Back Mountain Trial

In truth, Wang Yan's lack of progress was neither due to a lack of effort nor bad luck, but to his peculiar circumstances. Though he belonged to the Wang Household's main family, both his parents had died, and he had been sent to live with the disciples brought in from outside.

There was considerable friction between the main family and these outsiders, and all Wang Yan received there was rejection. Most main-family disciples had parents and elders to guide them and provide pills. By thirteen, they basically... no! In fact, Wang Yan was the only true member of the Wang Household participating in this Back Mountain Trial.

The others were disciples with immortal roots brought back from who knew where through swindling, deception, abduction, and theft. With no one to turn to, Wang Yan was frequently bullied by these outsider disciples. Yet his own brothers and sisters within the clan treated him as an outsider too, refusing to acknowledge him as a member of the Wang Household. Bullied by his own clan's disciples as well, he lived in utter humiliation.

Sometimes, Wang Yan felt that living was worse than death and considered ending it all. But whenever that thought arose, he remembered his name: Wang Yan. Yan meant rock, its written character a mountain above a stone! He was to stand tall between heaven and earth like a mountain, and be tough and unassuming like stone. That ordinary name his parents had left him always reminded him of their hopes. He had to be strong!

But,

Even with all his toughness and resolve, Wang Yan possessed only water-fire-metal three immortal roots, an exceedingly poor aptitude. He had no accomplished elder to give him proper guidance, nor any pills or medicinal herbs to take. Frequent beatings and injuries further delayed his cultivation. After three or four years of training, he still had not broken through to minor attainment in the cultivation realm.

More importantly, as Wang Yan was the only main-family member present, the outsiders taking part in the Back Mountain Trial were unwilling to join him in killing demonic beasts or exploring dangerous places. Some were even planning to kill him.

After all, although the Back Mountain Trial forbade killing fellow participants, the rule was enforced with one eye open and the other shut. Each time, only a third of those who entered survived, and fewer still passed. Some naturally perished in accidents, but a substantial number were actually killed by their fellow competitors.

Killing others and seizing their spoils was the best way to pass the trial.

By his own reckoning, Wang Yan had already gathered enough cultivation realm demonic beast cores and ten medicinal herbs over ten years old. But another competitor had stolen them. Had he not fled quickly, he would have lost his life as well.

And now.

Time was running out. Quite a few clan members had already collected enough spoils and returned, but Wang Yan had no choice but to venture farther into the Azure Spirit Mountain Range and search this mountain for those pills.

Wang Yan had little enthusiasm for becoming an immortal and attaining the Dao. Deep in his bones, however, he wanted a better life, a life of dignity, and becoming an immortal was his only way out. The mountain was so steep that a cultivator like him, at initial attainment in the cultivation realm, should never have been able to scale it. Yet he had climbed it all the same.

Because!

He refused to keep living in humiliation. He needed to become strong. He needed power! He needed to prove himself!

It took him several long hours.

Only then did Wang Yan reach roughly a third of the way up the mountain. The earlier stretch had been manageable, when he still had enough magical power and physical strength to climb. Here, the terrifying gales alone were almost more than he could bear. It seemed he would be blown away the moment he loosened his grip, and several times he nearly was.

During the climb, Wang Yan had gathered seven medicinal herbs over ten years old. He needed only three more. Having come this far, with his temperament, he naturally would not give up now.

Then.

Clang! With a scrape of metal, Wang Yan reached for the short sword on his back and thrust it straight into the mountainside. The incredibly hard rock yielded to it at once, allowing him to continue upward. As he climbed slowly in this fashion, his imagination began to wander. If I were a core condensation realm cultivator, I could probably just fly my sword straight to the top. Of course, if I really were one, would I still be forced to take part in this Back Mountain Trial?

Naturally, Wang Yan did not dwell on it...

However.

"Hm?" Suddenly noticing something, Wang Yan sharply turned his gaze to one side. There were pits and gouges in the mountainside, their marks clearly fresh. They looked as though they had been dug out by sharp claws or some sharp tool. An uneasy feeling flickered through his heart. It looks like someone has already been here?

