The next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
On the balcony, Gu Xing sat cross-legged, quietly meditating as he tried once again to sense his
Chi.
Everything around him was silent.
Within the darkness of his mind, the tiny spark he had seen before slowly appeared again. But this time, it did not remain small.
It grew.
Little by little, the spark became brighter and larger, until it shone like a miniature sun. It glowed intensely, its form gaseous and swirling, radiating a warm, living light within the emptiness.
Then—
**Boom!**
It felt as if something exploded inside his body.
In that instant, Gu Xing clearly sensed it—the flow of Chi moving through him, circulating along unseen paths inside his body like a quiet river of energy.
His eyes snapped open.
He slowly exhaled, releasing a long breath that carried a faint but powerful force with it.
"Finally… Chi sensing complete."
A smile appeared on his face as he tilted his head up. The sunlight poured down from above, warming his face.
"What a beautiful day."
After a moment, Gu Xing focused again, pondering his next step.
"According to my plan, the next stage should be the **Chi Nurturing Stage**."
He had devised these stages himself while reading various books about Chi cultivation. There were no clear instructions, so he had been forced to piece everything together on his own.
But when he examined the Chi inside his body, he frowned slightly.
The amount far exceeded his original estimation.
Still, he should be able to control it.
Gu Xing focused and attempted to guide the flow of Chi within him.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the energy shifted.
"It works!" Gu Xing exclaimed, unable to hide his surprise.
He couldn't believe how easy it was.
Perhaps it was because of the sheer quantity of Chi he possessed… or maybe it was simply due to his natural talent.
Going downstairs, Gu Xing checked the time.
It was still 9:50 AM. The gym hadn't opened yet.
For context, he had been meditating the entire night—and only just now successfully sensed his Chi.
Thinking about it carefully, he shook his head.
"No… I should already be at the Chi Channeling Stage now."
To test his theory, Gu Xing stood in the middle of the empty hall and slowly closed his eyes.
Inhale.
Exhale.
He sensed the Chi inside his body again.
Within him, the glowing cluster of energy—like a miniature sun—quietly revolved. Carefully, he guided a small portion of that gaseous energy, siphoning it from the glowing core.
Then he channeled it into his fist.
His eyes snapped open.
Looking down, he saw it clearly.
His fist was glowing.
A faint but bright orange light wrapped around it like a burning aura.
Gu Xing stared at it for a second before breaking into a grin.
"Haha… I'm the Iron Fist!"
Laughing to himself, he began moving through the forms of his Yang Quan.
His movements were steady at first, each strike deliberate as he guided the flow of Chi through his body.
Punch.
Step.
Turn.
The glowing energy followed his movements, flowing from his core into his arms with every motion.
He repeated the form again.
And again.
Gradually, his movements became faster.
His strikes grew sharper.
Finally, Gu Xing planted his foot firmly on the ground and threw a straight punch forward.
"Ha!"
The punch tore through the air, the momentum carrying a small gust of wind across the training hall.
Calming down, Gu Xing felt a hint of frustration.
He had just awakened his **Chi**, yet he had no proper way to test his strength. Still, he knew the opportunity would come sooner or later.
For now, there was no need to rush.
After taking a quick shower and changing into clean clothes, Gu Xing opened the gym and waited for Colleen Wing to arrive so he could head upstairs and continue cultivating.
Around **11 AM**, she finally appeared.
But before he could even greet her, Colleen spoke first.
"Coach Gu, let's shoot a promotion video."
"What?" Gu Xing blinked, caught off guard. He didn't even fully register what she had said.
Before he could respond, Kevin suddenly appeared at the door as if the whole thing had been planned.
"That's right, Coach!" Kevin said with a grin. "We need more people here."
Before Gu Xing could complain, the two of them had already dragged him onto the mat. Kevin quickly pulled out his camera while Colleen grabbed a wooden sword from the rack.
Gu Xing sighed.
"Whatever… it's for the sake of the martial arts hall anyway."
Following Colleen's instructions, they began filming.
The idea was simple—a demonstration spar. Colleen wielded a wooden sword while Gu Xing fought barehanded, moving through controlled exchanges that looked intense but remained safe.
Kevin circled around them, recording everything while laughing excitedly behind the camera.
Soon, the filming was finished.
When Gu Xing saw the final line he had to say, he couldn't help but cringe a little.
"Come join us now… we are waiting for you!"
---
Time passed quickly.
By the time they finished everything including training the students, it was already 4 PM. They decided to close early since Colleen planned to post flyers around **Chinatown**.
Before they parted ways, Gu Xing suddenly asked her a question.
"Why all the effort?"
Colleen paused for a moment before answering.
"I…" she hesitated, then continued, "I want to help people who are trying to help themselves. Some people just need a place to start… somewhere they can get stronger."
She glanced at Kevin, who gave a small nod.
Gu Xing looked at them for a moment before smiling faintly. He stepped forward and lightly patted her shoulder.
"Thank you."
Gu Xing watched as the two of them left the hall.
After a moment, he began locking the doors.
Just as he was about to finish, a sudden sense of danger surged through his mind.
**Whoosh—**
A blazing fireball shot toward him.
**Boom!**
It exploded right in front of the entrance, shattering the glass windows into countless fragments.
Gu Xing instinctively stepped back as the force rushed toward him.
Then he paused.
He didn't feel any pain.
Instead, the heat washed over him like a warm shower.
Looking up, he saw them.
Ten men were walking toward the hall, each holding a machete. Their expressions were rough and hostile, clearly not here for a friendly visit.
Leading them was a man with a long scar running across his face—from the edge of his brow down to his cheek. His hair was messy, his eyes sharp and cruel, and his grin revealed a set of yellowed teeth.
He looked like someone who enjoyed violence.
The scarred man stopped a few steps away, staring at Gu Xing with surprise before breaking into a mocking laugh.
"Ho… you survived that?" he sneered.
"You're one tanky cockroach."
He cackled loudly.
"Great… another low-level enemy straight out of a main character template," Gu Xing sighed.
"Axe Gang, I suppose?" Gu Xing said calmly.
The scarred man smirked.
"You're not as dumb as you look," he sneered. "I'm here to collect payment… along with some interest."
Without warning, he raised his hand.
A **fireball** instantly formed in his palm and shot toward Gu Xing.
To an ordinary person, it would have been incredibly fast.
But to him…
"Slow."
Gu Xing dashed forward.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of the man.
"What—?!"
Before he could react, Gu Xing's fist shot forward.
**Bang!**
The punch landed squarely on his chest, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.
"Boss Fire Scar!"
"Boss!"
The other men shouted in alarm.
Seeing their leader lying in a miserable heap on the ground, the group quickly rushed forward. Yet instead of retreating, their numbers seemed to embolden them.
Like a pack of rabid dogs, they raised their machetes and charged.
Gu Xing rolled his shoulders and stepped forward.
"Then let's dance."