How long is five minutes, really? In truth, five minutes is a long time—long enough to grab a second nap, or finish a breakfast, or perhaps use the restroom, maybe even long enough for a quick solo indulgence, or even to charm a girl… So, all things considered, a lot can be accomplished in five minutes.

But for Yōka and Xiaozī, five minutes was agonizingly short, too short to even catch a complete breath before it was over. By the time Lin Luo called out for the fifth time, "Five minutes rest, then back at it," Yōka could barely hold back. Looking at Xiaozī, who was trembling, and then at her own breaking point, she managed a broken plea, "Master… could we rest just a little… longer? We truly can’t… bear it."

Xiaozī remained silent, not because she wasn't tired, but because she was too exhausted to speak. She just looked at Lin Luo with pitiful eyes, conveying how hard things were for her.

Even the Thirteen Protectors found Lin Luo’s brutality hard to watch. Their leader, seeing the two little girls looking so pitiful, finally interjected, "Excuse me, Master, we don't mind resting at all; we could stand for three days and nights without batting an eye. But your two disciples truly cannot manage it. If this continues, they'll wear themselves out to death sooner or later."

Though this was a chaotic era, not every demon was as savage and bloodthirsty as that werewolf from yesterday. Some demons possessed kindness and amiability. These Thirteen Protectors might not be paragons of virtue, but they had a sliver of conscience and some sympathy for the two lolis.

Of course, the reason he spoke up wasn't solely pity; it was also a subtle attempt to curry favor. He felt that by showing more friendliness, their chances of survival might increase after this sandbag training session concluded. Yet, as soon as the words were out, he found the thought utterly ridiculous. Given Lin Luo’s ruthless demeanor, he clearly held a grudge against his disciples and intended to work them to death. Begging for the lolis’ sake was undoubtedly going against Lin Luo. Perhaps if he suggested cutting the break to three minutes, that might please Lin Luo more?

Lin Luo was unaware of the subtle psychological turmoil brewing within the Zhang Fei-like demon. He didn't have time to dwell on it. He looked sternly at Yōka and Xiaozī. "It’s normal to feel tired. I’d find it strange if you didn't. But that doesn't mean you earn more rest. In a real battle, the enemy will never grant you a break. The moment you show fatigue, their attacks will only intensify. If you can't even endure this small hardship now, forget about becoming the strongest—you won’t even catch up to these few third-rate demons in your lifetime!"

The Thirteen Protectors felt unjustly targeted and were on the verge of tears. They truly wanted to retort: They weren't third-rate demons; they were first-rate! Of course, this classification of first-rate or third-rate was relative. In Lin Luo's presence, they certainly weren't qualified to call themselves first-rate, so they wisely chose to pretend they hadn't heard.

Meanwhile, Yōka shuddered after hearing Lin Luo’s words. Perhaps feeling secure with a powerful Master, she had allowed a momentary slackening born of excitement, momentarily forgetting the arduous path she'd walked. As a demon lacking natural aptitude, she had no shortcuts to compensate for her deficiencies; she had to bridge the gap with sheer effort. Even with a mighty Master, to stay ahead of all other demons, she would need to strive even harder. Effort, after all, was her only shortcut.

"I understand," Yōka glanced at Xiaozī beside her and nodded heavily. Truthfully, her plea earlier was mostly for Xiaozī’s sake. But she forgot that Xiaozī’s innate quality far surpassed hers. With the same level of effort, she stood no chance of catching up to Xiaozī—even if Xiaozī were allowed a rest, she couldn't afford one! With that realization, Yōka closed her eyes, unwilling to waste even a second on regaining her composure.

Xiaozī felt the same way. The two shared an unspoken understanding: to achieve success, sufficient effort was mandatory; otherwise, everything else was merely fleeting illusion. Neither of them were hothouse flowers, which brought Lin Luo a measure of relief. They understood deeply what lay behind hardship—only after enduring sufficient suffering could true beauty be obtained. Having lived lives of constant displacement, they knew this intimately. Flowers raised in greenhouses would likely understand nothing and only complain about the difficulty.

Lin Luo hadn't yet determined precisely what skills to teach them. He could, of course, start with their future achievements—like Yakumo Yukari’s Realm or Kazami Yūka’s Bōfu—but… as a Gap Demon, Xiaozī currently struggled even to open a gap, and she couldn't transport others. Teaching her Realm Power, a force Lin Luo himself barely grasped, was laughable! As for Yūka’s Twin Cannon Bōfu, its unparalleled destructive power was entirely based on her colossal spiritual energy and absolute control over it. Did the current Yōka possess sufficient demonic power and precise methods of manipulation?

