"Yeah! [Flame Bursting Step] would be a good name," Shi Li thought about the name for a bit and felt that it was suitable for a technique that was based off of [Flame Slash].
After thinking about the name did Shi Li finally start trying to execute the technique. Channeling all of the strength within his body and soul towards the soles of his feet, Shi Li imagined an explosion happening once the strength he channeled has accumulated up to a point.
"Burst!" With that thought in his mind, he stomped down hard on the ground, making a lot of dust particles fly up in the air as he zoomed a few tens of meters in one go.
As this happened, the other participants that looked at Shi Li couldn't help but look at Shi Li oddly.
"What is he doing?"
"Is he trying to waste a lot of energy so he can give up halfway?"
"I don't know. Maybe that's what his plans are. He doesn't want to show his true strength on all of the rounds or something like that."
"Although that sounds unfair for others, I do admire Young Master Shi Li's thoughts. Thinking far ahead to bring about a surprise on the fourth and final test."
What they did not know was that, that burst of strength Shi Li showed only consumed around 90% of the energy he would use in traversing that distance normally. Plus, he was also trying to successfully execute the [Flame Bursting Step] he formed in his mind.
Looking at the results of the step he did, Shi Li couldn't help but let out a sigh of disappointment as he didn't feel that special feeling he would get whenever he executed the [Flame Slash].
"[Flame Bursting Step]...I got the burst part right, but how do I do the flame part?" Shi Li pondered as he continued to try and execute the [Flame Bursting Step] every once in a while, only ending up making a lot of dust particles fly in the air while passing through 7 laps in the process.
The other participants looked at this and couldn't help but look at Shi Li with shock. They thought that the Shi Li at the beginning of the endurance test was still being low-key while this current Shi Li already showed his limits in terms of speed. What they didn't know was that...this speed would only get more monstrous as time passes.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Deciding to just use the incomplete [Flame Bursting Step] rather than switching between a normal running state and his [Flame Bursting Step], the speed at which Shi Li cleared laps was boosted by a few times. At the same time, the amount of energy used by Shi Li in his steps was consistently less than running normally.
Even the other clan members thought that Shi Li's current running state was him using a movement technique, but Shi Shisi and Shi Daoliang, the ones Shi Li asked on creating a movement technique, knew that he was still lacking.
Shi Shisi looked at this and couldn't help but mutter, "With that quick and forceful movement, and the fact that he was going to use another technique as a basis to create a movement technique, is he using [Flame Slash] as his base?"
On the other hand, Shi Daoliang looked at this as he continued to use his [Fleeting Blade Step]. Looking at the footwork of Shi Li and cross-referencing it to the [Flame Slash] showed on the previous test, he couldn't help but say, "He knows what to do, but he doesn't know how to do it. I wonder if he'll figure it out before the end of the 100 laps we all have to traverse."
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
And so...30 laps have passed since Shi Li started using his incomplete [Flame Bursting Step]. At these moments, some of the clan members that have weak constitutions or perhaps low stamina gave up at this point, reducing the number of participants that ran around the center stage from 153 to 68, over half giving up midway.
Of course, the 10 chosen clan members were still going strong, with Shi Li surprisingly being at the middle of the chosen members at 67 laps being done. Compared to Shi Qilian's 64 laps and Shi Shisi's 71 laps, it was exactly at the middle.
Not being satisfied with the current form of his [Flame Bursting Step], Shi Li frowned as he put in more strength into his steps, slightly boosting his speed even more.
"Why can't I seem to do it?" Shi Li couldn't help but slowly get enraged as time passed. He of course knew the things he had to do to achieve the complete state of the [Flame Bursting Step].
One was to condense his strength into one point, in this case two, and let it all out as if an explosion would appear. The other one was to have the feeling that the attack that would come out was extremely strong, in this case, the distance propelled by the step would be extremely strong.
Shi Li knew that he was lacking in one of them. And at that point...
That's when it struck him.
Recalling the way he executed [Flame Slash], the sword was moving at a curve rather than at a straight line just like what he did. Not only that, he visualized that the blade was an extension of his body where his strength would naturally flow out. While executing the [Flame Bursting Step], he always visualized it as a part of his body that would naturally make his strength flow out.
"This is where I'm wrong," Shi Li realized. "I should've treated my feet like the blade I wield, as an extension of my body. With this, I think the [Flame Bursting Step] will finally be complete."
And so, Shi Li tried it out. Forgetting the fact that his feet was a part of his body, he visualized both of his feet as blades that were an extension of his body. An extension that would follow his body's every command.
He then channeled all of the strength lingering within his body and soul towards the tips of these two blades, in reality, the tips of his toes.
Imagining an explosion taking place on both blades, Shi Li imagined an explosion that would propel him forward, which would normally be an undying blade light that would carve out a path for him.
It was at this moment...
Whoosh!
All of a sudden, two orange blade lights appeared on the tips of Shi Li's toes as his feet moved in a curve, his toes digging into the ground a few centimeters beneath as an afterimage appeared after his toes dug under the ground.
In an instant, Shi Li was propelled at a speed that was extremely higher compared to before, looking at the distance that he traversed in that instant, it was three times farther than the incomplete [Flame Bursting Step].
Shi Daoliang and Shi Shisi, who were watching Shi Li all this time as they continued to run around the edges of the center stage, looking at Shi Li with shock...before lightly smiling.
"He did it," both of them muttered to themselves, being tens of meters apart.
As for Shi Li, his eyes couldn't help but light up as he shouted inwardly...
"I did it! The [Flame Bursting Step] is complete!"