Chapter 150 — Section 152: Aries Star Spear [Second Update]

Tang Tang ran with all his might, the wild wind blowing so hard he could barely open his eyes. It was a strange wind: whenever it swept past him, it seemed to carry away his warmth and, with it, the true force inside his body. The faster he ran, the faster his true force drained away.

By now, though, he no longer needed to worry about true force, because there was none left in him at all, not a drop.

His attention was fixed entirely on the Bone-Gnawing Wolf behind him. Its pursuit was mad and relentless, its roars and howls unending, and they made Tang Tang's heart quail.

"Since this place is called Hunger Valley, naturally the Bone-Gnawing Wolves are hungry too. Oh, generally they're starved for seven or eight days before they're let out."

Bing's explanation from overhead made Tang Tang's scalp prickle even more. He did not dare look back, nor dare pause for even an instant.

Fortunately, his physique really was outstanding. Though he had no true force to support him, his stamina was still enough to keep him sprinting.

"Youth really is best. Young man, your physique is quite outstanding."

Bing's ghostly sarcasm drifted down from above him, leisurely and unhurried, his face all smiles: "Even in our day, physiques as outstanding as yours were rare."

Tang Tang did not dare let his attention wander. The terrain of Hunger Valley was complex, and he needed to focus completely.

"Oh, oh, oh, ten minutes and you've already run this far. Not bad, not bad!" Bing's tone seemed full of praise, but Tang Tang knew perfectly well this fellow was waiting to enjoy the show.

His meridians were empty. At first Tang Tang did not feel too bad, only a little weak, as though he had just come through a great battle. Yet his stamina was barely affected, which felt somewhat strange. After he had run for a while, it stopped feeling so good. The wild wind swept past him with a faint suction.

Like a great mouth greedily sucking at an empty bottle.

His empty meridians and dantian instinctively tried to draw energy from the wind, but there was not the slightest energy in it. The dantian and meridians, and the wild wind, two different suctions, seemed locked in a contest of strength.

To Tang Tang, this was nothing short of torment. The feeling of empty meridians persisted for ten minutes, and Tang Tang felt like a famished ghost, his front pressed to his back. Yet he could not relax in the least. The high-intensity exertion made him feel weaker and more exhausted than ever before.

The wild wind kept sucking at his empty meridians and dantian. He was like a starving man who wanted to vomit but had nothing to bring up.

The hunger grew stronger and stronger, and the muscles in his legs grew more sore and weary.

The more he ran, the hungrier he became; the more he ran, the softer his limbs grew. If not for the wolf howls behind him, Tang Tang would certainly have dropped onto the ground right then. But...

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Bone-Gnawing Wolves may love chewing bones, but they're also very fond of plump, fleshy buttocks!"

Bing's friendly reminder came from overhead at just the right moment.

In his mind's eye appeared sharp wolf teeth biting into his own buttocks...

Tang Tang's face went white. His legs, which had just turned soft, suddenly burst forth with strength again, and his speed shot up.

The canyon ahead had no end.

Time slipped away bit by bit. Tang Tang's mind went blank; he only knew how to run on instinct.

Bing, following along above him the whole way, could not help showing surprise on his poker face. Tang Tang was at the end of his strength, his rough gasps like a bellows being worked, and his speed had clearly dropped. He had even tripped while leaping over a rock just now. If his stamina had not been near its limit, Tang Tang would never have had such trouble.

But this fellow...

Bing glanced at the time. A full twenty minutes had passed. Bing could not help recalling how many people in the old recruit camp had been able to do this.

In his memory, ordinary recruits, entering this place for the first time, did quite well if they lasted ten minutes. To last more than twenty minutes on the first try, had such a result broken the record? Bing began to think. After a while, a number surfaced in his mind.

18 minutes 33 seconds!

Only then did Bing truly show emotion. That poker face, which looked as though it had been painted on, took on an expression of surprise that was indescribably vivid and funny. His two upturned thick eyebrows slid apart to either side, his eyes went round, and his mouth shaped itself into an O.

He was indeed surprised.

He had served as an instructor for a very long time and had handled countless genius youths. Back when the Southern Cross Legion was at its zenith, the requirements for recruiting new soldiers had been strict. Which of those young fellows had not been a genius? With Tang Tang's level and talent, in those days it would have been utterly impossible for him to enter the recruit camp.

Yet such a fellow, with only ordinary talent, had actually broken the record on his first venture into Hunger Valley!

Bing watched that stumbling figure and felt a touch of emotion. This fellow always gave him more and more surprises. What kind of monsters were the ones who could break the recruit camp record!

How worth looking forward to!

"Ahhh!" Tang Tang's heart-rending scream drifted over Hunger Valley.

Bing was startled awake. He glanced over, then jerked his head back as if frightened, his face unable to bear the sight, and muttered: "I warned you, didn't I? They love buttocks too..."

***

"Miss, all the materials are ready." Mu Lei hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping, his face full of worry.

Gu Xue suddenly raised her head and smiled: "Uncle Mu, I've changed my mind!"

Mu Lei was stunned, then overjoyed: "Wonderful! Miss, you don't need to take that risk..."

"No!" Gu Xue shook her head. "I plan to wait until they leave, then try."

"Miss!" Mu Lei was alarmed. "Absolutely not! Young Master Tang and Young Master Ling are both here. If anything happens, they can help..."

"If something really does happen, even if they are here, there would be nothing they could do." Gu Xue said softly.

"But..." Mu Lei still wanted to persuade her.

Gu Xue smiled sweetly: "Uncle Mu, don't try to persuade me. In a moment I'll tell them I don't plan to awaken my bloodline."

"Is Miss afraid Young Master Tang will worry?" Mu Lei looked deeply at the young lady.

"Let the godlike youth go to the Heavenly Road with peace of mind and pursue his godlike ideals. How wonderful." Gu Xue's face brightened into a smile. "He has already helped us enough!"

Mu Lei was speechless. After a long while, he said: "I understand."

Before Mu Lei turned to leave, he suddenly looked back and said seriously: "Miss, I believe you will definitely awaken your bloodline! Heaven has given you so many trials and so much fortune; it must be to forge a legend!"

"Uncle Mu has such high expectations of me." Gu Xue was startled, but then she suddenly imitated Tang Tang's tone and said playfully: "But I think so too!"

Mu Lei left with a long laugh.

Gu Xue watched his back and said in a voice only she could hear: "Such precious time, to use it awakening a bloodline, what a pity."

***

Tang Tang walked out of the room with a dark face, sulking. His gait was a little strange, as though his buttocks had been injured.

In the courtyard, Ling Yan was practicing his spear technique.

Huh, why is this fellow dressed so handsomely today?

Tang Tang froze. Ling Yan had changed into brand-new clothes and instantly looked like a rich young master, handsome beyond all measure. Tang Tang looked down at himself and immediately felt a wave of country-bumpkin air rise from within.

Fine. A godlike youth never takes the path of selling his looks...

Tang Tang comforted himself inwardly.