Chapter 19

In the Starlight Federation, martial arts and cultivation are highly esteemed, and cultivators with exceptional combat prowess enjoy the highest status. Every citizen takes pride in embarking on the path of cultivation as the greatest honor.

Even those who cannot become cultivators enjoy working out, honing their muscles, sculpting their bodies, and maintaining a lifelong habit of cultivation.

Therefore, fitness clubs, cultivation halls, and martial arts schools can be found everywhere on the streets. The people training inside are not necessarily fierce martial arts experts; most are law-abiding, rule-following students and office workers.

Li Yao saw the sign for "Military Way Wolf Slayer Cultivation Hall" and felt more confident.

He knew that the owners of such places were often passionate cultivation enthusiasts who concocted "knockoff enhancement potions" mainly for themselves and their members, not primarily for profit. Therefore, they often spared no expense, ensuring a certain level of quality.

Touching the spider pattern on his face, Li Yao walked in casually.

The cultivation hall had a small storefront, but inside it was a different world. In the strength training room, which was about 300 to 400 square meters, a dozen muscular, sweat-drenched men were slamming barbells, steel cables, and iron plates, making a loud clanging sound. In a corner, one man was fiercely pounding a punching bag.

Li Yao scanned the room and noticed that the weights these men were lifting were not very heavy, and their faces were mostly kind and honest, giving off no fierce or aggressive aura. They seemed to be ordinary office workers, which made him feel relieved and more at ease.

He walked to the corner, preparing to ask the man who was hitting the punching bag—a man who looked the most approachable.

Just as Li Yao approached, the man took a lunge step, thrust his rear hand forward, and delivered a powerful punch, sending the punching bag flying high and hitting Li Yao in the face with a "slap."

The man exclaimed, "Ah! Are you okay?"

Li Yao shook his head, feeling a bit sore in his nose, and said, "I'm fine. Could you please tell me where Director Zhao is?"

...

Behind the strength training room, in a small tea room, two men sat on military green cushions. Between them were two teacups and some cooked dishes like smoked meat, roasted chicken, and peanuts.

The man on the left was in his forties or fifties, with a bald head covered in scars and a wolf head tattoo with a bayonet. His left arm, from the shoulder blade down, had been replaced by a spirit mechanical prosthetic engraved with thousands of runes.

The man on the right was a young man who looked to be in his late twenties, wearing a very low-key gray military windbreaker that had been washed so many times it had faded and worn out.

If Li Yao had seen this young man, he would have been so excited that he might have wet his pants—this young man was none other than the idol of all students at Chixiao No. 2 High School and a rising star in the Fuguo City cultivation circle, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Devil Blade Peng Hai!

At this moment, Peng Hai exuded no aura of a powerful cultivator. He raised his teacup and said to the bald man with the tattoo, "Old Instructor, let's drink to the intense battles we fought in the Beast Beast Wastelands back in the day!"

The teacup was filled with the cheapest baijiu, but Peng Hai, who was accustomed to luxury, drank it as if it were the finest nectar, smacking his lips loudly. "Good stuff, this is what real men should drink!"

The bald man with the tattoo used his spirit mechanical prosthetic to grab the teacup somewhat stiffly and sighed, "Ah Hai, I know you value friendship and loyalty. Even after becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you still remember us old comrades-in-arms who fought side by side with you! But you don't need to keep coming here to train—this place is just amateur level, and you, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, are wasting your time here!"

Peng Hai smiled, "Old Instructor, the bond between us isn't something that can be described simply by 'fought side by side.' Back then, during the 'Black Blade Operation,' if you hadn't blocked that attack for me, I would have been dead long ago, never becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator. And you, Old Instructor..."

His gaze swept over the bald man's left hand, and his voice took on a somber tone, "lost your entire left arm and 70% of your heart, falling from the 13th level of Qi Condensation back to the ordinary martial artist level, forcing you to leave the 'Wolf Team'..."

The bald man waved his hand dismissively, "The path of cultivation is fraught with danger, and the chances of survival are slim. Since I chose this path, I've been ready to die at any moment. Losing an arm is nothing. If I couldn't see through such a small matter, I should have stayed home, worked a white-collar job, and found a wife. You don't need to keep dwelling on that. We cultivators, whether we lose limbs or go back to selling salted duck eggs, it's all up to fate. My fate was to lose an arm, and it has nothing to do with you. Besides, if I can't cultivate, then I won't. I get a hefty 'disabled veteran's allowance' every month, drink a little, eat some skewers, and have plenty of women in bed. Life is pretty good and happy! And those old comrades who stayed in the military, yes, many became Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even a couple reached the Core Formation stage. So what? They might end up as a pile of shit in a beast's stomach tomorrow, leaving no trace. Thinking about it this way, I'm the one who got the better deal, hahaha!"

Peng Hai said with a smile, "Being able to let go is the Old Instructor I remember, a tough and unyielding man! But there's one thing you're wrong about, Old Instructor. I don't come here every day to waste time; I come to do very important training."

The bald man with the tattoo widened his eyes, "Training? What can you possibly train here in this shabby place?"

Peng Hai smiled faintly and explained, "My instantaneous spiritual energy burst has reached the 'High Foundation Establishment' stage, but it's very unstable. In several critical battles, it unexpectedly dropped back to the 'Mid Foundation Establishment' stage, almost costing me my life. This is because my absolute strength has increased too quickly, and my control over it is not yet sufficient. To truly stabilize at the 'High Foundation Establishment' stage and even push to the 'Peak Foundation Establishment' stage, I must solve this problem!"

The bald man with the tattoo pondered for a moment and nodded, "You are one of the youngest Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Federation, and rapid advancement can indeed lead to an unstable foundation. How do you plan to solve it?"

Peng Hai smiled, "To control my strength, every time I come to Old Instructor's 'Military Way Wolf Slayer Cultivation Hall,' I suppress my strength to 3% and train under extreme conditions!"

The bald man with the tattoo suddenly understood, "So you're only using 3% of your strength? No wonder I can't sense any cultivator aura from you."

Peng Hai nodded, "I've been maintaining this 3% state for a month. When I release the restriction and use 100% of my strength, I feel a significant improvement in my instantaneous burst and better control over my spiritual energy! My goal is to eventually suppress my strength to 1% and still be able to train under extreme conditions and engage in combat. If I can achieve this, I will definitely reach the Peak Foundation Establishment stage!"

He paused and smiled with a hint of regret, "Unstable spiritual energy is my biggest weakness, and I don't want others to know about it. That's why I can only come to you, Old Instructor, for training. In Fuguo City, I only trust two people, and you are one of them. Unfortunately, the members here are too weak; none can withstand my 3% strength for three minutes! Just doing strength training seems to fall short."

The bald man with the tattoo glared at him, "My members are all regular office workers and salaried employees, not professional martial artists. Of course, they can't match you, even with just 3% of your strength. It's pure slaughter! But don't worry, I know you're looking for a tough sparring partner, so I've contacted a well-known gold-level sparring partner in the circle. He'll be here soon."

Peng Hai perked up, "Oh? How good is he?"

The bald man with the tattoo said, "I got the recommendation from a friend, but I haven't met him. He's been around the underground black market for many years and has worked as a professional sparring partner in several martial arts schools. He's known for his strong resistance and has a nickname, 'Iron Turtle.' He should be able to withstand your 3% strength for three minutes."

The entire left wall of the tea room was a one-way transparent glass, allowing them to see the strength training room from inside.

As they were talking, they saw Li Yao walk in and get hit in the face by the punching bag, but he seemed unfazed.

"He's here. How does he look?" The bald man with the tattoo stood up.