Half an hour later, Zhang Yuqing emerged from the Gravity Chamber, drenched in sweat and looking a little worse for wear.
To her despair, she saw that the Gravity Chamber across from hers was still occupied.
Zhang Yuqing's mind raced with possibilities.
'Is it broken? Is there actually no one inside?'
'Or maybe the person inside isn't training at all? Did they just turn off the gravity and are taking a nap?'
But Zhang Yuqing immediately dismissed these guesses.
The path of martial arts allowed for no deceit.
You could fool others, but you couldn't fool your own body.
And you certainly couldn't fool your own heart.
If someone were really foolish enough to do something like that, they might as well give up martial arts. Wouldn't it be more comfortable to sleep at home?
Time ticked by, second by second.
Outside the training hall, the inky blue of the night sky gradually gave way to the pale white of dawn.
One by one, other equally diligent students began to file into the training hall. They all cast looks of awe and envy at Zhang Yuqing but didn't dare approach and disturb her.
Finally, as the bell rang.
Zhang Yuqing heard a soft click.
The door of the Gravity Chamber she had been watching for so long slowly opened.
Lin Ye stepped out.
He looked as if he had just been pulled out of water. His short black hair was plastered wetly to his forehead, and sweat trickled down his well-defined cheeks.
His T-shirt clung tightly to his body, outlining the lean physique of a young man.
He was panting heavily, his chest heaving, and an astonishing amount of heat radiated from his body.
It looked like he had truly reached his limit.
For some reason, Zhang Yuqing's heart breathed a sigh of relief.
'Thank goodness. He's still human. He still gets tired.'
In the next second, however, her heart leaped into her throat again.
She watched as Lin Ye leaned against the wall, panting for less than ten seconds.
His ragged breathing began to even out at a visible rate.
The unfocused look in his eyes, brought on by extreme fatigue, sharpened once more into a startlingly bright gaze.
It was as if the grueling three-hour session had been nothing more than a warm-up for him.
Lin Ye noticed Zhang Yuqing standing not far away.
A sense of admiration welled up within him.
'Girls are already extremely rare in the martial arts class, and she showed up at the training hall at four in the morning, just like me.'
'Then she ground it out for three hours.'
'This girl... is terrifyingly formidable!'
Out of courtesy, Lin Ye gave Zhang Yuqing a slight nod.
Then he turned and walked out of the training room with a steady, powerful stride.
His steps showed no sign of wavering or unsteadiness.
It was as if the three hours of extreme training had never happened.
As Zhang Yuqing watched Lin Ye's retreating back, an even more terrifying thought uncontrollably surfaced in her mind.
'It's already 7:30. The whole school's morning exercises are about to start.'
'If it weren't for class... '
'Would he have planned to stay in there even longer?'
She subconsciously walked over to the Gravity Chamber Lin Ye had just used, her gaze falling on the dial he had set.
Gravity Multiplier: 1.5.
'So it was only 1.5 times.'
'I can handle that multiplier too.'
Zhang Yuqing comforted herself with this thought.
But as she stepped out of the training room, she asked herself again.
'At 1.5 times gravity, for three consecutive hours... could I really do that?'
...
After morning exercises ended, the homeroom teacher, Chen Meng, dismissed the class but didn't leave immediately.
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Lin Ye.
"Lin Ye, come here for a moment."
Lin Ye stepped out of the formation and walked up to Chen Meng.
Yesterday, when he had spoken with Lin Ye, he'd felt a mix of pity for his misfortune and frustration at his lack of drive.
This student had top-tier grades in liberal arts, which proved he was definitely not stupid.
But when it came to martial arts training, he always had an air of laziness and indifference, as if simply passing was good enough.
With mediocre aptitude, if he didn't work harder, he was destined to be weeded out.
That's why he had given him an ultimatum, hoping to spur him into action.
But today, as Lin Ye stood before him, Chen Meng keenly sensed that something was different.
He still had the same somewhat handsome face, the same medium, slightly thin build.
But his entire demeanor had changed somehow.
The laziness in the young man's eyes was gone, replaced by a new firmness.
"Have you thought about what I told you yesterday?"
Chen Meng's voice remained as stern as ever.
"Are you going to transfer to the Mecha-Martial program, or just give up on martial arts and focus on the liberal arts college entrance exams?"
Lin Ye looked up, met Chen Meng's scrutinizing gaze, and spoke calmly.
"Teacher, I'm not choosing either of those."
Chen Meng's eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Oh? Then what do you mean?"
Lin Ye's tone was perfectly level, yet it carried an unquestionable resolve.
"I choose to continue pursuing a Martial University."
The air fell silent for a moment.
Chen Meng stared at Lin Ye.
He tried to find a trace of bravado or bluffing on the student's face.
But he saw none.
He only saw calm and confidence.
It was the kind of powerful self-assurance that comes only after one has a clear understanding of their goals.
'This kid... what on earth happened to him overnight?'
Chen Meng was filled with doubt, but he didn't press the matter.
As a teacher, his job was to guide and respect his students.
"Fine."
In the end, Chen Meng nodded, the stern expression on his face softening slightly.
"I respect your choice."
"But I must remind you again, this is your last chance."
"The new cutoff standards are a Qi and Blood Index of 13, a punching power of 350 kilograms, and a Life Index of 11. You must meet all three."
"If you fail to meet the standard on the placement test in half a month, according to the rules, you will immediately lose your eligibility to apply for martial arts programs. You'll also miss the chance to transfer to the Mecha-Martial program. At that point, your only option will be to transfer to a liberal arts class and start over from scratch."
"That means all the effort and investment you've put into martial arts will have been for nothing."
Chen Meng's tone was incredibly grave.
He wanted Lin Ye to understand that this was no joke—it concerned his entire future.
"Teacher, I understand."
Lin Ye's reply was, once again, simple and firm.
Chen Meng waved his hand. "Go on! After breakfast, get the key to the virtual combat training room. Tell the other students that the entire morning will be combat practice!"
...
The cafeteria at Dongjiang First Middle School was divided into two sections.
One part was for the liberal arts students.
The food was exquisite and nutritionally balanced, and most people ate slowly, savoring each bite.
Just one wall away, however, it was a completely different scene.
Rice was served by the basin, and steamed buns were sold by the pound.
There was more than enough meat and eggs to go around.
The tray in front of nearly every martial arts student was piled high like a small mountain.
"Ah Ye, slow down..."
"Holy crap, I don't remember you having such a big appetite!"
"How did you turn into a bottomless pit overnight?"
Next to Lin Ye, a boy with a buzz cut stared, dumbfounded.
His name was Li Jun. He was Lin Ye's deskmate and childhood friend. The two were extremely close and often grouped up to play games together.
"Mmmph, mmmph."
Lin Ye mumbled a few words while stuffing his face.
Li Jun couldn't understand a thing.
It wasn't until Lin Ye slapped him on the shoulder and pointed toward the service window that he realized Lin Ye was saying, "Go get more!"
Lin Ye was hungry.
Extremely hungry.
The moment Chen Meng dismissed him, Lin Ye had bolted for the cafeteria.
Which led to the current scene.
[Daily Quest Added!]
[Quest 4: Abyssal Maw: A proper BOSS is never a picky eater. To meet your energy requirements, please consume at least 20,000 calories per day!]
[Quest Reward: Max Life Value +5, EXP +50]
[Current Total Intake: 6,640.7 calories!]
With the system notification, Lin Ye began to eat with even more gusto.
'To get stronger, you first have to eat big!'