Chapter 7: Little Cannon Fist Reaches Minor Mastery

“White classmate?”

Fang Xing greeted politely, knowing this White classmate had come specifically for the two of them.

“I’m… I’m sorry, I went too hard just now.”

Bai Lianyi’s eyes were soft, her voice trembling slightly, like a little girl who’d done something wrong.

Combined with her demeanor, it strangely stirred both pity and daze in Liu Wei.

Was that girl I saw before at Huizhong Jiangfu really her?

“Not at all, sparring inevitably involves injury…”

Liu Wei hurriedly said: “How could I possibly blame you, classmate?”

“That’s great.”

Bai Lianyi pulled out an old frog-shaped wallet from her chest and withdrew a campus card: “Please charge this session’s treatment fee to my account…”

Warm sunlight filtered through the tree shade, falling on the girl’s face, lending her an unexpected air of resolve and sanctity.

…

“Do you think… we misjudged her?”

After leaving the infirmary, Liu Wei’s expression grew confused: “I sneak-glanced at her card—she doesn’t have much Star Yuan either…”

‘Kid, that’s just because your rank is too low…’

Fang Xing mentally scoffed, then said seriously: “Whether she is or isn’t, it’s none of our business—we didn’t spread rumors either.”

“Yeah, thank goodness.”

Liu Wei carefully tucked the campus card away: “We’ve got to return this to her quickly…”

He could already picture Bai classmate working part-time jobs, barely affording meals.

Fang Xing watched this scene and felt utterly speechless.

‘The scent of youth… even if foolish, even if awkward… it’s still… youth.’

‘Besides, Liu Wei doesn’t meet her standards anyway—let him be.’

He had a hunch Bai Lianyi’s visit carried no ill intent—just a performance.

On the way back to Happy Garden Community, he received several packages.

“Hmm, good…”

Fang Xing looked at the selfie stick in hand and the drone beside it, nodding in satisfaction.

With these ready, plus air sensors and weapons, he could cobble together a half-baked interdimensional exploration kit.

‘Plus gravity sensors and other gear… the school training room has them—maybe I can borrow some, saving a fortune…’

Since they trained interstellar warriors to face hostile environments across different planets, Yucai High had dedicated alien combat courses.

Fang Xing felt that even in another world, following the textbook procedures should pose no major problems.

…

Several days later.

Happy Garden Community.

Training room.

Fang Xing, dressed in casual wear, assumed the Great Dragon Stance, sweat pouring like water.

“Fifty-nine minutes…”

“Sixty minutes!”

“Time’s up!”

Fang Xing plopped onto the floor, gasping heavily: “So, one hour of Great Dragon Stance daily is about my limit? But… limits are made to be broken.”

Lately, he’d repeatedly pushed his limits, finally replacing two separate 30-minute sessions with one continuous 60-minute session.

He could go longer, but it would damage his body—harmful, not beneficial.

“Xia Long’s assessment was accurate: for most students, one hour of stance training daily is the limit…”

Though he could push beyond, Fang Xing had no interest in harming his body for it.

After another few breaths, he stood and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

Once changed into dry clothes, he collapsed into a chair, assuming the most comfortable posture, and turned his awareness to his stats panel:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 16】

【Occupation: Martial Artist】

【First Realm: Skin and Muscle (Skin Refinement: 23/100)】

【Twelve Forms of Military Boxing: 60/100 (Beginner)】

【Great Dragon Stance: 70/100 (Beginner)】

【Gate of All Heavens: 9/100 (Calibrating)】

…

“Nine days since I crossed over…”

“From observation, without external help like Xia Long’s guidance, pure self-training takes roughly three days to gain one point in Great Dragon Stance proficiency…”

“As for techniques like Military Boxing, guidance does make progress faster.”

“Skin refinement advances alongside Great Dragon Stance, but my current level can’t generate any amplification yet…”

“If I keep this up, in three months I’ll barely raise Great Dragon Stance and Military Boxing to the next tier—but I won’t break through to the next martial realm… and even within Skin and Muscle, I’ll only stay at crude Skin Refinement, never Muscle Refinement!”

Just refining skin won’t create much difference from ordinary people.

Fang Xing thought about it, and immediately felt irritated.

‘Damn it…’

‘Why am I pushing myself so hard?’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just lie around like a lazy fish? At least I could coast through high school…’

‘The other world is dangerous—why risk it?’

A jumble of thoughts surfaced; Fang Xing carefully savored them.

‘When I first crossed over, did I still feel confusion and fear?’

After privately analyzing his psyche, he put on his holographic glasses.

Don’t panic when trouble comes—just play two rounds of games.

“Shit, can’t you position yourself properly?”

“Elementary school kid?”

