King Kai Fist

After leaving Ji Xuan's home, Chen Daolin returned to his humble dwelling. A clear space had been cleared in the living room, and Chen Daolin stood quietly in the center, assuming a standard horse stance with his fists pressed against his waist. He closed his eyes, remaining motionless, his breathing long and steady, his chest rising and falling in a peculiar rhythm.

"Hah!!!"

Suddenly, Chen Daolin opened his eyes and let out a silent roar. Every muscle in his body tensed instantly, the muscles that had become solid and powerful after three years of training bulging outward. Chen Daolin clenched his fists, veins throbbing on his forehead, bloodshot eyes widening, and soon, beads of sweat the size of beans began to trickle down.

He did not know how much time had passed, but Chen Daolin was finally nearing his limit. He felt his heart pounding violently, as if it were about to leap out of his throat. The sound of blood rushing through his veins like a great river echoed clearly in his mind, and every muscle in his body was twitching in agony. Chen Daolin furrowed his brows and bit his lip until blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. In the past, he would have already succumbed to this pain and given up, but today, for some reason, a stubborn fire burned within him. Scenes from his past flashed through his mind: the simple happiness of his previous life, the blank, bewildered feeling of standing before his original body's parents' urns right after transmigrating, the sweat-drenched sessions at the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, the relentless persistence, and the warm moments spent with the Ji family...

"Ah!!!" Chen Daolin hunched over, trembling violently. Sweat had long since soaked his body, and the salty liquid flowed into his eyes, making them sting so much he could barely keep them open.

Pain swept through his spirit, blurring his ability to think.

Is it time to give up again?

Have I reached my limit again?

No!!!

Chen Daolin opened his eyes, which had turned completely blood-red.

This is not my limit!

I will...

Break through it!!!

A memory that had come with him during his transmigration suddenly became crystal clear. In his mind, an image of a figure standing in the void appeared. His black hair danced wildly, and though his silhouette was not particularly tall, he radiated an aura capable of holding up the heavens and fearing nothing. Clad in a golden martial arts uniform, the figure, who had always stood with his back to Chen Daolin, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head to look in Chen Daolin's direction.

Then, he... smiled.

Crack, crack, creak, creak... This was the sound of Chen Daolin's flesh and bones being relentlessly crushed and squeezed by an internal force.

His body was nearing its limit, and his will was nearing its limit... but at this moment, Chen Daolin stopped thinking about it entirely. Only one voice remained in his mind—break it!

Silently, as if glass were shattering, a sound echoed through his mind, and it seemed as though some shackle had been broken by the boy's persistence at this very moment.

A brand-new power surged from the depths of Chen Daolin's body, instantly filling him.

At this moment, Chen Daolin felt his entire body brimming with strength.

Even though his body was still enduring intense pain, a smile appeared on his exhausted face.

He slowly collapsed.

Finally... I've mastered it.

This damn King Kai Fist!

His joy was tinged with a hint of bitterness, and tears blurred his vision, yet his heart felt incredibly light and jubilant. Only Chen Daolin knew how much effort he had put in over these years, far more than what he showed to others.

At this moment, Chen Daolin broke through the wall that had restrained him, stepped into a new world, and welcomed a true rebirth.

The next day, Chen Daolin woke up feeling weak, his muscles aching. He sat blankly on the bed, looking down at his hands. They seemed no different than usual, but Chen Daolin knew everything had changed.

The corners of his mouth curled up, his smile slowly widening. "Ha, ha, hahahaha..." Chen Daolin lay back on the bed, laughing wildly and unrestrainedly, like a madman.

Although his body still retained significant pain—a result of the immense burden placed on his body when the King Kai Fist was triggered—Chen Daolin had grown accustomed to this pain over the past two years. As long as his body didn't collapse, he could keep training.

Chen Daolin's will had gradually become strong and resilient through these two years of constant, painful tempering.

After washing up, Chen Daolin put on his school uniform, grabbed his bag, and stepped out the door. He arrived at the Ji family's entrance just as they were waking up. The parents were ordinary workers with their own jobs, rising early to cook for the children. Chen Daolin's breakfast was also conveniently handled at the Ji household, where he felt a long-lost warmth of home. The thought he'd had last night grew even stronger.

This time, the door opened to reveal Ji Xuan wearing an apron. Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen her cooking, Chen Daolin still froze for a moment.

"Mom and Dad are resting today and are still sleeping. I've already made breakfast; let's eat and go," Ji Xuan said, glancing at Chen Daolin and lowering her voice.

"Oh, oh..." Chen Daolin snapped out of his daze and followed behind Ji Xuan. Watching the girl's tall, graceful figure, he felt a bit dazed, as if he were a husband facing his wife after coming home from work.

Chen Daolin shook his head, casting the strange thought from his mind.

The two finished breakfast in silence and left, leaving the rest for the others in the house.

