Chapter 15: Breaking Through the First Limit of the Body

Lin Xiao began to pick up speed, and Sun Zhiyuan was not about to be outdone. His purpose today was simple: to exhaust this stubborn grandchild! To think he’d curse him to live only till a hundred—if he didn’t wear him out, he wouldn’t be able to vent his anger!

Lin Xiao’s competitive spirit had now been ignited, and from that point on, everything became much simpler. Sun Zhiyuan surged forward, easily overtaking Lin Xiao, casting him a mocking glance before accelerating again.

Lin Xiao cursed inwardly—this old man was looking down on him! The silent ridicule only made his humiliation worse; he was determined to go all out against the elder. Lin Xiao quickened his pace, refusing to fall behind no matter what. He wasn’t fighting for bread, but for pride!

Thus, the two ran lap after lap around the track. Every time Lin Xiao thought of giving up, Sun Zhiyuan would deliberately slow his pace, waiting for him. He didn’t say a word; he simply watched Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao’s stubbornness flared—he couldn’t stand it! He couldn’t let this old man belittle him.

The scene on the track was visible from many rooms in the retirement home. In a room on the third floor, Liu Jiao and her roommate Shangguan Xi observed the pair below.

“Jiao Jiao, they’ve run over twenty laps already. That kid seems pretty decent!” Shangguan Xi remarked.

Liu Jiao nodded with a smile. “He is. But that’s only because he ate spiritual beast meat today. Normally, he’d never manage so many laps. Still, to endure this long is commendable.”

“I think he’s done enough. If Sun Zhiyuan keeps pushing him, I worry the kid’s body won’t take it.”

“Don’t worry. Sun Zhiyuan knows his limits. Besides, with you and me here, what could happen to him?”

“Tsk, that’s true. I’d like to see just how far this kid can go.”

…

In a room on the second floor, a one-armed old man quietly watched the youthful vigor of the old and the young outside, a smile on his face.

“Old Sha, are you tempted?” asked a voice behind him.

The one-armed elder didn’t turn around. “A bit. Though the kid awakened only F-level vision enhancement, he’s well-suited to inherit my legacy. But I need to observe him a bit more.”

“Then you’d better hurry. I sense you’re not the only one interested in him.”

“Oh? Are you tempted too?”

“Not quite, but idle hands are idle hands. If the kid has talent, I wouldn’t mind teaching him a thing or two.”

…

Lin Xiao was gasping for air, each step heavier than the last.

At this moment, he knew with certainty that all excess energy in his body had been depleted. The only reason he kept going was his refusal to admit defeat to Sun Zhiyuan. Even though he knew he would lose in the end, he chose to persevere.

Sun Zhiyuan now looked at Lin Xiao with newfound respect—this kid’s determination was stronger than he’d expected.

Lin Xiao’s speed had slowed to a crawl, barely faster than a normal walking pace, yet he refused to quit and stubbornly pushed on.

Sun Zhiyuan had no intention of stopping either; he wanted to see just how long Lin Xiao could keep going.

Lin Xiao’s gaze grew unfocused; he could hardly see the track ahead. Whether his body had reached its limit, or sweat was obscuring his vision, he couldn’t tell.

A stumble sent Lin Xiao crashing onto the track.

When an utterly exhausted person lies down, getting up again is nearly impossible. Sun Zhiyuan understood this feeling—Lin Xiao must have reached his limit.

Just as Sun Zhiyuan was about to let Lin Xiao give up, he was stunned to see Lin Xiao push himself up again.

Lin Xiao wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Sun Zhiyuan.

“Old Sun, did you really think I’d concede like this? The contest isn’t settled yet! Hell, I refuse to believe I can’t outrun you!”

Sun Zhiyuan burst out laughing, suddenly finding himself rather fond of this kid.

“I see the toughest thing about you is your mouth. Want to beat me? You’ve got a long way to go!”

Lin Xiao couldn’t waste breath on words; every word cost him energy. Ignoring Sun Zhiyuan, he resumed running.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Lin Xiao felt his steps grow lighter, his speed increasing. Sun Zhiyuan, keeping pace, was somewhat surprised.

As someone with experience, he knew exactly what was happening. Lin Xiao had broken through his body’s first limit—just a single run had shattered a layer of constraint within himself.

This kid had some potential!

He remembered that when he was young, breaking through his first physical limit had taken considerable time. Things were getting interesting. Let’s see how far this kid can go.

The evening sky had grown dim, and the cool breeze brought some relief to Lin Xiao, though his throat still burned with pain.

If he remembered correctly, he had run another fifteen laps—he never imagined he could endure so long.

But now he was truly at his limit, utterly spent.

Old Sun, truly vigorous despite his age, had run countless laps and still seemed as energetic as ever.

Lin Xiao stumbled again. This time, he really couldn't get up; not for lack of will, but because he had no strength left.

Sun Zhiyuan sat beside him, gazing at the nearby sunset, and spoke quietly.

“Kid, you win this time. In the end, age catches up—I just can’t run anymore.”

Lin Xiao gave him a sidelong look.

“Don’t joke, Old Sun… Losing is losing. I’m not afraid to lose; I don’t need you to let me win.”

“Oh, still got a temper? I like that!”

Sun Zhiyuan produced a bottle of water from who-knows-where and handed it to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao accepted it, struggling to sit up, but found he couldn’t even unscrew the cap.

He smiled bitterly, not wanting Sun Zhiyuan’s help.

Sun Zhiyuan saw all this, clicked his tongue, and with a flick of his finger, used spiritual energy to pop the cap open.

Lin Xiao cursed inwardly—what a trick!

“Who…who asked for your help! I…can do it myself!”

“Yes, yes, you can do it yourself. I was just meddling.”

Lin Xiao ignored him and began drinking.

A whole bottle down, he felt much better and tried to stand, only to find his legs weighed down as if filled with lead, unable to move.

Sun Zhiyuan sighed, and without waiting for Lin Xiao's consent, hoisted him up and slung him over his shoulder.

Lin Xiao’s weight seemed negligible in Sun Zhiyuan’s grasp.

“Put me down!”

“Oh, stop that. Just behave. That’s enough for today. You wouldn’t want to crawl back on your own, would you?”

Lin Xiao knew Sun Zhiyuan meant well.

“A bit of rest is all I need. Besides, this position is humiliating!”

“What, you’d rather I carry you like a princess? I don’t mind.”

Lin Xiao could only surrender.

Forget it, let it be!

I’m exhausted—let the world end!