Just then, she felt her cheeks grow warm, murmuring to herself, "How come, now that I think of the master, I can't help but feel my face blush? Does that mean... I actually like the master too?" She couldn't quite figure it out, but if she truly liked the master, then she would do her best to help him. She had already made up her mind—helping the master grow stronger and more outstanding. After all, everyone wants their master to become a dragon among men. "Master! Wake up! Wake up! It's time to practice mountain climbing and running!" A clear, bell-like voice rang out, yet the handsome young man only slightly twitched at the corner of his mouth, still not opening his eyes. "Dead master! Is it because you're thinking about that beautiful girl? Look! The sun has already climbed high—its rays are even touching your back!" Ying'er pouted, gently flapping her beautiful wings to keep her bright, glue-like eyes open. "Highlight! Was yesterday just a dream? Tell me—is this really happening?" Highlight asked seriously. "Yes, Master!" "Of course it's true!" After saying this, Ying'er glanced left and right at Gao Liang, who still hadn't opened his eyes, and noticed something was off with his complexion. She quickly asked, "Master! What's wrong?" "Ying'er! It's true that upgrading and practicing is wonderful, but if I can't even touch the girl I like, then I'll be a lifelong bachelor. I agree with that, but my parents really count on me to carry on the family line and bring honor to our ancestors. You know how respectful and filial I am—I don't want to let them down." Gao Liang exhaled a long-held breath, releasing his frustration. "Haha! Master! Who says you can't? As long as you don't cross the red thread and keep a gentle, affectionate connection with your favorite girl, that's absolutely possible! Unless, of course, you reach the peak of energy and become the master of the Ever-Luminous Box… Haha! I won't say any more!" Ying'er smiled softly. A smile truly relieves a thousand worries—exactly right. The weight pressing on Gao Liang's heart had finally lifted. Gao Liang Used to practicing diligently, I never took the time to properly appreciate this beautiful angel right before me—how could I have missed it? Ying'er was even more stunning than the Panchen Lin I saw yesterday, by twenty percentage points! High-light's once-awkward gaze had been absent for a long time. Now, being stared at so intently, Ying'er felt naturally flustered, her cheeks blushing like a peach blossom. She turned her gaze toward the rising sun outside and exclaimed, "Dead master! What time is it now? It's time to go hiking and jogging!" With that, she waved her wings and gave a gentle shake, taking off toward the window. "Let's keep practicing and nurturing the subtle feelings!" High-light chuckled, instantly energized, and began his hiking journey in the same direction as Ying'er. Coincidentally, today the monastic brothers from Shaolin had some matters to attend to, so they were unusually late in starting their hike—perfectly timed for High-light to join them on the same starting line. Gao Liang was running, but Master Gong Honglai had never once looked at him seriously. In front of all the younger brothers, he mocked Gao Liang, saying that Gao Liang's speed wasn't much better than that of a turtle, which made the younger brothers all laugh. Master Lin Tianhao suggested, "Only when we actually compete face to face can we know whether he's fast or not." Ying'er shook her head beside Gao Liang, looking discouraged and worried for her master: yesterday, her master had just begun to develop his spirit and vital energy at the beginner level, and his body's vital energy hadn't yet recovered—how could he possibly run quickly? Yet Gao Liang clenched his fists and said directly to all the brothers, "I'm not afraid of losing! I want to win!" "Excellent! Excellent! Since you're so determined, why don't we make a bet?" Master Gong Honglai simply didn't take Gao Liang seriously. "What kind of bet?" asked Gao Liang. "If you lose, you're out of the Shaolin Temple—after all, this isn't your ground!" Master Gong Honglai always found G "Go ahead," Gao Liang said. "Well done! I'm passing on the Iron Sand Palm technique my master taught me. How do you like it?" After finishing, Gong Hong came over with a proud lift of her palm, then channeled her energy to shatter a large stone beside her. Amidst the praise from her brothers and sisters, Gong Hong said with confidence, "Could I possibly lose?" The young novice Lin Tianhao pulled Gao Liang aside and whispered gently, "Brother Gao, since you're new here, let me be honest with you—Master's eldest brother is truly exceptional in martial arts. I'd recommend you not to compete against him." "Indeed, Master! I've sensed through my brainwaves that the eldest brother has accumulated ten years of experience. You absolutely shouldn't face him!" Ying'er added kindly from the side. "I don't want to be underestimated! No matter what—I must try! I must try!" Once Gao Liang made up his mind, nothing could stop him. Ying'er sighed in resignation, only offering a quiet, somewhat skeptical remark: "Master, good luck!" "The race has begun! Xiao Shifu Lin Tianhao blew a whistle, and all the brothers and sisters shot off like arrows released from their bows. Gao Liang started behind, while Master Gong Hong came in first, leading the charge, with Xiao Shifu Lin Tianhao right behind him. The rest of the brothers followed closely behind. "Master! Hurry up! Hurry up!" Ying'er was even more anxious than Gao Liang. After all, she had finally found her master a martial arts sanctuary—now, thanks to her master's mountain-climbing competition, it was all going to be ruined. "Ying'er! Help me check my pulse!" Gao Liang wasn't as frantic as Ying'er; instead, he remained calm. Ying'er used her brainwave consciousness to sense Gao Liang's heartbeat, and excitedly exclaimed, "Master! Your heart isn't speeding up at all as you're walking faster! It seems your pace can be even quicker—try to catch up with them soon!" "Ying'er! What do you know!" "I'm first relaxing, warming my heart, and waiting until my entire body reaches a critical state—then I'll explode!" For the first time, Gao Liang used the word "explode," which reminded Ying'er of a term that had appeared very frequently in the online novels she'd read yesterday. "So the master truly embodies 'accumulating strength gradually, then surging forward!' 'After-action'! Haha!" Ying'er clapped her hands softly. Looking up, she gasped, "That big bird's egg has already reached halfway up the mountain! Master! We must hurry and catch up!" Gao Liang remained calm and composed, gathering the energy he'd absorbed and transformed over these days, channeling it into his body and mind, aiming to leverage this energy to win the race. "Master is exploding! Master is exploding!" As Ying'er watched Gao Liang take a deep breath, transferring his full strength into his legs and leaning forward, he surged forward with a crisp "crack"—like a rocket launch—his explosion powerful and decisive, nearly leaping three steps at a time upward. Ying'er couldn't help clapping her hands at the graceful manner in which the master ran and climbed. Gong Hong didn't take Gao Qiang seriously at all; the burst of speed was nothing new to her, while Lin Tianhao enthusiastically cheered.