Chapter 063: To Think That the One Oversleeping Is Me!
“Whew!” Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Chen Anquan gazed down the path toward home. “Looks like this must weigh at least six hundred pounds! It feels much heavier than carrying a yoke!”
Struggling to lift the massive stone, Chen Anquan stood rooted to the spot, his chest aching sharply from holding his breath so long, as if it might burst at any moment.
“Whew!” He exhaled deeply again, and only then did the tightness in his chest begin to ease.
Slowly, he raised his left foot, shifting his weight to the right. His powerful right leg, planted firmly on the ground, trembled violently.
This was his first time attempting to lift such a heavy stone. Even with his improved physique, it exhausted him.
But only this kind of exertion yielded the best results.
Bang!
Chen Anquan took a step forward with his left foot, stamping heavily on the ground. The earth shook, the impact resounding like a boulder crashing down.
“Ah!”
Grinding his teeth, he shifted his weight to the left, and soon lifted his right foot, bringing it down hard in front of him.
Bang!
Another heavy thud echoed out.
It truly was unbelievably heavy.
Though his body was stretched to the limit, his hands and feet seared with the pain of torn muscles, Chen Anquan forced himself to continue. He had to reach his goal.
Beneath the night sky, in the dark wilderness, a shadow clung to a giant rock, slowly making its way toward Aobei Mountain Village. With each step, a heavy footfall echoed, yet Chen Anquan's steps gradually grew lighter...
He moved at a snail’s pace, each step draining him of nearly all his strength. Only sheer willpower and the last dregs of his energy kept him going, step by grueling step.
He didn’t know how long he’d been walking, only that he’d covered about a hundred meters. Glancing back, he was surprised to find he’d come so far, and a trace of a smile touched his lips.
Chen Anquan resisted the urge to check his attribute panel. He wanted to see how much he’d improve after completing this final stretch.
Anticipation welled up inside him...
Like an indefatigable machine, he pressed on. Although his steps were slow, he never stopped. Time slipped away unnoticed; only the darkness remained constant.
Utilizing his enhanced night vision and the pale light of the moon, he could just make out the path ahead.
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Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Suddenly, the rooster’s crow rang out.
“It’s almost dawn?”
---
Chen Anquan snapped back to his senses, halting in place, dazedly staring at the enormous stone before him.
He was still carrying that massive boulder—at least six hundred pounds—as if he’d forgotten its weight, as if it had become part of him.
“I’ve gone several hundred meters past my destination!” he realized, astonished that he’d not only achieved his goal, but far exceeded it.
So this was what it meant to be completely immersed.
A smile curved his lips. Even though there was no pay for tonight’s training, he was thoroughly pleased.
Bang!
The boulder slammed to the ground, sending a harsh echo through the air. Chen Anquan turned to face the west.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The rooster crowed once more.
In the west, the orange sun began to rise, chasing off the gloom of night. Chen Anquan realized he’d spent the entire night training.
Incredible...
Crack, crack, crack!
After tossing the boulder aside, he slowly straightened his back, his joints cracking audibly.
“Ah, that’s better!” he murmured, closing his eyes to check the attribute panel in his mind.
He’d waited all night for this moment, eager to see the results.
Name: Chen Anquan
Age: 24
Strength: 2.05
Agility: 1.95
Spirit: 6
Constitution: 2.82
Unused Attribute Points: 0.25
Skills: [Tai Chi Fist LV1 (150/500)] [Forty-Nine Style Wudang Tai Chi Sword LV1 (100/500)] [Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms LV1 (40/500)]
“My strength went up by 0.1, constitution by 0.1, and I gained 0.2 unused attribute points! Last night’s Tai Chi sword practice increased my proficiency by 70 points—not bad at all!”
Suddenly, he noticed he’d overlooked one attribute.
His spirit had increased by one point!
“I’m not sure why my spirit increased by one, but last night it felt like I entered a trance, completely forgetting time and place, focused only on pressing forward!”
“All right, time to go home, wash up, and get some sleep.”
---
Chen Anquan broke into a run among the tangled rocks of the rural path, bounding like an antelope across the wild hills.
He was swift, and soon arrived at the basketball court.
He entered his house, closed the door, took a cold shower in the bathroom, and then returned to his bedroom, collapsing onto the bed.
Before long, he was fast asleep.
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Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
“Who is it? Why are you knocking so hard?!”
Half-awake, Chen Anquan was roused by the heavy pounding on the door. He looked up toward the eaves, noticing the wooden beam shuddering violently with each knock, as if it might fall at any moment.
“Is this house really unsafe?” he wondered. For a moment, he thought perhaps those two officials hadn’t lied to him.
But with his evolved body, even if the house did collapse, it would be no big deal—if anything, he’d save on demolition costs.
Bang bang bang!
The knocking persisted.
“Chen Anquan, get out here, now!”
It was Chen Juanjuan’s voice, sounding from outside.
“So it’s you, you wretched woman!” Chen Anquan cursed, reluctantly getting up. He went to the mirror, squinting at his own bleary eyes, and muttered, “I’ve only slept a few hours! I’m still tired!”
“Chen Anquan! What are you doing? Why aren’t you coming out?”
Again, Chen Juanjuan’s shout echoed from outside.
Grumbling, Chen Anquan stumbled out of the bedroom like a zombie. In the main room, he saw that the bees had already formed buzzing columns, coming and going from the eaves.
“Even the bees are already at work...”
He slowly opened the door and stood in the doorway.
Chen Juanjuan stood outside, fuming. She was about to pound on the door again when it suddenly swung open, and her face twisted in anger.
“Chen Anquan, are you trying to kill me? It’s already halfway through the morning and you still won’t open the door!”
Chen Anquan retorted, “And what does it matter to you whether I open the door or not?”
She fumed like a wronged child. “You promised to go hiking with me today—or rather, I’m supposed to follow you while you gather herbs. How can you go back on your word?”
“How am I going back on my word? We’ll leave in a bit!” With that, Chen Anquan glanced toward the distant slopes of Aobei Mountain.