Bidegla swiftly donned his shorts, and his countenance gradually returned to calm as he knew that the practice of Xingyiquan was about to commence.
"The essence of Xingyiquan lies in speed. First, run ten laps around the perimeter," spoke Guijianchou at this moment. It was not a lesson in Xingyiquan, but a command to run.
"Isn't this about martial arts practice? Why running?" Bidegla voiced his doubts.
"No need for words. In the time it took you to speak, you've already completed half. Bring out your maximum speed. If you can't meet my requirements, I will not teach you Xingyiquan," Guijianchou spoke, ruthless in his resolve.
"Very well." With a determined resolve, Bidegla refrained from further speech, knowing that there must be a reason behind Guijianchou's words. Running ten laps was a challenge he could easily endure.
After the practice, not only had his strength increased, but his endurance had also multiplied. The rooftop's circumference was approximately a hundred meters, and ten laps equaled a mere kilometer. For him, it posed no challenge.
Having swiftly completed the ten laps, Bidegla's heart beat only slightly faster, displaying his ease and mastery.
"Too slow. Continue and run ten more laps," Guijianchou commanded coldly as he watched Bidegla come to a halt.
"Very well." Bidegla nodded and once again sprinted with great speed.
His pace was so rapid that it even surpassed the world's most famous sprint champions.
However, after completing another ten laps, he received the same command once more.
"Not fast enough. Run ten more."
"Too slow. Keep running."
"Have you not eaten? Run twenty laps for me."
"Continue!"
The vast rooftop echoed only with Guijianchou's indifferent voice, and in less than half an hour, Bidegla had circled the edge at least a hundred times.
Despite his formidable physical strength, he could not withstand such torment. His legs were on the verge of moving subconsciously, and his heartbeat had quickened considerably.
After completing another set of ten laps, Bidegla came to a stop in front of Guijianchou, wearing a pained expression. "Master, am I qualified this time?"
"What do you think?" Guijianchou's face revealed a faint smile, albeit a cold one. "Run fifty more laps for me."
"What?" Upon hearing this, Bidegla doubted his own ears. He had already run a hundred laps, and now he was being asked for fifty more? Did they think he was a beast of burden? Would a real beast not have collapsed from exhaustion?
"You don't have to run if you don't want to. Just practice Xingyiquan at your own pace," Guijianchou said, making as if to leave.
"Very well, I will run!" With gritted teeth, Bidegla started running once more. Since he had managed a hundred laps, he could endure fifty more.
"Master's demands on his disciples are truly stringent," observed Stuart Buzer at the entrance to the rooftop, shaking his head in disbelief.
He, too, had attained mastery in Xingyiquan under Guijianchou's guidance. However, compared to Bidegla's current performance, he had been relatively fortunate. Bidegla's running speed now far surpassed his own from the past, so he should have no trouble practicing Xingyiquan. It seemed that Guijianchou was intentionally driving Bidegla to run.
They say a strict teacher produces exceptional students, so although Stuart Buzer sympathized with Bidegla, he did not intervene as it was none of his concern.
He summoned two astute guards to watch the gate and then went about his business, determined to fulfill the task entrusted to him by Bidegla: to protect Jennie Laura. He knew he had to complete his mission during Bidegla's absence, or else face the consequences upon Bidegla's return.
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Round after round, Bidegla could feel his legs trembling and his heart pounding as if it might leap out of his chest. Breathing became increasingly difficult as he neared exhaustion, having run over a hundred laps in less than an hour.
Gasping for air, Bidegla's pace slowed as the lack of oxygen gave his complexion an unnaturally pale hue, as if he might collapse at any moment. The voice of Guìjiànchóu, intentionally goading Bidegla, echoed in his ears: "If you wish to become strong, keep running. If you want to protect those around you, keep running. If you fall, don't expect me to teach you Xingyi Quan again."
The desire to become powerful and to protect those around him propelled Bidegla to think of Jennie and the others. Suddenly, he felt a surge of strength in his legs, driving him to sprint even faster.
Determined not to falter, Bidegla pushed himself to continue, knowing that Jennie relied on him for protection. Guìjiànchóu's words had truly stirred something within Bidegla, causing him to run like a wild bull, faster than he had at the start, leaving behind a trail of fleeting shadows.
