For a six-year-old child, carrying a 10-kilogram weighted vest is generally quite exhausting. Suifeng himself only weighed a little over 20 kilograms—about 50 jins. The vest was nearly half his body weight, so it naturally took a toll.
He managed to finish the first lap relatively easily, in good spirits. But by the second lap, Suifeng's small body began to wear down.
That familiar feeling—damn it, why did Heaven give me such big eyes? Other than being good-looking, they're completely useless.
Suifeng grumbled internally.
The sting of sweat running into his eyes made him uncomfortable, and his clothes were already soaked through. Sweat dripped down his arms, sliding off his long fingers, one drop at a time. His hands were so slick he couldn't even wipe the sweat off his face.
His breathing grew labored. His legs felt like they were filled with lead—each step a struggle. He could barely summon a breeze to cool himself. His dizzy head couldn't even command the wind to help speed him up. The usually graceful Drifting Steps no longer floated; he could only trudge forward, one step at a time.
From the back mountain, Tang San saw Suifeng in the distance. He originally planned to scold him and settle yesterday's score. But seeing Suifeng stumbling like he might collapse with a single gust of wind, with flushed cheeks and sweat streaming like a brook, it was clear he was on the verge of collapse.
Tang San stopped in his tracks. From Suifeng's determined eyes, he saw persistence, unwavering focus, and a burning pursuit of his dream.
Everyone with a dream deserves respect.
"Hmph, I'll let you off this time. Next time, though, you're getting it," Tang San said with a bit of tsundere pride.
He sat cross-legged and resumed cultivating his Xuan Tian Technique, though he kept part of his attention focused on Suifeng.
A gentle breeze brushed his face, time seemed peaceful. The setting sun quietly bathed the two boys in golden light—it felt like time stood still.
Suifeng stumbled off into the distance, and though Tang San tried to continue meditating, he couldn't calm his heart.
After a brief struggle, Tang San cursed under his breath, "Damn it… I owe you. Hmph, don't you dare collapse—if you do, who am I going to get my revenge on?"
Strangely comforted by his own words, he stood and quietly followed behind Suifeng, keeping an eye on him.
Suifeng didn't notice. He was half-conscious, half-delirious. Memories from his past life surfaced in his mind.
He remembered once having a sincere relationship—a girlfriend who truly loved him. She was sweet, lively, and kind. She liked wearing pale yellow dresses and had fluffy hair.
One summer, his girlfriend, Duoduo, went shopping with her best friend. A sudden downpour left them stranded in a mall. She called Suifeng, asking him to come pick her up in his Porsche.
Suifeng, a mid-ranked match at the time, stared blankly at his phone for a moment, then slapped himself hard. Its promotion matches right now! How can I get distracted? What about my four teammates?
After that, Duoduo broke up with him. Suifeng was devastated. He cried to the heavens, why would you do this to me? Why are women so heartless?
A tragic, poetic love story.
He kept walking robotically, legs moving like machines, without consciousness. Many have felt this: when you focus intensely on something, time slips away unnoticed.
As night fell, Suifeng finally collapsed, without warning.
Tang San, watching from afar, grew alarmed. After all, Suifeng was his only childhood friend. He rushed over and found that Suifeng had simply passed out from exhaustion. Relieved, he let out a long breath.
Suifeng quickly fell into deep sleep, even snoring. Tang San scolded with a grin, "Really? Sleeping like a pig at a time like this?"
He picked Suifeng up and carried him on his back. With the added weight of the vest, Suifeng wasn't light. Step by step, Tang San carried him to Grandpa Jack's house.
"Grandpa Jack, Suifeng overtrained and fell asleep," Tang San explained when he saw the old man.
Grandpa Jack rushed over in concern. "What? He trained so hard he passed out?"
Tang San replied, "This morning he came to my dad's place to make a weighted vest and started intense training. He just overdid it."
Old Jack frowned in disapproval. "Hmph, your father agreed to something like that? I'll have to go talk with him."
Tang San smiled awkwardly. "Grandpa Jack, where's Suifeng's bed? I'll lay him down so he can rest."
Old Jack led the way. Tang San gently placed Suifeng on the bed, removed the vest, set it on the nightstand, and covered him with a blanket.
Then he turned and said softly, "Grandpa Jack, I'll head home now. There's porridge still in the pot. My dad's waiting."
"Alright, thank you for your help today," Old Jack said sincerely.
Tang San waved and left without another word.
Once the room quieted down, leaving only Suifeng inside, a soft milky white light began to glow from his body. It enveloped him, gently healing all the bruises and swelling left by the weighted training.
After half a minute, the glow faded. Everything was still again—only now, the boy lying in bed was no longer the same exhausted shell from earlier.
The next morning, the first rays of sunlight tickled Suifeng's cheeks, warm and itchy.
Suifeng groggily rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"Huh? Why am I in bed? Shouldn't I be on the professional stage, playing esports after being heartlessly dumped by my girlfriend, dedicating my life to bringing glory to the nation?"
He stared at his small hands and the snow-white bedsheets in shock.
After thinking a moment, he recalled that he had passed out from running with the weighted vest. He vaguely remembered someone around his age carrying him back—but the details were fuzzy. Except… he seemed to remember someone giving his little brother a hard squeeze while carrying him.
He nervously lifted the blanket to check.
Hmm… all good. Still holding strong.
Must've been my imagination.
"System, system, open personal status."
Suifeng: Human (Status: Full)
Martial Souls: Radiant Divine Eye, Wind
Soul Power: Level 10
Skill: Drifting Steps (Beginner)
Weapon: None
Armor: Refined Iron Vest
Accessory: None
Items: Speed Talismans ×3
Quest: Run 100 laps around Holy Soul Village within one week. Reward: Random! (9 laps completed)
"Huh? Does the refined iron vest count as armor? And I've only done nine laps? I'd better work harder, or I'll never finish in time." Suifeng added, "System, what's my current soul ring limit?"
[Host can now withstand a soul ring up to 72 years.]
"72 years? Not bad—some improvement. No need to rush. As long as I improve a bit every day... If the novel's timeline is right, there should be about three months before school starts. We'll see how far I've come by then."