A third of Lu Xuanyu’s sparring partners could directly receive invitations to compete. As the competition approached, these individuals also left the Sports Science Research Center to begin their own pre-race adjustnts.
They were still Homo sapiens, with unenhanced limbs. Pre-race training and rest had to be managed well to ensure that they reached the peak of their condition when stepping onto the stage.
However, Lu Xuanyu’s training pace also slowed down.
It was at this mont that Lu Xuanyu began to realize how abnormal his year of intense training had been.
Rarely feeling fatigued, and not having to worry about injuries, he was fully imrsed in actual combat...
The only thing limiting his performance now was "ntal" fatigue.
Currently, there is no way to entirely solve ntal fatigue without side effects. Yawgmoth’s laboratory could provide various kinds of drugs to rejuvenate the mind, but it’s akin to drinking poison to quench thirst; it can’t harmlessly keep people from sleep.
The chanism of "sleep" is also quite mysterious.
Apart from "sleeping," Lu Xuanyu continued training in actual combat.
Unknowingly, he had beco this strong.
So strong that it made him feel a bit...
unreal.
The next day, when Xiang Shan invited him to eat, he still felt sowhat dazed.
"Ah, now I finally feel ’I’m this strong’..." Xiang Shan laughed, "I hope this isn’t a side effect of cybernetic transformation, you do seem a little absent-minded."
As he spoke, he scooped a large spoonful of chopped vegetables into his mouth and began to chew.
Xiang Shan ate exceptionally healthy. In front of him was a large plate of vegetable salad. Various fresh-picked, cleaned vegetables paired with a sauce made by a renowned chef on-site. There were also a few cooked prawns inside, perfectly blending snow-white with bright light red. Besides that, to his right side was a stack of beef, slow-cooked to the perfect temperature, then sliced into thin pieces.
This al seed simple, yet if calculated, an ordinary person’s steak might not even match the price of the garnish sauce on Xiang Shan’s plate.
But it’s nothing compared to Lu Xuanyu.
In front of Lu Xuanyu was half a table of various dishes, all the ingredients being lab products supplied to Benchmark Man. Earth had no natural environnt suitable for their growth, so industrial farming thods had to be sought. From the chicken and beef as the main ingredients to garlic and ginger as the accessories, all were like this.
These ingredients had their growth environnt and even nature and taste altered by the introduction of foreign genetic fragnts. A few chefs had previously risked tal poisoning to taste so of them, creating such flavors.
Of course, the portions of each were relatively small.
Although "Martial Artist’s large appetite" is a fact acknowledged through millennia, this did not apply to Lu Xuanyu. Lu Xuanyu’s appetite wasn’t much larger than an ordinary person’s.
Xiang Shan even often advised him to eat less. According to the theory, the efficiency of Benchmark Man’s cellular operation would reach a peak after "completely abandoning aerobic respiration" — moreover, the lower the proportion of aerobic respiration in energy supply, the stronger Benchmark Man becos.
However, Lu Xuanyu temporarily had no plans to completely fast.
Besides, after finishing this Number One Martial Arts Tournant, he still had to cooperate with Superman Enterprise in a series of promotional activities. Among them was the part where "Lu Xuanyu feasts heartily," to prove to the audience that Benchmark Man could also live well.
Even though Xiang Shan had the idea of "completely liberating agriculture," in the short term, humanity would still not rid itself of diet. Perhaps in the future, "eating" could beco a cultural activity similar to religious experience.
Lu Xuanyu said, "I really... can’t quite imagine. Really, it’s just... how did I get so strong?"
"Training volu." Xiang Shan rolled a piece of beef, "Didn’t you tell us months ago? Bruce Lee might be extraordinarily talented, but if he chose to beco an actor to promote Martial Arts culture, then his actual combat experience and training volu surely wouldn’t be as high as yours — right."
"But... how many events have I trained for, hand-to-hand combat, ground fighting, and several kinds of apparatus." Lu Xuanyu looked at the chopsticks in his hand, "It really..."
"Don’t underestimate ’communication’ and ’technical assistance’."
Xiang Shan said, "Tyson, from the start of his proper training to becoming a Boxing King at 19, took only four to five years. Moreover, in those four to five years, he also needed to train for fitness, needed rest. These are things you don’t need at all. Your fitness is supported by science and technology, you only need to consider the technology. Your sparring partners were world-class from the start — Tyson and Ali didn’t have such treatnt. And the small machines you face every day embody the complete honed technology of human Boxing Kings."
"If you can’t reach the level of world Boxing King with such conditions in a year, I can only say I’ve chosen the wrong person."
Saying this, Xiang Shan chewed on a prawn.
