Chapter 116: Chapter 94: Secret Training
[Life Energy: 54!]
[Potential Progress: 60%]
That day, Lu Chao, dressed in a white and gray training uniform, stood inside the training hall. He wiped away a bit of sweat and looked at the panel before him.
Something had come up at the bar, causing a delay, so he still hadn’t received the funds from Brother Hao.
But even so, thanks to over half a month of arduous training and constantly pushing his physical limits,
as well as consuming two portions of Cyan Jade Crystal and dozens of kilograms of high-quality Exotic Beast Meat,
his progress was not slow. He had increased his Life Energy by another three points, and his Potential Progress had also surged, now exceeding the halfway mark.
’The Cyan Jade Crystal is most effective the first time you take it,’ he thought. ’If I want to maintain this rate of improvement, I’m afraid I’ll have to switch to a different elixir.’
Lu Chao’s eyes flickered, and he felt a sense of helplessness.
A fighter’s advancement depends on multiple factors: training in their Fighting Skill, the insight needed to break through bottlenecks, and nutritional supplementation, among other things.
Without sufficient training, blindly consuming nutrients will only backfire, and could even cause one’s body to explode.
On the other hand, without enough nutrition, even the most diligent training makes improvement difficult.
And this was with his [Predatory Growth] and [Primary Resilience], which increased his training and absorption efficiency. If it were any other Professional-grade fighter, they would likely still be stuck below fifty points of Life Energy.
’No wonder someone as dedicated as Senior Brother Zheng still only has sixty-seven Life Energy...’
’Training at the Professional grade really is a grind.’
Shaking his head to himself, Lu Chao shifted his gaze to the side.
Through the window, he could see the concrete training ground below, bustling with the sounds of people doing frog jumps, running laps, and lifting barbells.
He was training on the second floor again today.
To be more precise, for the past half-month, he had trained on the second floor every time he came, rarely showing up on the first—and there was a reason for that.
"Rested up?"
Luo Qianshan was dressed in a gray robe today, holding a solid Ironwood Long Staff.
The two of them were alone in the vast training room.
"Yes."
Lu Chao nodded, having recovered thanks to his [Primary Resilience].
Looking closely, one could see that his training uniform was already soaked through with sweat, and there were even a few red, bloody marks on the back of his hands.
"Then let’s continue."
Luo Qianshan said lightly, then suddenly swung the staff in his hand.
WHACK!
A crisp crack echoed as Lu Chao, standing his ground, took the blow head-on.
The Ironwood Long Staff struck him on the shoulder and back, its incomparably precise force penetrating his clothes to land a heavy blow on his flesh.
Lu Chao winced slightly, feeling a sharp, stabbing pain radiate from his shoulder and back.
"Continue!"
he said through clenched teeth, sinking into a low stance and assuming a horse stance, remaining rooted to the spot.
He wasn’t actively seeking out this abuse.
On the contrary, this was the special training that Master Luo had been personally giving him multiple times over the past half-month.
He went through it during the day on every one of his breaks, which added up to almost seven or eight times now.
WHACK!!
Instantly, another blow from the staff landed, this time on Lu Chao’s left shoulder and elbow.
The stabbing pain shot through him, making Lu Chao’s body tremble. He nearly lost his stance.
"The secret to training the first level of Iron Bone lies in the sinews and bones. Ordinary concussive force has a hard time penetrating the skin and muscle."
As if sensing Lu Chao’s wavering, Luo Qianshan said in a level voice, "If you want to temper them until they are like iron, you must be able to endure the hardship."
"Otherwise, how can you call yourself elite? Where would the ’Iron Bone’ even come from?"
WHACK!
Another blow from the staff struck Lu Chao’s ankle.
The piercing pain shook his will, nearly matching the agony he felt when his talent transformed.
But even so...
"Continue!"
Lu Chao barked through clenched teeth, his face flushed as he forced himself to maintain the breathing rhythm of the 3rd Floor Fighting Skill.
The pain was truly unbearable.
However, he could clearly feel that in the areas Master Luo struck, once the pain subsided, a sliver of special power would drill into the nearby acupoints, making his muscles tingle and his bones feel ever so slightly stronger.
It wasn’t the restorative power from [Primary Resilience]. Instead, it felt more like an intangible Martial Arts Power helping him open up some crucial pathways in his body, solidifying his foundation, and forging a kind of deep-seated reserve.
Therefore, although Master Luo hadn’t said anything explicitly,
Lu Chao could sense that there was a hidden purpose to his guidance.
After all, he had privately asked Zheng Wu if he had ever trained this way.
After hearing the question, Zheng Wu had just given him a mysterious smile. Not only did he refuse to reveal anything, but he also urged Lu Chao to persevere.
’Could it be that my training for the 3rd Floor Fighting Skill is different from others?’
A startling theory surfaced in Lu Chao’s mind, but he didn’t voice it.
Luo Qianshan, as if oblivious to his thoughts, simply continued to swing the Ironwood Long Staff, striking every part of Lu Chao’s body heavily.
Shoulder blades, back, waist, elbows, leg bones...
Time passed. Lu Chao felt a fiery pain in every inch of his skin, muscle, and bone, to the point where he could barely stand firm.
Until finally.
"That’s enough for today."
Luo Qianshan suddenly stopped, and the solid wooden staff in his hand was now covered in cracks.
Then, as he set it down, the staff seemed to lose the support of some invisible power and completely shattered, scattering into a pile of splinters.
"HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!!"
At that moment, the sound signaling the end of his training was like heavenly music to Lu Chao’s ears, allowing him to relax.
He gasped for air, wanting to raise a hand to the wall’s edge to steady himself, but found that the pain only intensified. He could only stand rigidly where he was, forcing himself to maintain his center of gravity to keep from falling.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded.
Zheng Wu walked into the room with a sly chuckle.
Looking closely, he saw that a giant wooden tub had appeared in the training room at some point. Scalding hot water was now pouring into it from an iron pipe and a faucet.
"Same rules as always. Soak for half an hour before you leave."
