Running Wild

The air between the trees was steeped in the astringent scent of leaves.

It drilled straight into Chen Feng's nose and mouth.

His boots crushed the rotting leaves underfoot, making a soft, crackling rustle.

Iron Butcher was right behind him, like a parasite burrowed into his bones—impossible to shake off or break free from. Like a spotted hyena that had caught sight of its prey, he relentlessly pursued Chen Feng.

"Again!"

Chen Feng growled.

Cheng Tingxue, cradled in his arms, hurriedly held a pill to his lips. They had lost count of how many times this scene had played out.

Chen Feng was relying on the Great Tonic Pills.

They let him keep running at top speed.

Every time Iron Butcher thought Chen Feng was spent and would have to slow down, Chen Feng would take another Great Tonic Pill right before his astonished eyes.

Then he would suddenly surge forward and widen the gap.

It was driving Iron Butcher mad.

He just couldn't catch the brat ahead of him.

Chen Feng panted heavily.

He felt like he'd run farther today than he had in all four years of college in his previous life.

He had been running at full speed the whole time.

The strain on Chen Feng's body was immense. Without the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique, he would probably have collapsed from exhaustion along the way.

"The... the pills are almost gone..."

Cheng Tingxue's face was pale. The Porcelain Bottle in her hand felt almost weightless; only a few pills remained.

"It's... it's fine. We should be there soon."

Chen Feng gritted his teeth, forcing himself to hold on.

His mind was utterly exhausted, but the will to survive kept him from letting his guard down for even a moment.

Worse still—

After taking so many Great Tonic Pills, Chen Feng's Blood Refining Perfection Realm was showing faint signs of a breakthrough. At a time like this, that was the last thing he needed.

All he knew was that Bone Forging Realm involved tempering one's bones.

But how were they tempered? He had no idea.

What's more, Iron Butcher was still chasing him. If Chen Feng slowed down even a little—

He'd be met with the fists of Iron Butcher, a veteran of the Bone Forging Realm.

There was only one way out now...

Run!

As he swallowed the last pill, the eastern sky gradually brightened, and the veil of night began to lift.

Chen Feng had run for nearly an entire night.

And yet...

The landscape before him remained the same. Beyond one mountain lay another, and outside the woods there were more woods.

Nothing had changed at all.

The stillness was enough to fill anyone with despair.

"Chen Feng..."

Hearing Cheng Tingxue suddenly call his name from his arms, Chen Feng looked down.

Their eyes met.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, mingling with despair and pain, with a hint of resolve.

The moment their gazes met—

Chen Feng knew what she wanted to say.

"Shut up!"

Chen Feng cut her off roughly.

"Lu Hong only wants me... Maybe this is just my fate..."

"Shut up!"

"I can't keep dragging you down... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"I said, shut up!"

Anger surged in Chen Feng's heart, and he shouted.

Past or future, the thing he hated most—

Was those three words: "I'm sorry."

Why not do things right from the start? Why wait until it was too late to regret it?

Why wait until the very end to apologize and beg for forgiveness?

As if those three words could make everything right!

What about him?! What about all his effort, all his perseverance?! Was it all just so he could reply, "It's okay"?!

"I'm sorry, son. I'll make sure to spend more time with you from now on..."

"Sorry, team leader. This mistake was on me..."

"I'm sorry, Chen Feng. We should break up..."

Chen Feng had heard "I'm sorry" far too many times in his previous life. He didn't want to hear it again!

"I should have accepted it sooner..."

Cheng Tingxue let out a faint sob.

She knew that if Chen Feng kept carrying her, Iron Butcher would eventually catch up, and he would surely kill Chen Feng.

Chen Feng had already surprised her and given her hope by turning back to save her.

But now, the truth was clear... She couldn't escape. If that was the case, why drag Chen Feng down with her?

She was a good person.

But it seemed good people didn't get happy endings.

A spark of fury burst to life in Chen Feng's heart. Just as his mind wavered for an instant—

Fine strands of Qi Blood quietly welled up from his marrow, surging outward against his bones.

The Qi Blood in his meridians struck his entire skeleton at the same time, attacking it from both sides.

These were signs of an imminent breakthrough...

Not good! He couldn't hold it back!

Chen Feng's expression changed drastically. He was still holding Cheng Tingxue and couldn't perform the Five Elements Fist to control his Qi Blood.

The swelling sensation threatened to burst him apart!

With no other choice—

Chen Feng endured the agony and forced his Qi Blood down into his legs!

They were the only parts of his body he could move right now.

As he continued to run—

His Qi Blood became a scalding torrent, like red-hot iron, searing the bones in Chen Feng's legs.

First came his thigh bones, then the tibias and fibulas in his lower legs, then his kneecaps, and finally the heel bones in his feet...

They all began to tremble faintly.

The pain gradually turned into a tingling itch.

It was as if countless ants were gnawing on Chen Feng's bones. He could clearly feel them growing tougher and denser.

Every inch of bone absorbed the torrent of Qi Blood, giving off a faint crackling sound.

Buzz—

An almost imperceptible hum came from within Chen Feng.

[Breakthrough: Bone Forging Realm...]

[Experience +1500]

And with that, he had entered the Bone Forging Realm.

Success.

But there was no joy on Chen Feng's face.

Because—

Breaking through consumed a tremendous amount of Qi Blood Power. It wasn't like the novels in his previous life, where you instantly got your mana and health back.

Instead, it nearly emptied his stamina bar.

Chen Feng's speed dropped considerably. If he still had a replenishing pill, he'd have been confident he could shake off Iron Butcher.

But he didn't have a single Great Tonic Pill left!

Seeing Chen Feng finally weaken, Iron Butcher closed the distance between them.

He grinned savagely. "Hahahaha! Die!"

As soon as the words left his mouth—

He reached out to grab Chen Feng.

"Don't!"

Cheng Tingxue cried out.

She squeezed her eyes shut in terror...

After waiting a long while, Cheng Tingxue felt none of the sudden weightlessness she had expected. Chen Feng's arm was still holding her steady.

She nervously opened her eyes—

A graceful figure holding a Long Staff—

Had blocked Iron Butcher!

"Wanqing!"

Cheng Tingxue cried out in delight.

It was Chen Feng's Fifth Senior Sister, Su Wanqing!

Chen Feng finally let out a sigh of relief, too.

Someone had arrived. They were saved.

His legs were numb from all that running. At last, he could rest for a while.

Iron Butcher gritted his teeth, seething with frustration. He had been just a hair's breadth away from catching Chen Feng!

He had been just a hair's breadth away from completing Young Master Lu's mission.

Just a hair's breadth away from rising another rank above Branch Hall Master!

Iron Butcher swept his gaze over everyone present and thought:

"A Bone Forging Realm girl and a brat who's completely spent. I still have a chance!"

Whoosh!

A bamboo pole shot through the air.

Before anyone could react, it plunged into the dirt in front of Iron Butcher.

"Are you still not leaving? Do I have to make you?"

A lazy voice rang out.

When Iron Butcher saw who had arrived, every last shred of hope vanished.

Just then—

The morning sunlight spilled down.

Illuminating a tall, handsome figure—

Yao Xingzhi.