The sun was shining through the dense, moss-dappled foliage of the old Eldenwood trees, casting a golden hue to the makeshift training ground. Gerald leaned back against a rough rock, arms crossed, with a sneaky smile on his face. Below, Bai Cheng rubbed his hands nervously together, gazing at the rough beams over uneven holes filled with sharp rocks and moving water.
Mei Feng leaned against a tree, her arms folded. "Bai Cheng, you've got this. Remember, balance isn't just about your body; it's about your mind. Stay calm."
Bai Cheng laughed awkwardly, wiping at his forehead. "Easy for you to say when you are not threading on such hard paths!"
Gerald laughed lightly, the voice playful. "Come on, kid. If you can't handle some shaky beams, how do you think you will survive against cultivators who can launch mountains at you? Now get going!"
Bai Cheng sighed. "This feels less like training, and more like you trying to kill me." He paused for a moment and stepped onto the first beam, which was a narrow piece of wood hanging over a pit of sharp spikes.
Balancing Above Chaos
When Bai Cheng mounted the beam, it began shaking with his weight. He flailed his arms wildly as he tried to regain his balance.
"Relax!" Mei Feng shouted. "Use your core. Don't fight the actionâ€"let it!"
Taking another breath in turn, all of Bai Cheng's muscles shook while he slowly moved forward. Lying under him, the spikes looked sharp and damaging in sunlight.
"One step at a time," he muttered to himself.
The next beam was thinner and slanted a little to one side. He bent down to lower his center of balance and stretched out his arms. Halfway across, a strong wind shook the beam, and he began to wobble perilously.
"Be careful!" Mei Feng burst out, taking a step forward unintentionally.
Bai Cheng ground his teeth, and his heart pounded. He went to the floor on his hands and knees, holding the beam tightly as it steadied.
Gerald shouted, both funny and serious at the same time. "Good instincts, but crawling might not be enough to impress anyone."
"Be silent, Gerald!" said Bai Cheng, but a tiny smile drew at his lips.
After what seemed like centuries, Bai Cheng emerged on the other side. Shouting with excitement, he thrust his fists into the air.
"Do you see?" Mei Feng asked, smiling warmly. "You are stronger than you think.".
"Yo, yo," panted Bai Cheng. "What's next? Fire juggling and fire walking?"
Gerald smiled. "Funny you should mention fire… but no, next is Ghost Strike."
Ghost Strike Training
He took Bai Cheng to an open area where some wooden dummies were haphazardly left.
Each of the dummies had a weak light, a spell that would shine if it was hit too hard.
"Here's the deal," Gerald says, pointing at the dummies. "You have to creep up on these without making a peep, hit the center of them, and retreat before they 'see' you. Think of it like hunting animals."
Bai Cheng nodded, looking stern. "Okay. Silent and deadly."
"Start!" yelled Gerald, his voice now loud.
Bai Cheng squatted, moving silently. His bare feet stepped out onto earth with barely a whisper. He approached the first dummy, breathing steadily, one step at a time. When he could get close enough, he leaped forward and punched the glowing center of the dummy's chest. The soft light flickered but did not brighten any more sign that he had done all right.
"Good," whispered Gerald from the sidelines. "Now, creep back out of sight.
Bai Cheng took several steps back so he wouldn't miss the way. He disappeared into the darkness without stirring a single leaf.
Mei Feng clapped softly. "Impressive! You're a quick learner, Bai Cheng."
Very self-assured, Bai Cheng went over toward the next. This one was the earth had crunched under scattered branches and the thin thorn bushes had some of the leaves hiding part of the body.
He walked slowly, spreading his weight out evenly, lest he snap any of the twigs. Getting to the dummy, a bird suddenly flew up from the bush in front of him and he froze, his heart pounding.
"Stay focused!" Gerald barked.
Bai Cheng took a deep breath in and completed the strike. The shine was steady this time; therefore, he hadn't been spotted.
"Two down," he grumbled, his face wrinkling into an amused smile.
Applying Pressure
"Not bad," Gerald said with a pleased voice. "Let's just make it funnier."
He cracked his fingers, and several small balls of light appeared around the dummies, floating like watchful eyes.
"These are the guards. If they notice you, they light up, and you lose. Good luck."
Bai Cheng sighed. "You like to make things difficult for me, don't you?"
Gerald smirked. "That's what I'm here for."
Bai Cheng reached out for the next dummy, his body tensed. The sentry orbs floated erratically; their movement was unpredictable. He waited, watching their patterns, then darted forward in a small gap.
The balls shook but none rose. He got to the dummy, hit the core, and stepped back just as a guard orb went by.
"Perfect," Mei Feng declared, her voice full of pride.
"Not bad," Gerald said with a smirk, indicating he still wanted to challenge him.
The Last Test
Then, for the last dummy, Gerald made it different. "Okay, now think of this dummy as a real opponent. It won't just stand there-it will fight back."
Bai Cheng looked flabbergasted. "Wait, what?"
Just before he could utter his words, Gerald activated a device. Suddenly, the dummy began moving; its wooden arms swung in gigantic circles.
"Go!" Gerald said.
Bai sprang up in his challenge and dodged every blow of the dummy silent but deadly. The wooden arm passed by his face. It missed him a bit. He rolled over, to attack from the side.
And he ran at the right moment, quickly darting in to hit the center. The light dimmed a little, and Bai Cheng stepped back just as the dummy's arm came down where he had been.
Heavy with joy, Bai Cheng fainted on the ground but his smile showed that he won.
"How was that? he asked, addressing his confederates Gerald and Mei Feng.
Gerald nodded at him in approval. "Not bad, kid. You're getting there."
Mei Feng smiled kindly. "At this pace, he would be prepared for anything."
After training:
Bai Cheng was feeling very proud of himself while taking rest since it was a very tough challenge, but each step brought him closer to his goal.
"Hello, Gerald," he repeated the question in his voice, "Do you believe at times I will be stronger than you?"
Gerald grinned, his face relaxing. "You little rascal. If you keep this up, you might even pass me someday."
Mei Feng rolled her eyes while smiling. "Don't let it go to your head Bai Cheng. There's so much more work to get done."
Bai Cheng laughed, feeling more confident. "I'll show you. Just wait."
With the setting sun turning the training grounds orange and purple, the hope inside him started to awaken. The journey ahead would be tough, but as he took one step further, he felt stronger; he was going closer to destiny.