Translator: CinderTL
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"Time to wake up, huh?"
On the bed, Chen Feng casually picked up his phone from under the pillow.
The time was exactly 7:05 AM.
He got up, drew the curtains, and sunlight pierced through, blinding him.
Outside, buildings stretched along the streets, old neighborhoods intertwined with towering modern buildings.
A light summer breeze blew by, rustling the trees lining the asphalt road. A janitor was sweeping the street while several elderly men and women practiced Tai Chi in the square.
For a moment, he stood still, taking in the peaceful scene, before contrasting it with the strange darkness from his dream.
Chen Feng stood there silently for a few minutes before slowly returning to reality.
"Perhaps... that was a real world," he thought.
"Maybe something happened..."
The thought of the faceless creature and its black worms flashed through his mind.
It was extremely strange, and it almost ambushed him.
If the black worms hadn't decayed quickly after leaving the human body and couldn't survive on their own, he would have been in great danger.
"But this dream journey did bring some gains," Chen Feng muttered.
He clenched his fist, walked out the door, and went into the bathroom next to the living room.
Looking into the mirror, his reflection seemed normal.
However, compared to his skinny self when he first came here...
The definition of his biceps, deltoids, and trapezius muscles was increasingly noticeable, with a clear increase in size by at least 20%.
If he were walking on the street, anyone would think he must spend a lot of time at the gym.
"The strengthening from mastering Sanda is really impressive. I guess my punching power is over 80kg now?"
He even wondered if he had reached the level of an amateur third-dan.
As the thought crossed his mind, he clenched his fist, comparing it with the punch test from yesterday. He could feel the change in his strength.
This wasn't just about body control and adaptation. It was also a result of his perceptual talent.
Although the panel's text description was simple, as a beneficiary of this talent, he could feel the more subtle effects.
"Not bad!" he nodded in satisfaction, clearing his mind.
After some preparation, he had breakfast and ate an energy bar from a brand called "Superman."
Time passed, and by 1 PM, he had arrived at the martial arts school ahead of time.
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Bang!
In the practice room, perhaps due to the news of the core trainee assessment, most of the Sanda class students had their own thoughts. They came early.
Some were practicing punches alone in the corner, others were using kettlebells to squat and train muscles.
The sound of sandbags being struck echoed throughout the room. Many people were wearing boxing gloves, either hitting the sandbags or sparring with each other.
Chen Feng, dressed and walking into the practice room, initially doubted he had walked into the wrong place.
"Morning, Chen Feng."
Lin Hao appeared a bit later, wearing a black tank top and looking casual.
"Wow, there are quite a few people here, and they came early."
Lin Hao chuckled strangely, "But it's a pity these guys probably have no idea what the assessment is about."
"They think just because they've been performing a bit better these days, they can pass the assessment..."
Saying this casually, Chen Feng turned his head and asked curiously, "Do you know what the assessment is?"
"Of course."
Lin Hao grinned and didn't hide it: "You should know that although the Flame Tiger School in our Nanjiang City is quite powerful. This is ultimately just a branch."
"They are planning to expand the number of core trainees, but they won't accept just anyone."
"Character and talent are both essential, and there's only one spot for training. What do you think will happen?"
From his casual tone, Chen Feng understood what Lin Hao meant.
To put it bluntly, the martial arts school's most important criterion is the ability to fight.
Without a doubt, only those with martial potential can qualify as core trainees.
And the way to assess this potential is simple.
In a group of people like this in the Sanda class, just having a sparring match would quickly make it clear.
Thinking of this, Chen Feng didn't say anything more.
He walked to the corner, quickly assumed his stance, and began practicing his punches.
The improvements in his physical fitness from last night were significant, and he needed to adapt more.
Boom!
With a sudden strike, his punch swiftly moved into rhythm.
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow.
Although he was far from an expert, he could still sense that Chen Feng's Sanda skills had improved significantly in the past few days.
"He can't have mastered it already, can he?"
Shaking his head, he thought it was unlikely.
After all, they were classmates, and he knew the other's talents well.
At this point, Lin Hao didn't probe further. He grabbed a kettlebell and started training his balance and lower body muscles.
Soon, the official Sanda class began.
Coach Lu walked into the room on time, glancing first at Xu Dongtai in the center.
Boom!
A punch struck, and the sandbag trembled.
The force was clearly close to 100kg. If it weren't for other areas being weaker, Xu Dongtai might have qualified for an amateur fifth-dan martial arts certification.
"Not bad, quick progress. He's probably nearing amateur fifth-dan..."
"Looks like Xu Dongtai has a high chance of passing the assessment."
Coach Lu silently nodded. Among the three Sanda classes he oversaw, Xu Dongtai was the one he had the most faith in.
If it weren't for the fact that Xu Dongtai's personality was a bit impulsive and high-profile, often causing trouble, he might have even recommended him directly to senior martial artists at the school, skipping the assessment.
"A test wouldn't hurt; it's a good way to temper his character," Coach Lu thought.
But then, in his peripheral vision, something caught his attention.
He quickly turned his head to the corner, where a figure in black was practicing punches alone.
Slightly slanted eyebrows, a buzz-cut, and a sharp jawline.
At first, when Chen Feng signed up, he seemed quite thin, but recently, he seemed to have gained some weight and bulk, probably from better nutrition and consistent training.
Even more...
'Mastered Sanda?!!'
Coach Lu's eyes narrowed as he watched Chen Feng throw a slicing punch, step forward, rotate, and deliver a whip kick.
The movements were fluid, and his center of gravity was stable.
As an experienced coach, Coach Lu knew immediately that this was a sign of mastery in Sanda.
"That can't be, this kid only started learning two days ago, right?"
He doubted his eyes.
But when he took a second look, the way the wind whistled around Chen Feng's punches was undeniable proof.
"This kid really has mastered Sanda!"
"Two days, from beginner to expert!"
Coach Lu's mind was shaken. He knew exactly what this meant.
In martial arts, there is a saying about enlightenment and sudden realization. This had been common knowledge since ancient times.
He had seen similar cases before. For instance, a junior martial artist at the school who was initially mediocre but had a sudden epiphany and soared to greatness.
"Let's not jump to conclusions!"
"People like him, like the junior master, are rare. Perhaps this kid is just lucky, a fluke."
Taking a deep breath, Coach Lu tried to calm himself.
He focused on Chen Feng's movements, forcing himself not to expect too much.
The higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He didn't want his emotions to fluctuate.
"Whether it's true or not, we'll know in time."
"But, maybe I should give him a few pointers, just to test him out..."
(End of the Chapter)
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Translated 4 Series, 1.5K+ Chapters and 1.78M+ Words.