The early morning mist lingered like a pale veil over the peaks of Qingyun Empire's western hills, where the air carried the scent of dew-laden pines and the faint tang of earth still moist from last night's rain. Xu Xuan, standing at the threshold of the stone ring where he had trained since childhood, stretched his long limbs, feeling the early warmth of sunlight brushing against his dark robes. His black hair, untied as ever, flowed freely across his shoulders, and the purple embroidery of his garments glinted faintly in the sun, as if the threads themselves drank the morning light. Beside him, as always, hovered Yuan Heng—his teacher's soul-stage figure, ethereal yet distinctly present, his eyes calm but watchful.
"Brat," Yuan Heng's voice echoed softly in Xu Xuan's mind rather than aloud, a teasing note hidden beneath the weight of authority, "today, you will see how the forests test those who seek strength beyond their years. Do not grow impatient; haste is the enemy of true mastery."
Xu Xuan gave a faint, sly smile, though his thoughts betrayed a hint of nervous anticipation. "Teacher, the forests beyond the eastern hills are vast. How will I even know where to start?" His voice carried a mixture of curiosity and eagerness, tinged with the underlying excitement of a challenge.
"Observation before action," Yuan Heng replied, his form flickering like a shadow in the light, "Let your senses guide you, but let your instincts temper your haste. The forest is alive—not just with beasts, but with lessons. Each herb, each crack of bark, each rustle in the leaves—heed them. Today, I will not interfere unless your life is in immediate danger."
Xu Xuan nodded, feeling a stir of both anxiety and thrill within his chest. This would be his first true foray into the wildwood since his dantian's repair, and the awakening of his own innate Void power had brought with it a new awareness of the world. The very air seemed to hum in response to his presence, and a subtle tingling danced along his fingers, a quiet echo of the scripture's teachings that had begun to settle within him.
The forest was alive with the early sounds of daybreak. Birds trilled from the high canopies, and small creatures scuttled among the underbrush. Xu Xuan moved with careful precision, his steps light but deliberate, as if he were testing the pulse of the earth beneath him. Yuan Heng followed silently, never speaking, merely observing the young cultivator's movements, allowing him the space to perceive and adapt.
Xu Xuan soon came upon the first test his teacher had left for him. A herb of unusual violet hue glimmered faintly beneath the shade of a twisted cedar. Its leaves seemed to shimmer like obsidian in the dim light, and Xu Xuan's instincts told him that it was no ordinary medicinal plant. He knelt, inspecting the soil around its roots, and carefully extracted it, mindful of the delicate veins running through its stem.
"Not bad," Yuan Heng's faint voice reached him in the mind, laced with amusement. "Many would have taken it without thought and likely disturbed the subtle balance around it. But this is merely the beginning."
No sooner had Xu Xuan secured the herb in his satchel than the air shifted. A faint ripple ran through the forest, subtle yet unmistakable—a disturbance, a warning. Xu Xuan's eyes narrowed. From the shadows between the gnarled trunks, a hulking figure emerged: a beast of the Body Refinement Realm, its scales black as midnight, glimmering with an unnatural sheen, eyes burning with predatory intelligence. Its claws dug into the earth as it stalked toward him with silent menace.
Xu Xuan's heart quickened, but he did not retreat. He knew, from the subtle lessons of the scripture, that fear would cloud his judgment. The beast's presence was a test, and he was determined to pass. Drawing a slow, deliberate breath, he centered his spirit, letting his innate Void energy surge through him—not in destructive force, but in subtle attunement with his surroundings.
"Teacher," Xu Xuan thought, "is it—?"
"Watch, learn, adapt," Yuan Heng replied simply, a hint of laughter in his tone. "This is your trial."
