0114 The God of the Basketball Court!

Chen Jue’s jump to grab the rim immediately caught the attention of the students playing half-court basketball.

In the sport of basketball, the dunk is undeniably the most stylish move. Unfortunately, since basketball was invented by foreigners and introduced from abroad, the standard rim height of 10 feet (approximately 3.05 meters) is not particularly friendly to the average Chinese male, who stands at about 1.70 meters. To reach the rim or execute a dunk with that height and arm span, one would need a vertical leap exceeding one meter. A typical person who hasn't trained their jump can only clear 0.3 to 0.4 meters, and even professional athletes often manage only 0.8 to 0.9 meters.

Consequently, someone capable of grabbing the rim or dunking is rarely seen in daily life. Once such a person appears on the court, they attract the same undivided attention as those hyper-muscular gym-goers who dominate the room.

"Hey, senior! Can you dunk one?"
"You looked so effortless jumping up to touch the rim!"
"Throw one down! Let us see it in action!"

Several Jiang University students resting on the sidelines shouted, even tossing a basketball his way. Chen Jue caught the ball and dribbled it a few times. He had played basketball in high school when NBA games were all the rage, and every boy in his class was obsessed with the sport. During the annual school tournament, anyone who could score became a campus celebrity; if they were also good-looking and had flashy skills, they would be swarmed by admirers.

However, Chen Jue had been an average player back then—a bespectacled kid who couldn't handle high-intensity defense. He mostly just took open shots and could only dream of dunking at night while lying in bed. Now, having taken the pre-workout supplement and experiencing a temporary surge in his attributes, his desire to try was piqued.

He didn't rush to dunk immediately. Out of practice, he warmed up by dribbling, using the dexterous hand movements honed through his "Hidden Weapon Throwing" and "Hunting Throwing" training to make the ball dance in his hands. After a few practice shots, he found his rhythm, sinking jump shots and three-pointers with pure net-rippling precision.

The surrounding students were stunned.

"Holy crap!"
"How many is that in a row?"
"That senior’s shooting is so accurate!" they murmured.

Once he had adjusted to the weight and feel of the ball, Chen Jue began his approach. Mimicking the form of the NBA stars he remembered, he took off with a powerful stomp from a step behind the free-throw line. His body soared into the air, fingers spread, one hand gripping the ball as if it were suctioned to his palm. Thanks to his max-level "Hidden Weapon Throwing" technique and immense grip strength, holding the ball securely was child’s play.

As he glided through the air for several meters, reaching the apex of his jump with his wrist level with the rim, he snapped his forearm inward. The thunderous "thud" of the ball smashing through the hoop electrified the court.

"No way! That was almost a free-throw line takeoff!"
"Too cool!"
"It’s like 'The Glide' himself!"
"And it was a one-handed slam!"
"Senior, you're a beast!"

Jiang University’s basketball complex is massive, featuring twelve full courts and twenty-four rims in total. Despite it being a Sunday afternoon, there were plenty of students playing. When a powerhouse capable of massive dunks appeared in the corner, everyone—whether they were playing or resting—was drawn in like iron filings to a magnet.

Capitalizing on his temporary attribute boost, Chen Jue threw down several more dunks: one-handed, two-handed, alley-oops, and 360-degree spins—cycling through every style he could think of, finally fulfilling the dreams of his student days. When he finally came back to his senses, he realized he was surrounded by a dense crowd. Some were cheering, some were recording, and others were watching with pure awe.

Given that Chen Jue wasn't particularly tall—only about 1.80 meters in his sneakers, which was short among the players—his ability to jump over a meter off the ground made him look like a "god" on the Jiang University courts.

In competitive sports, if you can do what others cannot at the same height, you are bound to attract a following.

Once his stamina began to wane, his free attribute points ticked up by 0.01, and the effect of the pre-workout supplement began to fade, Chen Jue felt as though his limbs were filled with lead. The post-exercise fatigue was even worse than when he had pushed his limits before. He tossed the ball back to the student who had handed it to him, gave a slight smile, and said, "Thanks!"

