Chapter 111: Challenging Yu Xinghan

After Song Hailong overtook Hu Yuntao, he was already in second place on the track. But there was no hint of joy on his face; he simply stared intently at Yu Xinghan in the distance.

"That man..."

For Song Hailong, the only opponent in this race was Yu Xinghan.

At this moment, Song Hailong's muscles were constricted, making him appear leaner and giving him a streamlined aesthetic. This was a temporary transformation into a speed-oriented form, achieved through his powerful control over his mimic-demon muscles. Due to their remarkable plasticity, mimic-demon muscles allowed students to gradually retract their beastly features as their physical control improved after the modification. For a top student like Song Hailong, who had already undergone elephant muscle implant modification, adapting to mimic-demon muscles was not difficult. In fact, as his physical control continuously improved, he could temporarily alter his body's form to enhance his speed. Although this form provided only bursts of speed and lacked control, making it unsuitable for the previous stage, it was perfectly suited for the speed competition in this stage.

Every muscle fiber contracted intensely before bursting, unleashing immense kinetic energy like steel springs. With each powerful heartbeat, blood was pumped to every muscle throughout his body, continuously delivering a surge of energy and distributing various medicinal effects to his limbs and organs.

"But it's still not enough."

"To defeat Yu Xinghan, this is still not enough."

Song Hailong recalled his failures during the past period, how he had fallen before Yu Xinghan time and again, defeated by him comprehensively in terms of spiritual foundation, magic power, physical ability, martial arts, and Daoist techniques. He remembered being humiliated by this man repeatedly in front of the entire school. He thought of the humiliation of kneeling, his father's disappointment, and his brother's criticism. But he knew that at this moment, he could only endure.

"To defeat Yu Xinghan, I can only catch up little by little."

"To dream of soaring high and defeating him in an instant would be disrespectful to both his talent and the wealth of a Golden Core True Master."

"I will remember the failure of this race."

"I will definitely defeat you in the future."

For Song Hailong, securing second place in this race was already a failure, a disgrace he would never forget.

But moments later, Song Hailong, who had been holding second place, suddenly shifted his gaze. In his peripheral vision, a sudden whooshing sound pierced the air, and he saw two figures, one on his left and one on his right, surging past him from behind.

Zhang Yu thought to himself, "Thanks, Old Song, for blocking so much wind resistance by letting us stay behind you."

"I'm going to sprint at full speed for the rest of the way."

Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who had been conserving their energy slightly by trailing behind Song Hailong, suddenly burst forward at this moment. Song Hailong was slightly startled as he watched Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen flash past him, surging ahead like lightning.

"Their physical strength is clearly below mine, yet they can unleash such speed? They've actually surpassed... me?"

Song Hailong tried to chase, but to his surprise, he couldn't catch up.

"Am I slowing down?"

"No, they're accelerating! Those two can still go faster?"

Song Hailong stared intently at Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, who were now close ahead, observing the continuous undulation, contraction, and expansion of their muscles.

"Has Bai Zhenzhen practiced body refinement techniques focused on speed?"

Observing her high-frequency body movements and incredibly coordinated muscular rhythm, Song Hailong sensed an extraordinary lightness about her. He had to admit that while he could likely surpass her in strength, he was falling behind in speed.

As for Zhang Yu... Wrapped in his tight athletic wear, Zhang Yu's muscle contours were clearly visible to Song Hailong. He could see how the flesh from top to bottom seemed to be integrated, radiating a dazzling brilliance like a perfect work of art with every movement and every burst of energy. Only someone with Song Hailong's level of physical control and strength could discern such stunning brilliance and appreciate the precision and fluidity of that body.

"Zhang Yu... he's perfectly utilizing every inch of strength in his body..."

Zhang Yu's physical strength might not be as great as Song Hailong's, but his control over his body, his mastery over every muscle, and the speed he was unleashing at full power, made Song Hailong feel immensely dazzled. It was as if everyone possessed electromagnetic force, but not everyone could fire a railgun. At this moment, Song Hailong looked at Zhang Yu, whose physical strength was slightly lower than his own, yet he only felt a sense of immense power, a familiar sense of power.

"It's... Yu Xinghan!"

"Zhang Yu's ability to marshal the strength of all his muscles... could it be at the same level as Yu Xinghan's?"

Watching Zhang Yu pull further and further ahead, Song Hailong vigorously pumped his legs, but he couldn't gain even an inch. This feeling was just like every time he tried to catch up to Yu Xinghan. Unconsciously, the figures of Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan ahead seemed to merge. No... they weren't merging!

"Damn it... Zhang Yu is catching up to Yu Xinghan!"

To Song Hailong's astonishment, after surpassing him, Zhang Yu quickly left Bai Zhenzhen behind, accelerating! Accelerating! And accelerating further! He was actually beginning to close in on Yu Xinghan. His steps became lighter and lighter, covering tens of meters with every stride, as if he were about to fly into the sky and pluck the celestial star ahead—the glittering star that Zhang Yu was steadily approaching was none other than Yu Xinghan.

Song Hailong's heart pounded: "He wants to challenge Yu Xinghan?" Challenge Yu Xinghan? Challenge the absolute top contender, who surpassed all other participants in overall physical prowess?

Meanwhile, Yu Xinghan's third eye, located on his forehead, clearly saw the figure steadily catching up. Yu Xinghan smiled: "Oh? So you've really caught up?"

At this moment, as everyone was moving at full speed, unleashing all their physical strength, Yu Xinghan suddenly turned his head to look at the approaching Zhang Yu. He even spoke, sighing, "I know you."

