Chapter 178: Elder Sister, No!

Chapter 178: Elder Sister, No!

Hui bounced from tree to tree. In the distance, a massive mountain rose, taller even than the tallest tree. Out of curiosity, he bounded toward it. Fewer cultivators appeared around him, until he once more ran alone.

Hui glanced around him. Another restricted zone? I wonder what Ill find here!

Ahead, an opening gaped in the forest. Down below, a carved boulder laid flat under the sun. Ancient characters crawled over it, each one larger than a man. Hui glanced at it, and his head immediately began to pound. He wrested his eyes away and rubbed his forehead, where his third eye ached. Im not meant to comprehend whatever is written on that tablet!

Instead, he gazed up at the mountain. His eyes widened, and he stared up, up, up, far above, where a bushy green canopy spread high in the atmosphere. Thats not a mountain! Thats an immense tree!

Above him, the character for wood had been carved into the trees trunk. The carving stood a hundred meters tall, if not taller, and glowed gold with a power of its own, beaming bright even in the sunlight.

Hui gazed at it. The gold light beckoned him. He stumbled forward a step thoughtlessly, his feet moving on their own. Reaching the edge of the branch, he leaned forward, yearning to be nearer to that character.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

A smack landed on the back of his head. Snap out of it, dingbat!

Hui startled and grabbed the back of his head. E-elder Brother, my apologies!

Harrumphing, a cultivator in green robes with sharp, dragon-like eyes and a strict expression looked down on him. You dare to slack off? Back with everyone else! And an extra ten laps for you!

E-eh? Hui stumbled.

Go on! the strict cultivator snapped, slapping him again. With his cultivation base suppressed to the third realm, the slap lifted Hui off the ground and threw him into the air. He fell from the branch, out into the void.

Hui pedaled his arms desperately, searching for something, anything. He slammed into another branch a dozen feet down and clung on for dear life.

Still lazing around? I guess you need some more motivation! The cultivator raised his hand again.

Senior, please, Im going! Hui cried. His skin still stung from the first two slaps. He bounded to his feet and raced off, charging blindly into the forest. The sound of running feet met his ears. That must be where Elder Brother wants me to go! He turned toward the sound and merged into a group of sweaty male and female cultivators, all huffing and panting as they ran at top speed.

Almost instantly, they left Hui behind. He activated his movement technique and caught up with them.

One of the disciples glanced at him, then yanked his arm. What are you doing? Stop that! If he catches you, well all get another fifty laps!

Hui glanced around him, lost. All around him, cultivators ran under the strength of their own bodily might. None of them used a movement technique, nor even circulated qi. Instead, the sheer power of their bodies allowed them to run at a speedy pace.

ImIm an emissary from Black Asp Sect! Im not a Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivator at all! Hui cried, abandoning his mission to sneak around as a Mysterious Heavenly Forest cultivator. Anything, to get away from this pain, this horror! Please! I dont like pain, Elder Brother! Ill create a new skin tomorrow and go sneaking around again, but for today, please free me from my suffering!

Ding Laos eyes lit up. Ah! Wonderful! You can spread the joy of body cultivation to even your demonic sect! Welcome, welcome! Ill help you see the light, and then you, too, can share the light of beautiful muscles!

The other cultivators shook their heads silently, giving Hui sad looks. He bowed his head, depressed. Theres no use. Im wasting my breath.

Hui ran, ran and ran and ran. One lap of the massive tree. Two. Three. The qi ran out, and he began to sag back again, only for Ding Lao to once again share his qi. Surging forward again, he managed to barely keep up with the back of the pack. Sweat poured down his body, soaking into the robes. His chest heaved, breaths coming fast. Legs aching, he pounded along over the forest floor, stirring up leaves behind him. At least the snake skin is integrated into my body. When I sweat, it sweats! If I did this in the ghoul skin I dont want to think about it!

Ahead, a beautiful woman with pure white skin stepped out of the forest. She looked up, startled, at the cultivators bearing down on her, then stood aside. Huis eyes widened. Liu Baozhai! Help me!

Another for the lesson! Wonderful! Come join us! Ding Lao invited her in the same breath.

Liu Baozhai stared silently at the passing cultivators, then slipped into their ranks. She ran along, but unlike the other cultivators, seemed unbothered, as if she went for an easy morning jog.

Ah. That strange body of hers dont tell me, does Liu Baozhai practice body cultivation? Hui bowed his head, depressed as yet another escape route vanished.

Ding Laos eyes twinkled. Youare you a fellow who also sees the light of muscles and the strength of the physical body?

Liu Baozhai hesitated, then nodded.

Wonderful! Lets have a race, this lap! Anyone who can keep up with me and this sister here can forgo the rest of their laps! With that, Ding Lao took off into the forest.

Liu Baozhai watched him go. The other cultivators all looked at her, easily keeping up with her pace. Even Hui managed to catch up with her.

Hope surged in his gut. Elder Sister! Your magnificence, your beneficence, this small cultivator will remember it forever! Please, allow us to run alongside you!

A race, she murmured, almost to herself. Her eyes flashed, gleaming like perfectly polished stone. She slammed her foot down into the ground and shot off, little more than a white streak amidst the trees.

All the cultivators, Hui included, stared. As one, they looked down.

A perfectly carved footstep sunk a meter into the ground where shed blasted off! Compared to Ding Laos half-handspan deep footstep, hers was obviously stronger by an order of magnitude, if not more!

Hui swallowed. The glimmer of hope hed seen blinked out, and he fell into despair. Elder Sister, no! How could you betray me like this?