Free Web NovelChapter 3: Chapter 3: Physical Limit
"Brother Qi, did you have another breakthrough? You’re a genius!"
The one who spoke was a tall boy with bronze skin and a handsome face.
"Don’t mess with me. I just got lucky with this breakthrough, I can’t compare to you."
Lin Qi smiled and shook his head. He was well aware that his Talent, in a key high school like No. 2 Middle School, didn’t make him a genius. At best, he was in the upper-middle tier.
As for his best friend, Jiangtao, whose nicknames included Lao Hei and "Part-Time Bro"...
They had grown up together since childhood, attending the same elementary and middle school. In the future, they might even attend the same university.
Jiangtao’s parents had sacrificed themselves when he was young, leaving him and his sister to fend for themselves.
He had grown up on government assistance, relying on his own desperate efforts at part-time jobs to support himself and his sister.
He was the real genius. Despite coming from a similarly poor family, he consistently ranked in the top 3 of their class and the top 15 of their grade.
Parents dead, a little sister to protect, high Talent, handsome... He had a full stack of protagonist buffs.
A true protagonist-like character.
Jiangtao sidled up, watching the retreating figure of Wu Kang, and grimaced as he complained:
"Worthless Wu, in every Martial Arts class, besides giving a simple explanation, he rarely demonstrates or gives pointers. He just has everyone watch you demonstrate."
"He lets everyone come ask you for help so he can slack off."
Lin Qi chuckled and explained,
"Teacher Wu’s teaching ability is actually very strong. He ranks among the top Martial Arts Instructors at No. 2 Middle School. Just listening to his explanations is incredibly beneficial."
"The fact that our class consistently maintains a top-3 ranking in Martial Arts for our grade proves it."
"That’s true!"
Jiangtao had to nod in agreement.
...
RING RING RING!!
As the bell rang, the one-hour Martial Arts class came to an end.
"Class dismissed!"
Wu Kang’s resonant voice rang out, and everyone relaxed.
Lin Qi also stood up, feeling that time had flown by.
Lin Qi clenched his fists. A breakthrough in his Qi and Blood Value on the first day of school—this was a good start.
Then, he looked at a line of data on his panel.
[Template: None (99.8% + 0.1%)]
’The template’s progress has reached 99.9%. I can definitely get it to 100% today.’
Lin Qi’s eyes filled with anticipation. He wished he could train for another hour right then and there to max out the progress bar.
Just then, a quiet voice came from behind him:
"Your body has reached its limit from prolonged, high-load training. If you keep training so desperately, your body will break down."
"You’d best get some treatment!"
It was Wu Kang. He walked past Lin Qi, said his piece, and left.
Lin Qi’s Heart Spirit trembled. Watching Wu Kang’s retreating back, the joy and anticipation in his heart instantly vanished, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists.
’Has my body really reached its limit? No wonder I’ve been feeling so exhausted lately, and my muscles have been aching constantly.’
A moment ago, the excitement from the panel’s progress had washed away his fatigue, so he hadn’t thought much of it.
’So my body has already reached its limit?’
Lin Qi knew the reason very well: his long-term, desperate training, pushing his body to its breaking point without enough resources or proper recovery, had led to this outcome.
It wasn’t that there were no ways to recover. He could find a professional masseuse to relax his muscles or go to a hospital for treatment with special equipment.
But every option cost money. The cheapest was several hundred Xia Country Coins, and it would require multiple sessions, costing at least several thousand in total.
Thinking of the mere 66 Xia Country Coins he had on him, Lin Qi felt an immense pressure.
Just then, Jiangtao came over, holding a piece of clothing and complaining,
"This Worthless Wu, he bolts the second class is over, like he’s afraid of wasting a single second of his time."
"The teachers in other classes will give their students a few more pointers even after class is over."
"He’s barely ever given us any pointers."
After venting, Jiangtao looked at Lin Qi and said, "Brother Qi, let’s go. Time to wash up and head back to the classroom for our next lesson."
"Yeah..."
Lin Qi took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and turned to grab his clothes and go shower.
...
