Chapter 054: Li Gang's Joy

Seeing this, Lin Yan closed the virtual interface before her.

She stood up and, with just a few steps, reached the large floor-to-ceiling window on one side of the fitness center’s lobby. Her gaze passed through the glass, peering outside. Apart from the streetlights that would automatically light up at night, the rest of the residential buildings were shrouded in darkness.

A city devoid of its inhabitants had lost the scent of humanity, gaining instead an air of silence and dread.

Li Gang followed behind Lin Yan. He, too, cast his eyes beyond the window, lost in thought.

Without turning to look at him, Lin Yan spoke as she watched the night. “Whether in novels, TV dramas, films, or comics and animation, whenever humanity faces an existential crisis, there is always a chosen one who steps forward, becoming a hero to resolve the calamity and restore peace to the world. Tell me, do you think our world will have such a person?”

Li Gang replied, “I don’t know. I hope there will be heroes, but I don’t wish for the chosen one to be me or you.”

Lin Yan paused at his words and asked, “Why not?”

“Often, those savior heroes must endure countless hardships before they can rise. I don’t want to suffer such pain myself, nor do I wish it upon you.” Li Gang hesitated, but in the end, he spoke his heart’s truth to Lin Yan.

Growth always comes at a price, especially for a hero.

“It’s true, people only see the radiant glory of a hero saving the world, but how many can truly understand the trials and tribulations they must face, or the unimaginable price to be paid before they become heroes?” Lin Yan nodded.

Her words weren’t so much an endorsement of Li Gang’s view as an expression of her own reflections on the idea of heroism.

“You wanted to know why, even though my goal is ultimate victory, I still spend time on things that seem meaningless, like reading novels.” Lin Yan dazed for a while before speaking again.

Li Gang stood silently, waiting patiently for her to continue.

After a moment, as if organizing her thoughts, Lin Yan said, “The comic ‘Dragon Ball’ from start to finish upholds the martial spirit of a master known as Master Mutaito.

He was the teacher of both Master Roshi and Master Shen.

In the comic, the Turtle School’s martial philosophy is most notable for emphasizing the teaching of principles over techniques.

Master Roshi never actually taught his disciples any specific moves.

Looking at his training of Goku and Krillin, it’s clear he only ever instructed them in the basics—leg aerobic exercises, arm endurance training, full-body strength building, reflex training, and weighted exercises. The results of their training were remarkable.

Within the story, Master Roshi impressed upon Goku and Krillin two key philosophies. The first was the importance of combining knowledge and martial prowess—a true martial artist must be well-rounded, which is why he taught his disciples to read and write.

Secondly, he emphasized cultivating their attitude toward training and life itself, rather than focusing on specific techniques.

As for the Kamehameha, that was just Master Roshi showing off, only to have Goku master it after seeing it once—a privilege reserved for the protagonist.

Throughout the comic, Master Roshi’s greatest lesson to his disciples was that while training is vital, rest is equally important. Later, when Goku trained with young Gohan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he repeated the same advice his master once gave him.

Ultimately, whether Master Mutaito or Master Roshi, when it came to martial arts, they placed greater value on shaping their disciples’ character. It was this focus that produced so many talented warriors under their tutelage, all of whom became Earth’s defenders.

And whether they could win or not was secondary; what mattered was they never backed down from a fight.

This is one of the core ideals of the Turtle School, passed down from Master Mutaito to Master Roshi.”

As the saying goes, when the sky falls, the tallest among us must hold it up.

In the comic, when King Piccolo appeared, Master Mutaito was that pillar in his era.

Faced with disaster, he did not choose to kneel, even knowing it meant death. He bore the responsibility of a true martial artist—this, more than anything, embodied the spirit of chivalry the comic wished to convey.

In today’s words, it is a duty that cannot be shirked.

To be honest, when I read the comic and saw Master Roshi standing before King Piccolo just as his own master had, in the same posture, I was deeply moved.

That is the duty that comes with strength.

Now, let me share what I’ve learned from this comic and my attitude toward life.

One must strive and train diligently, but also live joyfully. We cannot, just because we are caught in this ten-year deadly hunting game, remain tense and on edge all the time.

