Sanshou, Mastery

An exquisite crystal chandelier hung overhead, a red carpet spread beneath his feet.

Entering the dream world once again, Chen Feng glanced at the leather sofa beside him and the other items in the living room.

Without hesitation, he quickly walked over to the red lacquered door.

Looking through the peephole, the corridor outside the house was lit by lamplight. Beyond the wooden-floored hallway lay a small courtyard enclosed by an iron fence.

In the middle was a gray brick path, about seven or eight meters long and two to three meters wide, leading straight to the iron gate.

On both sides were cobblestone-paved ground and some soil areas planted with flowers and grass, leaning against the iron fence.

It looked ordinary and unremarkable, but Chen Feng's gaze shifted slightly.

Because he clearly saw a light red orb floating right on the brick path inside the courtyard.

"A Limit Breaking Light Orb!"

His eyes flickered, and Chen Feng decided to leave the house.

He had already searched the house thoroughly and found no other light orbs.

So, if he still wanted to continue improving his strength, the opportunity outside was his only chance for now.

Even if it meant taking a risk, he still had to try.

"Wait."

Suddenly, glancing at the black mist beyond the iron fence.

Chen Feng pondered for a moment, still wanting to be prepared just in case.

Withdrawing his steps, he quickly went to the study of the house, pulled open a drawer, and found three items.

A pair of well-fitting white sneakers.

A silver metal knuckle duster.

And a leather-wrapped sharp dagger.

These were things he had noticed while searching for light orbs earlier, but he hadn't paid them any mind.

But now that he had decided to leave the house, it was best to have more defensive items on hand.

"Too bad the flashlight here has no batteries, otherwise it would be safer."

Shaking his head inwardly, Chen Feng quickly put on the shoes, slipped the knuckle duster onto the five fingers of his right fist, and tucked the dagger into his waist.

Everything was ready, and he took a deep breath.

Whoosh!

Suppressing his stray thoughts, he stepped forward and twisted the metal door handle.

Click!

A sound like a spring emerged as he slowly pulled open the red lacquered wooden door.

Everything outside the courtyard was more or less the same as what Chen Feng had seen through the peephole.

The only difference was that there was an open detached hut in the courtyard, like a garage.

But it was empty inside, clearly the vehicle had already been driven away by its owner.

Not paying it much attention, Chen Feng cautiously observed the front yard environment.

The space was not small, a full hundred square meters.

The flowers and plants by the iron fence had long withered. Outside, mist drifted, and an asphalt road was faintly visible, along with the outlines of some tall buildings and low houses.

"Get the light orb first."

Unable to dwell on the more distant environment, Chen Feng confirmed there was no danger in the courtyard, quickly stepped forward, and reached out to touch the light red orb.

[You have picked up a (Limit Breaking Light Orb)!]

[Limit Breaking Light Orb: Residual Will of a Martial Artist]

[Quality: Basic]

[Effect: Can improve martial skill proficiency to a certain extent]

Text prompts appeared automatically, and the light orb seeped into his body through his pores, as if stored in some unknown place.

Without hesitation, Chen Feng gripped the knuckle duster in his hand and silently commanded an upgrade.

Hum!

In an instant, his head grew heavy again.

Deeper insights into Sanshou emerged out of nowhere, merging into his memory.

In a daze, Chen Feng felt as if he had been training Sanshou hard for years, day and night, sweating profusely.

His body muscles grew stronger, and all his movements and power generation became smoother.

[Sanshou: Mastery (1%)]

"Sanshou is at mastery!"

His eyes brightened, and Chen Feng couldn't help clenching his fists.

A more substantial feeling came over him, and he immediately called up his panel data.

[Strength: 8.6→8.9]

[Agility: 8.5→8.7]

[Physique: 8.3→8.6]

[Will: 8.9→9.1]

"Four-Dimensional Attributes actually increased this much?!"

His gaze sharpened. Chen Feng hadn't expected the boost from Sanshou Mastery to be so high.

Strength increased by 0.3 points, Agility by 0.2, Physique by 0.3, and Will by 0.2!

