CHAPTER 109: CHAPTER 101: BRINGING COACH LIN BILLION POINTS OF SHOCK_1

"Black Soil... Demon Mountain..."

Lu Yuan was carefully drawing circles on paper with his pen, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Using his remarkable memory, he reproduced all the information he had gathered from the background during his video chat with Lu Jing.

This pertained to an ancient minor language known as ’Ancient Phoenician’.

This ancient language wasn’t obscure; originating even before the White Mountain Era, during the Red River Period, it had once been widespread.

However, due to the demise of a powerful empire, it was submerged in the rolling river of time.

The information recorded on the board behind Lu Jing was messy and fragmented, as if someone had casually jotted it down during a discussion.

The only coherent piece was the sentence Lu Yuan finally wrote in his notebook, a translation from Ancient Phoenician—

"Eternal Cracking Black Soil, He will drench every pebble of Demon Mountain with fresh blood..."

Aside from this, there was a recurring pictogram.

The pattern consisted of a black triangle.

Inside the triangle were three curved lines supporting an eye.

Lu Yuan searched online for a long time but found no clues about this pattern.

Maybe I still need to approach it from a religious and mythical perspective...

Lu Yuan closed his notebook, tucked it among a heap of books on mythology and historical languages beside him, and then habitually massaged his temples.

If Lu Jing were willing to divulge everything, it would be a lot simpler.

Unfortunately, Lu Yuan couldn’t persuade her.

Separated by thousands of miles and communicating merely via video chat, he couldn’t gain enough of her trust.

Only when Lu Jing returns, and I smash a solid cement block with my fist right in front of her, might she realize her own brother’s capabilities.

Fortunately, she’s returning next month. I hope nothing happens in the meantime.

Lu Yuan sighed softly, then got up and tidied his room a bit, including the wall and table.

In a fit of passion earlier, he had punched a small hole in the wall, only regretting it now.

If his parents found out, he wouldn’t know how to explain.

His only plan was to find something to patch up the hole later and cover it with a poster, which should deceive them temporarily.

After taking care of these odds and ends, Lu Yuan brought out his Profession Panel for a look.

[Name: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 17]

[Strength: 14]

[Agility: 12]

[Physicality: 15]

[Intelligence: 14]

The level of his ’Ancient Language Expert’ class was still Lv. 3, but his recent study had added an ’Ancient Phoenician Lv. 1’ skill to his Profession Panel.

His class experience had also risen by more than ten points, not far from Lv. 4.

Besides that, the only thing that could significantly boost Lu Yuan’s abilities and was close to leveling up was the Crane-Shaped Pile skill on his Fighter panel.

His current Crane-Shaped Pile status was Lv. 3 (134/400).

He still needed over two hundred more experience points to reach Lv. 4.

Based on his current progress, he estimated he could accumulate these points in a few days.

Lu Yuan spread a cooling mat on the floor as usual. His small bed had been moved against the wall near the door, making the cleared space in his room seem a bit larger.

Now that the Mouse Monster problem is resolved, it’s time to contact Lin Zhiquin. He mentioned he had good news for me last time. I wonder what it is...

Lu Yuan stood firm on the mat, adopting the stance of the Crane-Shaped Pile.

A second later, he quietly entered the ’Absolute Focus’ state. A sudden sensation, like sinking underwater, washed over him, and his mind quickly calmed.

「 」

"Coach."

"Hello, Coach Lin."

As Lin Zhiquin walked through the first floor of the martial arts dojo, students would occasionally greet him.

He nodded slightly, his face expressionless.

His pace only slowed as he neared a certain training room.

His black, hard-soled leather shoes made no sound on the glossy marble floor, as if a cat were treading there.

BANG! BANG BANG! BANG—

Dull thuds of impact echoed intermittently from the training room.

Lin Zhiquin silently entered the training room. As he took in the scene inside, his pupils contracted slightly—as if he had seen something startling.

Inside the spacious training room, a figure was relentlessly striking a black, heavy-duty punching pillar in front of him.

