The next day, when Wang Xu woke up and looked at the white ceiling, he let out a long sigh.
At last, he hadn't perished at the hands of that damned dual-reaper insect beast.
"Xu'er, you're awake?" A familiar voice came through, filled with palpable relief.
"Mom." Wang Xu's eyes quickly reddened.
Standing before him was his mother, Lin Hui, a woman in her forties whose hair had already turned gray and whose face was lined with wrinkles.
His mother reached out to stroke Wang Xu's cheek, tears streaming down her face. Feeling her care and the calluses on her palm from years of hard work made Wang Xu's nose tingle, and tears filled his eyes as he choked back sobs.
"It's alright, as long as Xu'er is fine, don't cry, it's too much to bear," Wang Xu's father, Wang Zhengguo, said with a stern face.
Though his father sounded tough, he had a soft heart; after seeing Wang Xu safe, he shook off the long ash from the cigarette in his hand.
"Wang Xu, you scared me to death! Don't take such risks again next time," Li Lian, who was also there, expressed his concerns as he sighed in relief at Wang Xu's awakening.
Wang Xu smiled faintly. "I'm fine. I've got a lot of luck; I won't die."
They laughed and chatted for a while until a nurse entered and told them to let the patient rest, prompting Wang Xu's parents and Li Lian to leave.
"Phew~" Wang Xu exhaled deeply, touching his abdomen. The wound made by the dual-reaper insect beast had already healed and scabbed over. With the advances in medical technology, one could be treated even if just clinging to life, though the cost would be significantly higher.
Subsequently, Wang Xu picked up a history book from those his parents brought and began to read…
In 2050, during an era of harmony, the world was peaceful until December 31, when the sudden onslaught of the insect race shattered this tranquility!
The insect race slaughtered humanity, feeding on them. With their powerful exoskeletons and immense strength, even bullets couldn't pierce their bodies. Humanity retreated under the relentless tide of slaughter from the insect army, ultimately resorting to nuclear weapons... but the result was the same. There were simply too many insects to defeat!
In just a few years, humanity's population plummeted by over 80%!
This was an apocalypse, a disaster unprecedented in history, with the extinction of humanity looming—everyone was in imminent danger!
However, a meteorite from beyond the skies drastically altered humanity's fate!
This meteorite contained mysterious cosmic energy that could easily pierce through the insects and allowed for the construction of energy shields, which even the insect armies could not shake!
Finally, humanity achieved its first victory in resistance.
With a breather, humans frantically began to develop the technology from the meteorite, hoping for new miracles. It was then that the great Dr. Luo Jun developed a revolutionary potion—Gene Serum!
The Gene Serum could completely change the cellular limits of humans. Originally, people could only lift a hundred pounds, but after injecting the Gene Serum, they could effortlessly lift three hundred, four hundred, or even a thousand pounds!
The transformation in strength granted humanity the ability to combat the insect race, giving rise to a new group—Gene Warriors!
Not only that, but the potential of the Gene Warriors seemed limitless. Those with exceptional talent were able to cultivate ancient martial arts and successfully break into a legendary realm, able to annihilate thousands of insect armies with a mere flick of their hands, some even capable of flying, resembling deities.
Thus, humanity gradually began to reclaim lost territories, taking back lands that rightfully belonged to them, and the fractured humans reorganized, no longer divided by nations.
As strength transformed, so too did humanity's societal structure.
The more powerful one was, the greater contributions they made to humanity, earning them government privileges and birthing the "Core Zone."
To those in the Ordinary Zone, the Core Zone represented the "nobility and royalty," and one can only imagine the luxurious lives they enjoyed!
Moreover, if someone from the Core Zone killed a person from the Ordinary Zone, they would only need to pay a trivial compensation, but if someone from the Ordinary Zone killed a Core Zone individual, they would be completely isolated, ultimately disappearing without a trace!
For this "injustice," humanity had long grown accustomed. Only those with strength akin to deities could speak of "fairness," while the powerless ordinary people simply scraped by under this pretense of fairness.
"In the year 2058, on July 4, during the Bloody Battle, when energy shielding technology had yet to be applied, the Third Safety Zone was breached by the insect race, and in the blink of an eye, over a million lives were lost to the jaws of the insects. Just when things looked dire, 'Blood Sovereign' Lin Yi stepped forth, slaying the insect leader, slaughtering a million insect beasts, and fighting the insect race for three days and nights before ultimately burning out his life force, dying in the process! He successfully saved millions of lives."
"In the year 2061, on March 18, during the Death Battle, the insect race launched a vicious assault on the energy barriers, and innate insect beasts appeared, putting the Second Safety Zone in peril. In that battle, dozens of innate martial artists sacrificed their lives, finally killing the innate insect beasts and rescuing millions from the Safety Zone. Dozens of innate martial artists also gave their precious lives, weakening the overall combat strength of humanity by nearly half. All humans mourned for the fallen heroes."
"In the year 2067, on May 4, during the Annihilation Battle…"
As Wang Xu read, he couldn't help but voice the words aloud. He quietly closed the book, visualizing the scene in his mind where the heroes of that era fought bloodily to protect humanity, never giving up even when facing death.
It was their sacrifices that brought about the fragile peace enjoyed today.
...…
Three days later, armed with a discharge letter, Wang Xu left the hospital and headed for the Ancient Martial Arts Hall.
The Ancient Martial Arts Hall is a place for exchanging knowledge about "Ancient Martial Arts."
As the name implies, Ancient Martial Arts refers to the martial arts handed down from ancient times.
