313: Chapter 313 Sanda Upgrade, Grandmaster Power

He pondered briefly for a few seconds.

Fang Cheng coughed lightly and then asked, feigning ignorance,

"What is your assigned task for this operation?"

"Me? I'm just keeping watch on the perimeter, clearing the venue, and handling any potential emergencies. To put it bluntly, I'm just a glorified errand boy."

There was a hint of self-deprecation in Xu Hao's tone.

Then, he asked tentatively,

"Boss, do we... need to do something? For example, send a message to Cheng Jiashu so he won't be caught so easily?"

A faint smile played on the corner of Fang Cheng's mouth.

This Xu Hao actually had some wits about him, knowing to take the initiative to ease his worries.

So, he went along with it and assigned him a task:

"Help me deliver a message to Cheng Jiashu."

"Huh?!"

Xu Hao's eyes widened in shock as he let out an involuntary cry.

Then, as if he had scalded his tongue, he quickly covered his mouth.

With a troubled look on his face, he grumbled bitterly in his mind:

"Boss, this... this is no joking matter!"

"Leaving aside how I'm supposed to contact him without being detected by the Noah Organization, just getting up close and personal with that psychopathic killer makes my skin crawl just thinking about it!"

Fang Cheng did not continue joking. Changing the subject, he asked,

"You should have a secret way of contacting the Special Investigation Team, right?"

Xu Hao's voice clearly hesitated for a moment, and he responded in his mind somewhat hesitantly,

"Well... occasionally there are some... um..."

"I don't care to know what kind of underhanded dealings you have going on."

Fang Cheng interrupted his stammering, his tone turning serious:

"As an undercover mole planted by the Special Investigation Team in Noah, your goal must also be to deal with this organization. Now, you can pass the intelligence regarding the Noah Organization's operation tomorrow night to the Special Investigation Team."

"Boss, you mean..."

Hearing this, Xu Hao couldn't help but freeze, his voice filled with surprise and confusion.

"However, the content of the intelligence needs to be modified slightly."

Fang Cheng did not explain further and continued to instruct,

"Just say that because the Noah Organization is in desperate need of experimental Materials, they are preparing to target the children of Chenxi Home and plan to kidnap them all."

"Also, you can't tell the Special Investigation Team this intelligence right now. You must wait until Cheng Jiashu appears at the orphanage, and then find the right moment to leak this news."

Xu Hao listened, half-understanding and half-confused, not knowing what tricks Fang Cheng had up his sleeve.

But he didn't dare to ask more, only nodding in agreement repeatedly.

Then, Fang Cheng carefully instructed him further,

"Your primary task in this operation is to ensure your own safety."

"Under this premise, Focus on helping me find out the specific abilities of several Noah Organization experts participating in this operation, as well as their usual addresses and the cover identities they use in the outside world. The more detailed this information is, the better."

This was undoubtedly a difficult and dangerous task.

But Xu Hao knew he had no room to bargain, so he could only brace himself and agree,

"Yes, Boss, I will definitely do my best. It's just... the time is so tight, how do I pass the intelligence to you when the time comes?"

"There's no need to rush for a complete picture."

Fang Cheng replied unhurriedly,

"Focus your energy first on locking onto one of the Advanced cadres leading the team and investigate his background thoroughly."

"Once you obtain valuable intelligence, repeatedly chant my name in your mind. I will establish a mental link with you then to get in touch."

Pausing briefly, Fang Cheng seemed to weigh his options before throwing out a task reward that was enough to make Xu Hao's heart race.

"After this operation concludes successfully, I will arrange to meet with you and personally guide you in cultivating the Advanced Cultivation Technique of the 'Great Sun Burning Body Art.'"

Hearing this, Xu Hao's eyes lit up instantly. As if injected with chicken blood, he immediately promised solemnly,

"Understood, Boss! I guarantee the task will be completed!"

After some exchange, the two ended their secret mental link.

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the silent Jiuchang Street.

Occasionally, a few distant car honks or the faint voices of neighbors drifted through the quiet night sky.

Inside the bedroom, the curtains were tightly drawn.

The desk lamp emitted a pale yellow glow, illuminating Fang Cheng's well-defined profile.

From outside the door, his mother Li Biyun's voice called out with concern,

"Chengcheng, it's past ten o'clock. Are you still studying? How about I cook you a bowl of noodles to fill your stomach?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng opened his eyes and called back,

"No need, Mom, I'm going to sleep right away."

