Extreme Training

Early in the morning, the sun rose in the east, its light spilling into South Bank Residential Area. But for the subsidized housing in the slums, the lighting was far from ideal.

After leaving home, Qin Hao yawned as he walked toward school. Both lived in South Bank Residential Area, and like Luo Feng, Qin Hao attended Yian District Third Middle School. They were even classmates and got along well. They were not inseparable friends, but they could still be considered good friends.

After leaving the residential area, he ran into Luo Feng, who was also heading to school.

"Haizi, what's with that listless look?"

Seeing Qin Hao's dispirited expression, Luo Feng could not help asking.

"It's nothing. I lost track of time while studying yesterday and went to bed late."

Qin Hao answered. When he had first learned this was the world of Swallowed Star, he had feared becoming the butterfly that changed everything, so he had not interacted too much with Luo Feng. But they had grown up in the same residential area and inevitably spent plenty of time together. Gradually, the pull of Luo Feng, the protagonist, made Qin Hao stop worrying so much about it.

The two arrived at school together, while Qin Hao continued thinking over his plans for the future. Becoming a martial artist in a short time would not be easy for him. Although the Meteor Tear could help him, drawing upon its power was far from simple.

Taking everything into account, the only option left to him was extreme training—constantly breaking his limits through training, thereby triggering the Meteor Tear's power and rapidly increasing his strength. But reaching one's limits was nowhere near as easy as he had imagined.

Over the past few years, Qin Hao had trained continuously, but the results had been very limited. After more than two years, his strength had only reached 500 kg. Even that was the result of extremely diligent training.

"Looks like I'll have to give it everything I've got for a while." As he entered campus, Qin Hao made his decision. In a world like this, if he had the chance to change everything, then what did it matter if he had to risk his life?

Besides, he had the Meteor Tear. There would be no danger, nor would any lasting damage be left behind. Still, breaking one's limits was a test of the body, as well as a test of willpower and temperament.

"Now comes the test of my resolve."

Qin Hao looked at the training plans he had written in his notebook and thought to himself. Over the course of the day, he drafted a detailed training schedule. Its intensity was several times greater than his previous training, completely challenging his own limits—and even the limits of the human body.

A strength of 500 kg would have made him a famous general in ancient China, but in Swallowed Star, it did not even qualify him as an apprentice. If he wanted to double his strength in a few months, he could only train himself to death.

"Ring... ring..."

With the sound of the bell, school was over. Qin Hao closed his notebook, slung his backpack over his shoulders, and walked out of the classroom. But instead of heading straight home, he went to his homeroom teacher's office.

He would be devoting all his energy to training from now on, which meant he would be spending much less time at school. He still needed to let the school know. However, the process was much easier than Qin Hao had expected. Good students received preferential treatment, after all. Besides, Qin Hao's consistent academic performance had always put his teachers at ease.

After leaving school, Qin Hao went straight home. It was his birthday, and his parents and younger sister were waiting for him. Even if he was about to begin training desperately, he still had to finish celebrating his birthday first.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Qin Hao panted heavily, his entire body exhausted. Every breath carried a burning sensation, and every muscle trembled without stop. Yet he did not stop. Even though his movements had become distorted, he continued practicing them.

Nearly a month had passed since Qin Hao began his extreme training, yet the gains remained very limited. His strength had only increased by around 100 kg. If this improvement had come before, Qin Hao would have been thrilled.

Now, however, it only left him feeling defeated. Moreover, he could already sense that his progress was beginning to slow. This meant he was approaching his limit, but breaking through it was far more difficult than he had imagined.

If he could not break through his limits, his future progress would slow down once more, and he would fall back into the state he had been in before. At that thought, the light in Qin Hao's eyes changed.

Before, he truly had no way to change anything. He could only lie flat and wait for the future. But now, he had an opportunity. He could do it. So he absolutely could not give up.

"Ah!"

With Qin Hao's roar, the strength within his body seemed to awaken. His power began returning, his movements quickened, and every strike stirred the surrounding air.

"Luo Feng, what kind of stimulus did Qin Hao receive? His training this past month has been insane. He's completely changed into another person. If anyone else trained at this intensity, they would have been crippled long ago."

Off to one side of the Limitless Martial Arts Center Training Hall, Yang Wu spoke to Luo Feng. Although trainees of different levels trained separately within the martial arts center, their training grounds were not far apart.

"I don't know either. He started after his birthday."

Watching Qin Hao inside the training area, Luo Feng was equally puzzled and could not understand Qin Hao's condition. A month ago, he had begun training like mad. Every day after training, he was utterly exhausted and had even suffered some injuries. Yet Qin Hao still refused to stop.

As he watched Qin Hao train without pause, Luo Feng's eyes were full of worry.

Inside the training area, Qin Hao once again felt his body being drained dry. That new burst of strength just now had been like a final flash before death—it came quickly and vanished just as fast. The strength in his body was rapidly being siphoned away.

Feeling his strength rapidly fade, Qin Hao still gritted his teeth and held on.

"Just a little more, just a little more, just a little more."

Qin Hao repeated it endlessly in his heart. Over the past few days, he had continuously drawn closer to his limit. But every time, he had been unable to hold on through that final step. On one hand, it was a matter of willpower; on the other, it was his body's automatic protective mechanism.

But after several attempts, Qin Hao could clearly feel that he was getting closer and closer to reaching his limit and breaking through it.

Fatigue surged over him without end. Qin Hao felt pain in every inch of skin, every muscle, and every bone in his body. Even his mind began to grow hazy. His head felt heavy and muddled, while his vision occasionally dimmed.

Mental exhaustion and physical pain battered Qin Hao again and again, as though they might knock him down at any moment. Qin Hao understood very clearly that if his mind relaxed even slightly, he would be able to free himself from this state.

But all he had left was perseverance. Only by breaking through this state, surpassing himself, and breaking his limits could he complete his transformation and begin his rise in the world of Swallowed Star.

"Ah... ah... ah..."

As fatigue continued crashing over him, Qin Hao began to roar again and again. The roars were not loud, yet each one used every ounce of his strength, as though every cry could give him more power.