The next afternoon, the sun blazed fiercely down on the sports field. The first-years' physical training class was underway, with lap after lap of endurance running, frog jumps, and interval training leaving the new students crying out in misery.
Dust flew across the field. Most of the children were already panting, their steps unsteady and their backs drenched in sweat.
Yet at the very front, one small, thin figure maintained an even pace, charging steadily forward step by step. It was Tang Wulin.
The boy looked small and skinny, but his stamina was astonishing. After more than a dozen laps, his face wasn't flushed, nor was he out of breath. His steps remained firm, as though nothing had happened. He even wore an iron vest weighing ten jin, yet it didn't seem to affect him at all.
Not far behind him, Xie Xie gritted his teeth and chased with everything he had. His fine clothes were already soaked with sweat and clung to his body, while his hair hung in wet clumps. With rank-eighteen Soul Power, his physical fitness was already quite good, yet he simply couldn't catch Tang Wulin, who was only rank thirteen.
Xie Xie panted as he ran, cursing inwardly. He was a genius with Twin Martial Souls, yet his stamina couldn't even match a student with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. It would be humiliating if word got out. He gritted his teeth and picked up his pace again, but no matter what he did, he couldn't close the gap.
A little farther back, Hu Fangyuan ran at an even pace, his steps steady and his breathing deep and unhurried.
After the Copper Bone Gu fused with his bones, his physical strength had improved considerably, and his endurance had soared along with it. An endurance run of this intensity was nothing to him-not even a warm-up. As he ran, he could even spare attention to feel the weighty solidity coming from his bones, carefully experiencing the Copper Bone Gu's everyday enhancement.
Under normal conditions, the Copper Bone Gu's enhancement wasn't great. Even when fed copper shavings every day, it only slowly increased the hardness of his bones, with a clear upper limit. But for him right now, it had thoroughly made up for his physical shortcomings. Before, running a dozen or so laps would have tired him somewhat. Now, the whole run was effortless.
As he ran, his thoughts drifted back to the contents of his inherited memories.
As the inheritor of the Heaven Refining Immortal Venerable's legacy, he naturally possessed an innate interest in the Refinement Path.
The most basic and essential function of the Refinement Path was to create new Gu worms from nothing using various Gu materials, as well as to advance existing Gu worms through refinement, raising their rank.
Take the Copper Bone Gu, for example. To advance it from rank one to rank two or even rank three, he could only use advancement refinement through the Refinement Path, or refine it together with other Gu worms.
Ultimately, however, the meaning of the Refinement Path went far beyond merely refining Gu worms.
As the saying went, the wise sought strength within, while the unwise sought strength without.
The essence of the Refinement Path was transformation, and the most fundamental subject of transformation was oneself. It corresponded to the heart of cultivation: people were like rough blanks, and only through constant hammering, tempering, and removal of impurities could they become something of worth.
Refining the Self.
Those words broke through the limits of talent determining one's entire life, acknowledging that everything could be changed through acquired tempering. They were also an embodiment of the spirit of humanity triumphing over heaven.
"So that's why the Heaven Refining Immortal Venerable was also called the Great Love Immortal Venerable," Hu Fangyuan couldn't help remarking, still pondering the contents of the Gu Canon and The True Man's Biography within his inherited memories.
They recorded not only methods for Gu Refining, but an entire cultivation system—a path that could let people defy heaven and change their fate.
Just as he became absorbed in thought, a figure overtook him from the side, stirring up a light breeze.
Hu Fangyuan looked up. It was Gu Yue.
The girl wore a simple training outfit, her long black hair tied into a ponytail. She ran with a light, graceful bearing, like a willow leaf in the wind. As she passed Hu Fangyuan, she glanced at him. Seeing his steady breathing, she seemed a little surprised, but she said nothing and continued running ahead.
Soon, the bell rang.
Physical training was over. As though granted a pardon, the new students collapsed onto the field, gulping down great mouthfuls of air.
Tang Wulin was the first to stop. He stood there and moved his arms and legs a little, barely a trace of sweat on his face. Turning to look behind him, he waited for the others with bright, sparkling eyes.
