was involved, but at least there was a fifty percent chance it was related. Bai Xiao stepped out of the bathroom silently.
A subtle sense of urgency filled his heart once more.
In his rented room, he quickly put on his clothes, choosing the most comfortable, loose-fitting tracksuit. Bai Xiao grabbed his keys and phone and hurried downstairs.
At five-thirty in the afternoon, as usual, he began delivering food.
Unlike before, Bai Xiao made a point not to take orders from more remote locations, choosing instead to focus on the area around the university town.
This meant he made slightly less than usual.
But the difference wasn't significant, especially in the evening and in such a densely populated area. The ones who order takeout the most, college students, were all in this area, so he wasn't short on orders during the evening. Don't assume that college students don't order takeout; they have their ways. The iron railings near the cafeteria, the gaps at the back of the school—they knew them all.
Learning to master the delivery spots of each university is a fundamental skill for a delivery person in the university town area, and Bai Xiao was quite proficient at it.
Until eight-thirty at night, he finished his deliveries for the day.
[Your profession "Delivery Man" has gained +10 experience]
[Your professional skill "Electric Bike Driving" has gained +13 experience]
[Your professional skill "City Routing Master" has gained +14 experience]
20:50, No. 111 Wutong Road, Sakura Bird Bar.
Through the employee corridor, Bai Xiao, dressed in his security uniform, walked out at a leisurely pace.
Today, his Security profession would definitely reach LV.2.
He could also use the Dark Red Modifier to extract two potential points!