“You’ve returned.” The voice sounded out all around him, inflectionless.
Yu Chen didn’t reply, ignoring it as he sat beside the misty river, tears streaming down his face. In his hands he cradled a small piece of jade, allowing its aura to soothe the pain in his heart. Memories filled him, of a life he’d never lived. Now he was here, and it felt as if something had been stolen from him. Possibilities of what might have been, that for a brief moment, had.
Blinking the tears away he looked around, realizing that at some point he’d crossed to the other side of the river, though he knew not when.
The test had come close to breaking him. Perhaps in some way it had. He hadn’t realized how much he’d longed for what that brief time with his brother had given him. Intimacy came easily to mortals, but cultivation was a lonely journey, the stairway to heaven only wide enough for one to walk abreast.
The choice between saving his brother and returning to this lonely world hadn’t been an easy one to make, and he’d nearly made the wrong decision. The insidious test had reached deep within him, finding the one thing he both feared and desired with all his heart. He’d been completely trapped within the illusion, but only because he had so desperately desired the trap.
In the end it was only a twist of fate that had saved him.
“You shouldn’t have survived.” The voice sounded conversational, but Yu Chen felt a stab of condemnation at the words.
It was right, he shouldn’t have. If it hadn’t been for his quick thinking to pocket the soul-cleansing jade before entering the river, he’d still be caught within the web of lies, living out the false reality within. Whatever spell it had cast was powerful, even managing to suppress the jade, at least until the misty river had risen in full force, making itself known.
It was the first experience where Yu Chen had truly felt close to death. Like so many men, it was his heart that was almost the end of him.
He ruthlessly shoved the feelings aside, balling his emotions up for later. His eyes flashed as he stood up, staring into the void as he addressed the voice around him. “Regardless, I passed your test.”
“Perhaps.” The voice said, sounding as if it was considering his words. “Treasures are a sort of strength, as is the luck to acquire them. Still, I highly advise that you temper your spirit, young man. You are incredibly vulnerable to spiritual attacks.”
A look of confusion crossed Yu Chen’s face as he heard the words. He’d never heard of spirit tempering before, and he made a note to ask Xiao Huang about it the next time they spoke. He’d do whatever it took to prevent this feeling of helplessness in the future.
“Very well.” The spirit said after a brief pause. “You pass the test of Spirit. Continue on then, your final challenge awaits.”
Yu Chen looked up at that, somewhat startled at the words. “There’s still another challenge?”
“Of course, you still have to face the Guardian. I deem that your mind and body are sufficiently strong, and while your spirit may require some work, you have managed to make it to the other side, one way or another. Now that you meet the qualifications, you have the right to attempt to enter the Inner Sect.”
Yu Chen’s interest rose at the words. “A fight?” He asked.
“Yes, a fight.” The voice replied.
Yu Chen nodded. He didn’t know how long he’d been stuck within these trials. Perhaps he’d been here a short or long time, but either way, it felt like half an eternity. He looked towards the mists that lay behind him, oddly docile now, and rage slowly began to simmer inside of him as he recalled the sight of Mo Chen being driven through by a spear.
“Very well.” Yu Chen said. “Let’s fight.”
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This time the path opened up into a cavernous space filled with a large sandy pit. Yu Chen strode out onto it, looking around for the guardian the voice had told him to face.
He couldn’t sense anything around him, or even see anything for that matter. The arena was completely empty, excepting the large boulder at the other end of the pit. Just as he began to frown, the boulder shifted and Yu Chen watched in fascination as it seemed to break apart before standing up to reveal a humanoid figure composed of solid grey rock.
It looked at him, and a vivid green light shone where its eyes should be. It was a contrast of oddities, appearing thick and rough hewn in some places, while others were sleek, and obviously well crafted.
To Yu Chen’s surprise the stone man was emitting no qi signature, yet a heavy aura still emanated, a testament to its raw strength.
Lan She would serve no purpose against this enigmatic being. Even if her fangs could bite through stone, there was nothing for her venom to course through. He gently retrieved her from within his robes and placed her down to lie on the nearby sands. He moved a few steps away, assuming a fighting position as he faced the strange being head on.
It tilted its head, examining him in what almost seemed like curiosity, but if the stone man had any feeling it didn’t express them.
Yu Chen was tired of waiting. Cycling his qi he dashed forward, crossing the area in a few short steps. However, just as he approached the thing, it moved. Before he could react it was upon him, striking a heavy blow into his defenseless form.
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Yu Chen was still caught up in that strange movement, as the stone fist connected with his flesh. It was as if the intervening space had ceased to exist. The strangeness even spread to the golem’s punches, and a small part of his mind watched in fascination as he was mercilessly pummeled by the creature, trying to reason out the secret behind its attacks.
Its arms moved as they approached, and Yu Chen would swear they didn’t travel through space to do so. It was as though its arm was down there, cocked back, and the next moment it was slamming into his gut, causing him to let loose a wheeze of pain.
Thankfully, his body was thrice tempered, and able to resist the blows, despite the creature’s physicality. Still, the onslaught was unending and Yu Chen found himself slowly becoming overwhelmed. The strange creature seemed to possess no sense of exhaustion, its untiring form ceaselessly striking his body.
This couldn’t go on.
Yu Chen let out a mighty shout, pulling on his dantian heavily as he cycled his movement technique, leaping away from the golem. His powerful muscles pushed against the ground, moving his body at a speed that surprised even him.
