The Second Long-Term Gain (Part 2)

"What? Nervous?"

Fang Nanxun assumed that he had heard wrongly.

What a joke!

But Fang Nanxun truly was concerned about Dr. Sang's hesitation.

"Hold on."

Dr. Sang pondered silently. Sometimes he frowned, sometimes shook his head.

But he became more confident of his guess after thinking it over.

Dr. Sang said, "Comparing the real-time measurement data when we were in the room and when we were not in the room, Tang Hong seemed nervous. But he was not that nervous."

"Tension. I mean tension contraction… For example, getting rich and getting married will cause deep or shallow tension… The most intuitive manifestations are increased heart rate, increased in blood pressure and slower blood flow."

"And as for Tang Hong…"

Speaking of this, he paused, then carefully said. "Smooth muscle contraction and a series of tension manifestations are absent. It seems that when someone is around him, he is in a normal state."

"When he's alone…"

"He enters an overclocked state."

"The data shows that what was happening in his body were subtle changes that were 'diametrically opposed to tension' causing this paradoxical phenomenon of him not being to overcome a certain hurdle despite being determined to do so."

"Unbelievable…"

"Can you even understand what I'm saying?!"

"No wounds, no abnormalities. I really can't think of anything other than nervousness. I have to record this. This is an unknown type of nervousness among Preliminary Transcendents." Dr. Sang took out a small notebook from his pocket as he wrote while speaking.

Fang Nanxun was stunned. "I understand what tension is. But what does it mean to enter an overclocked state?"

Dr. Sang shook his head. "That's just a metaphor."

Fang Nanxun asked again. "Will the ordinary type of tension also make it impossible for him to reach the minimum standard?"

Dr. Sang pondered for a moment, then said, "I don't know."

"The field of Transcendence and Divinity still cannot be fully analyzed by our current technology. For example, the gods do not conform to the law of conservation of matter. The low-level kinetic energy that isn't fused with Willpower is particularly weak against them."

"Something that cannot be explained by science doesn't mean that it doesn't exist nor does it mean that it's unscientific."

"That's enough explanation for."

"You won't understand what I'm saying anyway."

"I'll leave first. You have to show optimism and positive emotions. Then, just find an excuse to let him practice alone. Don't tell him about the tension problem. After Tang Hong becomes a Transcendent, I will contact him on my own."

Dr. Sang waved his hand.

He ignored Fang Nanxun's blank look and ran back to the room.

He observed the real-time data again and his eyes lit up.

He began to record what he was seeing.

The recording was soon completed.

He collected all the notes and nodded at Tang Hong with a smile.

Then, he left straight away.

Fang Nanxun shook hands with him at the door and expressed his gratitude.

He watched as Dr. Sang left with a relaxed smile on his face.

He carried a set of new clothes and threw it to Tang Hong.

"If you have the chance in the future, you must thank Dr. Sang properly…"

"He finally discovered the reason why you weren't performing as expected. Sadly, he has a meeting to attend in the Imperial Capital, so he cannot stay here for too long."

"The reason why you have failed several times is that you weren't wearing standard practice clothing…"

"Jeans and sportswear have affected your performance."

"Change into this suit and try again."

"You will definitely succeed."

"I will go downstairs for a smoke. Practice alone here, and don't bother about me."

Watching Fang Nanxun leave in a hurry as if his cigarette addiction had been triggered.

Tang Hong was surprised and delighted upon discovering the reason why he was underperforming.

Having finally found the reason why…

He became confident that he would be able to reach the minimum standard now!

That's right…

He had to believe in the experts and professionals.

Not to mention that Dr. Sang was a valuable talent from the Central Research Institute.

Thus…

He changed into the suit.

Although Tang Hong kept feeling that this suit had a strange smell in them…

He decided to try it out.

'It's time…'

Tang Hong slowly got into the starting posture.

He slashed out with his loosely clenched fists. Although he was still lacking confidence, his strong Willpower made Tang Hong enter the state of utmost concentration.

This caused him to become free of distractions at this moment.

In an instant, he reached the minimum standard!

It might have lasted a second or maybe even half of that.

Tang Hong didn't know how long.

All he knew was that he was fully immersed in the joyful ocean of this Transcendent Technique.

'Fang Nanxun was right.'

'Once I reached the minimum standard, it'll be easy for me from now on. It's like playing a game.'

'I can even feel my entire body being enveloped by joyful emotions…'

Tang Hong—who reached the minimum standard in an instant—practically forgot the passage of time.

At this moment, he was very happy and comfortable. He felt so comfortable that he didn't want to stop. His Willpower made him more and more attentive in his actions. His strokes became more and more standardized while his posture became more and more casual.

Upon reaching the minimum standard, each Transcendent Technique needed to be fine-tuned to the user's preference, so that it could reach the most appropriate frequency that varied from person to person.

Only when this happened could one say that they had truly grasped the Transcendent Technique.

