Chapter 65: Chapter 62: Peak of Fighting Level

December.

The temperature in Ring City dropped again.

Fuzzy shoes and long pants were pulled from closets. Pedestrians on the street bundled up in thick down jackets.

Gusts of air kicked up by passing vehicles turned into a frigid wind, making the commuters waiting at the platform shiver and pull their collars tight.

In stark contrast, however, was the concrete training ground just a wall away.

Nearly a hundred regular trainees, clad only in thin jackets and long-sleeved shirts, flipped tires with flushed faces and sprinted laps around the track.

The formal disciples inside the training hall were even more dedicated.

While practicing their stances, most of them were soaked in sweat, their training uniforms drenched. White vapor rose from their heads like mist.

The windows on both sides had fogged over with a hazy layer of condensation.

"Have you heard? They say Senior Brother Shen broke through to the Professional Level. Is it true?"

"Of course it’s true. You weren’t here yesterday, but I saw it with my own eyes. He shook the iron stake with one punch, leaving a shallow dent, and he even lifted a nearly five-hundred-kilogram barbell with one arm."

"Whoa, that’s insane! Senior Brother Shen is on another level. I heard he’s only been training for half a year..."

Whispers broke out in a corner of the training hall. Many junior brothers on their break cast reverent gazes toward the center of the ring.

Shen Tianchen stood tall and straight, his choppy, long hair framing his face. His white training uniform clung to his powerful physique, exuding an invisible pressure.

Sparring with Senior Sister Lin, he wasn’t at a disadvantage at all. In fact, he periodically threw punches and strikes that created sharp, explosive sounds.

BANG!!

Another exchange of blows, fist meeting palm.

Both slid back several steps, each footfall making the ring THUD loudly.

"Hah! Let’s stop here, Junior Brother Shen."

She exhaled a turbid breath, calming her slightly rattled qi.

Lin Qingxue retracted her stance and stood straight. She looked at the figure opposite her with a pleased expression and said, "It seems you’ve already adapted to the changes after your breakthrough. You have perfect control of your newfound strength."

"If we keep sparring, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold back my power anymore."

A smile spread across her face, filled with the satisfaction and pride of someone who had personally carved a rough jade into a masterpiece.

"Do you still think I was wrong before, Senior Sister?"

Shen Tianchen also retracted his fists and stood tall, a smug smile on his face.

His previous close contact with Fang Jingyi and the others had displeased their Master, but if not for that, how could he have progressed so quickly?

"Master has his reasons. He just hopes you can be a bit more steady and mature."

Hearing this, Lin Qingxue gently shook her head, stepped closer, and offered a few words of earnest advice.

Junior Brother Shen had indeed been a bit of a handful before.

But now, in the face of his achievement of breaking through to the Professional Level, those flaws seemed trivial.

"I know, Senior Sister."

A flicker of impatience crossed Shen Tianchen’s eyes. He was tired of these lectures.

’Now that I’ve reached the Professional Level, I’m qualified to make my own decisions.’

Thinking this, he tilted his head slightly and looked down at Fang Jingyi and the others below the ring. Most were smiling and signaling to him, some even pantomiming drinking in celebration.

"Senior Sister, I’m heading out for a bit at noon."

"Jingyi and Guo Yun made plans with me a while ago. They’re also going to introduce me to a senior from the Patrol Department with the surname Ruan..."

After saying this, Shen Tianchen quickly leaped off the ring and left with Fang Jingyi and the others.

Lin Qingxue opened her mouth, wanting to dissuade him.

But then she remembered the pleased smile on their Master’s face when he broke through yesterday.

"Sigh, forget it."

’Junior Brother Shen has worked really hard recently. Let him be...’

...

THUD! THUD!!

Muffled thuds echoed from a corner of the training hall.

Lu Chao clenched his fists, enduring the pain as he struck the iron stake, continuing his practice of the fourth form of the Rock-Shaking Hand.

