DRIP... DRIP... DRIP!
After two months of relentless summer heat, the Iron Ring District finally welcomed a light morning rain.
The continuous sound of the rain echoed through the district. Under the gray sky, the raindrops linked together into flying threads, forming a curtain of water.
The concrete buildings were stained a dark gray by the downpour. On the pitted and uneven cement ground, puddles gathered and spread, one after another.
THUD, THUD, THUD!!
Footsteps echoed across the concrete schoolyard of the abandoned elementary school. A disheveled figure, hand raised to shield his forehead, hurried through the curtain of rain.
"Damned weather."
He spat, his tone resentful, and finally took shelter under the eaves of the training hall.
Looking around, he saw dozens of regular students crammed into the narrow space, shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh, without an inch to spare.
Some stood against the wall with soaking wet hair, covering their noses and mouths as they sneezed.
Others, whose clothes were still relatively dry, squatted in a corner, staring blankly at the concrete yard. They watched the drenched dumbbells, tires, and other equipment, the gloom on their faces deepening like the gathering puddles.
The dojo only had a few training areas, and these regular students were only allowed to practice freely in the schoolyard.
That was fine on sunny days, but whenever it rained like this, all they could do was wait and stare.
"The weather forecast didn't say it was going to rain. This came out of nowhere."
"Let's just wait a bit longer. There's nothing to do if we go back this early anyway."
"Sigh…"
A sigh echoed, deepening the gloom.
The mingled breaths of dozens of ordinary disciples could be heard, and the drip-drip-drip of the rain seemed to pound on their hearts, making everything feel dull.
Finally, amidst the helplessness and restlessness, someone had an idea.
Slowly turning, he craned his neck to peer through the training hall window.
"So this is a Fighting Skill? They have it good, out of the wind and rain."
"It's not that easy… Let me see."
Someone had started a conversation, and the rest of the bored, waiting crowd quickly grew interested.
Amidst a shuffle of noisy footsteps, a variety of faces crowded around the window. Their hot breath fogged up the glass, which was then wiped away to reveal the scene inside the training room.
BANG! BANG! BANG!!
The muffled thuds of someone hitting a sandbag echoed about. Someone was practicing the Hardstone Combo, each punch exploding with considerable force.
Others were tempering themselves with stance training, honing their muscles and bones, or holding round iron balls to build up their strength.
Everything should have been normal, nothing out of the ordinary.
But for some reason, and maybe it was just an illusion...
Watching the scene, the ordinary students outside felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere. It seemed as if many of the senior brothers were casting sidelong glances at a single person in the training area.
"Why bother."
"Struggling so desperately in the last few days…"
On the sparring platform, Shen Tianchen shook his head, his tone flat.
He couldn't understand. 'Wouldn't it be better to just admit defeat and leave with some dignity?'
"Junior Brother Lu is really... betting it all on one last throw."
A Fighting Level senior brother standing opposite him spoke softly, his eyes filled with a hint of pity as he looked at the figure in the training area.
He could somewhat understand that feeling of unwillingness to give up.
But the path of Martial Arts was just that cruel; it wasn't something you could succeed at just by wanting it.
Three months was the best proof of that. Without the necessary talent, no amount of effort was anything but futile.
The scene was like a microcosm of the entire training hall. Many eyes quietly turned to watch Lu Chao in the training area, their gazes silent.
He held a twenty-kilogram iron ball in a rounded embrace. His pale gray training uniform was already soaked with sweat, clinging to his skin and outlining his bulging, strained muscles. Yet even so, he maintained a deep horse stance, knees bent.
Drop after drop of sweat splattered onto the smooth, dry concrete floor. Nearby, Li Dong watched the scene with a complicated expression.
"Senior Brother Lu…"
It was only in the last two days that he had learned his senior brother was nearing his tuition deadline.
Only four or five days were left.
He clenched his fists subconsciously, finally understanding the subtle atmosphere in the dojo.
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but some emotion held him back.
