Before long, the sound of footsteps came from the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall, and Zhou Heyuan walked in.
He had changed into a brand-new set of designer sportswear. He looked radiant and full of energy, his steps firm and steady—a stark contrast to the slightly lazy air he had on the first day.
His eyes were filled with the confidence and composure that came from receiving guidance.
"Qin Feng, Xiaoli, you two are really early."
Zhou Heyuan walked over with a smile, his voice loud and clear.
His gaze swept over the two of them before finally landing on Qin Feng. He lowered his voice, a hint of showing off in his tone, and said, "Last night, I went home and took a medicated bath using the method Teacher Li taught me. When I woke up this morning, my life force index had actually increased by 0.01 compared to yesterday."
"Master Sun drew up a plan for me. I'm heading to the 1.3x Gravity Room to train this morning. He said my foundation is good, and as long as I drill this 'spiral force' into my very bones, it won't be a problem to get my life force index to 0.9 before the high school entrance exams. I might even have a chance to touch the 1.0 threshold!"
A 1.0 was the admission score for the top Martial Arts High Schools.
It meant officially stepping over the threshold to become a First-level Martial Artist.
Hearing this, Liu Xiaoli stopped his movements, a trace of unconcealable envy showing in his eyes.
He silently turned away and continued practicing his Body Refining Technique, but the stiffness in his movements seemed to have grown even heavier.
Qin Feng glanced at him, a little surprised.
'Zhou Heyuan went to the Gravity Room, took a medicated bath, and practiced that spiral force yesterday, and after a whole night's rest, his life force index only went up by 0.01?'
'My own index went up by 0.03 right after training yesterday, and this morning, it rose another 0.05. That's so much higher than Zhou Heyuan's increase.'
Qin Feng was suspicious. 'Could it be that I'm a genius?'
In this era, the core of the Martial Dao was to break down and then rebuild. Generally speaking, those whose bodies were naturally compatible with Spiritual Energy, allowing for high utilization, would improve much faster than ordinary people. These were the so-called geniuses.
'I should get my Spiritual Energy compatibility tested when I have the time,' Qin Feng thought.
The gap between the three of them had already begun to widen, invisibly, from the moment they made their choices.
At nine in the morning sharp, the students had all arrived.
A young man of medium build with a stern face walked to the center of the training grounds.
He wore the same style of Extreme Martial Arts Hall instructor uniform as Li Weiguo, but his demeanor was more sharp and capable. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, and when he scanned the room, he carried the disciplined air of a soldier.
"Good morning, students."
His voice was clear and powerful, devoid of any superfluous emotion. "I am your daytime instructor, Lin Weiping. Until the evening instructor, Li Weiguo, arrives, I will be responsible for guiding you in the *Empire Basic Body Refining Technique*."
He paused, then continued, "My requirements are simple. First, obey orders. Second, give it your all. During training, I don't want to see any form of slacking or laziness. Now, everyone, warm-up exercises, begin!"
Lin Weiping's teaching style was completely different from Li Weiguo's.
Having come from a background as a middle school teacher, Li Weiguo always subconsciously slipped into the role of a "homeroom teacher." He showered "top students" like Zhou Heyuan with care and attention, while treating "poor students" like Qin Feng and Liu Xiaoli with a hint of pity and helplessness.
His attitude clearly showed favoritism.
Lin Weiping, on the other hand, was like a precisely operating machine.
He treated all students with absolute fairness and impartiality.
He would walk over to Liu Xiaoli and tap his shin without ceremony with the tip of his shoe, saying, "Your center of gravity is unstable, and your lower body is weak! Go three inches lower and straighten your back!"
He would also walk up to a student who looked to be from a well-off family, frowning as he corrected his form: "The 'Mountain Splitting' stance isn't about raising your hands; it's about using the power of your hips and waist to send your fist out! Your force is scattered. Again!"
When it was Qin Feng's turn, Lin Weiping's gaze lingered on him for a moment.
"Your form is very standard."
He first offered a word of affirmation.
Then, his tone shifted. "But standard doesn't mean perfect. Your punching speed can be faster. The moment you exert force, contract your muscles tighter still. Try to find the feeling of shattering the air with every punch."
His guidance was precise, concise, and got straight to the heart of the matter, without a single wasted word.
No matter who it was, if their form was off, he would immediately step forward to correct it.
He wouldn't praise you more for being talented, nor would he take pity on you for having a poor foundation. In his eyes, everyone was simply a "student."
Qin Feng liked this style a lot.
He didn't need sympathy or special attention. All he needed was a guide who could pull him back onto the right path whenever he strayed.
And Lin Weiping was exactly that kind of person.
Under Lin Weiping's instruction, the full day of training officially began.
Qin Feng once again entered that state of cultivation where he forgot himself and the world around him.
He shut out all the surrounding noise, immersing his entire mind and spirit in practicing the *Empire Basic Body Refining Technique*.
"Mountain Splitting," "Mountain Moving," "Sea Suppression"...
The nine movements, which he already knew by heart, were performed again and again.
Sweat flowed like streams from his temples, back, and chest, quickly soaking his training uniform through and through. It then evaporated from his body heat, turning into a white mist that coiled around him.
The aching soreness in his muscles washed over him in waves, battering his nerves.
Every exertion of force felt like his muscle fibers were being torn apart.