A cool breeze blew through the classroom of Class 3, Year 3 at No. 2 Middle School, driving away the heat.
Colorful, eye-catching slogans were posted on the walls.
"Strive for a year, fight for a lifetime with no regrets!"
"Don’t fall behind like cattle, fight like a wild dog!"
"..."
After finishing their martial arts practice, the students of Class 3 began their homeroom meeting.
Their homeroom teacher, Yan Hong, was in her early thirties, wore glasses, a black suit, and had a pretty face.
She walked among the students, her voice crisp and her expression stern. Wherever her gaze fell, no one dared to sleep.
"You are now in your third year. This is the most crucial year. Whether you become a worm or a dragon will be decided this year."
"Since you’ve chosen to practice Martial Arts and have come to No. 2 Middle School, your goal must be to fight for a spot in a better Martial Arts University."
"Our No. 2 Middle School is one of the key high schools in Celestial Sea City. Every year, the probability of our Martial Arts Students being admitted to a Martial Arts University is 70%."
"Each year, we have about 500 third-year Martial Arts Students. Only about 350 of them will be able to get into a Martial Arts University. The remaining 150-plus will all fail."
"Martial Arts Students don’t get a chance to repeat the year. You either switch your major, join the army, or enter society as a full-time Martial Artist."
"If you don’t get into a Martial Arts University, you’ll be stuck at the bottom of the Martial Arts Realm for the rest of your lives. You’ll be nothing but cannon fodder against Calamity Beasts, and you’ll work yourselves to death for less than what others earn in a moment."
"The gap that defines your entire life is created in this third year."
"These were your grades from last semester. Look at your scores and your grade ranking. If you don’t want to fail, then go train with everything you’ve got!"
As soon as Homeroom Teacher Yan Hong finished speaking, a stifling pressure crashed over everyone like a giant wave.
The heavy pressure was laid bare for all to see.
Many students’ faces turned pale, as they were the ones ranked at the bottom of the grade, the ones slated for elimination.
All eyes were fixed on the light screen.
It was a report card, ranking the 50 students by their grades. The top ten were highlighted in gold.
’After working hard all summer, my strength has improved by a huge margin. There’s definitely a spot for me in the top ten.’
’I just didn’t perform well last semester.’
Looking at the report card, a wave of murmurs rose and fell in the silent classroom.
"Brother Qi, we’re definitely stronger now than we were last semester,"
Jiangtao whispered from the side.
Lin Qi also looked at the report card:
[First Place: Yu Jing]
[Second Place: Zhu Yuqi]
[Third Place: Jiangtao]
[...]
Finally, he saw his own rank at tenth place:
[Name: Lin Qi]
[Class Rank: 10]
[Grade Rank: 101]
...
Lin Qi saw his name, sitting precisely in the last spot highlighted in gold.
Meanwhile, Jiangtao’s name was in third place in the class.
Lin Qi clenched his fists, sighing inwardly that his Talent still wasn’t strong enough.
Both he and Jiangtao came from ordinary families, but Jiangtao was always in the top three of their class, his Talent ranking among the best in the entire grade.
Even though he also trained desperately, his efficiency was nowhere near Jiangtao’s.
...
"One more thing!"
Yan Hong returned to the lectern, switched the light screen, and projected a table.
"Every year, during the third year, our No. 2 Middle School establishes an Elite Class, gathering the 50 most outstanding students from the entire grade into a single class."
"We use the school’s best teaching resources to cultivate them."
"Besides the teaching resources, there are various other benefits. Any interested students can come to me for an application form."
"There will be a test in one week. The focus will be on Martial Arts scores, Qi and Blood Value, and Fist Technique. Those who rank in the top fifty of the grade will become members of the Elite Class."
The moment Yan Hong finished speaking, the entire class erupted in an uproar.
"So they really are making an Elite Class! The best teachers, and all your classmates are geniuses from the top fifty in the grade."
"In that kind of environment, I can’t even imagine how much you’d improve," a round-faced boy fantasized.
