Free Web NovelChapter 54: Trial of Combat (4)
The disciples swallowed hard watching Lin Yuan. He remained lying upon the battle floor, his chest rising and falling weakly as every muscle in his body screamed in pure agony. His arms no longer answered his commands, and even opening his eyes needed an immense, exhausting effort. The eerie silence consumed the training hall, waiting to break out through Lin Yuan’s breath.
****
Long before the Silent Wanderer became a legendary cultivator whose name lingered across the world through many stories and rumours, he was merely a helpless orphan. He possessed no cultivation, bonded beast, grand master, and no family. He had only an old wooden axe and an unwavering, strong will.
The morning wind sent a chilling sensation in the people’s spines. It was during one bitter winter day, a snowy gale struck the jagged mountains, and the villagers began starving as children cried out from hunger. The wild herbs and edible food had completely disappeared under the heavy, white snow.
"No one shall enter Blackstone Valley!!" A clan elder with dark robes warned all the villagers in the Blackstone District in the eastern region of Qinglin continent.
Because, deep inside the Blackstone valley, there was a rumor about a living nightmare: a Mountain Iron Bear. Its massive body stood nearly four meters tall, its claws could even split large trees with a single slash, and its thick defense could easily withstand ordinary steel blades. Many seasoned cultivators and veterans had entered that valley, but none had ever returned.
But, ignoring all the warnings, the young Silent Wanderer still entered the valley. He went to the valley, because he just wanted to gather some food for his younger sibling. He doesn’t have any desire to become a famous hero in the village.
Crunch! Howl!
As the snow crunched softly beneath his feet and the mountain winds howled like calm lingering hum. Due to the Iron Bear presence, the food which they get from the valley decreased and as the Silent Wanderer is a poor orphan with his sibling no one cared about them. The clan politics, rules are favorable to higher status people. The Silent Wanderer always has only one decision in his mind: I don’t give a shit about this fucking world. I will just focus on my own life!
And after a few hours, he unfortunately confronted the bear. The Mountain Iron Bear’s enormous body rested under a dead pine tree, its jagged breathing was like a roaring thunder. The bear slowly opened its crimson eyes, sensing the presence of a human and unleashed a terrifying roar that made the mountain itself tremble. The young Silent Wanderer didn’t run. Instead, he quietly picked up a fist-sized stone from the path.
Meanwhile, the villagers got to know that the Silent Wanderer entered the valley, and followed him in the distance. The villagers watching anxiously from the distant cliffs widened their eyes in horror.
"Has the child gone mad? He is really trying to fight the bear??" one elder screamed, desperately gesturing to the valley. "Run, you mad brat!"
But, the child ignored them. Instead of running away, he threw the stone, the rock struck a sharp cliff directly behind the beast, making a cracking sound that echoed clearly throughout the valley. The bear turned instinctively toward the sound, and when it swung back, its rage-filled eyes locked onto the child.
Boom!
It lunged forward, the ground shaking violently under its immense weight sprawling on the ground.
The villagers covered their eyes, believing the boy had probably chosen a gruesome death. Yet, the child merely smiled. It was a smile that wasn’t proud or arrogant, but calm and cunning. Then, he ran. He ran deeper into the treacherous terrain of Blackstone Valley. The villagers are confused seeing the actions of the child with a single question lingering in their consciousness: Why was this child not afraid?
The bear pursued him relentlessly for one hour, then two, then three. The child never turned to fight and ran by dodging a few slashes and attacks from the bear. He simply climbed steep, narrow cliffs that the massive bear struggled to ascend. He ducked through many small caves which are far too small for the beast’s bulky body, and he crossed a nearby icy, rushing lake where the bear’s body slipped and stumbled repeatedly as it tried to cross with rage. Whenever the bear slowed down, the child threw another stone to anger it. Whenever it tried to rest, he provoked it once more.
The exhausting chase continued until the sun began to set under the valley. By then, the once mighty Mountain Iron Bear had changed drastically. Its breathing was ragged, its claws bled from scrambling over sharp rocks, its massive shoulders trembled vehemently, and its terrifying strength had melted into quivering exhaustion. And then the young Silent Wanderer finally stopped running. He quietly picked up a sharpened wooden spear which looked like it had been abandoned by an old hunter years ago.
The bear roared one final time, thrusting forward with every ounce of its dwindling strength. The child didn’t retreat. He stood his ground and waited for a few breaths.
One... two... three... After three breaths, the moment the bear raised its enormous right paw to crush him, he stepped fluidly sideways. The exhausted beast could no longer change its direction, and its own massive momentum carried its gigantic body forward into the trap.