This was where the intermediate standard of the Fist Technique would come in handy.

Recalling Fang Nanxun's demonstration, Tang Hong felt a force slowly pouring out of his body.

It was converging on the surface of his fist and then rotating back into his body.

Practicing this technique now was tiring—but at the same time—invigorating.

He knew this was the minimum standard of the Fist Technique.

He sensed the subtle changes within the muscles of his body.

He couldn't help but adjust his movements so that he could punch more smoothly, more easily, and with even more explosive power than before.

Maybe after a minute or two, or maybe after a century or two…

His immersion distorted his sense of time, but when Tang Hong retracted his fist and twisted his waist, explosive power rose from the soles of his feet to between his waist and abdomen. At the same time, that power injected itself into his shoulders and into his fists.

Afterwards, Tang Hong punched in the air.

The movements looked incredibly slow at the beginning, but they accelerated to the maximum at the very last moment.

A sudden acceleration created vibration which culminated into an explosion!

Snap!

Tang Hong's punch made a slight crisp sound.

Normal people couldn't hear it at all, but it did exist.

'Ding Dong!'

'First-time experience practicing the Fist Technique alone. Individual Value increased by 1.'

Seeing, hearing, and feeling the flickering of the system prompt, Tang Hong revealed a smile.

He guessed it right.

The Transcendent Technique was indeed his second method for long-term gains.

Bang!

The door was pushed open and Fang Nanxun's round-eyed face was full of shock.

"You've reached the minimum standard?"

"I didn't."

Tang Hong continued slowly.

"I reached the Intermediate Standard."

"???"

Fang Nanxun was just starting to feel disappointed but when two words 'intermediate standard' rang out. It became as loud as the clamor of gongs and drums. The shock rendered him speechless as a dumbfounded expression appeared on his face.

Intermediate standard Fist Technique?

It seemed that it was the accumulation from his past failures.

The first nine failures were not entirely useless.

It had laid the foundation for the tenth time when he accumulated enough experience and after breaking that bottleneck, it paved the way for Tang Hong to his limits. Then, he succeeded in one fell swoop. This was the true meaning of accumulation.

Failure was the mother of success.

Fang Nanxun was surprised.

But when he thought about it, he felt that it was a pity.

He heard that today's six great geniuses were able to reach the minimum standard at their third try at most.

In addition, they have all reached the Intermediate Standard within seven times.

'It's my fault.'

'If I had let Tang Hong practice by himself sooner than today, he would've reached the minimum standard by the second or third try. It's not clear how tries it would take Tang Hong to reach the minimum standard, but it should be within that range.'

Fang Nanxun didn't verbalize his thoughts.

He smiled slightly and congratulated Tang Hong.

As for the tension problem, he planned to tell Tang Hong about it after he completed the special training camp. Lest he knew the true reason and become nervous instead.

But at the same time, he was worried that Tang Hong would enter the special training camp and encountered a similar situation.

Rushing to leave, Tang Hong's hurried voice interrupted Fang Nanxun's thoughts. "Let's go! Let's go! The train is about to leave!"

"Hold on."

"What's wrong?"

"Change your clothes first…"

Fang Nanxun stood waiting outside the door with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Through the crack in the door.

Fang Nanxun clearly saw Tang Hong's reluctant expression.

To be honest, Fang Nanxun just casually took a set of hospital gowns and spilled some disinfectant onto them which turned them into 'training clothes'.

Soon…

The two set off.

Fang Nanxun was free during the day, therefore he sent Tang Hong off since he had nothing to do anyway.

"You don't mind right?"

Fang Nanxun shook his right hand holding a cigarette in the car surrounded by air-conditioning.

"It's ok."

Tang Hong closed his eyes and thought about that Fist Technique.

Recalling something, he opened his eyes and said, "Oh right, there was something I didn't have time to tell you the day before. Zhang Jing from the Tiansheng Organization looked for me but have no idea about his motives."

Zhang Jing?

Fang Nanxun lit the cigarette and sucked a mouthful of smoke.

He didn't know this person.

"The headquarters of the Tiansheng organization is right in Yunhai City. I have never heard of a Transcendent named Zhang Jing."

Tang Hong carefully described the process of him and Fan Yu meeting—Zhang Jing—that day in the teahouse within that alley.

"Oh?"

Fang Nanxun squinted his eyes. "The Fist Technique I taught you was something I created myself. About a few years ago, when I was a special training camp Instructor, I waived the cost and taught this technique widely to the students…"

"Zhang Jing might be one of the members in the special training camp at that time."

Hu.

He puffed out a mouthful of smoke. It formed a cloud of smoke that floated in the air.

"Can you remember more details?" Fang Nanxun asked thoughtfully. "That Zhang Jing wears black cloth strips on both wrists?"

