"Everyone, listen up! Go grab the iron suits piled over there! Remember, everyone carries thirty kilograms of iron armor, except Jin Lie, who carries fifty! No using Soul Power! Then get moving! Twenty kilometers around the track, carrying your load! Move!"
At Kutka's roar, the students let out a chorus of groans. For some reason, this time everyone's load was five kilograms heavier than last time, and the distance had increased from fifteen kilometers to twenty!
But who would dare question Kutka? They didn't dare dawdle and immediately scrambled toward the pile of iron suits. Xu Mochen pulled one out and put it on, then felt his body sink under its weight!
The iron suit was undeniably heavy. Xu Mochen suddenly remembered how the Grandmaster in the original story had made Tang San and the others—Soul Masters in the twenties and thirties—run sixty or seventy kilometers without using Soul Power while carrying loads of fifteen to twenty kilograms!
It seemed this training method was standard across the Douluo Continent! The difference was that, apart from Xu Mochen, most of the students were above Level 40. Jin Lie in particular was astonishing: from what Xu Mochen could sense, his cultivation had already reached a terrifying Level 54! He was currently the only Soul King in the Elite Class!
For them, Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings carrying thirty or fifty kilograms were definitely no better off than Soul Grandmasters and Soul Elders carrying fifteen or twenty. Still, twenty kilometers was far more humane than the sixty or seventy kilometers the Grandmaster had assigned. That was because they could only do physical training for half a day; they had other classes in the afternoon. They couldn't have the students run all day until they collapsed and passed out, as the Grandmaster had done!
In Xu Mochen's eyes, though, running with a load could certainly improve a Soul Master's stamina to some extent, but the gains were limited, and the exercise was far too monotonous!
Sun Moon Empire academies—especially the Military Academy—also included loaded running in their training, but their methods were much more complicated. On the Douluo Continent, even when Soul Masters ran, they mostly just ran on flat ground.
At Sun Moon Empire academies, particularly the Military Academy, Soul Masters could use Soul Power while running, but they were often required to cross mountains and traverse all kinds of terrain. When necessary, they also had to practice responding to various sudden situations!
Besides that, the Sun Moon Empire's physical training for Soul Masters and its army was much more comprehensive and scientific than that of the Douluo Continent. They didn't just know how to make people run with weights!
Even so, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Xu Mochen clearly had no intention of taking the initiative to suggest that Spirit Hall Academy improve its physical training methods this early. He simply ran along with the other students. The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King was worthy of being a pure-blooded True Dragon Martial Soul at the divine level. It possessed immense strength, and even without circulating Soul Power, its chaotic aura let Xu Mochen quickly sense the Soul Power particles in the world and absorb them from his surroundings to nourish his body.
So although Xu Mochen was carrying a full thirty kilograms—ten more than Tang San and Dai Mubai, who had been Soul Elders in the original story—he didn't feel strained. His body only seemed a tiny bit heavier.
Just like that, aside from Qin Ze, still unconscious on the ground nearby, the other forty-odd students began running around the track. The Elite Class's track was enormous: one lap alone was a full kilometer! They only had to run twenty laps to finish the assignment.
For the first five laps, nobody fell behind. A few of the stronger students even took a commanding lead. Xu Mochen was capable of doing the same, but he had no intention of drawing attention to himself. He stayed right beside Hu Liena.
"Little Brother Mochen, how are you holding up? Do you want me to ask the teacher to lighten your load?" Hu Liena was in excellent physical shape. Though she was only a Soul Elder, after all that running, her cheeks were merely faintly flushed, and just a trace of sweat had appeared at her temples.
Her breathing was still steady, and she remained full of energy. By contrast, quite a few students were already beginning to flag, their steps growing slower.
"Don't worry, Sister Nana. I'm fine." Xu Mochen smiled and declined Hu Liena's kindness. Seeing them together, Yan burned with rage, but he didn't dare make a move rashly.
After all, Hu Liena was at least as strong as him in a fight, and Xu Mochen had those strange abilities of his. The Pope's orders also made Yan deeply wary. Until he had figured out Xu Mochen's identity and mysterious methods, it was better not to provoke him recklessly.
By the time ten laps had passed, many students were running at a crawl. Yet some were still a full lap ahead of the others! Jin Lie, carrying fifty kilograms, was even striding along at a brisk pace. He had already completed twelve laps!
Among the students lagging behind was Chu Hanxiang, a Level 36 auxiliary-type Soul Master. Auxiliary-type Soul Masters were naturally less physically fit than Battle Soul Masters, and she had only recently reached Level 36. Her cheeks were now bright red, and she was drenched in sweat.
Her uniform was soaked through, and even her steps had grown unsteady. Several students who still had energy offered to help, but Chu Hanxiang forced a smile and politely refused.
By the fifteenth lap, many students had fallen far behind. Quite a few who were running out of strength were now alternating between walking and running just to keep going. Hu Liena had broken a sweat too, but her breathing was still even and steady, not the least bit labored.
No wonder she was Bibi Dong's disciple. Xie Yue and Yan had already reached sixteen laps, and now the two of them seemed to be competing with each other, neither willing to give an inch!
