Theory

The cafeteria on the second floor.

All four of them were exhausted after a full day, and they'd burned through a tremendous amount of energy. Besides what was on their trays, each of them had taken at least one tube of Nutrient Paste.

They finished their regular food first, then took their time chewing on the Nutrient Paste. It was a good chance to chat.

Li Xiaoguang said admiringly:

"Chen Chong, you learn so fast. It's hard to believe you had no experience before."

Chen Chong shook his head.

"I'm still not fast enough here."

The others nodded silently.

Li Xiaoguang hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Chen Chong, would you mind if I asked how you practice the Breathing Method? I thought that, since you had no experience, it would be a lot to take on. But you mastered it in no time..."

Wang Li and Liu Hetao perked up their ears, but Wang Li muttered, "Who'd tell someone else the secrets of their training? Nobody's that generous."

But to his surprise, Chen Chong didn't hesitate. He explained the patterns he'd discovered, the rhythm of the Breathing Method, and his tips for memorizing and practicing it.

The three of them were soon engrossed, forgetting even to eat what they were holding.

"So... so there's all that to it. I hadn't noticed any of it."

Liu Hetao murmured.

Wang Li saw the light, too. When he heard Liu Hetao's remark, he scoffed. "You'd have noticed? As if."

Li Xiaoguang nodded repeatedly, his eyes shining.

"That's amazing! I think I've got it. I should be able to get started tomorrow!"

Wang Li had been pretty happy, too, but now he wasn't having it.

"What do you mean, you'll get started tomorrow? You hear it once and you've got it? Give me a break."

Li Xiaoguang ignored him and said to Chen Chong with sincere gratitude, "Thanks, Chen Chong. I didn't expect you to explain it in such detail. Most people really wouldn't share their tricks. If Coach Yu hadn't said we needed to master the Breathing Method as soon as possible, I wouldn't have wanted to impose. I never expected you to be so generous!"

He gave Chen Chong a thumbs-up.

Liu Hetao nodded along. "Chen Chong's a good guy."

"That's all it takes to make someone a good guy..."

Wang Li clicked his tongue. He grumbled under his breath, but didn't say anything more.

Chen Chong chuckled. "It's not that big a deal. We came here together, so we should help one another. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to explain it to you during practice tomorrow morning."

He and the other three were in this together. Helping them was easy, and they could look out for one another.

Besides, explaining things to other people was a way to learn them again himself.

He used to find new insights while helping classmates with their homework. Sure enough, explaining the Breathing Method just now had helped him sort out some details, deepening his own understanding of it.

They excitedly began talking in low voices. After the Breathing Method, they moved on to Combat Drill, which Li Xiaoguang knew more about.

"Coach Yu said the Breathing Method is fundamental, but without the targeted training of Combat Drill, relying on the Breathing Method alone to temper your body will take a long time. And without the techniques from Combat Drill, even if you improve your physical fitness, you'll just have brute strength. If the Breathing Method is the foundation of a style, then Combat Drill is its framework.

"Chen Chong, you're making quick progress, so you should put more effort into Combat Drill. I took a trial class with my previous instructor, and I didn't think his Combat Drill was as good as Coach Yu's.

"Actually, training methods include not just the Breathing Method and its corresponding Combat Drill, but also medicinal tonics, ointments, and baths. It's a whole system. Coach Yu definitely hasn't taught us everything."

Chen Chong considered that. During his Combat Drill practice that afternoon, combining it with the Breathing Method had indeed seemed to channel his breath and blood more directly into nourishing his bones. Still, it felt like something was missing.

But that was hardly surprising. They were just Warm-up Fighters. It was lucky enough to get a share of the basic resources. Unless they showed greater value, no one would invest another cent in them.

"The Breathing Method isn't just a way to train. It can also be used in a fight. If you can keep the rhythm and maintain the circulation while fighting, you can greatly increase your combat strength. That's when you've truly mastered it. But it's really difficult and takes a long time to learn, so you don't need to worry about it yet.

"Even for martial artists who've reached a higher stage, the Breathing Method takes a toll. They can only keep it going for a few hours a day at most. Those at higher stages might be able to sustain it longer... after Beam Setting? I don't know the name. I only know that's when you train the tendons. Tendons and bones go hand in hand, after all.

"That's what my martial arts teacher at school used to say. I've always wanted to get into Martial University. If you do well there, you might get the chance to go to Central City. I'd really like to go... Chen Chong, you never trained before? What a shame. We're the same year, so we might have met sooner.

"...Anyway, there's no point talking about all that here. Let's get back to Combat Drill."

Li Xiaoguang talked at length, sharing plenty of basic knowledge Yu Feng hadn't mentioned and ideas he'd learned from other instructors. Chen Chong got a thorough lesson.

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

The more Chen Chong learned about combat techniques and the importance of Combat Drill, the more he thought he'd need to work even harder tomorrow.

Today was only his first real try. He'd vaguely felt the Breathing Method guiding his energy and blood to nourish his bones, but he was still a long way from setting his entire Bone Beam and entering the next stage.

Still, eating enough should speed things up considerably. Would ten days be enough?

Looking at the 78% in front of him, Chen Chong chewed through another tube of Nutrient Paste and waited as the number slowly ticked up to 79%.

He'd definitely reach 100% within ten days... probably?

Strange. Why did his progress seem slower now?

It had been at 74% right after lunch.

"Given its energy density, Nutrient Paste should be way more effective than ordinary food."

Chen Chong stared at the display, recalling his progress and feeling puzzled.

Even if progress slowed as he got further along, the change today seemed especially pronounced.

The Nutrient Paste had done less than the little bit on his tray earlier. The number had only gone up because he'd eaten so much.

Even cream cake at home had worked faster than this.

Cream cake was high in calories, but it still couldn't match Nutrient Paste, and its nutrients were limited... Wait.

Chen Chong thought it over and gradually came to a theory.

Maybe his progress depended on more than just energy. Maybe it also depended on how good the food tasted?

Plant-based cream cake might have gone out of fashion in his previous life, but he rarely got to eat it in this life, so it still tasted delicious whenever he did.

Scarcity made things precious. The progress he'd made during that birthday meal had been about the same as when he'd gorged himself at the boxing gym that evening. After that, it had never gone up by as much again.

Chen Chong compared his memories of the past few days' meals and became more and more convinced.

Was his talent picky about food, too?

Chen Chong understood his talent a little better and gave a slight nod.

Still, he didn't have many choices right now. He'd have to focus on quantity before quality.

He could always eat more Nutrient Paste. First, he'd get the number in front of him to 100% and see what changed.

He had a vague feeling that it would be crucial for him, especially given his current situation.

The four of them were struggling to get through their Nutrient Paste when several burly men suddenly entered the cafeteria. They looked around, then headed straight for their table.

Chen Chong quickly realized something was wrong and looked toward them.

The man in front was built like a bear.

He wasn't much shorter than Yu Feng, but he was broader, with a thick waist and massive shoulders like a great bear. His face was covered in a rough, bristly beard, but his eyes didn't match his bold appearance. They darted about, cold and shifty.

Soon, the men were standing at the table where Chen Chong and the others sat. Their imposing bodies blocked the light, casting a shadow over the table.

"You're the new guys, right?"

The burly man in front narrowed his eyes.