He wanted to shout words of encouragement for Senior Brother Lu but found he didn't have the courage.
"Leave it to him."
Suddenly, a deep voice sounded right beside his ear.
Li Dong flinched slightly and turned his head.
Somehow, Senior Brother Zheng Wu had come to stand beside him in the corner of the training area.
"Senior Brother Zheng…"
"This is Junior Brother Lu's choice. All we can do is wait patiently."
Zheng Wu said softly, suppressing all emotion in his eyes.
He didn't know if he had misjudged the man, but he clearly remembered Junior Brother Lu's outstanding endurance and tenacity.
Instantly, the atmosphere fell silent.
The noise in the training hall grew quieter and quieter as more and more of the senior and junior brothers focused their gazes on him.
Lu Chao remained silent, gritting his teeth. His senses were filled with nothing but the weight of the iron ball and the aching soreness throughout his body.
The fourth form, Iron Transverse Stance, was the best stance technique for tempering the physique, and he had been holding it for nearly twenty minutes.
His squatting legs began to tremble, and a searing pain, like his muscles were tearing, washed over him again and again.
His arms ached as if filled with lead, the unbearable soreness assaulting his will with every passing second, urging him to break his stance and give up his training.
'Almost there.'
However, his resolve was firm, striking his heart like a great rock.
Lu Chao gritted his teeth and pushed himself even harder.
He knew he was once again approaching his physical limits and that, with the blessing of [Beginner's Tenacity], he was about to complete the final step.
One second, thirty seconds, a minute...
As time wore on, sweat soaked his entire body. A vaporous mist steamed from every pore, gathering above his head before drifting away.
He heard the violent pounding of his heart, like a war drum, and felt some kind of barrier rapidly dissolving.
In a daze, Lu Chao seemed to see every unhurried improvement from his past. He witnessed each steady breakthrough of his limits, the scenes flashing before his eyes like a revolving lantern.
Until, at last.
BZZZT!
A strange hum seemed to resonate from within his body, like a blocked riverbed being burst open by a flood. He had completely broken through some great obstacle, dissolving all barriers.
His eyes focused. Lu Chao felt his body become scorching hot as a warm current rapidly formed and surged through him.
"Hah!!"
THUD!!
He subconsciously dropped the heavy, solid iron ball, which crashed to the floor.
The muffled boom exploded like a clap of thunder in everyone's hearts.
"This…"
The ordinary students outside the training hall stared with wide eyes, pressing against the window in shock.
Standing in the corner of the training area, Li Dong also watched this scene with a stunned and disbelieving expression, not daring to blink.
The Lu Chao in his line of sight had skin that was scorching hot and a face flushed red.
Steamy mist billowed wildly from his body as if he were a pot of boiling water. He looked like he was undergoing some kind of transformation.
"He did it!"
Zheng Wu's eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.
He was genuinely happy for Lu Chao.
In an instant, that deep voice acted like a signal.
Everyone in the training hall had a change in expression, their faces showing their shock.
Those who had been building their strength and honing their bodies all froze, stopping their training.
Stunned amazement, disbelief, envy…
Countless emotions surfaced one after another. They all turned in unison to look at Lu Chao, their expressions shifting until they finally settled on envy and admiration.
"Rock Hide."
"He actually broke through."
The Fighting Level senior brother on the sparring platform looked astonished, an expression that then turned into a helpless smile.
Beside him, Shen Tianchen's brow furrowed slightly. He fell silent and said no more.
The entire training hall fell quiet at that moment, a tapestry of different emotions woven together.
Meanwhile, in the backyard behind the training hall.
Master Luo, who had been resting on a lounge chair, quietly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them.
He seemed to have sensed a vibrant aura undergoing a transformation.
"Oh?"
His gaze flickered. He was slightly surprised, and a thought quickly formed in his mind.
But in the end, he thought about the long, nearly three-month period.
"A pity…"
With a soft sigh, he closed his eyes again and shook his head.