Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

It was five o'clock in the morning, and the sky was still dark.

A sharp whistle broke the silence of the courtyard.

Yi Zhonghai sprang from the bed, a sharp pain shooting through his chest. He clutched his ribs, gritted his teeth, and sat up. It was still dark outside, with only a faint bluish-white tinge appearing on the distant horizon.

"Assemble! Everyone, assemble at the Intermediate Court!"

Duan Chengyi's voice came from the courtyard, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened. Training usually started at seven o'clock, why was it earlier today?

He struggled to get out of bed, each movement feeling like his wounds were being torn open. Last night, Sha Zhu had pestered him with questions about cultivation for two hours, and he had made up stories until his throat was dry. He finally managed to get rid of him, but before he could even fall asleep, the whistle blew.

He put on his clothes and staggered as he pushed open the door.

In the courtyard, Sha Zhu stood ramrod straight, full of energy, his eyes shining. Yi Zhonghai felt a headache coming on whenever he saw him, but he had no choice but to grit his teeth and walk over.

Liu Haizhong, leaning on a cane, limped out. Xu Damao rubbed his swollen eyes, muttering something. Jia Zhangshi, dragging her fat body, came out panting heavily. Bang Geng followed behind her, his face gloomy.

Six people stood in a row, waiting.

Xie Weihong walked out from under the moon gate.

He wasn't wearing his old military uniform today; instead, he wore a black training uniform and military boots, making him look as sharp as a drawn sword.

He walked to the front of the line and stood still.

His gaze swept over the six people.

"Starting today, training will be upgraded."

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat.

"The next seven days will be called Hell Week." Xie Weihong's voice was calm, but every word was like a nail driven into their hearts. "Training for twelve hours a day, except for eating and sleeping, there will be no stopping."

Twelve two-hour periods?

Yi Zhonghai nearly fainted. That was twenty-four hours! Working non-stop?

"Thank... thank you, Captain..." he couldn't help but say, "Our bodies..."

Xie Weihong glanced at him.

That glance was as calm as looking at a stone, but Yi Zhonghai swallowed back what he was about to say.

Sha Zhu stood to the side, his face showing no fear, only excitement.

Hell Week? Great! The more brutal it is, the faster he'll improve! One day, he'll catch up with Xie Weihong, and even surpass him!

"The first activity is cross-country running with weights," Xie Weihong said. "Each person carries a 20-pound sandbag and runs around the alleys until they can't run anymore."

Two plainclothes officers carried out several sandbags and threw them on the ground.

Yi Zhonghai's legs went weak when he saw those sandbags. His old bones couldn't even run empty-handed, let alone twenty pounds.

Sha Zhu was the first to step forward, hoisting the sandbag onto his back and tightening the straps. He stretched his body and looked at Yi Zhonghai.

"Master, will you carry it?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Sha Zhu looked at him, a glint in his eyes.

"Master, with your cultivation sealed, carrying twenty pounds shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Yi Zhonghai felt like he was being roasted over a fire.

He gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and picked up the sandbag.

The sandbags pressed down on him, heavy and painfully digging into his shoulders. He straightened up, feeling like his back was about to break.

Liu Haizhong, Xu Damao, Jia Zhangshi, and Banggeng also took turns carrying sandbags. Liu Haizhong no longer needed his crutches, relying entirely on his good leg for support. Xu Damao grimaced, tears welling up in his eyes. Jia Zhangshi, carrying the sandbags, looked like a moving mountain of flesh. Banggeng, being the youngest, carried the sandbags the easiest, but his face remained gloomy.

"run!"

At Xie Weihong's command, the six people started running.

Sha Zhu ran in the lead, his steps steady and his breathing even. He kept looking back at Yi Zhonghai as he ran.

"Master, please keep up!"

Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and moved forward step by step with heavy strides.

With each step he took, the sandbags swayed on his shoulders, digging painfully into them. With each step, his old injuries screamed in agony, making his vision blur.

He ran a hundred meters and started panting.

After running 200 meters, my legs started to shake.

After running 300 meters, my vision went black, I stumbled, and collapsed to the ground.

The sandbags were pressing down on him, and he struggled to get up, but he couldn't get up no matter what he did.

"Master!" Sha Zhu ran back and helped him up.

Yi Zhonghai was panting heavily, his face turning purplish-red.

"Master, are you alright?" Sha Zhu asked with concern.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand, unable to speak.

Sha Zhu looked at him and suddenly said, "Master, if you're too tired, just undo your cultivation. You don't need to wrong yourself like this for our sake."

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened.

Unlocking cultivation level?

How could he possibly have the cultivation to solve this?

"No...no need..." he gasped, "I...I'm fine..."

Sha Zhu stared at him for a few seconds and nodded.

"Then please run slowly, I'll run with you."

Yi Zhonghai wanted to refuse, but Sha Zhu had already helped him up and they started running slowly.

He was so heartbroken.

He wanted to say, "Don't worry about me, just run on your own." But he couldn't. If he did, Sha Zhu would become suspicious. He could only grit his teeth and, supported by Sha Zhu, run forward step by step.

---

One hour later.

Six people collapsed at the entrance of the alley, panting heavily.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, feeling like he was really going to die. His legs were cramping, his waist was trembling, and his chest was aching as if it were about to explode.

Sha Zhu sat next to him, breathing steadily, though his forehead was sweaty.

"Master, you've worked hard today."

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand weakly.

Sha Zhu looked at him and suddenly asked, "Master, even though you've sealed your cultivation, can you still sense true energy?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened.

"I...I can't feel it..."

"Then how do you know your inner energy is still there?" Sha Zhu asked. "You've sealed it for so long, could it be... that your inner energy has dissipated?"

