On the last day of April, in the morning, spring rain fell outside, bringing a slight chill.
Inside a quiet, old style villa in the elite training camp of Hongning Base City.
Jiang Fang, wearing white underwear, was sitting cross legged in the training hall, slowly and deeply breathing again and again. During the breathing, sweat was seeping out from her skin, and the muscles and skin all over her body were slightly flushed. Suddenly, a melodious flute sound rang out, and Jiang Fang opened her eyes.
“Who is calling at this time?” Jiang Fang stood up in confusion, walking barefoot across the training hall towards the mobile phone placed in the corner.
She looked at the name shown on the phone.
Jiang Fang’s expression changed, and her attitude immediately became much more solemn. “Inspector Wang!”
“Jiang Fang, go inform your disciple Luo Feng, and bring him to me,” a slightly hoarse voice came through the phone.
“Yes,” Jiang Fang answered immediately.
After hanging up, Jiang Fang showed a smile. “As expected, the higher ups are looking for Luo Feng. That makes sense too, the training camp has not had a student who rushed into the top 100 on the first attempt for eight years, and Luo Feng is ranked 68th.” The summons from above was already within her expectations. Then Jiang Fang dialled Luo Feng’s number.
“Beep, beep, beep.”
A series of busy tones.
“Hm?”
“He did not answer.” Jiang Fang frowned slightly, then hung up, changed her clothes, and personally walked towards Luo Feng’s residence.
In Jiangnan Pavilion, inside the underground secret chamber belonging to Luo Feng’s building.
Barefoot, wearing long trousers, and bare chested, Luo Feng was covered in sweat, and even his hair was completely soaked.
“Slash!” In this underground chamber, five metres long and five metres wide, Luo Feng moved his foot. In an instant he advanced like lightning, and at the same time his right hand turned into a knife and cut vertically downward. With a hiss, the air seemed to make the sound of paper being torn, followed immediately by a sharp crack. Then, after the downward slash, Luo Feng used the momentum to step back and cut upward with his right hand knife.
“Lift!”
Luo Feng’s spiritual force clearly sensed that, under this hand knife, the airflow split to both sides like water, producing a strong explosive sound.
His hand knife was like a real blade. Every strike surpassed the speed of sound.
Inside this alloy chamber, Luo Feng’s figure was sometimes blurred, sometimes clear. Every movement of his feet was frighteningly fast, and his hand knife attacked the air exactly as if it were a real blade. The attacks came continuously, each one erupting with 2.8 times force.
Practice your fist a thousand times, and movement naturally follows.
This was something Jiang Fang had said before. She once said that whether it was blade technique, movement, or anything else, only repeated practice would lead to progress. If one only sat there imagining things, no matter how much one thought, it would be useless.
Want to improve movement?
Train.
Want to improve blade technique?
Train.
Want stronger force output?
Train.
Only through long term repeated tempering, together with thinking and insight, could one make progress.
…
Wearing a loose black silk training suit, Jiang Fang held an umbrella and arrived at Jiangnan Pavilion.
“Luo Feng!” Jiang Fang called as soon as she entered the courtyard of Jiangnan Pavilion.
From the second floor of another nearby building, a girl jumped down with an umbrella. It was Zhao Ruo. Zhao Ruo smiled and said, “Teacher Jiang Fang, are you looking for junior brother Luo Feng? You only need to call him. Why come here in person?”
Whoosh.
From the building where Luo Feng lived, a figure shot into the first floor, then quickly rushed upstairs. “Teacher, I will come down in a moment.”
Zhao Ruo and Jiang Fang were both stunned.
They were both skilled martial artists. How sharp were their eyes? Of course they saw that Luo Feng had just been barefoot and wearing only long trousers.
“Junior brother is really hardworking, and all sweaty too,” Zhao Ruo praised. “But his build is not bad either. What do you think, Teacher?”
“You little girl.” Jiang Fang did not know whether to laugh or cry.
She had actually been teased by Zhao Ruo.
Zhao Ruo stuck out her tongue and giggled.
“Where is Shi Jiang, not here?” Jiang Fang asked.
“Senior Brother Shi Jiang went to Nine Heavy Tower early this morning. He is not like us. Every month, he gets a long time in the trial room and the ancient civilisation gravity room,” Zhao Ruo shook her head and said with a deliberately sorrowful look. “Poor us, maybe in one or two years, junior brother Luo Feng will also rush into the top ten. Compared with the two of them, how embarrassing.”
Jiang Fang smiled. “You girl, if you want to improve, then put more effort into it.”
At this moment, Luo Feng, dressed in casual clothes and holding an umbrella, rushed downstairs. “Teacher.”
“Come with me,” Jiang Fang said.
Luo Feng obediently held his umbrella and followed beside Jiang Fang as they left Jiangnan Pavilion together.
Walking through the training camp shrouded in mist and rain had a special charm.
Jiang Fang looked at Luo Feng and smiled. “Luo Feng, Inspector Wang wants to see you.”
“Inspector?” Luo Feng was startled.
An inspector was truly one of the top figures in the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo. In legend, the ones who really made the decisions in the dojo were the leader and the five great inspectors. And the leader had an extraordinary status as the world’s number one expert, so he usually did not interfere in most matters. The five inspectors made the decisions.
