The next morning, everyone gathered early in the academy's cafeteria. This time, no one dared to be late, and the Grandmaster finally showed a relieved expression.
However, Qi Ling could tell from Zhu Zhuqing's dark circles and her forced energy that she must have ignored her advice and stayed up all night studying after returning home yesterday.
In fact, Qi Ling could understand Zhu Zhuqing's thoughts. After all, this was her wish for many years, and now that she finally had the opportunity to achieve it, she naturally did not want to waste a single second.
However, just as a spring will eventually break if it is stretched too tight for too long, so too can a person; no one can live a normal life under continuous high pressure.
In order to keep Zhu Zhuqing from deviating from the realm of normal people, Qi Ling had to think of a way to stop her from pushing herself too hard.
"After lunch, everyone warm up for half an hour, then come to the academy gate to receive the punishment we agreed on yesterday," the Grandmaster said to everyone.
If Qi Ling wasn't mistaken, the punishment the Grandmaster mentioned should be the extreme weighted cross-country race. This was not only a warning to the Shrek Seven Devils Shrek Seven Devils, but also his first lesson to them, making them realize the importance of helping each other.
After this training, the group of people who had gone through hardships together established a basic level of trust, and the Shrek team began to take shape.
"I wonder how much weight I can bear?" Qi Ling wondered to herself.
According to his own estimation, having cultivated the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art, his physical attributes should be more than ten times that of the Shrek members.
Dai Mubai, the strongest among them, can lift a stone weighing about 30 jin (15 kg), so I should be able to lift more than 300 jin (150 kg).
Of course, this is just an idealized figure. After all, cross-country running with loads is completely different from sports like weightlifting. More importantly, it is a test of one's willpower.
However, Qi Ling was confident in her willpower. After all, she had already endured the extreme physical tempering of the Nine Revolutions True Dragon Art, so what else could be more terrifying?
After a short warm-up, the group followed Yu Xiaogang's instructions and arrived at the academy gate. Waiting for them there were not only Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, but also Zhao Wuji and Flender.
"These are the rocks prepared for you. Each of you should carry your own portion. You are not allowed to use your Soul Power. Run from the academy to Suotuo City and back," Yu Xiaogang said, pointing to a pile of rocks on the ground.
"Everyone must run ten laps before lunch. If even one person fails, no one will get to eat! Alright, everyone, now carry your stones!"
After listening, no one objected, and everyone stepped forward to carry their own stones. Since everyone's quality was different, the weight of the stones naturally varied, and they were all placed in bamboo baskets with their names written on them.
When Qi Ling carried his own bamboo basket, he was surprised to find that the stones inside were unexpectedly light, weighing only about 40 kilograms.
Even so, he was still the heaviest among them, weighing 10 jin more than Dai Mubai. However, this was far from his expectations. Was he really only of this caliber in the Grandmaster's eyes?
Seemingly sensing Qi Ling's thoughts, Yu Xiaogang said, " Qi Ling, are you wondering why there are only 40 jin of stones in your basket?"
"That's because there will be special punishments for you, which is why I sent Teacher Zhao Wuji here."
After Yu Xiaogang finished speaking, Zhao Wuji stepped forward, his seven Soul Ring lit up, and he had already activated his Soul Skill.
Immediately, Qi Ling's expression changed, and the bamboo basket he was carrying suddenly felt as heavy as Mount Tai, causing his feet to sink into the ground.
The others also noticed Qi Ling's unusual behavior, and all wore expressions of astonishment. The Grandmaster then explained, "Master Zhao Wuji applied Gravity Enhancement to the stones you were carrying, increasing the weight of each stone tenfold!"
" Qi Ling, you must carry these amplified stones and run the entire course! And any extra stones given to you will increase your weight tenfold!"
The stone Qi Ling was carrying weighed 40 jin (approximately 20 kg), but after being increased tenfold, it became 400 jin (approximately 200 kg)!
Carrying a 400-pound stone back and forth between Suotuo City and the academy ten times, without being allowed to use Soul Power, is a task that is simply unthinkable! Perhaps only Qi Ling could accomplish it.
"400 jin? My God, Boss Qi, is your body made of iron?" Ma Hongjun exclaimed in shock.
"Alright, that's enough. If we dawdle any longer, we won't be back before dark," Qi Ling said, then was the first to run outside.
The group exchanged glances. Since Qi Ling, carrying 400 jin (200 kg) of weight, had already set off, they had no reason to refuse anymore. So they all shouldered their bamboo baskets and ran out.
Watching the group run off into the distance, Yu Xiaogang couldn't help but smile faintly. Flender, standing beside him, said with a pained expression, "400 jin (200 kg), Xiaogang, you're really ruthless! Even I probably couldn't keep up! Can Qi Ling really do it?"
"Don't worry, Qi Ling's potential is far greater than you and I imagine," Yu Xiaogang said with a smile. "Moreover, this test is not just this simple; it remains to be seen how they will overcome it."
When they first put on the bamboo baskets, no one thought anything of it, but after running for a short while, they realized how difficult this punishment was.
The clever Tang San immediately understood the Grandmaster's intention: everyone must help each other to overcome this difficulty; otherwise, if even one person falls behind, their mission will be considered a failure.
Oscar then suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! The Grandmaster probably designed it this way to prevent Boss Qi from helping us cheat!"
Everyone then understood Oscar's meaning; after all, an extra few dozen kilograms of weight wouldn't make much of a difference to Qi Ling.
But what weighs one jin for everyone else weighs ten jin for Qi Ling, and that difference is not to be ignored.
"That's natural. The Grandmaster must have calculated our limits before setting these tasks," Qi Ling said. "So, forget about trying to take shortcuts; just accept your punishment."
According to the original plot, even without Qi Ling, the group could barely complete the mission, but this time there was a variable: Zhu Zhuqing.
Having stayed up all night, Zhu Zhuqing's physical condition was already at its limit. Now, she was forced to perform the punishment, so naturally, she couldn't hold on for long.
So, on the fifth lap, Zhu Zhuqing reached her limit, stumbled, and almost fell. Fortunately, Xiao Wu caught her and prevented her from falling.
" Zhu Zhuqing, how are you?" Qi Ling asked, turning around.
"I... I can do it..." Although Zhu Zhuqing said this, anyone could see that her eyes were starting to glaze over, her body was trembling uncontrollably from exhaustion, and she was on the verge of fainting.
"Honestly, you girl, you just love to show off!" Qi Ling sighed and came to her side, took the stone from Xiao Wu's hand, and put it in the basket behind her.
The stone on Zhu Zhuqing's back weighed 20 jin (approximately 10 kg), but after it was placed on Qi Ling's body, it became 200 jin (approximately 100 kg)! Thus, Qi Ling's load became 600 jin (approximately 300 kg)!