From Igniting Talent to Becoming a Demon God Section 10

Though his body was exhausted, his heart burned with fighting spirit.

Lu Chao seemed to have glimpsed some kind of hope. His eyes shone, and he let the tearing soreness stab at his nerves as he gritted his teeth and continued repeating the exercise.

Gradually.

After two hundred Mountain Hammer Squats were finished, and after resting for several minutes, they began the third movement.

Time passed like this, every minute and every second torture for the four of them.

Zhou Cheng collapsed completely to the ground, his face deathly pale, his chest heaving violently like a fish out of water, no longer able to stand.

The other young man, named Zhang Ping, was panting even harder, nearly fainting, unable to keep going.

By the time they reached the fourth movement.

A faint breeze blew, and the swaying Xu Linfeng likewise could not hold on. His body lurched, and he fell from the ironwood crossbar.

The splash-like thud was neither loud nor soft, yet it was like a stone had been tossed into the surface of a calm lake.

The blazing red sun scorched every inch of the concrete training ground without regard for distance, and the group of ordinary students a dozen meters away had at some point fallen completely silent.

Some stood in place holding dumbbells, while others leaned against tire weights and turned their heads to look, unconsciously forgetting the motions in their hands.

The mocking looks had vanished from their faces. Even under the dazzling sunlight, they stared fixedly at the thin figure still standing alone in the center of that open space.

The metal rod placed on the bricks was only half a palm wide. Standing on it while holding a five-kilogram brick was an immense test of balance and willpower.

His black short-sleeved shirt had been soaked through the entire time, clinging tightly to his lean body.

Though his legs trembled back and forth and his center of gravity was unstable, he still persisted.

Twenty seconds, one minute, two minutes...

The fourth basic movement of combat arts, the Iron Cross Stake, was actually about to be completed by him.

"You've got to be kidding, right? It's his first day training, and he can actually hold on this far?"

"They're only basic movements, but they're still not easy. This guy's stamina is that good? Is he made of iron or something?"

"He's really going all out. That resilience and ruthlessness really are something..."

After the silence, surprised murmurs rang out one after another. At some point, Lu Chao had become the focus of the entire place.

Many formal disciples inside the training building had also entered their break at some point. They stopped training, and a few stood at the first-floor entrance, casting looks over and nodding slightly, as if in approval.

At the very end.

Clack!!

A brick fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Lu Chao's body swayed. His arms ached unbearably, and at the instant he completed the fourth movement, he completely lost his strength and let his stance fall apart.

Huff! Huff! Huff!!

He panted heavily, his chest pumping like a bellows.

His legs trembled where he stood, and his sore, swollen arms hung down, unable to lift.

Lu Chao nearly fell, having never felt so exhausted before.

Looks like this is my current limit.

As this thought surfaced, soreness and pain spread through his entire body.

Lu Chao knew that [Primary Resilience] was not omnipotent. The limit of his recovery ability was still rooted in his own physical strength.

"Junior Brother Lu."

Unaware of his thoughts, Zheng Wu walked up to him.

"Though it was only basic training."

"For you to persist this long, your willpower is truly admirable."

He spoke seriously, his gaze carrying undisguised appreciation and approval.

Perhaps this could not compare to those genius disciples with excellent foundations, or rich young masters from well-off families who had been exposed to professional training since childhood and possessed exceptional physiques.

But at the very least, judging by this drive and resilience alone, he was already quite outstanding.

"Th-thank you, Senior Brother Zheng."

Lu Chao gasped for breath and barely managed to stand steady as he thanked him for the praise.

In the corner of his eye, Zhou Cheng and the other two had varying expressions, mostly unwilling. Only Xu Linfeng, that cold-faced young man, looked toward him with a hint of admiration on his face.

"This is Tendon Recovery Oil. It's specially used to treat bruises and injuries. It can clear stagnant blood and repair damage to the tendons and meridians."

"You four junior brothers may apply an appropriate amount. I don't recommend using it more than twice a day."

Without saying anything more, Zheng Wu then handed over four palm-sized red oil glass bottles and distributed them to the four.

