"What do you mean, Little San?" Dai Mu Bai showed a trace of confusion on his face.
The others also looked at Tang San with confusion. Tang San looked at everyone and said, "Before the teacher set off, he said that if even one person didn't finish, there would be no food. Do you still remember what the teacher said yesterday about the deficiencies in our spar with Sui Sui, regarding soul master teams?"
"I remember! The Master said there are no perfect soul masters, but there are perfect teams," Ning Rong Rong said, raising her hand.
"You mean..."
"The teacher once said that I could absorb the soul ring of the Man-Faced Demon Spider across levels because my body's strength could withstand the impact of the Man-Faced Demon Spider's energy. I believe the teacher's intention this time is not only to train our teamwork but also to strengthen our physiques," Tang San said, pointing to the bamboo baskets on everyone.
"Look, the stones in our bamboo baskets vary in size and weight, which should have been calculated by the teacher specifically for each person. Moreover, even though the teacher knows Sui Sui's physique perfectly, she still put a weight exceeding Sui Sui's physical capacity into her basket, yet within the maximum limit she can bear. I think there must be another intention behind this."
Tang Sui, who had been holding her breath to conserve energy, said weakly, "Brother, I think the teacher's intention is for us to help each other. After all, we will be a whole team in the future."
She really couldn't hold it in any longer.
Let her be the little butterfly again and reveal the answer in advance.
If they continued to run blindly, she was afraid she would be the first to collapse.
Hearing his sister's words, the mist in Tang San's mind suddenly cleared.
So that's how it is.
After a moment of stunned silence, Tang San suddenly smiled.
He was so focused on how to finish the run himself that he had inadvertently fallen into a dead end prepared by the teacher.
He didn't expect Sui Sui to see it so clearly in the end.
No matter who among them couldn't keep going, as long as they helped and shared the burden. Even if they ultimately failed to complete the task left by the teacher, they would fail together and be punished together.
But the teacher's purpose, training the physique was secondary; the most important thing was likely to make them understand the true meaning of companionship.
With this thought, Tang San was completely enlightened. He turned to look at his companions and began to discuss the distribution of the stones with everyone, not even leaving out Tang Sui, analyzing in detail how to make the best use of the five opportunities given by the Master.
After redistributing the number of stones in their bamboo baskets, everyone put them back on and embarked on their task again.
Round after round, everyone's faces grew paler.
Each time they returned to the starting point, the Master stood straight there, with eight bowls of steaming saltwater placed on the covered wooden bucket.
No matter how long it took them to complete each cumulative lap, they were always served saltwater at a perfect temperature.
Dai Mu Bai and the others, noticing this detail, began to look at the Master with a different expression.
From this moment on, they truly began to hold the Master in their hearts as a respected mentor, rather than just respecting him as an elder out of consideration for Tang Sui and Tang San.
On the ninth lap, everyone, looking as if they had been fished out of water, returned to the starting point again, leaning on their knees, temporarily putting down their bamboo baskets to rest and drink.
After nine laps, they were too tired to say a word, their legs felt like lead, and their vision was blurred by sweat, making it difficult to see.
Tang San also drank water from a wooden bowl with a pale face.
The Master, seeing everyone's condition, silently scooped water to refill their bowls. The corners of his eyes, hidden from their view, welled up with emotion.
"Sui Sui..."
Xiao Wu's hoarse but anxious voice suddenly came from behind. The Master quickly suppressed the emotion in his eyes and turned around, only to see Tang Sui gasping for breath and even kneeling on the ground. Although no soul rings appeared, her two mask martial spirits spontaneously emerged from the void. Like a faulty signal, the two masks twisted and flickered in mid-air, momentarily seeming to turn black, which caused the Master's expression to change drastically.
"Sui Sui, how are you?"
'There's only one lap left. Your body is almost at its limit. Why not activate your Black Mask state and raise your physical attributes to conserve stamina for the final lap.'
The Fox Mask, suspended in Tang Sui's spiritual space, echoed the Master's voice.
Tang Sui, whose vision was also blurred by the profuse sweat, swallowed some saltwater without realizing it and shook her head.
'No need... I can...'
She refused the Fox Mask's suggestion. A faint emerald light flickered in the Fox Mask's hollow, elongated eyes. The Ape Mask beside it let out a sarcastic snort. In the outside world, the two masks that had suddenly appeared around Tang Sui, under everyone's tense gaze, stabilized back to their original jade white color and silently disappeared into the void.
"It's okay... Let's continue, there's only one lap left..." Tang Sui's voice was hoarse and as faint as a mosquito's. Although it was difficult to hear clearly, seeing Tang Sui stand up and bend over to pick up her bamboo basket, they understood her intention.
The others breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Tang Sui, who showed no outward signs of discomfort, their expressions were subtle, but they tacitly put their bamboo baskets back on and took their heavy steps towards the final lap.
The harsh sunlight made the eight of them sweat profusely, but they still supported each other, step by step, leaving shallow footprints on the dirt path, heading towards Soto City...
---
Author's note:
Sui Sui: Can't hold it anymore =A=
See you tomorrow~