Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 1773 - 976: Letting Go of Pent-Up Resentment

For over a week, Dong Qingfeng dedicated himself to practicing Sanda, showing commendable effort.

Mornings saw him taking underprivileged students from the targeted support program on a tour of Yuzhou, treating them to the city's famed grilled fish chain for lunch, and returning them to their dorms before a quick nap and heading to the gym for training.

The unsettling incident at the restaurant had fueled Dong Qingfeng's intense desire to become significantly stronger.

"Thank you, Coach Du," Dong Qingfeng expressed, now driven by a deep curiosity to gauge the difference between his own abilities and those of true experts.

Coach Du and Shang Zhengyu donned protective gear and entered the ring.

Another coach from the gym officiated as the referee, while the usual sandbag-training students congregated, creating a lively spectator atmosphere.

Shang Zhengyu maintained a stoic expression, in contrast to Coach Du's sharp, intense demeanor.

As the sparring commenced, Shang Zhengyu launched an aggressive assault, advancing while Coach Du adopted a defensive stance.

Suddenly, Shang Zhengyu unleashed a rapid series of five or six punches, two of which landed squarely on Coach Du's face.

Despite the blows, Coach Du merely shook his head, offered a grin, and maintained agile footwork.

A student who had been training for six months remarked, "Our Coach Du is truly resilient; it's like being tickled for him to get hit."

The pair then exchanged kicks in a probing exchange. Shang Zhengyu powerfully drove his left leg into Coach Du's knee, swiftly following with a sharp right kick aimed at the head. Though Coach Du managed to block with his gloves, the sheer force of the impact caused his body to tilt precariously.

Shang Zhengyu continued his kicking barrage, but this time, Coach Du skillfully evaded by shifting his position.

Capitalizing on the opening, Coach Du landed several powerful, albeit somewhat wild, punches. One particularly heavy blow struck Shang Zhengyu's side, yet he seemed unfazed.

"Brother Shang displays excellent timing and formidable kicking techniques," a spectator commented.

"Coach Du's uppercuts consistently find Brother Shang's head; I don't think Brother Shang stands a chance," another observed.

"It's more than just a feeling; he truly doesn't stand a chance. Coach Du isn't even fighting seriously," a third added.

After several minutes of sparring, both participants ceased, the match ending in a draw.

Shang Zhengyu retreated to lean against the wall to recuperate when a woman in yoga pants approached, offering him a Red Bull and striking up a conversation.

His striking, cold handsomeness combined with a lean yet powerful build, his skill nearly matching that of a coach, radiated a significant allure that captivated the woman.

Shang Zhengyu accepted the Red Bull and exchanged a few brief words, during which the woman's body nearly pressed against his.

The student who had trained for half a year commented with a hint of jealousy, "She's married, isn't she worried about her husband finding out?"

Dong Qingfeng, shaking his head, replied, "He probably couldn't beat him anyway."

Having witnessed the spar, Dong Qingfeng felt an irresistible urge to test himself and approached, asking, "Coach Du, would you be willing to spar with me?"

Coach Du gave him a searching look and replied with a smile, "Shouldn't you train for at least two months before attempting a spar?"

Coach Du recalled a past incident involving a student who was a wealthy and influential figure. After only a month of training, the influential student insisted on sparring. Unable to refuse, Coach Du arranged for him to spar against a student with a year of training. The affluent individual, accustomed to power in the outside world, was decisively defeated, suffered a bruised ego, and never returned to the gym.

Consequently, Coach Du adopted a policy of ensuring students trained for a more extended period before sparring to safeguard their self-esteem.

Dong Qingfeng insisted, "I simply wish to understand the disparity between my current level and that of you top experts."

Coach Du waved dismissively, "I am far from a top expert. To be perfectly honest, our nation currently lacks any truly top-tier talent."

Dong Qingfeng looked surprised. "What do you mean by that?"

Over time, Coach Du had learned about the young man's background: his parents held government positions and had close connections with influential local families.

He offered Dong Qingfeng candid advice: "By my definition, a top-tier fighter must have secured a UFC title or possess championship-contending prowess. As of now, with over a billion people in our country, we have no such individual."

This was indeed the reality in 2015; it would take another four years, until 2019, for Zhang Weili to achieve the distinction of becoming China's, and indeed Asia's, first UFC world champion.

"Next is the 'first tier,' those capable of challenging champions or former champions, though not posing a serious threat to current titleholders. There are very few in this category..."

"Then comes the 'second tier,' individuals who have participated in divisional fights and secured rankings... The 'third tier' comprises those with years of UFC experience but who struggle to gain rankings... 'Fourth tier' fighters are primarily local champions who tend to lose after joining the UFC... and finally, the 'fifth tier,' those unable to enter the UFC or achieve top local standing..."

Having had no prior involvement with martial arts, listening to Coach Du's breakdown, Dong Qingfeng felt an overwhelming sense of vastness, akin to a tiny creature gazing up at an immense sky.

"Then what about you, Coach Du, which tier are you?" Dong Qingfeng couldn't help but inquire.

Coach Du let out a wry chuckle. "Probably seventh tier."

Dong Qingfeng's eyes widened in astonishment. Was it truly the case?

In his perception, Coach Du was already an exceptionally powerful individual.

Coach Du explained, "This profession relies heavily on innate talent—take President Shang for example; if he had dedicated himself to training, he'd be far more formidable than I am."

By this point, the woman dressed in yoga attire had already exchanged WeChat details and departed. Shang Zhengyu then remarked, "I nearly turned professional back then."

Coach Du laughed with a hint of envy. "You've ended up in a much better situation than going pro. The game you developed is incredibly entertaining!"

"Being fun is insufficient; it's trashed daily as a rubbish mobile game," Shang Zhengyu responded.

Upon hearing this, Dong Qingfeng pondered for a moment. As a dedicated enthusiast of single-player games, he suddenly proposed, "Given your Sanda background, perhaps you could leverage motion capture technology to develop a martial arts action game."

Shang Zhengyu appeared taken aback by the suggestion. He mulled over it for a few seconds, his business acumen being truly exceptional; otherwise, he wouldn't have created a game that garnered over ten million in revenue in its initial month and reached a hundred million last year.

Earlier this year, he had journeyed to Japan and encountered numerous outstanding game creators, such as Hideo Kojima, although they proved unwilling to collaborate.