Dimensional Strike

"Everyone, focus on your training!"

"Don't slack off!"

"There are only four spots left for the tournament. Whoever performs the best will represent the school!"

Inside the City Sports Stadium, Guo Xiangyuan had abandoned his usual hands-off approach and was strictly supervising the team's training.

The final exams had just concluded, and the Martial Arts Team was preparing for the most important tournament of the year, scheduled for the middle of the upcoming summer break.

This tournament was jointly organized by eight middle schools in the district.

It was set to take place on August 1st.

Therefore, for the month leading up to the competition, Guo Xiangyuan had summoned all the team members back to school for intensive training.

Afterward, he would select four members to represent the school based on their performance during this camp.

While Guo Xiangyuan was pushing the seven team members through their grueling training, Lin Zichen—who had already secured a spot and was exempt from the camp—was training Shen Qinghan on the side.

Ever since Shen Qinghan decided to enroll in the martial arts track for high school, Lin Zichen had designed a summer training plan for her to improve her physical fitness.

To avoid hindering her physical development, the intensity of this plan was quite low, consisting only of the following daily tasks:

1: A 3000-meter jog to improve stamina.

2: One hour of martial arts technique practice to improve striking and footwork.

3: A dozen or so push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and pull-ups—just enough to get the blood flowing and build a bit of muscle strength.

Other than that, there were no other requirements.

Yet, even with such a light load, the somewhat delicate Shen Qinghan still found it difficult to handle.

Having just finished her workout, she collapsed onto the floor, panting incessantly and drenched in sweat.

"Hanhan, you did great. You successfully completed today's training tasks."

Lin Zichen unscrewed a bottle cap, handed the sports drink to Shen Qinghan, and affirmed her training attitude.

Shen Qinghan took the drink and sipped it, her breathing still ragged. "Xiao Chen, working out is so tiring. It's much harder than studying."

"That's for sure, since it involves breaking a sweat." Lin Zichen retrieved a yoga mat, spread it out, and knelt on it. "Come, lie down on the mat and spread your legs. I'll help you loosen up your muscles."

Shen Qinghan obediently lay down on the yoga mat and spread her slender, straight legs slightly.

Seeing this, Lin Zichen began to knead her muscles with practiced ease.

Whether it was because he was pressing too hard or because the stimulation to her sore muscles was too intense, Shen Qinghan would occasionally let out a shy, muffled groan, her hands instinctively gripping the yoga mat as her expression showed her discomfort.

Sometimes, when she truly couldn't take it, she couldn't help but cry out for him to be lighter.

Unfortunately, he couldn't go lighter.

To quickly eliminate the lactic acid buildup in her muscles, he had to apply a certain amount of pressure, or it would be ineffective.

From her calves to her thighs, and finally her arms, Lin Zichen massaged almost her entire body in just over ten minutes.

Feeling that the massage was sufficient, he took a clean set of clothes from his bag and handed them to her. "Go take a shower. Once you're done, we'll head home."

"Mm, I'll be quick." Feeling refreshed, Shen Qinghan rose from the yoga mat, took the clothes from Lin Zichen, and headed toward the changing room.

Every time she finished training, she loved having Lin Zichen massage her body with his strong hands.

Although the process was a bit painful, she felt completely relaxed and incredibly comfortable afterward.

One month later.

The intensive training ended.

The five contestants were finalized.

Among them, the boisterous Zhang Kai had failed to make the cut.

Heartbroken, he quit the Martial Arts Team immediately upon hearing the news and didn't even bother to attend the tournament.

However, no one paid much mind to it; life went on as usual.

Early the next morning.

Guo Xiangyuan drove the school bus to take the team members to the City Sports Stadium for the competition.

Shen Qinghan tagged along, claiming she wanted to be Lin Zichen's little fan in the stands and cheer him on.

Lin Yansheng and Zhang Wanxin also cleared their schedules to attend the event and support their son.

As for Xu Meng and Shen Jianye, the couple was currently teaching the senior year classes and were busy working overtime at school, so they couldn't make it to the tournament.

However, they had instructed Shen Qinghan to record videos of Lin Zichen's matches so they could watch them later.

City Sports Stadium, contestant lounge.