After the development of the Gene Serum unlocked humanity's potential, Gene Warriors erupted with tremendous power, able to hard-fight against the insects. However, some discovered that Ancient Martial Arts allowed them to unleash their strength more effectively, making it effortless to face the insects again.
This revelation shook the entire human world, causing all Gene Warriors to begin practicing Ancient Martial Arts, leading to a frenzy of interest, and thus, the Ancient Martial Arts Hall came into existence.
From a distance, the Ancient Martial Arts Hall looked like a massive spaceship resting on the ground, glowing with a silver light. If one looked closer, they would notice a faint green barrier enveloping it—that was the energy shield.
"Coach Wang!"
"Brother Wang!"
"Maniac!"
As soon as he entered the hall, people greeted Wang Xu with enthusiasm. Those who were observant would notice that everyone wore a medallion adorned with a star, gleaming brightly.
The number of stars on the medallion represented their status—One-Star Coach.
Coaches serve to guide Gene Warriors who are confused about their training, much like ancient masters pass down their experiences, making it easier for the younger generation to learn.
At the same time, to prevent people of all backgrounds from mixing in and muddling through, the Ancient Martial Arts Hall set up assessments, allowing only those with relatively strong abilities to pass and be granted the title of coach.
Wang Xu was one of them.
The minimum requirement for a One-Star Coach was to be a Fourth Stage Gene Warrior. Wang Xu was only a Third Stage Gene Warrior, but because he had reached the third tier of "Basic Martial Body," the Ancient Martial Arts Hall still conferred upon him the title of One-Star Coach.
With this title, Wang Xu could earn a salary to buy training resources to help support his family.
Wang Xu understood that his recent severe injuries, nearly costing him his life at the hands of the dual-reaper insect beast, would also have a hefty medical bill, likely depleting his family's savings.
His parents didn't mention it, but that didn't mean Wang Xu was unaware. He wasn't a talkative person; since the family finances were tight, he needed to work hard to earn money.
The pay for a One-Star Coach was quite good, at a thousand Earth Coins per hour. For Wang Xu, working just three hours a day would be enough to cover household expenses, and any extra money could be used to buy training resources.
"Coach, I feel like I can't control my strength; I've never been able to fully unleash the ultimate power of 'Black Tiger Fist.' What should I do?"
Wang Xu was instructing a young man named "Han Xin," whose father was a company executive with a substantial fortune. Though Han Xin initially showed no talent for martial arts, he had an obsessive passion for martial arts and wanted to pursue that path. His father couldn't dissuade him and had no choice but to hire Wang Xu to teach him.
When they first met, they frowned upon seeing Wang Xu as a mere Third Stage Gene Warrior, and Han Xin even considered requesting a different coach from the Ancient Martial Arts Hall. However, after just one day of instruction under Wang Xu, Han Xin crossed into the threshold of the "Basic Martial Body," reaching the first layer, which shocked them.
When they learned Wang Xu had achieved the third layer of "Basic Martial Body," their jaws dropped, and the two words "genius" floated in their minds.
Becoming a Third Stage Gene Warrior at eighteen was nothing remarkable, but achieving the third layer of "Basic Martial Body" was a feat not just anyone could accomplish. Even Fourth and Fifth Stage Gene Warriors rarely managed to reach that level.
At the third layer, "Basic Martial Body" grants the flesh the toughness of steel, making it impervious to ordinary bullets; one could crush rocks with their bare hands!
If not for his mastery at the third layer of "Basic Martial Body," Wang Xu would have likely been cut in half by a single swipe from the Fourth Stage dual-reaper insect beast.
"To understand 'Black Tiger Fist,' you must first grasp Ancient Martial Arts. Now tell me, what is your understanding of Ancient Martial Arts?" Wang Xu said, hands behind his back.
"I've researched it online. Simply put, Ancient Martial Arts are the martial arts passed down throughout history. However, due to demand, Ancient Martial Arts have been categorized into different levels: low, medium, high, and top-tier. The higher the level of the art, the more powerful it is, and likewise, the more demanding the training requirements are."
"There are many types of Ancient Martial Arts, including fist techniques, palm techniques, leg techniques, finger techniques, sword techniques, and etc. The 'Black Tiger Fist' that I practice is a low-tier martial arts focusing on the eruption and control of strength, capable of delivering lethal strikes like a black tiger."
Han Xin recounted everything he had read online about Ancient Martial Arts and analyzed the characteristics of the martial art he was practicing.
"What you described is merely the surface of Ancient Martial Arts. The true strength of Ancient Martial Arts lies not in mere power but in the spirit."
Wang Xu pointed to his heart. "Your 'Black Tiger Fist' hasn't failed to unleash its maximum potential; it's your spirit that hasn't erupted. Once your spirit is completely released, you'll naturally be able to wield the ultimate power of 'Black Tiger Fist.'"
"Release my spirit?" Han Xin had never heard such a claim before.
"Brooding and ruminating are useless. Go hunt some insects, and soon you'll understand what it means to release your spirit," Wang Xu instructed.
Han Xin didn't understand how to release his spirit, but he dared not neglect Wang Xu's request, quickly responding, "Yes, Coach."
...…
Three hours later, Wang Xu watched Han Xin disappear in the distance and murmured, "I hope you can truly release your spirit."
Releasing the spirit—four simple words, easy to say, but only after experiencing life and death, hanging by a thread, can it truly be set free. Wang Xu understood this from experience, while Han Xin had never faced real battle; it was likely that the insects would bring him not liberation, but an everlasting psychological shadow.