Actually, there were so elents he didn’t completely ntion. For instance, Lu Xuanyu’s extre reaction speed. Even extraordinarily talented Homo sapiens couldn’t reach such a level. The phospholipids and proteins of nerve cell mbranes intertwined to produce such a result. This is the result that effort cannot surpass.
But Lu Xuanyu probably understood in his heart.
Both sides already stood on different bases.
Xiang Shan was quite regretful: "It’s really a pity... the Brain-Machine Interface is still very primitive. It’s hard to achieve real-ti computer interaction with the equipnt that can fit in your cranial cavity. Otherwise, we could add plugins like force analysis..."
Lu Xuanyu was a bit intimidated: "Spare , boss, this I really can’t... I can’t compare with you guys. You intellectuals, scientists..."
He felt that if he had that kind of thing in his head, it would most likely just interfere with his performance.
Xiang Shan sighed regretfully.
If possible, he would quite like to install a few AI as auxiliary plugins in his brain.
However, "Fight" is not really like "Go," the kind of ga where all information is laid bare and all changes are on the board. Go AI can strive to "win by half a point" to achieve excellent stability. But according to the calculations of "True Martial 1," for AI versus AI battles, only "continuous suppressive attacks to minimize the chance of punches" barely counts as the version answer.
The only strategy for AI combat is "exploiting flaws." But for human martial artists, "being caught with a flaw" does not an defeat.
There is a very complex ga relationship involved here.
Xiang Shan thinks this might be a direction worth researching.
If a mathematician like Anatoly is interested in researching, he might co up with so top-tier results like "Nash equilibrium."
Xiang Shan is quite sure of this.
After eating, Xiang Shan asked, "How does it taste this ti?"
Lu Xuanyu wiped his mouth: "Very delicious. I think... I belong to the kind that can’t differentiate subtle nuances. You should find a gourt. Anyway, I can’t really discern the level of this ti compared to the last."
Xiang Shan nodded: "As long as you like it. Tomorrow you can move freely for a day. The day after tomorrow, we’ll go to Bermuda."
The venue for the Number One Martial Arts Tournant is in Bermuda—a capitalist heaven on earth.
Nominally, the Bermuda Islands are an overseas territory of the Britannia United Kingdom, the nominal head of state is the King of Britannia, and it doesn’t have independent diplomatic rights, with national defense secured by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Its administration, however, is independent.
In a sense, it is a heaven built by the many personifications of capital for capital itself. Here, the divine power of capital is most affird.
Naturally, it’s best suited for Superman Enterprise to showcase their power.
In theory, there are many places like the Cayman Islands. But Bermuda has another advantage—it’s a favorite location for the "Mystery Unsolved" series, providing quite a bit of hype.
Lu Xuanyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, the day had arrived.
Two days later, Lu Xuanyu brought his wife to the airport. Xiang Shan, Zhu Xinyu, along with Yawgmoth and Chen Feng, were all present. This made him quite nervous.
"Didn’t expect you all would actually plan to go to the competition venue in person..."
"You still don’t know?" Xiang Shan smiled, "Mr. Yawgmoth is going to sit on the comntary desk. He is the most famous scientist, and can be used to increase attention. Most importantly, he is in charge of the trash talk session—I know you don’t like this kind of tough talk, so no dia interviews or anything like that. He’ll take care of it. Just as well, this guy has a foul mouth."
Then he pointed at Zhu Xinyu: "She is responsible for maintaining and adjusting your prosthetic body. Also handling security affairs."
"And old Chen, he’s just here for fun. You don’t have to pay attention to him."
Lu Xuanyu nodded.
Xiang Shan leaned forward, pressing one hand on Lu Xuanyu’s shoulder: "I feel like you’re not tense enough now... By the way, do you know what I’m going to do?"
"Ah... I don’t know."
"Negotiating business deals," Xiang Shan said, "During this tournant, many companies will co to to discuss cooperation. Also, two collaborating enterprises that have received invitations have signed betting agreents with —based on your competition results."
Lu Xuanyu was montarily stunned: "Huh?"
"So, do your best, old Lu," Xiang Shan chuckled, as if cracking a harmless joke, "The weight on your fists is heavier than you imagine!"
Zhu Xinyu kicked him from behind: "Don’t make such jokes!"
"Sorry, sorry..." Xiang Shan said as he turned around.
They don’t need to wait for the plane anymore. Besides, Lu Xuanyu really wouldn’t do well with security checks.
Not long ago, Superman Enterprise had already bought their own plane.
Even until the plane took off, Lu Xuanyu felt a bit dizzy.
It wasn’t motion sickness.
According to the knowledge he gained about Xiang Shan in the past two years, what Xiang Shan said earlier might not be entirely a joke...
It’s possible... it might be true...
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