He was tall and well-built.

The loose white martial arts uniform he wore was stretched taut over his frame, making it appear perfectly tailored.

When he threw punches, the exposed muscles of his neck and arms rippled with smooth, full curves, conveying a strong sense of power.

His back view was that of a grown man, but a glance at his profile revealed the lingering traces of youth on his face.

He was still just a teenager.

The teenager’s punches and kicks were enormously powerful, occasionally tearing through the air with a whoosh.

Every blow on the punching pillar sent it shuddering violently.

Lin Zhiquin watched quietly, the astonishment in his eyes growing ever more intense.

"Coach!"

The teenager suddenly sensed Lin Zhiquin’s presence, immediately stopping his movements and greeting him with a hint of pleasant surprise.

"When did you get here?"

Lin Zhiquin didn’t answer, merely stepped closer, scrutinizing the young man before him.

"You’ve changed a lot."

"Yeah."

The teenager was, of course, Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan brushed his sweat-drenched bangs back, saying somewhat sheepishly, "I’ve had a huge appetite lately, and my body’s been growing like crazy. To quote my mom—’He looks different every morning when he wakes up.’"

"That’s normal for your age," Lin Zhiquin said, then suddenly grunted softly and reached out to grab Lu Yuan’s shoulder.

Lu Yuan’s expression changed slightly as he reacted swiftly.

Without even looking at Lin Zhiquin’s palm, he raised his hand and threw a straight punch toward Lin Zhiquin’s temple.

They both changed tactics in an instant, striking out simultaneously. Fast moves met fast counters, and the room echoed with the crisp sounds of colliding fists and feet.

However, merely seconds later, a figure was flung from the exchange, flying seven or eight meters before landing heavily on the padded floor.

HISS—

Lu Yuan sucked in a sharp breath, rubbing his arm and wincing as if in great pain as he climbed up from the floor.

"Coach, you hit a bit hard today..."

Lin Zhiquin didn’t react, just stared at him fixedly, as if trying to see right through him.

A few seconds later, he suddenly seemed to return to normal.

"You go change your clothes first. I’ll wait for you in the hall."

With that, he turned and left.

Looks like Coach Lin needs some time to process this on his own...

Watching Lin Zhiquin’s figure quickly disappear, the expression on Lu Yuan’s face gradually returned to calm.

In Lin Zhiquin’s test just now, aside from a few trump cards, he had held almost nothing back.

Strength 14, Physicality 15, and... Agility 13—he had deliberately trained his Crane-Shaped Pile to Lv. 4, gaining 1 point in Agility and restoring some balance to his physique, before seeking out Lin Zhiquin.

Such a significant improvement in three stats must have given Lin Zhiquin quite the shock, the kind reserved for a ’martial arts genius’.

Previously, when Lu Yuan’s strength was improving rapidly, he had been careful to hide it from Lin Zhiquin, fearing he’d notice.

Now, however, he had completely come around.

After his encounter with Yellow Bear, Lu Yuan realized his previous way of thinking was completely wrong.

Excelling in certain areas isn’t actually a bad thing. If he hadn’t shown some talent, would Zhou Ling have specifically sent him the ’entrapment device’? As long as his biggest secret, the Profession Panel, isn’t revealed, everything should be fine.

By displaying some characteristics of a martial arts prodigy, I might gain even more, Lu Yuan thought as he walked to the locker room and took a quick shower.

When he had changed and came out to the main hall, he found Lin Zhiquin already seated on a chair near the entrance.

He was quietly smoking a cigarette, seemingly lost in thought.

"Coach."

Lu Yuan walked up and called him.

Lin Zhiquin looked up at the sound, snapping out of his reverie, and casually extinguished his cigarette.

"Let’s go. I’ve arranged a match for you today."

He stood up from the chair and beckoned Lu Yuan over.

His eyes seemed to hold a complex, unreadable expression.

Lu Yuan glanced out the door. The sun was high; it was only afternoon.

It’s too early to go to Mosa Club, normally.