Clearly, directly teaching them advanced techniques was impractical. Even if they learned them, those skills would be castles in the air, collapsing at the slightest touch.

It was better to start from the foundation. Yes, the foundation. Lin Luo, having suffered greatly from inadequate fundamentals in the past, knew clearly that the foundation was more crucial than any technique. It was like the footing of a building; only with a solid base could one hope to erect towering skyscrapers. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful the decorations, the structure was merely a death trap.

Therefore, what Lin Luo needed to do now was relentlessly squeeze their physical stamina to fortify their bodies; apply constant pressure to their spirits to forge tougher wills; systematically attack their power output to refine their control; and continuously push them past their limits, giving them repeated opportunities to surpass those limits.

Why is there the saying that human strength has its limits? It's because for humans, there are too many unseen, intangible boundaries, leading to feelings of exhaustion. But in this era, for demons, there are no external constraints. The limit targets only one thing: the individual self. Thus, as long as one dares to surpass it, has the confidence to transcend it, and then dedicates sufficient effort on that foundation, the limit absolutely can be overcome! Finally, after repeatedly transcending their limits, they would possess a foundation excellent enough to match their future selves. Even if he taught them nothing further, relying solely on their inherent quality and effort, they would inevitably stand at the pinnacle of the world soon enough. It wasn't a matter of belief; it was how the future was already written!

The entire day, save for a half-hour interval for a meal, Yōka and Xiaozī repeated their monotonous attacks until they were utterly spent, marking the end of their training for the day. In the end, Lin Luo had to carry them back.

"Um, what about us?" When Lin Luo emerged again, the leader of the Thirteen Protectors asked fearfully. They could have bolted during his absence, but Lin Luo’s faint glance before entering the room had deterred them.

Lin Luo smiled faintly, patting the leader’s shoulder. "The training isn't over. Of course, you can't leave. One must see things through to the end, and the same goes for demons, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the leader nervously agreed, not daring to resist this devil. If you’re the one with the bigger fist, then whatever you say goes. If my fist were bigger, I’d beat you till you were spitting teeth.

"Since you are working for me, even though it’s easy work, you deserve proper compensation. Alas, I suppose I should treat you to a meal first." The Thirteen Protectors had been beaten all day, only to be rewarded with a single meal. Lin Luo acted as if he were the one losing out, his face twisting in mock pain. This left them deeply depressed. If not for the sheer disparity in strength, they would have retorted: We’ll treat you to three meals for letting us take a beating all day!

However, when dozens of platters filled with impeccably presented, fragrant dishes suddenly appeared before them, all complaints vanished. Their eyes widened, mouths watering… Cuisine in this era was incredibly primitive. Vagrant demons like them subsisted mostly on roasted meat; when had they ever seen such delicacies? Even without tasting them, the appearance and aroma had utterly captivated them.

Seeing their expressions, Lin Luo beamed, gesturing for them to eat. The demons exchanged glances, then finally, with a gulp, they began devouring the feast.

But before they could manage more than a few bites, Lin Luo suddenly spoke up, "Oh yes, I forgot to mention earlier. I added a little something extra to this food—something called the Three-Step Soul-Chasing Powder. I hear that after eating it, you drop dead after walking three steps."

The words froze the demons instantly.

"And that bowl of red soup is the antidote…" Lin Luo continued as the demons scrambled to drink the soup, "However, this antidote is incomplete; it only suppresses the poison for one day. You must drink it continuously for a full month to completely neutralize the toxin."

"Master! Ancestor! Can you please stop playing with us?!" The Thirteen Protectors were practically weeping.

Lin Luo wore an expression of helplessness, though a smile played on his lips. "It’s fine. As long as you work for a month, the poison will be cured. Oh, and… remember to watch the main gate for me tonight." With that, he turned and headed inside.

The Thirteen Protectors stared blankly at each other. After a moment, one asked, "Boss, what do we do?" The leader hesitated, then hardened his resolve, "What else can we do? Eat! After all, you can't be poisoned by the same thing twice!" Saying this, he resumed attacking the seemingly poisoned food. Seeing this, the other demons began scrambling as well.

Setting aside the feelings of the Thirteen Protectors, Lin Luo couldn't help but chuckle. There was no Three-Step Soul-Chasing Powder in the dishes; he had simply been tricking them. Although these Thirteen Protectors were not weak, their Dragon Overlord-esque physiques were clear evidence that… their intelligence was their critical flaw!