Although losing first place left a bitter taste in his mouth, Ye Fan still asked the medical personnel beside him with concern, "Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor looked up at Ye Fan and replied, "Oh, his physical condition is much worse than yours. It will take more time. This kid really doesn't value his life."

Hearing this, Ye Fan's eyelids drooped slightly, and he murmured to himself, So he's even more desperate than I am.

He clenched his fists, a mixture of admiration for Fang Zhou, resentment, and shame welling up inside him.

Zhao Yuan's expression was equally complex, a blend of unwillingness to concede, respect for Fang Zhou, and even a touch of embarrassment. After all, Fang Zhou had won the competition fair and square, leaving him with nothing to say. Zhao Yuan remained silent for a moment before quietly standing off to the side.

In contrast, Fang Zhou appeared incredibly relaxed.

Under the protection of the Heart Steel World Rune, he felt almost no pain. During his treatment, he began to take stock of his gains.

According to the instructor's records, he had completed the entire 20-kilometer course in 54 minutes, which was nearly an hour of training time. After an hour of this hellish training, Fang Zhou's control over his own body had improved by leaps and bounds. Every muscle twitch, every breath adjustment, now felt more natural.

Furthermore, spurred by the intense pain and desire, he had not only mastered the ability to borrow the Undead Will of his Skeleton Clone to quell negative emotions but had also discovered new applications for the Heart Steel World Rune. Although these improvements weren't directly reflected on his attribute panel, they were undoubtedly a massive boost to his overall combat power.

In addition to these advancements, Fang Zhou's basic Attributes were also enhanced. His Physique Attribute, in particular, had increased by a full 0.5 points, rising from 6.3 to 6.8. It had leaped to become his second-strongest Attribute, just behind his Spirit Attribute.

What a harvest. A truly bountiful harvest.

Even in his state of Undead Will, Fang Zhou could still feel a profound sense of satisfaction.

Once the doctor had fully repaired his internal organs and restored him to health, Fang Zhou eagerly deactivated the effects of his Undead Will and Heart Steel.

Desires and emotions came flooding back. The first things he felt were pain and exhaustion, along with a powerful impulse for carnal release. For a fleeting moment, an image of Instructor Su Xinyan's snowy-white mounds flashed through his mind.

However, it was all within his control. Fang Zhou's Spirit Attribute was powerful enough to endure and manage these urges.

What he felt more distinctly was the joy that came from the evolution of his body and mind. His adaptability to gravity was greater, as was his resistance to various extreme emotions. Even his relatively fragile internal organs were significantly stronger after being repaired. The next time he underwent training of the same intensity, they wouldn't be nearly as vulnerable.

Even without a notification from his attribute panel, he felt a sense of complete rebirth after finishing the physical training. This joy swelled in his heart, filling him with a sense of two hundred percent happiness.

Instructor Lu Hu directed Fang Zhou's group of three to begin practicing tactical movements, all while keeping an eye on the other seven cadets. As time ticked by, only the sounds of panting and footsteps remained on the training field.

At the one-hour and fifty-four-minute mark, the fifth-place finisher, Gu Zhiqiu, had just completed his sprint. As he crossed the line, his entire body was wreathed in miniature storms. His expression was haggard, and his shirt and pants were soaked through with sweat.

After the medical staff finished his treatment, Gu Zhiqiu went to a simple, private shower to wash up. He reappeared before everyone a short while later in a fresh set of clothes. His face was slightly pale, but the tenacity in his eyes was undiminished.

Gu Zhiqiu walked up to Instructor Lu Hu. "Reporting, Instructor. I have completed the training."

Although his voice was somewhat hoarse, it remained firm.

Instructor Lu Hu nodded and said to Fang Zhou's group, "You three rest for a bit. We'll continue with tactical movement training later. Gu Zhiqiu, you come over as well. We will analyze today's training together in a bit."

Looking at the focused Fang Zhou, Gu Zhiqiu's expression was one of clear dissatisfaction. He still remembered the day of the Awakening. When he successfully awakened as a Storm Mage, a Rare Profession, he had savored the thrill of being the center of attention.

However, that exhilaration lasted less than a week before the spotlight on all the talented first-year prodigies was stolen by Fang Zhou, the Undead Mage whom no one had any faith in. Gu Zhiqiu vividly recalled standing at the center of the crowd, basking in everyone's admiration and praise. The feeling of being so admired was so intoxicating it almost made him float.

But all this wonderful feeling vanished with Fang Zhou's rise.

As an Undead Mage that no one had high hopes for, Fang Zhou had quickly become the focal point of everyone's attention. Whether in training scores or actual combat performance, he demonstrated astonishing strength. And now, in this physical training session, despite having the aid of his Storm Element powers, he had fallen far behind this Undead Mage.

This realization left Gu Zhiqiu feeling utterly dejected.

He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to adjust his mindset. After grabbing a few Physical Potions, he also threw himself into the tactical movement training, telling himself that he couldn't give up and had to catch up.

After Gu Zhiqiu, other participants like Meng Hongzhuang and Lu Jiajing also crossed the finish line in a similarly wretched state. These elite cadets had been tormented to the point of exhaustion by the Gravity Bracelets and Ambition Bracelets. Aside from barely mustering the willpower to keep training and propel their legs forward, they had lost control over the rest of their bodies.

After their treatment was complete, they each retreated to the washrooms to change and compose themselves before reappearing. Though everyone looked drained, an unyielding spirit burned within their hearts—a spirit that had kept them from quitting even in the most difficult moments.

When the last cadet, Bai Xiaochan, finished the training after two hours and twenty minutes, Instructor Lu Hu had collected the scores for all ten participants. The records clearly showed that Fang Zhou ranked first in today's training exercise.

Instructor Lu Hu even added a comment to Fang Zhou's report card: "Strong-willed, unafraid of challenges, fearless of pain, bravely striving for the top."

"Alright, today's training is over," Instructor Lu Hu announced.

Although the cadets had Physical Potions to restore their stamina, repeatedly pushing past their limits in high-intensity training had left them mentally drained. There are levels to genius, and the last few cadets to finish clearly showed their fatigue. Hearing the instructor call an end to the session, they let out a subconscious sigh of relief.

Fang Zhou, on the other hand, didn't feel particularly tired. His powerful Physique Attribute not only bestowed him with unparalleled stamina but also allowed him to recover his energy far more efficiently than an ordinary person.

After being dismissed, Fang Zhou did some light stretches as he strode toward the Undead Mage research group's laboratory. The reproductive urges that had surfaced during his physical training had been suppressed by his formidable willpower, but now they were scratching at his heart like a cat's claw. The thought of the soft-bodied and pliable Instructor Su Xinyan waiting in the lab made Fang Zhou find the feeling almost unbearable.

He hurried to the laboratory, and upon his arrival, his nose caught the rich aroma of alcohol. A glint flashed in his eyes, and a smile touched the corners of his mouth. Instructor Su Xinyan had been drinking again today.

He gently pushed open the door to the lounge and found Su Xinyan sprawled on the sofa, her eyes hazy with intoxication. The form-fitting uniform failed to contain her alluring figure. On the coffee table beside her, a cup of crimson Enchanting Demon Blood was mostly empty.

Seeing the scene, Fang Zhou immediately knew what to expect.

Looks like I'll be busy again today.

Luckily, I'm young and my Physique Attribute is quite solid.

Even after the grueling gravity run, he still had enough energy and stamina to give Su Xinyan a massage.

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