Xiao Tian glanced at the girls and smiled mysteriously. "You'll find out soon, Tang San. I hope you won't stop me later. You know, I'm a sword practitioner—if someone makes me unhappy, I'll make them unhappy. Otherwise, my cultivation will stagnate!"
Tang San felt a chill from Xiao Tian's narrowed eyes.
Not just him—Dai Mubai and the others also sensed the warning, deciding it was better to stay quiet.
They all harbored their own resentment. Instead of this punishment, they'd rather cultivate their soul power or continue what they did the day before.
Ten minutes later, their run completed a full lap.
At the academy entrance were several cups and a bucket of water.
Several students picked up cups and drank, then noticed Teacher Shao Xin standing there.
"Why is Teacher Shao Xin here at the entrance today?" Dai Mubai and Oscar asked in unison.
Shao Xin frowned upon seeing the backpacks and turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Master, is this what you call training? Making geniuses run?"
Yu Xiaogang—unprepared for Shao Xin's appearance—patiently explained, "They made serious mistakes during training yesterday. This is both punishment and training."
"Teacher Shao, it's fine. Just twenty laps with weights. I've run longer at the sect and should finish if I try," Ning Rongrong said, following Xiao Tian's gesture to play along.
Shao Xin glanced at the girl in the green dress—if his memory was right, this was the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect Flanders mentioned.
Letting her run twenty laps with weights?
If Ning Fengzhi or the two other Titled Douluo found out, they'd be furious.
Unaware that Flanders held Ning Fengzhi's "golden medal of immunity from death," Shao Xin broke into a cold sweat.
Now he understood who sent the note—someone protecting Ning Rongrong through shadowy vigilance.
This was giving them a chance to save themselves!
He had to stop this.
Though a Food-type Soul Saint with some mainland fame, Shao Xin wasn't powerful enough to challenge the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and didn't want future repercussions.
That old Flanders could do anything!
"Master, isn't this a bit much? The little girl is an auxiliary spirit master, right? Running twenty laps without soul power is hard enough; adding weights?!" Shao Xin protested.
Yu Xiaogang disliked Shao Xin's intrusion but couldn't explain much before everyone. Instead, he said, "Teacher Shao Xin, weighted running improves Ning Rongrong and Oscar's fitness. It's useful if danger comes."
Before he finished, Ning Rongrong cut in, "Teacher Shao, the master makes sense. When I return, I will spread this method among the sect. Our direct descendants must strengthen physical fitness and self-protection."
Shao Xin and the jade jar exchanged looks.
Flanders muttered, "Xiao Gang, you might be going too far."
He finally understood why Ning Rongrong hadn't made trouble earlier. How had she transformed from an unruly princess to this little witch so fast?
"No!" Shao Xin hurried to clarify. "Little girl, this running is just the master's punishment. It's not really to improve life-saving ability. If it actually worked, I'd run every day—then why would I be so fat?" Shao Xin patted his large belly shamelessly.
His martial soul candy beans' sugar content was high, and as a Food-type Soul Master, he had to keep eating to maintain soul power.
"In the Ganges River, it won't work. This is training set by the continent's top theoretician—it must be meaningful. We have to try!"
Ning Rongrong winked coquettishly at Xiao Tian, asserting her mischievous confidence.
Xiao Tian chuckled inwardly—this was classic Ning Rongrong acting like herself.
Yu Xiaogang froze. If Ning Rongrong spread the word back to the sect, Flanders' Ning Fengzhi letter might be useless.
He glanced resentfully at Shao Xin. "What are you doing here if you're not helping?"
Shao Xin, confused, asked, "Master, do you have to run this as well?"
Yu Xiaogang, to save face, nodded, "Yes, they must run. Originally, they wouldn't carry weights; Zhao Wuji could have used his gravity skills to train them—but Zhao Wuji is busy for two days."
This was Yu Xiaogang's veiled excuse for Xiao Tian and the others—a cover because Zhao Wuji was absent.
But Xiao Tian and company weren't so easily fooled, and Tang San remained silent. He didn't want to speak up lest Xiao Tian cook up an even more outrageous plan or attack Yu Xiaogang—something that had happened before.
Shao Xin gritted his teeth. "Alright, Master, if you think it's useful, you must run with them! You've made no soul power breakthroughs for years—no exercise is a factor. As a teacher, you must lead by example!"
Yu Xiaogang's face instantly shifted, but before he could respond, Shao Xin added, "No useless martial spirits—only useless spirit masters. Ma Hongjun, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong—they all have not lower soul power levels than you and hold on without complaint. Can you refuse?"
Flanders buried his face in his hand, unable to watch. Xiaogang was shooting himself in the foot.
Shao Xin was the sole Food Department Soul Saint at the academy, respected even more than Zhao Wuji among teachers.
Zhu Zhuqing spoke coldly, "Master, I came here to get stronger. I hope today's plan isn't random. If you can't complete it, how can you expect us, who are weaker?"
Ma Hongjun smiled wryly, "Yes, Master, but since you're older, you don't have to carry weights—just run alongside us. You still have one lap left!"
Ma Hongjun didn't want to be the leader in Xiao Tian's plan; after all, Xiao Wu had beaten him badly the day before.
He spoke out of thinly veiled dissatisfaction after arguing with Yu Xiaogang today.
They were geniuses, naturally proud—never just following orders blindly.
It was the dean who was familiar with him—not the other way around!
--
Unlock 50 exclusive advanced chapters for just $10 – don't miss out! Check the synopsis/description for the link! 🚀
Loved this fic? 🔥 Then you'll absolutely binge my other hits — "Douluo Dalu: The Godly Drunkard System" & "Douluo Dalu: My Harem System is Bugged!" — don't miss out!