The Wing Chun Hall in Chinatown, which for years had been a quiet, almost forgotten corner of New York, was now a roaring furnace of activity. The transformation was absolute. The hall itself was constantly filled, not just with the initial wave of new students, but with the general public flowing in and out, drawn by the legend created on live television.
The economic ripple effect was immediate and profound. Every noodle shop, herbalist, and trinket vendor nearby was reporting unprecedented business. For the first time in a generation, Chinatown was truly thriving, buzzing with life and commerce drawn by the magnetic center of the Wing Chun Hall.
It was more than just money; it was pride. Many of the long-standing community elders came to thank Huang Wen personally, bowing slightly and offering him gifts of food and tea. Huang Wen had not only revived his father's legacy but had given the entire community a second spring, a powerful and undeniable symbol of cultural strength in a city that often overlooked them.
Inside the Hall, the initial wave of students—divided into groups of fifty—was undergoing basic training. Huang Wen stood watching them, a faint, satisfied smile playing on his lips. If there was a single, pure commodity in martial arts, it was new student enthusiasm, and right now, it was at a fever pitch. The beginners practiced their rudimentary Siu Nim Tao forms with intense concentration, while the other members practiced fiercely on the wooden dummies, their eyes burning with the impatient desire to achieve the "Proficient" level.
This energy is good, Huang Wen thought, inhaling the mix of sweat, wood, and desperate ambition.
"Ding! Mission 1, 'Promote and Flourish the Martial Arts School,' completed. Reward: One chance to draw a prize from the Extraordinary Person Lottery."
The long-silent system notification rang out, startling Huang Wen despite his composure. He hadn't expected the completion so soon. The sheer, overwhelming scale of the media frenzy—Kingpin's operation, not his own—had clearly surpassed the system's nebulous requirement to "flourish" the school.
With a thought, Huang Wen called up the system interface.
Current Task: 0/0
Completed Mission: Promote the martial arts school and receive a chance to win a prize in the Extraordinary Person Lottery. Do you wish to claim it?
NOTE: You have successfully completed the three foundational tasks left behind by the original host, Huang Wen, and completely settled all residual karma of the original host. From this moment forward, you are unequivocally the sole and true Huang Wen of this world, and no external entity can detect your abnormality or origin.
When Huang Wen saw the note, the revelation hit him not as a surprise, but as a profound physical release. It was as if a crushing, spiritual anchor had been cut free. An immense weight lifted from his soul, and his perception of the world instantly sharpened, becoming crisp, clear, and perfectly centered.
The feeling was exhilarating—far more liberating than the mere physical breakthrough into the extraordinary realm. This was a cleansing of the soul. He was no longer a consciousness inhabiting a borrowed body; he was simply Huang Wen, born in this world, with an extraordinary destiny.
"Hoo!" Huang Wen exhaled a deep, shaky breath, his eyes blazing with renewed clarity. The shackles are gone. The path is clear. From this day forward, he was truly the master of his own fate in the wild, wondrous chaos of the Marvel Universe.
"Brother Wen, are you okay? I feel like you just… changed a little," Zhong Qiang, who was closest to him while struggling through a horse stance, noticed the subtle but powerful shift in his Master's aura. "You look incredibly energized, almost glowing!"
"Perhaps it is simply the joy of seeing the Hall restored to life," Huang Wen replied with a warm, genuine smile. "It feels as though I have finally fulfilled my father's last, cherished wish."
"Yes, Uncle Hong would be overjoyed!" Zhong Qiang nodded, his own eyes misty with emotion. "But, Brother Wen, it's wonderful that you seem to have fully moved past the tragedy. You've brought so much good fortune to Chinatown."
"Perfect timing! All the uncles and elders around here want to celebrate and thank you for the revitalization. How about we host a massive community banquet?" Zhong Qiang suggested eagerly.
"There is no need for a banquet," Huang Wen declined gently, waving his hand. "Chinatown's prosperity is the result of everyone's combined hard work. How can I claim all the credit? No banquets. Let us simply be happy that everyone is earning a good living."
"Fine, Brother Wen, whatever you wish," Zhong Qiang acquiesced with a slight pout.
"Now, listen up. You all continue your practice down here. I need to retreat upstairs for a moment. Reece," Huang Wen turned to the still-chubby, but determined, Reece Fisk. "Keep a sharp eye on them. Do not let anyone slack off!"
