The courtyard roared with energy. Dust flew everywhere as ntors chased disciples like hungry tigers after clueless rabbits.
Li Ming ducked behind a fallen pillar, clutching his glowing Pride Shatter Orbs. His chest heaved. "So this is how they train inner disciples? No wonder half of them cry after class!"
Bai Guo, half-chicken, half-human, crouched beside him, fanning himself with a feather. "You wanted to grow stronger, right? Welco to real training. They’re not just testing your pride—they’re grinding your spirit!"
Li Ming peeked around the corner. A nearby student got smacked by two orbs and flew into a haystack.
"Spirit grinding looks painful," Li Ming muttered.
"Exactly!" Bai Guo chirped. "Rember, kid, every test builds your path. This is how you climb—body, mind, and ego."
Li Ming sighed. "So... if I survive this, I get stronger?"
"If you don’t, you beco a cautionary tale," Bai Guo said cheerfully.
A ntor suddenly dropped from the air, landing right in front of them. "Found you!"
Li Ming’s eyes widened. "Wha—?!"
The ntor smirked. "Your footwork’s lazy, your guard’s slow, and your stance—don’t get started."
"I’m working on it!" Li Ming yelled, swinging his orb.
The ntor blocked easily, spun around, and knocked him backward. Li Ming barely kept his footing. His pride stung worse than his ribs.
"Not good enough!" The ntor fired an orb straight at his chest.
Li Ming crossed his arms, bracing for impact— WHAM! The blow sent him rolling, dust swirling around him.
Bai Guo hopped up, flapping his wings. "Li Ming! Don’t get flattened now!"
Li Ming coughed, pushing himself up. "I’m fine! Just... inspecting the floor’s durability."
The ntor chuckled. "Still joking? Good. Pride not broken yet." He vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the echo of his laughter.
Li Ming wiped sweat from his brow. "Why does every ntor in this sect think they’re so kind of mystical codian?"
"Because it works," Bai Guo said. "They hit you physically, then ntally. That’s how they make you grow."
Li Ming’s face softened. "I... get it now. It’s not about winning. It’s about learning how to stand after losing."
Bai Guo smirked. "Finally, so wisdom! Maybe your head isn’t full of buns after all."
Li Ming stood tall, determination glinting in his eyes. "I’ll pass this trial. Not by luck, not by accident—but by ."
Just then, three ntors appeared at once, forming a triangle around him. Each held two glowing orbs.
Bai Guo gulped. "Okay, maybe not just you. Maybe a little chicken help too."
Li Ming twirled his orbs, feeling the faint pulse of spiritual energy within them. I’ve co this far. I fought chickens, boulders, and dumplings... I can face this too.
The first ntor struck, fast and clean. Li Ming blocked it—barely. The second attacked from above. Li Ming spun, ducked, and countered.
The third ntor launched both orbs in a crisscross strike. Li Ming leapt backward—straight into a training dummy.
BONK!
"Ow! Why is pain always part of my progress!?"
Bai Guo squawked, firing a feather like a dart at one of the orbs. "Focus! You said you wouldn’t win by accident—so don’t lose by clumsiness!"
Li Ming took a deep breath. "Okay. Let’s do this!"
The ntors circled him like hawks. Li Ming felt his heart pound, but his steps steadied. Each move beca sharper, more confident. His pride wasn’t arrogance now—it was resolve.
For the first ti, Li Ming wasn’t dodging to survive. He was fighting to improve.
One ntor grinned. "Good! That’s the spirit! But can you keep it up?"
Li Ming’s grin matched theirs. "Guess we’ll find out!"
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he charged forward. His orbs t theirs in a bright, sparking clash.
Dust burst everywhere. Students turned to watch. Even the Sect Master, observing from above, raised an eyebrow.
Bai Guo hovered nearby, wings fluttering. "Now this looks like a cultivator!"
Li Ming’s arms trembled, but he didn’t falter. "I’m not here to be perfect. I’m here to be better!"
With a sharp twist, he knocked one ntor’s orb aside, sending it spinning into the sky.
