From Igniting Talent to Becoming a Demon God Section 35

Off to one side, Zhao Yuanqing said nothing more. In silence, he helped him turn over the two skewers of chicken wings in front of him that were about to burn, the motion carrying a barely perceptible protectiveness.

"Brother Lu Chao, does that mean you've broken through to Combat Grade?"

Song Yuhan blinked and asked curiously, her gaze sweeping over his chest and arms. She could clearly tell that Lu Chao's build had become a little leaner and stronger.

The atmosphere stilled. Lin Ze and the others waited in silence.

Xiao Yang smiled faintly, almost imperceptibly.

Lu Chao did not mind. He simply poured himself another glass of soda, shook his head, and said softly, "Not yet."

"Oh, right. There's still soda. Do you guys want a glass?"

"No, Brother Lu Chao."

Song Yuhan gently shook her head. The curiosity in her eyes quietly faded, gradually replaced by a trace of distance and regret.

Off to the side, Lin Ze's eyes flashed even more, as though he had seen the right opportunity, and he seized the moment to speak. "Ah Chao, then I really have to say something about you."

"I advised you last time to keep your feet on the ground and find a stable, respectable job. Why wouldn't you listen?"

He sounded as if he hated to see him fail, yet there was also something deliberate in his tone.

Lu Chao drank another glass of soda and saw the veins bulging on Zhao Yuanqing's face, as well as the fist hanging beside his leg, clenched tight.

He nudged him lightly with his elbow, signaling that it was fine, stopping the other man's impulse.

"Sigh, we're all such good friends, after all. How about this..."

With a sigh, Lin Ze lightly patted his thigh.

Unaware of these little movements, Lin Ze instead acted as if he were making some kind of sacrifice. "Recently, I've been planning to start a studio with some colleagues to take on private jobs. We're still a little short on people for now."

"Come find me. I won't dare say I can guarantee you a living for life, but at least you'll have food on the table. It'll be a hundred times more respectable and stable than that lousy cleaner job of yours."

It sounded as if he were sincerely helping, full of concern.

But Lu Chao could feel the smug charity in it, handed down from above.

"No need."

"I'm doing pretty well right now."

Lu Chao shook his head and rejected him cleanly.

Lin Ze frowned slightly at his words, a trace of displeasure flashing through his eyes.

"Ah Chao, Ah Chao, what are you thinking? Lin Ze is trying to help you."

Li Heng sounded somewhat helpless, feeling that he thought too highly of himself and failed to appreciate kindness.

Xiao Yang quietly let out a breath of relief.

Off to the side, Song Yuhan gently shook her head as well. She opened her mouth as if to persuade him, but soon swallowed the words back down.

"Brother Lu Chao, a person should still understand themselves."

"Since you're not cut out for martial arts, why keep clinging to it..."

In the end, she still suppressed what she had wanted to say.

They were no longer children in the Welfare Institute. They had long since become adults, and if they made the wrong choice, they could only bear the responsibility themselves.

For a time, the atmosphere shifted. The earlier harmony turned into persuasion and reproach.

Zhao Yuanqing's face flushed red. Several times, he opened his mouth to retort, but in the end, Lu Chao stopped him every time.

"I'm full. You guys enjoy."

Lu Chao said this, then found an excuse to rest and got up, leaving the gathering circle.

The folding chair behind him let out a faint creak. He walked all the way to the rooftop railing, where the view was rather open.

Beneath his feet were the cluttered, low gray rooftops of the Iron Ring District, along with the narrow streets like a spiderweb. But if he looked into the distance, he could see the broad river encircling the Inner City.

It was noon at the moment. The waves rolled endlessly, and the river mist had dispersed.

White-gray ferries loaded with giant containers sailed across the river one after another, docking at the port on the opposite bank.

From afar, he could see the bustling high-rises of the Inner City, the glass curtain walls, and the floating cars streaking across the sky.

"Five years at most. I'll definitely get the right to live in the Inner City."

"As expected of Brother Lin Ze."

"Don't worry. If I have meat to eat, I definitely won't forget everyone when the time comes."

The voices of Lin Ze, Li Heng, and Xiao Yang drifted over from behind him on the breeze.

Lu Chao also heard familiar footsteps approaching.

"Ah Chao."

Zhao Yuanqing handed him a bottle of soda, hesitating as if he wanted to comfort him and was somewhat indignant on his behalf.

Lu Chao smiled slightly and took the soda.

"Yuanqing."

"Hm?"

Pop!

He flicked the soda cap off with a snap of his finger. Facing the breeze on the rooftop, a glint flashed through Lu Chao's eyes.

[Vitality: 19!]

[Potential Progress: 94%]

He drew his gaze back, then looked into the distance.

On the opposite bank, the Inner City's sky-piercing tower stood unshaken. Lu Chao smiled and raised his soda in salute.

"To us."

"Cheers."

Drizzle, drizzle!

After two straight months of brutal heat, the Iron Ring District finally welcomed a light rain in the early morning.

The continuous sound of rain echoed through the city. Beneath the gray vault of the sky, the raindrops linked into streaking lines, turning into a curtain of rain.

The concrete buildings were soaked into a gray-black hue by the rain. On the pitted concrete ground, puddle after puddle gathered and kept spreading.

Tap, tap, tap!!

Footsteps echoed. On the concrete sports field of Abandoned Elementary School, a figure cut a sorry sight, raising a hand to shield his forehead as he made his way through the rain curtain.

"This damn weather."

He spat, his tone disgruntled, and finally ducked under the eaves of the Training Building.

Looking left and right, he saw dozens of ordinary students all crammed into that narrow space, shoulders pressed against shoulders, thighs brushing thighs, without the slightest gap between them.

Someone stood leaning against the wall with wet hair, raising a hand to cover his nose and mouth as he sneezed.

Someone else's clothes were still fairly dry, but he was squatting in a corner, staring blankly at the concrete sports field, watching the soaked dumbbells, tires, and other equipment as the gloom on his face grew thicker and thicker, like standing water.

The Martial Arts Hall only had so many training areas. For ordinary students like them, this sports field was the only place where they could practice freely.

On sunny days, that naturally was no problem, but whenever rainy weather like this came along, they could only stand around and wait with nothing to do.

"The weather forecast didn't say it was going to rain. This came way too suddenly."

"Let's wait a little longer. There's nothing to do if we go back this early anyway."

"Ugh..."

Sighs rang out, and the gloom grew heavier.

The breaths of dozens of ordinary disciples overlapped. The drip-drop of the raindrops seemed to strike right into their hearts, leaving them bored stiff.

In the end, amid helplessness and irritation, no one knew who was the first to get an idea.

Slowly turning around, he craned his neck to look through the Training Building's window.

"So this is combat technique? They've got it good. No wind, no rain."

"It's not that easy... Let me see."

Once someone started the topic, the bored crowd waiting around all grew interested.

Amid noisy footsteps, face after different face crowded by the window. The hot air they breathed out turned into a sheet of white mist on the glass, then was wiped away by someone, revealing the scene inside the training room.

Bang, bang, bang!!

The muffled sounds of fists striking sandbags echoed all around. Someone was practicing Hard Stone Combo, each punch bursting with considerable force.

There were also people holding stances to temper themselves, polishing their muscles and bones, or hugging round iron balls to train their strength through that method.

Everything should have been normal, not especially eye-catching.

And yet, for some reason, perhaps it was just an illusion.