Technological practice: leading the human race to the stars

Chapter 6 Protection
In the early morning, sunlight shines through the glass door onto the reception area at the front desk, bathing the entire space in a warm and bright light.

When Yuanze stepped into the bright light, the girls at the front desk immediately stood up, bowed slightly, and their voices were full of respect:

"Mr. Yuan, you are always so early, it is really admirable. Your master asked you to go to the old place to train first, and he will be there soon."

The contempt of the past had disappeared from their eyes, and was replaced by sincere respect.

They folded their hands in front of their bodies, and every movement revealed humility and obedience, which was in stark contrast to their cold and even somewhat provocative attitude in the past.

Not only was this the case openly, Yuanze hadn't heard them gossiping about him behind his back for a while.

However, none of this matters to Yuan Ze. He has only one goal in mind, which is to pass the upcoming top class test.

This is an important assessment that will determine the direction of his future, and he cannot afford to slack off.

Of course, he knew that he had to catch up with more than ten years of hard work by others, and this was not a gap that could be easily made up in just one summer vacation.

Therefore, he came to training early every day and did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

"drink!"

Yuanze threw punch after punch in the empty field. His punches were so sharp that they seemed to tear through the air. He appeared agile and powerful.

With the last swing, Yuanze put his palms down, pressed his arms downward, and took a long breath, ending his morning warm-up.

He picked up the water bottle on the wall and gulped down the water. His eyes were involuntarily attracted by the reflection of the mirror.

The figure reflected in the mirror was no longer the frail scholar in his memory.

After a month of training and tempering, his originally thin shoulders have become broad and strong, with muscle lines faintly visible under his training clothes. His chest has become thicker, like a small hill.

"Well, that's really good..." Yuanze was satisfied with his changes.

Li Haisheng appeared out of nowhere, holding the teaching plan and slapping Yuanze on the head: "Why are you so narcissistic? Hurry up and practice, there are only a few days left!"

"Here are the details of the assessment for the day after tomorrow. They are a little different from previous years. Take a look at them quickly."

Li Haisheng handed Yuanze a piece of paper, coughed, and began to explain.

"I'm not too worried about the theory part, after all, you can get full marks in science. But your source power is too low, and you can't use ancient boxing, so I'm not sure..."

"The biggest change this time is the temporary addition of a recommendation system. Most of the places are occupied by the rich and powerful. Moreover, the guys who are recommended are not all rich and powerful, so they are difficult to deal with."

The master was talking incessantly, and Yuanze seemed a little absent-minded. He held the paper and looked towards the entrance of the venue.

At this moment, Zhang Xiao strode in with his apprentice. He looked at Li Haisheng and Yuan Ze with a provocative smile on his face: "Master Li, you two are here so early, do you want to see my new apprentice?"

Zhang Xiao stepped aside, revealing his disciple behind him.

He is about the same age as Yuanze.

He stood tall and straight, his eyes revealing the confidence that no one else could do it better than him, as if he was a rising star ready to take off.

His appearance undoubtedly brought some ripples to this peaceful morning.

Yuanze glanced at Zhang Xiao's new disciple. He was shocked at first, then his eyes seemed to be filled with fire. His body trembled involuntarily, as if some emotion deep in his heart was touched.

Li Haisheng noticed his abnormality, pressed Yuanze with one hand, and then turned his head sideways with this arm as the center.

"Li Haisheng!" "Nephew!"

"My father really hopes that you will return to the clan. He says that it is a waste of your talent for you to be a teaching master here." Li Weiming glanced at Yuanze and didn't take him seriously at all.

"Well, since I am the strongest young man in the clan, it wouldn't be a waste of your talent if you teach me."

"This..." Zhang Xiao's arrogance disappeared all of a sudden. He looked at the uncle and nephew timidly, fearing that they would reach such a cooperation.

"Huh, you? Are you worthy enough to learn from me?" Li Haisheng turned his head back and asked with a very disdainful tone, and then he increased the strength of the hand on Yuanze's shoulder, "My apprentice is going to be admitted to the top class, he will definitely be able to defeat you."

"Let's wait and see." Li Weiming didn't hesitate and prepared to leave here with Zhang Xiao.

"That's right. Don't forget what you said just now. Don't let your disciple be beaten so badly that he won't even recognize you." Zhang Xiao's eyes flashed coldly and his tone became aggressive again, appearing very tough.

Not long after the two left, Yuan Ze, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, but the angry Yuan Ze didn't even use a respectful title.

"Why don't you let me talk about him? Didn't you teach me that a Source Warrior should speak his mind when faced with a problem?!"

"I really don't know why you are so angry, but you are not calm at all. Even if you use breathing techniques and ancient boxing techniques now, you can only end up in a draw at best. Moreover, this non-lethal fight is meaningless. Don't act on impulse and learn from what I did back then!"

Li Haisheng waved the lesson plan in one hand and pointed at Yuanze with the other, bursting into anger after a long time.

"Then just stop caring about me! I have to go my own way after all!"

"Well, I have taught you for nothing for the past ten years!"

"..."

However, the master and the apprentice had been together for ten years after all, and they still trusted each other. After a quarrel, they finally sorted out the ins and outs of the matter.

"You should keep calm and not act rashly in the future."

"I know what to do."

In the next few days, Yuan Ze trained even harder. He no longer cared about the disturbances and provocations, and only focused on improving his own strength.

The day before the assessment, at the end of the training, Li Haisheng handed Yuanze a pendant that was exactly the same as the blue bottle.

"This is the amulet I made. I didn't want to give it to you, but now there is no better way. You should pass the assessment of the top class first, and also win honor for your father."

Yuanze took the pendant and looked at his master in confusion.

"It can temporarily increase your energy to the top level of the top class in critical moments. It will not overdraw your potential."

"But it has a side effect, which is that within about a year, your source power will only slowly fade away until it returns to its current level."

"I see. I understand."

"No, you don't understand!" Li Haisheng became inexplicably agitated. He raised his head and seemed to be lost in painful memories.

"Do you know how painful this year will be for you? Can you understand the feeling of falling from the peak to the bottom?"

Yuan Ze was silent. He stared at his master with determination in his eyes: "I am willing to bear this price."

(End of this chapter)