Douro Continent

Chapter 167 Never Abandon, Never Give Up (Part 2)

As the only disciple of the Grandmaster, Tang San obviously knew him best. Hearing his words, Dai Mubai slowly nodded, "I'm afraid that's really the case. Let's discuss it when they come up."

Soon, the five people behind him caught up, and Tang San repeated his thoughts on today's punishment.

Oscar frowned slightly and said, "I think Tang San is right. Grandmaster was probably testing us. The different loads we carried were likely calculated by Grandmaster to be within the limits of our physical strength. Tang San and Dai Mubai were probably able to complete the task within their limits, and even had some strength left over. Fatty was probably just at his limit. Of course, there were also those who exceeded their limits. Only through everyone's cooperation could we complete it. I'm probably the only one who exceeded his limits. And Rongrong too."

In the end, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had only run two kilometers, but he could already feel the bamboo basket on his back getting heavier and heavier, and sweat was dripping from his forehead. There was still such a long distance to go, and he knew he definitely wouldn't be able to keep going.

Fatty Ma Hongjun said nonchalantly, "Why don't we cheat? Let's secretly eat some of Xiao Ao's recovery sausages. Aren't we worried about running out of energy?"

"Cheating?" Oscar glared at the fat man, annoyed. He was a smart man and wouldn't do anything foolish. "Fatty, I'll only ask you one question: can you be sure the master didn't have other teachers supervising us? If we're caught cheating, the punishment won't be as simple as it is now. Besides, the master must have a deeper meaning in punishing us like this; it's only for our own good. Now we need to think of a way to conserve our energy as much as possible."

Tang San suddenly spoke up, "Although the teacher made us run with weights and couldn't use our soul power, the total weight for the seven of us is this much. As long as we can complete the punishment with these weights, it'll be fine. Oscar, give me your stone."

Oscar paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Good buddy. But there's no need for that now. How about this: the seven of us start running at a constant pace, with the slowest runner maintaining the same speed. That way, we can stay close together, and a constant pace is the most energy-efficient. When someone can't keep going, we can help each other adjust the weight. This way, we can conserve as much energy as possible. What do you guys think?"

Ning Rongrong laughed from the side, "Xiao Ao, I didn't realize you were so smart."

Oscar wore a matter-of-fact expression. "Don't you know I was called the Little Prince of Intelligence when I was a kid? What's so special about that?"

Dai Mubai, being the oldest and strongest among them, demonstrated the leadership expected of a leader, saying, "Stop talking nonsense. Talking wastes energy. Let's run. Let's do as Xiao Ao says."

Now, the seven have restarted their long-distance running journey.

Undoubtedly, among the seven, Oscar and Ning Rongrong, being support-type Soul Masters, had the worst stamina, so the others ran at their pace. They proceeded at a steady speed towards Soto City.

The first round trip was completed at this constant speed.

As they actually started running, the pressure from the weight began to creep in. If it were just ordinary running, even without using their soul power, the six-kilometer round trip wouldn't have been a burden for them. The transformation their bodies underwent with soul power gave them superhuman physical abilities, even support-type soul masters like Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

With the added weight, their bodies clearly became uncomfortable. After one round trip, Ning Rongrong and Oscar were drenched in sweat, and the others also showed signs of fatigue.

Ning Rongrong was undoubtedly the weakest in terms of stamina among them. Although Oscar was also a support-type Soul Master, he had broken through to level 30 and his body had the bonuses from his third Soul Ring in various attributes, so his condition was much better than Ning Rongrong's.

Tang San and Dai Mubai were carrying a 15-kilogram stone, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun were carrying 10 kilograms, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar were carrying only 5 kilograms, but they felt as if they were carrying a mountain. Their bodies were getting heavier and heavier, and they could only grit their teeth and maintain a steady pace.

The academy gates were in sight, and to everyone's surprise, the master was standing there watching them complete their first round trip. Beside him was a table with a large bucket on it.

"Everyone, have some water, and then continue." The master's words were always concise and to the point.

The bucket contained lukewarm water with a slightly salty taste, seemingly from added salt. Under the master's supervision, each person was only allowed to drink one cup of lukewarm water before being urged to embark on the path of punishment once more.

