The wind sliced through the forest like invisible blades, carrying the metallic tang of fresh blood still pooling on the ground.
Kael wiped the blood from his hand onto his tattered clothes and turned to Shen. The errant stood a short distance away, his sharp gaze fixed on Kael like a predator appraising its prey.
But Kael knew better now. He wasn't prey anymore.
"So this was just the beginning?" Kael repeated Shen's words, raising an eyebrow.
Shen chuckled, crossing his arms.
"You think killing a wolf makes you a monster?" He gestured to the lifeless corpse nearby. "That was just a hungry beast. If it had been a real cultivator, you'd be dead."
Kael didn't argue.
Shen was right.
A monster acted on instinct.
A warrior acted with discipline.
But a true predator? A predator acted with strategy.
Kael's body was tense and battered, his muscles screaming for rest, but something deeper within him craved more.
He didn't want to stop.
He wanted the next challenge.
"What's the next step?" he asked, his voice steady and firm.
Shen's grin widened, as if he had been waiting for Kael to ask.
"Now, kid…" Shen's voice was low and deliberate. "Now you're going to learn what real pain feels like."
Kael didn't flinch.
He nodded once.
"Then let's begin."
Shen laughed, the gleam in his eyes both amused and dangerous.
Kael had no idea what awaited him.
The Training of Death
Shen's rules were simple and absolute.
If you survive, you've learned. If you die, you made a mistake.Your body doesn't need rest—your mind needs adaptation.I'm not your master. I'm your executioner.
This wasn't about mastering techniques.
This was about survival in a hell from which there was no escape.
And so, the true hell began.
Challenge One: Chaos Resistance
Objective: Endure an environment of unstable spiritual energy without losing your sanity.
Shen led Kael to a ravine hidden deep in the forest, a place that shouldn't exist.
The air vibrated with an unnatural hum, an endless storm of spiritual energy twisting and shifting unpredictably. The ground was scorched and cracked, as if crushed under an invisible force.
Kael felt the oppressive weight of the place before he even stepped inside.
It was suffocating, like sinking to the bottom of an ocean with no air.
"You have one day," Shen said, pointing to the ravine. "If you leave before then, I'll kill you myself."
Kael didn't hesitate. He stepped into the abyss.
The pain was immediate.
The chaotic energy pressed against him, tearing at his mind and body. His lungs burned. His muscles spasmed. His thoughts became fractured, slipping between reality and delirium.
The first hour was pure agony.
By the second hour, his grip on sanity began to waver.
By the third hour, Kael felt his mind begin to shatter.
Then, the Dark Spiritual Lotus stirred.
A spark of power pulsed from within him, resonating with the chaos.
New Ability Unlocked: Shadowheart.
Effect: Drastically increases resistance to chaotic energy.
The pain didn't vanish—it transformed.
What had been unbearable now felt... usable. Kael wasn't just enduring the chaos; he was drawing from it, weaving it into his essence.
By the time the day ended, Kael emerged from the ravine.
Shen frowned as he saw him.
Kael wasn't collapsed.
He wasn't broken.
He was... different.
"Interesting," Shen muttered, his sharp eyes analyzing Kael.
Kael wiped the sweat from his brow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
This training was working.
And he wanted more.
Challenge Two: Blind Hunt
Objective: Hunt an enemy without using sight, relying solely on enhanced senses.
Kael's vision was taken from him—Shen tied a blindfold tightly over his eyes before tossing him into an unfamiliar part of the forest.
"Find and kill your target before it kills you," Shen instructed.
The catch?
The creature could see.
Kael couldn't.
He stopped moving, letting the stillness of the forest envelop him.
He couldn't rely on his eyes.
He needed to feel the forest.
The subtle shifts in the wind. The faint vibrations in the earth. The rhythm of the trees.
And then he heard it.
Breathing.
It was faint, but it was there.
Whatever was out there, it was big.
And it was hunting him.
Kael crouched low, slowing his breath, sharpening his focus.
The sound of the creature's movements grew louder.
It attacked.
Kael moved before it struck, dodging with precision.
New Skill Unlocked: Abyssal Echoes.
Effect: Absolute spatial awareness through vibrations.
Kael no longer needed his eyes.
He saw through sound.
The creature roared in frustration, its massive body barreling toward him.
Kael smiled.
And in the darkness, blood sprayed across the forest floor.
Final Test: The Blood Trial
Kael had survived everything Shen threw at him.
But there was one final test.
Shen stepped forward, drawing his spiritual blade.
"This time, it's real," Shen said, his voice void of humor. "No restrictions. No training. You either kill me... or you die."
Kael raised his fists, the dark energy of the Lotus coiling around him like smoke.
Shen's grin widened.
"Let's see if you've learned anything."
And then they charged at each other, the forest trembling under the weight of their clash.
A fight that would decide Kael Zhan's future.