Jin Lie was even more monstrous. He had made it to the eighteenth lap, leaving every other student far behind! Even second place was nowhere near him! The others weren't surprised by the sight; they could only offer wry smiles and quiet praise.
"As expected of Big Brother Jin Lie, the Elite Class's leader! He's carrying twenty kilograms more than us and still running that fast!"
"Big Brother Jin Lie must be some kind of beast! Every time, we're nearly collapsing, while he looks like he hasn't even broken a sweat!"
"No wonder he's the great-grandson of our Spirit Hall's Second Worship and the owner of the Golden Crocodile Dragon King Martial Soul! And he's got that five-thousand-year-old power-type Soul Bone in his right leg, the one his great-grandfather gave him! He'd have to be a freak not to be strong!"
"I heard the Second Worship's Martial Soul is the Golden Crocodile King, on the same level as the top Martial Souls of the Upper Three Sects. After his great-grandson's Martial Soul mutated and gained Dragon blood, becoming the Golden Crocodile Dragon King, its quality might even surpass that of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul!"
"Exactly! I heard Big Brother Jin's Martial Soul is a 'hexagonal Martial Soul,' developed in every way: attack, defense, strength, speed, Soul Power, and spirit. It has practically no weaknesses! The Golden Crocodile King's bloodline, fused with Dragon blood, is terrifying!"
"Right? Jin Lie is only twenty-one, but he's already Level 54! What's the point of competing with him?"
"They say the next Soul Master Tournament for advanced academies across the continent is in two or three years! By then, Big Brother Jin Lie will probably be a Spirit Emperor. What chance will the teams from other countries have? If it were me, I'd just surrender!"
The students' discussion naturally reached Xu Mochen's ears. He was startled. He hadn't expected Jin Lie to be Golden Crocodile Douluo's great-grandson, with a mutated Martial Soul even more powerful than his great-grandfather's!
At this rate, if everything went smoothly, Jin Lie might well surpass the Second Worship, who had reached Level 98 in the original story! His Martial Soul's quality was probably close to divine, even if it hadn't quite reached that level. When it came to talent, even Hu Liena might not measure up to him!
Glancing back, Xu Mochen noticed that Chu Hanxiang was close to running out of strength. Her complexion had gone pale and red by turns, and her whole body was drenched in sweat, but she still gritted her teeth and stubbornly pressed on. She was tougher than many Battle Soul Master students with higher cultivation levels. Even as they gave up and started slacking off, Chu Hanxiang kept pushing herself.
Hu Liena also realized Chu Hanxiang was about to give out. She immediately slowed down, came up on Chu Hanxiang's right, and caught her swaying body.
"S-Sister Nana, d-don't, let go of me. I-I can still keep going..." Chu Hanxiang had almost no strength left, but she still tried to shake off Hu Liena's hand. In her current state, though, how could she possibly break free?
"Xiangxiang! What nonsense are you talking about? This training is already too much! Besides, you're only a Level 36 Soul Elder, and an auxiliary-type one at that! It's unfair to force everyone to train exactly the same way! Besides, you're an auxiliary-type Soul Master and I'm a Battle Soul Master. Even in a fight, we wouldn't make you go out alone! And the teacher never said we couldn't help each other! If you still think of me as your big sister, stop struggling!"
Hu Liena's voice was stern, carrying the commanding air of a big sister. When Chu Hanxiang met her unwavering gaze, the last of her stubborn resistance crumbled.
Watching the two sisters, as close as family, Xu Mochen silently approved of their bond. He also planned to lend a small hand, and saw a chance to expand his connections and fish for information!
He slowed down too, keeping to Chu Hanxiang's left, and said gravely, "Match your breathing to mine! Breathe in for three steps, breathe out for three. Breathe through your nose and mouth! Keep a steady pace! Push through the discomfort in your body! It's a sign that you're breaking through your physiological limits! Swing your arms a little wider, keep your elbows from flaring out! Lean forward slightly to reduce the resistance against your body!"
"Also, think of something happy. That can stimulate your brain to release more dopamine and your body to produce more adrenaline. For Soul Masters, even without deliberately circulating the Soul Power inside you, these actions can make it spread unconsciously through every cell in your body, giving them energy! Then, with your body moving vigorously, that Soul Power can be used to temper and fuse into your body, improving your physical fitness..."
Hu Liena and Chu Hanxiang were stunned by Xu Mochen's long explanation. There were a few terms they didn't understand, but they adjusted their running as he suggested.
Sure enough, before long, Hu Liena and Chu Hanxiang felt the Soul Power inside them unconsciously flow into every part of their bodies, subtly tempering each limb and every inch of them. They both felt much less tired than before! Chu Hanxiang even broke free of Hu Liena's support and ran more easily than she had at the start!
Still, they couldn't help feeling conflicted. The teacher had said they weren't allowed to use Soul Power and had to run using nothing but their physical strength. Weren't they now secretly cheating by indirectly using Soul Power to enhance their physical abilities?
Before you continue