Translator: Cinder Translations
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[Extreme Martial Fist, Specific Training Method is as Follows:]
[Gather Qi in the Dantian, descend the spirit into the heart, using the true meaning of my Extreme Martial Fist style to temper oneself, expelling energy to open the acupoints.]
[Condense energy at each point of the body, and then...]
"That's it?"
The broken iron book's text abruptly stopped. Chen Feng's gaze sharpened, and he clicked his tongue in slight disappointment.
From what he had read, his trump card, Explosive Fist, was still only a beginner's martial art.
This implied that the Extreme Martial Fist style's higher-tier fist technique must be incredibly powerful.
It was somewhat regrettable, and Chen Feng shook his head.
Then, raising his hand slightly, he examined the damaged edges of the iron book carefully.
The edges were charred and decayed, carrying a smell of rot, as if some force had eroded it.
In an instant, Chen Feng thought back to the previously found, incomplete history of the Alliance.
Both were incomplete, and their missing sections bore similar marks.
"Is there a force intentionally destroying these things?"
"Why destroy them, though?"
Chen Feng pondered this question in silence but could find no answer.
Ultimately, as he was about to continue searching within the martial hall, the world shifted, and mist surged.
His eyes instinctively opened, and the familiar ceiling greeted him once more.
"I'm back."
Unfortunately, he shook his head. Chen Feng took out his phone from under the pillow.
It was still 7:05, not a second off.
Without lingering, he stood up, put on his slippers, and pulled open the swaying curtains.
The window screen outside was closed, but a summer breeze blew in. The sky, unlike the usual clear Azure, was now overcast with dark clouds gathering.
Around him, the old buildings' open balconies revealed several clothes that had been blown off and fallen to the ground below.
"It's almost autumn."
A thought flashed through Chen Feng's mind as he calculated the days.
October was fast approaching, and he had recently seen news about a cold front coming from the northern area.
Not paying much attention, he stood by the window, letting the breeze help him regain his focus and summoned his panel.
[Limit Break Points: 7]
Yesterday, he had upgraded his Judo skill, leaving behind one Limit Break. This time, he had found six more light orbs in the dream world, bringing the total to seven.
"Which skill should I upgrade?"
His gaze flickered as he looked at the skills.
[Flame Tiger Stance: Tiger Form (54%) +]
[Explosive Fist: Beginner (62%) +]
The number of Limit Breaking Light Orbs was only enough for one skill's breakthrough. Chen Feng thought for a moment.
The Flame Tiger Stance was tied to his becoming an official disciple, and it provided clear improvements to his physical attributes.
As for Explosive Fist, it enhanced his basic explosive power, far surpassing ordinary techniques, giving him an even stronger trump card.
After considering it, Chen Feng finally decided to stick to his original plan.
"The official disciple matter isn't urgent. There's still plenty of time to buffer."
"The threats from the Serpent Men and the Utopians are significant. It's better to secure my trump card and plan for a stronger future."
His gaze settled on the Explosive Fist section, and Chen Feng immediately chose to upgrade it.
HUM!
Four Limit Breaking Light Orbs were consumed.
[Explosive Fist: Mastery (1%)]
[Strength: 11.1 → 11.4]
[Agility: 10.5 → 10.7]
[Constitution: 11.0 → 11.3]
[Willpower: 10.8 → 11.0]
A wave of heat flowed through Chen Feng's body, and he could clearly sense his physical strength slowly increasing.
This continued for several seconds until all the strange sensations vanished.
Chen Feng glanced at the data on his panel and was slightly surprised.
"Only a 1-point increase in attributes?"
Clearly, compared to the Flame Tiger Stance, Explosive Fist had a weaker effect on physical stats.
After some thought, Chen Feng realized the key point.
"The Flame Tiger Stance is meant to temper all parts of the body, so it shows more obvious results in that area."
"Explosive Fist, on the other hand, focuses more on technique, honing explosive power."
Having deduced this, Chen Feng wasn't disappointed.
The reason was simple.
What's lost in one area is gained in another.
Boom!
Suddenly, standing in place, Chen Feng threw a punch with all his might.
The air whistled, and the curtains half a meter away from him were blown around, creating a rustling sound.
"My strength has almost doubled!"
Pulling back his fist, Chen Feng looked down with a slight nod of satisfaction.
His strength had now surpassed 200 kg, officially reaching the professional level.
Combined with the Explosive Fist's boost, he could unleash up to 400 kg of force.
"And with the Azure Armor Form... At full power, I should be close to a ton."
This was the reason Chen Feng chose to enhance Explosive Fist.
It would allow his combat power to grow exponentially in a short amount of time.
