122: Chapter 122 Site Selection in the Suburbs: Abandoned Factory Renovation Plan

Section 1: An Accidental Industrial Gem

The inauguration ceremony for the traditional martial arts home training ground had just concluded when Chen Wu's team received new demands. Among their 55 billion global fans, 12 million advanced Martial Artists were applying for "High-level Xingji Fist Training." However, the space and facilities of the current training ground could only support basic teaching and were unable to sustain advanced projects like "Qi Energy Sparring" or "Weapon Fusion." On Lin Mo's tactical tablet, messages for "advanced training needs" were increasing at a rate of 5,000 per second. Among them, Marcos, a construction worker from Brazil, suggested, "Find a large-space old building to renovate, like an abandoned factory. It would save money and have a unique character!" This comment was voted to the top of global trending topics, instantly sparking a heated discussion on "old building renovation."

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department immediately launched the "Site Selection System." Two hundred candidate addresses popped up on the holographic projection, but all were excluded due to "weak Earth Vein Qi Energy" or "low space utility." Just as the team was at their wits' end, Old Zhao, the "Watcher of Huangtu Slope," sent a field investigation video: "Teacher Chen, I've found an abandoned old factory in the suburbs. The workshops inside are exceptionally large, and I can even feel the flow of Qi Energy!" In the video, the grey factory walls were covered in vines, the massive steelmaking workshop was vast and airy, and sunlight filtered through broken skylights onto rusted equipment, creating an unexpected sense of industrial and natural desolation. Suddenly, Lin Mo's tablet issued a "Qi Energy Alarm." The "Earth Vein Qi Energy Detection Map" on the virtual screen showed that three Earth Veins intersected beneath the factory with a purity of 90%, which was 5% higher than the traditional martial arts home training ground!

"Let's go to the site for a survey immediately!" Chen Wu's voice was filled with excitement, and the Qi Energy core at his Dantian glowed faintly with anticipation. As the team drove to the suburbs, global live stream cameras followed them the entire way. Through Old Zhao's real-time broadcast, 55 billion viewers "cloud-visited" the abandoned factory in advance. The main workshop covered 8,000 square meters, enough to build a "Qi Energy Sparring Area" and a "Weapon Training Hall." The nearby old warehouse was well-preserved and suitable for conversion into an "Ancient Martial Arts Equipment R&D Lab." The biggest surprise was the abandoned cooling tower in the factory's backyard. Its interior was hollow and spiral-shaped; Lin Mo's tablet analysis showed it could form a "Qi Energy Vortex," perfect for practicing the "Hard-Soft Transformation of Xingji Fist."

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe made a dull thud at the factory entrance. The old man tapped the rusted iron gate with his pipe bowl, and pale gold Earth Vein Qi Energy seeped through the cracks, resonating with his Baji Energy. "This is a 'Qi Energy Accumulation Plant'!" The old man pulled out the "Earth Vein Atlas" left by his grandfather. The yellowed pages were marked with special symbols for "Industrial Earth Veins." "In the 1950s, many factories were built where Earth Vein Qi Energy converged because Qi could stabilize machine operations. It's just that later, no one understood this principle anymore!" A bronze plate engraved with "Industrial-Martial Fusion" suddenly flew out of the camphor wood box. Pale gold Qi spread along the plate, tracing a "Qi Energy Circulation" path on the factory floor, proving that this place was not only suitable for martial arts practice but could also amplify Qi Energy effects through its industrial structure.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass bloomed inside the factory, its eight-colored petals unfolding toward the cooling tower. Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the Qi Energy flow inside the tower. The spiral structure allowed Earth Vein Qi to circulate internally, forming a "Qi Energy Waterfall." Martial Artists practicing within it could accelerate their Qi absorption. The young girl dripped "Resonance Dew" onto the petals, and a seven-colored glow merged with the Qi, tracing "training paths" on the cooling tower's inner walls. "Elder Zhou said that the structure of industrial equipment can 'guide Qi Energy,'" she said, her fingertip lightly touching the tower. "For example, this cooling tower can gather dispersed Earth Vein Qi into a 'Qi Energy Stream,' speeding up progress by 30% compared to ordinary training grounds!"

In the global live stream's bullet chat, fans had already begun spontaneously formulating renovation plans. Amir from Egypt proposed, "Convert the old steel furnace into a 'Qi Energy Furnace' and use it to temper weapons!" A Japanese fan suggested, "Build 'Mechanical Wooden Dummies' in the warehouse, combining modern technology to simulate attacks from different schools!" Old Zhao from China was the most practical: "Transform the scrap steel into 'Xingji Fist Sparring Posts.' They'll be sturdy and have an industrial feel!" Real-time data from the Technical Department showed that in just two hours, 5,000 engineers and designers worldwide had joined the renovation discussion, turning the "abandoned factory renovation" from a "temporary idea" into a "globally collaborative project."

