Cruel Training (Part 1)

Cruel Training (Part 1)

Morning blanketed the boundless jungle in mist. The cool, crisp air brimmed with the scent of nature, while the occasional deep beast roar made the jungle seem less peaceful and serene, and instead filled it with deadly danger everywhere.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle." A faint scuffing of footsteps drifted over. Two figures, one tall and one short, stepped across the withered, crumbling leaves on the ground and headed straight toward the sound of rushing water.

Wherever the two figures passed, the vicious beast roars seemed to have their throats suddenly clamped shut, leaving the jungle utterly silent in an instant. It was all because of that old yet still unyielding figure, whose sword-sharp aura constantly warned the pairs of eyes filled with hostility and fear!

Chen Yun followed tightly behind Old Ent, both frightened and excited. What frightened him were the frequent, ominous snorts of ferocious beasts coming from the surrounding area.

After all, he was only a six-year-old child. Although his soul belonged to a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old high school student, he was still a child, wasn't he?

What excited him was that he could finally cultivate. For someone branded a born waste, the upheaval brought by such a tremendous change was something outsiders could never understand. In the face of such immense joy, that tiny bit of fear seemed insignificant.

I can finally cultivate! With this thought in mind, Chen Yun followed tightly behind his grandfather and walked toward the depths of the forest.

The two had been traveling for about ten minutes when Old Ent suddenly slowed his pace.

By now, Chen Yun had already heard the thunderous roar of water. He was wondering how such a tremendous sound could come from these mountains when the view before him suddenly opened wide. A breathtaking scene unfolded before his eyes...

A majestic mountain roughly a hundred zhang tall stood before him like an ancient giant deity. Most eye-catching was the broad waterfall, flowing down like a bolt of silk from a height whose peak could not be seen with the naked eye. Sunlight shone upon it, instantly filling it with dazzling radiance.

Amid the booming sound that resembled a Giant Dragon's roar, the broad pool below the mountain, roughly the size of a basketball court, was whipped into a spray. The falling water splashed over a herd of elk by the pool, but the elk seemed to enjoy it, showing no panic at all, as though they had long grown accustomed to it.

The side of the pool against the mountain was covered in jagged strange rocks. Some jutted straight out with hollow spaces in their middles, while others took the shapes of bizarre, ferocious beasts resembling lions or tigers...

Besides the largest waterfall in the middle, twelve somewhat smaller waterfalls descended in rows along the mountaintop—six on either side. Whether by coincidence or a deliberate masterpiece of heaven, the six waterfalls to the left and right were perfectly symmetrical. Their thunderous momentum was slightly inferior to that of the enormous waterfall in the center... Truly, the vast world held no shortage of wonders! The marvel and splendor of nature were beyond the understanding of the countless living beings!

Chen Yun stared blankly at the scene before him, unable to recover for a long while. The shock in his heart could not be expressed in words.

Such a wondrous sight had never existed in his previous life. The sheer, axe-hewn craftsmanship of it made him click his tongue in admiration. It seemed this otherworld really was a strange world. This was only a jungle near a small mountain village—who knew how many other miraculous places existed?

At this thought, a burning fervor rose in his heart. He would definitely become a powerful warrior, leave this small mountain village, and see the world outside. He would travel across this entire continent and uncover the wonders of this world. As he thought about it, his heart filled with lofty ambition!

Old Ent sensed the sudden change in Chen Yun beside him, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. Such imposing spirit? Just what made this child undergo such a tremendous change? Then, as though he had thought of something, he turned his head toward the waterfall before him. Lost in thought for a long while, he finally revealed a faint smile. It seemed he really had chosen the right place!

"Little Chen, see the waterfall before you? This is where your training begins! Your first task is to stand beneath the waterfall and endure its impact. Starting with the waterfall on the outermost edge, once you reach your limit, I'll strike your entire body forty-nine times—seven times seven, of course, I'll control the force properly. Once you can withstand that waterfall's impact for an hour, another task will be added: climbing to the top of that waterfall. And so on, until you can reach the waterfall in the very center. Then your first course will be considered complete!" Old Ent said calmly.

"Gurgle..." The sound of Chen Yun swallowing came from his throat. As he gazed at the mountain peak whose top could not be seen, a chill swept over his entire body!

"Ah...!" A scream suddenly rang out, accompanied by a splash as Chen Yun was thrown into the pool.