Most of the Disciples around him ran very quickly, hoping to seize the lead from the start. A few deliberately slowed down and stayed beside Lin Taichu, shooting him provocative looks from time to time as they muttered under their breaths.
"A connected newcomer is still a connected newcomer. He's already falling behind right from the start."
"He'll probably give up after ten or so laps."
Lin Taichu pretended not to hear them and continued running at his own pace. He knew that the greatest taboo in physical training was rushing for quick results. Only by maintaining a steady speed and distributing his stamina wisely could he last until the end.
After roughly ten laps, many Disciples began to slow down. Their breathing became labored, and beads of sweat started appearing on their faces. Lin Taichu, however, kept to his previous rhythm, his breathing steady and showing no obvious signs of fatigue.
After another twenty laps, more and more Disciples could no longer hold on. Some stopped to gasp for breath, while others slowed to a shuffling crawl.
The few Disciples who had stayed beside Lin Taichu had long since lost any desire to provoke him. They merely kept their heads down and panted, with no energy left to pay attention to him. Lin Taichu glanced at the situation around him but did not change his pace, continuing onward.
His internal energy proved useful at this point. By circulating his Internal Cultivation Method, he could quickly ease his physical exhaustion and regulate his breathing.
By the time they had run forty laps, fewer than ten Disciples remained on the training ground, and Lin Taichu was one of them.
Even he had begun to feel tired by then. His legs ached, and his breathing had become somewhat hurried, but he still