“I already said last time that someone from above would summon you. I was right, wasn’t I?” Jiang Fang smiled.
“Teacher, when I see an inspector, what should I pay attention to?” Luo Feng felt a little nervous.
After all, it was an inspector.
One of the beings standing at the peak of humanity, possessing overwhelming martial power. In the past, Luo Feng had only once seen a super War God named Zhu Xi from a distance, during the memorial meeting for the War God Lu Gang. That time, military and political figures, as well as War Gods, had all been extremely respectful, and had obediently gone to receive him.
“Do not worry. You are not going there to beg for something, it is our dojo that is summoning you,” Jiang Fang said lightly. “So do not be拘谨. I believe that when Inspector Wang sees you, even if he does not smile, at least he will not put on an inspector’s attitude.”
“Just pay attention to your manners, and do not be arrogant. Treat him as you would your teacher or an elder,” Jiang Fang said.
“Oh.” Luo Feng nodded.
Following Jiang Fang, they soon entered the area of buildings belonging to the War God teachers in the training camp. There, they found a rather ordinary looking quiet villa. This villa had the style of Tang dynasty architecture from ancient China. Compared with the villas of the other War God teachers, the only special thing about it was that it occupied a larger area.
“Teacher Jiang Fang, Sir Inspector is waiting inside for you and student Luo Feng,” an elderly butler at the villa entrance said with a smile.
Entering the villa courtyard.
Luo Feng immediately saw that in the first floor hall of the villa, three women were chatting and laughing.
“Oh, it is Little Jiang,” one of them, who looked very well maintained and had a rather noble lady’s temperament, smiled and said. “Old Wang is in the upstairs reception room. Old Wang just said that little fellow Luo Feng can go up alone. Little Jiang, come and chat with us for a while. How about playing mahjong later?”
“Yes, Little Jiang, do not always just cultivate,” another woman said.
Most of the women in the training camp were the family members of the War God teachers.
“You go up,” Jiang Fang instructed.
“Mm.”
Luo Feng went upstairs alone. When he reached the second floor, he could already smell a faint tea fragrance, refreshing both body and mind. Following the fragrance, he easily walked to the reception room door.
The door was open.
“Come in,” a slightly hoarse voice sounded.
Luo Feng walked into the reception room, and at first glance he saw that, apart from himself, there was only one other person in the room, a thin man sitting cross legged. He had a moustache and looked to be around forty at first sight. Judging by his face, he must have been quite handsome when younger. At this moment, the thin man had his eyes closed, and was playing with a string of prayer beads in one hand.
A cup of tea was placed on the tea table in front of him.
“Inspector Sir,” Luo Feng slightly bowed.
The thin man slowly opened his eyes. Being stared at by him, Luo Feng suddenly felt as if he had detached from the world. This reception room seemed like a separate space, and the thin man was like the god of this room. That invisible pressure made Luo Feng hold his breath.
“Sit,” the thin man pointed to the opposite side of the table with one hand.
There were no chairs in the reception room. How could he sit?
Luo Feng could only learn from Inspector Wang and sit cross legged on the floor.
“Take a careful look at the contract in front of you. If there is no problem, sign it,” Inspector Wang said indifferently, then closed his eyes again and continued playing with his prayer beads.
On the table there was indeed a contract, three pages in total.
Luo Feng took it and read it carefully.
This was the official recruitment contract of the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo, different from an ordinary contract. For example, ordinary martial artists who joined the dojo received no salary at all, just like Luo Feng in the past. Although there was no salary, the dojo also placed very few demands on ordinary martial artists.
But this contract was different.
It had both rights and benefits. It also had responsibilities.
“Annual activity funds of 5 billion Chinese yuan?” Luo Feng frowned slightly. This amount was not high, and could even be said to be very low.
A basic War God could earn this much in a year.
And now Luo Feng was even more sought after than an advanced War God. The conditions offered by other organisations did not have a single one below 10 billion Chinese yuan per year.
“Hm…”
“According to this contract, only a very small number of people in the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo can receive salary. They are paid according to status?” On the contract, there were also allowances for various levels. Even the highest ranking person among the War Gods, the Inspector, only had 10 billion a year.
The Extreme Martial Arts Dojo’s activity funds were rather low.
However, those who joined the Extreme Martial Arts Dojo generally did not do so for money.
“Hm?”
When he turned to the third page, Luo Feng’s eyes lit up.
“If the second party reaches a combat power multiplier of 12 before 1 August 2057, they may obtain a full set of level 9 battle suit and weapons, any full set of manuals, and one portion of dragon blood worth 80 billion.”
“If the second party reaches a combat power multiplier of 12 before 1 August 2057 to 1 January 2058, they may obtain a full set of level 9 battle suit and weapons, and one drop of jade marrow worth 30 billion.”
“If the second party reaches a combat power multiplier of 16 before 1 January 2060, they may obtain a full set of SS level battle suit and weapons, one portion of dragon blood worth 80 billion, three full sets of any manuals, and one set of the ancient civilisation relic ‘Black God’.”
“If the second party reaches…”
…