He saw a teenager who looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old.
The boy was continuously repeating the motion of shadowboxing.
His gaze was focused, each movement meticulous.
Although many of the movements weren't very standard from Lin Zhiquin's perspective, it was evident the boy was putting forth his utmost effort into every strike.
A punch or two performed like that would be one thing.
But every single one of the boy's punches was like this.
Sweat had drenched the tips of his hair, sliding from his forehead to the tip of his nose, yet he seemed utterly unaware.
The sheer concentration and earnestness he exuded even moved Lin Zhiquin slightly.
It's been a long time since I've seen such a dedicated student...
Lin Zhiquin couldn't help but recall his younger days when he would practice martial arts relentlessly, even forgetting to eat or sleep.
Back then, the Old Master was at his peak, and the martial arts hall was much more prosperous than it is now.
With technological advancements, fewer and fewer people were genuinely willing to practice martial arts.
Most who signed up were just looking for novelty; once the newness wore off, their interest waned.
Or they just treated fighting as a form of fitness, lacking the dedication of a true Martial Artist.
Who knows what it will be like in another ten or twenty years.
"Sigh..."
Lin Zhiquin suddenly felt a wave of melancholy and lost his interest in going down to offer guidance. "Continue with free practice," he said, then turned and left.
PANT... PANT...
After throwing a punch, Lu Yuan stumbled. His limbs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. He gasped for breath, instantly snapping out of the [Absolute Focus] state.
How long have I been practicing?
Lu Yuan felt his arms were sore, swollen, and numb, as if they were useless. He couldn't muster any strength at all.
"Are you okay?"
A soft, feminine voice came from beside him.
Lu Yuan looked up to see a round-faced girl wearing glasses standing before him, holding out a bottle of water.
"Thank you."
Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment but didn't stand on ceremony. He took the water from the girl and began to drink it in large gulps.
He was extremely thirsty and finished more than half the bottle in one go.
"What time is it now?"
Lu Yuan noticed that many people on the training ground had already sat down to rest; some were chatting, others were looking down at their phones.
He was the last student to stop practicing.
"Nine-fifty. Class ends in ten minutes," the round-faced girl replied after glancing at her phone.
So I've been training for less than an hour...
Lu Yuan wasn't surprised.
After all, practicing boxing primarily consumed stamina, so it was normal for the duration of [Absolute Focus] to decrease significantly.
"You were practicing so intently just now; even Coach Lin watched you for a long time," the round-faced girl said to Lu Yuan, a hint of admiration in her voice.
"Oh, really?"
Lu Yuan smiled but said nothing.
"By the way, my name is Liu Yue. What's your name?"
"Lu Yuan."
"Are you from No. 2 High School? I think I've seen you at school."
"I'm from No. 4 High School."
"No. 4 High School? A lot of my junior high classmates are at No. 4 High School..."
The round-faced girl seemed quite interested in Lu Yuan and kept trying to talk to him.
Lu Yuan answered casually, his attention focused on his panel.
The moment he summoned the panel, Lu Yuan received an unexpected surprise.
[You have practiced with concentration for twenty minutes; your understanding of a new skill has improved.]
[You have comprehended a new skill—[Basic Fist Skill LV1]!]
[Your [Skill: Basic Fist] has improved, Experience Points +3.]
[Your [Skill: Basic Fist] has improved, Experience Points +5.]
[Congratulations, you have unlocked a new Class Panel—[Fighter]!]
A brand-new Class Panel appeared before Lu Yuan.
On the tree-like Class Panel, only the two skills at the very bottom were lit up.
They were [Basic Fist Skill] and [Initial Body Forging], both at LV1.
The latter, [Initial Body Forging], must have been comprehended when Coach Lin was teaching the strength training exercises. It had remained hidden, however, and only manifested now that the new class panel was unlocked.
[Fighter]!
The newly unlocked class made Lu Yuan feel excited.
This class seemed far more advanced than [Student], like a hidden class in a game.
If the ultimate goal of the [Student] panel is to cultivate me into a super good student, then the ultimate goal of the [Fighter] panel... could it be to become a Martial Arts Supreme, a peerless master?
Phrases like "Plucking Flowers and Flying Leaves" and "Finger Pinch to Break Steel" instantly popped into Lu Yuan's mind.
This made him uncontrollably excited; the 10,000 yuan tuition fee felt well spent.
"...What's your phone number? I'll jot it down, so if I have any questions after class, I can ask you..." the round-faced girl beside him stammered.
Lu Yuan was in a good mood and immediately replied with a smile, "Didn't the martial arts hall set up a group chat for us new students? I'll add you in the group later. You're Liu Yue, I remember correctly, right?"
"Yes, yes."
The girl nodded vigorously, looking very happy.
They chatted casually for a while longer. At ten o'clock, someone came in to announce that class was over.
The students, as if granted amnesty, immediately got up and dispersed.
Coach Lin Zhiquin, however, did not reappear.
Dragging his exhausted body, Lu Yuan went into the shower room. As warm water from the showerhead cascaded over his body, the incessant soreness in his arms eased slightly.
When he had finished showering, changed his clothes, and came out of the locker room with his backpack, he found Cheng Peng already waiting for him in the main hall of the martial arts hall.
"Lu Yuan, you're finally out! What took you so long in the shower? You're as slow as a girl!"
"Get lost!"
Lu Yuan hadn't fully recovered his strength, his arms still ached, and he was in no mood for banter.
"Heh heh."
Cheng Peng slung an arm around Lu Yuan's shoulder and asked with a grin, "So, how was your first day of class?"
"It was alright. Much more useful than I expected," Lu Yuan replied earnestly.
"That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't be able to stick with it," Cheng Peng said with a smile. "Hurry up and finish the basics so you can move up to the advanced class. I'm waiting to thrash you in sparring practice!"
"Hah, we'll see who thrashes whom," Lu Yuan retorted, giving him a sidelong glance.
This look provoked Cheng Peng, who immediately exclaimed, "Wow, you're getting cocky! My Fist Strength is already fifty kilograms! Coach Lin even said I'll be able to test for a rank soon. And you still think you can thrash me?"
"Test for a rank?"
Lu Yuan caught the new term in Cheng Peng's words and immediately asked with curiosity.
"Don't you know Martial Artists also have ranks? I'll tell you on the way."
Cheng Peng pulled Lu Yuan towards the exit of the martial arts hall.
On the way, they bumped into Liu Yue, the round-faced girl from his class.
Next to her stood another girl, apparently in a similar situation to Lu Yuan; she had also come with a friend, but they weren't in the same class.
Liu Yue smiled at Lu Yuan when she saw him but was too shy to approach and say hello.
More than half an hour later, Lu Yuan walked out of an internet cafe alone.
From Cheng Peng's explanation, coupled with his own online research, Lu Yuan gained a general understanding of how Martial Artist ranks were divided in this world.