"If I run into that silver-gray cyborg again, I shouldn't be as helpless this time."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he recalled the difficulty that cyborg had posed.
If not for that golden needle, he would have likely been left behind by that person.
The consequences were obvious, and he had kept them in mind.
He then looked at his panel again and saw there were still three Limit Breaking Light Orbs remaining.
Not enough to break through the Flame Tiger Stance, so he decided to save them for later.
Afterward, he tidied up quickly.
Chen Feng put on the new clothes Chen Yun bought for him, left the bedroom, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
"You're up already?"
Chen Yun had just finished washing up, holding a toothbrush and cup, wearing long-sleeve pajamas and cotton pants, and stepped aside to make room.
"Mm." Chen Feng nodded.
"Looks like the clothes fit well."
"Don't wear them yet. Let me wash them first, and you can wear them tomorrow."
"Okay."
"By the way, it looks like it's going to rain. Make sure to take an umbrella when you head to the martial hall."
"Mm."
Her reminders continued as Chen Feng nodded in agreement, not offering any objections.
Finally, after finishing the hot porridge that Chen Yun had made, he changed back into his old clothes and hurried out.
Click!
The door closed.
In the ensuing silence, only Chen Yun remained.
Looking at the news about Tian Heng Corporation's attack and a message from Teacher Li about Gao Xue's unexpected death, followed by her successful evaluation for further study, Chen Yun's expression shifted in surprise. She quickly typed some questions.
[Teacher Li: I didn't expect Gao Xue's situation either. I heard it was an accident.]
[Don't worry yourself over it. Because that's all in the past now. What you need to do is prepare well. In half a month at most, you'll be heading to the central city.]
Beep! Beep!
Downstairs in the community, the horn sounded incessantly.
On either side of the fruit wholesale store, unloading trucks blocked most of the road.
Chen Feng, carrying his clothes bag and umbrella, walked through the crowd toward the bus stop.
The wet sewers were stained with grime, and the foul-smelling garbage bins buzzed with flies.
Soon, his steps paused.
A brief commotion erupted near the fruit shop ahead. His perception shifted, and he instinctively glanced over.
"Snakes! There are loose snakes!"
"Hurry up, strike them!"
"Aim at their head!"
Several snakes of varying lengths appeared inside the fruit store, and the man holding a shovel was frantically striking around, disoriented.
The crowd watched curiously, and Chen Feng furrowed his brow slightly.
"Snakes again?"
It was already a coincidence when he encountered snakes at the supermarket yesterday, and now they appeared again in the fruit store. His instincts told him this was no coincidence.
He intensified his senses and scanned the surroundings.
Yet, he failed to detect any hostility, nor did he sense the presence of any Serpent Men.
"What's going on?"
Chen Feng felt puzzled, then watched as the few small snakes were killed by the crowd and tossed into the trash.
He withdrew his gaze and quickly left the scene.
"I'll ask Brother Cao when I get to the martial arts hall."
Chen Feng recalled that Brother Cao had mentioned before that the martial arts hall had conflicts with the Serpent Spirit Sect.
Since that was the case, Cao Tong should know something about this issue.
Suppressing his thoughts, Chen Feng quickened his pace, weaving through the crowd.
He boarded the bus and soon left the area.
The vehicle's exhaust fumes rose, and the dirty water on the roadside slowly flowed into the dark, shadowy drainage system.
In a daze, two small snakes suddenly slithered out from the grass behind the bus station.
Ding!
"Jinhua Station, please alight from the back door."
Forty minutes later, at the Jinhua District bus station.
The red and green signboard bus slowly came to a stop, the crowded bus filled with commotion.
Chatter, pushes, and collisions echoed around.
Many office workers, eager to get off, tried to rush to exit.
However, a tall, muscular figure stood at the front, blocking the bus door.
Like an immovable rock, the few rays of sunlight coming through the glass were completely obstructed by him.
The crowd had varied expressions, but most silently stared at his back.
Click!
Finally, the bus door opened.
The muscular figure finally moved, expressionless, carrying clothes and an umbrella bag, slowly stepping off the bus.
The sunlight hit his face again, and the fresh air filled his lungs.
The oppressive feeling dissipated, and the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, scattering in all directions as they rushed to leave the bus station.
"I'm finally off the bus."
"Phew, it was so cramped!"
"That guy earlier felt so intimidating; he must be super strong."
Whispers reached Chen Feng's ears, but his expression remained calm as he walked down the street, heading straight toward the martial arts hall.
Strength did come with its price, but he didn't mind the distance it created between him and others, nor the oppressive air it gave off.
He actually preferred it quite a bit.
Tap, tap!
His footsteps echoed as he passed through the street, brushing past several people. He was slightly delayed downstairs, so he arrived a bit later than usual.
It was nearly 9 o'clock, and the first floor of the martial arts hall was nearly empty, with most students already in the training rooms.
Without delay, Chen Feng gave up on the elevator and took the stairs to the second floor.
Soon, passing through the hallway, he noticed two people talking inside the adjacent glass-walled room.
One of them was Cao Tong, but unlike usual, he was respectfully making tea for a young woman.
She wore simple white clothes, her black hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, quietly sitting on the sofa.
Her skin was pale as snow, and she appeared slender and ordinary.
But the next moment, as if sensing something, she cast a cold, piercing glance in his direction.
In an instant, Chen Feng's perception shifted, and his expression slightly stiffened.
He felt an aura akin to the cold moon in the sky, giving off a chilling, frosty sense of danger.
"Who is that?"
Suppressing his doubts, Chen Feng quickly walked away from the hallway.
No one could answer his question, and inside the glass room, Cao Tong was visibly frustrated.
"Junior Sister Wu, I didn't expect you to come in person."
"Why? Can't I come?"
Wu Shuang's expression remained cold as she took a sip of the tea that Cao Tong had offered.
Though she was not very old, only about 26 or 27, Cao Tong felt an overwhelming sense of authority and pressure from her presence.
"No, no, Junior Sister Wu, you're joking."
He chuckled awkwardly, then continued, "I just thought you were in a crucial moment for your true breakthrough and might be secluded in the sect, without time for small matters."
Wu Shuang's expression remained unchanged.
"The Serpent Spirit Sect is the mortal enemy of our Flame Tiger Martial Arts Hall. Anything related to them is of utmost importance; there are no small matters here."
Her tone was flat, with an undertone of reprimand.
Cao Tong felt awkward but could only nod and agree.
"Forget it, you always speak this way, without any tact."
Seeing his attitude soften slightly, Wu Shuang's expression eased a bit.
"This matter was originally something Senior Brother Zhao was supposed to handle. However, I heard you have a promising new disciple here."
"Though he's talented, he's rather arrogant and has beaten up my useless nephew several times. As an elder, don't you think I should come and see him?"
Her tone was indifferent, and Cao Tong could only roll his eyes inwardly.
Even as a direct disciple, she was so petty.
"Is that little guy the one?"
Wu Shuang suddenly spoke, glancing at the figure in black coming out of the changing room.
Cao Tong knew he couldn't hide anything from her, so he reluctantly nodded.
"Yes, he's at the entry level of the Tiger Form, with stable breath control. He really does have some talent."
"No wonder you applied to the sect to accept him as a formal disciple ahead of time."
Wu Shuang nodded slightly, then her tone changed: "But… are you sure he's really opened the path of martial arts?"
Her voice carried doubt, and Cao Tong could only grit his teeth and vouch for him.
"Nearly certain, even Third Elder thinks highly of him."
"Third Elder?"
Wu Shuang's expression became slightly more restrained, but she still shook her head calmly.
"If it's nearly certain, then that means you're not sure."
"We'll discuss this matter later."
With that, she dismissed the conversation and signaled Cao Tong to leave.
Cao Tong felt frustrated but had no choice but to comply.
He wanted to say more but was quickly gestured to leave.
"Why are you so late today?"
Inside the training room, Lin Hao looked around, finally spotting Chen Feng.
"I got delayed by something on the way."
Chen Feng shook his head, answering absentmindedly.
He was still thinking about what he saw earlier—the respect Cao Tong had shown that woman.
Her aura was almost on par with that of Third Elder.
"Alright, as long as you're not late."
"I've sorted out the club business. The grand opening is tomorrow. Can you come?"
"Already so soon?" Chen Feng was surprised.
He thought these things usually took a long time to set up.
"Yeah, I pulled some strings." Lin Hao rubbed his fingers together.
Chen Feng understood that a lot of money must have been spent.
Thinking about what Lin Hao had asked him earlier, Chen Feng hesitated before replying, "I'll see depending on the situation."
Earlier in the morning, he had already messaged Liu Fang about resigning from the supermarket job.
Though she was reluctant and even called to persuade him, he had insisted on leaving.
After some discussion, he agreed to stay for a few more days to help until they found a replacement.
"Alright."
"The grand opening isn't a big deal. Just come when you have time."
"I'll hire a few boxing coaches to deal with the regular customers."
Lin Hao didn't mind, and continued sharing his ideas.
Chen Feng wasn't familiar with these things, so he mostly listened and nodded, accepting Lin Hao's decisions.
Soon, Cao Tong entered the training room, his face not looking too good.
The atmosphere grew tense as both of them focused on training.
(End of the Chapter)
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