The crowd gasped.
Li Ming smiled faintly. "Guess I’m finally getting the hang of this—"
Before he could finish, another ntor appeared behind him.
"Lesson two: Never get distracted mid-victory."
THUD!
Li Ming faceplanted into the dirt.
Bai Guo sighed. "Progress: two steps forward, one dirt sandwich back."
Li Ming spat out grass. "Still counts... as growth..."
The ntors laughed, fading back into the crowd. Li Ming sat up slowly, brushing dirt from his face.
He wasn’t beaten. Not yet. But he could feel how close he was to his limit.
And the next round was only going to get harder.
-----
Li Ming looked around. Students were still fighting across the courtyard, pride orbs flashing, dust clouds rising like storms. So were crying. So were gritting their teeth. No one was laughing.
And for the first ti, neither was Li Ming.
"I used to think being strong ant breaking rocks or winning duels," he said quietly. "But strength isn’t just winning. It’s being honest with yourself. I’ve been scared of losing... scared of looking weak."
Bai Guo’s expression softened. "You can’t build strength on fear, kid. You build it on understanding."
Li Ming nodded. "Then it’s ti I stop running from my flaws."
A booming voice echoed across the courtyard. "NEXT ROUND—BEGIN!"
A dozen ntors dropped from the sky like teors. The ground trembled.
Li Ming braced himself. He didn’t joke. He didn’t flinch. He simply raised his orbs and t the first strike head-on.
The impact sent a shock through his arms, but he didn’t fall. Instead, he slid back a step, teeth gritted.
"Better," one ntor said. "You’re not dodging—you’re standing."
Li Ming spun, blocking another hit. His arms burned. His breath ca fast. But his eyes shone with focus.
Every swing, every block—he could feel sothing shift inside him.
Not his power. His resolve.
He wasn’t just fighting others. He was fighting the weaker version of himself.
Bai Guo flapped above. "Now that’s the Li Ming I’ve been waiting for!"
A ntor lunged from behind, orbs glowing fiercely. Li Ming turned, caught the strike, and countered with a clean push. The ntor stumbled back, grinning.
"Not bad, disciple. Maybe your pride is worth keeping after all."
Li Ming exhaled. "No... pride isn’t about being better than others. It’s about refusing to quit on yourself."
The ntor nodded. "Then prove it."
Li Ming closed his eyes for a split second, focusing his breathing. He felt the energy inside him swirl—calr, stronger, clearer.
When he opened his eyes again, the courtyard looked sharper. Every move, every strike seed slower.
He could finally see.
Three orbs ca flying toward him. Instead of panicking, he stepped aside, lifted one orb, and deflected all three in smooth motion.
Gasps echoed from the watching disciples.
Bai Guo laughed. "Hah! Look at you, all calm and mighty! Finally using that brain for sothing besides snack storage!"
Li Ming smiled faintly. "Maybe... maybe I’m finally walking my own path."
But before he could celebrate, a shadow lood behind him—massive, cold, powerful.
Li Ming turned slowly.
Floating above the arena was a ntor unlike any other—robes black as night, eyes glowing with quiet power. He carried six Pride Shatter Orbs swirling like miniature stars.
Every other ntor stopped attacking. Silence fell.
Bai Guo gulped. "Oh no... that’s the Head ntor. He only appears when soone’s ready."
Li Ming’s body tensed. "Ready for what?"
"To see how strong your heart really is."
The Head ntor raised one orb, and Li Ming’s knees nearly buckled under the pressure alone.
Bai Guo stepped back. "This... is going to hurt."
Li Ming lifted his orbs, steady hands trembling slightly. "Then let it hurt. I’ll face it."
The Head ntor’s voice rumbled through the air. "Show , disciple. Show the strength of your pride."
The orbs began to spin faster, light bursting from them like a rising storm.
Li Ming took a deep breath, eyes sharp, stance solid.
"I won’t run this ti."
And as the first orb flew forward, glowing like a falling star, Li Ming charged straight into it.
To be continued....
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