But he didn’t say anything, simply responding, "Okay," and obediently followed Lin Zhiquin’s arrangements.

Some twenty minutes later, their car pulled up in front of the Mosa Club.

As they walked through the club’s lobby and entered the descending elevator, Lu Yuan suddenly whipped his head around to look behind him.

"What’s wrong?" Lin Zhiquin asked, frowning at him.

"Nothing..." Lu Yuan shook his head, but his eyes remained fixed on a Goat Statue mounted on the wall directly opposite the elevator entrance.

Only when the elevator doors slowly closed did he seem to relax slightly, though his eyes continued to flicker.

Upon reaching the second basement level and stepping into the event venue, Lu Yuan found himself facing Goat Statues everywhere. The peculiar feeling he’d had earlier intensified sharply.

These goat heads... it’s as if they’re constantly watching me! From above, behind, to the sides, right in front... they’re silently observing me from every direction.

There’s something wrong. This Mosa Club definitely has a problem!

Lu Yuan’s expression was grave, his thoughts churning.

With his Intelligence at 14, his perception had become extremely sharp.

These Goat Statues in the Mosa Club weren’t like ordinary decorations.

They’re... as if they’re alive!

Is this related to the Extraordinary again?

Yet, Lu Yuan felt no impulse to turn and leave.

He carefully focused on this sensation, gradually realizing that this uncanny feeling of being watched wasn’t directed solely at him.

Everyone who entered Mosa and passed by the Goat Statues was subjected to this kind of... ’scrutiny’.

They were like a troop of silent sentinels, mutely observing every arrival.

For it to be recognized as a legitimate organization, appearing openly before the public, sanctioned by the authorities, and qualified to host official fighting competitions... it surely can’t be a Cult like the Crow God Sect. Otherwise, the Yellow Bear Organization would have eradicated it multiple times over by now. So, it seems... Mosa is an officially sanctioned Extraordinary organization?

These thoughts swirled in Lu Yuan’s mind as he subconsciously glanced at Lin Zhiquin’s back walking ahead of him.

He wondered if Lin Zhiquin knew about this.

「 」

Lu Yuan was still pondering the Mosa situation as he walked into the waiting room.

He had initially thought that, coming in the afternoon, he would have to wait until evening to compete.

Unexpectedly, the rules for the second stage of the tournament were rather unique: matches were arranged entirely around the fighters’ availability.

Any fighter arriving at the venue, provided a suitable opponent could be matched, would have their bout arranged by Mosa immediately.

What a remarkably flexible competition system.

Lin Zhiquin began, "...In the second stage of the competition, the strength of your opponents will increase. You might even encounter professionals..."

Lin Zhiquin had intended to give Lu Yuan some pre-match coaching, but halfway through his explanation, he glanced at Lu Yuan, then waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, forget it. Just go on up."

With that, he fished a cigarette out of his pocket, his expression one of utter disinterest.

Lu Yuan knew why and couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness.

Lin Zhiquin clearly hadn’t recovered from the shock of his rapid surge in strength. This ’little bit’ of a shock seemed to be a tad overwhelming for him.

Lu Yuan said nothing more. He silently donned his triangular goat-head mask and steadily ascended the steps to the elevated fighting ring.

Standing there, the sensation of being watched, of being scrutinized, intensified dramatically.

The massive Goat Statue hung quietly overhead, its hollow eyes silently surveying the ring below.

Lu Yuan gazed at it for a moment before retracting his gaze and focusing on his opponent.

A quick scan was enough for him to roughly gauge his opponent’s strength.

Then, the instant the referee announced the official start of the match... Lu Yuan shot forward like an arrow, his right fist lashing out.

He didn’t use ’Special Burst’.

But even so, backed by his 14 points of Strength, his fair, powerful arm tore through the air with a sharp whistle.

Like a savage python lunging from its den.

Beneath a slightly comical monkey mask, a pair of eyes widened abruptly.

A look of horror had barely registered in them before a massive fist brutally extinguished it.