The kick from the Monkey Wine was potent, easy to get drunk on, but it absolutely never brought on a headache. No matter how much they drank, they would wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

This was the difference with Monkey Wine; another unique trait was that one could not suppress its effects with internal energy (Neijin). It inherently boosted Neijin, and trying to suppress it would only lead to greater intoxication.

Fortunately, both Zhang Yang and Long Feng had high tolerances for alcohol; a little drinking wouldn't knock them out. Early in the morning, Zhang Yang and Long Feng arrived on the deck.

The sky was just beginning to show the pale white of dawn. It was a bit chilly outside, but that temperature didn't bother Zhang Yang and the others.

Standing on the deck, buffeted by the morning river wind, brought a comfortable sense of ease. “Brother Zhang, Brother Long, good morning!” At the edge of the fifth-floor deck, Li Changfeng smiled and waved to them.

Yesterday, Li Changfeng had worn a Western suit; today, he had switched to a Tang suit. This sudden change made Zhang Yang and Long Feng a little unaccustomed to it.

But they had to admit, this Li Changfeng had the potential to be a coat rack; wearing the Tang suit, he carried a different aura. Yesterday he looked like a boss; today, he looked more like a scholar.

“Good morning, Brother Li is up early!” Zhang Yang smiled slightly. They had drunk a little yesterday and were still slightly hungover, so they had woken up a bit later today.

There was another reason: they were on a ship, and there was nowhere to practice cultivation if they woke up too early. It was better to sleep longer and come out once the sky was fully bright.

Li Changfeng laughed heartily, “I’m just used to it. Are you two interested in going for a run?” “A run?” Long Feng asked quietly, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Li Changfeng pointed toward the shore, “At 8:30, this ship will stop at Dongshan Pier ahead for two hours before setting off again. It docks at Anjiang Pier at five in the afternoon.

The distance from Dongshan to Anjiang is about two hundred kilometers, and this entire stretch is mountainous. Are you two interested in getting off the ship and running a lap through these mountains?” As he finished speaking, Li Changfeng chuckled slyly, causing Zhang Yang and Long Feng to widen their eyes.

So, this was the kind of running he meant—getting off the boat and running through the mountains for two hundred kilometers, only to board the ship again at the next pier. Anyone else hearing this would think they were insane.

This was only possible for people like them; no ordinary person would dare claim they could cover two hundred kilometers in eight or nine hours, especially over unfamiliar mountain trails. “If Brother Li has this kind of spirit, then I will accompany Brother Li for this run!” Long Feng considered it for a moment, then smiled and nodded in agreement.

A faint smile touched the corner of Zhang Yang’s lips as he nodded too, “Since we are running, let’s add a wager. I’ll put up a bottle of high-grade healing medicine from the Zhang family to bet against two jars of Monkey Wine from Brother Li?” Li Changfeng paused briefly, then smiled and said, “High-grade healing medicine from the lineage of the Medical Sage is truly rare.

Brother Zhang, I accept your bet. Does Brother Long also wish to place a wager?” The healing medicine Zhang Yang mentioned wasn't a spirit medicine, but it had an excellent therapeutic effect on internal injuries and was extremely difficult to formulate.

A bottle contained eight pills. The value of eight high-grade healing pills was definitely not less than two jars of Monkey Wine, perhaps even slightly more.

Even when gambling, Zhang Yang was not looking to take advantage of Li Changfeng. “I have the fangs of a Five-Crested Golden Python.

I’ll use this pair of fangs as my stake, betting against two jars of Brother Li’s Monkey Wine as well!” Long Feng smiled gently and said quietly. The fangs of the Five-Crested Golden Python had originally been in Zhang Yang’s possession, but after obtaining the replica Dragon Devouring Dagger, Zhang Yang had given the fangs to Long Feng.

Zhang Yang had intended to forge a pair of short swords for Long Feng once he mastered the forging techniques of the Tang family, but forging was not easily learned. Zhang Yang had studied it for some time and only grasped the very basics.

If forging techniques were that simple, divine weapons and sharp implements would be flying everywhere, and the Tang family wouldn't maintain such a high reputation. “Five-Crested Golden Python?

Excellent, I accept both your stakes!” Li Changfeng laughed again, his smile brilliant, as if certain of his victory. The distance between the two piers was two hundred kilometers.

Running through the mountains would add more distance, perhaps an extra fifty kilometers at least—coming to two hundred fifty or sixty kilometers. This distance was already enormous, five times that of a marathon.

Add to that the mountainous terrain, and even for Neijin cultivators running, it would consume significant strength. To catch the ship in the afternoon and not miss the departure, they would have to run as fast as possible.

Zhang Yang and Long Feng both understood Li Changfeng's intentions. The man intended to challenge their speed and endurance.

Perhaps he was still somewhat unconvinced of Zhang Yang’s Three-Layered Neijin strength from yesterday, which prompted him to propose such an idea. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know that both Zhang Yang and Long Feng excelled at speed.

He was probably inviting self-inflicted suffering this time. “Jee jee jee!” “Squeak squeak squeak!” The two little ones also chirped, indicating their agreement with Li Changfeng’s suggestion.

They had been curious when they first boarded, but being stuck on the ship for too long had made them restless. A run off the boat would be good.

They wanted to bet too, but they lacked any stake, and Li Changfeng couldn’t understand what they were saying. “Then we set off after breakfast!” Li Changfeng seemed fired up.

