Going Against the Grain

When Jun Xuehan left Heaven Dou City, he began running around its perimeter. He was not moving quickly, maintaining a steady pace throughout. This not only conserved his energy but also allowed him to adjust his rhythm at any time.

She Long followed beside him at an unhurried pace, occasionally explaining some basic knowledge about Soul Masters. Jun Xuehan did not speak, but he listened carefully, doing his best to remember everything She Long told him.

After Jun Xuehan had covered two-thirds of the distance around Heaven Dou City, his rhythm gradually began to falter. Sweat appeared on his forehead, and his stamina was rapidly declining.

Looking at the remaining third of the route, Jun Xuehan brushed the hair blocking his vision behind his head and let out a breath. His speed abruptly increased.

"What is he trying to do? Is he planning to sprint for the remaining third of the route? Isn't that sprint a little too long?" She Long could not help but be taken aback as he watched Jun Xuehan suddenly pick up speed.

However, he said nothing more. He wanted to see whether Jun Xuehan could truly run a full lap around Heaven Dou City without using Soul Power. This was not something that could be accomplished through effort alone. After all, his stamina was right there for all to see. With She Long's eyesight, he could naturally tell that Jun Xuehan's physical strength was already plummeting rapidly. Running a full lap around Heaven Dou City was basically impossible; how far he could make it would depend on Jun Xuehan's determination.

After running another half of the remaining distance, the sweat pouring from Jun Xuehan's head had already obscured his vision, making everything before him somewhat blurry. His steps grew heavier and heavier, while his breathing became increasingly labored. He wiped away the sweat blocking his sight with one hand and continued running forward, with no intention whatsoever of using Soul Power.

Approval appeared in She Long's eyes, but by his estimation, Jun Xuehan was already nearing his limit. For someone whose stamina had been exhausted, the remaining distance would be like an impassable chasm. Once physical strength was completely spent, every single step became incomparably difficult. Without using Soul Power, all one could rely on was one's own willpower.

A few minutes later, Jun Xuehan's stamina was completely exhausted, yet he still showed no intention of stopping. Instead, he continued running forward.

"Xuehan, your talent and performance have already surpassed the vast majority of people your age on the continent. There is nothing wrong with stopping to rest for a while," She Long said softly as he watched Jun Xuehan.

"When laying a foundation, if you always settle for being good enough, then that little bit you fall short by in battle later on—that tiny difference, that gap by a thread—could become the chance for the entire battle to be turned around." Jun Xuehan let out a breath and forcibly increased his speed a little, continuing forward.

There was a saying: one burst of effort, then decline; a third attempt, and exhaustion. Once he stopped to rest, it would become even more impossible for him to finish the remaining route.

"Haha, interesting. Truly interesting. Xuehan, I think highly of you. Those with talent who do not work hard can surpass seventy percent of their peers on the continent. Those who work hard but lack talent may surpass twenty percent. But those who possess both talent and diligence can basically surpass ninety-nine percent of the continent's people. If you keep working this hard, you will certainly have a place among the Younger Generation in the future. You may even earn a place for yourself on the entire continent," She Long said with a faint smile. He felt that what Jun Xuehan had just said made a great deal of sense.

Those who had talent but did not cultivate diligently were not only wasting their talent; they might also have an entire battle turned against them in the future because of a gap as narrow as a thread.

As for those who cultivated diligently but lacked talent, without some great opportunity, it was basically impossible for them to achieve much. After all, if hard work alone were truly enough, what would be the point of geniuses?

But those who possessed talent and worked hard were different. If someone had greater talent than you and worked harder than you, then your own hard work would not matter much. Talent was the foundation, hard work was for better growth, and perseverance was what shielded that growth from wind and rain.

"Instead of saying all that, why not say something more practical? If I finish the run, Uncle She Long, how about you serve as my sparring partner for a day?" After saying this, Jun Xuehan stopped talking. Speaking also consumed stamina, and what he needed to do now was conserve his strength and finish the remaining route. Other matters could wait until after he was done.

"No problem. It's only one day of sparring, and I happen to have nothing else to do. I agree," She Long said indifferently. Sparring was, in the end, about cultivating combat experience. His combat experience far surpassed Jun Xuehan's, so this was nothing at all.

As Jun Xuehan's stamina became excessively depleted, the final stretch took him more than forty minutes to complete. Only then did he finally run a full lap around Heaven Dou City.

Judging by the time, it was around eight in the morning. They had left at five, and their Morning Training had lasted more than three full hours before it was completed.

Jun Xuehan and She Long returned to the residence and headed straight for the dining hall. There, they saw Qian Renxue sitting quietly as she ate the breakfast before her.

Qian Renxue looked at the returning Jun Xuehan, smiled, and nodded to indicate that he should sit down and eat. Then she said nothing more. As for what Jun Xuehan and She Long had been doing, Qian Renxue could roughly guess from Jun Xuehan's drenched hair and sweat-soaked clothes. There was no need to ask.

Very soon, Qian Renxue finished her breakfast. Looking at Jun Xuehan, who was eating in front of her, she said, "Xuehan, you will not need to live in the residence starting tomorrow. Come with me to Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. This is a spatial Soul Tool. You can use Soul Power to store things inside it. It is a little small, but it is enough for your daily use."

As she spoke, Qian Renxue took out a Soul Tool and placed it before Jun Xuehan.

Jun Xuehan and She Long both looked at Qian Renxue with bewildered and astonished expressions.

This... isn't this trusting me a little too much? We've known each other for less than four months in total, and she's already planning to tell me something as important as her scheme against the Heaven Dou Empire? Jun Xuehan blinked, momentarily unable to react to Qian Renxue's words.

Qian Renxue heard the voice echoing in her heart, but her expression did not change. She remained as calm as ever, though inwardly, she smiled.

Since Jun Xuehan already knew about her plans for the Heaven Dou Empire, there was no point in continuing to hide it. She might as well do the opposite and gradually tell him everything, making him feel just how much she trusted him.