The Lone Eminence (Seeking Follow-up Readers)

November 29, Sunday morning.

The rain was falling even harder than last night, showing signs of turning into a downpour.

As the sky began to brighten, the entire City seemed shrouded in a layer of gray mist.

The old houses on Old Factory Street had an even wetter, half-hidden air of secrecy.

The breakfast stall downstairs was already open, white smoke curling upward.

A strong man sat beside a plastic table beneath the awning, gulping down meat buns with soy milk.

In the distance, one could still vaguely see the Small Hotel that had been open all night, its red Lightbox Sign just extinguished.

Two young women in short skirts and fur coats stood beneath the eaves, their faces weary as they smoked to dispel their boredom.

Some people waited for the rain to stop, while others admired the rain from within it.

Fang Cheng glanced at the street outside.

He immediately pulled the window shut to keep the Splashing Water Drops from wetting the floor.

He had liked rainy days in the past.

Rainy days were perfect for staying home.

Rainwater could also wash away many troubles and the clamor of the world, allowing people to enjoy a moment of peace.

But at this moment, he sincerely hoped this damn weather would stop soon.

Because it was seriously interfering with his Leveling Up.

After getting up early, Fang Cheng carried out his Daily Training as usual.

He first did some Stretching and Leg Pressing, then practiced Shadow Boxing as a Warm-up Exercise.

Many top Boxers had this habit.

For Fang Cheng.

Shadow Boxing not only increased his experience, but also helped him maintain his rhythm and feel, allowing him to enter Battle State at any time.

After finishing his Boxing.

Fang Cheng then reviewed the Sanda Leg Techniques he had just learned yesterday.

After all his Warm-up Exercises were finished, he began his consistent Physical Training.

According to his repeatedly adjusted Training Plan.

Fang Cheng now needed to complete 60 Tiger Pounce Push-Ups, 60 Pike Push-Ups, 180 Single-Leg Half Squats, and 300 Lying Straight Leg Raises every day.

Push-Ups were known as the "King of Fitness." They mainly trained Upper Limbs strength, while their various advanced forms each had their own specialties.

Among them, Tiger Pounce Push-Ups focused on training the shoulder Deltoid Muscles and triceps.

In addition to training the Upper Limbs, Pike Push-Ups also helped develop the Body Control needed for practicing Handstand Push-Ups in the future.

Squats were known as "Man's Gas Station." They mainly trained lower-body strength and the Waist, Buttocks, and Core Muscle Groups.

Single-Leg Half Squats were the step before challenging Single-Leg Squats, and their difficulty was nearly twice that of Narrow-Stance Squats.

Leg Raises belonged to the "Abdominal Tearer" category. They focused on training the Rectus Abdominis while also stretching some Small Muscle Groups around the legs and hips.

Lying Straight Leg Raises were considered a standard movement of moderate difficulty.

The four fitness exercises each had different areas of focus.

Practicing them in coordinated groups like this prevented the same Muscle Groups from remaining activated for too long and becoming overfatigued.

Moreover, after finishing each set, Fang Cheng rested for about three minutes and did some relaxing and massaging exercises, allowing the Lactic Acid produced by his muscles to dissipate in time.

This ensured his Stamina Recovery Speed and Training Effect, allowing him to stick to his Daily Training every day as scheduled.

Prisoner's Fitness Technique itself was a systematic training method based on Scientific Concept.

Once the Six Arts were advanced to their peak, they could train practically every muscle in the Entire Body.

There was no need to go to a gym to buy expensive Personal Training Courses or use those dazzling pieces of Auxiliary Equipment.

Having trained until now, Fang Cheng had already accumulated plenty of experience.

This level of exercise was neither too much nor too little, and he could basically complete it with room to spare within two hours.

Today, however, he unexpectedly encountered a setback.

The cooldown for "Potential Activation" had ended.

According to custom, Fang Cheng should have continued challenging his Physical Limit and used the opportunity to unlock the Fourth Art of the Prisoner's Six Arts—Pull-Ups.

But the Terrible Weather and the Actual Conditions forced him to interrupt his plan.

The book Prisoner's Fitness described how prisoners used every crude condition available to exercise in prison.

For example, they could rely on the Iron Bars of a Cell Door to practice Pull-Ups.

Ordinary People staying at home, on the other hand, did not have such conditions.

Fang Cheng had tried gripping the narrow Upper Edge of a Door Frame to practice, but eventually chose to give up.

Pull-Ups had extremely high requirements for proper form.

If a beginner rashly challenged a difficult movement, not only would the Training Effect be poor, but they could also easily injure themselves, causing muscle strains, Joint wear, and even problems with the Cervical Spine, lower back, and spine.

