CH 34: Perseverance

<yo, my brother, Dust Valentine, can I ask you for another favor? I'm writing a fanfic of Marvel where Ali is a Symbiote. I have a photo, but I don't like the color. Can you please recolor it for me?>

Yuhao also smiled and waved at them before they continued running. Zhou Yi expressionlessly stood in the middle of the plaza as she watched the students run. She would glance at Yuhao a few times, but no one knew what she was thinking.

By the time the sweat drenched Yuhao had finished his tenth lap, the person in first place, Ali, had already lapped him three times.

The other students had already lapped him at least once. Many people had even cast disdainful gazes at him.

After all, they all knew that Yuhao definitely had the weakest cultivation amongst them. But they only dared to look, because they knew that Ali would come after their asses if they dared to mess with Yuhao.

Even though he was still the slowest, the other students had also begun to slow down after running for so long.

As time passed, the effects of the chainmail started to become more obvious. Even Wang Dong had a face full of sweat.

Ali was also a little sweaty, but he could still keep going without a single problem. And because of wanting to go along with Wang Dong, he was running slower than usual as well.

The few male students who'd followed Ali and Wang Dong from the start had started to fall behind. Some had even been overtaken by the students behind them. Drops of sweat seeped into the running track.

After around an hour had passed, a female student who had a weaker body collapsed to the ground. She struggled to get up, but she couldn't do anything.

Wang Dong happened to be running next to her when this happened. He helped her up and sent her an inquiring gaze :"what's wrong? Can you still run?"

However, that female student shook her head and sat down on the plaza, unwilling to get back up. She didn't even have the energy to speak.

Wang Dong thought that Ali might try and help her, but Ali barely spared her a glance. The different soul pieces of Ali in the omniverse may sometimes look different or act a little different, but they're mentality has always been the same.

Ali is a selfish person. He is not a saint who will help everybody around him. He will only help those who deserve it.

Even though he always acts so nonchalantly, he wasn't blind. He could see and would notice when the girl glanced disdainfully at Yuhao just because he is weaker than her.

So if she acts like that to someone weaker than her, why should Ali act kindly towards her who is so much weaker than him?

He will only help those who deserve it. It is because of this mentality that he helps Yuhao. A lot of people would go in the path of revenge if they lived the same life as Yuhao and become evil, but Yuhao became a kind person instead.

He even tried to create a way for soul masters to be able to gain soul rings without killing soul beasts.

With the things that he had done, he was in Ali's good list. It was also this mentality that resulted in Ali hating Tang San.

Ali doesn't hate Tang San just because he killed Bibi Dong, but also because he's a double standard hypocrite. But anyway, enough ranting.

With the first, the second was bound to happen. Perhaps it was because they had the cushion of Yuhao, who was dead last. Although the students persevered, in the end, their willpower didn't seem to be too strong.

The burden of carrying the heavy chainmail whilst running was truly enormous. This was especially true since everyone but Ali had started running at full speed, which had quickly depleted their soul power.

On the other hand, withstanding the weight of the chainmail with their bodies alone was truly something strenuous at their age.

When two hours had passed, half of the students had collapsed to the ground. From the beginning to the end, Zhou Yi had stood there with an expressionless face. She hadn't urged them to continue either.

The number of students who'd collapsed within Shrek Plaza was gradually increasing. Even the students who'd been running at the very front were starting to gradually be unable to persevere.

The sounds of chainmail smashing into the ground occasionally echoed out from time to time. But what was really surprising was that Yuhao was still moving.

Ali had also begun to sweat, but he was nowhere near his limit. So he just kept running along with Wang Dong.

Another hour passed, with the time left until the bell rang getting closer and closer. There were only ten students left that were still running around Shrek Plaza.

However, the person who'd been considered the "bottom cushion" from the start, Yuhao, was one of them.

Zhou Yi had been paying attention to Yuhao the entire time. She'd already been astonished when only two hours had passed.

Based on Yuhao's physical strength and soul power, he should've reached his limit at two hours, no matter what the circumstances.

However, he'd still managed to persevere. Although running at a constant speed did give some small benefits, his cultivation and physical condition were both right there!

Ali could faintly remember that it had something to do with his Mysterious Heaven Technique that acted special because of him being too weak.

Two more students collapsed, and when they did, they created a domino effect. A few students collapsed in succession following the duo, one of them just happened to bump into Wang Dong, who was next to him.

Wang Dong stumbled, his already aching legs unable to persist any longer. However, Ali grabbed him and helped him stand.

Ali smiled at him with a sweaty face as he chuckled :"you alright there, buddy? You can't keep it up anymore?"

While panting heavily, Wang Dong shook his head :"No... I can't... Keep it up... Anymore... I can't move anymore!"

With Wang Dong falling and giving up, only Ali and Yuhao were left. Who would've thought that one of the two last people would actually be the weakest person in class, the level 11 Yuhao?

