Traditional Martial Arts

Xiao Li summed it up. "The moment people like that run into something they can't handle, they throw money at it!"

Seeing Xiao Li's envious, jealous, resentful expression, Lu Ren was at a loss for words. "Why don't you do it, then?"

"Forget it." Xiao Li shook his head repeatedly. "With this skinny frame of mine, I'd go in standing and come out sideways after taking a few hits."

With half an hour to kill, Lu Ren chatted with Xiao Li out of boredom. Xiao Li's real name was Li Cunyi, and once he got talking, he taught Lu Ren quite a few practical fighting techniques.

"Don't be fooled by those back-and-forth exchanges in martial arts movies. In real life, it's hard to pull that off. Exceptional reaction speed is difficult to train, and there aren't many freakishly gifted people like Mike Tyson. Getting hit is completely unavoidable, so no matter what martial art you learn—Sanshou, boxing, or traditional martial arts—a real master will first teach you how to take a beating. Only when you can stay on your feet can you move on to the next step."

Li Cunyi looked nostalgic, his face filled with irrepressible awe. "True Martial Daoists keep a low profile, but once they strike, it's earth-shattering. Their power is unparalleled—splitting mountains and shattering rocks is nothing to them."

Lu Ren clearly did not believe him. "Really? I don't buy it."

Li Cunyi did not argue. Knowing that many people had little faith in traditional martial arts these days, he smiled. "Actually, I didn't believe it much before either. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would've been hard to imagine that such super experts still existed in modern society!"

He lowered his voice. "Coach Zhang Kui from our Li Ran Fighting Club is an expert in traditional martial arts."

Lu Ren's expression shifted slightly. Was that true? When he had first met Zhang Kui, he had noticed the man's body was packed with muscle, his build no different from those bodybuilders. Whenever he moved, his swelling muscles were absurdly huge.

A physique like that might possess tremendous strength, but it would be relatively slow in motion.

A lopsided fighter who had put all his attribute points into strength was no good.

Over the next dozen or so minutes, Li Cunyi rarely found himself this enthusiastic and taught Lu Ren many practical techniques. Seeing Lu Ren rapidly grasp and memorize them, then demonstrate them with convincing form, he could not help but sigh. "You were born for this line of work. Your physical condition is genuinely excellent, and you can often draw inferences from one example. Are you interested in joining Li Ran Fighting Club? With my reputation, Coach Zhang will definitely take you in!"

"Thanks for the offer. I'll think about it."

"I'm serious. Li Ran Fighting Club has certified coaches. If you train well enough, we can absolutely send you into the hottest Mixed Martial Arts competitions in the country. By then, you'll have both money and status!"

Lu Ren smiled without speaking, quietly watching Li Cunyi brag.

As soon as the half hour was up, the man came in right on time. He had already taken off his dress pants and shirt, changing into a pair of fighting shorts.

"Ready?" the man asked.

Lu Ren replied, "Whenever."

"Good!"

"..."

Half an hour later, the man was completely exhausted on the floor, clutching his arm with a pained expression. Lu Ren, whose cheeks were only slightly flushed and whose breathing was merely a little heavy, crouched down to look at him.

"Sir, are you all right?"

Over the past half hour, Lu Ren had looked remarkably relaxed. Or rather, the Physique Proficiency that had passively increased whenever he was attacked had continuously improved his ability to withstand blows.

With 6 points of Physique Proficiency, along with the steadily growing passive proficiency, his recovery ability was quite good. At the very least, the man's punches felt more like a massage when they landed on him.

The middle-aged man lay on the floor, gasping for breath for quite some time. When he looked at the lively Lu Ren, his heart caught slightly, and a trace of anger appeared on his face.

He forced himself unsteadily to his feet, waved a hand, and walked away without saying a word.

His self-control was decent. Though he was upset by something beyond his control, his good upbringing allowed him to quickly adjust his mindset.

Lu Ren secretly curled his lip, then went to the shower room and rinsed off. Checking the time afterward, he saw that evening had just begun to approach—it was not yet seven.

After giving his bank card number to the club's finance department, he immediately received his daily wages. In a good mood, Lu Ren casually ate at a nearby restaurant before returning to the club.

Although he was only a temporary employee, he was allowed to use the fitness equipment inside.

No reason not to use it for free.

As he listened to the constant proficiency increase notifications ringing in his mind and sank into enjoyment, Lu Ren suddenly heard Zhang Kui's voice.

"Looks like you really enjoy working out!"

Lu Ren stopped the treadmill and turned to look at Zhang Kui beside him.

The other man was drenched in sweat, clearly having just finished his own workout not long ago.

"Just exercising to stay healthy," Lu Ren answered casually.

"You're quite good at taking hits. Chen Feng attacked you however he wanted, but you didn't suffer any injuries. Your skin only got a little red."

Zhang Kui studied him curiously. "Want to train with me? You have a lot of talent."

Lu Ren was rather curious. "Sanshou?"

"No, no, no."

Zhang Kui shook his head slightly. He raised an arm and flexed, and the veins on his arm immediately intertwined like coiling dragons, looking exceptionally fierce.

"Traditional martial arts!"

"Huh?"

Lu Ren looked at Zhang Kui in surprise. "You sure?"

Seeing Lu Ren's obvious disbelief, Zhang Kui explained, "True Martial Daoists don't show off. They keep their power contained, never letting it erupt! Come on, I'll show you!"

Zhang Kui had also found a kindred spirit. It was rare for him to encounter a young man with such good physical condition, so he simply brought Lu Ren into a nearby training room.

He took off his clothes, revealing an exceptionally powerful physique. His waist and abdomen were not some so-called dog waist, but thick and solid like a barrel. Yet his muscles were sharply defined with every movement, and his body fat percentage was neither high nor low. Once he tensed his muscles, though, the muscles all over his body swelled violently. Judging from his build alone, he was clearly formidable.

Another guy who had maxed out his strength attribute points...

Lu Ren felt a little sour inside. Any man who saw Zhang Kui's physique would be extremely envious.

Zhang Kui then sank into a horse stance. His two muscular arms slowly pushed forward, followed by a fierce inhalation. Under Lu Ren's astonished gaze, Zhang Kui's chest rose high, like a croaking frog, as though he had sucked all the air around him into his body.

It was quite terrifying!

"Phew..."

When Zhang Kui forcefully exhaled, even Lu Ren, standing five meters away, felt a powerful gust blast him in the face, making him squint.

Only after a full ten seconds did Zhang Kui stop. He stood upright and asked, "What do you think?"

Lu Ren frowned. "Did you eat chive pies?"

Zhang Kui looked somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. "That's not what I meant for you to focus on. I mean the technique I just used!"

"Very impressive. With breathing that strong, you'll definitely live a long life!"

Lu Ren praised him.

"...Want to learn?"

Lu Ren asked, "Can it dodge bullets?"

Zhang Kui's expression froze, and he shook his head slightly. "No. As for dodging bullets..."

He pondered for a moment before saying, "That realm isn't something you can reach just because you want to."