Body Tempering Pavilion, Unused Body Tempering Machines

At that very moment.

Fatty Wang shifted the topic: "Brother Xiao, you have a bank card, right?"

Ye Xiao shook his head.

He was already a student admitted through special recruitment.

He hadn't paid tuition, and he ate only the most basic meals.

Where would he have any need for a bank card?

Fatty Wang was suddenly troubled.

"Then how am I supposed to give you the money?"

"Why give me money?"

"Of course I have to give you money! If it weren't for you, Brother Xiao, my mom would never have given me a million!"

"Uh..."

"Besides, after I give you this million, I have a chance to get another million next week."

"Ah? You want to give me the whole million?"

"That's right, Brother Xiao. Let's work together more in the future; you help me improve my strength, and I'll help you make money!"

Ye Xiao was stunned for a full five seconds before he spoke.

"You mean we should team up to make money off your mom?"

He couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"As a son, why are you always siding with outsiders?"

"If your mom finds out about this, won't she beat you up?"

Fatty Wang chuckled and said mysteriously.

"Brother Xiao, this is a secret I'm only telling you. You mustn't let it slip!"

Ye Xiao nodded.

"Actually, my family is incredibly wealthy! The kind where the money never runs out no matter how much we spend!"

Ye Xiao was shocked.

"What does your family do?"

Fatty Wang kept his mouth shut, maintaining a mysterious smile.

"I can't say that. I made a pact with my mom that while I'm studying at school, I can't reveal my family background."

Ye Xiao nodded in silence.

Who could have guessed that the simple, honest fatty in front of him actually came from a top-tier wealthy background?

This was truly beyond his expectations.

After all, judging by Fatty Wang's words, actions, lifestyle, and habits.

Coupled with his initial C-rank profession.

There was no way to associate Fatty Wang with top-tier wealth.

Since Fatty Wang insisted on giving the million to Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao found it hard to refuse such kindness.

He offered a suggestion instead.

"Fatty, why don't you use this money to help me buy a Spirit Ring?"

Fatty Wang stared at the Spirit Ring on Ye Xiao's finger.

"Brother Xiao, don't you already have one?"

The Spirit Ring Ye Xiao was wearing had been lent to him by Su Muyun.

"This isn't mine; it's borrowed, and I have to return it later."

Fatty Wang nodded.

"No problem, Brother Xiao, leave it to me!"

A night of rest passed without incident.

After waking up the next day.

Fatty Wang accompanied Ye Xiao to the Body Tempering Pavilion, as Fatty Wang also wanted to train his body.

Eight-thirty in the morning.

South District.

When the two arrived at the Body Tempering Pavilion, they found the place deserted.

The crowded spots were the Elemental Pavilion, the Weapon Pavilion, and other popular mainstream career halls.

As for a Martialist like Ye Xiao.

He was the only one in the entire Jiang University.

When it came to the need for body tempering.

Ye Xiao was the only one with any real demand.

Everyone else, at most, only supplemented their training with some physical conditioning, keeping their primary focus on their specific careers.

The two stood before a gray building.

This building was unfamiliar to Ye Xiao.

In the few days since school started, he had only traveled between his dormitory and the Gravity Tower, never having come here.

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he hadn't known—that the academy actually had training facilities prepared for careers like the Martialist.

"Body Tempering Pavilion." Fatty Wang stood beside him, speaking eloquently, "It's specifically for body-tempering careers. Martialists, Warriors, Pugilists, Monks... they all train here."

"Why is it so deserted? Is it closed for seclusion?" Ye Xiao looked around.

Fatty Wang glanced at him with a complex expression: "Because... hardly anyone uses it. Who bothers with body tempering these days? Mages just need to pop pills, elementalists just need to reach enlightenment, and summoners train their contract beasts. Body tempering? It's bitter and exhausting, and it has no future."

He paused: "But the equipment here is genuinely top-tier. It's all prepared for those specializing in body tempering."

As Ye Xiao entered the Body Tempering Pavilion.

He could smell the scent of dust in the air, and many areas were covered in a layer of grime.

This indicated that few people ever came here.

Behind the door was a long corridor with dim lighting and faded posters plastered on the walls.

"Champion of the 4th National Body Tempering Competition!"

"Excavation Site of the Extreme Martial Sect Ruins!"

"Fleshly Body Becomes Holy: The Ultimate Path of the Martialist!"

The corners of the posters were curled and coated in dust, as if no one had touched them in ages.

At the end of the corridor was a larger iron door.

A line of text was engraved on the door:

"The flesh is the armor of the soul; if the armor is not strong, the soul cannot endure."

Behind the door was a massive space.

The dome was high, reaching a full fifty meters.

Light beams from the skylights cut through the space, creating a divide between light and shadow, with tiny dust motes floating in the air like golden shards.

The entire venue was as quiet as a forgotten temple.

Ye Xiao stood at the entrance, watching for a long time.

Not because of its size.

But because of—those machines, row upon row, rack upon rack, stand upon stand.

The steel skeletons stood silent in the shadows, like slumbering behemoths.

Some machines were familiar to him.

The walls were the same style as the Gravity Tower, made of obsidian black iron, which he had seen in the gravity room.

Others were completely foreign to him.

Massive hydraulic arms, rotating rollers, walls covered in protrusions, and transparent pods filled with liquid.

Every machine had a nameplate engraved with its name, purpose, and historical records.

The edges of the nameplates were worn, the lettering blurred, as if they had been touched by countless hands.

"These... are all for body tempering?" Ye Xiao asked.

"Right." Fatty Wang walked to the nearest machine and patted the rust-covered iron arm.

"Ten-Thousand Catty Hydraulic Hammer. Specifically for training impact resistance. You stand underneath and let the hammer smash you. Start at fifty catties, slowly increase it, and once you reach ten thousand catties, you've graduated."

"Smash?" Ye Xiao looked at the machine; the iron hammer was as large as a tabletop, suspended overhead as if it could fall at any moment.

"Right, smash," Fatty Wang said, "A Martialist practices fists not just to hit others, but to be able to take a hit. You punch someone, they punch you back. Whoever has the tougher body stands until the end."

He paused: "Though, this thing is rarely used. Because it hurts too much. The last time someone used it was three years ago—a senior in his fourth year who ran off after just two days."

Ye Xiao walked under the hydraulic hammer and looked up at the massive iron weight.

Sunlight shone down from the skylight, and the shadow of the hammer fell across his face like a black tombstone.

Ye Xiao laughed dryly, shaking his head helplessly: "Fatty, you know a lot, don't you? You aren't pulling my leg, are you? If this thing smashes into me, wouldn't I turn into a meat patty?"

Fatty Wang laughed heartily and hurriedly explained.

"Brother Xiao, why would I lie to you? These machines are all sold by my family!"

As the words fell, Fatty Wang realized he had let something slip and hurriedly covered his mouth.

Ye Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking at the fatty in surprise. "Your family sells them?"

Fatty Wang's face flushed red; he coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

"Brother Xiao, do you want to give it a try?"

Ye Xiao suddenly felt an urge to test it out.

Staring at the Ten-Thousand Catty Hydraulic Hammer that resembled a steel behemoth overhead, he spat out three words.

"How do I do it?"