The recoil vibrated through him, turning his skin red and shaking his flesh and blood. An excruciating pain shot through his knuckles as if they were about to crack, stimulating every one of his nerves.

Countless whispers echoed in his ears, urging him to give up.

Without realizing it, he was already soaked in sweat.

But the more it hurt, the brighter his gaze became, as if his will could not be shaken even if the sky were to fall.

THUD!

Finally, he threw one last punch.

[Life Energy: 34→35!]

The opportunity he had sensed had finally paid off. The numbers on his panel had changed at last.

"Hah!"

Retracting his fist and lowering his arm, Lu Chao slowly exhaled a puff of white air.

After more than ten days, his Life Energy had finally increased by another two points, surpassing the veterans and reaching the peak of the Fighting Level.

Without him realizing it, the Professional Level was no longer so far away.

As the thought crossed his mind, he walked toward the rest area.

He picked up his sports bottle and chugged two large mouthfuls of water.

"When will we ever be able to break through to the Professional Level like Senior Brother Shen?"

"You’ve got some nerve. How about you get past the Fighting Level first..."

The chatter in the rest area hadn’t died down. Lu Chao’s expression was calm as he glanced toward the main entrance outside the training hall.

Shen Tianchen, Fang Jingyi, and the others were just leaving. Outside the dojo, a series of flamboyant "Feast" or "Sharp Light" cars revved their engines, leaving trails of exhaust in their wake.

He turned his head to look back inside the training hall.

Senior Brother Xu and the others had complicated expressions, a mixture of envy and regret, as if lamenting why they couldn’t break into that circle.

His own expression was normal. Lu Chao found that his heart was surprisingly calm.

Then, he looked over at the training area, at the steady and patient Zheng Wu, who was currently instructing other junior brothers.

He picked up a towel, wiped his sweat, and after a moment, walked over with a smile.

"Senior Brother Zheng, care for a few rounds?"

...

VROOOM!!

「Two days later.」

A blue and white patrol car sped through the district, kicking up a strong gust of wind.

Lu Chao swiped through the screen on his watch, flipping through information on Basic Biological Theory.

It contained detailed diagrams of human biology, as well as illustrated introductions to many wilderness Mutant Beasts.

"Damn, you’re such a try-hard."

Shooting him a sideways glance, Chen Xiao, who was in the driver’s seat, looked helpless and couldn’t help but complain, "We’ve got a mission in a bit, and you can still focus on studying. I don’t know how you do it."

"Heh, just making use of my time."

Lu Chao smiled, but still closed the screen and looked back up at the road through the windshield.

"But still, this case is related to Qiu Shan’s gang. Are we really going to arrest them with just the two of us?"

It had started as a normal patrol, but they had suddenly been assigned a temporary mission.

A boss from the black market had proactively reported that someone was buying antibiotics and other drugs, suspecting a connection to Qiu Shan’s group. They had already detained the person.

Now, they needed to bring the suspect back to the Patrol Department.

"That old fox Qin Guangrong has a high position in the black market. He has connections with many gangs and corporations, and even has murky relationships with certain people in our own Patrol Department."

Shaking his head, Chen Xiao speculated, "His words are always half-truths."

"Besides, the suspect is only at the Fighting Level. With our skills..."

He patted the bulge at his waist. "And with this, there shouldn’t be much of a problem."

Second-class patrol officers were authorized to carry firearms during armed enforcement. Before setting out, he had returned to the Patrol Department to check out a gun, making sure he was fully prepared.

Lu Chao glanced over, understanding the situation.

As they continued their idle chatter, the topic of the black market came up again.

Chen Xiao lowered his voice and gave a special reminder, "The black market isn’t like other places. It’s a tangled mess of good and bad people. And that Qin Guangrong is a sly old fox who has become a master of his craft. He’s got his methods and is not easy to deal with."

"I’ll handle the negotiations later. You be on guard... We’ll play it by ear."