17: Chapter 17 Exhausted

"Oh, damn it."

Chen Zhen woke up from his dream.

I'm really sick of this dream.

In the dream, he was climbing a very steep mountain.

The problem was that there was no path, only jagged rocks and sparse vegetation.

This made his climb incredibly difficult.

Using both hands and feet, every step was a struggle.

Then, when he reached the halfway point in the dream, his dream self insisted on looking down.

The depths below were bottomless.

He looked up again, but the summit was obscured by swirling clouds and mist.

He didn't know how long he had been climbing; feeling like he would never reach the end, he woke up in despair.

His heart was still pounding now.

He calmed his heartbeat and looked out the window.

The sky outside was a pre-dawn grey-blue, with a few lingering stars still hanging there.

Chen Zhen pulled up the system panel.

Today's tasks had refreshed. Morning run reward 0.2, study reward 0.15.

The consecutive achievement bonus was still steadily increasing.

Chen Zhen's gaze fell on another spot:

[Social Dimension: 76 / 100]

According to the growth pattern of the past few days, if he could complete a few high-quality social interactions today, he should be able to unlock it.

Chen Zhen glanced at the time in the corner of the system panel.

Damn! It's 5:45.

He had to go quickly.

With lightning speed, he got dressed, washed up, and rushed to the entryway.

It turned out his dad was also there changing his shoes.

"Dad, you're up this early too?"

Chen Zhen spoke quickly.

"Yeah, heading to the job market." His father tied his shoelaces. "The earlier you get in line, the better the chances."

The two left together and parted ways on the first floor.

His father went left to get the car, while Chen Zhen ran right toward the Riverside.

The morning mist was thinner than yesterday, but the air was colder.

When Chen Zhen arrived at the bench, the old man was already standing there.

He wasn't sitting like the previous days; he was standing, facing the river, hands hanging naturally at his sides, eyes closed.

Chen Zhen didn't disturb him and just stood by waiting.

After waiting for about three minutes, the old man opened his eyes: "You're here."

"Yes."

"How does it feel?" the old man asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How your body feels."

Chen Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Lighter than before..."

"Not lighter, but smoother."

The old man turned around. "Before, you were tense; now, you're flowing. When you're flowing, it doesn't take as much effort."

He signaled for Chen Zhen to stand properly: "I'll teach you something new today."

"Okay!"

Chen Zhen straightened his back, exhaled, dropped his shoulders, and stood ready.

"It's still about the Breathing Method," the old man said, "but this time, I'm not asking you to count seconds; I'm asking you to listen."

"Listen?"

"Listen to the sounds inside your body."

The old man walked behind him. "When you inhale, listen to the sound of the Qi entering through your nasal cavity and traveling down your trachea."

"It's not a literal sound, it's that... feeling of flow."

This is getting difficult.

Chen Zhen closed his eyes and began to try.

The first time.

...

Is there anything here?

The second time.

Hmm?

It seems like there is something.

He vaguely felt the trajectory of the Qi.

It went from his nasal cavity to his throat, to his chest cavity, and finally settled into his abdomen.

"Right, that's it."

The old man said, "Follow it. When you inhale, imagine the Qi flowing downward like water."

"When you exhale, imagine it dispersing upward like mist."

Chen Zhen followed the guidance.

Inhale, the Qi sinks.

Exhale, the Qi rises.

After a few cycles.

Hey, he felt his breathing rhythm slow down.

It wasn't something he could control; his body naturally chose a slower, deeper way of breathing.

It seemed to be adapting and replacing the old way.

[Breathing Method mastery: Beginner (12%)]

[Entered deep relaxation state, Health Dimension experience + 8]

The system panel popped up a notification.

"Did you feel it?" the old man asked.

"Yes."

"Remember this feeling."

"In the future, when running, studying, or doing anything, carry this feeling with you."

"Not deliberately, but naturally."

Chen Zhen opened his eyes, puzzled. "What exactly is this?"

"It's just breathing," the old man smiled, "but breathing can also be a form of Cultivation."

He finished, waved his hand: "Go run. Four kilometers today."

"Four kilometers?"

"Yes," the old man nodded. "For your body now, three kilometers is no longer enough."

Chen Zhen hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."

Four kilometers.

If it's one kilometer more, the rhythm will definitely change again.

He didn't know if he could quickly find a new rhythm.

He also had to adapt the newly learned Breathing Method, hoping he wouldn't fail to finish the run.

Chen Zhen stepped onto the track.

Started running.

The first three kilometers were very easy.

Breathing was smooth, his pace was steady, and his body felt like a machine tuned to its optimal state.

When he reached the three-kilometer marker, Chen Zhen glanced at the system panel: [Stamina remaining: 78%].

Damn.

No way.

Is he this strong now?

Still 78% stamina left, that's a lot!

He could definitely finish the last kilometer.

But the subsequent development didn't go as smoothly as he had expected.

By the fourth kilometer, a change occurred.

It wasn't exhaustion, but a kind of... deeper fatigue.

It wasn't muscle soreness; it was a fatigue that seeped from his bones, accompanied by a slight tremor.

So even if there's plenty of stamina left, it doesn't necessarily mean it's easy.

Can't stop, focus on breathing.

By the last five hundred meters, sweat had soaked through his sportswear.

Every step he took, his legs felt like they were filled with lead.

Chen Zhen gritted his teeth, maintaining his breathing and posture.

Almost there, almost there, victory is right before his eyes.

Sprint, sprint.

Finally, four kilometers completed.

[Morning run completed (4 km), Health Dimension experience + 8.5]

[Cultivation + 0.26 (including distance reward)]

[Breakthrough daily limit, additional reward Cultivation + 0.5]

[Breathing Method mastery: Beginner (18%)]

The harvest was almost double that of yesterday.

But Chen Zhen felt that his fatigue was more than double that of yesterday.

Chen Zhen supported himself on his knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his chin onto the ground, creating dark dots.

After panting for a few minutes, he started stretching:

Left leg, right leg, waist, back, pushing every movement to the limit.

After stretching, he walked back to the bench.

The old man handed him some water: "How do you feel?"

"...Tired, I'm exhausted." His tone carried a hint of hopelessness.

"Being tired is right," the old man said. "If you aren't tired, how can you have a Breakthrough?"

"Tomorrow... still running four kilometers?"

"Depends," the old man stood up. "We'll see when you get here tomorrow."

He picked up his things, walked a few steps, and turned back: "By the way, did you practice the single-leg stance?"

"I did."

"Keep it up. See the results in a month."

"Okay, goodbye, sir."

The old man didn't look back, just raised his hand and waved.

Chen Zhen stood for a while, then sat down.

He was so tired that while sitting on the bench resting, Chen Zhen was still breathing in the fresh air heavily.

But the sense of satisfaction in his heart was fuller than ever before.

It was already 7:50 when he got home.

His mother was frying eggs; hearing the door open, she turned around.

"Why so late today?"

"Ran an extra kilometer."

"No wonder you look so hopeless."

"Yeah, I'm numb from the exhaustion." As he said this, Chen Zhen collapsed onto the sofa.

His whole body relaxed as if melting.