Chapter 50: The Extreme Martial Arts Gym
Chapter 50: The Extreme Martial Arts Gym
Time flew by.
As Ji Xinghuo diligently trained day after day, the Star World entered the "Wind and Moon," the sixth month of the hot season, with each starlit night stretching longer, now exceeding 15 hours.
Thwap!
Ji Xinghuo released an arrow, striking the bullseye of the target a hundred meters away with unerring accuracy.
He glanced at the densely packed arrows in the target's center and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. The shooting range in his villa only had one lane and a maximum distance of a hundred meters. Within this range, no matter how much he practiced, there was little room for improvement—he could even hit the bullseye with his eyes closed.
Not only was his archery practice limited, but his martial arts training was also stagnant.
Martial arts was never something one could master in isolation; it required countless real battles and encounters with different opponents to accumulate experience, analyze victories and defeats, and achieve substantial improvement.
Sparring with the air a million times, no matter how intense the mental simulation, could never match the gains from just three days of fighting with an opponent of similar rank.
"In the end, nothing beats actual combat," Ji Xinghuo muttered to himself as he lowered his compound bow.
He opened the interface of the Myriads Star Pupils, and aside from a few minor changes in some data, the most significant improvement was in his "Stellar Power."
【Stellar Power: 178/178】
After nearly two Earth months of diligent training, it was now December 2223, and his Stellar Power had increased by 15 points.
Having completed all nine training cycles for the day and with his physical condition and Stellar Power fully recovered, it was time for martial arts training according to his schedule.
However, there had been little progress in the past two months.
He was still a Seventh-stage Martial Artist.
Continuing this way would be a waste of time, Ji Xinghuo thought to himself as he donned his lightweight Taosteel armor and stepped out of the villa. In the past two months, aside from the days when Jiang Nancai stayed over, he had his meals delivered by a nearby restaurant, left at his door six times a day. Today was the first time he had ventured out.
The villa district was said to be home to a few legendary anomalies, and with anomalies serving as security guards, patrolling the area vigilantly, safety was all but guaranteed.
However, since he was stepping out of his villa, Ji Xinghuo didn't want to take any chances with his property.
Most of his money had been deposited in a bank in Olympia.
The most valuable items he carried on him now were his weapons and equipment. On his feet were the Galeforce Combat Boots, and at his side was the "Thunderbolt" battle dagger, sheathed in a plain scabbard that concealed its true worth, with only the hilt visible. His compound bow, being cumbersome to carry and not particularly valuable, was left in his room.
Ji Xinghuo boarded a steam-powered bus and gazed out the window at the street-side buildings.
He was on the lookout for a martial arts gym.
Martial arts flourished on Earth, and there were at least a thousand gyms in Olympia. However, Ji Xinghuo was searching for a larger establishment, so he didn't rush to get off at the first gym he saw.
After a while, he spotted a massive martial arts gym in the distance, impressively built, with a large sign hanging on one side of its grand entrance.
"Extreme Martial Arts Gym," Ji Xinghuo read aloud, his eyes lighting up. "Does the Extreme Martial Arts Gym have a branch here in Olympia?" Without hesitation, he got off the bus and made his way toward the gym.
The Extreme Martial Arts Gym was, without a doubt, the most famous martial arts gym on Earth.
While there were a few other gyms that rivaled or even surpassed it in terms of scale and number of students, none could match the prestige and reputation of the Extreme Martial Arts Gym, firmly establishing it as the number one martial arts gym in the world.
This was largely due to the gym's founder, Xing Lie, the "Gun Saint"!
Xing Lie was the first person in human history to be bestowed the title of "Martial Arts Saint," a true master of martial arts. He was also one of the Thirteen Emperors of the Asia-Pacific Collective and the founder and president of the Global Martial Arts Association, ranking sixth on the global "Emperor Ranking," which meant that there were only five people on Earth more powerful than him.
Xing Lie's life was a true legend.
Born in the year 2043, he had lived through nearly two centuries, witnessing all the wars, disasters, and turmoil that befell Earth from the Stargate Era to the 23rd century.
At the age of 40, Xing Lie established the Extreme Martial Arts Gym, not only taking on disciples but also sharing his martial arts expertise by creating instructional videos and distributing them for free on the internet.
His selfless act greatly advanced the martial arts prowess of anomalies worldwide.
Many of the martial arts masters born after him expressed immense gratitude to Xing Lie, crediting their success to his online martial arts tutorials, which had guided them onto the path of martial arts.
Almost every anomaly had watched Xing Lie's martial arts instructional videos and considered him their teacher.
Martial arts masters hailing from the Extreme Martial Arts Gym could be found all over the globe.
And among Xing Lie's true disciples were two Martial Arts Saints, double-digit numbers of masters, and over a hundred grandmasters.
This gave a glimpse of the stature and influence Xing Lie held in the martial arts world, earning him immense respect even in the rival American Federation.
As Ji Xinghuo stepped through the grand entrance of the gym, the first thing that caught his eye was a line inscribed on the wall of the spacious lobby:
"Martial arts are boundless; self-improvement never ceases!"
"Welcome, sir. How may I assist you?" A receptionist wearing a black and white martial arts training uniform spotted Ji Xinghuo and respectfully inquired.
Ji Xinghuo got straight to the point. "I'm looking for sparring partners."
"Of course."
The receptionist proceeded to introduce the gym, "Our Extreme Martial Arts Gym's Qinghao branch boasts the best facilities and coaches in Olympia, ensuring conditions that are no less superior than those on Earth. We arrange sparring sessions daily based on the registrants' strength and rank, and the fees vary accordingly. May I have the honor of knowing your name, sir?"
