Theory

The cafeteria on the second floor.

Chen Chong and the other three were all exhausted after a day of intense exertion. Aside from the meager portions on their trays, each of them had consumed at least one tube of Nutrient Paste.

Once they finished the actual food, they began nibbling on the Nutrient Paste more slowly, which provided the perfect opportunity for conversation.

Li Xiaoguang said with admiration:

"Chen Chong, you learn incredibly fast. You don't seem like someone who had no foundation at all."

Chen Chong shook his head:

"It's not fast enough, not here."

The group fell into a silent, nodding agreement.

Li Xiaoguang hesitated for a moment before asking:

"Chen Chong, would you mind if I asked how you actually practice your Breathing Method? I thought you'd struggle since you had no background, but you... you mastered it in one go."

Wang Li and Liu Hetao pricked up their ears as well, though Wang Li muttered:

"Who would tell others the secrets of their training? Nobody is that generous."

To his surprise, Chen Chong didn't even hesitate. He began explaining the patterns he had discovered, the rhythm of the Breathing Method, and his personal tips for memorization and practice.

The three of them were soon so engrossed that they forgot to eat what was in their hands.

"So that's... that's how it works. I hadn't noticed any of that."

Liu Hetao said, dumbfounded.

Wang Li had a sudden epiphany, but upon hearing Liu Hetao, he scoffed:

"As if you could have figured it out."

Li Xiaoguang, meanwhile, nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining:

"That's amazing! I've got some ideas now; I should be able to get the hang of it by tomorrow!"

Wang Li, who had been feeling quite pleased, suddenly turned sour:

"What do you mean you'll get it by tomorrow... you just heard it, don't go bragging."

Li Xiaoguang ignored him and said to Chen Chong with sincere expression:

"Chen Chong, thanks. I didn't expect you to explain it in such detail; most people wouldn't share their own techniques. If Coach Yu hadn't said we needed to master the Breathing Method as soon as possible, I wouldn't have been so forward, but I didn't expect you to have such a broad perspective!"

He gave a thumbs-up.

Liu Hetao nodded repeatedly as well:

"Chen Chong is a good guy."

"So he's a good guy now..."

Wang Li clicked his tongue, though he only muttered it under his breath and didn't say anything more.

Chen Chong chuckled:

"It's not that big of a deal. We're all here together, so we should be helping each other out. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to tell you all during practice tomorrow morning anyway."

He was in the same boat as the three of them now; helping them was a small effort, and it was also a way to band together for mutual support.

Furthermore, explaining things to others was a process of re-learning for himself.

In the past, he had often gained new insights while explaining problems to his classmates. Just now, explaining the Breathing Method had indeed clarified some details, deepening his own grasp of the technique.

The group began to discuss excitedly in low voices. Aside from the Breathing Method, they started talking about the Combat Drill, a subject Li Xiaoguang knew more about.

"Although Coach Yu says the Breathing Method is the foundation, without the targeted training of the Combat Drill, relying solely on the Breathing Method to temper the body would be very slow. Besides, without the fighting techniques from the Combat Drill, even if your physical fitness improves, you'll just have brute strength. If the Breathing Method is the root of a school, the Combat Drill is the main trunk."

"Chen Chong, since you're progressing quickly, you should put more effort into the Combat Drill. I took a trial class with a previous teacher, and I feel that their Combat Drill wasn't as good as Coach Yu's."

"Actually, training methods involve more than just the Breathing Method and the corresponding Combat Drill; there are medicinal soups, ointments, medicinal baths, and so on—it's an entire system. Coach Yu definitely hasn't taught us everything."

Chen Chong was lost in thought. When he practiced the Combat Drill in the afternoon combined with the Breathing Method, he did feel his breath and blood nourishing his bones in a more targeted way, but he still felt something was missing.

However, this was hardly surprising. As mere Warm-up Fighters, they were lucky to get even basic resources. If they didn't demonstrate greater value, no one would be willing to invest a penny more.

