This week, not a single member could last ten moves against Du Feng.
Zhou Kai also went up to give it a try.
Du Feng’s strength was heavy and deep, his strikes precise. As a newcomer who had never undergone a single day of proper training, Zhou Kai failed to block even one move before he was defeated. Lu Yan was the same.
Chen Ping’s expression grew even darker. Standing before the line, he scolded them a few more times and urged the members to practice diligently, but the effect was negligible.
Most of the members looked indifferent. Some even whispered among themselves below, snickering.
“What’s the use of training a body full of muscle? Can it stop a bullet?”
“He’s been teaching for so long and barely anyone’s even gotten started. Maybe it’s just another money-grubbing scam…”
Zhou Kai turned a deaf ear to all of it.
I may not run into bullets, but fists and claws? I see those every day.
He had always been interested in combat to begin with, and now that he had heard the names of two secret martial arts, that bit of interest had risen into an obsession he had to obtain.
He was different from these people living peaceful lives.
A deadly crisis hung over his head, forcing him to become stronger.
He couldn’t get his hands on guns or cannons, but martial arts were the only path laid out before him.
The student assessment day lasted less than half an hour, arriving abruptly and ending in haste.
Not a single person passed.
But in his heart, Zhou Kai gave himself an absolute order: he had to pass!
…
Under Coach Chen Ping’s and several students’ repeated guidance, the day’s lesson quickly came to an end.
Perhaps because there were many people attending the trial lesson today, Chen Ping did not use basic techniques to fob them off again. For once, he taught several sets of practical moves.
The members learned until their blood was boiling, their faces flushed red, so excited they could barely contain themselves.
They had finally learned something real!
Their money hadn’t been wasted!
The fine sweat on Lu Yan’s neck, mixed with foundation, glittered faintly. She nudged Zhou Kai with her elbow. “Your big sister’s talent isn’t bad, right? As long as we can learn real stuff every day, next week… no, the week after next, I’ll definitely become an official student!”
“When the time comes, Sister Yan will give you private lessons. How about it?”
Zhou Kai tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Then thanks in advance.”
He appeared lacking in interest and did not believe her in the slightest, but Lu Yan clearly did not notice.
Stimulated by the dopamine secreted from exercise, she had no spare energy to observe his expression.
“You work hard too! If there’s anything you don’t know later, Big Sis will teach you!”
Lu Yan looked at Zhou Kai’s thick long hoodie, stood on tiptoe, and patted his shoulder twice before swinging her ponytail and heading over to the official students.
Zhou Kai did not follow. He walked to the rest area, poured himself a cup of electrolyte water, endured the dizziness from pushing his body to its limit, and looked at his panel.
His physical foundation was too poor. High-intensity exercise was still too much for him.
At the side of the panel, a line of text had yet to fade.
[You have imitated and memorized key movements.]
[You have acquired the skill: Comprehensive Combat.]
“It finally came!”
The level-zero Comprehensive Combat skill appeared on the panel, and once it was recorded, it was there for good.
As long as he wanted, he could dump general EXP into it at any time and raise it to level one, becoming the most dazzling guy among all these members.
But Zhou Kai did not do that.
Precious general EXP had to be used where it mattered most.
For now, at the very least, he could still rely on practice to grind specialized EXP.
He calmed himself and rested for a while, then found an empty space and began training alone.
Power-generation techniques, subtle adjustments in footwork—any variable could produce a completely different effect.
Now, his memory and muscle memory seemed to have solidified as well. He would no longer forget or regress.
Three hours after Coach Chen Ping finished teaching, Zhou Kai could still imitate the movements with seventy to eighty percent accuracy. In fact, because he repeated them over and over, they became even smoother…
[You have completed one technical practice session. Comprehensive Combat EXP +1.]
[Comprehensive Combat lv0 → lv1.]
Perhaps because of the complexity of the skill and his physical condition, the EXP for Comprehensive Combat rose nearly ten times more slowly than Light Footwork.
But it could still be obtained through practice.
Huff…
Zhou Kai exhaled a long breath, his spirits lifting.
An increase of merely one point of EXP had brought about an obvious change.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Zhou Kai leaned slightly forward. His right fist shot out like lightning, jabbing twice at the air before him.
The awkward popping sensation in his joints and muscles had disappeared.
These two punches were steady, yet carried a fierce edge.
In terms of power-generation technique alone, his body had already begun to adapt.
…
“Not a single one worth accepting this week?” A thin man with a goatee stood beside Chen Ping with his arms folded.
Chen Ping shook his head. “There weren’t many serious ones in the last batch, and they were too old… Let’s see how the new people do.”
“Summer vacation is coming soon. Some students should come in.”
The goateed man suddenly lifted his chin, signaling Chen Ping to look toward the corner. “I haven’t seen that one before. A newcomer? His punches look pretty decent.”
Chen Ping saw clearly that it was Zhou Kai, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
How had this kid improved so quickly?
Could it be that he had misjudged him?
Chen Ping frowned, intending to be skeptical first. “I just finished teaching him hand by hand. Maybe he simply hasn’t forgotten the movements yet…”
“His physical foundation is too weak, and he’s already an adult. Let’s see whether he can keep at it. If he practices like this, he might have a chance two months from now.”
The goateed man nodded. “He is indeed a bit old.”
“Besides, two months from now, it’ll already be autumn. He won’t make it in time… It’s meaningless.”
The two of them glanced at Zhou Kai a few more times, then stopped paying attention.
…
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Late at night, Zhou Kai examined his panel.
[Character: Zhou Kai]
[Status: Erosion]
[Skills: Comprehensive Combat lv1 (7/15), Light Footwork lv2 (2/25), Mysticism lv0]
[Items: Residence Certificate, Bloodstained Axe, Rusted Chef’s Knife, Morning Star Journal]
[General EXP: 8]
[Erosion Progress: 4/9] (Please avoid death!)
After three days, the weakness in his body had finally disappeared.
He had made good progress in both combat and footwork without neglecting either.
Comprehensive Combat EXP had increased by seven points, while Light Footwork had directly risen by one level.
Of course, after leveling up, EXP acquisition had also slowed.
“Compared to three days ago, I’m already far more than just a little stronger.” Zhou Kai clenched his fist, feeling the strength as the muscles in his arm swelled. The unease in his heart calmed slightly.
Four days later would be the day he was forcibly dragged into the nightmare.
But he did not intend to passively wait for death.
He had decided to take the initiative!
Once he possessed the ability to resist danger, a perilous situation was also an opportunity.
Zhou Kai took a deep breath and waited for time to pass.
Hide?
He could not hide from it.
Then he might as well go out to sea himself. The bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.
At the instant the clock hands were about to overlap,
Zhou Kai went all-in, dumping all 8 points of general EXP into Comprehensive Combat. At the same time, he murmured softly, “Load.”
Within an indescribable perception, his soul and consciousness were suddenly pulled away, falling downward, sinking into an icy deep pool.
When Zhou Kai opened his eyes once more in the rotten air, the oil lamp was still flickering.
The surrounding environment was dim, dilapidated, and filled with a despair that froze the soul.
[Welcome back, Summoned One.]
[No. 777, Soraka Town, will forever be your safest harbor.]
Above the fireplace, a line of text slowly emerged, carrying a glow like dying embers. Then, silently, it drifted apart and returned to stillness.