Sun Yi's matter was nothing more than an insignificant little episode for Hu Long.
After talking with Hu Chengwen,
he had come to understand quite a few things.
He also learned that the Ancestral Rite was still several days away, and that the main purpose of this trip had been to let him meet Sun Yi.
However, although the Ancestral Rite was still some time off, it wasn't far away, either.
So Hu Long no longer had any desire to go out again.
Instead, he planned to use this time to keep improving his body, turn the Source Value he had obtained into resources, and strengthen his physique and abilities.
According to the information he had gotten from Hu Chengwen,
Secret Martial Artists seemed to temper their bodies in various ways.
The better one's physique, the greater the chance of becoming a Secret Martial Artist.
Besides that, although he could download skills directly, there were still limits.
If the gap between him and the target was too great, downloading a skill by force would take a serious toll on his body.
He had experienced this firsthand when he downloaded Master-level Unarmed Combat. It had felt as if his body had been hollowed out.
And that was only an ordinary skill.
The gap might be even more pronounced with supernatural skills.
To prepare for downloading supernatural skills later, he had to improve his physique as much as possible before the Ancestral Rite.
Half a month later.
Extreme Fighting Boxing Club, Shucheng District, Huanyang City.
At noon, sunlight streamed into a private training room on the second floor, falling across the yellow mats and shining almost painfully bright.
Tiny motes of dust floated clearly in the sunlight.
Thump!
A heavy, muffled impact rang out.
The black punching bag caved in sharply, its body swinging high into the air at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees before plunging back down and stirring up a brief gust.
"Not bad."
A tall man standing nearby clapped softly. A black bandage was wrapped around his wrist.
He looked at the figure in front of the punching bag, admiration flickering in his eyes.
"Hu Long, you've made incredible progress."
"As far as boxing technique goes, there's nothing more I can teach you. Your strength is just about there, too. You still need a little more work, but if you keep training this way..."
He paused, his voice full of feeling.
"Your future is limitless."
"That's all thanks to your teaching, Coach Li."
Hu Long remained composed as he grabbed a towel from the side and wiped the sweat rolling down his face.
He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of black athletic shorts.
His body had grown even more solid over the past few days. Every inch of muscle was firm and well-proportioned, like iron repeatedly hammered into shape. It wasn't overly bulky, but its contours were as sharp as if carved by a blade.
His physique formed a textbook inverted triangle.
His chest was broad but lean, and the eight-pack beneath it looked carved from stone.
The muscles of his back spread along his spine like folded wings.
The veins in his arms stood out slightly, rising and falling with each breath.
His was the lean, powerful body of a leopard.
"Have you ever thought about reaching for something higher?"
Coach Li suddenly spoke.
"Hm?"
Hu Long unscrewed a bottle of mineral water and took several gulps.
The water ran down his throat into his stomach, bringing a refreshing chill.
He lowered the bottle and looked at Coach Li.
"What do you mean?"
"I have a recommendation slot here."
Coach Li lowered his voice slightly.
"The place is full of promising young fighters from all over. With your talent, getting in... would open up a lot more possibilities for you."
Hu Long's expression shifted.
"How much does it cost?"
Coach Li laughed.
He knew Hu Long wasn't short on money, but this wasn't a door money could open.
"You have to pass an evaluation."
He shook his head.
"This year's evaluations are already over. If you want to give it a try, you'll have to wait until next March to apply."
"Okay, we'll talk about it then!"
Hu Long nodded.
If he still hadn't become supernatural by then, it wouldn't be a bad path to take.
After showering at the club and changing into clean clothes, Hu Long pushed open the heavy door and stepped outside.
The air was crisp, carrying the clean scent unique to winter.
He strolled along the sidewalk as the afternoon sunlight slanted down, lending his skin a pleasant warmth.
The Chinese parasol trees lining both sides of the street had shed their lush summer green, their leaves now mottled with shades of yellow and brown.
A breeze blew through, sending a few leaves fluttering down from the branches. They turned lightly in the air before landing on the damp asphalt.
A sprinkler truck had passed not long ago, leaving dark trails of water on the road that glimmered in the sun.
Some distance away, several cleaners in orange vests were sweeping up the fallen leaves at an unhurried pace.
The bamboo brooms rasped rhythmically against the pavement, mingling with the occasional passing car.
The scene was exceptionally peaceful.
Hu Long narrowed his eyes slightly, savoring the warmth of the sunlight as his steps slowed without him realizing it.
A thought crossed his mind, and he called up the panel.
His gaze fell on several lines of text on the Primordial Plain Panel before him.
[Boxing (Master)] [Eight-Limb Technique (Proficient)]
These were the two combat skills he had downloaded recently.
The first, as its name suggested, was Boxing.
It was a competitive fighting art that used footwork, evasion, blocking, and various punching techniques to attack and defend against an opponent at close to middle range.
As for Eight-Limb Technique, it used the eight limbs: the two fists, two legs, two elbows, and two knees.
Its attacks were powerful and fierce, and it excelled particularly at close-quarters fighting and sweeping kicks.
Both skills had initially been downloaded at the Proficient level. Perhaps because of Unarmed Combat, some of their techniques overlapped, so downloading both proficient skills had cost only five megabytes in total.
Also, perhaps because he already had Master-level Unarmed Combat, he was progressing extremely quickly. After only a few days of training, his Boxing skill had already advanced to Master level.
It had also slightly strengthened his physique.
Hu Long had a feeling
that at this rate, it wouldn't take long for Eight-Limb Technique to advance, either.
Once the three Master-level combat skills were combined, his abilities would rise another level.
He should be able to approach the limits of the human body.
--
Three days later.
Fine rain veiled the street outside the window in a wash of gray-green.
Water trickled down the glass, blurring the lights of the buildings opposite into hazy patches.
Cold white light filled the training room.
It shone over Hu Long's well-defined muscles.
His chest rose and fell.
In... out.
His right leg suddenly snapped forward,
cutting through the air with a sharp whoosh.
It slammed into the standing punching bag in front of him with a dull thud.
A left jab, a right hook, a left horizontal elbow strike.
Hu Long felt his muscles stretch and contract. Every time he raised a leg or threw a punch, it stirred a faint current of air.
Outside the window, the patter of rain gradually fell into rhythm with his breathing.
Ten minutes passed in a flash.
The rain outside grew heavier, its beats against the glass growing more rapid.
Hu Long's breathing grew heavier, too. His strikes came faster and faster, nearly every one thrown with all his strength. His stamina drained rapidly.
If not for the exceptional endurance provided by his High-Efficiency Absorption and Metabolism talent, he might not have been able to keep going this long.
Even so, he was nearing his limit.
But he didn't stop moving.
Flying knees, downward axe kicks, low sweeps.
He attacked relentlessly, like a machine that couldn't feel fatigue.
The Eight-Limb Technique used the limbs as weapons to attack.
Hu Long could sense that he was only one final step away from reaching Master level.
His black tank top was soaked through, clinging to his skin.
A few more minutes passed.
Hu Long felt he was getting close to his limit, too.
He snapped out a whip kick, striking the punching bag in front of him.
Thump!
The bag gave a deep, muffled thud.
Hu Long stopped, lowered his leg, and stood still.
He wiped the sweat from his face with one hand.
"I did it!"
As Hu Long stopped moving,
the word "Proficient" beside the [Eight-Limb Technique] skill on the panel before him blurred.
A few breaths later,
the text came into focus again.
[Eight-Limb Technique (Master)]