Although his steps were weak, and his running speed wasn't that quick, he'd still managed to persevere, even when everyone else but Ali had collapsed.

Ali took a moment to catch his breath as he supported Wang Dong and gently sat him down. However, some idiots were actually dumb enough to make fun of Yuhao.

Random student number 1 :"heh, come look. Isn't that the weakest one? His soul power level is only 11."

Random student number 2 :"hah, it's because he ran slower than everyone else, that's why he hadn't fallen yet."

Ali was seriously being patient, he just wanted to release his martial soul and make them regret opening their mouths.

However, he stayed silent, because he remembered that this was how everyone finally found out how amazing Yuhao is.

It was obvious from his expression that Yuhao had already reached his limit, but he still kept going.

With his amazing senses, Ali could hear Yuhao muttering the words :"mother... Mother..." Over and over, like a chant.

Ali truly felt pity for Yuhao, but that wasn't the case for the others who kept laughing at him to take away from their own embarrassment.

Random student number 1 :"hahahaha!"

Random student number 2 :"is he stupid?"

But Yuhao still didn't give up and kept going. Yuhao's footsteps were extremely heavy. His legs and body were trembling uncontrollably.

However, he didn't fall down. Under such difficult conditions, he still repeated the machine like motions of raising his leg, putting it down, raising it back up, and putting it back down once again.

Seeing how hard he was working, the disdainful look that the students, who'd now fallen, had been looking at him with gradually disappeared.

Random student number 1 :"that guy is still going..."

Seeing that Yuhao was still preserving, Wang Dong gritted his teeth as he pulled himself up with a groan :"ugh!"

Ali smiled at him as he raised an eyebrow :"oh? I see that you haven't given up yet." Wang Dong nodded with a solemn look as he began to run again :"I won't give up till the last second..."

Ali chuckled with an amused shake of his head as he ran along with him :"happy to hear that, buddy."

However, the two didn't overtake Yuhao this time and followed him instead. Ali didn't like this kind of cliche moment, but he decided that he will do it just this once.

The power that a role model provided was mighty. Seeing how the three were still going, the others were also affected!

They started to pull themselves back up, one by one, before blankly staring at the three teenage runners.

With Wang Dong leading, a second, and then a third person gradually began to start following him.

Gradually, all of the students from class 1 clenched their teeth and raised their legs, which were already stiff to the point that they felt dead, to continue running.

Zhou Yi was moved. Of all the time she'd been teaching, it was extremely rare that she'd be moved by the performances of her students.

However this time, she'd truly been moved. This was because of Yuhao, and in turn was also because of the ninety one students who'd climbed back up to follow him.

This was no longer a simple exercise that could temper their bodies, this was a tempering of their minds!

Zhou Yi could visibly see their determination within their exhausted facial expressions. The results of this class were far, far greater than what she'd imagined.

However, the fact that the sweaty Ali was as nonchalant looking as ever annoyed her a bit. She really didn't know how he was always so nonchalant, not caring about anything or anyone.

"Ding ring ring—"

The bell that signalled the end of the class finally rang, causing all of the students to thank the gods as they fell.

It was truly the collapse of a row of dominoes this time. The ear piercing bell instantly caused a large number of people to collapse.

The sounds of collision caused by their chainmail and the ground caused a series of sounds to echo out, and knocked a cloud of dust into the air.

Yuhao, who'd been at the very front, finally collapsed. The bell caused him to finally let go of all of the stubborness and perseverance within his heart.

However, he didn't fall directly to the ground. As he fell, Wang Dong, who was right behind him, caught him by his chainmail. But as soon as he did, the two of them fell together.

But luckily for them, Ali grabbed both of them and gently laid them down on the ground so they wouldn't get injured :"there ya go."

Wang Dong lay beside Huo Yuhao. Both his cultivation and the condition of his body were much stronger than Yuhao's, so even though he was extremely exhausted, he wasn't like Yuhao, who couldn't budge at all :"I really don't know what power made it so that you could endure all the way until now.

You're a soul master with only a ten year soul ring, but you were able to persevere longer than a soul grandmaster like me. You're truly a freak."

Yuhao chuckled twice. He didn't even have the energy to speak anymore. but Ali, who was sitting beside them, laughed nonchalantly :"Of course, he's the guy that I've decided to befriend.

I don't befriend just anybody, you know? He has to be amazing in a way to be able to become my friend.

The panting and sweaty Wang Dong rolled his eyes in annoyance :"yeah yeah, whatever. Stop bragging and let us rest."

Zhou Yi slowly took a deep breath, then beckoned towards the distance. A white clothed male arrived as if he was floating on air. He arrived by Zhou Yi's side with what seemed to be a few light steps. After nodding towards her, he turned towards the students.