"You're the one I eliminated, aren't you?"

"If it weren't for me, it seems you would have been taken as a disciple by my master."

"So... do you hate me very much?"

Zhang Yu did not reply, listening to the strong voice carried on the wind. He had no intention of wasting energy on conversation; at this moment, victory was all that mattered to him. Whether his opponent was Song Hailong or Yu Xinghan, they were simply challengers he needed to overcome.

"Beat them and win this competition."

"Get into the Top Ten schools."

"Climb to the second level of Kunxu with Ah Zhen!"

At this moment, Zhang Yu continuously unleashed the power of his body, just as he had run day and night in the past. Although he couldn't use his magic power now, he could still freely exert the strength of his flesh and blood. Sensing the determination in Zhang Yu's eyes, Yu Xinghan smiled slightly: "Excellent condition. You truly are someone who, like me, has mastered the Heavenly Martial Heart Refining Art."

"Then... I'll play along with you."

To everyone's astonishment, Yu Xinghan suddenly slowed down, seemingly retreating instantly compared to Zhang Yu, who had been catching up, until he was running alongside Zhang Yu.

As Yu Xinghan and Zhang Yu sped alongside each other, kicking up a gust of wind, Yu Xinghan slowly extended three fingers from his right hand. Then two fingers.

Zhang Yu's breath hitched, and he gritted his teeth, thinking, "A countdown? This guy..." Zhang Yu immediately understood that Yu Xinghan wanted to drop back to his level and compete again.

The next moment, Yu Xinghan's extended fingers changed to one. A wild roar erupted in Zhang Yu's heart. If he had been sprinting at full power just moments before, then at this instant, every muscle and every surge of vital energy within Zhang Yu's body exploded with an overload under his exquisite control. Although he couldn't use magic power at the moment, techniques like "Sports Car Legs," "Elevator Vertical," "Thirty-Six Body-Building Forms," "Crimson Marrow Primal Qi"—all Level 10 cultivation methods and countless experiences of physical exertion—were still unleashed by Zhang Yu with an overload at this very moment. His flesh and blood seemed to become an extension of his thoughts, surging forward wildly under the command of his will. For the Songyang High School competition team, the self-imposed limits of muscles that required surgery to unlock were, for Zhang Yu at this moment, something he could directly overcome through his powerful physical control.

Under this overloaded burst, his muscles began to tremble, his internal organs seemed to groan, and his entire body erupted with speed beyond its limits. But he no longer had the energy to pay attention to these sensations; his eyes were fixed solely on Yu Xinghan, whom he was relentlessly pursuing.

"I can..."

"I can defeat him."

"My physical control is stronger than his. I can accelerate better than him and push beyond limits more effectively."

"Even if my physical strength is slightly lower, I can still be faster than him!"

Under the shocked gaze of countless people present, Zhang Yu and Yu Xinghan accelerated continuously, like restarting a race. Their figures, like two streaks of light, instantly left everyone behind, streaking down the track.

Neck and neck!

"So fast!" Qian Shen murmured, "Can a first-year high school student really be this fast?"

In the Rest Area of Songyang High School, He Dayou, Qian Shen, Zhao Tianxing, and others watched the scene in shock, witnessing Zhang Yu running neck and neck with Yu Xinghan, the strongest contestant on the field, like two bolts of lightning streaking across the track.

"Running neck and neck with 5.07-grade Yu Xinghan with only 4.95-grade physical strength..." Wang Hai watched Zhang Yu moving at high speed on the big screen, his heart trembling as he thought, "Does this mean Zhang Yu's ability to unleash physical power... is superior to Yu Xinghan's?"

But he quickly dismissed this incredible idea. "No, that's impossible. It must be some potent drug that stimulates potential, right?"

"But for a drug to allow Zhang Yu to match Yu Xinghan's speed, its side effects must be immense."

Wang Hai looked at Zhang Yu on the big screen, worried: "Can he last?"

In the spectator stands, the commentator, Gang Shan, exclaimed, "This student from Songyang High School can actually keep up with Yu Xinghan's speed? Their level must be stronger than most second-year high school students!"

Yue Jingchen also watched the scene with great surprise, thinking, "What exactly has Songyang High School done?" He nodded, "He must have taken some powerful stimulant to keep up with Yu Xinghan's speed for a short period. This shows that with new technology and medication, it's not impossible for ordinary people to challenge Golden Core disciples." Saying this, he had Gang Shan focus the camera on Yue Mulan.

"After warming up for so long, the drug should have fully taken effect. Mulan is about to make her move, isn't she?"

On the track, Yue Mulan, who had been in fifth place, suddenly accelerated, first overtaking Song Hailong in one breath, and then steadily closing in on Bai Zhenzhen. At this moment, her cheeks were flushed, her breathing heavy, and her entire body was emitting bursts of heat. The purple vertical pupil mark on her forehead also became increasingly vivid. The coach's recent words echoed in Yue Mulan's mind.

"This is the latest banned substance from Ziyun Lab, costing 100,000 per dose. Its potency is enough to burn out the internal organs of an ordinary high school student."

"However, with your super-metabolism surgery, you can fully withstand it."

"Since your entire body will fall into extreme fatigue after the drug wears off, you must take it only before this stage begins."

"After taking the drug, you need to run a warm-up period to let it take effect."

"Then, the only thing you need to do is... run."

"Run the remaining distance with all your might before the effects wear off."