CG Chapter 27: One Final Dance

In the heart of the forest, the air was shrouded with an eerie stillness, a warning of the ordeal that Tom would face as his training came to an end. The atmosphere was thick with a sense of foreboding, as if the very trees held their breath, fearing the agony that was about to be unleashed.

Tian Chang's gaze drilled deep into Tom's body. The intensity of his stare was a sign of the painful journey that lay ahead. "Long, your training of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Rings simultaneously will be your final hell. Once we commence, expect no mercy from me. You must become a silent evader, ethereal and unheard."

Tom's voice had a hint of indifference to it as the previous Rings had truly pushed him to the extremes, "I understand. I will give it my all."

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With a solemn nod, Tian Chang led Tom deeper into the woods, guiding him into a cave that exuded only a faint glimmer cast by torches that hung to the walls. The shadows near each torch swayed with a demonic intent. Inside that cave, Tian Chang led Tom through the messy tunnels into a concealed room that was covered with mirrors.

The torch's crimson flames reflected upon Tian Chang, giving him the looks of a predator. "From this point onward, I will become your one and only foe. I will go after your life while striving to drain you from every last drop of blood."

Having spoken these ominous words, Tian Chang's colossal palms collided with the chamber walls, extinguishing the torches and plunging the room into near-complete darkness, leaving only the lights coming from outside. As the last hint of light faded, a resounding voice echoed through the chamber, announcing the commencement of a grueling trial.

"Boom."

"Boom."

The training began, and with the endless strikes from Tian Chang, a symphony of torment was created. Tom's body contorted in agony as he attempted to deflect and redirect the attacks of Tian Chang by using 'Death's Embrace.' Yet, despite his best efforts, the blows struck him nonetheless. The pain from the attacks was excruciating. Tom felt that the bones in his body were about to shatter down under the weight of the unstoppable strikes.

Tian Chang accompanied an insult with each strike like venomous darts, "Will you surrender? I doubt you can endure this training."

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"I can.." Before he got the chance to finish his reply, Tom was attacked with another punch to his stomach.

Tian Chang continued to dig deeper at Tom as he punched harder and harder, "You reek. I can smell your fear from over here. You are but a worthless trash with zero talent."

Another blow struck Tom's face, knocking him off balance.

"You can't evade this simple attack? Haha, you are a joke. I am getting nauseous by the fact that you are my son."

Tom tried to resist the attacks, uncaring of the insults that came from Tian Chang, "Is he trying to distract me?" he thought.

A kick descended from above as Tom tried to evade. However, his attempts were unfruitful as this kick painted Tom's head to the ground.

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As the days turned into weeks, time started to lose its meaning, and the date of their return drew nearer. Tom's body painted a picture with its bruises of the struggles that he went through. His muscles screamed for rest. With each failed attempt to evade an attack or hide his presence, Tom received another strike that seeped into his soul, whispering of eternal suffering and endless torment.

As the battle raged on, Tom tried to evade the punches using the 'Shadow Dance.' Each step he made was a dance with the abyss, a battle of attempting to move through the battlefield of pain without getting caught by Tian Chang's suffocating grasp. However, Tian Chang used his years of experience to his advantage as he merged with the darkness only to appear suddenly and reach out with his spectral hands that tried to claw at Tom's flesh.

The pain escalated, reaching a new peak that Tom didn't believe possible until now. His screams created a new symphony of suffering, a symphony that echoed through the forest. Tom's movements were a grotesque dance of agony and despair, his body swaying as if he were a puppet that had its strings cut. The thought of despair clung to Tom like a second skin; they whispered into his ears that he should simply give up.

Tom attempted to turn this pain, this despair, into a veil that would hide him from the world. As he watched Tian Chang's technique of concealment, he began to learn from him. Tian Chang was like an assassin, as he didn't simply disappear. Instead, he became part of his environment. Even when seen, he was unseen.

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As time passed, Tom couldn't tell anymore if it was night or day. All of his senses were focused on this tiny room in the cave and on Tian Chang. His body was weakened by extreme fatigue as every breath he took was painful, reminding him of his own mortality and the reason why he went on.

Amidst this endless suffering, Tom's mind began to shut down as his thoughts became faded. Reality and illusion intertwined, blurring the boundaries between what is real and what is not. His body moved without any direction. He only knew that he needed to continue; he needed to go on.

"I am tired. I just want to sleep. I just want a chance to let my eyes close for a quick second… Please let me sleep." Tom wanted to lay down. In the face of the sweet allure of comfort, his aspirations seemed insignificant and insubstantial.

"Crack."

Claw-like fingers punctured deep into his flesh, engraving a mark on Tom's body. "I warned you, your endurance is pathetic." Tian Chang's words were laced with disdain.

Tom was sick of all of this. The training, the agony, it all had become intolerable. So, he decided to defeat Tian Chang. His brain started to overclock, analyzing his experience in the cave confines, paying close attention to even the smallest details.

"'Death's Embrace.' I must employ gentle moves to redirect Tian Chang's fiery attacks."

Shortly after this realization, another attack was approaching.

Tom pushed, attempting to deflect Tian Chang's hand. Yet…

"Boom."

He received another blow due to his delayed redirection, which made evading the attack or hiding from it impossible.

Tom tried this multiple times. However, with each attempt, he noticed that he was sometimes too early and others too late.

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After countless repetitions, Tom at last managed to redirect Tian Chang's strike, even if he stumbled afterward due to the force.

"'Shadow Dance' Speed isn't crucial for a shadow's movement. Instead, what I need to do is align my movements with the motions of my opponent."

Tom slowly began to counterattack. Where once he only defended against these attacks, he now started to approach Tian Chang and issue attacks of his own.