500 more laps?

"Can you feel it?! The power of heaven and earth streaming into your body!" A booming voice resonated through the forest. "Wondering why you feel pain when cultivating? It's your lack of body temperament!"

The words echoed from the mouth of a wrinkled old man, who was squinting as he focused on the body beneath him before kicking his foot forward. Another voice, young and pained, resounded, "Arghh!"

"How could you possibly learn my arts with this frail body?" The old man shouted from atop the shoulders of Zhihui, who weaved through bushes and trees, sweat dripping and his breath heavy.

The old man laughed loudly, yelling, "The body absorbs more when it's weary and exhausted! Push yourself to your limit, Zhihui!" fueling Zhihui's frustration.

Gritting his teeth, 'This geezer..why is he so goddamn heavy?!' Zhihui thought, as if insects were navigating through his body, his skin and bones felt extremely itchy, with his lower body greatly more itchy than the rest.

The wind blasting his face, Zhihui murmured, "But I can feel it.. surging into me, ' His lips parted, revealing a wide smile. Planting his bare feet into the rough brown earth, he shot forward, whistling through the air at an even greater speed than before.

According to his master, his body was too weak, the push-ups and exercises from his past life were not intense enough, and to truly temper his body, he would need tougher training.

Thinking about it, it made sense to him that in his past life, at the gym he would push himself till he physically couldn't continue, which would promote greater muscle growth. So why wouldn't it be similar here? The more he exhausted his body, the more Qi drilled into him and the stronger he got.

Now with a new understanding, he intensified his strides, but a thought lingered: 'The story master talked about... It seems to be related to the beggar arts; the trapped kid who studied the townspeople's expressions reminds me of the concealment arts. I wonder, could this story be about the old man?"

Naturally, the old man had left out certain parts of the story, like the encounter with the purple-haired old man and the young boy stealing the oranges.

To Zhihui's knowledge, it was the story of a young boy who traveled to find a mentor or a way into the cultivation world in order to get stronger and get revenge. But he ran into an evil cultivator and was captured, then left hanging in a tower, only able to watch the townspeople go about as he waited for death.

The ocean-eyed young boy groaned as he regained his balance; he almost tripped over a branch. "Focus Zhihui, or another 500 laps!" The old man exclaimed before stretching his arms wide in an embrace with the air and dissolved into a vortex of gray smoke.

Entering a clearing in the forest and locking eyes with a beast that resembled an ape from his past life, Zhihui clenched his fists, preparing himself.

Rhythmic thuds echoed throughout the forest as the ape drummed its chest, each beat a demonstration of its strength. Followed by a loud primal roar, it launched forward. 

A gray hue brightened within the young boy's pupils while he closed the distance between him and the beast, whose muscles vibrated with anticipation as it pulled its arm back, its fists clenched.

Zhihui observed the creature's movements, his anticipation evident in his eyes. ".. a brawl it is," he mumbled.

With strength coursing from his feet to his legs, through his hips, up his arm, and down his fist, Zhihui's knuckles sliced through the air, colliding head-on with the beast's blow.

A thunderous impact reverberated out, and the two figures stared at each other—their arms had both been knocked back.

The brief silence was like a calm before the storm, as, with a loud boom, fists rained down.

They engaged in a struggle of strength, creating a sound resembling boulders crashing together. Delivering blow after blow, the two figures stood rooted in the ground, both refusing to be pushed back.

Droplets of blood scattered from the points of impact.

The pain stung like needles against its skin, the beast hated it.

Zhihui loved it. His arms and hands tingled, the flow of Qi invigorating his fighting spirit as he pressed on.

The ape faltered, and Zhihui's right fist slammed into its jaw, sending its face askew before returning it to its original position with a swift left.

With its eyes vacant, the beast stumbled back, defenseless in front of the uppercut that soon struck its chin. 

A flurry of punches followed, a combination of left and right hooks raining down on the beast's bloodied face like a meteor shower.

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!" Zhihui bellowed, his eyes ablaze with fighting spirit.

With a deafening boom and a resounding thud, the fight reached its conclusion.

Motionless, blood seeping from its arms, teeth broken, and mouth agape, the beast lay unconscious on the brown earth.

Wasting no time, Zhihui inhaled deeply before running towards the lake. Sweat poured down his figure as he huffed and puffed; his body gained a tinge of red while covered in a blanket of steam.

He sensed a shift within, a transformation coursing through his bones and muscles. Running tirelessly and engaging in a fierce battle with the beast on the verge of exhaustion had depleted him entirely.

Each step became an arduous effort, and his muscles incessantly itched, prompting a desperate desire to scratch vigorously. Yet the most significant discomfort emanated from a burning sensation in the center of his abdomen.

'What's this...' Zhihui pondered, detecting a subtle Qi originating from this spot. It differed from the usual, presenting itself as a liquid essence flowing through his meridians, revitalizing the cells in his body.

The radiant azure lake soon unfolded before him, and with a somersault, he plunged into its depths, creating a magnificent splash.

Floating on the surface, Zhihui's face had a satisfied expression and a wide grin.

'Oh baby don't hurt me' 

[A/N : I'm still alive readers!! :/ Planning a mass release! shouldn't take too long now. As always, thank you for reading and for your continuous support. Oh right, if you have anything you're confused about, please let me know, or feedback in general. Thanks. ]