Chapter 18: Help You Chase Zhu Zhuqing? She's My Girl!
Flender was leading the way, gradually increasing the pace.
—This was a test of endurance.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun were prepared, adjusting their breathing and keeping up.
Zhuge Lan, with his body enhanced by the million-year soul ring and soul bones, was the most relaxed among the group.
Tang San had his Mysterious Heaven Skill to speed up recovery, along with his solid foundation in internal energy, so he was doing fine as well.
Xiao Wu, being a transformed soul beast, was naturally one of the top competitors in her age group, even without training.
But Zhu Zhuqing was a different story.
As an agility-type battle soul master, her strength lay in explosive power, not endurance.
Though her stamina was somewhat weaker, she had consumed whale glue, which significantly strengthened her body.
Following the team wasn't too difficult for her.
However, her steps were chaotic, and her breathing was out of rhythm.
She also had two "extra burdens" that required one hand to hold, preventing the large "bunnies" from bouncing around too much.
This made it hard to maintain balance, wasting even more energy.
Zhuge Lan found it strange.
—Her fundamentals are this bad?
But then he thought about Zhu Zhuqing's circumstances and understood.
Given the royal power struggles within the Star Luo Empire, Zhu Zhuqing was lucky to have survived this far on her own.
It made sense that her training had been suppressed.
Not even halfway into the run, Zhu Zhuqing, stumbling here and there, was already at the back of the group.
Zhuge Lan noticed but had no intention of helping.
With Zhu Zhuqing's personality, stepping in now would only be seen as obstructing her training.
Plus, only a "simp" would rush to offer help immediately.
For example, Dai Mubai, who came chasing after them, noticed Zhu Zhuqing struggling.
First, he shot a grateful glance at Zhuge Lan.
—Bro, you're righteous for not taking advantage of the situation.
Then, he eagerly moved forward to assist Zhu Zhuqing, only for her to dodge away from him with a quick movement.
In her haste, she even stumbled, nearly falling.
Zhuge Lan, quick as a flash, appeared beside her and extended his hand to steady her.
"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing said politely, then quickly released his hand.
When she saw Dai Mubai approaching, her expression turned fierce!
"My affairs have nothing to do with you!" she snapped.
"I came to Shrek Academy just to become stronger, and that has nothing to do with you!"
"From now on, stay away from me! Dai! Mubai!"
After warning him, Zhu Zhuqing forced herself to speed up and catch up with the main group.
This left Dai Mubai standing there, his face stiff, his dual-pupiled eyes nearly overlapping in frustration.
He was utterly dejected!
Zhuge Lan teased him like a bad friend—
"I gave you a chance, and you still blew it!"
"If you hadn't told me last night, I would have helped already."
[Emotion Points +111]
[Emotion Points +444]
[Emotion Points +999]
Oh wow! You're upset now?
Who's really at fault here, anyway?
Dai Mubai's face twitched a few times before turning into a bitter smile.
"You don't understand," Dai Mubai said self-deprecatingly. "I deserve all of this."
Zhuge Lan chuckled.
He didn't understand?
No one in all of the Douluo Continent understood better than him just how cowardly Dai Mubai really was!
So, Zhuge Lan wasn't polite at all—
"If you deserve this, then stop bothering her now."
"Her stamina is already depleted, and with you messing up her rhythm, forcing her to speed up will only make the second half of the run harder for her."
[Emotion Points +1111]
Dai Mubai knew he was in the wrong and could only respond with another bitter smile.
He glanced at Zhuge Lan, who was running steadily and breathing rhythmically.
Something clicked in Dai Mubai's mind.
"Zhuge, that Spiral Nine Shadow technique of yours—does it help conserve energy?" he asked earnestly.
"Isn't that basic knowledge?" Zhuge Lan replied matter-of-factly. "While Spiral Nine Shadow isn't suited for long-distance running, that's only compared to its dodging ability. It's still far better than Tang San's technique."
[Emotion Points +666]
[Emotion Points +1111]
Zhuge Lan glanced at Tang San up ahead, seeing the wave of emotion points surging from him.
But Tang San didn't even dare look back and argue, since they had just sparred and he had lost badly.
—And that was what frustrated him even more!
[Emotion Points +5555]
Zhuge Lan grinned.
Tang San's sensitivity to small slights worked perfectly with his system!
"Great!" Dai Mubai exclaimed happily. "Zhuge, could you teach Zhuqing some of those techniques?"
Zhuge Lan's smile faded, and he frowned at Dai Mubai.
Even though he had gotten the Spiral Nine Shadow technique specifically to teach Zhu Zhuqing, he still wanted her to ask for it herself so she would owe him a favor.
But with Dai Mubai asking, that favor would now go to him?
How big is your ego?
Realizing his mistake, Dai Mubai quickly explained—
"That's not what I meant! It's just that with your Spiral Nine Shadow, some simple breathing and exertion techniques could be really helpful, right?"
