Chapter 32 Dreamlike Wonderland: Will You Become a God When You Run?

The outer perimeter of the Shura playground was a circular track, five kilometers per lap.

The scorching sun hung high, and the ground temperature was hot enough to fry an egg.

Over three thousand freshmen, carrying thirty-kilogram weighted packs, moved arduously like a migrating herd of snails.

Sweat soaked their clothes, and heavy panting rose and fell in waves.

Yet, at the very front of the formation, one figure seemed completely out of place.

Jiang Chen was not carrying a sleeping bag—Chief Instructor Shen Yan had firmly refused that request.

However, the weighted pack on his back was twice as large as everyone else's; it was the sixty-kilogram specialized lead block that Chief Instructor Shen Yan had "specially added" for him.

One hundred kilometers, sixty kilograms of weight.

If it were an ordinary Bone Forging Realm Martial Artist, they would likely have collapsed long ago.

But Jiang Chen's current state made everyone who passed him doubt their own lives.

He was keeping his eyes closed.

Yes, still keeping his eyes closed.

His footsteps looked light and airy, and every step he landed did not make a heavy thud; instead, it was like a feather skimming across the surface of the water.

His arms hung naturally, swaying slightly with the rhythm of his body, and he was in a state of extreme relaxation.

This led to a very strange phenomenon: he was running very fast, but he didn't look tired at all.

"Is... is this even human?"

A drenched Wang Kai panted as he followed behind.

He had been humiliated by Jiang Chen on the train and had his thunder stolen by Jiang Chen again in the Gravity Corridor. Now, he wanted to regain some face in physical endurance, only to find that even though he was running until his lungs felt like they were about to explode, he could only watch Jiang Chen's back get further and further away.

"I don't believe it! He's carrying sixty kilograms, how can he keep up this speed!"

Wang Kai gritted his teeth, pulled a blue potion from his chest—Elementary Qi Recovery Powder—and downed it.

The medicinal power turned into a warm current that surged into his limbs and bones, and his speed instantly increased as he chased after Jiang Chen.

At this moment, inside Jiang Chen's mind, the System notification sound was ringing non-stop.

【Ding! Entering "Deep Sleepwalking" mode.】

【Current status: Auto-cruise.】

【Skill "Wind-Walking Step (Perfection)" is running automatically, reducing stamina consumption by 90%.】

【High-intensity muscle movement detected, repairing micro-fractures in bones... Bone Forging progress +0.1%, +0.1%...】

Running in reality was extremely boring, but in Jiang Chen's dream, he was lying on a rapidly flying cloud, enjoying the breeze on his face.

Every sway of his body was just adjusting his sleeping position.

This was the overbearing nature of "getting stronger while sleeping." Others were consuming energy, but he was recovering.

"Hey! You in front!"

Wang Kai's roar came from behind.

With the help of the potion, Wang Kai finally caught up to within five meters behind Jiang Chen.

Looking at Jiang Chen's "arrogant" back, evil thoughts suddenly arose in his heart.

"Running fast, huh? Let's see how you run after you fall flat on your face!"

Wang Kai suddenly accelerated, and the moment he passed Jiang Chen, he stealthily stretched out his leg, intending to hook Jiang Chen's calf.

This move was extremely vicious.

When running at high speed with heavy weight, once balance is lost, it could result in minor injuries at best and broken bones at worst.

However.

Just as Wang Kai's foot was about to touch Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen suddenly let out a huge yawn.

"Yaaawn—"

Accompanied by this yawn, his body stretched naturally, and his foot slid slightly to the right.

This slide not only perfectly avoided Wang Kai's trip, but because of the stretching motion, his weighted pack swung violently backward.

Bang!

This sixty-kilogram heavy pack slammed solidly into Wang Kai's face.

"Aaaah!!!"

A shrill scream echoed across the track.

Wang Kai only felt his vision go black, his nose bridge shattered instantly, and he was sent flying backward as if hit by a truck, rolling seven or eight times on the ground before stopping, his face covered in blood, passing out cold.

