Starry Sky Professional

'Bang!'

Cole's body slammed heavily onto the ground, making no sound, as if he had been knocked out.

“Cole... really?”

“But he's a natural talent, the top student in the class.”

For a moment, the students around were silent, until one person murmured after a long pause.

“Wait, didn't Fang Xing say he could only land a punch with a burst of inspiration and not consistently?”

“Do you really believe that? How is that different from a top student saying they didn't do well on an exam?”

“You make a lot of sense...”

……

“Ah Xing, you actually took down Cole?”

Liu Wei approached and patted his best friend's shoulder, "How did you get so strong?"

“That's obviously due to my relentless practice.”

Fang Xing spoke the truth in a matter-of-fact tone, then smiled at Bai Lianyi standing next to Liu Wei, discreetly hiding his right hand behind his back.

Actually, Cole's physical strength was superior, but he lost due to Fang Xing's technique.

Winning this time was merely because of an unexpected all-out attack; his fists still hurt now.

“Fang Xing, you’re really amazing. I look forward to our next match.”

Bai Lianyi softly added, “Remember, go easy on me...”

“Yeah, let’s make progress together.”

Fang Xing nodded.

……

After school.

On the embankment by the river.

Holding two bottles of soda, he tossed one to Liu Wei. "Actually... I think Ouyang Qianqian might be a better match for you.”

“Glug, glug... refreshing!”

Liu Wei gulped it down and continued, "Actually, there's a big gap between Ouyang Qianqian and me... After all, she's a natural talent, and I'm just a lowly bio-engineered human... On the other hand, Bai Lianyi... Just joking, even though I've been close to her recently, it’s not because I'm pursuing her, but I do have a bit of a crush. Bai is nice, and the part-time jobs she's shared lately are quite profitable...”

“So it's about the part-time jobs? Seems you haven't forgotten your dreams.”

Fang Xing nodded.

“Of course, I've been secretly working hard too, though not as much as you.”

Liu Wei beamed with a wide smile.

“By the way, there's a gig at the Glory River Residence, want to take it?”

Fang Xing suddenly spoke up.

"The Glorious Jiang Mansion, could it be...?" Liu Wei shivered involuntarily.

"That's right, it's Gu Yun's place," Fang Xing nodded, this was the arrangement he deliberately made.

All for Liu Wei, putting his heart and soul into this.

After all, they were classmates, with synchronized breaks.

If he were to run into Bai Lianyi again at the Glorious Jiang Mansion... wouldn't that be enough to wake him up?

"Sigh... Brother, this is as much as I can help you," Fang Xing thought to himself.

"That Gu Yun is ruthless..." Liu Wei hesitantly remarked. "But, they're paying," Fang Xing replied, as a matter of fact.

"Last time, it was tough on me..."

"But they're paying," he repeated.

"I... I... Oh, whatever, it's just about the money, right? Let's go!" Liu Wei steeled himself, making up his mind.

"That's the spirit," Fang Xing nodded approvingly.

...

Glorious Jiang Mansion.

The villa and training grounds.

"Just to be clear, switch on the gravity suit first, then we'll spar with you," Liu Wei said upon seeing Gu Yun, who had her hair in a ponytail, and quickly waved his hand.

"Don't worry, don't worry... This time, I'm definitely going to master the Demon Blade, completely controlling its demonic nature!" Gu Yun declared confidently, holding up a wooden sword.

"Bring it on!"

This time, Liu Wei was wise, holding the wooden staff defensively in front of him.

"Good!"

Gu Yun shouted sweetly as she swung her wooden sword down.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Her speed had apparently increased since last time, creating streaks of blade shadows in the air.

A trio of sword shadows descended simultaneously, striking Liu Wei's wooden stick.

"—Triple Layered Blade!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, the wooden stick vanished into thin air.

"Huh? Where's my stick?"

Liu Wei's eyes widened in surprise before a scream tore from his lips as he was sent flying.

"Strike!"

Gu Yun, caught in the heat of the moment, stepped forward and placed her foot on Liu Wei's chest, pinning him to the ground. Her wooden sword aimed directly at his throat.

Even a wooden sword could cause serious harm in such a vulnerable spot!

Clang!

At that critical moment, another wooden stick flew in, blocking the sword just in time.

Gu Yun's eyes seemed to flicker with a hint of dark red. With a swift slash, she sent the wooden stick flying and turned to face the oncoming Fang Xing.

"Hah!"

Fang Xing's steps were poised like a drawn bow, his fist covered in a layer of silver-white nano protection, resembling a glove.

Bow-step Cannon Punch!

A signature move that could dominate!

Bang!

The silver-white fist collided with the wooden sword. Fang Xing felt a tremendous force surge through, pushing him back several steps.

'Gu Yun may look like a small girl, but her strength is greater than Cole's!'

'Has she already broken through to the second realm of martial arts, beginning to temper her muscles and bones?'

'I must be crazy to use my bare fist against a sword, even if it's wooden, without any protective gear!'

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he took a deep breath, readying the suit to envelop his entire body.

However, Gu Yun shuddered slightly, the redness in her eyes fading considerably. She looked at Fang Xing with a satisfied expression and said, "A basic nano protective suit? Very well... Now that's professional. I can go all out without worrying about accidentally killing you!"

"Wait, wait!"

Fang Xing internally screamed, realizing the danger too late. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he saw Gu Yun turn off her gravity suit.

Her delicate face showed a hint of bloodlust and excitement.

"Kill! Kill, kill, kill!"

...

Half an hour later.

The middle-aged man from before appeared at the training field, observing Fang Xing and Liu Wei. His gaze lingered on the nano protective suit Fang Xing wore.

"That protective suit is nice, but it's better not to wear it next time. The impact feeling is different, and it alters the training effect... But it's fine just this once. It's good to let off some steam occasionally."

He smiled, "I see you've been practicing the Twelve Styles of Military Boxing, right? Aside from the first punch, the rest still seem a bit rough. I could give you some pointers—twenty minutes should suffice... This time we'll have to charge according to the standard."

Fang Xing exchanged a glance with Liu Wei. "Please show us what you've got!"

The middle-aged man started with a smile, "When I first began my martial arts journey, I too trained with the Twelve Forms of Military Boxing, but I've always preferred leg techniques. Let me demonstrate the 'Battle Axe Kick'..."

He executed a flawless kick in mid-air.

Wham!

The air seemed to be sliced apart as the invisible gust from his leg swept through, causing a wooden stake several meters away to suddenly shatter, leaving a deep, blade-like gash.

"Amazing... Uncle, you must be a true professional, right?"

Liu Wei was left speechless by the display. Though he had seen Bai Lianyi's 'Battle Axe Kick' before, he knew that compared to this Uncle Gu, Bai's technique was just child's play.

The middle-aged Uncle Gu chuckled, "Nothing impressive. I eventually abandoned learning the Twelve Forms of Military Boxing. Although it's a straightforward style, it's difficult to master. However, if you delve deep enough, their 'military intent' can become quite formidable."

With that, Uncle Gu began to elaborate, "The essence of this kick lies in..."

Twenty minutes later, Fang Xing and Liu Wei walked away, still soaking in the experience.

"Is this what guidance from a true professional feels like?" Liu Wei mused, scratching his chin. "It felt slightly inferior to Teacher Xia's, yet we paid less. Was this a loss for us?"

"It's better than practicing alone... Teacher Xia Long is not only a professional but an educational specialist with extensive teaching experience. How could it possibly be the same?" Fang Xing shook his head.

He could sense that Uncle Gu was a bit thrifty, compensating his injury fees with guidance instead.

Yet despite this, Liu Wei seemed unsure, but to Fang Xing, it was a major gain.

The shifts on his attributes panel were proof enough!

【Twelve Forms of Military Boxing: 76/100】

"Not bad at all, it's a comprehensive improvement..."

"Still no match for her daughter, though. I must keep pushing myself."

Fang Xing resolved quietly in his heart.

...

Time flew by.

These days, Fang Xing tirelessly consumed potions and practiced his martial arts. Occasionally, he would go out for work with Liu Wei, and in his spare time, he indulged in online gaming, making his days extraordinarily fulfilling.

One day.

In the Happiness Garden Community.

Inside the training room."

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 16】

【Occupation: Martial Artist】

【First Stage: Skin and Flesh】

【Military Boxing Twelve Forms: 86/100】

【Great Dragon Stance: 99/100】

【Gate of All Worlds: 59/100】

……

"The last bit of nutrient solution..."

Fang Xing opened his mouth, swallowing the final 20 milliliters of 'D3 grade nutrient solution' and began to practice the Great Dragon Stance.

He immersed himself in the stance, mind and body as one, circulating his energy and blood.

Three hours later.

An intriguing phenomenon occurred.

Roar!

His energy and blood circulation suddenly accelerated, as if breaking through a barrier.

Thereafter, his entire skeletal structure resonated, producing an overlapping sound that seemed to transform into a dragon's roar!

【Great Dragon Stance: 1/100】

"Did I level up?"

Fang Xing felt a surge of joy in his heart, sensing substantial progress in his stance training.

More astonishingly, every movement now carried a mysterious essence.

"Previously, my stance was crude, unbearably so..."

Comparing it with before, Fang Xing noticed many improvements in his stance technique.

He even believed that this enhancement would vastly accelerate the refining of his skin and flesh!

……

The following day.

【First Stage: Skin and Flesh】

Seeing the increased progress in skin refinement, Fang Xing couldn't help but show satisfaction on his face.

"A proficient level Great Dragon Stance truly surpasses the novice level... Based on this calculation, I can increase my proficiency by one point in about a day... this greatly enhanced my training speed."

"And this is just at the proficient level. What about higher levels? The future holds great promise indeed!"

“As expected, I'm just one golden opportunity away from success.”

(End of Chapter)