Chapter 3: Making the Emperor Great Again

Chapter 3: Make the Emperor Great Again

At dawn, as the sky grew pale and a swath of white mist shrouded the not-so-tall wooden huts of the village, the common eye could not perceive the purple aura drifting between heaven and earth. After finishing his Purple Demon Eye training, Tang San opened his eyes to find that his previously solitary sanctuary now had a new inhabitant.

Back on Earth, Zhong Yan had watched countless workout videos—everything from “Abdominal Shredder” to “Student Summer Special Training” and “Demonic Abs Routine.” Following the fitness moves he recalled from his past life, Zhong Yan began to exercise; though he couldn’t remember all the details, some effort was better than none. (I really did these workouts once—back when I still had a girlfriend, no less.)

“You’re doing it wrong,” Tang San suddenly spoke up.

“Huh?” Zhong Yan was a little puzzled. Could Tang San possibly know about the training routines from his former world?

“I can’t quite figure out what exact moves you’re making, but I can see your breathing pattern is off, and some muscle groups aren’t even engaged. Training like this won’t be effective,” Tang San said. After all, in his previous life, he was a martial arts expert—these basics were obvious to him.

“Can you teach me?” Zhong Yan asked directly. After all, in the whole village, they were each other’s only friends—no need for formalities.

“Of course,” Tang San replied. “I’m only showing you how to train your body, not teaching you the Tang Sect’s secret arts.”

With a flip, Tang San leapt down from the tree to stand before Zhong Yan. “You’re my only friend. It’s just a small favor, don’t worry about it.”

Under Tang San’s guidance, Zhong Yan resumed his training. He could clearly feel the exercises becoming more strenuous—much more exhausting than before. This was a good sign, proof that his muscles were finally being fully engaged.

“Your breathing’s too quick,” Tang San commented while training himself. For someone used to crafting hidden weapons, keeping an eye on Zhong Yan was effortless.

Unknowingly, two hours passed. Tang San tidied up, preparing to leave. “It’s almost nine. I have to go home and cook for my father. What about you?”

“I’ll keep going. I feel like I can still push on,” Zhong Yan replied. Though tired, he could sense his body adapting to the training, which thrilled him. After all, who could resist the feeling of growing stronger?

After Tang San left, Zhong Yan continued a while longer before stopping for a break. He took out his breakfast and, after eating and resting a bit, summoned his martial spirit—the Spear of the Rainbow. He began practicing a set of spear techniques from his memory called “Rock Rain,” each move vivid in his mind. He could even visualize the practitioner’s breathing and which muscles were being used, so Zhong Yan mimicked the technique in earnest.

After an hour or two, he discovered that this spear style was even more effective than his previous, haphazard exercises.

“From now on, I’ll stick with this. Goodbye, Abdominal Shredder! You tormented me enough in my past life, humph.”

Yet after a week or two, Zhong Yan’s training produced diminishing returns, and so he began to scheme.

First, he considered asking Tang San to make him a set of weights, but realized he didn’t know what kind would be effective—since weights couldn’t cover the whole body, the effect would be limited, and Tang San certainly couldn’t craft a full-body suit. In the end, he’d have to seek out Tang Hao.

But just as he stood up, Zhong Yan remembered: Zhong Li is the God of Rock, not associated with the earth element of Douluo Continent, but rather with the power of the land itself.

In novels from his previous life, any connection to the earth usually meant access to gravity. If he could manipulate gravity to increase his own weight, wouldn’t that be perfect?

Altering gravity was no simple matter. Regular weight training only targeted certain parts of the body, leaving others untouched. But gravity was different—an all-encompassing force that affected every cell, even bones, increasing their burden!

With this thought in mind, Zhong Yan channeled his soul power into the Divine Heart within his chest. The Divine Heart glowed, and a new piece of information appeared in his mind—how to use the Divine Heart to connect with the authority of the rock element in Douluo World.

Though he was still weak, the act of linking to the authority of rock didn’t depend on him; it only determined how much power he could draw after the connection.

But adding gravity to himself was simple enough.

Zhong Yan walked to an open area.

“Why not start with double gravity?”

“Ugh...”

Suddenly, Zhong Yan exhaled sharply, his waist buckling under the pressure and sweat pouring down his body. He began to gasp for breath, feeling as if every part of him was being crushed by an invisible weight—a heaviness beyond description, pressing on every inch of his flesh!

A single expletive escaped his lips, capturing both his mood and the effectiveness of gravity training. Struggling to keep himself upright, he found that even standing was an ordeal. Even breathing became a laborious task! He used the Spear of the Rainbow as a crutch to prop himself up.

Adjusting gravity was nothing like conventional weight training, which only placed external force on muscle and bone. Gravity enveloped the entire body, including internal organs and even the tiniest muscles. The strain on the body was unimaginable—not merely equivalent to carrying an extra load equal to one’s own weight.

“Haa... huff...”

Under double gravity, Zhong Yan struggled for air. Simply standing still without collapsing was a challenge.

After a while, he gradually adapted to the crushing force and began to take steps—one after another, moving slowly forward...

After another rest, he took a few more steps forward...

He walked and stopped, again and again. The path through the little grove was rougher than ordinary roads, and running on it was exhausting. At six years old, after just ten minutes, Zhong Yan was already gasping for breath, unable to take in enough air.

“Damn it! I have to get stronger! I didn’t cross worlds just to be a lazy fool—otherwise, I’d truly be worthless!”

This time, he refused to run from anything. With a roar in his heart, Zhong Yan pressed on, as if to vent all the mediocrity and frustration of his previous twenty-odd years.

Throughout, he didn’t use soul power to enhance his body. This was physical training, not battle—relying on soul power would only be a shortcut, and counterproductive to real improvement.

After a full day of training, Zhong Yan finally released the gravity. Sleeping under such pressure was impossible; he wondered at those authors in his previous life—did they just not consider their protagonists human?

With a single thought, he dispelled the extra gravity. Instantly, a feeling of weightless ecstasy washed over him! With the pressure gone, he felt as though he might float away with the breeze, his whole body light and airy, as if a gust could carry him skyward.

Of course, he knew it was just an illusion, caused by his body having adapted to double gravity and then suddenly returning to normal.

As he lay down, the Divine Heart released a gentle stream of energy. Muscles, joints, and every body part worn out by the intense training began to recover rapidly. It felt like a rebirth by fire; even his very cells seemed revitalized and brimming with life.

“The Divine Heart can do this too? Not only is the pain gone, but I can clearly feel how light my body is. If not for sheer mental exhaustion, I could keep going. This means I can train without restraint—getting stronger is just a matter of time.”

Zhong Yan stood up, grabbed a chicken drumstick, and gnawed on it. After all, with daily training, nutrition had to keep up.

If I can’t train myself to death, then I’ll train as if my life depends on it!

Let the Emperor become great again!

(End of chapter)