Every breath carried a searing pain.
He treated his body like a piece of stubborn iron that needed to be tempered a thousand times, and each practice session pushed to the limit was another strike of the hammer.
After he completed the Body Refining Technique for the ninth time, his body's energy was completely drained.
His vision went black and his legs gave out. With a THUD, he fell to one knee, gasping for air. His chest heaved violently like a worn-out bellows.
At the very moment his body reached its limit, the familiar, light blue screen silently refreshed at the edge of his vision.
[Refinement Method: Empire Basic Body Refining Technique (Entry Level)]
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency: 9/100]
Qin Feng didn't stop right away.
He pushed himself up on his knees, got to his feet unsteadily, and staggered to the rest area at the side of the training ground. He picked up his water bottle and drained the fresh water inside.
After a short five-minute rest, once the suffocating feeling of near-exhaustion had subsided slightly, he dragged his weakened legs back to the training area.
Once again, he assumed the opening stance.
This nearly self-harming method of cultivation made the other students in the training hall turn and stare.
"This guy... does he have a death wish?"
"He's already trained to the point of collapse twice today, right? And he's going again?"
"I heard he used to be sick and just got better. If he trains like this, isn't he afraid of destroying his body?"
"Madman. A total madman."
Lin Weiping also noticed Qin Feng's frenzy.
He stood a short distance away, observing Qin Feng with a blank expression for a full ten minutes.
Because he had overexerted himself, Qin Feng's form had begun to show extremely slight distortions.
But his focus was razor-sharp; with every punch and every turn, he still strove for precision and perfection.
Lin Weiping's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but in the end, he didn't step forward to stop him.
At the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, he had seen too many teenagers like this.
Especially during the high school entrance exam season, there was always a batch of students who had spent their days in a daze, deemed "without a future" by their schools. After being hit hard by reality, they would suddenly wake up and try to use the last month to make up for three years of wasted time.
They would, like Qin Feng, erupt with astonishing willpower, training arduously in a way that nearly burned themselves out.
That kind of spirit was commendable.
But the path of the Martial Dao was never a smooth road that could be traveled with passion and Will alone.
Talent, resources, time, proper guidance... not a single one could be missing.
Lin Weiping's duty was to guide their movements and ensure they didn't get injured due to incorrect posture.
As for the intensity with which the students chose to train, that was their own business.
A Martial Arts Hall wasn't a school, and an instructor wasn't a babysitter.
On the path to becoming strong, everyone had to take responsibility for their own choices.
Time ticked by, second by second.
During the lunch break, while the other students went to the nutrition cafeteria in groups of two and three, Qin Feng just silently chewed on the two energy bars he had brought, drank half a bottle of water, and then dove back into his training.
[Refinement Method: Empire Basic Body Refining Technique (Entry Level)]
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency: 10/100]
...
[Refinement Method: Empire Basic Body Refining Technique (Entry Level)]
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency: 11/100]
...
As the evening sun dyed the training hall a golden yellow, Qin Feng's body reached its limit for the third time.
He finished his final round of the Body Refining Technique for the day, unable to squeeze out another ounce of strength from his body. He collapsed onto the floor, a small puddle of sweat forming beneath him.
The panel in his vision finally settled.
[Refinement Method: Empire Basic Body Refining Technique (Entry Level)]
[Proficiency +1]
[Proficiency: 12/100]
In one day, his proficiency had increased by a total of 4 points.
Including what he had accumulated yesterday, his total proficiency had now reached 12 points.
Qin Feng leaned against the wall.
'Twenty-two days.'
'At this rate, it will only take 22 days to cultivate the *Empire Basic Body Refining Technique* to the "Lesser Completion" stage.'
'And the high school entrance exams... were in twenty-eight days.'
-----------------
Lin Weiping walked to the center of the hall, clapped his hands, and drew everyone's attention.
"Alright, that's all for today's daytime training. Remember, when you go back, be sure to get enough nutrition and plenty of rest. A proper balance of work and rest is the only way to maximize the effects of your training. Dismissed!"
As if granted a royal pardon, the students hurriedly packed their things, ready to leave.
Just as Lin Weiping finished up and was about to head to his office to organize the day's training data, a colleague, another daytime instructor, walked over and handed him a bottle of water.
"Brother Lin, tough day."
"It was alright."
Lin Weiping took the water, twisted it open, and took a sip.
The colleague's gaze casually drifted toward Qin Feng, who was propped against the wall, struggling to his feet. He commented offhandedly, "That kid, Qin Feng, he really goes all out. I just looked at his training log. He pushed himself to his limit three times today. You don't see that kind of willpower in kids this age very often."
Lin Weiping followed his colleague's gaze, his expression still as calm and unruffled as ever.
"They're just teenagers,"
he said lightly.
"Every year around this time, there are always a few. They think they can change their fate by working themselves to death for a month. A pity they realized it too late. If they had trained like this three years ago, they wouldn't have ended up being shunted off to a Martial Arts Hall."
Lin Weiping withdrew his gaze, his tone as calm as if he were stating a simple, ordinary fact.
What Lin Weiping didn't know, however, was that three years ago, Qin Feng had trained exactly like this.
But because of a chronic illness from his childhood, he had been unable to absorb and utilize Spiritual Energy, making his recovery and improvement rate extremely low.