That added up to a full 1 point, comparable to the effect of two Attribute Light Orbs!

"That's right. Quite a few people have reached the entry level in Sanshou, but those who've mastered it are few."

"In the training class, only Xu Dongtai, Zheng Qiang, and Yu Shan have achieved this. It's enough to prove that the higher the proficiency, the harder it gets."

"Naturally, then, a higher level of proficiency provides a stronger enhancement to the body."

Lost in thought, Chen Feng roughly formed a guess.

For a time, he couldn't help wondering whether he should go learn two other martial arts.

Like Judo, or Wrestling, for instance.

That way, he'd definitely gain more attribute boosts than from Sanshou alone.

"But if I do that, the demand for Limit Breaking Light Orbs will also increase."

"I'll keep looking. Let's first see if there are any more Light Orbs."

His eyes filled with anticipation, Chen Feng looked around the courtyard, scanning left and right.

After searching and finding nothing more, he finally turned his gaze to the buildings and streets beyond the iron fence.

The mist outside had quietly thinned a bit, making a seven-to-eight-meter range visible.

It was a three-to-five-meter-wide Asphalt Road, with dim yellow street lamps standing on both sides.

The buildings across the way loomed faintly in the fog; from their outlines, they seemed to be a six-story apartment building.

Similarly, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the buildings flanking the courtyard he was in.

On both sides stood apartment buildings, similar in floor count and style.

"Let's go out and take a look."

After a moment's thought, Chen Feng, eager to obtain more Light Orbs, stepped forward again and arrived at the central iron gate.

He hadn't noticed before, but now, up close, he could see the iron gate was rusted and covered in a thin layer of dust.

An iron chain was wrapped around the top, firmly locking the gate so it couldn't be opened.

"No."

His eyes flickered. Chen Feng noticed that the iron gate was quite large, and on the lower left side, there was a separate small door, nearly two meters high and half a meter wide, just enough for a person to pass through.

The opening was sealed by a bolt-style iron bar, with a square brass lock on top.

Fortunately, the key was still inserted in the lock cylinder, as if someone had forgotten it there.

After a moment's thought, Chen Feng reached out and turned the key.

Rustle, rustle!

Gray-black iron filings fell from above the gate as Chen Feng smoothly unlocked it.

He tried to pull out the bolt-style iron bar, but it was stuck tight due to internal rust.

In the end, with brute force and amidst a harsh, grating screech, he finally yanked the bolt free, opening the small door to reveal a gap just wide enough for one person to pass.

Tap, tap!

His footsteps sounded as Chen Feng, gripping his knuckle dusters tightly, walked out.

The black mist in the distance still drifted slowly, like a tangible current.

Many buildings were shrouded within it; the street lamps in the black mist showed only their outlines, no light.

The atmosphere was terrifyingly silent, without a single sound.

Watching this scene, for some reason, Chen Feng's heart suddenly tightened.

It was as if some kind of monster was hiding nearby, watching him.

"Go back?"

He glanced back at the glowing house behind him, and Chen Feng nearly felt like retreating.

But the apartments on both sides nearby, and the buildings across the road, seemed to emit an invisible allure.

There might be more Light Orbs there.

Break Limit!

Attributes!

Thinking this, Chen Feng's resolve hardened.

He had at least mastered Sanshou; if he truly encountered danger, he might still have the means to protect himself.

Huff!

With that, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress all stray thoughts.

Chen Feng gripped the knuckle dusters tightly, his fists poised, his eyes warily scanning the surroundings as he slowly stepped toward a nearby apartment building.

Tap, tap!

Tap, tap!

Footsteps echoed as he moved along the edge of the road, soon reaching the entrance of the adjacent apartment.

Both sides were blocked by Iron Fence, with only a half-open iron door before him.

By the light of the streetlamp and the corridor lamps on the ground floor, there was no danger inside.

Seeing this, Chen Feng's expression turned contemplative as he prepared to step forward.

Clap!

But then, the next moment!

An unusually harsh footstep suddenly rang out from behind!