The Slum District's Celebration

The morning sunlight streamed through the hospital room window, falling across Lin Fan's face.

He slowly opened his eyes, feeling Origin Energy flowing steadily through his body. After three days of recuperation, more than half his injuries had healed. His Health Points had recovered to 87, and his Internal Injury status had changed to "Mild," reducing its impact on Origin Energy circulation to 10%.

"You can be discharged." After examining Lin Fan, Bai Susu smiled. "But remember, no high-intensity training for the next month. Especially not those life-or-death moves again."

"I'll remember." Lin Fan nodded.

He changed out of the hospital gown and into a set of old clothes washed pale with wear—clothes Lin Xiaoyu had brought from home. They were plain, but clean and neat.

"Brother, I've packed everything." Lin Xiaoyu carried a small cloth bundle containing the resource pack issued by the academy and several changes of clothes.

After bidding Bai Susu farewell, the siblings left the medical department.

Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy was even larger than Lin Fan had imagined.

It took them nearly twenty minutes to walk from the medical department to the academy gates. Along the way, they passed the Teaching Building, Training Ground, and dormitory district, every place carrying the aura of a sacred land of martial arts.

Students were already engaged in morning practice on the Training Ground. Fists howled through the air, sword light flashed, and waves of Origin Energy rose and fell in succession.

Lin Fan slowed down and observed them closely.

Most of those students were seventeen or eighteen, ranging from 1st Grade to 3rd Grade. The martial techniques they practiced came in every variety—some swift as the wind, others heavy as mountains.

The most eye-catching place was the independent training zone to the east—the exclusive area of the Genius Class.

Its facilities were more advanced and its surroundings quieter. One could even see the glow of small Spirit Gathering Arrays. Several students dressed in luxurious training uniforms were sparring, every move holding power far beyond that of the Regular Class students.

"So that's the Genius Class..." Lin Xiaoyu murmured.

"Mm." Lin Fan watched calmly.

He felt neither envy nor jealousy.

With the system in hand, time was his greatest resource. The cultivation results others needed Spirit Gathering Arrays to obtain, he could make up for through countless repetitions of practice.

And even surpass them.

"Let's go." Lin Fan withdrew his gaze. "Home."

Slum District, East Third Alley.

Compared to the academy's neat grandeur, this place was still as rundown as ever. Potholed dirt roads, low brick houses, and a faint smell of mold hanging in the air.

But when the siblings entered the alley, what greeted them were familiar smiling faces.

"Lin Fan's back!"

"I heard you took first place? Amazing!"

"Xiaoyu, your brother has really brought you honor!"

The Neighbors emerged from their homes and crowded around the siblings, chattering out congratulations.

Most of them were Ordinary People struggling to survive in the Slum District. There was Old Zhang, who hauled cargo at the Dock; Auntie Wang, who sold vegetables at the market; Uncle Li, who laid bricks at construction sites...

Perhaps they would never become Martial Artists in their lives, but they understood the simplest truth: for a child from the Slum District to gain admission to a martial arts academy was the glory of the entire neighborhood.

"Thank you, uncles and aunties." Lin Fan spoke sincerely.

Just then, a rough voice rang out from the mouth of the alley. "Make way, make way! The celebration feast is ready!"

Chen Dahu came over carrying an old but scrubbed-clean wooden table on his shoulder. Behind him followed his father, Chen Dashan—a bearded man with a scar across his face, carrying a large pot of steaming stew.

"Kid Lin, congratulations!" Chen Dashan set the pot down on the table and gave Lin Fan's shoulder a hearty slap. "I heard you knocked that brat from the Wang Family flat on his back? Well done!"

"Uncle Chen." Lin Fan greeted him politely.

He and Chen Dahu were roommates, but he had never met the other's father. Judging from his aura, Chen Dashan was at least a 3rd Grade Martial Master. Though he carried old hidden injuries, he could not conceal the fierce air of someone hardened by countless battles.

"Don't stand on ceremony, sit!" Chen Dashan dragged over several stools. "East Third Alley has produced a dragon today—we have to celebrate! Dahu, go fetch that jar of wine I've been saving!"

"Got it!"

Before long, the crude wooden table was piled with food.

A pot of stew, several plates of greens, a basin of coarse rice, along with eggs, tofu, and salted fish contributed by the Neighbors. For the Slum District, it was an exceptionally lavish spread.

More than twenty Neighbors sat gathered around, like one big family.

"Lin Fan, tell us—what exactly happened during the assessment?" Old Zhang asked curiously.

Lin Fan briefly recounted the process, leaving out the system and saying only that it was the result of his usual Hard Training.

"One punch with over a thousand pounds of force? My heavens..." Auntie Wang exclaimed. "My son works on a construction site, and he can't even carry two hundred pounds of cement."

"That puppet was really that powerful? It hurt you that badly?" Uncle Li asked with concern.

"I'm better now." Lin Fan smiled.

"Even if you are, you can't let your guard down." Chen Dashan's expression turned serious. "The Martial Artist's path only grows more dangerous the farther you go. You've entered the academy now, with instructors watching over you, but true martial arts aren't found in the academy. They're found in the Wilderness, between life and death."

