After finishing the Four Saints Technique, Zhao Yuan climbed out of the wooden tub.
By now, the medicinal water in the tub had transformed from its original amber color to an inky black and was emitting a pungent, acrid stench.
Zhao Yuan knew this was because the toxins expelled from his body had contaminated the water. Every time he cultivated the Four Saints Technique over the past few days, he had forced out some toxins. But today, with the help of the three medicinal ingredients, the amount expelled was more than all the previous days combined. This left Zhao Yuan astonished. 'To think my body was hiding so many toxins. I wonder when I'll finally be able to purge them all.'
After getting out of the tub, Zhao Yuan had intended to rest, but as soon as he settled down, he was shocked to find that the excruciating pain, which had previously vanished, had returned. It assailed him from both inside and out, causing him unbearable agony.
This was caused by an overdose. The excess medicinal power, unabsorbed, was now rampaging chaotically through his meridians and organs. There was only one way to solve this: he had to burn off the excess power, and he had to do it fast. Otherwise, the disorderly energy would damage his body.
'How am I supposed to burn off this medicinal power? Should I cultivate the Four Saints Technique again? No, that absorbs medicinal power, it doesn't expend it. My body's already saturated and can't absorb any more right now.'
Zhao Yuan's brow furrowed as he frantically searched for a solution. He summoned the Information Leaf, his eyes flying across the text as he searched for an answer.
'Got it! The Information Leaf says that unabsorbed medicinal power can be burned off through exercise. Plus, high-intensity exercise is beneficial for Body Refining.'
Now that he had a solution, there was no time to lose. Zhao Yuan immediately threw on his clothes and shoes and dashed out of his rented apartment.
In the hallway outside, people were still searching for the source of the magical fragrance. They paid no mind to Zhao Yuan's appearance; after all, the complex was adjacent to several universities, and they were used to students renting apartments there. Most importantly, they never connected the miraculous scent with the plainly dressed Zhao Yuan. Thus, they only gave him a brief glance before going back to sniffing around like dogs, trying to pinpoint the source of the aroma.
After leaving the apartment complex, Zhao Yuan didn't head back to his own university. Instead, he ran straight for the Sports Academy across the street.
The track at West Hua Medical University was quite a ways away. The Sports Academy's track, by comparison, was much closer. It also had more equipment on the sidelines, which would make it easier for Zhao Yuan to burn off the medicinal power.
When he sprinted all the way to the Sports Academy's track, he was surprised to find it crowded with people.
"As expected of the Sports Academy. So many people are out running this early in the morning," Zhao Yuan mused. The track at West Hua Medical University would be completely deserted at this time, around seven a.m.
This time, however, Zhao Yuan was mistaken. The reason the Sports Academy track was so crowded today was that several "goddesses" from the sports art department had arranged to go for a morning run.
The Sports Academy already had far more men than women, and these girls from the sports art department were total knockouts with stunning faces and figures. It was only natural that they'd attract a passionate pack of hungry wolves.
And sure enough, the moment Zhao Yuan set foot on the track, he saw them: male students from the Sports Academy swarming around the girls. They jogged alongside them, fawning over them and flexing their muscles—a flurry of activity.
At the same time, the male students on the track also noticed Zhao Yuan.
"Another toad hoping to eat swan meat," someone muttered with a frown. Every new person on the track was potential competition, so he certainly wasn't happy to see another arrival. However, after getting a clear look at Zhao Yuan, his brow immediately relaxed.
The person next to him voiced the group's thoughts with a sneer: "What department is this kid from? With a scrawny body like that, he has the nerve to try and join the party? He's just asking to be humiliated! Every single guy here is more built than him. And look at his feet—he's wearing sandals. He thinks he can run in those? And he wants to catch the goddesses' attention? You've got to be kidding me!"
The words were met with immediate agreement. Someone else chimed in, joking, "Ah Peng, you don't get it. Maybe the kid's plan is to get noticed by making a fool of himself?"
Ah Peng, who was built like a gorilla, laughed. "Haha, in that case, the guy must be crazy. A goddess would never fall for someone who gets attention by making a spectacle of himself!"
The group roared with laughter, dismissing the uninvited Zhao Yuan from their minds and returning their attention to sucking up to the goddesses.
Zhao Yuan was oblivious to their discussion. As soon as he was on the track, he began to sprint around it.
"Huh?"
Everyone was taken aback when they saw that Zhao Yuan wasn't joining the crowd fawning over the goddesses, but was instead just sprinting around the track by himself.
"What the hell is this kid up to? Don't tell me he didn't come for the goddesses?"
"He's definitely here for them; I've never seen him on this track before! But what's the point of him just mindlessly running laps?"
"His form is all wrong, his breathing is a mess, and he's wearing sandals, not running shoes... He's a complete amateur, making one mistake after another. The way I see it, he won't be able to keep that up for long."
Unwittingly, everyone's attention had shifted to Zhao Yuan. Even the goddesses from the sports art department were now sizing him up with curiosity.
As he sprinted, Zhao Yuan felt the pain inside and outside his body diminish significantly. So he ran with all his might, pushing himself relentlessly.
Soon, he had run three laps around the track.
When he shot past the crowd again like a gust of wind, they were all stunned.
"Hasn't he run, like, three laps already? How is he still maintaining that speed?!"
"Is he trying to run long-distance at a sprinter's pace? What a joke!"
"His breathing and stride have completely fallen apart. He won't last much longer."
They were right. Zhao Yuan's breathing was now like a broken-down bellows; each gasp was a heavy wheeze, yet it never seemed to bring in enough air, and it sent stabbing pains through his lungs. On top of that, his legs felt like they were filled with lead. They were so heavy that he could barely even lift them, let alone run.
As his condition worsened, his pace gradually slowed. This scene did not escape the eyes of the Sports Academy students, who immediately unleashed a torrent of jeers.
"I told you he wouldn't last long."
"Trying to impress the goddesses with a mad sprint? He clearly overestimated himself."
"Haha, so the act fell apart? What an embarrassment! This is great!"
"This is a perfect example of trying to show off and ending up a complete joke!"
At the same time, however, a change was occurring within Zhao Yuan's body.