chapter seven:The trial ground
The moment Xiao Chen stepped onto the second stair, his expression changed.
The pressure doubled.
It descended upon him like an invisible mountain, forcing the air from his lungs. His chest tightened painfully, his breathing becoming shallow and uneven. A metallic taste filled his mouth as his internal organs trembled under the overwhelming force.
He staggered forward.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
Time itself seemed to slow. A single second stretched endlessly, turning into minutes, and those minutes felt like days. His legs shook violently as he forced himself forward, his vision blurring as sweat poured down his face.
When he finally placed his foot onto the third step, his body quivered uncontrollably.
His strength was failing him.
His limbs felt numb, as though they no longer belonged to him. His thoughts grew sluggish, despair creeping into his heart like a cold shadow.
Is this… the end?
Is this as far as I can go?
Tears slid down his face, not from pain alone, but from helplessness.
In that moment, memories surfaced.
He remembered being four years old, sitting beside the old man beneath a flickering oil lamp. The old man had spoken of cultivators—people who could command the heavens, split oceans with a gesture, and cross vast distances in an instant.
Back then, Xiao Chen had listened with wide, shining eyes.
He had sworn that one day, he would become someone like that. Someone powerful. Someone who would never be trampled by fate. He promised he would protect the old man and repay his kindness.
At the time, it was only the dream of a child.
The old man had merely smiled. He never wanted Xiao Chen to suffer—only to live a simple, peaceful life.
But peace had never been an option.
Under the crushing pressure, Xiao Chen bent forward, his back trembling as if weighed down by the world itself. Yet somehow, he raised his leg again.
Step by step, he moved forward.
Then a cold, indifferent voice echoed through the space.
"Why do you persist?"
"You are insignificant."
"You lack power, lack status, and lack fate's favor."
Xiao Chen's eyes flickered.
"This is the opportunity you longed for," the voice continued. "Yet you are about to abandon it."
For a moment, Xiao Chen's gaze was empty.
Then—
Something ignited within him.
"Fate…" he whispered.
His bent back slowly straightened.
"All my life, fate has decided everything for me," he said quietly. "What I could have. What I could become."
His hands clenched tightly.
"But every single day, I still lived."
He lifted his head, his eyes burning with resolve.
"I don't know what lies ahead," Xiao Chen continued. "I don't know if I'll succeed. But I won't stop here."
"If this path demands everything I have… then I'll give everything."
The pressure surged violently—
Then vanished.
When Xiao Chen regained awareness, the weight crushing his body was gone.
He stood there, stunned.
He was no longer on the third step.
He stood at the very top.
The hundredth step.
His breath caught. "How…?"
A calm, ancient voice descended from above.
"You have passed the trial."
Xiao Chen raised his head in disbelief. "But I didn't finish climbing…"
The voice replied, "This trial was never about physical endurance."
"It was a test of will."
"I have witnessed countless geniuses," the voice continued. "They possessed great strength and extraordinary talent, yet when faced with true resistance, their resolve collapsed."
"In cultivation, talent determines potential—but will determines destiny."
"Without the determination to keep moving forward, no amount of power is enough."
A pause followed.
Then—
"Congratulations, Xiao Chen."
"You have successfully passed the First Trial."
A gentle warmth flowed through his body, easing his exhaustion. Xiao Chen closed his eyes, silently engraving this moment into his heart.