The spar ended in a draw between Caelum and the dojo master.

While the master could condense his energy into a projectile, the charge time was far too long.

In real combat, it had limited use.

That same day, Caelum was expelled from the dojo.

The reason was simple. He had learned the master’s signature techniques without being taught, which infuriated the master.

Caelum left without hesitation.

There was nothing left for him to learn there anyway.

In the forest

Caelum closed his eyes.

His mind settled into complete stillness.

He easily sensed the energy within his body.

Raising his hand, he gathered it into his palm.

Boom!

A soft blue energy sphere formed and shot forward, shattering a rock into pieces.

Just that one attack nearly drained his stamina.

After learning to sense his energy, Caelum began controlling it in his own way.

Compared to the master, his execution was smoother and far more refined.

He could release energy blasts almost instantly.

Perhaps his prior experience with controlling cosmic energy made it easier for him to handle this.

In Caelum’s understanding

energy was essentially life force.

All living beings, whether animals or plants, possessed it, just in different amounts.

Generally speaking, the stronger a person’s life force, the better their physical condition and stamina.

That was the most basic expression of life force in humans.

And it worked both ways.

Those with stronger bodies naturally had greater life force.

That was why martial artists could more easily sense energy.

Naturally, the stronger a person’s energy, the stronger their body, stamina, and life force became.

That was the essence of it.

Caelum checked his stats.

[Player: Caelum]

[Race: Human]

[Power Level: 50]

[Abilities: None]

[Skills: Energy Sensing, Lightning Fist, Turtle Breathing, Cross Strike...]

To be fair

the master was quite skilled.

Caelum had obtained a whole set of techniques from him, and his power level had skyrocketed to 50.

That already surpassed many martial artists.

After all

most martial artists could not even sense or control energy.

"Time to check out District 11."

Caelum looked into the distance and started running.

District 11 was the most developed area for martial arts on the planet.

Most high-level martial artists were gathered there.

It was the perfect place for him.

Half a month later

Caelum arrived.

The city was filled with skyscrapers, busy streets, and endless traffic noise.

Technology and living standards were highly advanced.

Even though martial arts thrived here, technology was not behind.

The moment he arrived, he spotted a dojo at a street corner.

"As expected of District 11. Dojos everywhere."

He smiled and walked straight in, pushing open the door.

"Who’s the strongest here? I’m here to challenge your dojo."

The students inside froze, exchanging looks.

"Huh?"

Someone burst out laughing.

"Hahaha, where did this dirty country kid come from?"

"Move along, don’t cause trouble."

A burly man walked over impatiently, trying to push Caelum out.

Bang!

In an instant, the man was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground in pain.

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

"What just happened?"

Caelum casually rolled his neck.

"So weak."

The dojo fell silent.

So the kid actually had some skill.

"Challenging us?"

Footsteps approached.

A towering bear-like humanoid in a martial arts uniform stepped forward.

His gaze landed on Caelum, and his expression turned serious.

"That energy..."

Their eyes met.

They faced off for a brief moment.

Then

whoosh!

The bear master vanished from his spot and appeared in front of Caelum, throwing a punch without hesitation.

So fast!

Caelum reacted immediately.

He dodged and countered with Lightning Fist.

In an instant, fists blurred as the two exchanged blows.

Bang bang bang!

Every strike landed with force.

Caelum’s attacks rained down like a storm, mixing offense and defense seamlessly.

Each collision produced sharp, explosive sounds.

Glowing orbs continuously emerged from the bear master.

[Super Drop Rate triggered]

[Skill acquired: Energy Sensing]

[Learn?]

[Yes]

...

[Super Drop Rate triggered]

[Skill acquired: Instant Step Punch]

[Learn?]

[Yes]

...

[Super Drop Rate triggered]

[Ability acquired: Bear Strength]

[Keep?]

[Yes]

A surge of power flowed through his body.

His physical strength increased instantly.

His life force and energy rose as well.

[Power Level increased]

[Power Level: 60]

His punches were already lightning fast.

With Bear Strength added, the pressure on the master skyrocketed.

Within moments, he fell into a disadvantage.

Bang!

A heavy punch landed.

A shockwave burst outward.

The bear master was sent flying.

Sensing Caelum’s sudden increase in energy, he assumed it was some special technique.

The situation became even more troublesome.

"If that’s the case, try this!"

The master used his ultimate move.

His muscles bulged as he began charging energy.

But Caelum simply raised his hand.

An energy blast fired instantly.

He gave the master no time to charge.

Boom!

A flash of light erupted.

When it cleared, the master lay on the ground, smoking and unconscious.

The fight was over.

"Thanks for the lesson."

Caelum stopped and left calmly.

If you could not quickly mobilize your energy in battle, energy blasts were nearly useless.

No opponent would wait for you to charge.

That was the weakness of most martial artists.

From this fight, Caelum gained two highly practical skills.

Instant Step Punch allowed him to enter a burst of extreme speed, closing distance instantly.

Combined with Lightning Fist, its effectiveness increased significantly.

As for Energy Perception

it was different from Energy Sensing.

Energy Sensing was internal.

Energy Perception was external.

With it, Caelum could sense the strength of others and roughly estimate their power levels.

A highly practical ability.

From that day on

Caelum began challenging dojos across District 11.

He fought martial artists nonstop, easily gaining numerous abilities and skills from them.

His power level rose rapidly.

Half a month later

Boom!

A bright flash exploded inside another dojo.

Moments later

Caelum walked out.

His power level had reached 120.

His enhanced physique granted him immense stamina and life force.

His energy was now strong and abundant.

He could freely fire energy blasts in combat without restriction.