Lin Fan's heart stirred.

Those words... sounded much like what Old Man Li had said before.

"Uncle Chen, were you a Martial Artist before?" Lin Fan asked.

"More or less." Chen Dashan took a drink, his gaze deepening. "Twenty years ago, I was the leader of the Thunder Hunting Group. I led fifty brothers making a living in the Wilderness. Hunting Demonic Beasts, searching for resources, licking blood from the edge of a blade."

He paused. "Later, we ran into a Beast Tide. More than half my brothers died, and I lost the use of an arm. My cultivation regressed, so I could only retire."

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.

There were many stories like this in the Slum District: Martial Artists maimed and forced into retirement, spending the rest of their lives here with bodies full of wounds and illnesses, and meager pensions.

"So, Xiaofan." Chen Dashan looked at Lin Fan. "Remember this: what the academy teaches you is only the foundation. Real skill is forged in the wilderness. Demonic beasts won't play by the rules, and they won't give you a second chance. One step too slow, and you die."

"I'll remember." Lin Fan nodded solemnly.

Just then, an aged voice came from the mouth of the alley. "Well said."

Everyone turned around to see Old Man Li approaching slowly on a cane. He wore a faded gray long robe, washed nearly white, and looked like an ordinary old man.

But Lin Fan noticed that the instant Chen Dashan saw Old Man Li, his body visibly tensed.

It was the instinctive vigilance of a Martial Artist.

"Old Man Li." Lin Fan rose to his feet.

"Sit, all of you, sit." Old Man Li waved a hand and casually found an empty seat. "I heard our alley has produced a genius, so this old man came to share in the good fortune."

He looked over the dishes on the table and smiled. "Oh, there's meat too. Not bad."

No one found it strange. Old Man Li had lived in the Slum District for over a decade. He usually helped people read documents or write letters, and he was well liked.

Only Lin Fan and Chen Dashan knew that this old man was no simple person.

"Kid, is your injury healed?" Old Man Li asked Lin Fan.

"About eighty percent."

"Mm, you've got a good foundation." Old Man Li nodded and pulled a small cloth bundle from his robes. "This old man doesn't have anything worthwhile. Take this as a congratulatory gift."

Lin Fan accepted the bundle and opened it. Inside were three thin booklets.

Wilderness Survival Handbook, Common Demonic Beast Illustrated Guide, Basic Herbal Identification.

They were not cultivation techniques or martial skills, but they were precisely the knowledge Lin Fan needed most right now.

"Thank you, Old Man Li." Lin Fan solemnly put them away.

"No need to thank me." Old Man Li picked up a piece of meat and chewed slowly. "The academy will teach you how to fight, but it won't teach you how to survive in the wilderness. I collected and compiled these three books in my youth. They may not be anything precious, but they can help you take a few fewer detours."

He glanced at Lin Fan and said meaningfully, "Remember: only the living have a future."

"I'll remember." Lin Fan nodded again.

This was already the second time today someone had told him something similar.

Chen Dashan, Old Man Li... these seniors who had walked through life and death were each reminding him in their own way: the path of martial arts was far less glorious than it appeared.

The celebratory feast lasted until the afternoon.

The neighbors gradually dispersed, each returning to their own livelihood. Chen Dashan took Dahu home to prepare Hunting Group equipment—though the group had disbanded, he still occasionally picked up odd jobs.

In the end, only Lin Fan, his sister, and Old Man Li remained.

"Xiaoyu, go home and pack your things first," Lin Fan said. "We're moving into the academy dorms tomorrow."

"Okay!" Hugging the cloth bundle, Lin Xiaoyu skipped back toward their little house.

The alley fell quiet.

"Old Man Li, did you have something you wanted to say to me?" Lin Fan asked.

The old man smiled. "Smart."

He set down his chopsticks and gazed at the distant, gray sky. "Lin Fan, do you know why, three hundred years after the Spiritual Energy Revival, humanity can still only huddle within its cities?"

"Because the demonic beasts are too strong?" Lin Fan guessed.

"That's part of it." Old Man Li shook his head. "More importantly, humanity fights itself."

He sighed. "The Nine Continents, the Five Alliances, countless sects and great families... everyone is fighting for resources, territory, and power. Demonic beasts glare like tigers from without, while humans scheme and plot within."

"You mean..."

"The Wang Family matter is only the beginning." Old Man Li looked directly into Lin Fan's eyes. "You have displayed talent that transcends class, and that has touched certain people's cake. Today, they use schemes and tricks. Tomorrow, they may use more direct methods."

Lin Fan fell silent.

He had actually thought of it long ago.

From Wang Hao cheating during the examination, to the Wang Family bribing the examiners, to himself being "specially recruited" into the Regular Class despite taking first place... all of it showed that this world was not fair.

"Then what do you think I should do?" Lin Fan asked.

"Two paths." Old Man Li held up two fingers. "First, join a faction and seek its protection. The military, for example. Or some great sect, or a powerful family. With someone backing you, others will have to weigh the consequences before touching you."

"And the second?"

