Chapter Twenty-One: Pervert

Shi Yan lay sprawled on the ground, limbs stretched wide, face up toward the sky. His cheeks were so flushed it seemed blood might seep through, his chest heaved violently, and he gasped for breath in great gulps, his body trembling with intermittent spasms. Gazing up at the brilliant stars above, he felt every cell in his body quiver; with each twitch, his muscles, tendons, bones, and organs expanded and contracted in a rhythmic cadence.

Without calling upon even the slightest trace of energy, he closed his eyes and quietly sensed the wondrous changes taking place in his exhausted body: the peculiar tremors running through his muscles and bones, the decomposition and reconstitution of his cells, the gradual gathering of dissipated strength.

As a veteran of extreme sports, Shi Yan understood that what seemed the limit today would only become the starting point for tomorrow. The boundaries of the human body could always be breached; limits could always be surpassed, and human potential was boundless, forever without end.

Time after time, his experience told him that only by shattering his limits could he achieve substantial progress.

Eyes closed, relying on neither energy nor external force, he could nonetheless clearly perceive the changes occurring within his muscle cells.

Focusing intently, he soon realized that the “Undying Martial Spirit” within him had activated, repairing his body in a way he could scarcely comprehend—restructuring torn muscle tissue, making it even tougher and stronger than before.

Overloaded gravity training enhanced explosive power; only by pushing to the extremes—tearing muscles—could they be rebuilt stronger and larger, making him more powerful with each cycle.

As an aficionado of extreme sports, Shi Yan was well-versed in these hard-won principles, knowing exactly how to most quickly enhance his own strength.

Savoring the soreness in his muscle cells and the mysterious effect of the “Undying Martial Spirit,” a slow smile crept to Shi Yan’s lips. Forcing himself upright, he took food from his pack and devoured it ravenously, utterly forgetting himself in the feast.

Intense exercise consumed immense energy; to recover swiftly and gain greater strength, ample food was indispensable.

He tore into dried meat, swallowing chunks that, once in his stomach, were rapidly digested and transformed into nutrients that spread through his body.

In no time, five portions of food meant for a team were gone.

Sensing the changes within, Shi Yan’s smile deepened. After flexing his hands and feet for a while, he finally closed his eyes and began circulating his energy through his meridians.

The moment his energy moved, his body quivered involuntarily.

Just as he expected!

The energy now flowed through his meridians a full thirty percent faster than before!

After pushing himself to the limit, his body had become exceedingly sensitive; his meridians were abnormally active. As energy coursed through them, the meridians seemed to absorb faint traces of it, swelling slightly and growing far more resilient in the process.

Shi Yan had long suspected that tempering the body was as crucial as cultivating energy; the two advanced hand in hand. The stronger the body, the faster energy could be gathered and refined. Physical strength enhanced both the accumulation and manipulation of energy, and the two Martial Spirits hidden within him might even grow stronger as well.

Today’s experiment confirmed his suspicions, and Shi Yan could not help but break into a broad, foolish grin.

…

In the distant grass, among the shadows—

“Xiaodie, what are you doing here? You should be resting; only proper sleep will help your Martial Spirit recover,” Luo Hao chided softly. He’d sensed Mu Yudie’s approach while using his gravity field to test Shi Yan, and after Shi Yan collapsed, he had slipped away to find her.

“I couldn’t sleep. I was just wandering around and happened to see you training,” Mu Yudie replied, unafraid, smiling lightly.

After a pause, her expression turned curious. “Uncle Luo, weren’t you a little… too harsh? I remember when you trained Zhao Xin, you only used three times gravity, and he was already at the second level of the Innate Realm, with a foundation in physical cultivation. But with this guy, you started at five times gravity. What were you thinking?”

Luo Hao could only force a bitter smile, shaking his head with a sigh. “I started with five times gravity because I didn’t want him wasting energy here—I wanted to make him give up early. Who knew he’d be so crazy? I was stunned in the end. I considered stopping several times, but he wouldn’t let me!”

“So your plan was to scare him off right away so he wouldn’t dare ask you for training again?” Mu Yudie rolled her eyes, nearly speechless.

