Chapter 11

Having just finished a half marathon, coming to run a full marathon now, isn't this making trouble out of nothing! Even professional athletes need to rest for one or two days after running a half marathon before they can exercise again. You can't neglect your body just because you're young and fit!

Hu Referee was extremely anxious! He was thinking of persuading Song Jixing not to participate in the full marathon! It was strictly forbidden for brokers and coaches to enter the field and communicate with athletes during a marathon race. Not only was Hu a referee, but also a coach. So he couldn't go in.

Hu Referee thought for a moment, took out his phone and made a call, "Hey, Old Liu! Didn't you say you had a drone this morning?"

"....Bring your car over. I'll wait for you."

After a while, Hu Referee got on a surveillance vehicle.

Two young men were adjusting the computer screen to monitor the race, while another one sitting in a chair next to them greeted Hu Referee as he got in the car, "Old Hu, you're here!"

"Take a seat, anywhere is fine!" Li Fang said as he handed Hu Mingliang a bottle of mineral water.

Hu Mingliang went straight to the front of the display screen, looking at the real-time footage of each section captured by the surrounding monitors. One of the screens was still playing TV news.

Hu Mingliang looked around but couldn't find the person he wanted.

"How do you operate this thing?" Hu Mingliang asked curiously, bending over.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it up for you in a moment." Li Fang reassured.

After sitting for a while, the screens in front of Hu Mingliang gradually switched to the sound of people running.

"Which one do you want to see?" Li Fang asked.

Hu Mingliang squinted for a good while before finally spotting Song Jixing among the crowd.

At this moment, Song Jixing was far ahead, running at the very front.

"This one, let me watch this girl!" Hu Mingliang pointed at Song Jixing and said.

With the adjustments of the surrounding staff, all the small TV screens on the monitor switched to Song Jixing's perspective.

Hu Mingliang just sat there, watching Song Jixing.

Li Fang curiously sat down next to him and asked, "Is this girl your relative? Or is she a good seedling you've got your eyes on?"

"She's the champion of the half marathon this morning, finished in 58 minutes!"

"Oh!"

Li Fang's eyes lit up slightly, "She doesn't look it! Nowadays girls are so fit, running a half marathon in the morning and a full one in the afternoon."

"A sapling like this will definitely make it to international competitions!"

Hearing this, Hu Mingliang slapped his thigh, "Who says otherwise! She's got amazing talent as an athlete, but insists on being an actress instead! Not only does she want to act, she also comes to run a full marathon! She really drives me crazy!"

It would normally cause some degree of injury if one participated in intense exercise again soon after finishing a half marathon without proper rest. The reason why Hu Mingliang was waiting in this car was precisely because he cherished Song Jixing's innate gift!

He couldn't go on the track to interfere with Song Jixing's competition. If anything happened to her, he'd have to call an ambulance.

Time passed by second after second. Forty minutes had passed since the start of the full marathon. Most contestants had begun to slow down, showing some fatigue.

But Song Jixing here! Her speed hadn't changed at all. Halfway through she even took a bottle of water from a volunteer and drank while running.

Li Fang kept looking at his watch and then at the screen. He patted Hu Mingliang on the shoulder, "This girl really has extraordinary talent!"

Compared to the fatigue gradually showing on the faces and bodies of other contestants, Song Jixing had been spirited all along.

In the last 30 minutes of the competition, Song Jixing was still far ahead, having left the African contestant behind by a large margin.

Even Li Fang sighed repeatedly!

"Did you really advise this girl properly? Did you make it clear to her? Being an international champion is much better than being an actress!"

"Alas! Who says otherwise! No matter how I tried to persuade her, she just wouldn't listen!"

"What a waste!"

Song Jixing didn't know she had so many eyes on her.

After running for more than an hour, she had consumed a lot of energy and was getting hungry.

Despite being hungry, she could keep running.

Song Jixing raised her hand to check the time. Hearing the slightly lagging footsteps of the African contestant behind her, she gradually slowed down.

Breaking the world record wasn't important this time. What was important was that she took first place.

She just needed to be a little faster than the person behind her.

Hu Referee couldn't sit still. He rode his bicycle straight to the finish line, watching Song Jixing's back as he slowly cycled along.

He wanted to see if Jixing would win the championship.

Two hours had passed, with 3 kilometers left to the finish line.

Song Jixing was still running, at the forefront position of the track.

Some of the female volunteers from the morning recognized Song Jixing. They stood under a roadside tree and shouted loudly while waving their hands, "Go for it, miss!"

"Go for it!"

One cheer after another came over.

In the air, tiny specks of bright light invisible to the naked eye radiated from them and drifted towards Song Jixing.

While running, Song Jixing suddenly felt something.

She suddenly lowered her head and stood still, realizing that strands of spiritual energy had gathered in her dantian.

What was going on?

Was this spiritual energy flowing into her body on its own?

Seeing Song Jixing suddenly stop, the crowd didn't understand what had happened and were worried about her condition. "Song Jixing, if you don't feel well, give up the race immediately! Your health comes first!" Hu Referee yelled hoarsely.

As soon as Hu Referee finished speaking, Song Jixing started running again.

Hu Referee was so anxious that his brows twitched! What was wrong with this girl, she started running again after he told her to rest!

He didn't know how hard Song Jixing was trying to conceal her speed.

Song Jixing tried to operate the spiritual energy in her body, but it was too little. With just a slight movement it was gone, unable to do anything.

No matter where this spiritual energy came from, she had to win first place in the full marathon!

She couldn't let the prize money slip away.

-

Song Jixing ran all the way, her speed a little faster than before, opening up a gap of twenty meters between her and the African contestant behind.

Under the continuous cheers and accompaniment of the crowd!

Song Jixing crossed the finish line and once again took first place in the competition.

A group of people surrounded Song Jixing, cheering and shouting.

The enthusiastic female volunteers in particular circled Song Jixing, handing her food, water, towels.

This time, Song Jixing truly felt more spiritual energy emerging from somewhere, pouring into her body.

The spiritual energy this time was considerably more abundant than before!

Song Jixing gathered this strand of spiritual energy in her eyes and looked around with the energy.

In the gorgeous sunset of dusk, a group of smiling, amiable men and women stood on both sides of the road.

Invisible specks of yellow light emanated from them, slowly, like dandelion seeds, gathering onto her.

This was the source of that strand of spiritual energy.

Having spent many years in the cultivation world, Song Jixing was very clear about the colors of spiritual energy. Although diverse, they mostly corresponded to one's spiritual root - what spiritual root could absorb what spiritual energy.

This spiritual energy did not match her spiritual root.

On the contrary, it carried a romantic aura like the sunset, which she seemed to have seen somewhere before!

But where?

"Congratulations to this female contestant for winning first place in this marathon race!"

The enthusiastic crowd began to cheer and scream.

Having just used up the last bit of spiritual energy, Song Jixing suddenly remembered where she had seen this stuff before.

Buddhist cultivators often have meritorious virtues empowering them, surrounded by a dazzling golden light. It is said that these things come from others.

Could this be the power of faith?

Song Jixing was not very certain in her heart.