Tang Hong thought back and said. "It was wrapped around the wrist. As for whether he was wearing the black clothes the last time we met before that… I don't know. The sky was dim at that time, and I didn't pay him any particular attention. I can't remember."

Fang Nanxun replied placidly, "I reckon he's using an extreme method to try and become a Transcendent being."

"What do you mean?" Tang Hong's eyes lit up.

"Don't ask. Don't be curious." Fang Nanxun said softly and seemingly warning him. "Don't learn from him in the future. Being impatient to become a Transcendent, what wishful thinking."

"The anxious and the timid should not even think about breaking the limits of their Willpower."

"In the past, there were people who tried to avoid danger. They didn't participate in attacking the gods and tried to become Transcendent on their own."

Fang Nanxun suddenly went silent.

The atmosphere inside the car suddenly turned cold.

Tang Hong couldn't help but shiver.

"Then, they all died."

"Becoming a Transcendent being on their own…"

"I'm afraid that's something that not even a genius can achieve."

Fang Nanxun was holding the cigarette with only the butt left.

He rubbed his hand on it a few times.

His action looked very natural causing Tang Hong's eyes to shift slightly.

If he recalled correctly, he had seen a movie where the protagonist was a serial killer who used this method to wipe away his fingerprints.

Tang Hong surreptitiously glanced at Fang Nanxun's fingers.

His two fingers remained clean as usual.

He really had to rectify his persecution delusions.

Tang Hong lowered his eyes and sat in a resolute manner.

He looked forward, steadfast as he watched the Yunhai Train Station getting closer and closer.

The car stopped on the side of the street directly opposite the train station.

Tang Hong pushed open the car door and half-footed out of the car.

But before he could leave, he turned around.

Looking at Fang Nanxun, he said. "That house and car. I want to buy them."

"Can. 100 points."

Fang Nanxun pulled on his seat belt. He didn't even turn to look at Tang Hong.

It was as if he was speaking into the air.

Tang Hong smiled. "Thank you. Get ready for the transfer procedure."

"It's a good thing to have confidence."

Fang Nanxun happily watched Tang Hong's departure. Originally, he was thinking that as long as Tang Hong could graduate, he would give him those trivial properties as gifts.

But now it's different. Tang Hong had confidence and he didn't want to rely on others anymore.

He wanted to truly own those things and it was good for his mental health and Willpower.

Now, if Fang Nanxun still wanted to give those things to Tang Hong for free, it wouldn't be an act of kindness anymore, but it would be an act of humiliation.

"Third place isn't a problem."

"He can probably fight for the second place."

Fang Nanxun's face gradually became serious. "But the first place ranker for the entrance test into the training camp has already been determined."

…

By 4 PM, Tang Hong finally arrived in the Imperial Capital.

"I have finally arrived."

Tang Hong opened his eyes abruptly.

He took off his earphones, picked up his backpack, and found Fan Yu in casual clothes according to the station address sent to him by herself.

She wore red lipstick and light makeup.

She had a graceful figure. Coupled with her slender white legs, she looked like a celebrity.

The passersby often gave her second glances.

She was good-looking, her temperament was good, and she dressed rather fashionably.

"Let's go."

Fan Yu smiled and came to Tang Hong's side.

She whispered in his ear. "There was a notice from the headquarters that this time's special training camp seemed to be being targeted by someone. Don't randomly walk around when you get to the hotel."

Tang Hong was slightly surprised. "Targeted by humans? Or by…"

Fan Yu emphasized. "Humans."

Tang Hong instantly went silent as he followed Fan Yu to the hotel.

The hotel was located in the suburbs of the Imperial Capital.

It was neither remote nor lively. The top floor of the hotel was full of people participating in this batch's special training camp. There was no tit-for-tat, only friendly exchanges.

Some doors were open and from those rooms, one could hear some dialects from various provinces.

Some people were standing in the hallway, chatting casually with each other.

These people were from all over the country.

The hustle and bustle were similar to the start of a new university semester.

Tang Hong took the light blue room card and walked silently into a big bedroom.

He took off his shoes and went onto the bed to take a nap.

"Who was that just now? He looks a bit familiar."

"Our group chat has his photo, his name is Tang Hong…"

"He is from Yunhai."

"It's said that the three consultants are closely keeping their eyes on him. He was listed as a fifth seed trainee who has hopes of becoming a trainee in this batch's Yellow River Special Training Camp."

"Fifth seed trainee?"

"That's right…"

"100 people will be eliminated in the first three months of the special training camp. In another three months, another 100 people will be eliminated. Only the last 100 people remaining will become full official members."

"Those five are basically being shortlisted in advance. The special training camp Instructors will also pay attention to them and they would mostly put their focus on training them…"

Several people leaned against the walls of the hallway as they exchanged all sorts of information that they had.

Soon, the night enveloped the hotel.

Everyone was done with their meals and they all returned to their rooms.

It was already 9:50 PM.

Countdown to the special training camp: Two Hours.