As time passed, the giant fireball in the sky gradually moved closer to the center, and the temperature it brought gradually increased. After drinking the salt water, everyone's strength was replenished. Tang San and Dai Mubai were fine, but Oscar and Ning Rongrong clearly felt that they had regained some strength.

Watching the students' figures gradually disappear into the distance, the master stood on the ground expressionless, but when he saw that the seven of them had returned together, a hint of satisfaction was clearly revealed in the depths of his eyes.

He carried the large bucket and walked into the academy. At this moment, he was not only a teacher instructing the students, but also a caring elder. What he wanted to do was not to mistreat the students, but to give them genuine training.

The second round trip, the third round trip, the fourth round trip...

Each time before returning to the academy, everyone would drink salt water prepared by the master at a suitable temperature. Warm water is easily absorbed, and the salt replenishes the energy depleted through sweating. Even Ning Rongrong and Oscar felt as if they had miraculously managed to complete four round trips at a steady pace, without stopping except to drink water.

However, by the time they began their fifth round trip, Oscar and Ning Rongrong had noticeably slowed down. The scenery before them was beginning to blur, and their legs felt as heavy as lead. The bamboo baskets on their backs seemed to carry this weight like mountains.

While maintaining a steady pace, the others were still able to conserve their energy. Although everyone was drenched in sweat, their spirits remained high.

"Little Oscar, give me your stone," Tang San said to Oscar.

Dai Mubai also extended his hand to Ning Rongrong at the same time.

This time, neither Oscar nor Ning Rongrong refused. They knew very well that they were already exhausted, and if things continued like this, they might not be able to make it back and forth.

Tang San and Dai Mubai's load increased from fifteen kilograms to twenty kilograms, and the bamboo basket now contained two stones. Five kilograms may not seem heavy, but with their physical exertion greatly, these simple five kilograms became a significant burden for the two. Although they could still maintain a steady pace, their breathing became noticeably heavier.

On the contrary, after losing five kilograms of pressure, Oscar and Ning Rongrong instantly felt a sense of transcendence, as if their entire bodies were so light they could float. After a few deep breaths, running became much easier, and they not only regained their original steady pace but even felt somewhat at ease.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh round trips ended under these circumstances. By the time the eighth round trip began, nearly two hours had passed. The sun had already moved past its zenith; noon had passed.

Breathing became difficult for everyone; their lungs felt like they were on fire. With each step, a clear watermark was left on the ground—the sweat streaming down their bodies. Since their last trip, the amount of salt water they replenished at the academy gate had increased to two cups, with short breaks allowed between them. The master didn't urge them on, continuing to prepare warm salt water for them after each trip.

"I can't take it anymore, I can't." It was Ma Hongjun who spoke. He stumbled and almost fell to the ground. The fat man stopped, his hands on his knees, panting heavily. His fat face had turned pale, and it seemed that every breath was extremely difficult for him.

Everyone stopped, speechless. Looking at each other, they realized that every one of their companions was soaked in sweat. The most striking was Zhu Zhuqing; although the youngest, she was the most developed of the three girls, her wet clothes clinging to her body, outlining her stunning curves.

Unfortunately, no one has the energy to appreciate the beautiful scenery right now; everyone is standing there, panting.

Tang San and Dai Mubai shouldn't have been so exhausted, but carrying Ning Rongrong and Oscar made their burden heavier than the others. Of the seven, Xiao Wu was the only one who seemed somewhat relaxed. Xiao Wu had also reached level 30, but her burden was the same as Zhu Zhuqing's and Ma Hongjun's. Coupled with her naturally light weight, she was the only one who seemed to be moving with some ease.

It took them nearly five minutes to catch their breath before they gradually recovered.

Ma Hongjun couldn't help but say, "Since we're going to miss lunch anyway, why don't we slow down? I can't go on anymore; if I keep running, I'm afraid I'll die of exhaustion."

Dai Mubai frowned and said, "Slow? Didn't you notice that the salt water Master prepares for us is always at the same temperature? But our speed keeps decreasing. Obviously, Master has calculated our physical condition. If we run back too slowly, there will probably be additional punishments. Although Master is a bit strict with our training, he does it for our own good. We must persevere. Fatty, give me your weights."

(End of this chapter)