With that, he reached out and gently turned off the desk lamp.

The room instantly fell into the deep shroud of night.

Shrouded in darkness, a slight curve appeared on the corner of Fang Cheng's mouth.

Now, he had given Cheng Jiashu two choices.

If Cheng Jiashu chose to believe the warning on the note, knowing there was a deadly trap waiting for him at the orphanage tomorrow, and chose to hide instead of going there,

then he could naturally proceed with the next step of his plan, playing the role shared by himself and Cheng Jiashu.

If Cheng Jiashu still chose to go to the orphanage regardless of the consequences to try and protect those children,

in that case, although things would be slightly more troublesome, they were not unmanageable.

He also had ways to muddy the waters even further and profit from the chaos.

It all depended on which path Cheng Jiashu decided to take.

And no matter what choice he made, Fang Cheng was confident he could steer the impending storm in the most favorable direction.

Lying in bed with his hands behind his head, Fang Cheng stared calmly at the ceiling.

The neon lights outside the window flickered, casting a dreamy glow.

It was as if they reflected the hidden undercurrents lurking within this city.

...

4:00 AM.

Darkness pressed heavily over the city like a thick velvet curtain.

Most windows of the row upon row of high-rise buildings in the distance were tightly shut.

Only a few scattered lights flickered faintly in the endless darkness, like the sparse eyes of a sleeping behemoth.

On the streets, dim yellow streetlights swayed gently in the cold wind, casting long shadows onto the ground.

Occasionally, a night-traveling vehicle would rush past with a dull engine roar.

The sound of tires rubbing against the ground briefly tore through the dead silence before being quickly swallowed up.

This was the time when the night was at its deepest.

Yet, a figure appeared silently on the rooftop of this old Tubular Building like a ghost in the dark night.

He first warmed up his limbs, his bones and muscles emitting a series of subtle yet crisp popping sounds.

A few simple stretches, Squats, and jumps preliminarily awakened his bodily functions.

Then, he walked to a sturdy, fixed water pipe at the edge of the rooftop.

The water pipe was over two meters high, and its cold metal radiated a chilling Aura in this pre-dawn hour.

The figure was shirtless, wearing only shorts, with a thick cowhide waist support belt tied around his waist.

Around the outside of the belt, a ring of sturdy metal buckles was evenly distributed.

At this moment, six dark, heavy circular barbell plates were firmly suspended from it by special short steel cables.

Each plate was labeled "25kg," adding up to an extra load of one hundred and fifty kilograms.

This weight was enough to leave an ordinary strong man breathless.

However, this figure seemed completely impervious to this heavy pressure.

Gripping the cold water pipe firmly with both hands, he took a deep breath.

The next moment, exerting force from his waist and abdomen, his arm muscles instantly bulged and knotted like twisted tree roots.

Carrying that staggering weight, his body pulled up and lowered in a stable, rhythmic motion.

Once, twice, thrice...

His breathing was steady and powerful, and his movements were standard and smooth without the slightest strain or hesitation.

After completing a set of 100 Pull-ups, not even a drop of sweat had beaded on his forehead.

"Phew..."

Fang Cheng exhaled, lightly releasing his grip. Utilizing his extraordinary levitation ability, his feet landed steadily on the concrete ground.

The entire process made almost no sound, as agile as a leopard cat.

He didn't want to disturb the neighbors sleeping downstairs at this quiet hour.

After jumping down steadily, Fang Cheng unbuckled the weighted barbell plates from his waist and stacked them neatly to the side.

Today, he had woken up at 4:00 AM.

Winter went and spring came, and the stars shifted.

The daylight hours were constantly lengthening, and dawn was breaking earlier and earlier.

To avoid being accidentally spotted during his morning workouts, Fang Cheng had to push his schedule even earlier.

Thus, while it was still pitch black outside and the entire Tubular Building was still shrouded in deep sleep,

he had already dressed quietly and carefully moved the training equipment prepared last night up to the rooftop.

Throughout the process, he was terrified of making any sound that might wake his sleeping mother in the next room.

Easily completing the first official set of his first morning exercise today,

Fang Cheng rested briefly, then bent down.

Supporting his entire body weight with only the index finger of his right hand, he began practicing single-finger Push-ups.

Under his single finger, the hard concrete ground seemed to turn into soft mud.

Every descent and Push-up challenged the limits of his finger bones and muscles.

