Chapter Twenty: Training to the Limit

Countless stars adorned the night sky, their light scattered across the darkness, while a crescent moon hung clear and cool above. Moonlight pierced through dense foliage, dappling the quiet forest below.

Diyalan and Hu Long patrolled the perimeter, while Zhao Xin leaned against a tree trunk, breathing steadily with his eyes closed, resting. Luo Hao stood by another ancient tree, his eyes half-lidded yet never dropping his vigilance, as if he had never relaxed his guard against the surroundings.

Nestled within the thick leaves of the tree beside him, Mu Yudie slept peacefully. After a day of exertion, unable to expend even a thread of spiritual essence, she was utterly exhausted.

From time to time, Luo Hao would lift his gaze to glance at Mu Yudie among the leaves, a rare tenderness flickering in his eyes, a warmth seldom seen in his usual demeanor.

A soft rustle echoed—footsteps approaching.

Luo Hao’s thick brows knit together as he looked at Shi Yan, who was walking over, surprised, he asked, “You’re not resting yet?”

Shi Yan nodded quietly and stood beside Luo Hao, lowering his voice, “In this area, it’s not easy for our pursuers to find us, is it?”

“It’s indeed not easy,” Luo Hao replied with a smile. “There’s no fixed path here, and beastly creatures are always lurking about. Martial artists move in all directions, so the people from the Dark Underworld have a hard time discerning which traces are ours. Actually, in this place, we should be more wary of the beasts and those adventurers.”

“So, it won’t be easy for them to track us down,” Shi Yan mused, then asked, “Uncle Luo, does it cost you much spiritual essence to release your gravity field?”

Luo Hao was taken aback, “Why do you ask?”

“I want to use your gravity field to temper my body. Under the force of gravity, I’ll be subjected to immense pressure. This will strengthen my physical form, and I want to see where my limits truly lie,” Shi Yan said earnestly. He was never content with mere cultivation; he craved challenge, excitement, and a taste of danger.

“To hone yourself through the gravity field…” Luo Hao’s eyes lit up. He nodded, “That’s a clever method. But are you sure you want to try? If the enemy finds us while you’re completely exhausted, you’ll be powerless to resist.”

“I don’t intend to use any spiritual essence,” Shi Yan replied, smiling.

“Pure physical tempering?” Luo Hao was astonished.

Shi Yan nodded.

Luo Hao frowned deeply, silent for a long moment before speaking, “You’ve just broken through to the Pre-Heaven realm. At this stage, slowly familiarizing yourself with your body and refining it is indeed wise. But you’ve never strengthened your physical form before—starting with the gravity field, and not using spiritual essence, that’s a crazy level of intensity. Are you sure you can withstand it?”

“I want to try,” Shi Yan said calmly.

“Alright. Come with me,” Luo Hao nodded, quietly heading further into the forest, with Shi Yan following in silence.

Once the two slipped away, Mu Yudie, hidden among the dense branches of the ancient tree, slowly opened her eyes.

She watched the pair by the riverside, her beautiful eyes full of shock and confusion. She murmured to herself, “He’s only just broken through to the Pre-Heaven realm, yet he dares to temper himself with a gravity field? Is he mad?”

The more Mu Yudie thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Unable to sleep, her curiosity got the better of her. She slid nimbly down the tree and stealthily followed toward Shi Yan and Luo Hao, wanting to see what was happening for herself.

...

“I’ll start with a fivefold gravity field. Most martial artists in the Post-Heaven realm, after specialized tempering of their bodies, can only withstand a fivefold gravity field. You must be careful—if your body can’t take it, stop immediately,” Luo Hao warned after coming to a halt. “This is your first attempt. You can start by running laps around me. Without using spiritual essence, if you can run ten laps, you’re considered adapted. Remember, know your limits!”

As he spoke, a powerful surge erupted from Luo Hao’s body. Instantly, centered around him, gravity intensified fivefold! The space beside him seemed to collapse, the air suddenly thickening, pressing down so heavily it was hard to breathe.

An invisible pressure enveloped the entire body!

Shi Yan felt as if every cell was packed with sand and stone, his body sinking abruptly as though burdened with hundreds of pounds. The tendons in his knees tightened, his heart raced, and his muscles contracted under the gravity.

The pressure of the fivefold gravity field forced his body to adjust instinctively—just standing still made breathing markedly harder.

Impressive!

Shi Yan’s heart raced as he felt the overwhelming force, silently noting that in such a combat environment, anyone entering Luo Hao’s gravity field would immediately be affected; their usual strength could never be fully unleashed, and in battle, they would surely be suppressed by Luo Hao at every turn.

And this was only fivefold gravity; what would tenfold be like?

Shi Yan recognized the terrifying power of this “Martial Soul.” He took a deep breath, clearing his mind, then with a low growl, began to run laps around Luo Hao.

With each movement, the gravity’s burden intensified. His legs felt as though they were weighed down with countless lead blocks, impossibly heavy, making even the simplest running into a grueling ordeal.

Under the fivefold gravity, he could not possibly leap off the ground, his body seemingly held down by a giant’s iron hand, struggling for breath.

After one lap, Shi Yan’s pace halved.

After three laps, his speed halved again.

By the fifth lap, Shi Yan was no longer running, but walking slowly...

On the sixth lap, his face flushed bright red, veins bulged on his exposed arms, trembling like little snakes threatening to burst from his skin.

On the seventh lap, Shi Yan resembled a wild beast, his eyes red as if about to spit fire—a sign of oxygen deprivation.

By the eighth lap, his steps were faltering; every stride seemed to draw out all his strength, each footfall making his body quiver.

At this point, Luo Hao could no longer watch. He barked, “This is your first time training in a gravity field—don’t push yourself so hard. This is your limit! Enough! Stop! If you continue, you might exhaust yourself to death!”

Shi Yan looked up, his eyes bloodshot, voice hoarse, “Heh, now it’s getting interesting. Let’s continue!”

Luo Hao stared, dumbfounded, his mind echoing with a single thought: This kid is insane!

From the thicket nearby, Mu Yudie covered her mouth, her face filled with shock, as if she were seeing Shi Yan for the first time.

Shi Yan didn’t argue further. With another low growl like an injured beast, he resolutely kept moving, bent over, veins pulsing, completing yet another lap.

On the final lap, his body swayed, every step causing him to tremble, as if he might collapse at any moment, as if he might die the next second.

Yet, step by step, he finished another lap, and as he completed it, a strange, satisfied smile curled at Shi Yan’s lips.

Luo Hao snapped out of his stupor, seeing Shi Yan still upright, finally heaved a sigh of relief, preparing to withdraw the gravity field and speak.

Mu Yudie pressed her hand to her mouth, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief. She had never imagined that Shi Yan, still only in the Post-Heaven realm, could truly accomplish such an extreme challenge.

“One more lap,” Shi Yan suddenly growled.

“What?” Luo Hao’s body jolted, his eyes sharp as blades, shouting, “Enough! Don’t be reckless!”

But before Luo Hao could withdraw the gravity field, Shi Yan began moving again. This time, with every third step his body swayed, and halfway through, he finally collapsed to the ground.

Luo Hao was about to call out when he saw Shi Yan, using both hands and feet, crawling onward like a beast, as if determined to push himself to the brink.

It took a full half hour for Shi Yan to crawl like a snail to the finish.

Mu Yudie, hidden in the grass, stared at him blankly, her mind in a daze.

...