The strange creature didn’t hesitate, utilizing a movement technique of its own as it chased after him, and again, it moved. It didn’t flicker, as some cultivators did, those who’d reached speeds that tested the eye. No, this was something else, and Yu Chen could feel the difference in the world around them.
It was as if the distance between them shortened, no, it simply ceased to exist, one step taking the golem from over there to right beside him.
Yu Chen cycled his movement technique again, continuing to dash away from the stone golem, but it kept up with him effortlessly, appearing where he was as soon as he landed.
Frustrated, he decided to change tactics.
Eyes flashing, he threw out a punch as soon as his feet touched the ground, aiming for the exact spot he knew the golem would appear. That blow, filled with all his pent up rage and sorrow, landed with a satisfying thump as the golem came into existence, and he followed it up, attacking again.
The golem was now the one on the defensive, and Yu Chen pressed it hard, laying into it with blows that contained the full force of his condensed qi. His time within the Secret Realm had begun to show its fruits, and with every blow he rained down the qi was forced into smaller and smaller concentrations. His attacks were powerful, ringing out with an impressive noise, his strength dramatically increasing the longer he fought the golem.
His next blow lifted the golem off of its feet, as he drove a sharp uppercut into its gut before following up with an overhand punch from his other hand, sending the monster flying away from him. His hands didn’t hurt as he struck the rocky golem, even when he used all his force. His strength had long passed that point of consideration. Sure, he scraped his knuckles, but then his fearsome vitality went to work, and he could feel, almost in real time, as it began reknitting his flesh.
It didn’t happen in seconds, it wasn’t that freakish yet. But in the course of a few minutes most minor abrasions, and even some small wounds, would find themselves healed, his body as good as new.
He was becoming increasingly hard to injure. The brief beating he’d received from the golem had only left bruises and a few small cuts, although his lip bled from when the rock had smashed a rocky fist into his face.
The golem hit the ground, before flipping back to its feet in one smooth motion. Yu Chen grinned as he noticed the hairline crack he’d created within its side, a potential weakness to exploit later. It was crumbling in a few other spots, and he watched as loose pebbles flaked away, falling to lie within the sands.
His powerful body seemed to have had an effect, but as he watched the golem pulsed, issuing forth a wave of qi. Yu Chen’s eyebrows narrowed as he watched the crack on its side close before his eyes.
A battle of attrition then.
He cycled his movement technique, but before he could dash forward the golem moved. Yu Chen felt it again, the strange sensation as the space in between them seemed to dissipate, the golem appearing right before his eyes.
The golem’s arm moved next, and in a blink it jumped forward, but Yu Chen was already moving himself, flowing backwards as he dodged the anticipated attack. The golem had the advantage however, and it was faster than he was. Another strike suddenly appeared in his vision. Realization struck Yu Chen as he felt that now familiar tug, the sensation of space moving around them.
This golem’s techniques were fueled by Concepts! It had pulsed with qi earlier, but that had only seemed to heal it, and perhaps empower it. He’d thought it was using its strengthened body to contest him, seeing as it was equivalent to, no, stronger than, a peak stage 1 beast.
But it was more than that. It also possessed some inkling of understanding regarding an esoteric Concept, and had somehow managed to use it to empower its movements. It was a dumbfounding idea, one that made Yu Chen realize the heights that were still before him.
This was what Xiao Huang had meant when he’d spoken of Concepts before. Perhaps this was how cultivators truly fought. He reevaluated the Flowing Eternity sect, suddenly aware of how unfathomable a place this must have once been, if Inner Sect disciples were expected to be on this level.
Unfortunately, Yu Chen didn’t possess a deep enough understanding of any Concepts to apply them as the golem did. What he did have, however, was a raw physicality of his own. He’d been pushed to the backfoot again, but he refused to stay there. The next time he landed, he dug his heels in, gritting his teeth and accepting a blow to give one in return.
The golem’s fist struck him in the shoulder but Yu Chen rotated with the force, landing a massive blow to its side in turn. He roared, his heart pumping hard against his chest as he pressed forward, taking another blow but once again driving another fist into its side.
The golem fought back, but Yu Chen accepted the attacks, not caring as they battered his body, as long as he gave one in return. With a roar he slammed his fist down like a hammer, targeting the same spot again and again.
The golem pulsed again, a wave of qi issuing forth and Yu Chen watched as the damage he’d caused began to seal up, thin flakes of rock stretching out to scab it over.
He refused to allow it. It cost him a blow to the head that rang him like a bell, but he struck the spot once more, shattering the thin shell that had begun to cover the crack. The golem moved, and it was elsewhere, far away from him.
This time the pulse didn't come, perhaps it couldn’t use it in such quick succession. Yu Chen growled, cycling his movement technique as he dashed towards it.
It moved, but Yu Chen stretched out, grabbing its arm before it could disappear. He refused to let it disappear again, and once more slammed a fist into its broken side. The rock crumbled, before splitting apart to reveal a glowing core the size of his fist. It was a perfect sphere, made of some dense spirit stone and covered in intricate carvings of exquisite formations.
The golem fought desperately, thrashing in his grasp as it attempted to flee, but Yu Chen would not be denied. He smashed his fist into the crack again and again, scraping his knuckles against the stone as widened the crack further, until there was enough room for him to yank the core free with a vicious shout.
Yu Chen felt a strange sort of catharsis as the golem’s lifeless form collapsed to the floor before him.