The beast lunged, and Xu Xuan reacted instinctively. He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the slash of its claws. The ground beneath him cracked, stones scattering like pebbles in a stream. Xu Xuan's movements were precise, calculated, a dance between life and the thrill of the challenge. He struck at the beast with a flurry of controlled techniques, not seeking to harm but to subdue, testing the limits of his speed and reflexes. The creature's ferocity was overwhelming, yet Xu Xuan's awareness, guided by the teachings of the nameless scripture and his own Void sensitivity, allowed him to evade and counter with increasing confidence.
Hours passed in a blur of motion, sweat and adrenaline mingling as Xu Xuan maneuvered through the forest, each action deliberate, each breath measured. He found himself learning more from the beast's movements than any lesson Yuan Heng could impart directly. Every strike, every dodge, every feint became a thread in the intricate tapestry of his own martial awareness.
Finally, when the sun had begun its descent, Xu Xuan, battered but unbroken, managed to drive the creature away. He collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, heart pounding, the adrenaline slowly fading into a deep, satisfying fatigue. Yuan Heng appeared beside him, seated upon a smooth rock, a faint smile on his otherwise inscrutable face.
"Xu Xuan," the teacher's voice carried warmth now, tinged with amusement, "and so the fledgling tests his wings. You have done well. Do you understand why I let it approach?"
Xu Xuan wiped the sweat from his brow, shaking his head, a faint frown of exhaustion and frustration creasing his youthful face. "I… I thought it would kill me! Why—why didn't you warn me?"
Yuan Heng chuckled softly, a sound like wind rustling through dry leaves. "Because this is your path. True strength is forged not by avoidance, but by facing what terrifies you and surviving. You are beginning to learn, Xu Xuan, that the forest does not yield to arrogance, nor to hesitation. It only respects mastery, patience, and courage."
Xu Xuan, despite his fatigue, could not suppress a wry smile. "Teacher, you laugh, yet you watched me suffer for hours."
"Indeed," Yuan Heng replied, "but suffering is the sharpest chisel. Without it, even the greatest potential remains unshaped stone."
That night, Xu Xuan returned home, his body tired but his spirit alight. He did not speak much of the day's events, for the lessons were too personal, too subtle to be shared easily. Yuan Heng remained beside him in the ring, silently observing as Xu Xuan settled into his meditation, cultivating quietly within the confines of his spiritual sea.
It was during this quiet cultivation that Xu Xuan began to feel the full resonance of the nameless scripture's power. The energies of the Void responded to his movements, subtle and precise, weaving into his spirit like strands of fine silk. The dantian, repaired yet uniquely attuned to his own power, pulsed in quiet rhythm, guiding the cultivation. Each breath, each motion of qi, each spark of soul energy was met with a harmonious echo from within, a silent affirmation from the scripture that he was indeed its chosen.
He practiced tirelessly, day after day, his movements flowing like water, his awareness expanding with each session. The forest excursions continued, sometimes peaceful, sometimes dangerous, yet always instructive. Rare herbs were collected, new beasts tested his skill, and each success, each failure, carved another facet into the young cultivator's burgeoning potential.
Through these experiences, Xu Xuan's body grew stronger, his mind sharper, his senses keener. By the time he emerged from his forest training in the following months, he had reached the Body Refinement Realm—not through shortcuts, nor through reliance on replenishing elixirs, but through his own skill, patience, and the subtle guidance of the nameless scripture. Yuan Heng, observing from his ever-present ring, allowed only the occasional remark, letting Xu Xuan's own discoveries and struggles shape him into a cultivator of increasing subtlety and power.
"Brat," Yuan Heng finally said one evening as the sun dipped below the horizon, "you have done well. But remember, this is merely the beginning. Greater challenges await—both in the forests, and beyond. The path of cultivation is endless, and the void within you… is only beginning to awaken."
Xu Xuan nodded silently, the weight of those words settling upon him. The world was vast, the forest only the first of many stages, yet for the first time, he truly felt ready to face whatever came next. The nameless scripture lay quietly in his spiritual sea, its presence a constant, whispering reminder of the power, the responsibility, and the destiny that awaited him.