This was a secret medicinal wine made by the boxing gym, and it helped the body recover.

If they gave up on becoming disciples later, this fee would not be refunded.

"Morning training ends here. Rest for now. A nutritious meal will be delivered in a while."

"Arrange your afternoon yourselves. I suggest you spend more time familiarizing yourselves with the earlier exercises, consolidating your combat techniques, and striving to master them as soon as possible..."

After giving those simple instructions, Zheng Wu turned and left.

Lu Chao and the other three finally got a stretch of rest time. Each of them silently took the medicinal wine and began applying it to their bodies.

Shoulders and back, arms, thighs... A cold sensation spread over him, and once he had rubbed it in evenly, Lu Chao soon felt threads of scorching heat.

It was as if some kind of medicine had turned into a warm current, burrowing through his pores into his flesh.

"It does seem to have some effect."

Nodding to himself, Lu Chao felt this trip had not been wasted.

Gold-Stone Martial Arts Hall truly was a martial place for developing vitality. Whether it was the practice of combat techniques or the preparation of secret medicines, everything was quite professional.

Then, during their rest...

At high noon, Lu Chao's stomach rumbled, and hunger gradually came over him.

After an entire morning of physical exertion, he urgently needed nutrition.

Turning his head to look, he saw that most ordinary students had brought their own lunches. They walked to the shade beneath the trees by the training ground and took silver iron lunch boxes from their backpacks.

The smell of rice and synthetic meat mingled together and drifted over from afar. A small number of people had brought synthetic bread and milk instead.

The former had already gone cold, slick with grease, and they could only go to the security booth and line up to borrow the microwave to heat it.

Though the latter spared them the trouble, it was barely enough to fill the stomach, and its nutrition was ordinary.

Gurgle...

His stomach made another strange sound, and Lu Chao secretly swallowed.

Zhou Cheng and the other two wore similar expressions.

Finally, under their expectant gazes...

Zheng Wu, who had left earlier, appeared again. His steps were steady as he walked over carrying four metal lunch boxes.

"Four junior brothers, you've been waiting a while, haven't you?"

He said with a smile, handing them out one by one.

Lu Chao and the other three were already starving. Hearing this, they hurriedly thanked him and stepped forward to take them.

"It smells so good."

His nostrils flared slightly as he opened the lid of the lunch box.

Warm white steam wrapped in the aroma of meat rushed into his face. What entered his sight were several thick slices of meat and green vegetables, with plump, crystal-clear grains of rice covered beneath them.

"This is beast meat from a Black Horned Ox. Although it was artificially bred, its nutritional effect isn't any worse than those from the wilderness."

"There's also a portion of Blood-Qi Supplement here. Remember to use it as soon as possible after eating."

Zheng Wu also handed over a bowl of medicinal soup, and the dense scent of herbs rushed toward him.

Lu Chao did not show any dislike. Instead, his eyes brightened, revealing a trace of surprise.

He had heard of Black Horned Oxen before. They had once been fierce radiation mutant beasts in the wilderness, living in herds by nature and possessing violent temperaments.

After methods for taming them appeared, quite a few meat factories in Prism Ring City raised them. Their meat was extremely delicious, with higher nutritional value than ordinary beef, and the price was more than two or three times higher as well.

As for this Blood-Qi Supplement, he had also heard people mention it.

It was one of several medicines whose formulas had been made publicly available for free by a giant enterprise of the Alliance State, a biotechnology company.

It was said that taking it long-term could strengthen blood and qi, and when combined with exercise, there was a chance it could accelerate the development of vitality.

Saliva welled up in his mouth, and Lu Chao wasted no more words. He immediately picked up his chopsticks and wolfed the food down.

At this moment, he no longer felt that the tuition at Gold-Stone Martial Arts Hall was all that expensive, nor did he have the slightest thought of giving up.

Because whether it was this nutritious training meal or the precious combat techniques, both were completely worth the price.

He even developed a strange misconception for no reason.

Master Luo had opened a martial arts hall in a poor place like the Iron Ring District—perhaps he really was not necessarily doing it for those so-called martial arts tuition fees.