The principle of Prisoner's Fitness Technique was to progress gradually and develop the body's potential through the simplest methods, rather than deliberately torturing oneself.

Besides, Fang Cheng's primary purpose was to unlock the Skill Bar on the Panel.

"If the weather were better, I could go to the nearby park. There are a Horizontal Bar and Parallel Bars there..."

Seeing that the rain was growing heavier with no sign of stopping.

Fang Cheng shifted his gaze to the Panel and checked the progress of his other skills.

Leg Raises Lv0 (55/100)

There was still a great deal of experience needed before Level Up.

Because his Abdominal Muscles were relatively weak, the efficiency of Leg Raises was slightly lower than that of Squats and Push-Ups.

After passing the halfway point on the Progress Bar, he gained an average of 1 experience point for every 20 repetitions.

He needed to do more than 300 a day just to barely keep up with the Level Up speed of his other skills.

Even with the help of "Potential Activation" to fully restore his stamina, Fang Cheng had absolutely no chance of completing another thousand Leg Raises.

Of course, he could choose more difficult Action Options to improve his Training Effect.

However, the advanced Hanging Leg Raise, like Pull-Ups, also required a Horizontal Bar to perform effectively and with proper form.

Fang Cheng looked at another skill.

Squat Lv0 (93/100)

The Progress Bar was only seven experience points short of completion and was about to break through.

It would probably take another 65 to 75 Single-Leg Half Squats.

He turned his head and glanced at the Hands on the Alarm Clock.

6:41.

It was still early, and his body had rested almost enough.

Fang Cheng's gaze focused again, and he made his decision.

"Although it would be a little wasteful..."

"But today, I'll Level Up Squats first!"

The miraculous aspect of "Potential Activation" lay in its effect of providing two health bars, allowing it to eliminate muscle fatigue and relatively minor exercise injuries within a short period.

If he was not trying to challenge his limits and accelerate the progress of unlocking skills.

Then during Daily Training, high-frequency, low-volume group exercises were actually more suitable for practicing skills and gaining experience.

Fang Cheng stood barefoot on the floor, his left foot suspended and extended straight.

At the same time, he stretched both hands forward to help his body maintain Balance Ability.

This movement was called "Single-Leg Half Squats." As the name implied, it was a Single-Leg Squat performed only halfway.

For Ordinary People, it was highly difficult. It tested the body's balance and also required sufficient explosive strength from the thighs and waist and abdominal muscles.

Fang Cheng tightened his waist and abdomen, then slowly bent his knee and lowered himself.

He continued until his body dropped to the point where his right thigh was parallel to the floor, with his right knee Joint at 90°, then rose again.

After completing one set, he rested for about three minutes.

He then switched to using his left leg as the supporting leg and continued repeating the exercise.

You completed 9 Single-Leg Half Squats. Experience +1

You completed 9 Single-Leg Half Squats. Experience +1

You completed 10 Single-Leg Half Squats. Experience +1

You completed 12 Single-Leg Half Squats. Experience +1

About half an hour later.

As Fang Cheng had predicted, when he reached the 72nd Squat.

The Panel suddenly flashed brightly, and a Prompt Information immediately emerged before his eyes.

Congratulations. Through unremitting effort, your skill has reached Expert Level.

Squat Lv1 (0/250)

"Phew—"

Fang Cheng let out a long breath. His legs had already begun to ache and go numb, growing heavier and heavier.

Today's exercise volume had truly exceeded the limit.

Without sufficient rehabilitation and therapy conditions, recovery afterward would take at least a day or two. This would inevitably throw his Daily Training Plan into disarray.

Fortunately, Fang Cheng possessed the divine skill "Potential Activation"!

He only needed to grit his teeth and do another twenty or thirty repetitions in one go to be fully restored and enjoy the top-level service of the Gold Medal Technician.

While continuing to persevere, Fang Cheng divided his attention and checked the rewards gained from this Level Up.

Enhancement One: 6 Free Attributes

"It's about the same as Boxing. There are two choices as well..."

Fang Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

When his expectant gaze moved downward, however, he froze instantly, and his Squat movement came to a stop.

Enhancement Two: 1 Strength Attribute; Skill Special Effect "Lone Eminence"

Note: Prolonged Squat training has caused your Testosterone secretion to become abnormal. During the effective period, it can cause a male's endurance, bone, and muscle-tissue repair abilities to reach more than three times the Physique Attribute at maximum.

Looking at the Enhancement choices displayed by the Panel.

Fang Cheng could not help sinking into thought.