Chapter 44 – 12

“Coach, you hit too hard.”

The figure in the white martial arts uniform rubbed his chest as he climbed up from the mat, revealing a face still brimming with eagerness.

Lin Zhiqin didn’t respond to his complaint. He simply said calmly, “Get ready. I’ve arranged a match for you tonight.”

“A match?”

Lu Yuan was taken aback.

The immersive training over the past few days had almost made him forget the purpose of his training.

He didn’t expect this day to arrive so quietly.

“Take a shower and grab a meal in the Dining room. I’ll wait for you in the parking lot.”

“Got it.”

With that, Lin Zhiqin left.

Lu Yuan didn’t waste any time either. He wiped off his sweat and headed straight to the changing room.

After a quick shower, he opened his locker to change clothes.

In the half-length mirror on the back of the door, he saw his current appearance.

Lu Yuan had grown taller.

In about ten days, he had grown roughly two centimeters, approaching 1.8 meters.

His upper body muscles were beautifully and smoothly toned, with his thighs and calves looking proportionate and strong.

This was the aspect Lu Yuan was most pleased with.

Despite his love for martial arts and the joy of constantly pushing his body’s limits and improving his strength, he didn’t want to turn into a muscle-bound hulk.

Staring at the mirror, at his pretty-boy face, Lu Yuan brought up his professional panel.

[Name: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 17]

[Strength Points: 11]

[Agility Points: 11]

[Constitution Points: 11]

[Intelligence Points: 11]

[Profession: Martial Artist Level 4 (781/800)]

[Basic Professional Skills: Basic Body Training Level 5 (Max)]

[Basic Fist Technique Level 5 (Max)]

[Basic Leg Techniques Level 5 (Max)]

[Basic Footwork Level 4 (620/800)]

[Basic Grappling Level 4 (535/800)]

[Basic Palm Techniques Level 3 (324/400)]

[Basic Finger Techniques Level 3 (134/400)]

[Basic Professional Skill: Advanced Leg Techniques Level 3 (23/400)]

[Advanced Boxing Techniques Level 1 (89/100)]

[Intermediate Profession Skill: Crane Stance Level 2 (21/200)]

[Attribute Points: 1]

[Skill Points: 0]

His Four Attributes saw a 1-point increase in both agility points and constitution points.

The former increased naturally when his crane stance broke through to Level 2.

The latter increased after his basic body training reached Level 5.

There’s no denying that the crane stance lives up to being an intermediate professional skill. Just breaking through the first small realm granted a 1-point attribute increase.

However, over these past ten days of practice, Lu Yuan indeed felt his body becoming more “agile.”

Or perhaps “light and easy” would be a better way to describe it.

“Maybe the crane style martial arts are inherently focused on agility. The crane moves lightly,” Lu Yuan speculated.

In fact, the increase in constitution points is also closely tied to the crane stance. Because of practicing the crane stance, his experience points for basic body training increased so quickly.

Moreover, his boxing techniques naturally advanced, rewarding him with 1 attribute point.

His advanced leg techniques reached Level 3.

It’s fair to say that the biggest gains from Lu Yuan’s ten-day intensive training came in these areas.

Now, in his consciousness space, he could rely solely on his leg techniques to effortlessly “kick apart” and “kick down” the middle-aged man in the rainy alley.

Lu Yuan’s growth was transparently reflected in his professional panel in a data-driven form.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a transformation.

“Today is the first day of official combat. To be safe,” Lu Yuan thought, he allocated his unused attribute point to his strength points.

“Snap—”

With the 1-point increase in strength points, Lu Yuan felt his muscles tighten sharply.

There was a slight bulging sensation, as if something had been added inside.

“Whoosh—”

Lu Yuan quickly threw a punch in front of the mirror.

The punch cut through the air with a whooshing sound, causing the locker door to slam back against the locker with a “bang.”

“My strength has increased significantly, feels like by about half again as much. The exact value will have to be measured on the boxing power machine.”

Lu Yuan was very satisfied with this improvement.

After reaching 11 points in all attributes, he could easily handle 12 points of strength.

“Even if I face an eighth or ninth rank opponent tonight, I can give it a try,” Lu Yuan thought confidently.

He had been yearning for a real fight, having been stuck in solitary training for so long. After being “instantly defeated” countless times in the consciousness space by Lin Zhiqin and Qin Feng, his nerves had become much tougher.

“Anyone below the professional level can be challenged! As a martial artist…”

Lu Yuan quickly stopped his daydreaming, got dressed, took one last look at his panel, and rushed out the door.

To avoid feeling nauseous from intense exercise later, Lu Yuan ate just enough to feel 70% full in the Dining room before heading straight to the parking lot.

Lin Zhiqin was already waiting in the car.

He got in.

Without any small talk, they drove straight to the Mosa Combat Sports Club in the south district.

Upon arrival, they went down to the second basement level.

This time, Lin Zhiqin led him directly to the preparation room, where besides changing into the outfit for the match, he also had to choose a mask.

“Pick whichever one you like,” Lin Zhiqin said.

Lu Yuan glanced around. There were about forty or fifty masks in different styles laid out in front of him. Most were designed based on animals, with a touch of bizarre modifications, leaning toward a menacing, fierce, and grotesque style.

As he looked through them one by one, his eyes suddenly lit up. He spotted a greenish-black dragon mask.

Just as he was about to reach for it, a large, rough hand with black hair on the back snatched it up first.

“Haha, this mask looks cool, suits me,” said the owner of the hand.

Lu Yuan frowned and turned his head.

His gaze traveled upward slightly, taking in the sight of a tank top muscleman standing beside him. The man was nearly two meters tall, with well-developed muscles and covered in black hair, resembling a gorilla.

The muscleman sensed Lu Yuan’s gaze and slowly turned his head.

Looking down from above, he stared at Lu Yuan with indifferent eyes.

This look reminded Lu Yuan of the time in his previous life when he was in sixth grade, playing games in an arcade. A junior high school student who came over to take his machine had given him the same look.

“Kid, you still haven’t grown any hair, and you dare to come here? Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten to death in the ring?” the muscleman said with a mocking smile, putting the dragon mask on his face before turning and walking away.

Lu Yuan stood there quietly for a moment.

He then lifted his head and looked at Lin Zhiqin, who had maintained a stoic expression the entire time.

“I thought the contestants in this competition would be as polite as last time,” Lu Yuan remarked.

Lin Zhiqin replied coolly, “Just a few exceptions.”

“So, most of them aren’t that polite?”

“Also just a few,” Lin Zhiqin responded.

“Alright then.”

Lu Yuan shrugged and took one last glance in the direction the tank top muscleman had gone.

He then calmly turned back and continued to choose his mask.

This time, he didn’t hesitate much and picked a goat mask that looked like it had three eyes.

Plain and somewhat cool.

He carefully put it on his face, then sat in the Lounge, patiently waiting.