After hearing Shen Moran's words, Mo Guanguan didn't respond immediately.
Instead, she gave Shen Moran a meaningful glance.
Then—
She smiled.
With a casual flick of her long hair, she leaned slightly forward and asked,
"Mo Mo… would you like someone who treats you extremely well, but has no Spiritual Energy talent and is destined to remain ordinary for the rest of his life?"
Shen Moran froze.
For a brief moment, her heart skipped a beat.
If not for Mo Guanguan's calm and natural expression, she might have suspected that the question carried some hidden sarcasm.
"This…"
She hesitated, her brows knitting together slightly.
Then she answered honestly.
"Of course not."
Mo Guanguan didn't stop there.
She continued, her tone still light, but her words sharp.
"Then let me ask you another question."
"If you had to choose between two equally outstanding men—same status, same strength, same character—but one is young and handsome, while the other is old and unattractive…"
"Which would you choose?"
Shen Moran didn't hesitate this time.
"The young and handsome one, obviously."
Mo Guanguan's smile deepened.
"Exactly."
She crossed her arms casually, her posture relaxed yet confident.
"So isn't the answer obvious?"
"My family background is my advantage—just like my appearance."
"Maybe people won't fall in love with someone only because of their background…"
"But isn't it still a bonus?"
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
"On the other hand…"
"If my family's strength can't be part of what attracts others…"
"Then what was the point of generations of effort to build it?"
Shen Moran fell silent.
She had no rebuttal.
Mo Guanguan's reasoning was straightforward—
And brutally realistic.
This wasn't a fairy tale.
No one would fall in love purely out of kindness or innocence.
In this world—
Everything followed the principle of equivalent exchange.
Talent.
Appearance.
Background.
Strength.
All of it mattered.
And compared to Mo Guanguan—
Shen Moran suddenly felt the gap between them more clearly than ever.
One was born into a powerful family, with access to resources and knowledge.
The other—
Was simply a talented girl from a small city.
"…I'm just saying this for your own good," Shen Moran said finally, though her voice had softened.
"Being cautious around men isn't a bad thing."
Mo Guanguan blinked, slightly puzzled.
For some reason…
Shen Moran always seemed to hold a faint, inexplicable hostility toward Zhao Mu.
But she didn't press further.
The Next Morning
The next day, Zhao Mu woke up early as usual.
He flexed his arm slightly, testing it.
The injury from yesterday—
Was completely healed.
He couldn't help but marvel.
The medical conditions in Qingfeng Camp are incredible…
If he had stayed in Garden Town, such an injury would have taken at least a month to recover.
After a brief stretch, he stepped outside for his usual morning run.
But this time—
Someone was already there.
Mo Guanguan.
She stood in front of the dormitory building, dressed in a fitted black training uniform and lightweight athletic shoes.
She was warming up, her movements smooth and controlled.
Her tall, toned figure carried a kind of wild elegance—
Like a leopard preparing to hunt.
Zhao Mu raised an eyebrow.
"You're running too?"
Mo Guanguan glanced at him, her lips curling slightly.
"If you can, why can't I?"
Then she added with a playful snort,
"Don't worry. I won't compete with your ridiculous physical strength, you humanoid mutant beast."
Zhao Mu chuckled.
"That's good."
"It's nice to have company."
The Race Begins
After a quick warm-up, the two set off together.
But this time—
Mo Guanguan didn't repeat her earlier mistake.
She didn't try to compete directly with Zhao Mu's raw physical endurance.
Instead—
She activated a combat technique.
Spiritual energy gathered around her legs, flowing like a current.
Her speed instantly increased.
Her movements became sharper, lighter, and faster.
She dashed forward like a wild animal, kicking up clouds of dust with every step.
Zhao Mu watched her from behind, noticing the rhythm of her movement—
The bounce of her twin ponytails—
The confidence in her stride.
He smiled faintly.
"Still as competitive as ever…"
Then—
He activated his own technique.
Light and Agile Steps.
Unlike Mo Guanguan's method, his technique didn't rely on spiritual energy.
It consumed stamina instead.
A subtle difference—
But a crucial one.
The Gap
With the boost from spiritual energy, Mo Guanguan quickly pulled ahead.
Her Combat Level far surpassed Zhao Mu's.
At level 16, her advantage was undeniable.
She glanced back occasionally, seeing Zhao Mu falling behind.
A smug smile appeared on her face.
Why did I ever compare strength with him before?
Using my advantage like this… I can easily beat him!
But—
As time passed—
Something changed.
The Pursuit
Halfway through the run, Zhao Mu began to close the gap.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Mo Guanguan frowned.
That shouldn't be possible…
Logically, as the run continued, her stamina should deplete.
Even with spiritual energy—
Fatigue was inevitable.
But Zhao Mu…
Was getting faster.
Silent Growth
What she couldn't see—
Was the invisible system at work.
A small, floating figure—the demon clown—held up a glowing notification.
[Light and Agile Steps – Proficiency Increased]
187…
189…
190…
With every step—
Zhao Mu improved.
His breathing remained steady.
His movements became more efficient.
His stamina seemed endless.
The more he ran—
The stronger he became.
The Finish Line
At the end of the track—
Mo Guanguan crossed the finish line first.
Zhao Mu followed just a few seconds behind.
She bent forward slightly, breathing heavily.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
In contrast—
Zhao Mu merely wiped a thin layer of sweat from his forehead.
Completely composed.
He smiled.
"You win."
Mo Guanguan snorted lightly.
"You didn't even use spiritual energy."
"That doesn't count."
Zhao Mu shook his head.
"That's not it."
"My technique works best without it."
"Using spiritual energy would reduce the training effect."
But he didn't deny her point.
If he had used spiritual energy—
She wouldn't have stood a chance.
Mutual Recognition
Zhao Mu stretched slightly.
"I'm better at endurance."
"But your burst speed is faster."
Mo Guanguan glanced at him.
She knew he was right.
Her technique excelled in short bursts.
But in long-distance running—
Zhao Mu was terrifying.
Observers
Not far away—
Zhuo Yun and Lu Yan had woken up midway through the run.
They came outside looking for Zhao Mu—
Only to find him running with Mo Guanguan.
The two exchanged knowing looks.
Then—
Quietly left.
Rumors Begin
Soon—
Whispers began spreading through the camp.
Zhao Mu and Mo Guanguan.
Running together.
Spending time together.
Were they…
Dating?
Among young trainees—
Even in a harsh training environment—
Such rumors spread like wildfire.
Yet—
The two at the center of it all—
Remained completely unaware.
Days of Training
Life in Qingfeng Camp returned to its routine.
Training.
Rest.
Repeat.
Though exhausting—
Everyone began to adapt.
And with adaptation—
Came progress.
Spiritual Mastery
They trained in controlling spiritual power.
Step by step.
Refining.
Wrapping.
Condensing.
Each stage required focus, discipline, and patience.
Though still unable to use "Emission"—
They were improving rapidly.
Compared to Zhao Mu—
Their proficiency was low.
But the speed of their growth—
Was undeniable.
And in this quiet, relentless cycle of training—
Strength continued to grow.
Silently.
Endlessly.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)