Section 2: Collision and Fusion of Global Schemes

On the day the "Global Collaborative Platform for Abandoned Factory Renovation" went live, it received 80,000 design proposals—30,000 more than the traditional martial arts home training ground. The most creative was the design for the "Industrial Qi Energy Training Area." Brazilian engineer Marcos's team proposed using the overhead crane tracks in the old steel workshop to build an "Aerial Qi Energy Corridor" where Martial Artists could practice "Qinggong Basics." A German mechanical designer planned to convert an abandoned stamping press into a "Qi Energy Testing Machine" to precisely measure a Martial Artist's punch strength through the impact force. The Chinese architectural designer's proposal was the most stunning: building a "Xingji Fist Hard-Soft Tower" in the factory's central open space using scrap steel. The tower would be 30 meters tall, with each floor corresponding to a Move in Xingji Fist. Upon reaching the top, one could overlook the Qi Energy flow of the entire factory.

Lin Mo's tablet became the "scheme integration hub." The boy's fingertips flew across the virtual keyboard, categorizing proposals into four sections: "Advanced Training Area," "Weapon R&D Area," "Qi Energy Testing Area," and "Industrial Landscape Area." On the global live stream's 3D model, each section was labeled with design contributions from different countries: the "Aerial Qi Energy Corridor" from Brazil, the "Mechanical Wooden Dummies" from Japan, the "Qi Energy Testing Machine" from Germany, and the "Hard-Soft Tower" from China. Through bullet chat voting, 55 billion viewers finalized the plan for each section, with the "Hard-Soft Tower" becoming the factory's landmark with 92% support.

The most difficult problem was the "Qi Energy Circulation renovation." The factory's walls were thick, making it hard for Earth Vein Qi to circulate inside. Amir from Egypt proposed the "Qi Energy Pyramid Vents" scheme: building four mini Qi Energy pyramids at the corners of the workshop to guide Earth Vein Qi inside using the pyramids' energy-gathering principles. Su Chen added the "Mystic Water Energy Pipe" design: using Mystic Water Energy to freeze the factory's old water pipes, forming "Qi Energy Channels" that allow Qi to flow through the pipes without damaging the walls while ensuring circulation. After combining the two schemes, the Technical Department's simulation showed that the Qi Energy Circulation rate in the workshop could increase by 80%, fully meeting the needs for advanced training.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped out a rhythm beside the 3D model. The old man turned to the "Industrial Qi Energy" section of the "Earth Vein Atlas" and suggested a key modification: "At the base of the Hard-Soft Tower, you must leave an 'Earth Vein Qi Energy Inlet.'" His pipe bowl pointed to the model's tower base. "When your great-grandfather practiced in the factory back then, he would find the location of the Earth Vein inlet. That way, your Qi progresses faster!" Global fans responded immediately, and designers added a 2-meter diameter Qi Energy inlet at the tower base, surrounded by "Qi Energy Totems" made of discarded gears, fitting the industrial theme while gathering Earth Vein Qi.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass bloomed on the model, its eight-colored petals landing on the "Weapon R&D Area." Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting a list of ancient weapons donated by global fans: Xingyi Fist Sabers from the Ming Dynasty, Baji Fist Spears from the Qing Dynasty, as well as overseas Knight Swords and Japanese Katanas. The young girl suggested building an "Industrial Weapon Tempering Furnace" in the R&D area by renovating the factory's old steel furnace and adding the inheritance grass's "Body Tempering Adjuvant," which would allow weapons to absorb Qi Energy and become sharper. "Elder Zhou said that the high temperatures of industrial equipment can help Qi Energy integrate better into weapons," she said to the live stream camera. "Weapons tempered this way will have both modern industrial hardness and the Qi Energy power of traditional martial arts!"

The Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department provided policy support via a hologram: "Government departments have listed the factory as an 'Industrial Heritage Revitalization Pilot.'" She projected a renovation subsidy plan next to the model. "We will provide 50 million in renovation funds and coordinate with environmental, fire, and other departments to ensure the renovation meets standards. The Technical Department will send 100 engineers for on-site guidance to ensure the plan can be implemented!" The tablet showed that global material suppliers were also spontaneously donating supplies: steel from Germany, mechanical parts from Japan, wood from Brazil, and even Egyptian pyramid stone (for the Qi Energy Pyramid Vents) were being shipped to the factory for free, reducing the renovation cost by 60% compared to expectations.

Section 3: Passion and Warmth at the Renovation Site

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On the day the renovation project kicked off, 500 volunteers from across the globe arrived at the site, including Marcos from Brazil, Amir from Egypt, a designer from Japan, and Old Zhao from China. Dressed in uniform "traditional martial arts Industrial Renovation" workwear, they posed for a group photo at the factory entrance, their hands of different skin tones stacked together like a small "Global Collaboration Tower."

