Chapter 40: A Long-Distance Run Beyond Human Limits, Xu Yan Is Emitting Smoke!

Chapter 40: Long-Distance Running Beyond Limits, Xu Yan Is Smoking!

"Don't worry, Teacher. I will also mediate the relationships between everyone," Qin Ming said quickly.

Yu Xiaogang nodded, and the two walked away.

At this moment, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar stood side by side.

"Third Brother, I can't take it anymore. It's so exhausting," Ma Hongjun wheezed, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.

Tang San, also covered in sweat, panted, "Fatty, if we can't even endure this little bit of hardship, how are we, the Shrek Seven Devils, going to become champions?"

Dai Mubai added, "Exactly. We must persevere. The distance isn't even that long."

"By the way, why didn't that guy Huo Yuhao come?" Oscar looked behind them, seeing no sign of him.

"Forget about him for now. Let's just focus on our own running," Tang San said, glancing back briefly.

Nearby, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, and Jiang Zhu were all exhausted, their faces flushed red. Tai Long and the others were also finding it difficult to continue.

After resting together for a while, Tang San urged the group, "We cannot give up halfway. The more we rest, the more tired we feel."

The others agreed. Once they stopped, they would simply want to lie down on the ground, and once comfortable, the desire to give up would naturally take hold.

However, just as they rose to continue, footsteps echoed from behind.

Xu Yan appeared, carrying the same heavy stones as them. Though he could not use his soul power, he was running at a rapid pace. Every step he took seemed to make the earth tremble, yet despite the immense weight, he did not appear clumsy.

Xu Yan felt as if his entire body were burning from within. Sweat poured off him, and steam began to rise from his skin.

Tang San and the others were stunned to see Xu Yan, who had been so far behind, catch up so quickly.

As he passed them, Xu Yan looked at Tang San and the others and remarked, "You guys are too slow."

Oscar gritted his teeth, feeling a surge of annoyance at the sight of him. Meanwhile, seeing that Xu Yan had caught up, Ning Rongrong and Jiang Zhu felt their fighting spirit reignite.

"Yuhao, I'll go with you!"

Seeing Xu Yan arrive, Jiang Zhu felt a great surge of motivation; in the eyes of her idol, no difficulty seemed insurmountable.

"Alright, let's go together!" Xu Yan replied without hesitation.

Jiang Zhu nodded and followed him. Seeing Xu Yan leave, Ning Rongrong immediately hoisted her basket and called out, "Yuhao, wait for me!" She seemed to gain strength instantly and hurried to catch up.

Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing were left stunned. Just moments ago, the girls had been complaining that they couldn't go on—how did they suddenly find the strength?

"Let's go," Tang San said, hoisting his pack. "They've already caught up."

The group continued forward. Regardless of how exhausted they were, they didn't stop again.

Xu Yan turned to look at Jiang Zhu, who was running alongside him. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily, dripping with sweat. "Are you tired? Do you want me to lighten your load?"

Jiang Zhu looked at the steam rising from Xu Yan’s body and asked, "Yuhao... no, it's fine. But what's happening to you?"

"It's nothing. It's just that too much internal heat has built up. It will be fine soon," Xu Yan explained. This was a way to push his potential; once he grew accustomed to this weight, he would feel incredibly light the moment he removed the iron plates.

"Yuhao, why aren't you tired at all?" Ning Rongrong asked.

Xu Yan thought for a moment as he ran and replied, "Because I have the two of you with me. Nothing is tiring when you're around."

These words struck deep into the hearts of both girls, who felt a sudden, unexpected happiness.

"Yuhao... what are you saying?" Jiang Zhu felt shy, her speech becoming incoherent.

"Phew... Yuhao, I'm very happy, but it's... it's very hard for me to talk right now," Ning Rongrong said, her body beginning to hunch over. She felt on the verge of collapse; she had reached her absolute limit.

Xu Yan reached out to support her. "You can't stop. You must persevere. Don't give up halfway. I believe in you."

Ning Rongrong, having no energy left to worry about the propriety of physical contact, leaned on Xu Yan for support as they continued forward. They began to turn around to head back.

Tang San and the others gradually caught up. They did not exhibit the same steaming effect as Xu Yan, as they were carrying significantly less weight.

In truth, Xu Yan was pushing his limits. Without the use of soul power, this was a pure test of physical endurance. Jiang Zhu eventually reached her limit, but Xu Yan supported both her and Ning Rongrong.

Finally, the whole group moved back together. Throughout the journey, not only Jiang Zhu and Ning Rongrong, but even Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu kept glancing at the steam rising from Xu Yan’s body. Jiang Zhu and Ning Rongrong found him so scorching hot that they eventually dared not touch him, and Xu Yan had to move to the side to run alongside them.

"Huo Yuhao," Tang San panted, "I was rude to you before. Now, I have come to respect you."

"I don't need your respect. We aren't close," Xu Yan replied, still showing little warmth toward Tang San.

"Yuhao... what is actually going on with your body?" Xiao Wu asked softly.

"Nothing much. Just pushing my limits. The internal heat has nowhere to escape," Xu Yan gasped.

Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye to observe him. He could see clusters of intense heat radiating from Xu Yan, making him look like a piece of red-hot iron. He then noticed the items bound to Xu Yan's legs.

*He's bound something to himself?* Tang San thought. *It seems the weight he is bearing is far greater than everyone else's.*

Could this be a special arrangement by the teacher for him?

Soon, they approached the starting point. An hour or two had passed. Although the distance wasn't vast, running with so much weight was deeply exhausting.

Yu Xiaogang, Qin Ming, and Liu Erlong watched as the group slowly returned, walking side by side, smiles appearing on their faces.

"Xiaogang, look, it seems Yuhao's relationship with the Shrek Seven Devils has improved," Liu Erlong noted, seeing them talking.

In reality, Oscar was telling Xu Yan to stay away from Ning Rongrong, to which Ning Rongrong replied, "Mind your own business."

Yu Xiaogang nodded, watching the steam rising from Xu Yan. "This child is truly extraordinary. His method is quite good. Go and find a few iron plates; tell those little ones to bind them to their legs and run."

Liu Erlong was startled, then nodded and left to carry out the order.