Chapter 82: Trial of Courage

It was precisely Jiao Xiuyuan's corpse.

Now that three months had passed, it was gradually revealing something unusual.

It did not look like normal flesh and blood; instead, it resembled withered wood, showing a withered yellow color.

Li Fan gave it a kick, and the sound was exactly the same as kicking wood.

Just then, a voice came from behind Li Fan.

"This is just a Puppet, not his true body. It's a common tactic of Jiao Xiuyuan's; Fellow Daoist, there's no need to be surprised."

Li Fan turned his head and saw that the speaker was also a Qi Refinement Stage Cultivator.

He immediately cupped his hands: "Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist. Are you also a member of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance?"

The man nodded: "Correct. I am Chen An, and I have been in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance for over thirty years."

"I am Li Fan. From what you're saying, Fellow Daoist, you seem quite familiar with Jiao Xiuyuan?"

Chen An smiled: "I wouldn't say I'm familiar. However, having lived on the island for so long, I know the things one ought to know."

"Take Jiao Xiuyuan, for example. He opened a general store called Thousand Mile Hall on the island, selling everything. It's said he has official connections within the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, so he occasionally sells some good items."

"Besides that, he often deals in information. It's just that this fellow never puts himself in danger, always using Puppets to lead the way."

Li Fan nodded slowly upon hearing this: "Greedy for wealth and afraid of death, I see."

Chen An laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, your summary is spot on! Those four words—greedy for wealth and afraid of death—describe Jiao Xiuyuan perfectly!"

After laughing, Chen An suddenly said: "When we were transcribing Cultivation Techniques in the Script Pavilion earlier, I saw others transcribe for a while and then rest when they were tired, resuming after recuperating. Only you, Fellow Daoist, did not rest for three months. I truly admire you!"

"However, I wonder if there was some profound meaning behind your actions? If it were just about speed, because of your physical and mental exhaustion later on, you certainly couldn't have compared to those who rested regularly."

"Could you enlighten me, Fellow Daoist?" Chen An bowed and asked.

Li Fan pondered for a moment before speaking: "I wouldn't call it profound meaning; it was just a gut feeling."

"The first trial Qin Hall spoke of was 'Concentration'."

"Concentration means being single-minded. Only by not being disturbed by any external factors can one be called truly concentrated. Is physical and mental exhaustion not also an external disturbance? If one stops because of it, would they no longer be 'concentrated'?"

"Just a bit of humble opinion, Fellow Daoist, take it as you will."

Li Fan said modestly.

Hearing this, Chen An became lost in thought.

Li Fan said no more and returned to his room to rest.

The next day, Qin Hall indeed did not appear again.

No one dared to wander off, simply waiting patiently inside the building.

Early on the third day, Qin Hall appeared before everyone, stumbling while drinking wine.

"Good wine, good wine!"

Belching, he squinted as he looked over the group of Cultivators.

"Today, the second trial begins!"

"This time, I will test your courage!"

"The path of immortality is long, with countless hardships and difficulties. Do you have the courage to face them one by one?"

Qin Hall smiled slightly.

Everyone felt their vision blur, and in an instant, they had left the pavilion and appeared by the seaside.

Their cultivation levels and magic power were all sealed, making them no different from Mortals.

Qin Hall, however, had vanished.

Only his voice came from afar.

"I will be waiting for you on the other side of the sea. Use your courage to cross this ocean!"

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

A bold person walked to the seaside and stepped out.

The seawater immediately froze into ice, catching the person steadily.

The man was overjoyed and kept walking forward, soon disappearing from everyone's sight.

Seeing someone take the lead, the rest of the group also impatiently walked into the sea.

Li Fan caught a glimpse of Hundred Mile Chen doing the same, following them into the sea.

However, Si Kongyi remained at the seaside, making no move for a long time.

Li Fan paid no more attention, simply focusing his mind and slowly stepping onto the surface of the sea.

The water beneath his feet froze into ice, but the others were nowhere to be seen in his field of vision.

On the vast ocean, he was suddenly left all alone.

Li Fan's expression remained unchanged as he walked forward step by step.

The sun rose and the moon set overhead; he didn't know how much time had passed.

The scenery Li Fan saw remained constant throughout.

This ocean seemed to have no end.

Even though Li Fan already knew the answer in advance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness and hesitation.

At this time, Li Fan could feel the thickness of the ice beneath his feet gradually decreasing.

Taking a deep breath, Li Fan dispelled the doubts and fears in his heart.

He continued to walk forward resolutely.

The ice beneath his feet became thick once again.

This second stage tested 'Courage'.

It was not just a test of the courage to face external things, but also the courage to face one's own heart.

On the vast ocean, after walking for a long time, the opposite shore was still nowhere to be seen.

Would you begin to doubt whether you had already lost your way?

Would you become anxious about whether this ocean had an end at all?

Would you become fearful and lose the courage to move forward?

Or perhaps give up on yourself and stop advancing?

Li Fan walked step by step, also questioning his own heart.

Even after centuries of Reincarnation, he had never been like this.

Temporarily setting aside all external matters, he simply thought while continuously walking.

This crossing of the sea on frozen ice was just like the path of immortality.

The road ahead was vast and misty, the end invisible.

Reaching the halfway point and looking around, one could not even be sure if they had lost their way.

From beginning to end, one was all alone, with nothing to rely on.

Time passed, and it seemed as if he would have to keep walking like this forever.

Endlessly.

…

Even so, could one remain firm in their beliefs and never lose the courage to walk forward?

Even though he knew this trial would eventually end.

But Li Fan's heart had also wavered.

Because this journey across the sea was simply too long.

One year, two years…

Decades passed.

Li Fan's hair turned grey and his body became stooped, yet he never stopped his advancing steps.

Until his body became too old and he could no longer walk.

Only then did he fall powerlessly onto the surface of the sea.

His vision blurred, and before his consciousness vanished, Li Fan seemed to see it.

On the shore not far ahead, Qin Hall stood there solitarily, dressed in white.

Qin Hall raised his Wine Gourd toward Li Fan in a gesture and took a smiling gulp.

…

Opening his eyes, Li Fan found himself and the other Cultivators still within that building.

However, it seemed a long time had passed since his last memory, and many people looked dazed.

It took a long while for them to regain their clarity.

"It is easy to tread the River of the Nine Netherworlds, but hard to cross the sea of one's heart."

"This second stage, the Trial of Courage, is over."

"The day after tomorrow in the morning, we will conduct the final trial."

With that, Qin Hall left, swaying his head and carrying the Wine Gourd that never left his side.

Thanks to book friends 20170818114219336, Qian Qian Qian Wei Wu, and Chi Xian Sheng for the tips.

Thanks to the brothers for the monthly tickets and recommendation votes.