As for Jiang Chen, as if nothing had happened, he didn't even open his eyes, just muttered: "Why did this pillow move suddenly... That's better."

He continued moving forward at a steady pace.

"Holy crap! One-shot kill?!"

The freshmen following behind were all dumbfounded.

"This is too ruthless, right? He didn't even look, and he took Wang Kai out?"

"What do you guys know? This is called 'hearing the wind to distinguish position'! This is definitely a master!"

"Is this the Sleep God? He's practicing while walking, that's too intense!"

In the monitoring room.

Chief Instructor Shen Yan watched this scene on the big screen, almost crushing the teacup in his hand.

"This kid... did he do it on purpose? Or is he just really lucky?"

The vice instructor next to him wiped his sweat: "Chief Instructor, this Jiang Chen's data is a bit off. His heart rate... has been maintained at around 50 beats per minute. This is not the heart rate for strenuous exercise at all; this is the heart rate of deep sleep!"

Chief Instructor Shen Yan was silent for a moment, a flash of sharpness in his eyes: "Check his files. A freak like this, if cultivated well, would definitely be a sharp blade. If not cultivated well... Hmph, then he'll be a scourge."

Two hours later.

When most of the freshmen were still struggling on the fifty-kilometer route, Jiang Chen had already finished running one hundred kilometers.

He stopped in front of the finish line, his body swayed, and he finally opened his eyes.

It was noon, and the aroma from the cafeteria drifted over with the wind.

"Hmm? The smell of braised pork?"

Jiang Chen's nose twitched, and his originally hazy eyes instantly became clear.

He threw the sixty-kilogram weighted pack onto the ground, making a dull, loud thud that startled the instructor in charge of counting.

"Reporting to the instructor, finished running. Can I eat now?"

The instructor glanced at the timer and swallowed hard: "Three... three hours and five minutes. He broke the record for previous freshmen..."

"Oh, that's good." Jiang Chen rubbed his stomach, "If I don't eat, I'm going to wake up from hunger."

Just then, a beautiful figure walked over from the side, handing him a clean white towel and a bottle of ice-cold energy water.

"Here, wipe your sweat."

Su Qingyue looked at Jiang Chen, her eyes full of smiles and a hint of imperceptible admiration.

Although she had also completed the fifty kilometers, she was drenched in sweat and looked slightly disheveled, not at all as... dry as Jiang Chen.

"Thanks, rich girl." Jiang Chen took the water without hesitation and downed half of it in one go. "Where's that kid Wang Kai? I thought I heard someone screaming behind me earlier."

Su Qingyue rolled her eyes at him: "He was carried to the infirmary. Nasal bridge comminuted fracture, looks like he'll have to lie in a treatment pod for two days. You were way too ruthless."

"I've been wronged." Jiang Chen said with an innocent face, "I was dreaming about swatting a mosquito at the time, who knew he would stick his face over."

Su Qingyue couldn't help but laugh.

This man could always make shocking things seem so natural.

"Alright, hurry up and go eat. I heard the afternoon is a combat theory class, it's going to be held indoors." Su Qingyue reminded.

"Indoors?" Jiang Chen's eyes lit up, "Is there air conditioning? Are there tables?"

"... Yes."

"That's great." Jiang Chen stretched, a happy expression on his face, "Finally, I can take a nap."

Watching Jiang Chen's back as he walked toward the cafeteria, in the shadows not far away, a few students wearing senior uniforms were coldly watching him.

One of them had the character "Lei" embroidered on his chest.

"So this is the kid who crippled General Lei Hu?"

"That's right, and now he's injured Wang Kai. This kid is too arrogant."

"For tonight's 'Gravity Room Special Training,' arrange some special 'gifts' for him. Let him know that Imperial Capital Martial Arts University is not a place where a bumpkin like him can run wild."

"Understood."

The scent of conspiracy quietly bred under the noon sun.

And Jiang Chen, who knew nothing about this, only had one thing on his mind right now: the braised pork in the cafeteria today must have the perfect fat-to-lean ratio.