Darkness. Heat. Pressure.
Li Fan's body twisted in agony as if every bone inside him had become molten metal, poured into an unseen mold. His skin steamed. His muscles convulsed. Yet somehow—he was still conscious.
Was this death?
No. This was rebirth.
> "Refine the Earth Cauldron. Temper the bones. Break, and rebuild."
The ancient voice echoed again, this time clearer, as if it resonated within the marrow of his being. Around him, the void had changed — from formless blackness into a vast chamber of stone and fire, as if carved from the very heart of the earth.
Nine towering cauldrons floated in the air like stars. But only one glowed faintly — the Earth Cauldron, its body cracked, half-formed. It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Then it struck.
A pillar of flame burst from the sky, slamming into the cauldron. It trembled, roaring like a beast, and chains of golden light shot from its mouth, wrapping around Li Fan's limbs.
> "Begin the Trial."
Suddenly, he was falling—plunged into a pit of black sand and stone beasts.
Bang!
A stone fist smashed into his chest, launching him across the molten sand. Pain exploded again. His vision blurred.
"How… is this a trial?" he gasped. "It's... punishment!"
But his bones didn't crack. Not this time.
They sang—as if the damage was forging them stronger.
He rose, blood dripping from his mouth, and ducked the next blow. The creature, shaped like a lion forged from molten rock, snarled and charged again. Dozens more emerged from the shadows, each radiating heat and rage.
Li Fan clenched his fists. Something was changing inside him. He could feel the pressure strengthening his bones instead of breaking them.
His blood pumped like thunder. The chains binding him tightened—and his arms pulsed with raw power.
> "If I want to survive... then let me be tempered!"
He roared and threw a punch. It connected.
CRACK!
The stone lion's head exploded into shards.
A tremor shot through the chamber. The Earth Cauldron pulsed.
One by one, Li Fan met the beasts in brutal battle—no swords, no Qi, no techniques. Only fists. Only the body.
Hours passed. Days. He lost all sense of time.
Each wound made him stronger. Each fall rebuilt him harder.
When the last beast fell, the Earth Cauldron blazed with golden light. Chains snapped. The cauldron descended, shrinking, until it merged into his chest.
He gasped, awake again—in the real world.
The rain had stopped. The mud around him had hardened into stone. His body... no longer felt broken. It felt invincible.
He looked at his hands. His fists. His arms. There was strength now. Real strength.
From behind, he heard footsteps.
"You're still alive?" sneered a voice. It was Li Shen again, back to finish the job. "You just don't know when to give up."
Li Fan stood up slowly, his eyes calm and unreadable.
"No," he said. "I just found out how to begin."
And then he stepped forward.