"Yes, Teacher!" Reece Fisk's eyes flashed with delight. He nodded quickly, shot a smug, superior look at the resentful Zhong Qiang, and swaggered toward the center of the training floor to bark instructions.
Huang Wen smiled and shook his head at the familiar rivalry. He ascended the stairs, returning to the quiet solitude of his room, and with a focused thought, chose to claim the mission reward.
"Extract." The familiar surge of anticipation hit him.
The Extraordinary Person Lottery! The mortal lottery had given him the foundation of Ip Man. What powerhouse would the extraordinary level provide? Would it be a legend from history, or a specialized fiction character?
Would it be Captain Yan Shuangying? he wondered, half-jokingly, thinking of the famous, nearly invincible assassin.
A familiar white light exploded in his mind's eye.
"Congratulations on acquiring the extraordinary character, Bai Zhantang (selected from the novels My Own Swordsman and Dragon Gate Escort Agency—optimized for superior martial qualities)."
"Bai Zhantang?! The Thief Saint? Another peak-level character!" Huang Wen's eyes widened in amazement. While My Own Swordsman was a comedic wuxia story, the character of Bai Zhantang, the "Thief Saint," possessed skills that were indisputably top-tier in that world, especially his specialized techniques. After optimization by the system, his potential was terrifying.
Huang Wen recalled the feats attributed to him: easily subduing masters and performing impossible feats of Qing Gong. His unique skillset, especially the remote acupuncture point striking, was a level of control Huang Wen desperately needed.
He focused his gaze on the name "Bai Zhantang," and the character's full, optimized attributes instantly appeared before him:
Character: Bai Zhantang.
Essence: 71 points (Peak physical conditioning, exceeding human limits).
Qi: 98 points (Internal strength cultivation; one point of Qi is equivalent to ten points of Energy).
God: 0 points (Unawakened spirit/mind power).
Skills: Sunflower Acupuncture Point Technique (The ultimate point strike), Sunflower Acupuncture Point Release Technique, Sunflower Thousand Crack Technique (Focused explosive force), Remote Acupuncture Point Strike (Acupuncture points hit from a distance using internal force), Nine-Nine Rejuvenation Palm (Healing and pressure point manipulation), Tendon and Bone Dislocation Technique (Advanced joint manipulation), Snowflake Plum Blossom Search (Peak level Qing Gong/Lightness Skill).
Evaluation: Bai Zhantang, having reached his martial peak, fully deserves the title of 'Thief Saint'. Whether concerning lightness skill or specialized martial arts, he is firmly established among the strongest in the martial arts world.
"Holy cow!" Huang Wen couldn't help but curse under his breath. Bai Zhantang's strength was beyond his imagination. 71 points of Essence meant his raw physical foundation was already immense. But the 98 points of Qi, which translated into nearly 1000 points of raw Internal Force energy, was a colossal cheat code!
I, Huang Wen, am not cheating! These are mission rewards! he quickly rationalized, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"I agree," he declared mentally, clicking the "Integrate" option.
With a whooshing sound that echoed only in his mind, a tremendous, complex energy surged into Huang Wen's body. He felt his existing physical strength surge dramatically, his muscles, bones, and tendons tightening and reinforcing, making his body three times tougher than it was moments ago.
More importantly, the subtle, nascent internal energy he had been cultivating was instantly refined, decomposed, and absorbed by the Bai Zhantang's internal force, which flooded his Dantian. A vast, refined pool of Internal Force now resided within him, so immense that he could faintly sense a new, higher barrier just beyond his current reach.
He opened his own system interface to view the dramatic change:
Host: Huang Wen. Essence (Physical): 105 points.
Qi (Internal Force): 99 points.
God (Spiritual/Mental): 1 point (Not fully activated/Integrated).
Skills: Wing Chun Master (Combined with Ip Man's skills), Gunfighting, Sunflower School Martial Arts (Point Striking, Pressure Mastery), Nine-Nine Rejuvenation Palm, Tendon-Dislocating and Bone-Setting Hand, Snow-Treading Plum Blossom Search (Peak Qing Gong).
Evaluation: Your energy profile is now extraordinary, having entirely surpassed the mortal realm and moving toward a non-human state. After integrating Bai Zhantang's Internal Energy and Ip Man's hidden strength, your combined energy has reached the absolute peak of the extraordinary tier. You are one single step away from embarking on the Legendary Path!