Ignoring the presence of so many people, he jumped directly down from the fifth-floor deck, causing some early risers to cry out in surprise. His action also alerted the ship’s staff, but upon seeing who it was, they all turned and went back to their duties.

Zhang Yang noticed this small gesture—it seemed Li Changfeng held quite a bit of status on this ship, otherwise, no one would have questioned him. Breakfast time arrived quickly.

The cruise ship’s buffet was lavish, and both Zhang Yang and Long Feng ate quite a bit; Li Changfeng also filled his stomach completely. Since they were about to run over two hundred kilometers through the mountains, it was necessary to fill their stomachs first.

When Long Cheng learned that the three of them were getting off the ship to run to the next pier through the mountains, his jaw dropped. He felt like the world had gone mad.

Who would refuse to ride a ship just to run, and run hundreds of kilometers at that? Unfortunately, none of the trio’s decisions were something he could influence.

He could only stay on the ship and wait for them. If, by chance, Zhang Yang and the others missed the cruise ship, he would still need to drive their car away, which carried many of their belongings, including the large batch of precious medicinal herbs Long Cheng had purchased this time.

It was unclear what Li Changfeng had told the ship's personnel, but no one questioned them when they disembarked. Even with three people missing, the ship sailed normally, acting as if they had never existed.

Two hours later, the ship set sail. Long Cheng sat obediently on the deck to wait.

He also possessed Neijin, having reached the Mid-Stage of the Second Layer, but he lacked the stamina and willpower to run such a long distance on mountain roads in one go. After leaving the pier, they soon entered the mountains.

Mountain roads were inherently difficult to traverse, especially those alongside the Yangtze River. Reaching the next pier here relied not just on strength but also a bit of luck.

Perhaps one section would end at a cliff, forcing them to find their own path without a map. “Brother Zhang, Brother Long, shall we start?” Once inside the mountains, Li Changfeng asked with a smile, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Zhang Yang and the others had guessed correctly: Li Changfeng was indeed a little unconvinced and had proposed this competition method. Li Changfeng primarily cultivated a movement technique in the Li family that could boost his speed by fifty percent.

The greatest feature of this technique was its minimal consumption of Neijin. With his realm at the Mid-Stage of the Second Layer, his Neijin was sufficient to sustain him for the entire journey.

He wanted to defeat Zhang Yang and Long Feng with speed to save some face, indirectly proving he wasn’t inferior to them in every aspect. He already knew last night that Long Feng was at the Late Stage of the Second Layer.

Long Feng was about the same age as him yet had already surpassed his strength, which had dealt him another small blow. Luckily, he didn't know Zhang Yang's exact strength, or the blow would have been greater.

“Good, let’s begin!” Zhang Yang nodded with a smile. Long Feng also stretched his body, signaling he was ready.

As for Lightning and Shadowless, the two little ones were already chirping excitedly, eager to depart. “Go!” Li Changfeng shouted, sprinting forward first.

His body shot out like lightning, disappearing deep into the forest within a few breaths. This Li Changfeng was indeed fast.

Zhang Yang and Long Feng exchanged a look, both with smiles playing on their lips, and their bodies rapidly followed. Their speed was even greater.

In the blink of an eye, they overtook Li Changfeng, then passed him. Lightning and Shadowless were even faster, constantly leaping between the branches, appearing far more relaxed.

“This is impossible!” After Zhang Yang and Long Feng passed him, astonishment flashed across Li Changfeng’s face again. His speed absolutely surpassed that of his peers.

A normal cultivator at the Late Stage of the Second Layer of Neijin shouldn't be able to beat him; even someone at the Early Stage of the Third Layer would be a close match, where he wouldn’t fall behind. Furthermore, given his low Neijin consumption, he could sustain it, giving him a real advantage in this long-distance run.

If not for these advantages, he wouldn't have suddenly proposed such a competition or accepted the wager so readily. Monkey Wine was available to them annually, but the output was extremely limited and never enough to go around.

It was already difficult for him to offer two jars; producing four more would be even harder. Sadly, it was too late for regrets now.

He could only increase his effort and rapidly pursue them. Before he could even catch up to Zhang Yang and Long Feng, two small blurs shot past him again, followed by even the later-starting Lightning and Shadowless overtaking him.

Running on unfamiliar mountain trails was certainly troublesome. If this were the mountains where Zhang Yang and Long Feng usually trained, their speed could have been even greater.

Even so, they weren't slow. Initially, Li Changfeng used all his strength and could barely keep up, managing to see their shadows.

However, after half an hour, he couldn’t see anything ahead of him anymore. No matter how hard he chased, he couldn't catch up to Zhang Yang and Long Feng.

This result made him quite depressed, and he slowed his pace slightly. If he maintained a full sprint, his Neijin might not last him to the destination.

If his Neijin completely ran out, he wouldn't even be able to catch the ship, which would be even more humiliating. After running for a while, Li Changfeng shook his head with a bitter smile.

This time, he had truly miscalculated. He hadn't expected these two to be so much faster than him.

This time, he had purely brought a rock down upon his own foot. Thinking about the four jars of Monkey Wine he was about to lose made his heart ache slightly.

He only had two jars in reserve; he would have to apply to his family for the remaining two, and he would certainly have to explain the reason, meaning the news of losing the bet couldn't be concealed. This meant he was certainly going to lose face this time—losing to outsiders, and losing to someone from the Long family—which might even cause his entire family to lose face.