“Exactly.” Luo Hao exhaled, “You know controlling the gravity field costs me energy and requires focus. I didn’t want to waste my strength or leave him so sore he couldn’t walk the next day—that would slow us down. Who would have thought he’d be such a madman?”

“Uncle Luo, how many laps did you expect him to last before giving up?”

“Four.”

Luo Hao held up four fingers, answering gravely, “Normally, a martial artist just entering the Innate Realm, and without systematic physical training, can only handle four laps under five times gravity—five at most. I saw how scrawny he looked, so I thought he’d stop at four.”

“Uh… but he finished eleven laps.” Mu Yudie’s expression was bizarre. She couldn’t help glancing at Shi Yan, sitting with the composure of a mountain and already back to cultivating. “Look! He’s up again!”

“What? He can still move?” Luo Hao stared, then shook his head with a rueful smile. “Madman, he’s a total madman. If he keeps this up, tomorrow he won’t be able to move at all. After such intense training, he’ll find every muscle aching. We’ll have to adjust our schedule.”

“Sigh, looks like we have no choice. He really is reckless,” Mu Yudie said, shaking her head with an odd, bright smile.

…

The next morning, before sunrise, mist lay thick over the land.

“Xiaodie, come down. Time to go,” Luo Hao called softly from beneath the ancient tree.

“Let me sleep a little longer…” Mu Yudie murmured drowsily. “Why so early? Didn’t we agree that man wouldn’t be able to move today?”

“He’s already waiting for you,” Luo Hao whispered, still visibly shaken.

Ten minutes earlier, Shi Yan had shown up bursting with energy, asking for three servings of food.

Right in front of Luo Hao, he devoured all three portions with gusto, patted his belly in satisfaction, declared himself ready to depart, and left Luo Hao speechless. Luo Hao stared at Shi Yan in utter disbelief for several minutes before finally recovering, muttering, “Monster!”

“He’s waiting for me too?” Mu Yudie grumbled, rubbing her eyes in reluctant annoyance.

“Yes, and he looks livelier than any of us,” Luo Hao replied with a wry smile.

“What?” Mu Yudie sat bolt upright, her beautiful eyes flashing. She scanned for Shi Yan, and when she saw him standing tall and straight as a spear, his gaze bright and clear, her mouth dropped open just like Luo Hao’s had. She whispered, “He really is a monster!”

Shi Yan checked over his gear one more time; after confirming everything was in place, he frowned and asked, “Uncle Luo, Miss Mu, do I really look like a monster to you?”

“From head to toe!” Mu Yudie giggled, suddenly in high spirits.

Her radiant smile was like spring itself; in that moment, even the beauty of the shadowy forest seemed to pale beside it.

Zhao Xin and Hu Long both stared at her in dazed infatuation, but quickly looked away in embarrassment, not daring to meet her eyes.

Shi Yan, however, narrowed his gaze, boldly studying the ethereal beauty of Mu Yudie’s face. “Miss Mu, if I’m a monster, you’d be the first I’d come after. You’d better watch yourself tonight—I might not be able to control myself. And when that happens, be sure to scream loudly. I just love hearing women scream.”

“Outrageous!” Di Yalan snorted coldly.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot there was another beautiful lady here. I must have been unfair, no wonder you’re angry. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to visit you too—no need to be jealous.” Shi Yan smacked his head in mock remorse, as if genuinely troubled by his neglect.

Mu Yudie burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as her laughter shook the branches, nearly causing her to fall from the tree. Between peals of laughter, she pointed at Shi Yan and gasped, “You really are something—how can anyone be as amusing as you?”

Di Yalan was briefly stunned, then couldn’t help but giggle as well, resigned to Shi Yan’s antics.

Zhao Xin and Hu Long exchanged bewildered looks. They had always treated the two ladies with utmost courtesy, careful not to offend, yet rarely received even a smile. But this Shi Yan, so brash and cheeky, had them both laughing without restraint. What on earth was going on?

“Ahem!” Luo Hao gave Shi Yan a strange look, then smiled. “Alright, enough fooling around. Let’s go.”

…