One could even hear a faint "chi-chi" scraping sound between his fingertip and the ground.

It was a manifestation of inhuman strength and high concentration.

Set after set, exercise after exercise.

Fang Cheng tirelessly repeated his physical training.

When the last set of weighted Squats ended, a touch of pale dawn began to appear on the horizon.

The massive black silhouette of the city slowly revealed clear outlines under the gradually brightening sky.

Fang Cheng stood up, exhaling a long breath of turbid air that formed a white mist.

Today's physical training intensity was actually lower compared to previous days.

To prepare for the upcoming battle, Fang Cheng planned to devote more energy to polishing his combat techniques.

Especially his Sanda skill, which was on the verge of a Breakthrough.

He looked up at the concrete water tank in the dim light.

Then, with a direct standing jump, his body soared up like a large bird, easily landing on top of the water tank.

Standing on top, Fang Cheng first assumed a horse stance, regulating his breathing to stabilize his blood circulation and quickly recover his spent physical strength.

After a moment, he slowly took up his stance.

Dropping his shoulders and elbows, hollowing his chest and straightening his back, he stared forward, his entire Aura suddenly shifting.

The next instant, he moved.

His left foot stepped forward abruptly, and his right fist shot out in a straight line like a cannonball, whipping up a fierce gust of wind.

Jab!

Immediately after, utilizing force from his waist and hips, his right fist swung in a swift arc, striking the ribs of an imaginary opponent.

Hook!

Without stopping his offensive, his body sank slightly, and his right leg swept out like a steel whip, targeting the opponent's lower body.

Low whip kick!

Every movement was clean and sharp, looking as if it had come straight out of a Sanda textbook.

At the same time, he tried his best to hold back his power to avoid generating terrifying sonic booms.

However, the sound of his fists and feet tearing through the air remained exceptionally clear on the silent rooftop, whistling "whoosh whoosh."

Standing in this narrow space with a diameter of only two meters, Fang Cheng engaged in Shadow Boxing.

At times he was like a tiger descending a mountain, fierce and peerless, his Moves wide and powerful.

At times he was like an agile ape playing in the water, his figure elusive as he dodged and leaped.

Straight punches, hooks, whip kicks, front kicks, grappling throws...

Various classic Moves in Sanda were executed by him as smoothly as flowing water, connecting naturally without any hesitation.

Every strike he made was not just an explosion of muscle power, but also a precise control of timing, distance, and angle.

It was as if an invisible, powerful opponent was truly standing before him, forcing him to perfect every detail of offense and defense.

The sky brightened bit by bit.

From the initial gray, it was gradually painted with a light crimson, then turned into a magnificent orange-yellow.

The sunlight, like golden quicksand, passed through the gaps between city buildings and fell gently onto the rooftop.

It gilded that focused and vigorous figure with a faint halo.

Bathing in the morning light, Fang Cheng constantly shifted his posture, throwing punches and kicks.

Sweat had long since soaked his body, glistening and outlining his well-defined muscle lines exceptionally clearly.

Yet he was completely oblivious, still immersed in his Sanda practice, every cell in his body yearning for the release and sublimation of power.

At the same time, several prompt messages slowly floated past his eyes.

[Sanda EXP +1]

[Sanda EXP +1]

[Sanda EXP +1]

...

Just as a fierce spinning back kick whipped up a violent gust of wind and was about to conclude—

Buzz!

The skill panel before Fang Cheng's eyes suddenly erupted with a brilliant light like a rising sun!

Amidst the light, lines of familiar text emerged, yet they carried a brand-new, exciting meaning.

[Congratulations! Through effort and perseverance far beyond ordinary people, your skill has successfully broken through, reaching the Grandmaster level.]

[Sanda LV3 (0/1000)]

[Obtained skill enhancement reward: 12 Free Attribute Points.]

Staring at the glowing panel, an indescribable sense of invigoration and satisfaction welled up from the bottom of Fang Cheng's heart, spreading to every limb and bone.

It was as if his long-standing suppression and accumulation had been slightly released at this moment.

Fang Cheng could clearly perceive that his understanding of the combat skill of Sanda, as well as his body's application of the relevant techniques, had risen to a completely new level.

Subconsciously clenching his fists, he felt the power belonging to a Martial Artist within his body, which seemed ready to burst forth.

In Fang Cheng's eyes, a tangible sense of hot blood and Battle Intent flickered. (End of Chapter)