Chapter 3: Physical Limits (Please keep reading)

"Qi-ge, did you have another breakthrough? You really are a genius!"

The person speaking was a tall boy with bronze skin and a handsome face.

"Don't mess around. I just got lucky with the breakthrough; I can't compare to you."

Lin Qi shook his head with a smile. He knew very well that his talent in a key high school like the Second Middle School didn't count as genius; he was, at best, in the upper-middle tier.

As for his best friend Jiang Tao—nicknamed "Old Hei" or "Part-time King"—they had grown up together, attended the same elementary and middle schools, and might even end up at the same university in the future.

Jiang Tao’s parents had passed away when he was young, leaving him to look after his younger sister. Since childhood, he had relied on government subsidies and worked grueling part-time jobs to support himself and his sister.

He was the true genius. Despite coming from a poor family similar to his own, he consistently ranked in the top three of the class and the top fifteen of the grade.

Both parents deceased, a younger sister to care for, high talent, and good looks—the protagonist's buffs were all maxed out.

He was a character who truly felt like a protagonist.

Jiang Tao leaned in, watched Wu Kang walking away, and curled his lip in complaint

"That 'Wu-de' (No-Virtue) rarely demonstrates or gives pointers during martial arts class, aside from simple explanations. He just makes everyone watch you demonstrate instead."

"He lets everyone come to you for advice so he can slack off."

Lin Qi smiled and explained

"Teacher Wu’s teaching ability is actually quite strong. Among all the martial arts teachers at our Second Middle School, he ranks near the top. Just listening to his explanations is incredibly beneficial."

"You can tell by the fact that our class consistently maintains a top-three ranking in the grade for martial arts performance."

"That much is true!"

Jiang Tao had to nod in agreement.

……

"Ring-ring!!"

As the bell rang, the one-hour martial arts class came to an end.

"Class dismissed, disperse!"

Wu Kang’s booming voice echoed, and everyone relaxed.

Lin Qi stood up, feeling as though time had passed too quickly.

He clenched his fists. A breakthrough in his Qi and blood levels on the first day of school—this was a good start.

Immediately, he looked at the line of data on his panel.

【Template: None (99.8% + 0.1%)】

"The template progress has reached 99.9%. I can definitely hit 100% within today."

Lin Qi’s eyes filled with anticipation; he wished he could practice for another hour right there to max out the progress.

Just then, a faint voice came from behind him

"Your body has reached its limit due to long-term high-load training. If you keep training like this, your body will collapse."

"You’d better go get some treatment."

It was Wu Kang. He walked past Lin Qi and left after saying that one sentence.

Lin Qi’s heart jolted. Watching Wu Kang’s retreating back, his joy and anticipation instantly dissipated.

He couldn't help but clench his fists.

Had his body really reached its limit? No wonder he had been feeling unusually exhausted lately, and his muscles were aching incessantly.

He had been so caught up in the progress of the panel that he had ignored the fatigue.

"So, my body has already reached its limit?"

Lin Qi knew the reason very well. It was due to long-term, desperate training, pushing his body to the brink without sufficient resources or proper recovery.

That was what led to today's result.

It wasn't that there was no way to recover; finding a professional masseur to relax his muscles or going to the hospital to use special equipment for therapy would solve it.

But everything cost money. The cheapest option was several hundred yuan, and it required multiple sessions, costing at least several thousand in total.

Thinking of the 66 yuan he had left, Lin Qi felt immense pressure.

At this moment, Jiang Tao walked over, holding a piece of clothing, and complained

"That 'No-Virtue' guy, he runs off the moment class ends, as if he’s afraid of wasting a single second."

"Teachers in other classes will at least give students a few extra pointers even after class."

"He hasn't even given us pointers a few times."

After venting, Jiang Tao looked at Lin Qi and said, "Qi-ge, let's go, wash up. It's time to go back to class."

"Yeah~"

Lin Qi took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and turned to grab his clothes to go shower.

……

In the chilly Second Middle School, the heat was driven out of the classroom of Grade 3, Class 3.

The walls were covered with eye-catching slogans.

"Strive for a year of spring and autumn, fight for a lifetime without regrets!"

"Don't fall behind like cattle or horses; fight like a wild dog!"

"……"

The students of Class 3, having finished their martial arts practice, began their class meeting.

The homeroom teacher, Yan Hong, was in her early thirties, wore glasses, and was dressed in a black suit with a refined appearance.

She walked among the students, her voice crisp and her expression stern. Wherever her gaze landed, no one dared to sleep.

"You have entered your third year of high school. This year is the most critical. Whether you become a worm or a dragon depends on this year."

"Since you chose to practice martial arts and came to the Second Middle School, your goal is to aim for a better martial arts university."

"Our Second Middle School is one of the key high schools in Tianhai City. Every year, the probability of our martial arts students getting into a martial arts university is 70%."

"We have about 500 martial arts students in each graduating class. Only about 350 can get into a martial arts university; the remaining 150-plus all fail."

"Martial arts students don't get a chance to repeat the year. You either change majors, join the military, or choose to enter society as a full-time martial artist."

"If you don't get into a martial arts university, you will spend your life at the bottom of the martial arts world. You'll be cannon fodder when facing disaster beasts, and working yourself to death won't earn you as much as others make in a moment."

"The gap of a lifetime is created during the third year of high school."

"These are your results from last semester. Look at your grades and your grade ranking. If you don't want to fail, then go train like your life depends on it!"

As soon as Yan Hong finished speaking, a sense of oppression like a giant wave crashed down on everyone.

The heavy pressure was laid bare before them.

Many people turned pale, as they were at the bottom of the grade and were among those slated to be eliminated.

All eyes were fixed on the light screen.

It was a report card. The 50 students were ranked by their grades, with the top ten marked in gold.