Yi Zhonghai's mind raced.

"No... If you seal your cultivation, your true energy will solidify in your dantian and won't dissipate."

"Oh." Sha Zhu nodded. "Then, do you need any special methods to untie it?"

Yi Zhonghai almost choked on his own saliva.

How to solve it?

How did he know?

"Well..." he said, forcing himself to speak, "You'll find out when the time comes."

Sha Zhu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

But Yi Zhonghai sensed that Sha Zhu's gaze towards him was different from before.

---

The second item is crawling forward.

A thick layer of sand covered the muddy ground in the courtyard. Six people crawled forward on their hands and knees.

Yi Zhonghai lay down, the sand digging into his chest, causing him to gasp in pain. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself on his elbows, and slowly moved forward.

Sha Zhu crawled quickly beside him, slithering across the sand like a snake. As he crawled, he kept looking back at Yi Zhonghai.

"Master, when you were climbing, where did your inner energy go?"

Yi Zhonghai was panting and unable to speak.

"Master, you're climbing slowly, are you demonstrating slow practice?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded and continued climbing.

After climbing twenty meters, his arms went limp, and he collapsed onto the sand.

Sha Zhu climbed back up and helped him up.

"Master, please rest for a while."

Yi Zhonghai nodded, panting.

Sha Zhu sat next to him, looking at him, and suddenly said, "Master, I've been thinking about something all night."

Yi Zhonghai's heart tightened.

"What's the problem?"

Sha Zhu stared into his eyes and asked, word by word, "Are you really a reclusive master?"

Yi Zhonghai's heart skipped a beat.

"Of course..."

"Then why can't you even crawl?" Sha Zhu asked. "Even if you've sealed 90% of your cultivation, the remaining 10% should make you stronger than an ordinary person. But to me, you're weaker than an ordinary person."

Yi Zhonghai's mind went blank.

"I...I..."

Sha Zhu looked at him, the light in his eyes growing dimmer.

"Master, you're not lying to me."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Just then, Xie Weihong's voice came from under the moon gate.

"You've rested enough. Let's continue."

Sha Zhu stood up, glanced at Yi Zhonghai, and then turned and crawled back.

Yi Zhonghai lay on the ground, watching his back, feeling both panicked and afraid.

Can we get through this hurdle?

---

The third activity is frog jumps.

The fourth exercise is sit-ups.

The fifth item is pull-ups.

The sixth exercise is weighted squats.

One task after another, each more difficult than the last.

Yi Zhonghai didn't know how he got through it. He only knew that every time he wanted to give up, Sha Zhu would appear beside him, looking at him with that suspicious look.

He could only keep going.

Hold on until dark.

Hold on until the moon rises.

They held on until everyone collapsed on the ground, like a pile of mud.

---

It's late at night, 11 p.m.

Six people lay motionless in the courtyard.

Sha Zhu, who was lying next to Yi Zhonghai, suddenly spoke.

"Master."

Yi Zhonghai gave a weak "hmm".

Sha Zhu was silent for a while, then said, "Please don't take the question I asked you today to heart."

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback.

Sha Zhu continued, "I know you are a reclusive master. You keep your cultivation sealed for our own good. My words today were not out of doubt, but out of concern for you."

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Sha Zhu turned his head and looked at him.

"Master, please rest assured. Once I have mastered the skill, I will definitely take good care of you, provide for your old age, and ensure you enjoy your later years in peace."

The moonlight shone on Sha Zhu's face, and his eyes were full of sincerity.

Looking into those eyes, Yi Zhonghai suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

He wanted to say, "I'm not some kind of expert, I lied to you." But he opened his mouth, and not a single word came out.

Sha Zhu smiled, turned around, and looked at the moon in the sky.

"Master, when will I be able to fly?"

Yi Zhonghai was silent for a moment, then said, "Soon."

Sha Zhu nodded and closed his eyes.

Yi Zhonghai lay beside him, looking at the moon in the sky, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

---

backyard.

Xie Weihong sat cross-legged on the bed, listening to the notification sounds that kept ringing in her mind.

[Ding! Detected that the ninth-tier demon "Raging Mighty Demon" has increased its trust in "Hypocritical Soul Demon," and its guilt level has increased by 200%]

[Ding! A ninth-tier demon, "Hypocritical Soul Demon," has been detected to be overwhelmed with guilt, causing its mental stress to increase by 300%.]

[Ding! Detected that the ninth-tier demon "Berserk Mighty Demon" has reached a new high in fighting spirit and its desire for cultivation has exceeded its limit. Reward bonus: 400%]

[Ding! The ninth-tier demon "Hypocritical Soul Demon" has been detected to be at its physical limit and on the verge of mental collapse. Reward bonus: 350%]

[Ding! Detected that the ninth-tier demon "Lustful Expansion Body" has suffered continuous mental damage. Reward bonus 200%]

[Ding! The ninth-tier monster "Greedy Flesh Mountain" has been detected to be at its physical limit. Reward bonus 150%]

[Ding! The ninth-tier monster "Stealing Nightmare Child" has been detected with continuously accumulating aggro. Reward bonus 180%]

He opened his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The results on the first day exceeded expectations.

Sha Zhu's fighting spirit grew stronger, while Yi Zhonghai felt increasing pressure. The two tormented and spurred each other on, resulting in a constant stream of rewards.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked towards the central courtyard.

Six people lay there, like six corpses.

Only Shazhu kept his eyes open, looking at the sky.

The moonlight shone on his face, and his eyes were full of light.

Xie Weihong watched for a while, then turned and went back to the bedside.

Sit cross-legged and close your eyes.