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On July 2, 2081, at 1:50 PM, in the bustling city of Binhai, Xia Country, dark clouds loomed overhead, thunder rumbled, and a heavy rainstorm was imminent.

"Summer thunderstorms arrive unexpectedly," a young man observed from a room on the top floor of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Hall, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the ominous clouds and flashes of lightning, as the first raindrops began to patter against the glass.

He moved to the center of the room and, with both hands firmly on the ground, slowly and steadily transitioned into a handstand. Initially, he balanced on both hands, then lifted one hand, shifting into a one-handed handstand on his right side.

"Breath in... breathe out..."

As the sound of his breathing filled the air, Xu Jingming felt the core muscles of his body tighten, experiencing the weight of his entire being pressing down on his right arm.

For the first three minutes, his arm felt comfortable, the muscles and tendons deeply stimulated, but by the fourth minute, a throbbing pain began to creep in, intensifying by the fifth. Yet, accustomed to such strain, Xu Jingming persisted through the five minutes and seamlessly transitioned to a one-handed handstand on his left side.

"I wonder if Dad's back feels any better today." As he balanced, his thoughts drifted to his father, who was sixty this year and had long struggled with back pain. Just yesterday, his mother mentioned that his father had re-aggravated his injury while lifting heavy objects...

"Once this busy period is over, I'll head back home," Xu Jingming contemplated.

The one-handed handstand wasn't a technique taught by the national team but rather one his father had taught him in his youth. Xu Jingming had been frail as a child, and his father had introduced him to martial arts for strength-building, including the "one-arm handstand." Over two decades of consistent practice had yielded remarkable results; even through illness and injury, he maintained his routine, rarely missing a session unless absolutely necessary. As the saying goes, "Practice martial arts without neglecting fundamentals, or you will end up empty-handed in old age."

A break of just a few days would result in a noticeable decline in flexibility and strength.

After finishing the one-arm handstand, Xu Jingming sat down at his desk, sipping water while watching the torrential rain outside.

"When the humidity is high, my leg starts to ache," he noted, rubbing his right leg gently. "I've never ceased my rehabilitation exercises, but my right leg... it’s hopeless now."

"If my leg weren't injured, I might have a shot at the world number one," he thought silently.

Injuries were every martial artist's worst nightmare, and for Xu Jingming, a "broken leg" injury was akin to a waking nightmare.

Suddenly, a sound interrupted his thoughts.

"Xiaobai, answer the video call," he instructed.

A light coalesced before him, forming a two-meter high image of a burly man sitting in a car. "Hey, Lao Xu! We’ve just left the hotel; we should arrive at the Starry Sky Martial Arts Hall in about twenty minutes. It's been over a year since we last met—let's enjoy a good drink tonight!"

"Don’t worry, Daxiong, I’ve already reserved a barbecue restaurant," Xu Jingming replied with a smile at the sight of his childhood friend. "Be careful on the road; it's pouring out there."

"Rest assured!" Daxiong continued, "The provincial training team really admires you and can’t wait to see your shooting skills. You’ll have to give them some pointers so they can understand the gap between themselves and the world’s top experts."

"Younger generations are getting stronger every year; I’ll be lucky not to sink myself," Xu Jingming chuckled.

"How could you sink? I actually hope you do; if you do, it means our provincial team has produced another genius!" Daxiong laughed heartily. "Alright, enough chatting. See you soon!"

"See you later." With a flick of his hand, Xu Jingming dismissed the image in mid-air.

He was preparing for a ten-day training session for the Jiangnan provincial training team, charging fifty thousand Blue Star coins. In reality, that barely covered the venue costs. However, for the martial arts hall, hosting the provincial training team served as a promotional opportunity, attracting more martial arts enthusiasts to join.

"Even retired professional athletes need to make a living," Xu Jingming thought as he stood up to shower and change.

While the life of a professional fighter may sound glamorous, most only earned appearance fees at their peak. Very few earned over a hundred million throughout their careers, and for most, it simply meant getting by.

After retirement, making money became even harder. Despite being a world-class martial artist, Xu Jingming had only reached the top eight in the world martial arts competition. Earnings in the fighting world resembled a pyramid, with only a minuscule few at the pinnacle. The income for the top-ranked was astronomical, while it sharply declined for those ranked second, third, and fourth...

Xu Jingming stood at the entrance of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Hall, accompanied by several staff members, when he spotted an electric bus emerging from the curtain of rain.

As the bus came to a stop and the doors opened, over a dozen members of the Jiangnan provincial training team descended one after another.

