Core Class

Dead silence. Eyes wide open.

On the practice field, as Xu Dongtai crashed to the ground, the gaze of everyone present fell upon the sturdy black-clothed youth.

Some gaped with faces full of shock, others trembled and stiffened on the spot.

"This guy really is a monster."

Lin Hao said with a complicated expression, a trace of envy flashing in his eyes.

He loved martial arts training, but unfortunately, he didn't have much talent.

Shaking his head inwardly, seeing the other disciples still frozen in place, he decided to go with the flow.

"I concede."

As the words fell, everyone finally snapped back to reality.

Then, they saw Chen Feng turn his head to scan the crowd, his face calm and indifferent.

And beneath his feet, the unconscious, burly figure.

One by one, the disciples who hadn't yet been eliminated shuddered and followed suit.

"I concede!"

"I give up! Don't hit me!"

Voices rang out one after another. Soon, the final victor emerged.

"Mastery of Sanshou, proficiency in Judo."

"Even if he hasn't achieved Martial Awakening, this talent is still top-tier."

Watching the youth win on the field, someone from the Assessment Panel quickly commented.

A flicker of heat passed through their eyes; they knew well the importance of such talent.

"Senior Brother Lu, I recall you didn't teach him Judo, did you?"

Cao Tong withdrew his gaze, thinking of the key point.

"Heh."

Understanding his meaning, Coach Lu was in an excellent mood.

As a coach at a Branch Martial Arts Gym, if a genius appeared in his class and successfully joined the academy's core, he would also receive certain contributions and rewards.

"Junior Brother Cao, I really didn't teach him Judo."

Coach Lu's eyes were bright as he looked at Chen Feng's figure, full of admiration. "Moreover, a week ago—no, five days ago."

"He didn't even know Judo."

At these words, a gleam of light flashed in Cao Tong's eyes, and the other two assessment panel members were also shaken.

Mastering one Martial Art in a short period could be understood as a simple epiphany.

But if it was multiple arts, that was no simple matter.

"To be honest, I didn't expect his Judo to progress so quickly."

"Even with Sanshou, I didn't anticipate such a breakthrough."

Coach Lu continued speaking with a beaming smile, but Cao Tong and the others stopped listening.

Their gazes fixed on Chen Feng on the field, heat flickering in their eyes.

Clearly, if what Coach Lu said was true.

Then their Yan Wu Academy had really struck gold.

With that thought, Cao Tong immediately said a few more words, calling him "Senior Brother Lu" repeatedly, which kept Coach Lu grinning.

Nodding and chuckling the whole way, he soon walked onto the practice field, communicated with Chen Feng, and brought him over.

"Chen Feng, congratulations. From today on, you're part of the Core Class."

"These three are core disciples from previous generations of our academy. From now on, they'll be your seniors."

"This is Cao Tong, currently serving as the coach of the Core Class. This is—"

After the introductions, Chen Feng looked at the three before him and, following Coach Lu's instructions, politely addressed each one.

Then, recalling what Coach Lu had said about being a core disciple, he couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.

Wasn't it core disciple?

"Core Disciple is just a preparatory disciple, also called a quasi-core."

Cao Tong, seeing his confusion, kindly explained: "Only by smoothly graduating from the Core Class and gaining an initial understanding of the Martial Dao School."

"Can you be considered a true core of the academy, becoming an official disciple and serving within the academy."

A few words, and Chen Feng understood.

"Chen Feng, your Judo techniques look somewhat familiar to me."

"I wonder who taught you that?"

Curious, Cao Tong thought back to the earlier scene of Chen Feng executing a shoulder throw.

Different people had different habits and styles.

Naturally, there were also some subtle deviations.

Moreover, he wanted to probe the other party's background, to see if he had been hiding his Judo skills all along, fooling Senior Brother Lu.

"You taught me." Chen Feng's tone was calm.

At these words, Cao Tong's expression froze, while Coach Lu and the other two looked somewhat strange.

"I taught you?" Cao Tong thought he had misheard.

"That's right, online."

Chen Feng roughly guessed what the other was thinking, so he added a clarification.

Instantly, he could sense that Coach Lu and the others' expressions had become quite interesting, and Cao Tong's gaze toward him grew more amiable.

No wonder it looked familiar.

So, after all this, he was his own little fan?

Cao Tong thought to himself, while also marveling even more at Chen Feng's martial arts talent.

At the same time, he no longer doubted whether he was lying.

After all, verifying such a claim was simple enough; he felt there was no need to probe further, lest he hurt a little fan's feelings.

"Good kid, not bad talent."

Saying this with a smile, Cao Tong reached out and patted Chen Feng on the shoulder.

"Starting tomorrow, at nine in the morning, come to the Jinhua District branch martial arts gym."

"That's where the Core Class teaches. Here, add me on WeiChat, so you don't have trouble finding the place."

Soon, Chen Feng nodded and went to the locker room to retrieve his phone.

After they added each other as friends, Cao Tong and his two companions quickly headed to the Meditation Room to rest.

"There are still a few Sanshou classes that need to be assessed later, so I'll have to accompany them as well."

Coach Lu explained, then glanced at the students around who were watching them, before leading Chen Feng to a corner.

"Chen Feng, your talent is truly remarkable, stronger than I imagined."

"But don't get cocky. What Yan Wu Academy lacks least is geniuses."

His tone was filled with emotion, and Coach Lu rarely spoke in the manner of an elder: "Once you go to the Core Class, you'll find that people at Xu Dongtai's level are a dime a dozen, nothing special."

"So, no matter what, always be humble and ask for advice. If there's something you don't understand, you can also ask me privately."

Coach Lu said a great deal, mostly reminders to stay humble and not become arrogant.

Chen Feng knew the other meant well, so he didn't argue, simply nodding in response.

Seeing that he had taken it to heart, Coach Lu smiled with satisfaction.

Finally, he patted Chen Feng on the shoulder.

His gaze was complex, a mix of relief and a trace of envy, before he turned and walked away toward the Meditation Room.

Tap, tap!

Tap, tap!

Then, familiar footsteps came from behind.

"Congratulations, Chen Feng."

Lin Hao had been standing nearby, and upon seeing Coach Lu leave, he walked over with a smile.

"Thanks."

Chen Feng nodded, looking at Lin Hao.

This was the only friend he had made in the Sanshou class. Though their bond wasn't deep, he still felt some sentiment.

"Don't worry. Even though you're not in the Sanshou class anymore, I'll still handle what I promised you."

Lin Hao said with a grin, as if to ease Chen Feng's concerns.

Then, before the other could respond.

He quickly glanced toward the practice field, where Zhou Xin stood alone in a corner, head lowered and face pale.

"Also..."

"That punch you threw earlier, heh, I gotta say."

"It felt pretty good."