In just four hours, Zhang Ergou completed thirty li. When he reappeared before Chiyu, he saw the surprise on Chiyu's face.
"Master, how was it? Did I meet your requirements?"
"Not bad, you brat. You've improved a lot from yesterday. It seems the medicinal bath you soaked in all night had a good effect. Today, we need to increase the dosage." Chiyu said with a teasing smile.
"No way." Zhang Ergou's face turned green. He still vividly remembered the pain of the medicinal bath last night. If the dosage were increased, he would faint from the pain.
"Here, eat this food first. Without using spiritual energy, your body will consume a lot. This is demon beast meat I specifically sought out to replenish energy. Eat to your heart's content."
Indeed, after running for four hours, Zhang Ergou felt noticeably hungry. the twenty jin of demon beast meat he had eaten that morning had already been consumed.
Zhang Ergou could no longer worry about the medicinal bath that night. He directly reached for a bone and began to gnaw on the meat.
The consumption of physical strength could not be replenished by pills; it could only be done through food.
Thus, Zhang Ergou, seeing the food, was like a famished wild beast, completely disregarding his image.
In less than the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Zhang Ergou had devoured all the food Chiyu had brought. After a comfortable burp, he sprawled on the ground without any pretense.
"Brat, get up. Did I tell you to rest? You still have a task to complete today." Chiyu kicked Zhang Ergou in the waist and abdomen.
"No way, Master. I've already finished the running task today. Besides, I just finished eating, shouldn't I digest it?"
Zhang Ergou sat up with a bitter expression.
"Where do you get all these absurd theories? Am I the master or are you? Precisely because you've just eaten and your body has replenished its energy, the second task of the day can begin more easily."
Chiyu glared at Zhang Ergou and, pulling his ear, lifted him from the ground.
"Master, it hurts. I'll get up myself." Zhang Ergou quickly cupped his ear and stood up.
Chiyu's grip on his ear was at a particularly sensitive angle, causing an unusual pain that made Zhang Ergou reluctant to stay on the ground.
"What I'm about to ask you to do is actually very simple: to hold a horse stance until you can't stand anymore. Can you do it?"
Although it was a question, Zhang Ergou saw an undeniable resolve on Chiyu's face.
He nodded with a bitter expression, remaining silent. In his heart, he scoffed. It was just holding a horse stance, how difficult could that be?
"Of course, while holding the stance, I have another requirement: you need to hold your rusty iron spear level with your hands. I've observed its weight seems just right for your current stage."
Before Zhang Ergou could feel relieved, Chiyu presented a new demand.
"Master, that thing weighs nearly a thousand jin!" Zhang Ergou said with a mournful face, his eyes welling up as he looked at Chiyu.
"You must hold the horse stance for at least half an hour, or you won't get breakfast tomorrow morning."
Chiyu completely ignored Zhang Ergou's complaints and, after stating the final condition, vanished with a flash.
Helpless, Zhang Ergou rolled his eyes and took out the Ghost Spear Tianwen from his storage ring. Because of the ten-thousand jin armor Chiyu had given him, Zhang Ergou had placed the Ghost Spear Tianwen in his storage ring.
He had worried about neglecting this close companion of over half a year, but unexpectedly, it found a new purpose so quickly.
Despite his inner grumbling, Zhang Ergou faithfully followed Chiyu's instructions and began to hold the horse stance.
At first, holding the Ghost Spear Tianwen level while in a horse stance, Zhang Ergou didn't feel particularly tired. This greatly boosted his confidence in Chiyu's requirement to hold it for at least half an hour.
However, after the time it took for one incense stick to burn, his body began to lose control. Zhang Ergou started to feel pain everywhere.
His arms trembled uncontrollably, and several times the Ghost Spear Tianwen almost fell.
If he hadn't gritted his teeth and persevered, he would have failed long ago.
Zhang Ergou was not someone who gave up easily. While he verbally resisted Chiyu's commands, in practice, he possessed extraordinary willpower.
This was also why he had succeeded in refining the Heavenly Phoenix Body Cultivation. Without a strong will, he would have long ago been lost in the bone-cracking pain.
Therefore, even though his body was trembling violently, Zhang Ergou persisted with his immense willpower.
He refused to believe that he would be defeated by himself so quickly.
The cultivation of a cultivator, less about fighting heaven, earth, or people, is more about fighting oneself.
Only by conquering oneself can one tread a further path in their cultivation journey.
Of course, Zhang Ergou did not understand this principle, but he knew he could not give up, nor could he be looked down upon by his beautiful master.
Having grown up eating from many households, Zhang Ergou had endured countless scornful glances and was therefore very sensitive to such dismissive looks.
He also did not want to disappoint his master, who treated him so kindly. Since childhood, no one had cared for him as Chiyu did.
Therefore, a voice in Zhang Ergou's heart urged him to do his utmost to satisfy his master, even if it meant exhausting all his strength.
When Chiyu reappeared, half an hour had passed. Looking at the teenager gritting his teeth and persevering, Chiyu's face showed a rare trace of heartache.
What kind of experiences could instill such immense willpower in this sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy? Chiyu, who had cultivated in the Misty Sect since childhood, couldn't understand.
Sweat poured down the boy's face like rain. His legs, arms, and his entire body trembled uncontrollably, yet he maintained the horse stance.
His feet were firmly planted on the ground, his hands holding the Ghost Spear Tianwen were level with his chest, and his lower back was bent until it was parallel to his knees, a perfectly standard horse stance.
Not an ounce of slackness...
For a moment, Chiyu felt her eyes welling up. The boy's face was pale, clearly indicating he had given his all.
Chiyu, who had reappeared, did not call out to Zhang Ergou to stop. She wanted to see how long the boy would hold on.
Half an incense stick later, the boy's trembling intensified.
One incense stick later, the sweat dripping from the boy's head had soaked through his robes, and even dripped onto the ground.
His feet had already wet a large patch of the ground beneath him.
Another half hour passed. The boy remained silent, standing there rigidly, sweat blurring his vision.
*Thump!*
Finally, the boy could no longer endure...