Author Notes:
Hi Everyone!
I know it's been a long time since my last update, but I'm finally back.
Thank you so much for all your love and support. Between my personal life and work, I've been super busy and couldn't find much time to write, but I want you to know I am never giving up on this novel!
You can access the next few FREEchapters here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DarkChaoticSoul
Thank you for sticking with me!
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The massive vessel soared high in the sky, the morning sun reflecting softly off the transparent protective barrier that covered it like glass.
Su Wen and Du Yue sat at a table on the front deck, steam from their Spiritvine Tea curling gently into the air as they gazed at the horizon.
'I didn't expect this ship to be this fast… almost like a modern aeroplane,' Su Wen thought, impressed by the steady hum of power beneath his feet.
He took a small sip of the fragrant tea and spoke,
"Wife… the view is beautiful, isn't it?"
Du Yue nodded, her expression calm.
"You're right, husband. It's truly breathtaking."
Su Wen gestured toward the vast white expanse below.
"Look how high we are. Even the clouds are beneath us. Isn't it amazing that such a huge ship can fly through the sky?"
Du Yue remained composed, her tone steady.
"You're right, husband. It is indeed a wonder."
Su Wen took another sip, his gaze sweeping across the endless horizon.
"Everywhere you look, there's nothing but empty, peaceful sky…"
"You're right, husband," she replied. "It's all empty and quiet."
Silence lingered between them.
Su Wen looked at her. She looked back at him.
In perfect unison, they drained their cups and stood up at the same time.
"This is boring… it was only interesting at the start," Su Wen said flatly.
Du Yue nodded, a faint smile finally appearing.
"You're right, husband. We should check out those training chambers instead."
"Let's go take a look."
With that, the two turned and headed back towards the interior.
They arrived at the training hall, where an attendant stood at the counter just to the left of the entrance and greeted them respectfully.
"Esteemed guests, welcome to the training hall. How may I assist you today?"
Su Wen stepped forward with a smile.
"Being outside wasn't very exciting, so we thought we'd try the training chambers instead. Could you tell us more about them?"
"Of course, esteemed guests," the attendant nodded. "We have nine training chambers, each equipped with various formations... gravity control, spirit attacks, qi sealing, mental disruption, illusions, and defensive arrays. Aside from that…"
He gestured behind him toward a large glass window connected to one of the chambers.
"…we also have spiritual wooden puppets, which are what make these chambers truly special."
They looked through the window. Inside, several human-sized wooden puppets stood lined against the wall, their empty eye sockets appearing dark and hollow, giving them an unsettling lifeless stare.
The attendant continued,
"Bronze puppets are comparable to Qi Refining cultivators, while Silver and Gold puppets correspond to the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core realms."
He produced a jade token.
"You can use this to control the intensity of the formations, as well as the strength of the puppets."
"Hmm…" Su Wen's eyes lit up. 'Fighting experience is what I lack the most right now', he thought.
"These puppets look interesting."
He handed a pouch of spirit stones to the attendant.
"Book two chambers, one for me, and one for my wife... for the entire duration of our journey to Greenstone City."
The attendant accepted the stones with a respectful smile.
"Of course, esteemed guest. These two tokens will be yours."
He handed them the jade tokens, marked with the numbers 7 and 8.
Without wasting a moment, the two stepped into the training hall, where their attention was immediately drawn to an old man with a long beard who sat leisurely in a chair, calmly sipping his tea.
"Senior...!! I-I can't move...!"
A strained voice squeaked from chamber 6.
Su Wen and Du Yue exchanged a glance before approaching.
Through the glass window, they saw Young Master Rush. His four legs were shackled with heavy spirit-metal weights, trembling violently under the immense pressure.
The old man casually lifted a jade token, and increased the gravity several times.
The formations beneath Rush flared to life.
A crushing force descended like a mountain, slamming him into the floor.
He lay pinned helplessly, his body wracked and vulnerable, like a newborn fawn caught in a storm.
The old man remained outside, taking a slow, deliberate sip of tea.
"Run."
"RUN?!" Rush's voice cracked in disbelief.
A faint smile tugged at the old man's lips.
"First, your temperament needs refining. Second, you must cultivate resolve."