Bidegla found himself running at an incredible speed, his legs seemingly infused with an endless supply of power. He lost track of how many laps he had completed and continued to run as if driven by madness, like a gust of dark wind sweeping through the area.
After about twenty minutes of relentless sprinting, Bidegla could no longer keep track of the laps he had run. Feeling unable to persevere any longer, he finally came to a stop.
His legs felt numb, as if on the verge of giving way, and his heart was beating at an extraordinary rate, a result of his external energy cultivation which had made his blood vessels far stronger than those of an ordinary person. Otherwise, his heart might have burst at that very moment.
Struggling to speak, Bidegla approached Guìjiànchóu and managed to utter, "Master, am I considered successful this time?"
Though speaking was a challenge, Bidegla forced out these words with a grimace.
"Your performance is still rather slow, but I suppose I'll pass you this time," Guìjiànchóu responded calmly.
Hearing Guìjiànchóu's words, Bidegla sighed bitterly, unsure of what to say. He had already pushed his body to its limit, yet he was still unsatisfied.
"Rest for a while," Guìjiànchóu urged, lowering Bidegla to the ground. He then took out a bottle of medicine from his pocket and applied it evenly to Bidegla's legs. Though Bidegla didn't know what the medicine was, its application alleviated much of his discomfort, easing the soreness and pain.
"Stay still, I'll give you a massage," Guìjiànchóu said, crouching down to gently knead Bidegla's tired legs. After running for so long, the muscles had become thoroughly fatigued, and Guìjiànchóu was determined to prevent any potential complications. After about five minutes of massage, the treatment was complete.
"Very well, there will be no training today. Rest for now, and we shall continue later," Ghostly Worry said, leaving Bidegla to lie on the rooftop without any further attention. After his departure, Bidegla remained in the same spot, unable to move due to the intense soreness and weakness in his legs. The next day, he awoke to the harsh sunlight, realizing that he had spent the entire night lying there, covered in dew, with his pants soaked through. Surprisingly, he felt no discomfort, and his legs were free from any lingering soreness. As he stood up and tested his strength, Bidegla marveled at the effects of the medicine and massage administered by Ghostly Worry. Known for his exceptional healing skills, Ghostly Worry had targeted crucial pressure points during the massage, which undoubtedly contributed to Bidegla's improved condition. Suddenly, Bidegla heard footsteps and saw that Ghostly Worry had returned, holding a dark, dried branch-like object. Handing it to Bidegla, he said, "Eat this. It is your breakfast." Without hesitation, Bidegla consumed the potent substance, which he had eaten many times before and found to be more nourishing than any regular breakfast. Despite not having eaten anything since the previous day, Bidegla savored the taste of the dried branch, feeling the pangs of hunger subside. Hunger makes everything taste delightful, indeed.
"Enough rest. Today, you must continue running," Ghostly Worry suddenly spoke, surprising Bidegla. "Master, didn't you say I had already passed the test yesterday? Why do I still have to run?" Bidegla asked. "Just because you passed doesn't mean you are exempt from running. Stop talking and start running," Ghostly Worry replied firmly, raising his voice. Reluctantly, Bidegla began running. This time, he felt faster and experienced no discomfort. After completing one hundred laps, he noticed that his heart rate was steady and had not increased. "Keep running," Ghostly Worry's cold voice commanded, and Bidegla resumed running. After another hundred laps, he began to feel some strain. However, compared to the previous day when he struggled after 150 laps, he was able to continue running even after completing 200 laps. Around 400 laps, Bidegla finally felt exhausted and out of breath. "You may rest now," Ghostly Worry announced, and Bidegla stopped running. As with the day before, Ghostly Worry applied a medicinal ointment to Bidegla's legs and massaged them before preparing to leave. However, just as he was about to depart, Bidegla stopped him and asked, "Master, yesterday I couldn't endure for so long. How did I make such great progress today?" "Yesterday, you pushed past your limits, which led to significant progress. Today, we should stop here. It's all about balance. If you continue like this, you will ruin your legs. Rest for now," Ghostly Worry explained before leaving, leaving Bidegla deep in thought about his unexpected progress and the potential for even greater achievements if he continued to push his limits.
After a brief respite, Bidegla felt somewhat restored and proceeded to find a spot beneath the rooftop to engage in meditation.
Due to the practice of Xingyiquan, he could not leave this place now, even his phone was confiscated by Gu Jianchou, leaving him no choice but to focus on his training.