Where's my golden core? Did you think I removed a kidney stone?

Chapter 14 Fainting!

The sky was cloudless, and the June sun poured down relentlessly. The asphalt on the track was scorching hot, and the air was filled with a heatwave carrying the smell of sweat. On the distant horizon, one could even see the faint distorting of the heatwave.

The marathon continues, but the initial passion has long since faded, replaced by genuine fatigue that surges up like a tidal wave, overwhelming and inescapable.

"Phew~"

The crowd on the track had thinned considerably. Many people found that reality was not as wonderful as they had imagined. They were exhausted, their legs felt like lead, many were sweating profusely, and their pace slowed down. Some even stopped to hold their knees and catch their breath, their faces filled with regret.

The more ambitious I was when I signed up, the more hopeless I feel now.

Long queues formed at the aid stations along the track, with volunteers busily handing out water and bananas. One uncle took a water cup and poured it directly over his head before continuing to run, displaying an admirable spirit of never giving up.

The situation is similar for Su Ye's team.

Wang Dandan's face was flushed, large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, her pigtails were soaked with sweat and stuck to her neck, her steps became heavier and heavier, each step felt like stepping on cotton, and her small body looked a little shaky in the sunlight.

But she didn't stop.

Gritting his teeth, he moved forward step by step.

Su Ye looked at her, somewhat surprised. This girl always said things like "I hate running the most" and "I want to give up," but those were just excuses. Her true nature was strong-willed. Her round little face was full of stubbornness, her eyebrows were furrowed, and her lips were pursed tightly, as if she was secretly competing with herself.

Su Ye slowed down and walked alongside her, saying softly, "Adjust your breathing rhythm. Follow me, inhale every three steps and exhale every three steps. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Slow down the rhythm and don't rush."

He spoke and demonstrated simultaneously, his breathing steady and rhythmic.

"When running, breathing rhythm is the most important thing, much more important than leg strength. If the rhythm is right, the body's oxygen consumption will decrease, and it won't feel so uncomfortable."

Wang Dandan glanced at him sideways, then imitated Su Ye's breathing, taking three steps in and three steps out. After several cycles, her breathing rate did decrease, and the pained expression on her face eased somewhat.

Su Ye added softly, "If you're really not feeling well, you can rest for a while. We'll slow down and wait for you to catch up. If you don't exercise for a long time and then suddenly do a lot of exercise, your body definitely won't be able to handle it. Don't push yourself too hard, or you'll cause problems."

Wang Dandan felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing these words.

She secretly glanced at Su Ye. In the sunlight, the senior's profile was clean and sharp. He hadn't even been out of breath after running for so long. He was carrying that heavy first aid kit in his hand, and his steps were as light as if he were taking a walk. There was only a little bit of sweat on his face.

They're the same age, so why is there such a big difference between them?

However, having someone like that by your side does make you feel at ease.

Wang Dandan was about to say thank you.

"I can't hold on any longer!"

Wang Luo suddenly let go.

He switched directly from running to walking, hands on his hips, panting heavily, his chubby face flushed red, sweat soaking through his entire tracksuit, his back drenched as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

Su Ye turned around and glanced at him.

In fact, Wang Luo had been pushing himself to the limit since the ten-kilometer mark. His steps were unsteady, his center of gravity was unstable, and he was only hanging on by a thread. Wang Luo looked bitter. His original idea was probably to wait for Wang Dandan to give up first, and then he could say, "I'll accompany Dandan to rest for a while," thus saving face and having a good excuse to take care of his female colleague.

When he saw that Wang Dandan had gotten excited again after Su Ye guided her breathing rhythm, he couldn't hold back anymore.

"You guys go first, I'll rest for a bit and then catch up with you!" Wang Luo waved to them, then plopped down on the guardrail by the track, collapsing into a ball.

Soon, Wang Dandan couldn't hold on any longer either.

"I can't take it anymore, I really can't," she said, bending over with her hands on her knees, panting like a bellows. "I'll go keep Wang Luo company; he's all alone there, looking so pitiful."

After saying that, he jogged back to find Wang Luo.

Su Ye and Su Bei exchanged a glance.

So these two are competing with each other.

Nobody wants to be the first to give up.

Su Bei couldn't help but smile. The smile was faint, but her eyes were curved and very beautiful.

"Those two are really something."

……

The two continued running along the track at a steady pace, not too fast.

Su Bei's physical strength was much better than Wang Dandan and Wang Luo's. Her steps were steady and her breathing was even, showing that she had a habit of exercising regularly. Her long hair was tied into a high ponytail, which swayed from side to side with the rhythm of running. A thin layer of sweat appeared on her face, but her expression remained calm.

The scenery along the racetrack gradually transitioned from the city to the riverside. The river surface shimmered, and several cargo ships slowly sailed by in the distance. The June breeze blew from the river, carrying a hint of coolness and moisture, which finally eased some of the summer heat.

Su Ye ran, his mind blank.

The matter of cultivation lingered in his mind and could not be shaken off. These days, Su Ye used his spiritual power to absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth every day, drawing the spiritual energy threads one by one. However, he suffered from pain every day. The feeling of spiritual energy surging into his body was too painful. He originally thought that the pain would lessen after a while.

However, he later realized he was wrong.

The pain only got worse.

He even had a vague suspicion that if things continued like this, over the years, his internal meridians might be damaged.

Thinking of this.

He couldn't help but sigh, feeling somewhat worried. He had no textbooks or mentors for cultivation, and he had to rely entirely on the "extraordinary" aspects brought about by the nascent form of the water-based golden core to explore everything, which he found too difficult.

But suddenly...

Su Ye's heart stirred. He couldn't help but think of the strange rhythm when he resonated with the water-based golden core. His heartbeat and breathing seemed to be connected. Now, thinking of the breathing rhythm of a marathon runner, he had a vague idea, but it always seemed like there was a thin layer of paper between them.

Su Ye took a deep breath, feeling the faint strands of spiritual energy in the air flow into his nostrils, circulate briefly within his body, and then dissipate. He couldn't retain them because he was running and couldn't concentrate his mental energy to actively guide them.

He also noticed that when Su Ye was running, the spiritual energy suspended in the sky seemed to tremble slightly with each breath. Although the tremor was very slight, it was still noticeable to Su Ye.

"Someone has fainted!"

Just as Su Ye was lost in thought, a cry of surprise came from ahead, followed by a commotion on the track. Those running ahead slowed down to make way, shouting, "Make way! Make way!" Someone yelled, "Call an ambulance!" Volunteers on the sidelines rushed over in a flurry, and the scene quickly descended into chaos.

Su Ye and Su Bei exchanged a glance.

Their expressions changed simultaneously.