{Chapter: 108 Lin Yuan running fast! Qiao Siying's sarcasm!}
The three horses surged forward simultaneously, their hooves thundering against the ground.
Barely two seconds later, a wave of shock rippled through the audience.
The first section of the cross-country race was a flat racetrack, the ideal stretch for accelerating and gaining an early lead. This was the best opportunity for riders to create distance between themselves and their competitors.
Most of the spectators had assumed that Qiao Siying's horse, powerful and well-bred, would dominate this portion of the race. They believed it had the best chance of surging ahead, leaving the others trailing behind.
Yet, what happened next defied all expectations.
Contrary to their assumptions, it was Lin Yuan's thin and seemingly unimpressive horse—one that no one had high hopes for—that catapulted forward with blistering speed, covering nearly a third of the distance between Qiao Siying and Tang Bowen in an instant!
The rapid movement of Lin Yuan's horse was so fast that it seemed to leave afterimages in its wake.
Gasps filled the air.
The spectators were in complete disbelief.
"What kind of speed is this?!"
"This is insane!"
"How is this even possible?!"
The sheer velocity of Lin Yuan's thin horse left everyone stunned. Even Qiao Siying, who had been so sure of her inevitable victory, felt her confidence waver.
Her eyes widened as she gripped the reins tightly.
"I didn't expect this scrawny horse to have such explosive power! But this is a cross-country race—speed alone won't decide the winner! There's still hope!"
In traditional horse racing, where the track is smooth and even, the initial sprint often determines the outcome. A fast start usually leads to victory.
However, cross-country horse racing was an entirely different challenge.
Here, success depended not just on the horse's speed but also on its endurance, agility, and—perhaps most importantly—the equestrian skills of the rider.
The course ahead would take them through dense forests and rugged hills, posing obstacles that no ordinary horse or rider could easily overcome.
If a rider wasn't well-trained, their speed would mean nothing. A reckless pace through the challenging terrain could lead to accidents, injuries, or even total disqualification.
But Lin Yuan showed no concern.
He remained composed as he stormed past the first section of the track, leaving his competitors far behind.
Now, the second section of the race began—the entrance into the dense forest.
Thick trees loomed ahead, their branches stretching out like grasping fingers. Many riders in the past had been thrown from their horses attempting to maintain high speeds through this part of the course. The risk was too great.
And yet—
Lin Yuan's expression remained utterly calm.
From the moment he had mounted his horse, he raised his equestrian skills to divine-level.
Divine-level horsemanship!
To him, navigating this terrain was effortless.
Even if he had to ride through an intricate, maze-like forest filled with obstacles at every turn, he would do so without breaking a sweat.
With unwavering confidence, Lin Yuan did not slow down in the slightest.
Among the towering trees, he maneuvered his thin horse with seamless precision, skillfully weaving through the natural barriers.
Because of his incredible speed, he had to shift direction almost every few seconds, making split-second decisions as he advanced.
Fortunately, the thin horse beneath him wasn't just fast—it was remarkably agile, responding to Lin Yuan's slightest cues with flawless execution.
Meanwhile, Qiao Siying had also entered the forest.
Unlike Lin Yuan, she immediately reduced her speed by a third.
Even with her skill, she knew this was the fastest she could go while maintaining control.
No matter how experienced she was, there was always the risk of miscalculating, colliding with a tree, and being thrown from her horse.
But in her mind, one thought remained firm:
'Lin Yuan can't possibly keep up his speed in the woods!'
'I only dropped a third of my speed—I should be able to catch up to him soon!'
Her determination burned fiercely.
Outside the racetrack, spectators were glued to the live tracking monitors, their jaws hanging open.
They had expected Lin Yuan to slow down the moment he entered the forest. Instead, he had maintained nearly the same speed!
Their disbelief deepened as they watched the gap between Lin Yuan and Qiao Siying grow even wider.
The rich second-generation spectators, both men and women, were in shock.
Even the professional equestrian coaches and experienced riders present had their eyes locked onto the screens, unable to look away.
Sensing the excitement, the Yue He Equestrian Club took the opportunity to project a live broadcast of the race onto a massive screen—something they only did for high-profile equestrian competitions.
And Lin Yuan was given a close-up.
The moment his image filled the screen, the crowd fell into an awed silence.
The audience was captivated, completely entranced by his movements.
Particularly the ladies—
They were utterly mesmerized.
It was as if they were riding alongside Lin Yuan, as if they could feel the wind rushing past him, as if they were experiencing the intensity of his race firsthand.
They barely dared to breathe, afraid that even the slightest disturbance might break his incredible rhythm.
Their eyes remained locked onto him—this impossibly skilled, confident, and charismatic knight.
As the race progressed, Lin Yuan continued his seemingly unstoppable charge.
The forest and hills, notorious for being the most challenging parts of a cross-country race, were nothing more than minor inconveniences to him.
Like a modern-day Don Quixote, he galloped forward with absolute strength and unwavering courage, tearing through every obstacle in his path.
Nothing could slow him down. Nothing could stand in his way.
Lin Yuan and the others had agreed on a back-and-forth rule for the race—meaning they had to reach the endpoint before turning around and racing back to the starting line.
And now, under the disbelieving gazes of everyone watching, Qiao Siying finally reached the halfway point of the track.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
Da-da-da-da-da!
The sound of galloping hooves echoed in her ears, hammering against her senses.
Her forehead was damp with sweat.
'What's going on?!'
'Why haven't I caught up with Lin Yuan yet?!'
'I should have reached him by now! I'm already at the halfway mark—so why do I only see his horse's hoofprints on the ground?!'
'This is impossible!'
'He has to be up ahead!'
'I'll catch up to him any second now!'
Qiao Siying clenched her teeth and forced herself to focus.
Seven or eight seconds later—
She finally spotted a figure in the distance.
Her heart leaped with excitement!
A triumphant grin spread across her face.
'Yes! I finally caught up to him!'
'See? Lin Yuan isn't invincible after all!'
Her confidence soared.
In her experience, once she could see a competitor ahead of her, she would surpass them in no time.
Sure enough, she was closing in rapidly.
And as she approached, Qiao Siying made sure to prepare the perfect smile—
A delicate balance of joy, pride, and just a touch of playful mockery.
She wanted to flash this smile at Lin Yuan the moment she overtook him, to savor his expression as he realized he was losing.
But as she got closer, something felt… off.
A deep sense of unease crept into her.
Something was wrong.
Something was very, very wrong.
Lin Yuan wasn't running in the same direction as her.
He was coming toward her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
'What?!'
'Why is he running backwards?!'
No—he wasn't running backwards.
Lin Yuan had already reached the endpoint and was on his way back!
In an instant, he passed by her, his speed undiminished.
"Hey! You're going the wrong way! The finish line is over there!" she called out in confusion.
But Lin Yuan didn't even glance at her.
"Hmph! He doesn't believe me? Fine! Let him lose! He's an idiot anyway—I even tried to warn him!"
Qiao Siying huffed, refocusing on her race.
Soon, she reached the end.
She dismounted and pressed the No. 1 button to mark her arrival.
Panting, she smiled slightly.
But then—she glanced at the No. 3 button.
Her breath hitched.
It was red.
The button only turned red when pressed.
Lin Yuan had already been here.
How?!
******
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