He slung his gym bag over his shoulder and walked slowly off the court. The Jiang University students watched him go in silent admiration. After he left, the basketball enthusiasts began frantically trying to figure out who he was. Everyone was guessing which major he belonged to, as no one had ever seen such a powerhouse dunker on the school team. A player who could take off from behind the free-throw line was a rare find even among the nation's elite streetballers.

By sunset, videos of Chen Jue’s dunks were going viral in the university’s chat groups, forums, and message boards. No one truly knew him until a few freshmen from the School of Life Sciences mentioned seeing him in class, speculating that he was an auditor from outside the university. Only then did the commotion begin to die down.

He had gained 0.04 attribute points in a single afternoon—an incredible efficiency. Yet, as the excitement faded, the muscle soreness spread from his legs throughout his entire body. Chen Jue finally understood what it meant to be in "painful bliss."

"No wonder Coach Li Rui told me to follow the plan and consume energy gels and electrolyte drinks afterward. This level of exertion is far more intense than my previous workouts," Chen Jue thought, dragging his exhausted body toward the school cafeteria.

His water and supplements were gone, and his hunger was ravenous. Fortunately, the cafeteria began serving dinner at 5:30 PM. He found a seat, rested for ten minutes, and then began to feast. After three bowls of rice with a mix of meat and vegetables, he felt his strength returning. He left the campus and took a taxi to the Tianyu Rehabilitation Center.

He had no choice. This was his first time training for explosive power and his first heavy lower-body strength session. His thigh and calf muscles had stiffened into concrete blocks after his show-off session, and he needed a professional massage therapist to work them loose. If he relied only on soaking in a tub, he feared the lactic acid buildup would ruin his training tomorrow.

At the center, he showered and changed as usual, and when he entered the massage room, he encountered Master Liu again.

Seeing how rigid Chen Jue’s legs were, Master Liu started lecturing him immediately: "Young man, this is quite a heavy workload! You’re almost at the level of a professional athlete! You need to be careful; if a regular person trains like this every day, they’re prone to acute muscle strain."

As Master Liu kneaded his muscles, he kept offering advice. Chen Jue had been here three times in a short period, showing more dedication than the staff themselves. "Thanks, Master, I'll be more careful next time," Chen Jue replied cheerfully.

With his system panel, he could accelerate his recovery by adding points to "Physique," which had already mitigated the soreness from his previous intense workouts. While he hadn't fully grasped the principles behind it, he trusted the panel, so he came to the rehab center daily. Since he had paid the membership fees, it would be a waste not to get his money's worth.

Seeing Chen Jue’s unbothered attitude, Master Liu shook his head. Young people these days didn't know how to pace themselves, especially the fitness fanatics who would even resort to using drugs. He had seen it all, so he just finished massaging Chen Jue’s legs and pulled out a fascia blade to scrape them firmly.

"Sssss—"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Chen Jue gritted his teeth, but with his prior experience, he could endure the pain. Since this was his first time focusing on vertical leap training, he specifically asked Master Liu to spend more time on his joints and ligaments, especially his knees, which felt exceptionally tight after the high-impact jumps. To alleviate the soreness, while Master Liu was working him over, Chen Jue allocated his accumulated 0.04 free attribute points into "Physique" and used two "Specific Allocation" points to boost his legs.

As four streams of warmth spread through his body, over ninety percent of the soreness vanished. When the session concluded, the panel popped up with a notification:

——————
[Ding!]
[Completed a deep tissue massage. Your leg muscle fibers have been well relaxed, blood circulation has accelerated, and lactic acid metabolism has increased.]
[Your patellar ligament has been released, synovial fluid in the meniscus has been cleared, and ligament tissue strength has slightly increased.]
[Physique +0.01]
——————

"That feels amazing!" Chen Jue groaned in relief on the massage table.

Even Master Liu was puzzled. He discovered that Chen Jue’s recovery ability was truly exceptional. After the massage, the rock-hard muscles in his thighs and calves had completely softened, and even his stubborn knee and Achilles tendons had become supple and resilient.

In all his years at the rehab center, Master Liu had never seen anyone with such a high constitution. As he watched Chen Jue leave, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "No wonder he dares to push himself so hard—this kid really is something else!"