Xie Xie charged over second, bracing his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. It took him a long while to recover. He pointed at Tang Wulin, unable to speak for ages.
Hu Fangyuan and Gu Yue also stopped, one after the other. Both were composed, their breathing barely disturbed.
"Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, Gu Yue."
Wu Changkong's icy voice rang out before class was dismissed. "And Hu Fangyuan. Come see me after dinner."
After saying that, he paid no attention to their responses, turning and walking straight away.
His steps remained steady, leaving them with a cool-looking view of his back.
Hu Fangyuan blinked, looking at Wu Changkong's retreating figure in some puzzlement. "What's gotten into Teacher Wu? He's being so mysterious."
Tang Wulin shook his head, looking utterly bewildered. "I don't know."
An afternoon of training hadn't left the young boy the least bit weary. Instead, he was still brimming with energy. As he spoke, he tugged on Hu Fangyuan's arm. "Fangyuan, come on, let's eat at the dining hall! If we're late, all the good food will be gone!"
Before his words had even faded, he had already turned and jogged toward the dining hall, faster than he had been running earlier.
Xie Xie merely gave Hu Fangyuan a quick goodbye before hurrying after him. Panting as he ran, he watched Tang Wulin pick up speed ahead and muttered, "What a beast! Doesn't he get tired?! What a bottomless rice bucket!"
Soon, only Hu Fangyuan and Gu Yue remained on the field.
Standing to one side, Gu Yue looked at the classmate who had transferred in at the same time as her, showing a rare trace of goodwill. "Want to eat together?"
"Sure." Hu Fangyuan had no objection. He brushed the dust off his clothes and walked toward the dining hall beside Gu Yue.
Neither walked particularly fast. The evening breeze blew past, carrying a little of summer's lingering heat. Students passed in twos and threes along the way, most discussing the afternoon's physical training and the Class Promotion Tournament.
"Do you know what Teacher Wu wants with us?" Hu Fangyuan asked casually.
Gu Yue shook her head, her black eyes calm. "No. It probably has something to do with the Class Promotion Tournament."
Hu Fangyuan nodded, also feeling that was most likely the reason. Wu Changkong thought highly of them, so he probably wanted to give them some private instruction.
As they talked, they arrived at the dining hall.
The dining hall was a cauldron of voices at the height of the dinner rush. The moment he entered, Hu Fangyuan spotted Tang Wulin carrying a huge plate piled high with food, finding a seat, and burying himself in his meal. The plate was heaped like a small mountain, with rice, vegetables, and meat piled into a dizzying peak.
Xie Xie sat opposite him with only a small plate of vegetables and a bowl of rice in front of him, staring at Tang Wulin in astonishment.
"Hey, slow down. Nobody's fighting you for it." The corner of Xie Xie's mouth twitched. "You're so small. How do you fit all that inside you?"
His mouth stuffed with rice, Tang Wulin mumbled, "Training's tiring. Hungry."
Hu Fangyuan and Gu Yue walked over and sat down. Hu Fangyuan simply got two dishes and a bowl of rice, an ordinary portion. Gu Yue had even less: a small bowl of rice and a few greens, which she ate daintily.
The four sat at one table, each eating their own food. Tang Wulin ate fastest, sweeping through his meal like a gale scattering clouds. In no time, he finished the entire huge plate. He rubbed his stomach, still wanting more. "I don't think I'm full yet."
Xie Xie rolled his eyes. "Are you a pig? You're still not full after all that?"
Tang Wulin chuckled, unoffended, and went to get another plate.
Hu Fangyuan ate unhurriedly, pondering why Wu Changkong wanted to see them that evening. Special training was certain; he just didn't know how intense it would be. Having special training was better than not. Wu Changkong's ability spoke for itself, and receiving his guidance would certainly benefit his cultivation.
After dinner, the four left the dining hall.
It was already evening. The sunset's lingering glow left a dazzling swath of fiery red across the sky, and even the clouds on the horizon were dyed orange-red. The light of the setting sun spilled onto Gu Yue's small face, adding a touch of radiance to her delicate features.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie ran off to play by the edge of the field. Children at heart, they were bursting with energy once their stomachs were full.
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