"Zhuqing has been overshadowed by her sister ever since she was little, so she didn't have a proper teacher to guide her and had to figure things out on her own."
"And I…"
"In short, if Zhuqing could learn these techniques, her perseverance would definitely carry her all the way to Soto City!"
Ah, I see!
But Zhuge Lan thought—
Are you kidding? You want me to help you win over the girl I like?
Dream on!
"Breathing methods, footwork, and body techniques are all part of a complete internal cultivation system, and they're closely guarded secrets," Zhuge Lan explained. "So, you understand."
"Maybe you could ask Tang San instead?"
[Emotion Points +222]
Zhuge Lan's reasoning was sound.
Though Dai Mubai was disappointed, he didn't push any further. He quickly ran over to Tang San and whispered a few words.
Tang San responded with a wary look and a firm refusal.
—His family legacy was more precious to him than life itself! He hadn't even shared it with Xiao Wu, so why would he teach Dai Mubai?
After two failed attempts, Dai Mubai could only sigh and follow behind Zhu Zhuqing, waiting to offer help when she finally couldn't go on.
About half an hour later, Flender hadn't increased the pace but also hadn't slowed down. Even Dai Mubai was drenched in sweat by now.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun were panting heavily, their tongues hanging out.
Even Tang San and Xiao Wu were feeling the strain in their limbs.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been running intensely, had already used up most of her stamina. Her long hair was plastered to her body with sweat.
And yet, Soto City was still nowhere in sight.
Seeing that Zhu Zhuqing was about to collapse, Dai Mubai gritted his teeth and prepared to ask Flender for a break.
But Zhuge Lan effortlessly sped up and appeared beside Flender.
"Dean Flender," Zhuge Lan grinned, "I've always been curious whether the soul skill of my second martial soul would work on a Soul Sage. Mind if we test it?"
Oh?
Flender was intrigued.
He glanced around.
Everyone was panting like dogs.
Especially Zhu Zhuqing, whose eyes had gone blank.
He now had a good sense of their baseline endurance.
So, he nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's take a break."
Zhu Zhuqing collapsed onto the ground, about to lie down.
But Zhuge Lan moved swiftly, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her up, making her continue jogging.
The exhausted Zhu Zhuqing looked up in confusion but didn't resist.
If it had been Dai Mubai, she would've been suspicious of his intentions.
But Zhuge Lan… after last night, she had even more trust in him.
Compared to that, this was nothing.
"Don't stop right after intense exercise!" Zhuge Lan explained loudly.
"Stopping suddenly after high-intensity exercise can damage your meridians!"
"Keep jogging for a bit, then slow down and walk. Use your soul power to regulate your meridians. Once your breathing is steady, then you can sit down."
"This will also help slightly strengthen your meridians."
[Emotion Points +666]
Zhu Zhuqing nodded in understanding, grabbing Zhuge Lan's arm for support as they continued forward.
Everyone else looked to Flender, but their bodies had already started moving instinctively.
Flender blinked.
He had never heard of this theory before.
But as a "wild" Soul Sage without family guidance, he had accumulated many hidden injuries, which slowed his progress.
—This was a common issue for soul masters from humble backgrounds.
And Zhuge Lan, being a "genius with a mysterious background," had high credibility.
"Zhuge's advice is spot-on. Everyone should follow suit," Flender approved.
After another short distance, the group finally stopped to rest.
Zhuge Lan set Zhu Zhuqing down gently and stood opposite Flender, calm and collected, leaving everyone amazed at his stamina.
[Emotion Points +555]
[Emotion Points +666]
[Emotion Points +999]
Flender stood with his hands behind his back, radiating confidence.
Zhuge Lan summoned the Li Jing Sword, revealing a soul ring configuration of one pure white and two purple rings.
*[Emotion Points +1111]*
*[Emotion Points +1111]*
Oscar and Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in shock!
"Wait a second! How does this new junior have twin martial souls?"
No one had mentioned this to them!
Flender, however, sighed deeply.
"What a pity."
"Not only do you have two martial souls, but you've also attached soul rings to both of them. And the first soul ring on this martial soul... is just white in quality?"
"Didn't your family stop you?"
He shook his head in regret.
*[Emotion Points +99]*
Zhuge Lan couldn't help but smile, his expression a bit strange.
A million-year soul ring, and you're feeling sorry for me?
All seven of your soul rings together don't even add up to a fraction of mine!
He was tempted to brag about it, collecting a big wave of emotion points.
But he held back.
Dropping such a big surprise now, when he didn't yet have enough credibility, would only bring in small amounts of emotion points.
Later, when everyone's knowledge grows, and they understand the rarity of a million-year soul ring, that's when he would really cash in!
For now...
He'd let his actions speak.
"Dean Flender, be careful. Here I come!"