His gaze sharpened, a trace of mockery glinting in his eyes.
"Or do you intend to remain a spoiled, useless young master your entire life?"
Rush gritted his teeth, trembling violently under the crushing weight.
"But, Senior, I-I…"
The old man cut him off, calm yet resolute.
"Pushing yourself to your absolute limit is the only way to forge both character and will."
His voice stayed steady, almost indifferent.
"Run as long as you can. When you can't run, walk. When you can't walk, crawl…"
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And when you can't crawl… drag yourself forward."
Left with no other choice, Rush slowly began to gather strength within his body, forcing himself upright inch by inch.
His legs trembled violently, as if they might collapse at any moment.
He closed his eyes briefly, as though recalling something from the past.
For a fleeting instant, a trace of hesitation flickered across his face, but when he opened them again, they were filled with determination.
With a low grunt, he lifted his right leg.
It felt as if he were trying to raise a mountain.
He brought it down. Then his left. Then his right again.
Step by step, he forced himself forward. Within seconds, his body was drenched in sweat, his breathing ragged and uneven.
Yet the determination in his eyes did not waver.
Gritting his teeth, he slowly increased his pace, shedding the last traces of immaturity as he tempered himself, reforging the path of his dao with every step.
Outside, the old man watched in silence, calmly sipping his tea.
A faint, satisfied smile appeared on his face as he gave a slight nod.
Su Wen raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Grandteacher… you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit, pushing a junior around like that."
"Pushing around?" The old man snorted. "That brat came pestering me yesterday to take him as a disciple."
He took a slow sip of his tea before continuing,
"This is tempering... a test. No matter who you take as your master, without your own will and determination, you won't achieve anything in life."
"That's true, old man," Su Wen replied with a light, confident smile. "But I feel like he won't disappoint you."
He paused for a moment before asking,
"If he passes your test… will you really take him as a disciple?"
The old man smiled faintly.
"He still has many tests ahead of him… and whether he passes this one or not is of little importance."
He set his cup down lightly, his expression turning slightly mysterious.
"However… I do know someone. If he proves himself, perhaps they'll consider taking him under their wing."
"Oh… that's good." Su Wen nodded lightly, his gaze drifting back to Rush as he struggled forward step by step.
Watching him push himself, Su Wen also felt a spark of determination stir within him.
"Then we should get started as well."
He gave the old man a respectful nod before turning to Du Yue.
Without another word, he stepped into chamber 7, while Du Yue entered chamber 8.
The old man remained seated, quietly enjoying his tea, a calm smile lingering on his face.
Su Wen stood at the centre of the training chamber, the jade token resting in his palm as he extended a thread of Soul Sense into it.
A faint connection formed instantly, and information about the chamber's formations and functions flowed into his mind.
Then, as if recalling something, he paused.
With a flick of his hand, he took out a Peak Grade 2 Vermilion Sun Fruit he had purchased earlier from the Pill Pavilion.
Using a strand of Sword Qi, he sliced it cleanly into pieces. Rich yang qi immediately spread through the room.
Next, he took out a vial of milk and a handful of spirit nuts.
With precise control, he lifted them into the air using his Soul Sense, gathering them into a container formed entirely from condensed spiritual qi.
At the base of the container, his Sword Intent condensed into countless tiny, razor-sharp blades, like that of a blender.
With a thought, they began to spin.
Faster… and faster…
Until the ingredients were completely broken down, blending into a glowing, swirling liquid.
Su Wen's eyes lit up.
"Now this is what you call a cultivation-world protein shake… Yang Qi flavour," he muttered proudly, nodding to himself.
He brought the floating mixture to his lips and drank it in one go.
The taste struck instantly, hot, sweet, and intense, like swallowing liquid sunlight.
A surge of warmth spread through his chest and limbs, his meridians humming with renewed vitality.
A faint redness spread across his skin, a slight burning sensation coursing through his meridians.
Exhaling slowly, he glanced down at the jade token in his hand.
"Alright… let's begin."
His grip tightened as he activated the formation.
The gravity within the chamber began to rise, one level at a time.
The air around him grew heavy. His shoulders sank slightly under the increasing weight.