"Li Shaodong, stop daydreaming. You’re ranked past 90th in the grade, you don’t stand a chance," a girl with a slightly chubby face sneered.
The atmosphere in the class instantly lightened.
Li Shaodong shouted back, "Can’t I even think about it?"
Then he sat down and sighed, "Our class is ranked 3rd in the grade, and we have 6 people in the grade’s top 50."
"Yu Jing, Zhu Yuqi, Jiangtao, Kang Feiyue, Du Lin, and Yang Lei."
"Only the top 5 in our class are a sure thing. The top 8 have a bit of hope. As for the rest, they’d just be filling out the numbers."
Others joined the discussion.
"Yu Jing and Zhu Yuqi will probably get into the Elite Class and be at the very top, too. They have no pressure at all," a girl said admiringly.
The others who heard this also showed looks of envy.
At this, a handsome boy in the front row heard the discussion and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
A girl not far from him, as if she hadn’t heard anything, took out a book and started reading.
...
"Brother Qi, check your phone."
Jiangtao said, tapping Lin Qi on the shoulder.
Lin Qi took out his phone and saw a transfer notification from WeMessage.
[You have received a transfer of 3,000 Xia Country Coins from "Taozi"!]
"That’s your pay for the few days of part-time work," Jiangtao said with a smile.
Lin Qi was confused. "Wasn’t it 2,000? Why is there an extra 1,000?"
Jiangtao didn’t answer, instead saying, "I heard what Worthless Wu said."
"Take this money and get your body treated properly. We still have to get into the Elite Class together."
Lin Qi was deeply moved when he heard this.
Jiangtao’s family wasn’t well-off either. Not only had he brought him along to the part-time job, but he’d also transferred the money without a second thought. freewёbnoνel.com
1,000 Xia Country Coins was a huge sum for someone like him, too.
"Thanks!"
Lin Qi could only reply with one word, silently burying his gratitude in his heart.
...
RING RING RING...
"Class dismissed..."
The evening self-study session ended. The teacher left quietly, and the students went their separate ways.
After chatting for a bit, Lin Qi and Jiangtao parted ways. Lin Qi got on his bicycle, left No. 2 Middle School, and rode down the brightly lit streets.
He felt the fatigue and soreness in his body.
’My body really is at its limit. The fatigue is constant, and it’s even affecting my concentration in class.’
Lin Qi sighed to himself.
「A dozen or so minutes later.」
Under the cover of night, Lin Qi opened the door and walked into his home.
In the living room, besides his burly father, Lin Zhen, there was also a slender woman with a dignified air and skin so fair it was almost luminous.
"Little Qi!" the woman said with a smile when she saw Lin Qi.
Lin Qi’s eyes lit up, and he quickly walked into the living room.
"Mom, how are you feeling now?"
Fang Huiyi smiled weakly and shook her head. "I’ve already recovered. Don’t worry about me."
"Your mother is just a little weak right now. She needs to rest quietly for a while," Lin Zhen explained with a smile from the side.
"Little Qi, why are you back so early today?" Fang Huiyi asked curiously.
"Mom, you came home today, so I came back early to see you."
Lin Qi replied with a smile.
After a few minutes of small talk, Lin Qi went back to his bedroom.
He turned on the electric fan, listening to the WHOOSH WHOOSH of the wind drive away the heat from his body.
He looked at the 3,000-plus Xia Country Coins on his phone, felt the fatigue in his body, and was torn.
’There isn’t much money left at home.’
’Mom’s health is getting worse. She has to go to the hospital for treatment every other month now, and it costs a fortune each time.’
’The family is already deep in debt. Dad works himself to the bone every day, but it’s only barely enough to cover our expenses.’
’There’s no more money to spare for my training resources. I have to find a way myself.’
’My only hope is the panel.’
Lin Qi clenched his fists, thinking to himself.
With that, he looked at his panel.
[Template: None (99.9%)]
He was so close to 100%.
Lin Qi put away his ancient, cracked-screen phone and stood in the middle of the room, on a concrete floor covered with footprints.
Lin Qi stepped into a pair of the footprints and began to practice the Hunyuan Posture.
...
