The Unmissable Running Project

"It's nothing."

Xiao Wu patted the warmed-up bedding. "Let's sleep."

She hadn't expected that thinking about something would take so long; the time had slipped away in an instant.

Jiang Jiu didn't think much of it either. He lay down, dropped his head, and fell asleep immediately; he was quite exhausted today as well.

Xiao Wu turned her head, her eyes still bright in the darkness.

Early the next morning, before the sky had even begun to brighten, Jiang Jiu opened his eyes.

An unfamiliar ceiling, and his body felt like it was being coiled around by an octopus.

Right, he was just in Dorm Seven.

Jiang Jiu peeled away the arms and legs Xiao Wu had wrapped around him bit by bit; her sleeping posture was truly nothing to brag about.

"Mom..."

Jiang Jiu paused, then reached into his bundle with one hand to fish out some clean clothes, slowly tucking them into Xiao Wu's arms so she could hold them while she slept.

He got up and climbed out of bed. The dormitory was still deathly quiet; a room without anyone snoring was certainly not bad.

He arrived at the academy playground in the dim light. With no one around, Jiang Jiu slowly began his warm-up exercises.

He was still young and not quite suited for strength training yet, but he could certainly work on his cardiovascular endurance.

Although everyone mocked Shrek's running training, Jiang Jiu really didn't have a better training method at his current stage.

Blacksmithing counted as one, but it was best done according to the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique.

Power originated from the calves, and combined with the assistance of soul power, it could exercise the entire body; ordinary blacksmithing movements were far inferior.

However, even though it was just running, as a modern person and a fan of cloud fitness, he could apply a bit of progressive overload to his running and cardiovascular endurance.

Perhaps that would be more scientific?

Without long-term practice, Jiang Jiu couldn't guarantee that this would definitely be useful.

He could only say that he would believe in it first, then keep believing; running was better than not running at all.

While Jiang Jiu was out for his morning run, Tang San also woke up. He performed his usual practice of the Purple Demon Eye, then headed to the academy gate to meet with the Grandmaster and set off for the Soul Hunting Forest.

"That roommate of yours is very diligent."

Tang San was stunned for a moment before realizing who his teacher was talking about.

"He really does feel different from the others."

Especially when he found out Jiang Jiu was a boy, Tang San had been quite surprised.

Of course, what truly surprised him was that Jiang Jiu got up even earlier than he did, even with his Purple Demon Eye practice.

Yu Xiaogang nodded in understanding and said, "A person like that is worth befriending."

"I understand, Teacher."

The tall man and the short boy walked out of the academy gates.

In the bathhouse, Jiang Jiu realized he had made a miscalculation.

On the first day of executing his training plan, his main goal was to test his limits.

His physique was unexpectedly decent; he had managed a six-kilometer jog.

He had never even imagined such a distance in his past life; running three kilometers used to be the death of him.

But there were problems.

For instance, he couldn't accurately calculate the duration of his run. While he could primarily use running volume as a variable for progressive overload in the early stages, he would eventually need to compress and regulate his time.

Then there was the current situation.

Covered in sweat, Jiang Jiu hadn't chosen to return to the dorm first, only wanting to take a shower. The problem was that he hadn't prepared a change of clothes; it was a lack of experience in living in this type of dormitory and training.

He had no choice but to hold his nose and put back on his dirty clothes, which were soaked through with sweat.

He had thought it wouldn't be a big deal, but cold sweat and hot sweat were truly two different things.

"Clang, clang!"

Jiang Jiu, who had been planning to just rinse the dirty clothes and wring them out to wear, paused.

Although he had anticipated that someone might come to bathe at this hour and had prepared himself to adapt, this was clearly a girl's voice!

"Xiao Wu, why did you run into the men's bathhouse?!"

"What does it matter? I scouted it out beforehand; you're the only one here, Xiao Jiu."

"Besides, forget the bathhouse; I didn't see a single other person on my way here."

Xiao Wu, wearing a scorpion braid, stood prettily inside the men's bathhouse.

She scanned the interior once, then lost interest, her lively, bright eyes fixed straight on Jiang Jiu.

"That's enough! Put the clothes down and get out, quick!"

Jiang Jiu wouldn't have cared if everyone else was naked, but Xiao Wu was fully dressed while he was not, and that was something he couldn't accept.

However, he saw the clothes in her arms and understood why she had appeared here.

She was quite thoughtful, if only she weren't so reckless.

"I've already grabbed you, looking won't make you lose a piece of meat."

The hooligan rabbit never failed to shock, but she still found a spot to set down the clothes before retreating.

Jiang Jiu changed into his clothes and left the bathhouse, heading to the cafeteria with Xiao Wu for breakfast.

He really had nothing to say regarding Xiao Wu.

If he called her mischievous, she had come to bring him clothes, so he had no argument; it was better to skip the topic.

Inside the cafeteria, aside from the staff, there wasn't a single student yet.

Someone like Xiao Wu had become one of the earliest risers today.

But thinking of the others' ages—they were all just elementary schoolers—there was nothing to criticize.

"Xiao Jiu, I'm going out for a trip in a few days." Xiao Wu poked the noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks.

"Are you going to hunt for your first spirit ring?"

"You know about that?"

"Good luck." Xiao Wu was unexpectedly lacking in common sense in some areas.

"Why are you so indifferent..." Xiao Wu was somewhat dissatisfied. She felt Jiang Jiu should be more reluctant to see her go, completely failing to realize that she and Jiang Jiu had known each other for less than twenty-four hours.

"It's not like we won't see each other again. We'll be back together in a few days."

"Hmph, I was originally planning to temporarily bestow my 'Boss' privileges upon you."

"I'll respectfully decline."

"What?" Xiao Wu touched her ear, feeling suspicious.

"I said I'm so reluctant to see you go, Big Sister Xiao Wu, please don't leave," Jiang Jiu recited in a monotone.

"Stop, stop, stop. Why does this sound more and more wrong?" The look of suspicion on Xiao Wu's face deepened. Was he mocking her? She just didn't have any evidence!

"Forget it. Teacher Xiao Wu is magnanimous, so I'll forgive you. Let's head back to Dorm Seven first."

"My authority as a teacher must be passed down to you eventually."

"How about you give me a second lesson?"

"That's true. Then I'll teach you a few movements first. You practice them, and when I come back with my first spirit ring, I'll give you a proper lesson!"

Xiao Wu's attention was diverted very quickly.

She skipped along the road, demonstrating a few movements and fully displaying her flexibility; "soft as if boneless" was truly no exaggeration.

"The quality of those pants is really good."

Xiao Wu pouted and punched Jiang Jiu. "Is that all you noticed?"

The various standing splits she had demonstrated weren't just for Jiang Jiu to notice her pants.

"Do I have to practice these too?"

"Of course! Once we're back at the dorm, there are a few more sitting, prone, and lying-down positions. You have to practice them all well!"

"Body softness and resilience are the keys to the Soft Technique!"

"Sigh."