The participants from the eight schools were all lined up, waiting to draw lots to determine their opponents.

The rules of the competition were simple: it was school versus school, and the champion would be decided in just three rounds.

One round per day, finishing in three days.

The draw results were released quickly.

Lin Zichen's Shanhai High School had the misfortune of drawing the strongest team, Shanhai No. 1 Middle School.

Guo Xiangyuan's expression changed the moment he saw it.

The faces of the other four team members were equally grim; they all felt they were destined to be eliminated in the first round.

Among them, the member named Li Shutong surrendered before the fight even began: "It's over. I heard No. 1 Middle School has a monster this year who can run a hundred-meter dash in under 9 seconds. We're definitely going to get crushed!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? We have Zichen; it's not certain who will win or lose yet," Guo Xiangyuan glared at Li Shutong and said.

He said that, but as the coach, he had no confidence in his heart.

In his eyes, while Lin Zichen was talented, he was ultimately just a first-year middle school student who hadn't fully grown yet. Running into a monster capable of a sub-9-second hundred-meter dash meant he would likely be obliterated.

Sigh, I just hope his mentality doesn't get shattered.

If his confidence was affected, it would be a huge loss.

The future of the Martial Arts Team for the next two years still rested on his shoulders... Guo Xiangyuan felt a wave of anxiety.

As the person involved, Lin Zichen remained calm, his heart devoid of any ripples.

A 9-second hundred-meter dash was strong, but in front of him—who could run it in 4.61 seconds—it was no different from an ant that could be crushed with a flick of a finger.

Before long, the first round of the competition began.

The opening duel was Shanhai High School versus Shanhai No. 1 Middle School.

"Which of you four wants to go first?"

Guo Xiangyuan looked at the other four members, excluding Lin Zichen, and asked.

The four of them remained silent, all intimidated and unwilling to bear the brunt of the first match.

Shanhai No. 1 Middle School was last year's champion, and they were even stronger this year. Being the first to face them was essentially volunteering to be the first to get beaten up.

Middle school students were at the age where they cared most about their pride; no one wanted to be the first to lose face.

"No one wants to go first?"

Guo Xiangyuan frowned. Seeing that no one wanted to step up, he finally said, "Since no one is willing, we'll decide by drawing lots."

With that, he reached for a pen and paper.

However, before he had taken two steps, Lin Zichen spoke up: "Coach, let me go."

Guo Xiangyuan refused flatly: "No, you are our ace. You must be saved for last to maximize our advantage."

The benefit of going last was being able to observe the opponent's habits from the sidelines, knowing oneself and the enemy to ensure victory.

However, Lin Zichen, whose strength crushed the entire field, had no need for such things.

What he needed was to defeat as many opponents as possible to complete his achievement tasks and obtain rewards as soon as possible.

Thus, he said with a serious expression: "Coach, I want to go first."

Guo Xiangyuan fell silent, not answering immediately.

But seeing the seriousness in Lin Zichen's eyes, and the fact that the other four truly didn't want to go, he finally compromised:

"Alright then, Zichen, you go first."

Once both sides had decided on their starting players.

The opening match of the first round began shortly after.

The opponent who stepped onto the stage first was a big boy over 1.9 meters tall. His body was covered in muscles, and he sat on the martial arts stage like a mountain, exuding immense pressure.

In contrast, Lin Zichen, whose physical development hadn't caught up yet and who stood under 1.7 meters, looked like a newly hatched chick standing before the other, easily crushed.

"Little junior from Shanhai High, I saw your info on the roster. To be able to stand on this Eight-School League stage while only in your first year is not bad; you have talent."

On the stage, the big guy smiled with a simple, honest look.

Seeing the opponent smile so ingenuously, Lin Zichen thought the big guy was actually a decent person.

But just as he was about to respond politely, the opponent's demeanor shifted abruptly, his eyes turning extremely disdainful:

"However, what I want to say is that this is no place for a first-year kid like you, especially a short first-year kid who isn't even 1.7 meters tall."

As he spoke, he suddenly tensed his entire body, showing off his massive pectoral muscles, and said with a chuunibyou flair: "In a moment, I will let you experience what a gap in physique means, and what a gap in strength truly is!"

PS: Bowing to ask for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets!