Chapter 75: Chapter 72: The Peculiarity of Bronze Flesh, Martial Arts Gym Turmoil

In a dimly lit study.

Towering, old wooden bookshelves took up nearly an entire wall, filled with stacks of ancient, thread-bound books.

Several yellowed parchment scrolls were scattered across the desk. They were covered in strange, scarlet characters forming unfamiliar syllables, exuding the faint scent of ink and blood.

SCRITCH... SCRATCH... SCRATCH...

Amid the faint scratching sounds, a gray-haired figure in a black robe was hunched over a desk, a quill clutched in his left hand, seemingly writing on a fresh sheet of parchment.

VWOOM!!

Suddenly, a hovercar zipped past the study window, leaving a wake of turbulent air.

The faint hum made the gray-haired figure frown slightly. He instinctively looked up at the sky outside.

Gray clouds, ever-present, shrouded the city.

The towering buildings all had curtain-like, floor-to-ceiling windows, which looked like a vast, blue-green ocean.

"Hm?"

As if sensing something, a robust man in a black mask, who stood waiting in the shadows behind him, shifted his gaze.

His sharp gaze swept over the same area, but he saw nothing.

"A sacrificial seed... has borne fruit."

the gray-haired figure said suddenly, a sickly smile touching his lips.

Hearing this, the masked man’s expression hardened. The blood vessels in his eyes began to spread, his gaze filling with bloodlust and greed.

...

Professional Level.

To Lu Chao, this felt different from anything before.

’According to the Life Energy Development Theory, at 40 points of Life Energy, one undergoes the second minor qualitative transformation of life.’

’The five senses undergo an initial enhancement, becoming more acute. Punching power will exceed at least five hundred kilograms, and speed will be around fifteen meters per second...’

Lu Chao clenched his fist. Images from the materials he had read flashed through his mind, along with key pointers from Master Luo and Senior Brother Zheng.

Standing on his bedroom floor, he then carefully took stock of the changes in his body.

It wasn’t just strength and speed; his reaction time and explosive power had also been enhanced by a large margin.

The Martial Arts Power flowing through the cells of his body had also quietly grown, easily doubling in volume.

VMM!

A thought flashed through his mind, and Lu Chao decided to test it.

A grayish-white color emerged from his knuckles, then rapidly spread to cover his entire fist, even creeping past his wrist to envelop the better part of his forearm.

’As I thought.’

Lu Chao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded to himself.

Upon closer inspection, he also discovered that the grayish-white color on his fist had grown deeper. It was clear that his Rock Hide was being infused with more Martial Arts Power, doubling its toughness.

He suspected that with this move activated, his fist could probably clash with bladed weapons without fear of being cut.

"Hm?"

Lu Chao’s gaze shifted as he noticed another change.

Through his heightened senses, he felt a more stable power flowing through his body. His very flesh and blood seemed to have become heavier and tougher.

On instinct.

VMM!

Power circulated, spreading throughout his body.

He felt his muscles quietly contract, as if they were being pulled taut, layer upon layer.

Not only did this provide a stronger defense, but his body’s explosive power also quietly increased.

His skin tone even changed slightly, taking on a faint brownish hue.

’Bronze Flesh?’

The word suddenly flashed in his mind. Lu Chao now recalled that the qualitative transformation of the Professional Level also corresponded to a special trait of his Fighting Skill.

At the Fighting Level, he had mastered the Rock Hide skill.

And now, he naturally had the power of Bronze Flesh.

After carefully feeling it out, he immediately decided to test it.

SWOOSH!!

He threw a punch—just an ordinary strike.

However...

WHOOSH!!

The air surged and exploded with a howl.

Lu Chao retracted his arm, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes as he looked down.

’My strength has increased by at least thirty percent.’

Even knowing this was a temporary boost that consumed Martial Arts Power, it was still extraordinary.

After all, this was just Bronze Flesh at the Minor Achievement stage. And that wasn’t even factoring in how it could be combined with Stacked Force Fist for even greater explosive power.

’With my current physical conditioning and toughness, the strain of using Stacked Force Fist should be somewhat reduced.’

’In a short period, if I only stack a single layer of force, I should be able to unleash a few more bursts.’

Lu Chao stared at his fist, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

’No wonder they say the gap between the Professional Level and the Fighting Level is night and day. From this perspective, without the boost from Martial Skills or Secret Techniques, it’s a complete curbstomp.’

Comparing his current self to his former self, Lu Chao knew exactly how vast the difference was. A fight could be over in one or two moves, at most.

He took the opportunity to simply stand in place and continue exploring his own power, gradually adapting to the post-breakthrough changes.

He did this until he had a complete mental grasp of it all, until it was thoroughly mastered and held no more mysteries.

Only then did he disperse his Martial Arts Power.

Instantly, the sticky feeling of sweat on his skin became uncomfortably apparent. A faint, unusual odor also wafted from his body and up into his nostrils.

It seemed the transformation of his Life Energy had expelled some impurities, making him want to shower and change into dry clothes as soon as possible.

Lu Chao smiled faintly, but he wasn’t in a rush.

Instead, he walked to the window.

He looked out at the distant streets, the Patrol Department building, the river that encircled the city, the cargo port, and even farther, the Ring Tower that stood in the city’s inner circle.

His eyes were bright, and the entire view seemed transformed.

A Professional Level martial artist was already considered an expert in the Iron Ring District. Any faction would take them seriously.

In other words...

...he had finally established a firm foothold in Ring City.

...

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

「That day, at the Jinshi Boxing Hall.」

Even with the new year approaching, the concrete training grounds and the practice building were still packed with people.

Shouts echoed endlessly as countless youths from the impoverished Brocade Circle desperately sought to change their fate here.

A punching bag swayed, and with every impact, it sprayed a shower of sweat.