"Xin Liaoyuan," Ji Xinghuo replied casually, using a pseudonym, as there was no way to verify identities in Olympia.
"May I inquire about Mr. Xin's stage and rank?" She took out a notebook to begin the registration process.
"Mr. Xin is so young yet so powerful. It's truly enviable," the receptionist flattered, before continuing, "The rank difference between sparring partners is typically no more than two stages. Currently, we have 25 members registered at the Fifth to Ninth Stages. Sparring sessions are held daily from 28:00 to 36:00, divided into two time slots. Mr. Xin can join right away, and opponents will be assigned by the coaches, or you can arrange matches with other members yourself. What do you think?"
"That's fine," Ji Xinghuo nodded. "How much does it cost?"
"We charge by the hour, 500 Asia Dollars per hour," the receptionist said with a smile.
Ji Xinghuo planned to train for eight hours a day, which meant just the venue fee would cost him 4,000 Asia Dollars. If he were to include consumables like drugs, treatments, and private lessons, the cost would more than double.
No wonder they say the martial path is for the rich.
"Register me, then," Ji Xinghuo said, his face expressionless despite the pain in his heart. "I'll take a 30-day membership first." He handed over 120,000 Asia Dollars.
The receptionist's smile widened.
She quickly helped Ji Xinghuo with the registration process and then took out a document. "Mr. Xin, martial arts are ruthless, and weapons have no eyes. Our martial arts gym only provides the venue and treatment for sparring, but we cannot guarantee 100% safety. Therefore, each member must sign a waiver."
Ji Xinghuo was already aware of this and signed the document with the name 'Xin Liaoyuan'.
The receptionist put away the document and smiled. "Mr. Xin, your timing is perfect. We're just about to start the professional-level sparring session. Would you like to join?"
"Lead the way," Ji Xinghuo replied.
Following the receptionist, Ji Xinghuo entered the inner hall of the martial arts gym.
Soon, they arrived at an indoor training hall that spanned over a thousand square meters. The ceiling was five meters high, and the entire venue formed a square. The metal-cast floor was clean and bright, and at that moment, two people were sparring in the center while over a dozen people watched from the sidelines.
The receptionist walked towards a man standing at the edge of the field but did not speak, instead waiting quietly.
Ji Xinghuo also turned his attention to the sparring pair.
A man and a woman, both Advanced Anomalies based on their etheric energy reactions, were evenly matched. The man wielded a slender double-handed sickle-sword, while the woman fought with a spear. Their battle was intense.
"They're both Seventh Stage in martial arts," someone commented.
"The spear has the advantage, but the sickle-sword wields greater power. He has a higher chance of winning, over 70%," another spectator analyzed.
Ji Xinghuo watched for a few seconds before turning his attention to the man standing beside the receptionist.
He wore the coach's uniform of the Extreme Martial Arts Gym. With his hands clasped behind his back and a serious expression, he stood at an imposing height of 1.9 meters. His build was well-proportioned, exuding an aura of both agility and strength, befitting a master of martial arts.
"Super Anomaly," Ji Xinghuo thought to himself, "Can't tell his martial arts stage, though."
This coach had two assistants, a White Knight and a Plant Shaman, both anomalies with healing abilities.
The remaining ten people were members who had signed up for sparring.
Ji Xinghuo surveyed the group and noted that most of them were Intermediate or Advanced Anomalies, each carrying their weapons, and their martial arts stages seemed quite high as well.
"Clang!"
A loud clash echoed through the hall as the woman's spear was knocked out of her hands and fell to the ground. Her opponent immediately pressed his double-handed sickle-sword against her neck, leaving a bloody gash.
"I concede," the woman said.
"Sorry, I didn't control my strength well," the man apologized as he sheathed his weapon and looked at the wound on her neck, his face filled with guilt.
"It's alright," the woman said, though her expression suggested otherwise.
She picked up her spear and retreated to the sidelines, where the White Knight placed a hand on her wound, causing white light to flash briefly before the cut healed within seconds.
"Coach Tu."
The receptionist finally spoke up respectfully, "This is our new member, Mr. Xin Liaoyuan."
"I'm Tu Hongda, a professional martial artist," the Super Iron Guard introduced himself, forcing a smile as he extended his hand towards Ji Xinghuo. "Welcome, Mr. Xin."
"Please guide me, Coach Tu," Ji Xinghuo shook his hand, feeling the firmness and strength in the coach's grip.
"Mr. Xin, please let me know your tier, stage, and your preferred weapon so that I can arrange suitable opponents for you," Tu Hongda requested.
"I'm a Mid-tier Ranger, Seventh Stage in martial arts, and I mainly use a dagger," Ji Xinghuo replied.
"Alright, I understand," Tu Hongda nodded, then suggested, "Why don't you observe first while I finish up here?"
He continued his work, offering a few comments to the pair who had just finished sparring before arranging for the next two opponents to take the field. Everyone listened attentively when Coach Tu spoke, and they watched the sparring matches intently as they knew they would eventually face each other.
Battles between martial arts masters rarely lasted long.
Even with probing attacks, most matches ended within two minutes, and sometimes, a single exchange was enough to determine the victor.
Coach Tu would let the pairs fight continuously for several rounds until one was injured or the match no longer held any instructional value, at which point he would call a halt.
After half an hour of observation, Ji Xinghuo felt he had gained quite a bit.
"Liaoyuan, everyone else has had a turn. How about you show us your skills now?" Coach Tu suddenly turned and asked.
"Sure," Ji Xinghuo didn't hesitate. He had come here for sparring, after all.
His gaze swept across the members, and he asked, "Coach Tu, who's my opponent?"
"Me," Coach Tu replied solemnly.
(End of Chapter)
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