"The Breathing Method isn't just a training method; it can also be a combat method. If you can maintain that rhythm while fighting and keep it running, it would greatly increase your combat power—that's when you've truly mastered it. But that's too difficult; it takes a long time to train, so we don't need to consider it now."

"However, even for martial artists who have reached a certain level, the Breathing Method is a burden. At most, you can run it for a few hours a day. Maybe those with higher cultivation can hold out longer... After the Bone Beam is set? I don't know the name, I only know they train the tendons. Tendons and bones are inseparable, after all."

"This is all stuff my old martial arts teacher at school said. I've always wanted to get into Martial University. If I get good grades there, maybe I'll have a chance to enter Central City. I really want to go... Chen Chong, didn't you practice before? That's a pity. Since we're in the same year, we might have known each other sooner."

"...Never mind, there's no point in talking about that here. Let's stick to the Combat Drill."

Li Xiaoguang spoke at length, sharing quite a bit of basic knowledge that Yu Feng hadn't mentioned, as well as concepts he had learned from other teachers, which gave Chen Chong a much-needed crash course.

If he hadn't shared so much about the Breathing Method, Li Xiaoguang might not have been so forthcoming.

As he gained more knowledge about combat arts and understood the importance of the Combat Drill, Chen Chong secretly resolved to push himself even harder tomorrow.

Today was just his first attempt. He vaguely felt his bones being nourished by the blood and energy driven by the Breathing Method, but he was likely still a long way from truly setting the Bone Beam throughout his body and reaching that level.

But if he ate enough, it should speed things up significantly. He wondered if ten days would be enough.

Watching the 78% before him, Chen Chong gnawed on another tube of Nutrient Paste, waiting for the number to slowly tick up to 79%.

At least it would definitely reach 100% within ten days... probably?

Strange, why did the progress seem to be slowing down now?

It had clearly reached 74% after finishing lunch.

"Based on energy density, Nutrient Paste should far exceed normal meals."

Chen Chong looked at the display, recalling the progress with some confusion.

Even if the growth rate slowed down the further he went, today's change was particularly noticeable.

The effect of consuming Nutrient Paste was actually not as great as the food on the tray just now; the increase was only because he had eaten so much.

Even eating cream cake at home was faster than this.

Although cream cake was high in calories, it couldn't compare to Nutrient Paste, and its nutritional elements were even more singular... wait.

Chen Chong recalled his experiences, and a hypothesis gradually formed.

Perhaps this progress wasn't just related to energy, but also to how delicious the food was?

Plant-based cream cake, while an outdated thing from his past life, was rarely eaten in this one, and he still found it delicious every time he had it.

Scarcity makes things valuable; the progress from that birthday meal was about the same as the Gluttony he indulged in at the boxing gym that night, and there had never been that much growth since.

Chen Chong compared his memories of eating over the past few days, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

So it was quite picky?

Chen Chong deepened his understanding of his own talent and nodded slightly.

However, there weren't many choices right now, so he could only prioritize quantity over quality for the time being.

At worst, he would just eat more Nutrient Paste to get the number in front of him to 100% first and see what changes would come.

He vaguely felt that it would be critical for him, especially in his current situation.

The four of them were struggling to deal with the Nutrient Paste when several burly men suddenly entered the cafeteria, looked around, and walked straight toward them.

Chen Chong quickly noticed something was wrong and looked at them.

The leader was a man as sturdy as a bear.

He was no shorter than Yu Feng, but his frame was even broader, his shoulders and waist as thick as a giant bear. He had a rugged, full beard, but his eyes were different from his heroic appearance; they flickered as they darted around, full of malice.

Soon, the group stood before the table of Chen Chong and his companions, their burly frames blocking the light and casting a shadow over the table.

"You lot are the new guys, right?"

The leading brute narrowed his eyes and asked.