Chapter 167: Don't Abandon, Don't Give Up (Part Two)

As the Great Master's only disciple, Tang San understood him better than anyone. After hearing what he had to say, Dai Mubai nodded slowly. "I'm afraid that's probably the case. Once they catch up, let's discuss it first."

Soon, the other five caught up. Tang San repeated his thoughts on today's punishment.

Oscar's brow furrowed slightly. "I think Tang San is absolutely right. The Great Master must be testing us. Our weights are different, so the Great Master must have deliberately calculated the limits of our physical endurance. For someone like Tang San or Big Brother Dai, it should be possible to complete it within their endurance limits, and they might even have energy to spare. Someone like Fatty should be right at his limit. Naturally, there are also those exceeding their endurance limits. Only if everyone works together is there a chance of completing it. I'm probably one of those whose weight exceeds their limit. Rongrong is another."

As he finished, he couldn't help but grimace. They had only run two kilometers, and he could already feel the bamboo basket on his back growing heavier, sweat beading on his forehead. With such a long distance still ahead, he knew he definitely couldn't keep going.

The fatty, Ma Hongjun, said nonchalantly, "Why don't we cheat? We could secretly eat some of Little Ao's Recovery Sausages. Then we wouldn't have to worry about stamina."

"Cheat?" Oscar glared at the fatty, none too pleased. He was a smart man and would never do something so foolish. "Fatty, let me ask you one thing: can you be absolutely certain the Great Master didn't have other teachers supervising us? If we were caught cheating, the punishment would probably be far worse than this. Besides, the Great Master must have his reasons for giving us this kind of punishment; it will only be for our own good. Right now, we need to think of a way to conserve as much energy as possible."

Tang San suddenly spoke up. "Although the teacher has us running with weights and forbids the use of Soul Power, our total combined weight is a set amount. As long as we can complete the punishment while carrying this weight, that's enough. Oscar, give me your stone."

Oscar was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. "Good brother. However, there's no need for that right now. How about this instead? From now on, we seven will run at a steady pace matching the slowest person. That way, everyone can stay together, and a steady pace is the most energy-efficient. When someone can't hold on any longer, we can help each other redistribute the weight. That way, we can conserve as much stamina as possible. What do you think?"

Ning Rongrong laughed from the side. "Little Ao, I didn't realize you were quite clever."

Oscar wore a look of self-evident pride. "Haven't you heard I was known as the Little Prince of Wisdom when I was younger? This is nothing."

Dai Mubai was the oldest and strongest of the group, and he stepped up to lead as a big brother should. "Stop talking nonsense. Talking wastes energy too. Let's run. We'll do it Little Ao's way."

Without further delay, the seven of them resumed their long-distance run.

Undeniably, among the seven, the auxiliary Soul Masters Oscar and Ning Rongrong had the least stamina. So everyone adjusted to their pace. They moved forward at a steady speed, heading toward Sotuo City.

The first round trip was completed at this consistent pace.

Once they truly started running, everyone gradually began to feel the pressure of the added weight. If it were just a normal run, even without using Soul Power, a six-kilometer round trip would hardly be a burden for them. The tempering effect of Soul Power gave them physical abilities far beyond ordinary people, even for auxiliary Soul Masters like Oscar and Ning Rongrong.

With the weights, their bodies clearly struggled to adapt. After just one round trip, Ning Rongrong and Oscar were drenched in sweat, and the others also showed hints of fatigue.

Ning Rongrong was undoubtedly the one with the least stamina among them. Although Oscar was also an auxiliary Soul Master, he had already broken through to level thirty. His body had received the enhancement of a third Soul Ring across various attributes, putting him in a much better state than Ning Rongrong.

The weights Tang San and Dai Mubai carried were fifteen-kilogram stone blocks. Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ma Hongjun each had ten kilograms. Although Ning Rongrong and Oscar only had five kilograms each, they now felt as if they were shouldering a mountain. Their bodies grew heavier with every step, and they could only grit their teeth to maintain their pace.

The academy gate came into view. To everyone's surprise, the Great Master was standing at the entrance, watching them return from their first round trip. Next to him was a table with a large bucket on it.

"Everyone drink some water, then continue." The Great Master's words were always concise.

Inside the bucket was warm water, slightly salty, as if salt had been added. Under the Great Master's supervision, each person was allowed only one cup of warm water before he urged them to set off on their punishment run once again.