The next morning.
Qin Feng woke up.
After washing up and eating the breakfast his father had prepared, he opened his wrist-mounted terminal and found the contact named "Sun Chan Hall."
[Qin Feng: Master Sun, hello. I'm Qin Feng, referred by Wang Ming. I'd like to sign up for the Martial Arts Hall.]
Less than ten seconds after he sent the message, a reply came.
[Sun Chan Hall: Be at the Martial Arts Hall at ten this morning. The address is No.3 Industrial Zone, Building B, 7th floor.]
The reply was concise and to the point.
[Qin Feng: Understood. I'll be there on time.]
Putting away his terminal, Qin Feng said goodbye to his father, then left to take the maglev bus to the No.3 Industrial Zone.
The No.3 Industrial Zone was located on the city's outskirts, a stark contrast to the bustling city center.
The sky here was always a hazy gray. Giant pipes coiled between buildings like steel pythons, and the air was thick with the smell of machine oil and metal dust.
Large cargo shuttles rumbled dully along low-altitude flight paths, while on the ground, workers in blue or gray uniforms could be seen everywhere, hurrying on their way.
Qin Feng followed the address to Building B.
It was a towering, multi-purpose building with a rough, metallic exterior that made it look more like a massive factory.
He entered the building and took a freight elevator to the 7th floor.
The elevator doors opened, and the scene before him expanded dramatically.
Unlike the ruggedness of the industrial zone below, the entire floor had been knocked through to create a vast space of over three thousand square meters.
The floor was laid with black, high-strength composite material. One wall was composed of floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of the industrial zone outside.
On the opposite wall hung all sorts of training equipment.
A Gravity Room, reaction testers, striking targets... it had everything.
The four large, flamboyant metal words "Extreme Martial Arts Hall" hung on the front wall. The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, exuding an air of iron and blood, of slaughter.
A dozen or so people were already training in the Martial Arts Hall. Shouts and the clang of equipment rose and fell, filling the air with a masculine, passionate energy.
Qin Feng walked to the front desk, where a young staff member greeted him.
"Hello, I'm here to see Master Sun."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Yes, for ten o'clock."
"Okay, please wait a moment. Master Sun is currently inside. You can wait with those other people in the rest area for now."
The staff member pointed to an area not far away.
Qin Feng thanked him and walked over.
There were a few metal benches in the rest area, where two people were already sitting.
When he got a clear look at one of their faces, he couldn't help but freeze for a second.
The person was wearing a clean tracksuit and a pair of black-framed glasses. He had a scholarly air and was none other than his homeroom teacher, Li Weiguo.
Li Weiguo saw him too and was just as surprised.
"Qin Feng? What are you doing here?"
"Teacher Li."
Qin Feng greeted him politely. "I... I'm here to sign up for the Martial Arts Hall."
Li Weiguo nodded. There wasn't much surprise in his eyes, just a hint of understanding.
He pointed to the two teenagers beside him.
"Liu Xiaoli, Zhou Heyuan. They made the same choice as you."
Qin Feng looked over and saw they were indeed his classmates.
Like him, Liu Xiaoli was also one of the "poor students" who had been advised to withdraw due to a low life force index.
He was thin and frail, and seemed a bit reserved. He gave Qin Feng a shy smile.
The other one, Zhou Heyuan, was completely different from them.
He had a well-proportioned build with smooth muscle definition. Although his grades also placed him in the "poor student" category, everyone knew he was just lazy and didn't apply himself to his studies.
His father was a Level Two Official Martial Artist, and his family was well-off.
"Qin Feng, you're here too."
Zhou Heyuan greeted him first, his attitude easygoing. "I thought you'd go straight to a vocational school."
"I want to give it one last shot."
Qin Feng replied.
"Ambitious."
Zhou Heyuan smiled. "My dad forced me to come too. He said if I don't start working hard, he'll throw me into the mines on an industrial planet."
Listening to their conversation, Li Weiguo spoke up. "Since you've decided to walk the path of the Martial Dao, be prepared to endure hardship. This isn't a school. No teacher is going to chase after you. How much you can achieve is all up to you."
His tone was the same as it was at school, calm yet serious.
"Yes, Teacher Li."
Liu Xiaoli and Qin Feng both nodded in agreement.
"By the way, Teacher Li, why are you here too?"
Zhou Heyuan voiced his confusion.
Li Weiguo adjusted his glasses and replied calmly, "I'm a part-time coach here, to supplement my household income."
This answer left the three of them silent for a moment.
On an Educational Planet like Qiming, a middle school teacher's salary wasn't low, but Li Weiguo still needed to work a part-time job, which showed how great the pressure of life was.
Li Weiguo seemed to see what they were thinking and continued, "In cultivating the Martial Dao, wealth, companionship, technique, and location are all indispensable. That's true not just for you, but for us as well. All right, sit down. Master Sun should be out soon."
He walked over to Zhou Heyuan and patted his shoulder.
"Your father has high hopes for you. You have a good physical foundation, so don't waste your talent."
"I know, Teacher Li."
Zhou Heyuan replied.
After encouraging Zhou Heyuan, Li Weiguo glanced at Qin Feng and Liu Xiaoli. He didn't offer any words of encouragement, just nodded and sighed. "You two coming here is a bit of a waste of money. Why bother?"
With that said, Li Weiguo turned to go instruct other students.
-----------------
The three of them waited quietly for about ten minutes.
An alloy door deep inside the Martial Arts Hall slid open silently, and a tall figure walked out.
The man was nearly two meters tall, with a build as solid as a black iron tower. His bronze skin reflected a metallic sheen under the lights.
He wore a tight black tank top, and his gnarled muscles strained against the fabric, radiating a sense of explosive power.
His fists were covered in thick calluses, his knuckles especially prominent—the clear result of striking hard objects year after year.
Most striking were his prominent Adam's apple and the unusually developed muscles on the sides of his neck. They gave his entire silhouette a ferocious aura, like a Muay Thai fighter who had survived countless life-or-death battles.
He was the master of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, Sun Chan Hall.
Sun Chan Hall's gaze swept across the hall, finally landing on Qin Feng and the other two.
"You three, here to sign up?"
His voice was deep and hoarse, like metal grinding against metal.
"Yes, Master."
Zhou Heyuan was the first to stand and answer.
Qin Feng and Liu Xiaoli also scrambled to their feet.
Sun Chan Hall's gaze passed over each of the three.
"The person who referred you should have already told you the rules of the Martial Arts Hall. I'll say them again."
Sun Chan Hall's speaking pace wasn't fast, but every word was clear and forceful.
"The regular class is taught by the Martial Arts Hall's official coaches. They teach the detailed breakdown of the Empire's Basic Body Refining Technique. Three thousand Imperial Coins a month."
He paused and held up one finger.
"If I teach you personally, it's ten thousand Imperial Coins for one session. I only teach you once, and each person only gets one chance. I will assess your individual situations and point you toward the path that suits you best."