It was not yet seven o'clock, and school didn't start until seven-thirty. There was no morning reading session. The streets were filled with the usual tide of people heading to work and school. Chen Daolin and Ji Xuan walked together, chatting occasionally. To an outsider, they might have looked like a couple, but Chen Daolin knew that wasn't the case.

Between him and Ji Xuan, there might be familial affection and friendship, but there was definitely no romance.

Just as they arrived at school, they bumped into a girl with a ponytail and delicate features at the gate. She glanced at Chen Daolin, then giggled as she pulled Ji Xuan aside to whisper, casting glances at Chen Daolin every now and then. Ji Xuan responded casually before finally shaking her head.

Chen Daolin looked up at the sky and rolled his eyes. Lin Xiao, that girl, is gossiping again.

Lin Xiao was Ji Xuan's best friend and a classmate. She was very close to Ji Xuan, but the only thing he disliked about her was her love for gossip, especially regarding the relationship between him and Ji Xuan. She never seemed satisfied unless she asked a few questions about it.

Well, according to the current laws, people could marry at eighteen. In high school, it was common for students to date and marry right after graduation. People like Ji Xuan and Chen Daolin, who focused only on their studies for all three years, were the exception.

Especially Ji Xuan, who was beautiful, had excellent grades, and was one of the four advanced students at Yi'an District No. 3 High School. She had received countless confessions in the past, though they had gradually tapered off by their senior year.

"There are only two months left until the college entrance exam. Don't think too much, just study hard. Aren't you planning to apply to Jiangnan University?" Ji Xuan, likely unable to handle her friend's gossip, flicked her forehead.

Lin Xiao cried out in pain, covering her forehead with a resentful expression. "I'm not like you—good at studying and an advanced martial arts student. You can apply wherever you want. If I don't get into college, I'll probably have to find someone to marry early." She glanced at Chen Daolin intentionally or otherwise. "Some people have even worse grades than me; I wonder where they plan to apply."

Chen Daolin: "?"

Ji Xuan sighed, "I actually want to apply to the Jiangnan First Military Academy. As long as I can become an officer, I can be assigned family housing, so my parents and sister won't have to squeeze into low-rent housing anymore." Improving her family's conditions and letting them live a good life had always been her goal.

Ji Xuan was actually quite simple and didn't think too much about things.

As for romantic matters, she hadn't given them a thought at all. The Ji parents had once hinted at setting her up with Chen Daolin, but Ji Xuan had no such intentions and had always kept a distance. Chen Daolin had lived up to her expectations, and the two of them were like close friends, a dynamic Ji Xuan quite enjoyed.

"Jiangnan First Military Academy is the best military academy in our Jiangnan, but it's not easy to get into," Ji Xuan said.

"Just work hard, we believe you can definitely get in," Chen Daolin and Lin Xiao both said, full of confidence in Ji Xuan.

A luxury car pulled up at the school gate, and a tall girl with dyed blonde hair and a trendy outfit stepped out. She scanned the area and spotted the three of them in the crowd.

The girl's gaze turned slightly cold, but then, as if thinking of something, the corners of her mouth curled up.

"It's Zhang Bailan."

"She's one of the four advanced students in our school."

"I heard her family is quite wealthy, too."

Zhang Bailan wore a smile on her face, and as she walked past the school gate, she cast a subtle, lingering glance in the direction of Ji Xuan and her friends.

Zhang Bailan had always been hostile toward Ji Xuan. Originally, she had been the most dazzling and eye-catching girl in the school, but because of Ji Xuan's presence, others had gradually started comparing them. In terms of grades, Ji Xuan was better than her; in terms of looks, more people liked Ji Xuan; and in terms of martial prowess... Zhang Bailan touched her chest, where the spot Ji Xuan had struck at the martial arts gym two months ago still seemed to ache faintly.

She was filled with wariness and hatred toward Ji Xuan.

The only thing that made her feel slightly better was that Ji Xuan's family background was inferior to hers.

After high school graduation, you won't be so comfortable anymore. You'd be better off marrying that loser you're always with, Zhang Bailan thought to herself.

Chen Daolin narrowed his eyes when he saw Zhang Bailan. Thinking of what happened last night, his hands suddenly felt itchy.

An advanced student, huh?

If given the chance, he would make Zhang Bailan question her entire existence.

Rich kids like Zhang Bailan usually trained in their own private martial arts halls and rarely went to public gyms.

Yet just yesterday, several advanced students had actively blocked his path.

Among them was a student who had once been defeated by Ji Xuan at the gym, but Chen Daolin believed that Zhang Bailan was likely behind it.

If she couldn't cause trouble for Ji Xuan, she would target those around her. To be honest, Chen Daolin felt nothing but disgust and hatred for such behavior.

In the past, he had been powerless because he couldn't change reality.

But now...

He felt he could take on three of them!

Chen Daolin didn't like bullying the weak, but for people like Zhang Bailan, he felt that no amount of discipline would be too much.