Chapter 54: The Training Ground's Effect

Night had fallen, thick clouds drifting across the sky to veil the bright moon and the starry expanse. Darkness enveloped Tianfu, but it couldn't hide the neon lights and vibrant nightlife of the bustling city center.

Before midnight, Li Nianlong had already donned his black attire and sat on the edge of his bed, examining his new status. The leap of five levels had brought significant changes; allocating all 50 unassigned points to True Qi had significantly enhanced his abilities.

Li Nianlong: Level 24 (49,850/60,000)

Strength: 150

Speed: 130

True Qi: 341

Intelligence: 155

Remaining Points: 0

Talent: Auspicious Avoidance: Innately possesses the power to sense fortune and danger, effortlessly avoiding calamity and seeking fortune.

Skills:

Frenzied Fists (Advanced 3%): Defeat masters with chaotic strikes. Attacks are unpredictable, increasing Strength by 30% and Speed by 30% for 30 seconds. No cooldown, consumes 20 True Qi per use.

Stealth (Advanced 15%): Turns invisible upon activation. Speed decreases by 30%, with a 20% chance of remaining undetected when disturbed. Cooldown 8 minutes, lasts 3 minutes, consumes 80 True Qi per use.

Heavenly Guardian Aura (Basic 0%): Surrounds the body with a layer of aura, doubling defense effectiveness. Lasts 1 minute, no cooldown, consumes 50 True Qi per use.

Money: 5

Equipment: Omitted...

Special Items: Golden Bell Cover (7th Layer), Iron Sand Palm (9th Layer), Traceless Tread (9th Layer)

Life Professions:

Architect (Grandmaster 75%): Capable of constructing any building below 100 stories with ease. A true master of architecture.

Acupressure Practitioner (Basic 0%): Relaxes the mind and body, alleviating ailments through acupressure points. Equivalent to a top-tier masseuse.

Permissions: Level 2 – Shop, Training Ground.

The four main attributes were notably higher than before, but the key was unlocking the new skill Heavenly Guardian Aura at level 20. A 100% defense boost sounded powerful, though the True Qi consumption seemed steep even at the basic level—50 points. He wondered if his True Qi would be able to sustain such skills as he progressed.

Truthfully, Li Nianlong wasn't fond of this skill. Being an offensive-minded person, a defensive skill like Heavenly Guardian Aura didn't suit his style. To him, it was less practical than Stealth. He couldn't fathom why the system would include such a mediocre skill at level 20.

Indeed, a defective product!

That was all Li Nianlong could think.

Skills weren't everything. His current skills were sufficient for now. What excited him most was the upgrade to permission level 2, granting him access to the second floor of the long-desired shop. Thinking about the higher quality items awaiting him, Li Nianlong grew a bit thrilled. Moreover, the level 2 permission unlocked the Training Ground, which seemed designed for enhancing strength.

Eagerly, Li Nianlong activated the Training Ground. In a flash of white light, he found himself in a colosseum-like arena, standing at its center. The grandeur of the ancient site sent shivers down his spine, as if he could feel the echoes of ancient audiences cheering at the bloody battles between humans and beasts.

"Welcome to the Training Ground, Host." Just as Li Nianlong was marveling at the colosseum, Dragonfly appeared before him, a playful smile on her face as she landed on his shoulder with a flutter of wings. "This will be a brand-new experience, designed to help the host rapidly gain combat experience."

Rapidly gain experience?

Li Nianlong's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he asked, "What do I do?"

"The Training Ground offers training methods of different levels and difficulties," Dragonfly explained with a smile, waving her tiny hand to conjure a 3D diagram before Li Nianlong. It displayed countless sections, each representing a level and difficulty of training ground.

Dragonfly scrolled to the top, pointing at the section labeled 20·1. "This is the simplest level 1 training ground for level 20. Each level has a difficulty range from 1 to 10, with higher numbers indicating greater challenge and more experience gained. Though you're level 24, I suggest starting with level 20 difficulty 1. If you fail the training, you won't gain any experience, and you may even lose some."

Experience loss upon failure?

Li Nianlong's heart chilled. He nodded gravely. "Let's start with level 20·1."

"Very well." Dragonfly tapped the level 20·1 section, transforming it into a gate. Perched on Li Nianlong's shoulder, she continued, "Just walk through this door, Host."

Li Nianlong nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped through the gate.

Another flash of light, and Li Nianlong found himself amidst a boundless grassland stretching to the horizon.

"Where am I?" Li Nianlong was startled, once again amazed by the system's capabilities.

"This is a virtual grassland. Every species found in real grasslands can be encountered here. Your task is to survive in this grassland for three days. If you do, the training is successful, and you'll gain substantial experience."

"Three days!?" Li Nianlong looked horrified. "Impossible! I have many things to do in reality. How can I waste time here for three whole days? Cancel the training, I want to leave!"

"There's no need to rush, Host." Dragonfly smiled. "The time ratio in the Training Ground is entirely different from reality. Three days here equals only three hours in reality, so it won't consume your precious time."

Three days for three hours? That's a 24:1 time ratio!

A glint flashed in Li Nianlong's eyes. If the experience gain was considerable and there was a 24:1 time ratio, why bother hunting monsters outside? He could simply train here.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Excitement gradually spread across Li Nianlong's face.

"Forgot to remind the host," Dragonfly added. "You can only choose one training ground per day, and once you complete a training successfully, that level and difficulty will become unavailable. Therefore, the training ground's assistance to the host is relatively limited; your primary means of gaining experience should still be in the real world."

"Damn it!"

Li Nianlong finally understood why the Training Ground was only accessible with Level 2 permissions. This was the catch! If the Training Ground could be used indefinitely, it wouldn't have been unlocked at such a low level. System, you've really got me this time!

But having something was better than nothing. Thus, Li Nianlong began his first trial in the 20·1 Training Ground.

While Li Nianlong trained, numerous plainclothes officers staking out nightclubs and lawless areas overnight suffered. According to Kung Fu Panda's pattern, they expected activity around 0:30 to 3:30 AM. However, despite the presence of over a hundred police officers throughout the night, they encountered several criminal incidents unrelated to Kung Fu Panda.

At 4 AM, Liu Bufeng, frustrated and empty-handed, announced their withdrawal. The plainclothes officers sighed in relief but also harbored resentment. "Kung Fu Panda, where have you gone? I... damn... you!"

Being cursed by so many police officers made Li Nianlong sneeze.

At that moment, Li Nianlong lay in bed, his consciousness immersed in the shop, browsing the items on the second floor.

Not long ago, he successfully completed his first training session, earning 10,000 experience points, just 150 points shy of reaching level 25. The outcome was quite satisfactory.

However, those three days were filled with peril. The grassland not only housed wolves but also lions, cheetahs, rhinos, hippos, elephants—dangerous animals. The waters were infested with crocodiles, a nightmare to deal with. Day or night, countless mosquitoes made it impossible for Li Nianlong to sleep well.

He dared not sleep too soundly at night either, for wolf packs and other predators didn't let him rest easy. In the Training Ground, Li Nianlong was like a giant beacon attracting both insects and beasts wherever he went. Moreover, the system didn't automatically restore his condition after 24 hours; he had to hunt for food, which wasn't difficult given the abundance of wildlife on the grassland. But eating well was another story.

Why? Because there was no salt! Meat roasted without salt tasted bland, and after three days, Li Nianlong felt like he was turning into a wild man. Fortunately, the system restored his state to normal upon completing the training; otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted.