6 1000 Push-Ups

Two weeks until the Cultivator's Trial and Observation. At that time, Feng has to show his worth.

To make that happen, the first step is for Lin to have one thousand push-ups.

Sweat trickled down on Feng's face when he saw the mission. This was the easiest! If it was him, he wouldn't be so nervous, however, it was someone else. Could he trust this person to do this for him.

"..." Lin dazed at the mission board which made Feng frown.

[Push-up? What is that? Push then up... what do you push to make you up? Or am I misunderstanding something?]

'You push the ground and you go up...' Feng thought as he inwardly sighed.

Rumia's voice sounded in the background, suggesting that she was just mindblown.

[The ground... of course, the ground.]

But while Feng was thinking about how to get over this problem, he noticed Ling acting weird. This weird friend of his was looking around as if searching for something which caused his face to be terrified.

"Lin, what is it?" Feng asked.

"Umm... did you hear that? I heard a girl's voice." Lin murmured, worried that Feng might call him weird for saying it, "Earlier... I thought it was just my head but I'm still hearing it..."

"A girl's voice?"

[A girl's voice?]

Lin's eyes looked around again.

'Rumia, it's obviously you.' Feng inwardly rolled his eyes while restraining his laughter from seeing Lin like that, 'But it seems he couldn't hear my thought.'

[S-seriously!? Is this a part of the manual since he's a contracted cultivator now?]

"I think this girl is talking to someone...? I don't know..." Lin was first skeptical but when he saw Feng's calm face, he soon realized before it was explained to him, "Feng... are you talking to this girl?"

[So then I can talk to Lin now! I will not always be talking to this devious creature called Feng! Hello, Lin, my name is Rumia Stella and-]

"She's my future wife and also the book that you're looking at right now." Feng intercepted.

"F-future wife?" Lin's pupils contracted.

[No! I am not! It's just all his imagination! Hmph! Anyway, Lin, nice to meet you, you can call me Rumia.]

"Huh... okay... nice to meet you too." Lin's eyes rolled away, seemingly disinterested before looking at Feng, "Feng, what's this about!?"

Seeing Lin's reaction, both Rumia and Feng were dumbfounded. The former bitterly while the latter hilariously dumbfounded.

'Wow... this is the first time I saw Lin become cold.'

While Rumia was speechless, Feng explained the truth while hiding some key details such as Rumia is a Cosmic Princess, Feng has memories from Earth, and all the matters about the Cosmic Overlord.

Lin is already a contracted cultivator, but even if he is not, Feng trusts him. As for Lin, he just knew that Feng found a talking book and only hid it because it would make him weird.

As for the other details, Feng didn't feel like it would be necessary.

Although he didn't talk to Rumia about it, Rumia picked it up and didn't say anything else.

"Oh, I get it." Lin replied. His face was half interested and half disinterested at the same time which seemed amusing.

"You don't like Rumia?" Feng bluntly asked.

"Well... as your future wife... I have to like her..." Lin said but his face says otherwise before sighing.

[But I am not his future wife!] Rumia complained and explained but it seemed that no matter what she said, she wouldn't be able to change Lin's expression which left her in defeat.

Feng's cheeks were bloated as he tried not to release his laughter.

'Anyway, can you speak without him being able to listen? Also, can I talk to him in my mind?'

[... testing testing testing...]

Feng raised an eyebrow before realizing what Rumia was doing, "Lin, did you hear Rumia's voice?"

"Umm, she's saying about testing testing..." Lin answered.

'Tsk! How are we supposed to flirt and talk dirty if he can hear you too?'

[Thank god, he can hear me at least.]

After a moment of thought, Feng thought of something.

'Rumia, do you reply with your thoughts or do you speak as if you're talking?'

[I don't fully understand what you're saying but if my guess is right - these are not my thoughts. I can think separately and I think you haven't heard any of it. So... this is my voice even though I'm a book.]

Feng nodded and said to Lin, "Lin, can you stay there for a minute?"

Lin stayed as Feng ordered while the latter stepped away, farther and farther.

[Testing... testing... testing...]

"Lin, do you hear Rumia's voice?" Feng shouted.

"I hear it but... I don't understand since it's faint."

Feng clenched his fist in victory.

'Rumia is still mine.'

[I... I have no words for you.]

Going back to where he stood earlier, Feng pondered the reality of the situation. He looked at Lin and asked.

"Can you do it?"

Lin gulped, "I-... I guess I can."

"Then let's do it."

"We?" Lin raised his eyebrows as he watched Feng positioned himself for a push-up. Seeing this, Lin's eyes shimmered, "Let's do this!" he replied before imitating Feng.

"1000 push-ups, here we go! Lin, ready?"

"Ready!"

"Okay, 1..." Feng went down and then pushed himself up, "2..." and again, "3..." and again.

4... 5... 6... 7...

...

"Haaa.... 32..." Feng huffed. His arms were trembling as if he was about to fall.

Meanwhile, Lin was only sweating a few beads, waiting for Feng. With the addition of the strength he had as a Body Refinement Cultivator, Lin felt light.

The first stage in this realm gives half the strength of an average adult person. As a ten-year-old kid and living in a not so well-off family, Lin was too light. Pushing himself up was no problem at all.

Furthermore, as a cultivator, he had increased absorption of the natural qi around. While he was doing push-ups, he was also recovering little of it. He will only get tired once he reached a hundred or so.

"4-45!" Feng shouted as he pushed himself to the limit...

"50!" he then dropped, "Le... let's rest." he haggardly hugged. He no longer felt his arms and chest as they went numb from being overused.

Meanwhile, Lin was still in his position as he asked, "I can still continue, can I?"

"Su-sure..." Feng whimsically waved his hand, "I'll resume once... I... get my rest."

"Okay! 60... 61... 62..."

"Cultivators, huh... at this rate, you can do a thousand in one day."

...

"... 250!"

Eventually, even Lin got tired and dropped onto the ground while huffing. He was fast so even Feng had yet finished resting.

"Can you go on after a rest?"

"I... I think I can..." Lin perspired.

"Then let's do it again after you recovered."

"Okay..."

Feng smiled at this.

It didn't take long for Lin to recover since he was continuously taking in the natural qi. Meanwhile, Feng still felt numb but went on with it.

They now have different counts. On 75 count, Feng's face was twitching while Lin was already on his 350.

Rumia watched this and couldn't understand why Feng has to do the push-ups too. Furthermore, she has no idea why these simple movements were exhausting. As a Solar Spirit Cultivator, carrying a whole world was possible and was their test of strength but it was not their exercise. Physical training is no longer a thing after the Divinity Realm.

Divinity Realm still has smaller sub realms within it. It is also called the Immortal Realm by others. Then the Heavenly Body, Solar Spirit, and Stellar Mind Realms were much higher called the Ascension Realms as an umbrella term.

So there are the Mortal Realms, Immortal Realms, and Ascension Realms. After that is the Cosmic Existential Realm where one has already ascended. Truly the peak of everything, only below the Cosmic Overlords.

Rumia is a much higher existence not even the strongest cultivator at Ruhanan can comprehend. That was why she can't sympathize with these two and their training.

Eventually, Feng reached 200 counts while Lin reached 1000 counts, completing the mission. At that moment, a page appeared in Feng's mind as he muttered.

"Con... congratulations..." he spoke in the middle of huffing, "You have... completed your mission. Do you wish to accept the reward now.... and jump into the Second Stage of Body Refinement?"

"Yes, I... accept." Lin huffed too.

"Then here's your reward." Feng wanted to wave his hand but could only move a finger. The manual appeared out of nowhere and light enveloped Lin's body.

At once, Lin felt invigorated and enlightened for a brief moment. He had already experienced this once before, it was when he stepped into the first stage!

After that brief moment, the manual vanished and returned to Feng's mind. Ten percent of Lin's progress went into him, he felt his center dantian slightly get filled but far from stepping onto the First Stage of Body Refinement.

"At least, there's progress..." looked at the sky being eaten by dusk. Looks like this is not going to be easy, after all.