"Second, become strong enough." A sharp glint flashed through Old Man Li's eyes. "Strong enough that no one dares touch you. Strong enough that the rules step aside for you."

He paused. "But that path is harder. No resources, no background—relying on talent alone to break through barrier after barrier... it's far too difficult."

Lin Fan did not answer at once.

He brought up the Status Panel and watched the proficiency steadily rise.

[Basic Fist Technique: Mastery Level (1897/5000)]

[Basic Footwork: Mastery Level (1456/5000)]

[Basic Breathing Technique: Mastery Level (1123/5000)]

At this rate, another month would be enough for his fist technique to break through to the Minor Accomplishment Level.

Then came footwork, breathing...

As long as he had enough time, he could train every skill to its very limit.

"I choose the second path," Lin Fan said calmly.

Old Man Li paused, then smiled. "Good. You've got ambition."

He pulled another black wooden token from his robes and handed it to Lin Fan. "Keep this."

The token was palm-sized, its material neither metal nor wood, with a complex symbol carved into its surface.

"This is..."

"A token," Old Man Li said. "If you ever face a life-or-death crisis, go to the Wilderness Tavern and show this token to the owner. He can help you once—but only once."

Lin Fan accepted the token. It was icy cold in his hand.

"Old Man Li, who exactly are you?" he finally asked the question that had been troubling him.

The old man smiled without answering. Instead, he rose to his feet. "I'm just an old man waiting to die in the Slum District."

Leaning on his cane, he slowly made his way deeper into the alley, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun.

"Remember this, Lin Fan. The academy is only the starting point. The true martial path lies between life and death."

His voice faded farther and farther away, finally vanishing into the dusk.

Lin Fan clenched the wooden token, feeling the patterns on its surface.

He knew that the world he had stepped into was far more complex—and far more dangerous—than he had imagined.

But—

So what?

He had the system, he had time, and he had reasons he had to grow stronger.

When he returned to the shack, Lin Xiaoyu had already packed everything.

There was hardly anything to pack: a few sets of clothes, the photographs their Parents had left behind, and some miscellaneous belongings. Their entire fortune fit into a single cloth bundle.

"Big Brother, what did Grandpa Li give you?" Lin Xiaoyu asked curiously.

"Some useful things." Lin Fan put away the token without saying more.

The night grew deep.

The brother and sister lay on their worn-out bed, neither able to sleep.

"Big Brother, once we go to the academy, does that mean I won't get to see you every day?" Lin Xiaoyu asked softly.

"No." Lin Fan stroked his Sister's head. "The academy has Family Quarters. You can live there. And I'll come back every day."

"Mhm..." Lin Xiaoyu snuggled closer to him. "Big Brother, you're going to become really, really strong, right?"

"Yes."

"Then... can you stop getting hurt?" The little girl's voice carried a sob. "When you were in the hospital, I was so scared..."

A sharp pain pierced Lin Fan's heart.

"I promise you," he said softly. "I'll try not to get hurt from now on."

"Pinky swear."

"Pinky swear."

Their little fingers hooked together, making a promise beneath the moonlight.

But Lin Fan knew that promise would be hard to keep.

How could one walk the martial path without getting hurt?

All he could do was become strong enough—strong enough that no one could ever hurt him.

In the dead of night.

After Lin Xiaoyu fell asleep, Lin Fan quietly got up and walked outside.

Moonlight flowed like water over the ruined streets of the Slum District.

He set his Boxing Stance and began practicing [Basic Fist Technique].

His movements were slow, because his injuries had not fully healed. Yet with every punch, he could feel the contraction of his muscles, the tremor of his bones, and the flow of Origin Energy.

On the Status Panel, his proficiency rose bit by bit.

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]

[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1]...

No acceleration, no desperate exertion—just the most basic practice.

Yet Lin Fan reveled in it.

The feeling of seeing a return for every bit of effort was intoxicating.

Before he knew it, the eastern sky had begun to pale.

Lin Fan withdrew his fists and stood still, heat steaming from his entire body.

[Basic Fist Technique: Mastery Level (1923/5000)]

Over a single night, it had increased by 26 points.

At this pace, it would take around another four months to break through to the Minor Accomplishment Level.

Too slow.

Lin Fan frowned.

Step-by-step practice simply could not satisfy his needs. He needed a more efficient method. He needed battle. He needed the pressure that came between life and death.

"Looks like I need to take on missions as soon as possible," he muttered.

The Academy Mission Hall, Wilderness hunting, live combat training...

Only by constantly challenging his limits could his proficiency soar.

"Brother, it's morning." Lin Xiaoyu emerged, rubbing her eyes.

"Mm." Lin Fan smiled. "Get ready. We're going to the academy."

A new day, a new beginning.

The siblings took one last look at the shabby little house they had lived in for over a decade, then turned and left without looking back.

Ahead lay Jiangnan Martial Arts Academy, the road of a Martial Artist, and endless challenges.

As well as limitless possibilities.

At the mouth of the alley, Old Man Li stood in the shadows, watching the two of them depart.

"Kid, I've pointed out the road for you. How far you can go depends on yourself."

He turned away, his figure melting into the morning mist and vanishing without a trace.

As though he had never appeared at all.