Chapter 21: Could Chen Daniu Have Gone Crazy?

Wasn't Chen Daniu supposed to be pinned under the boulder?

How did he get out?

Where is he?!

"Shiitou, the rock didn't hold him down?" Su Jianguo asked, his face full of confusion.

"It was pressing down on him just a moment ago. The boulder's center of gravity must have been off — it was leaning to one side, so I pried it open with a hoe. I thought Old Chen was done for, but luckily he had good fortune on his side." Su Ning shrugged and explained casually.

"Really?" Uncle was clearly a little skeptical, because he had seen Su Ning's strength before — it was truly comparable to the legendary warlord Xiang Yu.

"Of course it's true. What, you think I could lift a boulder weighing several tons?" Su Ning laughed.

Su Jianguo nodded. "Fair enough…"

No person could possibly be that outrageous.

"Everyone, hurry and get Old Chen to the hospital — don't delay." Saving the man was what mattered.

The villagers who had come to help didn't particularly care about who had moved the boulder, and no one was going to dwell on that. Right now, everyone's attention was on Chen Daniu.

Perhaps he had come around on his own, or perhaps the commotion had stirred him — either way, Chen Daniu's eyelids twitched and he opened his eyes.

He stared blankly at the crowd around him.

He was saved.

He had finally survived.

Chen Daniu realized everyone was carrying him toward the hospital, and he felt a wave of relief and gratitude wash over him.

He swept his gaze across the surrounding crowd.

And then…

His eyes landed on Su Ning's familiar face.

A surge of memories suddenly flooded back…

He pointed at Su Ning and cried out in agitation: "Su Ning… Su Ning… monster… he's not human… he… he lifted the boulder — he lifted it!"

"Holy shit, he's a real… monster!"

Everyone who heard Chen Daniu carry on like this didn't take it seriously.

"Poor Daniu… he's already started babbling nonsense."

"Sigh… he must have had too great a shock."

"Get him to the hospital quickly — what if his brain gets damaged from waiting?"

"Exactly, exactly…"

Not a single person believed him.

Only Chen Daniu kept on dramatically describing what Su Ning had done.

With his embellished, highly subjective account… well, everyone believed him even less.

They all assumed he had suffered serious injuries and lost his mind.

You're saying he lifted a boulder weighing several tons? Why not just say he can fly up to the heavens while you're at it?

Anyway… nobody believed it!

Su Ning didn't admit to anything either…

Well, he wasn't exactly lying.

After all, everyone was saying he had "lifted" the boulder, but Su Ning was thinking to himself: I only pushed it — I didn't lift it…

So, technically, what I said was perfectly fine.

Chen Daniu, however, insisted he had truly seen Su Ning lift the stone, and that Su Ning's feet had sunk into the mud from the sheer weight…

That claim made everyone even more certain it was nonsense.

The ground was rock-hard — his feet sank into it?

And you're telling us you're not out of your mind?!

Nobody believed a word of it.

"Uncle, since you're all here now, I won't follow you to the hospital — I still have things to take care of." Su Ning waved goodbye.

"Alright, go on and handle your business." Su Jianguo didn't press him.

Su Ning ended his little mountain excursion and headed home.

He wasn't the least bit worried about whether Chen Daniu had discovered his strength.

In truth, it didn't matter at all whether anyone found out.

As long as he didn't admit it, that was that.

Even if he did admit it, it wouldn't be a big deal. As for whether it would attract public attention — as long as he didn't use his divine strength, almost no one would believe it anyway.

Someone online claiming Su Ning could lift a boulder weighing several tons?

Saying something like that would be a flat-out insult to the intelligence of every sharp-minded netizen out there!

Never mind other people not believing it — the old Su Ning wouldn't have believed it either.

He returned home.

Su Ning didn't do anything else — he went back to watering and fertilizing his vegetables.

Then he watched the little cultivators go about their daily lives and cultivation routines.

It was like watching the everyday life of a small sect — quite entertaining, actually.

He really enjoyed watching the little people's daily routines.

It was like how some people enjoy fishing.

Just a hobby, a way to pass the time.

The next day.

Su Ning got up, ate breakfast.

And continued cultivating.

He discovered that the time it took him to complete one Circulation Cycle had shortened again.

Ever since it had dropped to three hours before, it had stayed the same.

After breaking through to the first layer of Qi Refining, he hadn't expected it to change again.

Su Ning was pleasantly surprised.

Not only had the time shortened — the amount of power he gained from each Circulation Cycle was also far greater than before.

At this rate of cultivation, after some time had passed, a boulder like yesterday's would no longer be something he merely pushed — he would be able to truly lift it.

"Now that's more like it — this is what immortal cultivation should feel like!" Su Ning didn't think his progress was too fast at all.

Immortal cultivation was supposed to transcend ordinary human understanding.

Before this, his strength had been astonishing, but no matter how you looked at it, it was still within the realm of human capability.

He hadn't truly undergone a complete transformation.

Immortal cultivation… was about transcending the ordinary and achieving the Great Dao of immortality.

The reduction in time wasn't enormous, but it had already given Su Ning hope.

As he walked further and further down the path of cultivation, everything would get better.

"Whoosh, whoosh…"

Su Ning threw a set of punches.

It was military boxing he had haphazardly learned from the internet.

And it looked… honestly not great.

Crooked and sloppy — clearly the work of an amateur.

But if those punches and kicks were to land on an object — or a person — then…

Su Ning's raw strength more than made up for his lack of technique.

With his level of defense, he could take a hundred hits from someone else, but if he landed even one hit on them — well, that would be something.

They probably wouldn't even have time to cry out.

"My body is getting better and better… my muscles are becoming more and more perfect. Heh heh… I'm actually starting to admire my own body." After finishing his workout and going to wash up, Su Ning found himself gazing at his reflection in the mirror with genuine admiration.

Such a perfect physique — he wondered how many people would envy it.

These pecs, these abs, these biceps, this form, these lines…

All things the old me used to dream about.

The old Su Ning definitely wasn't fat, but he certainly hadn't had muscles this perfect — he'd even had a slight belly.

"I'd guess my ALS has mostly cleared up by now. I should find a time to go get checked." Su Ning said to himself.

After washing up.

Chen Daniu's family came by with gifts to express their gratitude.

Su Ning hadn't wanted to accept them, but the family was so warm and insistent.

They weren't expensive gifts either — these were country folk with little spare money, so they brought some free-range eggs, two big roosters, and some homegrown fruits and vegetables.

Honestly, Su Ning actually preferred these heartfelt gifts.

Far better than someone randomly buying a few hundred yuan's worth of useless cigarettes and liquor from a supermarket.

When it comes to gifts, it's the thought that counts — the sentiment is what matters most.

Of course, that was for people you were close to. If you were giving gifts to a superior or a client, that was a different story entirely.

Sometimes, a gift… also had to carry face.

Su Ning accepted the gifts and politely asked after Chen Daniu's injuries.

Fortunately, nothing was seriously wrong.

As for his insistence that Su Ning had lifted the giant boulder… nobody took it seriously.

Even Chen Daniu himself, once his emotions had settled and he thought it over carefully… began to think he might have hallucinated the whole thing.

His mind had been in chaos, and he'd been thinking all sorts of wild thoughts.

A normal person… could absolutely never lift a boulder that large.

Hmm…

In other words, even Chen Daniu himself had come to believe that he had simply been too overwhelmed by the shock at the time.

Perhaps… maybe… back then… he had lost his mind?

Had he gone crazy??!

Chen Daniu began to question his own sanity…