We must treat every day as a day in our lives, no matter how harsh the environment.

We must train hard, yes, but also live with happiness.”

After listening to Lin Yan’s words, Li Gang could not deny that he was moved.

Especially by those words: when the sky falls, the tallest must hold it up. But if he imagined himself as that person, what would he do?

He felt deeply affected, both because Lin Yan spoke with such clarity and because he had watched the anime adaptation in its entirety, making her words all the more vivid.

After all, the scenes she described were some of the most memorable in the anime.

He repeated to himself, “Train hard, but also live joyfully.”

He found himself gaining new insight as he pondered Lin Yan’s final words.

“Silly boy, why are you so quiet? What are you thinking about?” Lin Yan turned to see Li Gang standing silently nearby, lost in thought, and asked him.

“It’s nothing, Sister Lin. You’re absolutely right. I’m going to practice my guidance technique now.” After replying, Li Gang went to a spot in the lobby and quietly began his cultivation.

Lin Yan had her own way of living, and he had his.

Li Gang understood the tremendous gap between himself and Lin Yan. If he wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, he had to seize every possible moment to become stronger.

And so long as his efforts were for her sake, for the one he loved, even the pain became his own kind of happiness.

Lin Yan glanced deeply at Li Gang, who was practicing his guidance technique alone in a corner. She wasn’t sure if he understood her words, but she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she returned to her novel.

A master can lead the way, but cultivation is up to the individual.

She had said, explained, and taught all she should—more, in truth, than she had originally intended.

Whether Li Gang could grow into a true warrior and meet her expectations would depend on him alone.

The path to strength must ultimately be walked by oneself.

Elsewhere.

Perhaps it was because his mental strength had been enhanced, or maybe his mindset had grown clearer, and his future path was now defined.

Li Gang found that his practice of the Basic Guidance Technique—Speed Section, Phase One—was going much more smoothly than his attempt at the Physical Section the previous day. He completed it in one go, successfully raising his speed stat by one point.

He hadn’t intended to focus on speed so soon, but after Lin Yan’s guidance that afternoon, he understood the direction he should take. So, he decided to temporarily set aside the physical section and devote himself wholly to speed.

His physical stat was already high, but the other three stats were still low. Increasing his speed would improve his bodily control, which would benefit his mastery of military boxing and secret techniques like the Drifting Dragon Steps—making his efforts much more efficient.

Time passed quickly in cultivation.

By the time Li Gang completed another round of the Basic Guidance Technique—Speed Section, Phase One, it was already after eleven at night.

Lin Yan had left the hall to rest just as he began this round.

Li Gang finished his practice, went to wash up, and then reviewed the military boxing and Drifting Dragon Steps Lin Yan had taught him that day before finally falling into a deep sleep.

Perhaps it was because both his mind and body were thoroughly exhausted by the day.

He slept soundly, utterly without dreams.

That night, peace reigned here.

But elsewhere, the chosen ones’ hunt continued unabated, reaching the fiercest peak since the game began, with the rate of elimination at its highest.

Li Gang knew nothing of this, having set his AI assistant, Xiao Bai, to alert him only if strangers approached within a twenty-kilometer radius, muting the notifications for every ten eliminations during his rest.

Before his 5:30 a.m. alarm sounded, he was already awake.

The exhaustion from the previous day seemed to have vanished as if it had never existed.

Upon waking, Li Gang found both his body and spirit completely refreshed. Only by probing carefully could he detect the faintest trace of lingering fatigue in his mind—not something he would have noticed before undergoing comprehensive recovery therapy.

Aside from that faint mental weariness, his hunger was hundreds of times stronger.

Still, this hunger was only slightly more prominent than that sliver of fatigue—a mild pang, nothing more.

Communicating with Xiao Bai in his mind, his expression suddenly changed several times.

Li Gang could hardly believe it—overnight, the number of eliminated participants had surged past 180. He distinctly remembered that before he fell asleep, only 130 had been eliminated. In just four or five hours, more than fifty chosen ones were gone.

“Just as Lin Yan predicted, this period has reached a new peak in eliminations,” he murmured to himself.