The child thrust the wooden spear with all his might into its exposed eye ball.
Pshhhtt!
The spear pierced the bear’s eye socket, splashing thick blood across the floor as the beast spasmed in agony. With all his might, the Silent Wanderer dug his weapon deeper and gouged out the eyeball, which splattered like meat pulp on the ground. The Mountain Iron Bear staggered several steps in blind agony before collapsing with a thunderous crash. An eerie silence fell across the valley.
The villagers rushed down the cliffs in utter disbelief, and a trembling elder stared at the boy.
"You defeated a beast no hunter could kill..." The trembling elder muttered, his voice shaking in disbelief and contempt.
The Silent Wanderer quietly shook his head, looking down toward the fallen monster.
"I did not defeat its strength," he replied softly, clicking his tongue. "I simply waited... until that strength became its weakness. That is why it was defeated, with a single eye gouged out."
Years later, those words became one of the Silent Wanderer’s most famous and revered teachings: "Never fight with overwhelming strength. Endure it. Study it. And exhaust it. The greatest enemy eventually defeats itself. Endure with thy might, and thou shalt defeat the foe by his own weapon."
****
Lin Yuan’s obscured vision sluggishly became clearer. His chaotic breathing began to steady, and his numb fingers twitched against the ground before slowly clenching into tight fists.
’Endure...’ A faint, bloodied smile appeared upon Lin Yuan’s bruised face as the revelation washed over him. ’This trial... was never about defeating Master Teng. It was about enduring him. If I stand now... I can win this trial.’
Thud!
One hand pressed firmly against the stone floor, struggling hard to get up. His trembling arm slowly, agonizingly lifted his heavy body off the ground.
The disciples widened their eyes in shock and disdain.
"He’s moving..." Lian Nichang whispered in disbelief, while Chen Ming unconsciously stepped forward, his voice cracking slightly. "Lin Yuan..."
One knee touched the ground as every muscle in his body screamed out and his breath gasped against the exhaustion. But, Lin Yuan continued his steady, agonizing struggle. Teng Lianhua quietly watched Lin Yuan, the fierce, critical gaze on his rugged face slowly softening into something else.
Thud!
His leg firmly stomped itself upon the ground vehemently. Lin Yuan staggered sideways slightly, blood dripping down slowly from the corner of his fingers. His breathing remained rough and his body trembled expeditiously under the strain, but despite everything... He stood.
The entire training hall became silent, witnessing Lin Yuan’s sturdy will. Even Mo Qinghe slowly lowered his folded arms, watching with a faint smirk and attention. Dan Zhenren’s usually lazy, unbothered expression disappeared, replaced by a profound seriousness. And Lin Cangxuan who just arrived at the training hall a few seconds back, squinted his eyes slightly. No one spoke, because they all understood the truth of what they were witnessing. Lin Yuan hadn’t stood up because his injuries had disappeared; he stood proudly ignoring them.
A faint, impressed grin slowly spread across Teng Lianhua’s rugged face.
"Hahaha..." Teng Lianhua laughed, the booming sound echoed loudly throughout the hall, but it was a sound of genuine admiration. "You finally stood back..."
Lin Yuan slowly wiped the fresh blood from his lips with the back of his hand, his voice remaining hoarse and raspy.
"A true fight... is conquered by one’s will before one’s fists." Lin Yuan beamed, his voice quivering in agony.
"Exactly!" Teng Lianhua nodded in approval, his eyes shining with pride.
The Combat Hall Master slowly turned away from the boy, facing the remaining disciples as his booming voice echoed throughout the training hall again.
"The Trial of Endurance... is hereby concluded." He glanced back toward Lin Yuan one final time, his voice filled with authority. "The only disciple who truly understood today’s lesson... is Lin Yuan."
A moment of silence followed his proclamation, then with an applause.
Mo Qinghe clasped his hands, watching the battle from the doors of the training hall. Soon after, Dan Zhenren joined in, followed quickly by Lin Cangxuan, and then the disciples. Finally, the entire hall erupted into a deafening applause that echoed off the walls.
Chen Ming laughed loudly, aggressively rubbing at his temples as he shouted over the noise, "I knew it... you stubborn idiot..."
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan stood quietly under the waves of applause and calm wind. His bruised body ached terribly and his vision remained blurry, but his heart had never felt clearer or lighter. He had learned something valuable. "Sometimes, the strongest person wasn’t the one who never fell; it was the one who always found a reason to stand again."