"Daxiong!" Xu Jingming recognized the burly figure of his good friend Liu Chongyuan, the first to disembark.

"Lao Xu!" Liu Chongyuan approached excitedly, embracing Xu Jingming with a hearty slap on the back, causing Xu Jingming to grimace slightly, though he took it as a massage.

Liu Chongyuan, towering at two meters tall and weighing over one hundred eighty kilograms, resembled an upright bear. In his prime, he too had been a professional martial artist, wielding a shield in one hand and an axe in the other. At his peak, he ranked as high as thirty-ninth in the World Martial Arts Alliance, securing his position in the provincial sports bureau.

"This is Coach Xu," Liu Chongyuan grinned. "The Coach Xu you’ve all been dreaming of!"

"Xu Jingming!"

"The Gun Demon, Xu Jingming!"

"We finally get to see him in person!" The provincial team members buzzed with excitement, naturally idolizing this veteran within the industry.

Xu Jingming looked at these eager young faces, reminiscent of his own youth—vibrant and full of potential.

Unlike him, who had to retire after years of competition marred by injuries.

"Ah Chen, take them to select their weapons," Xu Jingming said with a smile.

"Yes, Xu Ge," the young staff member replied.

"Daxiong, let's head up to the third floor and wait for them," Xu Jingming suggested, sharing a moment of joy with his good friend.

……

The weapon room of the Starry Sky Martial Arts Hall sprawled across five hundred square meters, filled with an astounding array of cold weapons: swords, spears, staffs, shields, axes, hammers, and flails. All were designed for martial arts competitions, with swords dulled for safety and covered in cushioning material. The competition spears were neatly lined up against the wall, complete with details on length, head diameter, and weight.

"Truly the Starry Sky Martial Arts Hall, Binhai’s premier fighting venue, well-stocked with weapons," the eleven provincial training team members, all spear users, thought as they prepared for Xu Jingming's training.

When it came to marksmanship, Xu Jingming was recognized among the top ten of all professional martial artists in history.

With the specifications of the competition spears clear, the eleven team members quickly selected their preferred weapons.

"It’s my first time seeing Xu Jingming in person; he looks so ordinary, lacking the intimidating presence from the videos," remarked a tall man while testing a spear.

"He seems to have lost quite a bit of weight compared to the videos," added a young boy.

"That’s true," a robust man nodded. "When he was still active, I watched him compete several times. According to the publicly available data from the Martial Arts Alliance, he was178 centimeters tall and weighed ninety-three kilograms. Now, he must weigh no more than eighty-five kilograms."

The provincial team members discussed amongst themselves.

They understood well that for an average person, a height of 178 centimeters and a weight of over eighty kilograms might seem slightly overweight. However, for a professional martial artist, with denser muscles and higher muscle-to-fat ratios, it appeared a bit slender.

"Weight loss likely means a loss of strength," one mused.

"I wonder how much of his power remains," another pondered.

"Some professional fighters stop training after retirement, and their bodies become unrecognizable, diminishing their skills significantly," they continued discussing.

"I want to see just how far I am from a world martial arts competitor. Who knows if he’s even lost some strength with this weight drop?" The robust man felt discontent, recalling that he had also once been selected for the national training team last year, aiming for the pinnacle of the fighting world—the World Martial Arts Competition. His expectations of Xu Jingming, who had once made it to the finals twice, now felt slightly dashed.

With his reduced weight, how much power did Xu Jingming still possess? Did the "Gun Demon" still retain his past dominance?

"Even if his strength has diminished, his experience remains," the tall man beside him chuckled. "He’ll still provide valuable guidance."

"He might not even spar with us," the young boy murmured. They had seen many older coaches instructing, but few ever participated in real sparring sessions.

Seeing their expressions, Xu Jingming also guessed what these young people were thinking. He smiled and said, "I've read your files. There are a total of eleven long - spear users in the Jiangnan provincial team right now, and all of you are here this time. Three of you are high - school students who were specially recruited. Let the three little guys come one by one. Put on your armor."

In martial arts competitions, one must wear armor and a helmet, and even neck guards are essential.

In cold - weapon combat, the weapons are not sharpened and are wrapped with buffer materials, but the impact force is still terrifying. Without professional equipment, people could die.

Xu Jingming also put on his armor and helmet, and looked at these team members through the face - mask grid.

"All come inside the arena." Xu Jingming held his long spear and walked into the ring along the wire - mesh gate. The eleven team members and Coach Liu, the te