The global live broadcast captured every touching moment: Marcos led fellow workers in welding the tracks for the "Qi Energy Sky Corridor," sweat dripping down his cheeks, yet he smiled exceptionally happily; Amir crouched on the ground, using traditional Egyptian methods to bury inheritance grass seeds in the foundation of the Qi Energy Pyramid; Old Zhao, together with Chinese workers, cut scrap steel into "Xingji Fist Sparring Stakes," with every cut precisely matching the trajectory of Xingji Fist Moves.

Chen Wu's team also participated in the entire renovation. Chen Wu taught the workers the "Basic Breathing Technique" to alleviate the fatigue of high-intensity work; Li Xuantong guided the assembly angle of the "Rigidity-Softness Tower," ensuring the tower body could gather Earth Vein Qi Energy; Zhao Lie used Baji Energy to test the hardness of the "Sparring Stakes." With one punch, the steel stake only showed a shallow mark. He laughed and said, "These stakes are sturdy enough to last ten years!" Su Chen's Mystic Water Energy came in handy; he used it to freeze old water pipes, transforming them into "Qi Energy Channels." The flow of Earth Vein Qi Energy inside the pipes was clearly visible, like a pale golden river.

The most touching part was the "Global Remote Support" segment. Nurse Emily in London organized hospital patients to create "Cheer-up Graffiti" via holographic projection, which was then pasted onto the factory walls. Children in a Syrian refugee camp drew "Qi Energy Towers" with charcoal on paper, which were scanned and projected onto the steel frame of the Rigidity-Softness Tower. Staff at an Antarctic research station used satellites to monitor the changes in the factory's Earth Vein Qi Energy in real-time, providing data support for the renovation. These remote efforts made the workers on-site feel that they were "not fighting alone." Even a 70-year-old retired architect exclaimed, "I've built many projects in my life, but I've never seen such a united scene!"

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass seeds were planted in every corner of the factory. Under the workers' care, the seeds quickly sprouted, and eight-colored seedlings grew beside the industrial equipment, forming a unique landscape of "industry and nature." The little girl came to water them every day and nourished the seedlings with "Vitality Dew." "Elder Zhou said that the inheritance grass can purify the industrial residues in the factory, making the Qi Energy here purer," she said, watching the seedlings twine around the scrap steel. "In the future, when everyone practices martial arts here, not only will they progress quickly, but they will also be able to breathe clean air."

The Technical Department's "Renovation Progress Tracking System" showed that the renovation project was 15% faster than expected: the tracks for the "Qi Energy Sky Corridor" had been laid, the frame of the "Mechanical Wooden Dummy" was basically formed, the steel frame of the "Rigidity-Softness Tower" had reached 20 meters, and the foundation construction for the "Qi Energy Pyramid Ventilation Port" was also complete. When the Section Chief of the Special Incident Response Department brought government officials for an inspection, she couldn't help but exclaim, "This is not just a training base, but a model for 'industrial heritage revitalization.' More cities will emulate this model in the future!"

The Birth of the Industrial-Style Training Base. Half a year later, when Chen Wu's team completed the inheritance trial of the Yijin Pavilion and returned to the outskirts with the full volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic, the abandoned factory had completely changed its appearance. The gray industrial exterior walls were preserved, but they were engraved with the Move diagrams of 100 ancient martial arts schools from around the world, from China's Xingji Fist to Brazil's Capoeira. Each diagram was painted with different colored paint, looking like a "Global traditional martial arts Rainbow" in the sunlight. On the bridge crane of the main factory building, the "Qi Energy Sky Corridor" glowed with pale golden Qi Energy, and Martial Artists leaped lightly on the tracks, practicing "Basic Lightness Skill." The central "Rigidity-Softness Tower" soared into the clouds; on the 30-meter-high steel frame, Martial Artists were practicing Xingyi Fist on every floor, and the "Qi" totem at the top of the tower shone brightly in the sun.

The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope," Old Zhao, dressed in workwear, took Chen Wu to tour the renovated factory. "This is the 'Qi Energy Testing Area'," he said, pointing to the modified stamping machine. "It can measure the strength of punch power. I tried it yesterday, and it reached 800 kilograms—an improvement of 200 kilograms compared to before!" Amir from Egypt showcased his results in the "Weapon Tempering Area." "The Xingji Fist blades tempered in the old steel smelting furnace can absorb Earth Vein Qi Energy, cutting through steel plates like cutting tofu!" The Japanese designer activated the "Mechanical Wooden Dummy." The dummy could simulate attacks from different schools such as Baji Fist and Wing Chun. Even Chen Wu couldn't help but step forward to try it. The soft energy of Xingji Fist easily deflected the dummy's attacks, while the hard energy precisely hit the "Qi Energy Nodes" of the dummy.