"After a summer of hard work, my strength has improved significantly. There must be a spot for me in the top ten."

"Last semester was just me not performing well."

Looking at the report card, a buzz of noise rose in the silent classroom.

"Qi-ge, we are definitely stronger now than we were last semester."

Jiang Tao whispered from the side.

Lin Qi also looked at the report card

【1st Place: Yu Jing】

【2nd Place: Zhu Yuqi】

【3rd Place: Jiang Tao】

【……】

Finally, he saw his own ranking at 10th place

【Name: Lin Qi】

【Class Ranking: 10】

【Grade Ranking: 101】

……

Lin Qi saw his name, just barely making it into the last spot marked in gold.

Jiang Tao’s name was in third place in the class.

Lin Qi clenched his fists, sighing to himself that his talent still wasn't strong enough.

Both he and Jiang Tao came from ordinary backgrounds, but the other boy was consistently in the top three of the class; his talent was among the best in the entire grade.

Even though they both trained desperately, his own efficiency was nowhere near Jiang Tao's.

……

"One more thing!"

Yan Hong returned to the podium and switched the light screen to project a table.

"Every year in the third year, our Second Middle School establishes an Elite Class, gathering the 50 most outstanding students in the grade into one class."

"We use the school's best teaching resources to cultivate them."

"In addition to the teaching staff, there are various benefits. Students who are interested can come to me for an application form."

"The test will be in one week, focusing on martial arts performance, Qi and blood levels, and fist techniques. Those who rank in the top 50 of the grade will be members of the Elite Class in the future."

As soon as Yan Hong finished, the whole class erupted into an uproar.

"As expected, they're holding an Elite Class. The best teachers, and the classmates are all geniuses in the top 50 of the grade."

"It's hard to imagine how much improvement there would be in that environment," a round-faced boy fantasized.

"Li Shaodong, stop daydreaming. You're ranked 90th in the grade; there's no chance for you," a girl with baby fat mocked.

The atmosphere in the class suddenly became lively.

Li Shaodong shouted, "Can't I even think about it?"

Then he sat down and sighed, "Our class has the 3rd place in the grade, and there are 6 people in the top 50."

"Yu Jing, Zhu Yuqi, Jiang Tao, Kang Feiyue, Du Lin, and Yang Lei."

"Only the top 5 in the class are relatively safe, the top 8 have a bit of hope, and as for the others, they're just there to make up the numbers."

Others joined the discussion.

"Yu Jing and Zhu Yuqi will probably be at the very top of the Elite Class; they have no pressure at all," a girl said with admiration.

Others hearing this also showed expressions of envy.

At this moment, a handsome boy in the front row raised the corners of his mouth slightly after hearing the discussion.

A girl not far from him seemed not to have heard and took out a book to read.

……

"Qi-ge, check your phone."

Jiang Tao nudged Lin Qi’s shoulder.

Lin Qi took out his phone and received a WeChat transfer.

【You have received a transfer of 3000 Xia currency from "Taozi"!】

"This is your wages from the part-time jobs over the past few days," Jiang Tao laughed.

Lin Qi was puzzled: "Isn't it 2000 yuan? Why is there an extra 1000?"

Jiang Tao didn't answer, but said to himself: "I heard everything 'No-Virtue' said."

"Take this money and recover your body properly. We still have to go to the Elite Class together."

Lin Qi felt deeply moved.

Jiang Tao’s family wasn't wealthy either. Not only did he bring him along for part-time work, but he transferred the money without a second thought.

1000 Xia currency was a huge sum for someone like him.

"Thanks!"

Lin Qi could only say two words, silently hiding his gratitude in his heart.

……

"Ring-ring~"

"Class dismissed~"

The evening self-study ended, the teachers left quietly, and the students dispersed.

Lin Qi and Jiang Tao chatted for a few minutes before parting ways. Lin Qi rode his bicycle away from the Second Middle School, traveling along the brightly lit streets.

He felt the fatigue and soreness in his body.

"My body really has reached its limit. The fatigue has been following me, and even my state during class has been affected."

Lin Qi sighed inwardly.

Ten minutes later.

Under the night sky, Lin Qi opened the door and walked into his home.

In the living room, besides his burly father, Lin Zhen, there was also a dignified-looking woman with a thin frame and pale skin.

"Xiao Qi!" The woman greeted him with a smile when she saw him.

Lin Qi’s eyes lit up, and he walked quickly into the living room.

"Mom, how are you feeling now?"

Fang Huiyi shook her head weakly and smiled: "I've recovered, don't worry about me."

"Your mother is just a bit weak right now and needs to rest for a while," Lin Zhen explained with a smile from the side.

"Xiao Qi, why are you back so early today?" Fang Huiyi asked curiously.

"Mom, you came back today, so I came back early to see you."

Lin Qi answered with a smile.

After chatting for a few minutes, Lin Qi returned to his bedroom.

He turned on the electric fan, listening to the whirring sound to drive away the heat from his body.

Looking at the 3000-plus Xia currency on his phone and feeling the fatigue in his body, he fell into a dilemma.

"There isn't much money left at home."

"Mom’s health is getting worse. She has to go to the hospital for treatment every month, and it costs a fortune."

"The family is already deep in debt. Dad works desperately every day, but can only barely maintain the household expenses."

"There's no more money to squeeze out to buy resources for me. I have to find a way myself."

"I can only pin my hopes on the panel."

Lin Qi clenched his fists and said to himself.

With that, he looked at the panel.

【Template: None (99.9%)】

Just a little bit more, and he could reach 100%.

Lin Qi put away his antique phone with the cracked screen and stood in the middle of the room, where the cement floor was covered in footprints.

Lin Qi stepped into the footprints and began to stand in the Hunyuan stance.

……

(End of chapter)