And then.

As though confirming his suspicions, Wang Yan continued upward and found that the spiritual herbs on that stretch of cliff seemed to have been stripped clean. He searched for ages, exhausting himself and climbing all the way to the summit, yet found only two ten-year-old medicinal herbs-even fewer than below.

Then,

"Hah... hah..." Utterly exhausted, Wang Yan reached the summit. The mountaintop was quite spacious, and through the trees he could vaguely make out a small lake of considerable size. Wisps of white vapor drifted above it; it was evidently a warm-water lake.

Looking down at his bedraggled state, Wang Yan gave a bitter smile. I should go wash myself off!

Before that thought had even finished...

Suddenly,

A flicker of warning flashed through his heart, and a surge of killing intent swept toward him from behind.

Whoosh! An ear-piercing whistle tore through the air as something shot toward his back.

Rustle! Though utterly exhausted, Wang Yan reacted swiftly, throwing himself into a roll to one side. He felt a sudden, excruciating pain at the back of his shoulder.

Clang! With a muffled impact, a throwing knife buried itself completely in the ground, spraying sand and stones everywhere.

Then!

Crash! Leaves scattered as a figure shot from the dense woods at astonishing speed. A Three-Pronged Iron Claw lashed out from the figure's hand, striking straight for Wang Yan's neck. Threads of red light swirled over the iron claw, marking it unmistakably as a magic artifact. Fast and vicious, it was at his throat in an instant...

Wang Yan had no time to dodge.

But!

"Hah!" Wang Yan was no easy prey either. Gritting his teeth, he made the blue light of his short sword flare brilliantly and drove it straight toward the chest of the figure attacking him with the magic artifact.

He was actually!

Attempting to take his attacker down with him!

"Damn you!" Unwilling to die together with Wang Yan, the ambusher cursed furiously. Red light surged over his iron claw as he whipped it down to guard his lower abdomen.

Clang! An ear-piercing crash of metal erupted as the attacker's iron claw collided with Wang Yan's thrusting short sword.

Thud! Wang Yan's arm was knocked aside and injured by the impact. His attacker fared little better: the instant sword and claw crossed, the blade slashed a wound across his lower abdomen.

However.

"Die!" The ambusher was ferocious as well. The moment they were knocked apart, he roared and hurled a fist toward Wang Yan's stomach. Threads of red light swirled around it, clearly carrying a considerable amount of magical power.

The man ambushing Wang Yan was plainly another disciple taking part in the Wang Household's trial!

At initial attainment in the cultivation realm, cultivators possessed magical power but could not project it outward. They could only gather it in their fists or weapons to strengthen their attacks.

Put simply, they were much like martial arts experts among ordinary mortals.

The other disciple was clearly at initial attainment in the cultivation realm too, and anyone at that level appearing here naturally belonged to the Wang Household...

"Hah!" Although climbing the mountain had already depleted nearly all of Wang Yan's magical power, his will to survive drove him to force out what remained. With an angry shout, he scraped his foot hard against the ground. Blue light clung to it, and his body shot backward, carrying him a full ten feet away.

Missing him by a hair, the fist slammed straight into the ground.

Boom! A tremendous, muffled blast rang out, and a hole several feet deep was punched into the earth. Fortunately, Wang Yan had dodged quickly. Otherwise, that fist would likely have blasted his stomach open just as it had the ground. That certainly would not have been pleasant.

Wang Yan slammed into a large tree behind him, making it shudder and sending countless leaves fluttering down.

In that instant, he finally saw his attacker clearly!

There he was! The ambusher wore a blue-gray robe much like Wang Yan's. Just as Wang Yan had thought, he was another disciple participating in the Wang Household's Back Mountain Trial. He looked only twelve or thirteen, with skin as fair as jade, fine brows, and handsome features. His hair was black as ink, his build slender, and he looked full of vigor. An iron claw covered one hand, while faint red light flickered around the other.

Yet the look he gave Wang Yan was like that of a wild beast released from its cage. He stared coldly at him, seemingly recognizing him as well. Suddenly, surprise flashed in his eyes, and he exclaimed, "You?"