The gap between reality and ideal

"Let him wait for me on the east lawn of the community." A cool and pleasant voice came from the videophone.

After confirming with the owner, the security at the gate of the community allowed Wang Yi to enter.

Wang Yi walked in and reached the east lawn of the community, which was adorned with flowers and trees. After waiting silently for a while, he saw a young girl in sportswear with a ponytail approaching. She was very beautiful and slender, with a slightly cold expression on her face. It gave the impression that she was aloof, yet there was a hint of reserved arrogance.

She seemed to be about the same age as Wang Yi.

"I feel that the body posture I practiced yesterday was a bit wrong," she said directly as she approached.

"Let me see," Wang Yi responded, without any further discussion.

After having worked together for almost a year, they had come to understand each other's personalities well.

"Huh!"

Wang Yi stepped forward and suddenly threw a punch. His fist moved like a cannonball, producing a sound like the wind being cut through.

The ponytail girl's eyes narrowed, and her body instantly retreated like a spring.

Wang Yi followed with a diagonal kick aimed at the girl's midsection, seemingly merciless.

In just a few short moves, the girl found it hard to breathe. When she could no longer endure it, Wang Yi suddenly stopped.

The front part of the ponytail girl's hair was a bit disheveled, and her fair face had a hint of redness. Her breathing was a bit rapid, adding to her charm.

Wang Yi ignored the scene before him and said calmly, "There were several mistakes in your movements just now…"

An hour of tutoring passed quickly.

As Wang Yi left the villa complex, it was already past six o'clock and dark. The streetlights along the road cast a dim glow.

Walking alone on the street, Wang Yi suddenly felt a pang of loneliness.

"This tutoring job has been ongoing for almost a year; it's probably coming to an end soon," Wang Yi sighed inwardly.

Wang Yi's family was not well-off. His parents were ordinary workers with a modest monthly salary. Besides covering Wang Yi's study and exercise expenses, they also bore the financial burden of supporting him. He watched his parents work tirelessly and didn't feel comfortable about it.

Thus, after becoming a "Senior Martial Arts Student" a year ago, he quickly found a nearby tutoring job through various channels. The job involved instructing others in physical fitness and related practices, earning 150 per hour, five days a week, with the possibility of one to two hours of teaching on weekends. The monthly income ranged from 4500 to 6000, which was high and convenient. Without his qualification as a "Senior Martial Arts Student," he wouldn't have secured such a good job.

"Senior martial arts students have this kind of income; not to mention 'warriors.' Unfortunately, I'm still far from meeting the standard of a quasi-warrior," Wang Yi felt a heavy weight.

As a traveler who knew the plot of the original story, he wasn't clear on every detail but was familiar with the general plot, especially the beginning when the Earth faced a major turning point. He knew it well.

It was a pity that despite knowing the plot, he lacked the ability to change it.

Luo Feng's achievements in the original story were due to his protagonist's aura and his own peerless talent, awakening his mental power at eighteen, becoming the world's top spiritual teacher. His rapid progress, magical encounters, and rise to the top of Earth in just a few years were beyond comparison to Wang Yi, who had earned his "Senior Martial Arts Student" qualification only after over a decade of hard work.

One was a great deity, the other a mere mortal; the comparison was stark.

Sometimes, Wang Yi felt like giving up or resigning himself to an ordinary life.

But considering his rare opportunity to traverse into this world, knowing its future history while being powerless to change it, made him feel deeply reluctant.

In his previous life, he had worked hard yet remained ordinary. Should he now repeat that trajectory and continue being ordinary?

Wang Yi clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and gazed at the stars in the distance.

On a street where people came and went, a teenager stood alone for a long time, looking up at the sky, with no one aware of his thoughts.

...

Wang Yi chose not to go home but to head to the district martial arts gym.

Extreme Martial Arts Center, the largest martial arts center on Earth, was founded by the world's number one powerhouse, "Hong."

"Di!" After swiping his student ID at the front entrance of the martial arts hall, Wang Yi entered the courtyard.

Other students along the way saw Wang Yi wearing a "Senior Student ID Card" on his chest. Regardless of their gender or age, if they weren't senior students, they would stop to show respect and greet him.

"Brother!"

"Hello, brother!"

There were also a few young women with good looks and figures who greeted him warmly.

According to the rules of the martial arts center, one can only study as a martial arts student from age 16 to 30, after which one is no longer allowed to study to avoid occupying teaching resources.

These young people were mostly in their twenties, but Wang Yi was only 18 years old!

Though he wasn't as sturdy as Luo Feng, who could wear three-in-one, his strength was still impressive.

As a young person with potential, Wang Yi was highly valued by the senior martial arts students, who were eager to maintain good relations with him.

Wang Yi smiled and greeted these acquaintances, though he remained calm in response to the advances of the women, maintaining a composed expression.

After the greetings, Wang Yi went directly to the two "fist strength testing machines" placed side by side in the corner of the martial arts hall. He turned on the device, stood in front of the fist target, took a deep breath, calmed his physical function, mobilized all his muscle strength, and threw a powerful punch.

Boom!

Wang Yi's right fist hit the black target with a sound like wind.

The target trembled slightly, and a number was displayed on the side screen—"789 kg."

Wang Yi looked at the number, slowly unclenched his fists, but felt a deep sense of loss in his heart.

"There is no time."