Mo Guanguan gritted her teeth as she ran.
Her breathing had long since lost its rhythm, turning ragged and uneven, but she refused to slow down. Her eyes were locked on the figure ahead of her—Zhao Mu—who continued forward at a steady, almost effortless pace.
The gap between them… was widening.
And it was widening fast.
Without using Spirit Power, the difference in their basic physical fitness was simply too great.
Zhao Mu had expected something different.
He thought that, given Mo Guanguan's proud personality, she would eventually resort to using a combat technique or Spirit Power to close the distance between them.
After all, losing in such a straightforward contest would be hard for someone like her to accept.
But unexpectedly—
She didn't.
She kept running.
Purely on physical strength.
No tricks. No shortcuts.
Just sheer willpower.
Zhao Mu couldn't help but feel a trace of admiration.
"She's… stubborn."
But also—
Respectable.
For someone like Zhao Mu, who had spent years honing himself through discipline and hardship, such determination was not something to mock.
On the contrary—
It deserved recognition.
However—
Respect didn't mean holding back.
In his view, the greatest respect one could show an opponent…
Was to go all out.
Zhao Mu's lips curved into a faint smile as he increased his pace slightly.
The finish line was already in sight.
He crossed it without hesitation.
And without stopping.
Instead of waiting—
He continued running.
Second lap.
To him, this wasn't a competition.
It was training.
His daily morning run started at twenty kilometers. Anything less would not sufficiently stimulate the improvement of his technique—Light and Agile Steps.
He assumed that Mo Guanguan, having already lost, would give up.
After all—
Not everyone possessed his level of endurance.
But behind him—
Mo Guanguan saw everything.
Her cheeks puffed up in anger, like a steamed bun ready to burst.
"Damn it!"
Her voice trembled with frustration.
"Even if you win, the least you could do is wait at the finish line!"
"Don't look down on me!"
Her pride burned fiercely.
Without hesitation—
She pushed forward.
Step by step.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the fatigue.
She chased after him.
And in the end—
She completed the second lap as well.
By the time she finished, her body felt like it was falling apart.
Every muscle screamed in protest.
Her legs felt heavy, as if filled with lead.
Her lungs burned with every breath.
Meanwhile—
Zhao Mu was already sitting calmly on the grass, eyes closed, entering a meditative state.
His breathing was steady.
His expression relaxed.
It was as if the twenty kilometers meant nothing to him.
"…What a monster."
Mo Guanguan muttered under her breath.
She staggered toward a nearby tree and leaned against it heavily. One leg bent slightly as she struggled to stay upright.
Sweat dripped from her forehead, sliding down her neck in thin streams.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Even after stopping—
Her body refused to calm down.
At that moment, Zhao Mu opened his eyes.
He sensed her presence immediately.
Turning his head, he saw her state.
Disheveled.
Exhausted.
But still standing.
Their eyes met.
Mo Guanguan looked away awkwardly, then forced a snort.
"Don't get too proud!"
"I only let you win this time. Long-distance running isn't even my specialty!"
Zhao Mu scratched his head, looking slightly helpless.
"…Why push yourself like that?"
"You ran twenty kilometers straight. What are you going to do during training later?"
Mo Guanguan froze.
Only then did she remember—
Boot camp.
Her expression stiffened for a moment.
But her pride wouldn't allow her to back down.
"Hmph!"
"If you can do it, why can't I?"
"This level of exercise is nothing to me!"
Her words were confident.
But her trembling legs betrayed her.
Zhao Mu glanced at her for a moment, then shook his head slightly.
"Rest while you still can."
After saying that, he stood up and left.
He still had to change clothes.
And eat.
Mo Guanguan watched his back as he walked away.
Her teeth clenched softly.
"Zhao Mu… just wait."
"I'll win next time."
Back in the dormitory—
The atmosphere was calmer.
Some girls had already woken up.
Others were preparing for the day.
Mo Guanguan returned, dragging her tired body inside.
After taking a quick shower, she stepped out with damp hair, rubbing it with a towel.
Her legs still felt sore.
Unbearably sore.
She looked toward Shen Moran, who was quietly drawing at her desk.
"Mo Mo…"
Shen Moran glanced up.
"What is it?"
Mo Guanguan hesitated for a moment, then asked seriously:
"What weaknesses does Zhao Mu have?"
Shen Moran paused.
Then smiled faintly.
"Why do you ask?"
Mo Guanguan puffed up again.
"I raced him this morning."
"And he beat me. Again."
Her fists clenched.
"Since I was born, no one has beaten me twice!"
"I have to win back!"
Zhang Yuan, another roommate, laughed softly.
"Guan Guan… you're not falling for him, are you?"
The room went silent.
Mo Guanguan froze.
"W-what?!"
"That's ridiculous!"
At the same time—
"No."
Shen Moran also responded.
Both of them spoke simultaneously.
Shen Moran chuckled lightly.
"Don't joke like that."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"We're not children anymore."
"In the future, we'll become powerful Spirit Users. We'll join the military… rise through the ranks."
Her tone grew colder.
"Why would anyone choose a man who can't help them grow stronger?"
Zhang Yuan shrugged.
"I was just saying…"
Then she added playfully:
"Besides, Zhao Mu is tall, handsome, and has amazing stamina."
"If it's just dating… he's not a bad choice."
Mo Guanguan rolled her eyes.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"In my world, only becoming stronger matters."
"Becoming a top-tier Transcendent—that's my goal!"
Despite her words—
She still rubbed her aching calves.
And deep down—
She regretted it a little.
Twenty kilometers…
That was too much.
Later that morning—
The trainees gathered at the training ground.
As soon as Zhao Mu arrived—
He felt it.
A hostile gaze.
Shao Han.
Zhao Mu didn't even need to look.
He already knew.
Because of what happened yesterday with Song Siqi—
Shao Han would definitely seek revenge.
But Zhao Mu wasn't worried.
Combat level didn't equal actual strength.
For twelve years—
He had suppressed Shao Han.
That wouldn't change.
"Line up!"
Instructor Zhang Biao's voice rang out.
"Today's training—weighted running!"
A collective groan spread through the group.
Yesterday's session had nearly broken them.
But—
They had also realized something.
This training worked.
Pushing their bodies to the limit forced them to better understand Spirit Power.
Especially—
[Condensation] and [Binding].
Today—
No one rushed ahead foolishly.
They paced themselves.
When Zhao Mu stepped forward—
Zhang Biao smiled.
"Four logs."
Not three.
Four.
Zhao Mu blinked.
Then laughed helplessly.
"…You really don't hold back, Instructor."
But he didn't complain.
Instead—
He felt grateful.
Pressure—
Was motivation.
He lifted the logs onto his shoulders.
Heavy.
But manageable.
With proper use of Spirit Power—
With refined control of Condensation and Binding—
It was within his limits.
"Go!"
Zhao Mu moved first.
And once again—
He led.
Even with four logs—
He was still at the front.
Behind him—
Mo Guanguan didn't chase this time.
She ran steadily with the others.
Saving energy.
Using Zhao Mu as a windbreaker.
Even so—
Her calves still hurt.
Each step reminded her of her earlier stubbornness.
She glared at his back.
"…Just you wait."
But she didn't rush.
Not today.
Today—
She had learned.
Sometimes—
Winning wasn't about rushing forward.
It was about enduring.
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