“What broken mechanic, better off playing 18+…”

…

After this outburst, Fang Xing felt deeply relaxed—until a text alert came:

【Dear Fang Xing, your current account balance is 754.23 Star Yuan.】

“Shit… not enough money.”

Fang Xing’s face instantly grew grim.

Buying the basic nano-protection suit, drone, and other gear had already drained his wallet.

“I’m gonna have to work… forced to work again…”

“Back in my past life I was forced to work—now I’m forced to work even after crossing over? Did I waste my reincarnation?”

At that moment, a communication link activated.

“Axing, visitor’s here—clock in!”

Liu Wei’s holographic image appeared.

“Got it, coming right away.”

Fang Xing bit into a slice of bread and rushed out the door.

…

Green Water Luxury Court.

“I’ll take on ten at once!”

A boy of eleven or twelve shouted boastfully.

“Hmm, Wenwen’s the best.”

Beside him, a mother with an ordinary face but gentle expression smiled encouragingly.

‘How enviable…’

Liu Wei gave Fang Xing a look.

‘Father’s been away long-term, can’t train the kid… this is our chance.’

Fang Xing’s heart stirred—he signaled back.

Then the two approached the brat.

“Watch my Light Wave Fist!”

The brat threw a punch—didn’t even reach Ming Jin.

Seeing this, Fang Xing and Liu Wei relaxed completely—they’d hit a good customer.

At least, not as bad as last time with Gu Yun.

“Ah!”

Fang Xing took the first punch, then screamed and flew backward.

Liu Wei rushed in next, trading blows with the brat back and forth…

Two hours later, the two left with arms around each other’s shoulders, both wearing faint smiles: “This young master is easy to please… Clearly, the last one was a scammer!”

Liu Wei still remembered Gu Yun from last time vividly.

If all clients were like this, he’d have quit long ago.

At that moment, he rubbed his shoulder and suddenly looked suspicious: “Ah Xing… why do I feel you’re more relaxed than me?”

“Simple—I wore a protective suit… Kids can’t tell the difference.”

Fang Xing answered seriously.

“Damn, you cheated… Wait, you actually bought a protective suit? Are you even living?”

Liu Wei widened his eyes, then spoke with grave concern: “You’re not thinking of taking some shady path, are you? Hunters and bounty hunters without third-rank power are just walking corpses…”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Fang Xing didn’t want to discuss it further, instead shifting the topic: “Speaking of which, you’ve been getting close to Bai Lianyi lately—what’s going on?”

“I… we’re just ordinary classmates.”

Liu Wei answered immediately, his gaze clear, expression open.

“Really? That Bai classmate isn’t simple—don’t forget what we saw before…” Fang Xing reminded him.

“I’m certain she’s not… Besides, for bio-engineered humans, seizing every chance to rise is instinct,” Liu Wei waved his hand. “It’s not a big deal.”

In the interstellar age, chaotic personal lives weren’t considered a major issue.

Fang Xing studied Liu Wei for a few more moments, confirming he didn’t seem emotionally entangled, and felt puzzled.

‘Something feels off… If Bai Lianyi isn’t the problem, then the problem is bigger. Liu Wei getting close to her might not be a good thing.’

‘I should remind him a few more times in the future.’

Of course, given their current friendship, that’s all it would be—just a few reminders.

Fang Xing clearly wouldn’t secretly investigate Bai Lianyi for Liu Wei—he had enough on his own plate.

‘Next, I should focus on cultivation…’

Fang Xing resolved inwardly.

…

As an education planet, Chu Ying Star wasn’t 100% safe, but its security was quite good.

Added to that, Fang Xing had previously been just an ordinary high school student with a very simple social circle.

He was always low-key, never provoked trouble, so the chance of trouble finding him was extremely low.

Before he knew it, a month slipped away.

Yu Cai High School.

Fang Xing swung his right arm and delivered a sudden punch.

BOOM!

A sound like a cannon shot echoed through the air; nearby classmates were startled.

“This… this… is the ‘cannon shot worth a million gold’?”

One classmate exclaimed: “Fang Xing, you’ve mastered the Bow Stance Cannon Fist?”

“Just happened to enter the right state…”

Fang Xing closed his eyes, trying to grasp that feeling.

In truth, he knew he had achieved permanent certification—once he truly completed the ‘Cannon Fist,’ he could replicate it next time without fail!

Closing his eyes now was merely to focus his attention on the attribute panel.

The other classmates, however, quickly found reasons to convince themselves after their initial surprise.

They had watched Fang Xing’s daily progress; he had trained the ‘Bow Stance Cannon Fist’ relentlessly.

Now that he’d finally achieved minor mastery, it seemed… plausible enough.