The most stunning part was the "Qi Energy Waterfall Training Area," renovated from the cooling tower. The spiral structure inside the tower guided the Earth Vein Qi Energy to form a pale golden "Qi Energy Waterfall." When Martial Artists stood in the waterfall, the Qi Energy automatically enveloped their bodies, accelerating Qi Energy absorption. Chen Wu walked into the Qi Energy Waterfall, and the Qi Energy Dan in his Dantian instantly resonated with the waterfall. The pale golden Qi Energy surged in through all the Acupoints of his body, and the hard and soft energy of Xingji Fist circulated more smoothly within him. Lin Mo's tablet showed that practicing martial arts in the Qi Energy Waterfall increased Qi Energy progress speed by 40% compared to ordinary training grounds, and was 10% faster than the Qi Energy Pyramid at the traditional martial arts home.

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe tapped out a dull sound beside the Rigidity-Softness Tower. The old man flipped out the "Earth Vein Atlas" and pasted the newly taken factory photo next to the photo of the old factory—the dilapidated state of half a year ago and the vitality of the present formed a sharp contrast. "If your great-grandfather could see this back then, he would definitely say, 'traditional martial arts can make the dead come alive'," he said, pointing his pipe at the photo. "This factory is not just a training base; it is a new starting point for the combination of traditional martial arts and industry, and an advanced paradise for global Martial Artists!" The "Industrial-Martial Fusion" bronze plaque from the camphor wood chest was hung above the main entrance of the factory. The pale golden Qi Energy intertwined with the Qi Energy of the Rigidity-Softness Tower, forming a totem of "Rigidity-Softness Industry" on the bronze plaque.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass had grown to cover every corner of the factory, and eight-colored flowers bloomed beside the industrial equipment, emitting a faint fluorescence. Dewdrops rolled on the petals, reflecting the smiling faces of global advanced Martial Artists: some were practicing martial arts in the Qi Energy Waterfall, some were reaching the top of the Rigidity-Softness Tower, and some were sparring in front of the Mechanical Wooden Dummy. All of this stemmed from that accidental discovery half a year ago and the joint efforts of 550 billion fans worldwide. "Elder Zhou said that this is the magic of Legacy," the little girl said, her fingertips lightly touching the petals. "It can turn the abandoned into the precious, unite people from different countries, and keep traditional martial arts forever full of vitality."

The global live broadcast camera focused on the factory's completion ceremony. A representative of UNESCO awarded the factory the certificate of "Industrial Heritage Revitalization and traditional martial arts Legacy Demonstration Base," calling it "a model of the combination of tradition and modernity, East and West, culture and industry, providing a model for the world to learn from." Chen Wu stood at the top of the Rigidity-Softness Tower and said to the global live broadcast camera, "This factory belongs to everyone who loves traditional martial arts. From now on, this will be the advanced home for global Martial Artists. Let us practice martial arts here together, progress together, and let the power of traditional martial arts bloom with new light on the skeleton of industry!"

In the global live broadcast's bullet comments, a flood of "Advanced Paradise" suddenly appeared. The "Watcher of Huangtu Slope," Old Zhao, led fellow workers to compete in punch power in the Qi Energy Testing Area, their laughter spreading throughout the entire factory. Amir from Egypt was in the Weapon Tempering Area, tempering Xingji Fist blades for global Martial Artists. Marcos from Brazil was on the high-altitude Qi Energy Sky Corridor, teaching children the basics of Lightness Skill. People of different countries and skin tones met in this industrial ruin because of traditional martial arts, turning the abandoned factory into a vibrant "traditional martial arts Advanced Paradise."

When the setting sun illuminated the "Industrial-Martial Fusion" bronze plaque of the factory, Chen Wu knew that the Legacy of traditional martial arts had taken another new step—from the basic teaching at the traditional martial arts home to the advanced training at the abandoned factory, from the small-scale inheritance of the Xingyi Sect to the large-scale popularization globally, traditional martial arts was no longer a niche culture but had become a force that could benefit everyone and make the world a better place.

The final scene of the global live broadcast stayed on the moment Chen Wu was practicing martial arts in the Qi Energy Waterfall. The pale golden Qi Energy of Xingji Fist intertwined with the Qi Energy of the waterfall, forming the huge characters "Rigidity-Softness" inside the tower. The surrounding industrial equipment, inheritance grass, and Martial Artists all shimmered with a faint light, as if blessing the future of traditional martial arts. A row of neat text finally scrolled across the bullet comments: "Old factory reborn with the soul of traditional martial arts, global collaboration builds an advanced paradise; the full volume of the Muscle Tendon Change Classic is finally in hand, the Legacy embarks on a new journey!" This message was lit up by 550 billion viewers simultaneously, like a river of industrial-style light, illuminating every corner of the factory and lighting up the new future of traditional martial arts moving toward global advancement.